iFinal Fantasy VIII... Afterwards/i: Chapter Two: iThe Instructor Trepe/i
p Rinoa, Squall, Zell, and Selphie were waiting at the Balamb train
station. They had left the kids with a neighbor. Selphie was quietly
singing to herself "Train, train, take us away. Take us away, far
away." Zell was the only one who noticed. Squall was to eager to see
his friend and mentor, and Rinoa was excited to get to chat with her
good friend. The clock tower chimed 3:00 pm. Her train was coming in
soon. Their were two little kids playing on the tracks. They felt happy
that they were better parents than that.
p The kids heard the train's whistle nearby, and ran a safe
distance. iAbout time.../i Squall thought to himself. The clock
tower now said 3:15. The train slowed to a halt, and the group
approached the door. When the door opened, former fighting partner and
good friend to all of them, Quistis Trepe stepped out carrying a small
bag. She stopped outside the door.
p"... Hi guys!" Quistis finally said.
brRinoa went up and hugged her, "It's so good to see you!"
br"I missed you all too."
p Zell went up for a hug, but Quistis stopped him and just said
"It's good to see you too, Zell." Selphie laughed after seeing Zell
make a fool of himself again. After all of the greetings were
exchanged, they headed back to the Dincht home, since Quistis had
already been inside the Leonheart residence. The kids were still at the
neighbors.
p"So... what have you been up to?" Zell asked Quistis, still
irritated over his lack of hug.
br"We finally placed the Garden back where it used to be and
deactivated the flying mechanism."
br"Wow..." Squall said, remembering how hard it was to activate the
mechanism in the first place. He played the scene in his head. i"Not
more ladders!"/i his memory of Zell yelled out. Squall almost laughed
br"Whats so funny?" Zell asked Squall, since seeing Squall laugh was
unusual
br"Nothing"
br"Anyway, we got some men from Fishermans Horizon to move into the
Garden and be maintance men." Quistis continued
br"Cool." Selphie said.
br"I need to go get the kids..." Rinoa said.
br"Good luck getting them over here" Squall joked before kissing
Rinoa on the cheek.
br"I'll go get more drinks." Selphie said, standing up.
p Zell watched Rinoa walk out, then looked at Squall.i What...
is he trying to upstage me in being romantic? I'll just have to show
him..../i Selphie returned and put some glasses of white wine on the
table. Zell promptly stood up and gave Selphie a long kiss. Everyone
looked stunned by the act, but Selphie was shocked and glad.
pRinoa walked into the silent room with the two kids. "...What?"
brSquall looked at Selphie blushing, then turned to Rinoa. "Nothing,
Zell's just being unpredictable again"
briUnpredictable is a good way to put it... he should be
unpredictable more often.../i Selphie thought to herself
briHe shoots, He scores! Take that, Mr. Romanticism!/i Zell
thought, smirking at Squall.
br"... Your parents are weird." Raine wispered to Laguna
br"Yea." Laguna wispered back. They then went to Laguna's room.
br "Well," Selphie finally said, "are you here on vacation, or
business?"
pQuistis wished that the question would never come up.
"... Business."
piOh no... not again!/i Squall thought to himself, "You do know
we all gave up on fighting, right?"
br"Yes, there's no fighting involved." Quistis replied
br"... Then what is is?" Zell said, hoping that it didn't involve
tonight. He was certain that Selphie had something planned by the way
she was looking at him.
p "I'll cut right to the chase," Quistis said, "SeeD morale is
kinda low, and we need some of our all-time best to cheer them up."
brZell and Squall both sighed in relief. Squall because he knew that
he was too out of shape to fight, Zell because he knew that this could
wait until tommorow. Quistis knew what both of them were thinking, due
to her years of experience as a teacher. She could barely contain her
laughter.
br"Have you decided where your going to stay tonight?" Rinoa asked
briC'mon Squall, say something!!!/i Zell thought as loud as he
could.
p"... How about our house?" Raine said, walking downstairs while
talking to Laguna.
br"Ok." Laguna replied, "Mommy, can I spend the night at Raine's?"
br"Sure, Laguna" Selphie said, then looked at Rinoa and Squall, then
to Quistis, "Quistis, you can stay with us, if you want."
briNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/i Zell
yelled in his brain, and almost out of his mouth.
br"Thank you, but I don't want to be a burden. I'll stay in a hotel."
p iYES!... ah, forget it!/i "It's ok, you wouldn't be a \
burden at all" Zell said relucatently. He then got up and walked to
the kitchen. iWell, that chance wouln't be coming up for a while...
