Chapter 2: Seifer Is Back!
Squall entered the infirmary. Dr Kadowaki wasn't there. He silently went to Zell and took a peek in the room he was resting in. When he saw he was sleeping, he turned back.
"I'm not sleeping."
Squall turned round.
"I'm sorry, I woke you up!"
"Nah… I wasn't sleeping, just resting."
Squall sat down on the bed by his friend's side.
"How do you feel?"
"I think I'll need plenty hotdogs to get full healthy again…"
Squall laughed.
"What?" Zell asked. "You should know those hotdogs are very nutritive!"
"You're the expert."
An announcement started to be heard.
"Squall! This is Headmaster Cid speaking. Come to my office now!"
Squall got up looking at Zell.
"Well? I think I'll let you sleep," he said leaving.
"Squall?"
Squall turned back again.
"What?"
"Come back to tell me how is after, ok?"
Squall smiled then left. He went directly to the elevator and reached the third floor. Then he used the lifting platform to reach the command panel. From that panel, moving the Garden was possible.
He spotted Seifer the second the lift stopped. Nida was showing him, the commands.
Seifer was facing Squall his back. He was wearing his characteristic grey trench coat.
Squall waved to Quistis who put a hand on Seifer's shoulder. He looked down her way while she was whispering something to him. Then he turned around to face Squall. Squall could see his old rival was still wearing the same clothes. Just like he does.
Seifer granted Squall the same smile he had back in time. Except that there was no more madness in his eyes.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What's up?"
Squall stayed formal.
"You know I'm in charge, Seifer. And you know that I decided to give you a chance…"
"Yes, I know. And it's making me sick but… thank you, Squall…"
Seifer showed a disgusted face before starting laughing.
"You sure you don't want to become a SeeD?" Squall asked just in case.
"Hey! You know me better than anyone else: I like to fight but I can't take orders! And being a SeeD is concentrated on orders… No, my mind is made up: I just wanna get back my place in the disciplinary committee with Raijin and Fuujin…"
"Granted!"
Squall offered his hand and Seifer took it to shake it. Squall gave up his formal look and smiled, shaking hands.
"Good to have you back!"
"And, God, it's good to be back!!"
Quistis, Nida and Xu smiled. They never saw Squall and Seifer smiling together before. Even Quistis never saw that at the orphanage.
"We're finally gonna have some discipline around here!" Xu said.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked.
"Nobody wanted to take your place. Anybody is running in the halls, now." Squall answered.
Seifer spread his legs, put a fist on his hip and raised the other.
"Don't worry, everyone! The Disciplinary Posse is back in action!"
Quistis approached and took Seifer's hand, smiling.
"I'm sure you'll do a great job!"
"Thanks, my ex-instructor!"
"Not only yours: I'm not an instructor anymore!"
Squall interrupted.
"What do you say you start now with your 'Disciplinary Posse'?"
"Maybe I should."
"Come."
Seifer followed Squall down to the Headmaster's office. Cid stopped Seifer to speak to him.
"It's such a shame you don't want to become a SeeD! Another gunblade expert would be great!"
"Maybe I'm not a SeeD but I'm still a gunblade expert! I'll let Squall be the only SeeD with a gunblade…for now…"
"You don't want to reconsider?"
Seifer shook his head.
"Not for now, at least."
"If you ever change your mind…" Cid offered.
"I'll think about it."
The two ex-rivals left the Headmaster and went back to the first floor. They walked side by side.
"You know what, Squall? When I was told you were in charge, I was sure you'd never want to let me come back."
Seifer was walking his head down. Squall looked at him.
"Why not?"
"Well… after what I've done to you… and the others…"
"Forget about it. Back then it was personal business but letting you come back here was a professional business. Besides leave the past behind, where it belong."
"You know what? You're right!"
"You wanna hear something strange?" Squall asked after a moment of silence.
"Go ahead."