/i He thought while pouring himself another drink. Selphie sneaked
up to him and kissed him on the cheek, then wispered "Don't worry,
sweetie. It'll happen eventually..." Selphie said before she took his
drink and walked back to the table with everyone else. Zell was
stunned for a moment, then smiled and joined the rest of them.
p"Well, we better head home and make dinner if Laguna's staying for
the night." Squall said
br"Yeah, come on, kids." Rinoa agreed, opening the door.
br"Ok" they both said, walking out, shortly followed by Squall.
br"Bye, Quistis," Rinoa said before walking out, then looked at
Selphie and Zell, who were holding hands. "See you two lovebirds
later." She winked at Zell then walked out.
pi... Did she see us?/i Selphie thought, then turned to Quistis,
"Lets set up a bed for you."
p~End of Chapter Two~
p Rinoa, Squall, Zell, and Selphie were waiting at the Balamb train
station. They had left the kids with a neighbor. Selphie was quietly
singing to herself "Train, train, take us away. Take us away, far
away." Zell was the only one who noticed. Squall was to eager to see
his friend and mentor, and Rinoa was excited to get to chat with her
good friend. The clock tower chimed 3:00 pm. Her train was coming in
soon. Their were two little kids playing on the tracks. They felt happy
that they were better parents than that.
p The kids heard the train's whistle nearby, and ran a safe
distance. iAbout time.../i Squall thought to himself. The clock
tower now said 3:15. The train slowed to a halt, and the group
approached the door. When the door opened, former fighting partner and
good friend to all of them, Quistis Trepe stepped out carrying a small
bag. She stopped outside the door.
p"... Hi guys!" Quistis finally said.
brRinoa went up and hugged her, "It's so good to see you!"
br"I missed you all too."
p Zell went up for a hug, but Quistis stopped him and just said
"It's good to see you too, Zell." Selphie laughed after seeing Zell
make a fool of himself again. After all of the greetings were
exchanged, they headed back to the Dincht home, since Quistis had
already been inside the Leonheart residence. The kids were still at the
neighbors.
p"So... what have you been up to?" Zell asked Quistis, still
irritated over his lack of hug.
br"We finally placed the Garden back where it used to be and
deactivated the flying mechanism."
br"Wow..." Squall said, remembering how hard it was to activate the
mechanism in the first place. He played the scene in his head. i"Not
more ladders!"/i his memory of Zell yelled out. Squall almost laughed
br"Whats so funny?" Zell asked Squall, since seeing Squall laugh was
unusual
br"Nothing"
br"Anyway, we got some men from Fishermans Horizon to move into the
Garden and be maintance men." Quistis continued
br"Cool." Selphie said.
br"I need to go get the kids..." Rinoa said.
br"Good luck getting them over here" Squall joked before kissing
Rinoa on the cheek.
br"I'll go get more drinks." Selphie said, standing up.
p Zell watched Rinoa walk out, then looked at Squall.i What...
is he trying to upstage me in being romantic? I'll just have to show
him..../i Selphie returned and put some glasses of white wine on the
table. Zell promptly stood up and gave Selphie a long kiss. Everyone
looked stunned by the act, but Selphie was shocked and glad.
pRinoa walked into the silent room with the two kids. "...What?"
brSquall looked at Selphie blushing, then turned to Rinoa. "Nothing,
Zell's just being unpredictable again"
briUnpredictable is a good way to put it... he should be
unpredictable more often.../i Selphie thought to herself
briHe shoots, He scores! Take that, Mr. Romanticism!/i Zell
thought, smirking at Squall.
br"... Your parents are weird." Raine wispered to Laguna
br"Yea." Laguna wispered back. They then went to Laguna's room.
br "Well," Selphie finally said, "are you here on vacation, or
business?"
pQuistis wished that the question would never come up.
"... Business."
piOh no... not again!/i Squall thought to himself, "You do know
we all gave up on fighting, right?"
br"Yes, there's no fighting involved." Quistis replied
br"... Then what is is?" Zell said, hoping that it didn't involve
tonight. He was certain that Selphie had something planned by the way
she was looking at him.
p "I'll cut right to the chase," Quistis said, "SeeD morale is
kinda low, and we need some of our all-time best to cheer them up."
brZell and Squall both sighed in relief. Squall because he knew that
he was too out of shape to fight, Zell because he knew that this could
wait until tommorow. Quistis knew what both of them were thinking, due
to her years of experience as a teacher. She could barely contain her
laughter.
br"Have you decided where your going to stay tonight?" Rinoa asked
briC'mon Squall, say something!!!/i Zell thought as loud as he
could.
p"... How about our house?" Raine said, walking downstairs while
talking to Laguna.
br"Ok." Laguna replied, "Mommy, can I spend the night at Raine's?"
br"Sure, Laguna" Selphie said, then looked at Rinoa and Squall, then
to Quistis, "Quistis, you can stay with us, if you want."
briNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/i Zell
yelled in his brain, and almost out of his mouth.
br"Thank you, but I don't want to be a burden. I'll stay in a hotel."
p iYES!... ah, forget it!/i "It's ok, you wouldn't be a \
burden at all" Zell said relucatently. He then got up and walked to
the kitchen. iWell, that chance wouln't be coming up for a while...
/i He thought while pouring himself another drink. Selphie sneaked
up to him and kissed him on the cheek, then wispered "Don't worry,
sweetie. It'll happen eventually..." Selphie said before she took his
drink and walked back to the table with everyone else. Zell was
stunned for a moment, then smiled and joined the rest of them.
p"Well, we better head home and make dinner if Laguna's staying for
the night." Squall said
br"Yeah, come on, kids." Rinoa agreed, opening the door.
br"Ok" they both said, walking out, shortly followed by Squall.
br"Bye, Quistis," Rinoa said before walking out, then looked at
Selphie and Zell, who were holding hands. "See you two lovebirds
later." She winked at Zell then walked out.
pi... Did she see us?/i Selphie thought, then turned to Quistis,
"Lets set up a bed for you."
p~End of Chapter Two~