"I think that it's a bit because of you that I changed so much. With that sorceress thing."
"Maybe… Now YOU wanna hear something REALLY strange?"
"…Yeah?"
"I think…I missed you…"
Squall looked at Seifer, raising an eyebrow.
"What?!"
"I needed somebody to fight with… before, it was you. Teasing you and fighting you… I missed it… I missed you… There! I said it!"
"It's good to have your real self back."
Seifer stopped and stepped in front of Squall, shaking a threatening finger under his nose and showing a threatening face along.
"I warn you: don't EVER tell anybody what I just told you!!"
Squall laughed.
"Don't worry."
"Good! We understand each other… Now can we go to the cafeteria? I'm starving!"
"Alright! And we can talk there if you want."
"Gladly! I want you to tell me everything about you and your friends!"
They headed for the cafeteria.
"Seifer?" The girl behind the counter exclaimed. "I heard rumours that you were coming back but I wasn't expecting you today!"
"Just give me something to eat!"
"Sure!"
Seifer received meat and vegetables plate and went to sit down with Squall.
"Talk to me about the others while I eat. Then I'll talk."
"Okay!"
Squall didn't know where to start. He put his hands together on the table in front of him and bent a little.
"Um… I'm still studying to get higher ranks but not under Quistis since, as you already know, she's not an instructor anymore. In my free time, I'm training."
"How is Rinoa?" Seifer asked between two munches.
"She's fine. Still living in Deling City but she comes here whenever she can. Or sometimes I go visit her for our…" he hesitated continuing.
"Dates?"
"Yeah…"
"So she's your girlfriend?! Do I have to tell you I'm pretty jealous of you? Anyway, you both made a great choice: I know you'll take care of her and she's just the right girl for you… What about that other girl… Selphie?"
He went back to his meal.
"She decided to stay here permanently. At first she wanted to go back to Trabia Garden and help with the repairs but she feels great here."
"And the cowboy?"
"Irvine? He was just a sharpshooter at Galbadia Garden. Back here, he past the SeeD test saying he liked the job. I think at first he just wanted to stay with Selphie but now it's for the job too."
"Selphie's boyfriend?"
"Kind of."
"Even when we were kids he was fond of her… and Chick… Zell?"
Squall noticed the effort Seifer made not to call Zell 'Chicken- wuss'.
"I'm training with him and we had training just this morning. He's at the infirmary now."
Seifer just raised his eyes and gave Squall a truly concerned look.
"What happened?"
"T-rexaur…" Squall simply answered as if those simple words could tell everything.
"Is he alright?"
"Yeah… he was lucky…"
Seifer nodded and finished eating. He leant on the back of his chair and tapped his stomach.
"Aaah… That feels good!"
"And what about you?" Squall asked.
"I was staying in Balamb since I got back my self-control, having fun with Raijin and Fuujin, fishing all day long… You see, when I asked to come back here, it wasn't for me: it was for them…"
Squall didn't understand.
"They could have come back anytime! They didn't really do anything, they just obeyed me at first. The only reason why they didn't come back is I. You already know I was afraid of coming back… They didn't want to leave me, that's why we're a posse!"
"Hey, Seifer!"
Both Seifer and Squall turned to the entrance of the cafeteria to see Raijin and Fuujin coming their way.
"I was sure you'd be here, ya know!"
"I WAS!"
"Hey, Fuujin," Seifer said, "you can stop speaking so loud!"
"SORry…"
"So how did it go, Seifer?" Raijin asked.
Seifer looked mysterious and spoke slowly.
"We… are back in the disciplinary committee!"
"Alright!" Raijin and Fuujin exclaimed jumping up.
"And I decided to rename it: 'The Disciplinary Posse'!"
"That sounds great, ya know!"
"Great!" Fuujin approved.
Seifer got up along with Squall.
"Hey, Squall! You're the last one I expected Seifer to be with for now, ya know!"
"Thank you for permitted Seifer coming back," Fuujin said.
"It's nothing. Now what do you say you start your job now? Not many people know you're back, Seifer. It will give the 'hall runners' a big surprise!"
"Why not?"
Seifer waved at Squall then went to the entrance of the cafeteria, Raijin and Fuujin preceding him. Just before leaving, he turned back and looked at Squall.
"Hey, Squall? What do you say we have a fight tonight? I'm kinda rusted up and it's been a while since our last fight. I wanna know too how strong is the Sorceress's killer. Somebody who can save the world must be pretty strong!"
"I didn't do that alone, you know?"
Seifer came closer.
"By the way, what happened once you defeated Ultimecia?"
"I got myself lost in time…"
"Really?"
Squall found hard to remember that sad moment.
"I wanted to be with Rinoa…" he recalled. " Hear her voice… I couldn't even remember her face… Images of her were flashing in my mind, even one I never saw: the glass from her space suit shattered in pieces. It almost killed me…"
"How… did you make it back?"
"Rinoa found me… her love for me got ourselves back in the field near Edea's house."
"How sweet!" a voice exclaimed.
Seifer looked behind him. Selphie was standing there.
"Hi, Selphie." Seifer said.
"Hello!"
"Well, I'll go to my job. What do you say for tonight, Squall?"
"Can't wait!"
"See ya tonight, then!"
Then he left.
"Got a date with Seifer?" Selphie joked.
"A fight…"
Selphie widened her eyes, starting to worry.
"A…fight?"
"A friendly fight, training."
"Your last training with Seifer gave each other a scar!" she reminded him.
Squall smiled putting his fingers on his forehead. Selphie asked something.
"So, what do you think?"
"He's not really as he was before the Sorceress story but he's not bad anymore. Not evil at least."
Selphie nodded as she understood, then she jumped as she remembered something.
"I almost forgot! Rinoa's gonna come!"
"Rinoa? When?"
"For supper. She called me a while ago, that's why I was looking for you!"
"Rinoa…"
His dream came back in his mind. He shook his head to get it out.
"You're okay? You're so pale!"
"Don't worry…"
Selphie didn't insist.
"Do you mind if we… go see you fight?" she asked.
"No, not really. I just want to ask you not to interfere, ok?"
"Okay! I'll tell the others!"
She went to get out of the cafeteria.
"Just in case I miss Rinoa, send her to my room!"
"No prob.!"
She left.
Satisfied, Squall went back to see Zell. His friend was expecting him.
"At last!" Zell exclaimed when he saw Squall. "You almost kept me waiting!"
He sat up properly on the bed.
"So? How'd it go?"
"We talked…"
Zell showed a frustrated face.
"Hey! You're not funny! I want to know everything!"
Squall told him everything after he laughed from Zell's disappointment. Except for what Seifer asked him not to tell, he told everything.
"I can't believe it! You're all buddy-buddy again!
"But 'buddies' who will have a fight tonight…"
Zell widened up his eyes and stopped breathing.
"A…a fight?"
"Right."
"Whooa! Can't wait to see that! It will be some kind of a show!"
Zell was very excited. Squall gave him a grave look.
"If you don't rest, you won't see anything."
"Come on…"
"You have to rest!"
Zell calmed down.
"You're that concern about me?"
"Well…ah…"
Zell smiled.
"Ok, I'll rest. I promise you I'll be ok for tonight. Can we have lunch tonight before the fight?"
"Why n…"
Squall suddenly remembered Rinoa was supposed to come for supper. Zell noticed the change on his friend's face.
"S'up?"
"Huh…Rinoa is supposed to come…"
"Oh! That's ok…Hotdogs taste better eating alone…"
Squall could see Zell was disappointed but that he understood too.
"Alright," Squall said. "See ya later!"
"Can't wait to see that fight!"
Squall left the infirmary and went to his room, focusing on the fight to come. He lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Squall entered the infirmary. Dr Kadowaki wasn't there. He silently went to Zell and took a peek in the room he was resting in. When he saw he was sleeping, he turned back.
"I'm not sleeping."
Squall turned round.
"I'm sorry, I woke you up!"
"Nah… I wasn't sleeping, just resting."
Squall sat down on the bed by his friend's side.
"How do you feel?"
"I think I'll need plenty hotdogs to get full healthy again…"
Squall laughed.
"What?" Zell asked. "You should know those hotdogs are very nutritive!"
"You're the expert."
An announcement started to be heard.
"Squall! This is Headmaster Cid speaking. Come to my office now!"
Squall got up looking at Zell.
"Well? I think I'll let you sleep," he said leaving.
"Squall?"
Squall turned back again.
"What?"
"Come back to tell me how is after, ok?"
Squall smiled then left. He went directly to the elevator and reached the third floor. Then he used the lifting platform to reach the command panel. From that panel, moving the Garden was possible.
He spotted Seifer the second the lift stopped. Nida was showing him, the commands.
Seifer was facing Squall his back. He was wearing his characteristic grey trench coat.
Squall waved to Quistis who put a hand on Seifer's shoulder. He looked down her way while she was whispering something to him. Then he turned around to face Squall. Squall could see his old rival was still wearing the same clothes. Just like he does.
Seifer granted Squall the same smile he had back in time. Except that there was no more madness in his eyes.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What's up?"
Squall stayed formal.
"You know I'm in charge, Seifer. And you know that I decided to give you a chance…"
"Yes, I know. And it's making me sick but… thank you, Squall…"
Seifer showed a disgusted face before starting laughing.
"You sure you don't want to become a SeeD?" Squall asked just in case.
"Hey! You know me better than anyone else: I like to fight but I can't take orders! And being a SeeD is concentrated on orders… No, my mind is made up: I just wanna get back my place in the disciplinary committee with Raijin and Fuujin…"
"Granted!"
Squall offered his hand and Seifer took it to shake it. Squall gave up his formal look and smiled, shaking hands.
"Good to have you back!"
"And, God, it's good to be back!!"
Quistis, Nida and Xu smiled. They never saw Squall and Seifer smiling together before. Even Quistis never saw that at the orphanage.
"We're finally gonna have some discipline around here!" Xu said.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked.
"Nobody wanted to take your place. Anybody is running in the halls, now." Squall answered.
Seifer spread his legs, put a fist on his hip and raised the other.
"Don't worry, everyone! The Disciplinary Posse is back in action!"
Quistis approached and took Seifer's hand, smiling.
"I'm sure you'll do a great job!"
"Thanks, my ex-instructor!"
"Not only yours: I'm not an instructor anymore!"
Squall interrupted.
"What do you say you start now with your 'Disciplinary Posse'?"
"Maybe I should."
"Come."
Seifer followed Squall down to the Headmaster's office. Cid stopped Seifer to speak to him.
"It's such a shame you don't want to become a SeeD! Another gunblade expert would be great!"
"Maybe I'm not a SeeD but I'm still a gunblade expert! I'll let Squall be the only SeeD with a gunblade…for now…"
"You don't want to reconsider?"
Seifer shook his head.
"Not for now, at least."
"If you ever change your mind…" Cid offered.
"I'll think about it."
The two ex-rivals left the Headmaster and went back to the first floor. They walked side by side.
"You know what, Squall? When I was told you were in charge, I was sure you'd never want to let me come back."
Seifer was walking his head down. Squall looked at him.
"Why not?"
"Well… after what I've done to you… and the others…"
"Forget about it. Back then it was personal business but letting you come back here was a professional business. Besides leave the past behind, where it belong."
"You know what? You're right!"
"You wanna hear something strange?" Squall asked after a moment of silence.
"Go ahead."
"I think that it's a bit because of you that I changed so much. With that sorceress thing."
"Maybe… Now YOU wanna hear something REALLY strange?"
"…Yeah?"
"I think…I missed you…"
Squall looked at Seifer, raising an eyebrow.
"What?!"
"I needed somebody to fight with… before, it was you. Teasing you and fighting you… I missed it… I missed you… There! I said it!"
"It's good to have your real self back."
Seifer stopped and stepped in front of Squall, shaking a threatening finger under his nose and showing a threatening face along.
"I warn you: don't EVER tell anybody what I just told you!!"
Squall laughed.
"Don't worry."
"Good! We understand each other… Now can we go to the cafeteria? I'm starving!"
"Alright! And we can talk there if you want."
"Gladly! I want you to tell me everything about you and your friends!"
They headed for the cafeteria.
"Seifer?" The girl behind the counter exclaimed. "I heard rumours that you were coming back but I wasn't expecting you today!"
"Just give me something to eat!"
"Sure!"
Seifer received meat and vegetables plate and went to sit down with Squall.
"Talk to me about the others while I eat. Then I'll talk."
"Okay!"
Squall didn't know where to start. He put his hands together on the table in front of him and bent a little.
"Um… I'm still studying to get higher ranks but not under Quistis since, as you already know, she's not an instructor anymore. In my free time, I'm training."
"How is Rinoa?" Seifer asked between two munches.
"She's fine. Still living in Deling City but she comes here whenever she can. Or sometimes I go visit her for our…" he hesitated continuing.
"Dates?"
"Yeah…"
"So she's your girlfriend?! Do I have to tell you I'm pretty jealous of you? Anyway, you both made a great choice: I know you'll take care of her and she's just the right girl for you… What about that other girl… Selphie?"
He went back to his meal.
"She decided to stay here permanently. At first she wanted to go back to Trabia Garden and help with the repairs but she feels great here."
"And the cowboy?"
"Irvine? He was just a sharpshooter at Galbadia Garden. Back here, he past the SeeD test saying he liked the job. I think at first he just wanted to stay with Selphie but now it's for the job too."
"Selphie's boyfriend?"
"Kind of."
"Even when we were kids he was fond of her… and Chick… Zell?"
Squall noticed the effort Seifer made not to call Zell 'Chicken- wuss'.
"I'm training with him and we had training just this morning. He's at the infirmary now."
Seifer just raised his eyes and gave Squall a truly concerned look.
"What happened?"
"T-rexaur…" Squall simply answered as if those simple words could tell everything.
"Is he alright?"
"Yeah… he was lucky…"
Seifer nodded and finished eating. He leant on the back of his chair and tapped his stomach.
"Aaah… That feels good!"
"And what about you?" Squall asked.
"I was staying in Balamb since I got back my self-control, having fun with Raijin and Fuujin, fishing all day long… You see, when I asked to come back here, it wasn't for me: it was for them…"
Squall didn't understand.
"They could have come back anytime! They didn't really do anything, they just obeyed me at first. The only reason why they didn't come back is I. You already know I was afraid of coming back… They didn't want to leave me, that's why we're a posse!"
"Hey, Seifer!"
Both Seifer and Squall turned to the entrance of the cafeteria to see Raijin and Fuujin coming their way.
"I was sure you'd be here, ya know!"
"I WAS!"
"Hey, Fuujin," Seifer said, "you can stop speaking so loud!"
"SORry…"
"So how did it go, Seifer?" Raijin asked.
Seifer looked mysterious and spoke slowly.
"We… are back in the disciplinary committee!"
"Alright!" Raijin and Fuujin exclaimed jumping up.
"And I decided to rename it: 'The Disciplinary Posse'!"
"That sounds great, ya know!"
"Great!" Fuujin approved.
Seifer got up along with Squall.
"Hey, Squall! You're the last one I expected Seifer to be with for now, ya know!"
"Thank you for permitted Seifer coming back," Fuujin said.
"It's nothing. Now what do you say you start your job now? Not many people know you're back, Seifer. It will give the 'hall runners' a big surprise!"
"Why not?"
Seifer waved at Squall then went to the entrance of the cafeteria, Raijin and Fuujin preceding him. Just before leaving, he turned back and looked at Squall.
"Hey, Squall? What do you say we have a fight tonight? I'm kinda rusted up and it's been a while since our last fight. I wanna know too how strong is the Sorceress's killer. Somebody who can save the world must be pretty strong!"
"I didn't do that alone, you know?"
Seifer came closer.
"By the way, what happened once you defeated Ultimecia?"
"I got myself lost in time…"
"Really?"
Squall found hard to remember that sad moment.
"I wanted to be with Rinoa…" he recalled. " Hear her voice… I couldn't even remember her face… Images of her were flashing in my mind, even one I never saw: the glass from her space suit shattered in pieces. It almost killed me…"
"How… did you make it back?"
"Rinoa found me… her love for me got ourselves back in the field near Edea's house."
"How sweet!" a voice exclaimed.
Seifer looked behind him. Selphie was standing there.
"Hi, Selphie." Seifer said.
"Hello!"
"Well, I'll go to my job. What do you say for tonight, Squall?"
"Can't wait!"
"See ya tonight, then!"
Then he left.
"Got a date with Seifer?" Selphie joked.
"A fight…"
Selphie widened her eyes, starting to worry.
"A…fight?"
"A friendly fight, training."
"Your last training with Seifer gave each other a scar!" she reminded him.
Squall smiled putting his fingers on his forehead. Selphie asked something.
"So, what do you think?"
"He's not really as he was before the Sorceress story but he's not bad anymore. Not evil at least."
Selphie nodded as she understood, then she jumped as she remembered something.
"I almost forgot! Rinoa's gonna come!"
"Rinoa? When?"
"For supper. She called me a while ago, that's why I was looking for you!"
"Rinoa…"
His dream came back in his mind. He shook his head to get it out.
"You're okay? You're so pale!"
"Don't worry…"
Selphie didn't insist.
"Do you mind if we… go see you fight?" she asked.
"No, not really. I just want to ask you not to interfere, ok?"
"Okay! I'll tell the others!"
She went to get out of the cafeteria.
"Just in case I miss Rinoa, send her to my room!"
"No prob.!"
She left.
Satisfied, Squall went back to see Zell. His friend was expecting him.
"At last!" Zell exclaimed when he saw Squall. "You almost kept me waiting!"
He sat up properly on the bed.
"So? How'd it go?"
"We talked…"
Zell showed a frustrated face.
"Hey! You're not funny! I want to know everything!"
Squall told him everything after he laughed from Zell's disappointment. Except for what Seifer asked him not to tell, he told everything.
"I can't believe it! You're all buddy-buddy again!
"But 'buddies' who will have a fight tonight…"
Zell widened up his eyes and stopped breathing.
"A…a fight?"
"Right."
"Whooa! Can't wait to see that! It will be some kind of a show!"
Zell was very excited. Squall gave him a grave look.
"If you don't rest, you won't see anything."
"Come on…"
"You have to rest!"
Zell calmed down.
"You're that concern about me?"
"Well…ah…"
Zell smiled.
"Ok, I'll rest. I promise you I'll be ok for tonight. Can we have lunch tonight before the fight?"
"Why n…"
Squall suddenly remembered Rinoa was supposed to come for supper. Zell noticed the change on his friend's face.
"S'up?"
"Huh…Rinoa is supposed to come…"
"Oh! That's ok…Hotdogs taste better eating alone…"
Squall could see Zell was disappointed but that he understood too.
"Alright," Squall said. "See ya later!"
"Can't wait to see that fight!"
Squall left the infirmary and went to his room, focusing on the fight to come. He lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling.