Chapter 6

The rain had stopped for now, but it didn't look like it was going to stay that way. It was six o'clock, and still a long way from F.H. Sleeping in their beds wasn't going to happen. Irvine was waking up to the sound of Squall and Zell fighting. "What do you mean why did I knock him out? What did you want me to do blow him a kiss?" "Well maybe if you had tried to talk to him first." Squall added. Zell started to turn his back to Squall when he grabbed his shoulder. "Hey! I'm not done talking to you." He shouted. Zell just sat down under a near by tree and looked up at Squall. "It's not my fault he can't keep a girlfriend. It's not my fault I made her feel better when that's his job. And yeah maybe I should have been more careful last night and watched where I was sleeping, sorry about that Quistis. But if he thinks that I will just sit there take a weak ass beating from him, well then my foot has an appointment with his ass!" "See, that's the attitude I'm talking about, I've got enough on my mind without you guys fighting each other. So I don't care what you have to do just settle this peacefully."

"I'll settle this right now!" Every one jumped up to the sound of his voice. Irvine had a headache and maybe a broken nose. He stood up and started to walk to Zell when Squall stepped in his way. "No more fighting, I'm sick of this, he is not the cause of all your problems but like I told him do what you have to do just settle this peacefully." Squall stepped away from Irvine and let him walk over to Zell, he just kept hoping, "Please don't let Zell knock him out again." At first Irvine and Zell were locked in a stare down. Then Irvine turned his eyes away and looked at the ground thinking. "When we get to our Garden, We're going to have a very, very long talk." And then he walked away. Zell had a look of disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me, who does this guy think he is with this cowboy act thinking he can intimidate me? What ever, if we have to talk and I end up dropping him on his ass it will be his fault. Not mine." And with that they started walking and it started raining again.

Night was upon them sooner than they thought it would. I guess that's what happens when you have a lot on your mind. Hours go by in what feels like minutes and before you know it your soaked again, even worse you sitting under another damn tree trying to stay warm with no fire to help. Every one was sleeping, every one but Squall. He just couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to do. " Who is the bigger evil, the monster or the creator of the monster? Any way you look at it in the end he is responsible for the death of all those people, even if he was trying to create something that would protect people. More importantly how am I going to find it in time before more innocent people get hurt? And how am I supposed to lead a team if two of them are constantly fighting over nothing? Please, please let it be over tomorrow."

It was hours since they had fallen asleep, but there was still much to go before the night was going to be over. Rinoa had gotten up and walked over onto a small hill close to them. She sat down and started to think about their last great adventure, her becoming a sorceress and the four new friends she now has, but most importantly she thought about the love of her life. A hand slowly moved towards her shoulder, she was too tired to react. She looked up but wasn't surprised to see Selphie standing over her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Selphie smiled as she answered, "No offense but you walk loud." Then out of the blue Quistis added, "Plus I was using you as a pillow. *Sigh* I wish I was in my warm bed to wrap myself around in." "Looks like you had that last night." Rinoa said while nudging Quistis' shoulder. She started blushing and tried to change the subject. Soon the three were reminiscing about their brush with time compression. "I had never been so afraid in all my life." Quistis started. "Yeah who'd a thunk it, Hey so what was your last thought before everything went white and you found yourself in your special place?" asked Selphie. Rinoa's lips parted and she was about to speak when Selphie again cut her off. "My last thought was of the Garden and how much I was going to miss it and all of you. I remember thinking about how I had just gotten there, and of the people I had just met: Squall, Irvine, Zell and of course you two. But most importantly how much I still wanted to get to know you guys. Rinoa went next. "I remember thinking about Squall and how he promised me he would be at our special place, though at first it was just like my dream when I kept calling him and he just wouldn't answer. Then I saw him laying down, I almost broke down right then, but then the thought of losing everything we had just fought for entered my mind and I knew I wouldn't just sit back and fade quietly into the dark. So I started to hold Squall in my arms and…well you know how the rest went." They both nodded in unison and then Selphie and Rinoa turned and looked over to Quistis who was a little surprised by them. "What it's my turn now? Very well, *sigh*I didn't have positive thoughts that made me want to hold onto this life or time no. I didn't have true love's hand guiding me to the one person I held dear, I didn't have the memory of wanting to be with my new friends, I just had the thought of how little my life meant. How little I had accomplished and how I didn't and still don't know what the love of a man feels like. I had just lost my teachers license, and I thought I was in love and then that faded away into nothing." Selphie and Rinoa were speechless. But they both had the same question. "So then what brought you back?" Selphie asked. Quistis looked up at the black sky, raindrops pounding down on her and the others. "I couldn't bear to let my life end that way. I didn't have anything holding me here, but that didn't mean I didn't want to have something to here to hold me. I want something to live for, so I decided to live and find it. Weather it be in having kids one day or just finding someone to love and to know what it is to be loved." Quistis looked down at the ground, she had never been so open before. Never in her life had she divulged so much about herself and about her personal thoughts. Then she felt Rinoa and Selphie hugging her. Somehow they knew she had broken down a barrier that night, she was glad to have them as friends.

When the hugging session stopped Rinoa started a new subject. "So Selphie what's with you and Zell?

"I don't really know." She replied. " It's just that I'm seeing him in a way I never have before. I never knew he could be so sweet, the second he held me I felt this surge of warmth and comfort in his arms. Like nothing could ever hurt me so long as I stayed with him, Irvine never made me feel that way. He would look out for me sure, but it always felt like he had to force himself to do it. With Zell it almost seems like he does it upon instinct, I think that's the most wonderful thing to have; a natural instinct to protect others. Don't you think?" Quistis unknowingly thought out loud, "Yeah it is." She said with a warm smile. "Quistis?" Rinoa and Selphie were staring at her with a look of confusion. "Oh what? I'm sorry, what were you two saying?" "Um… nothing I think it's pretty late we should get some sleep. C'mon we can use the guys to keep us warm." As they walked over to the tree the guys were under Selphie whispered to Rinoa and Quistis, "I call Zell, this means you Quistis." Soon they were settled in and trying to sleep as best they could.



Finally, finally the rain had stopped. The squad woke up in the warm glow of the sun; it had been awhile since they remembered what it was like to be out of the rain, to look up at the sky and not have to see dark gray clouds. They had only spent two days in the rain but it was more than enough to make them never want to see a falling drop of water for as long as they lived. As always Squall led the group, the five were his responsibility. Should they fail a mission, or worse, he would have to bear the consequences alone. They were running for most of the way. Being away from home so many days and in the cold for two nights made them want to get to their Garden and into a change of clothes more than anything else. They only stopped twice to catch their breath and to get the rocks, mud and slime out of their shoes. Irvine was helping Selphie up one of the many small cliffs they had to climb when he turned and asked Squall, "Hey Mr. Leader man how much longer do you think it will be until we get home?" Squall was a little ways ahead of them and shouted back, "Not far. Just a few more miles of walking and we'll be at the bridge that leads to FH and were home." "Home, that has to be the best four letter word in the universe." Quistis thought. "I want to go back so much but I know that as soon as we get there, we'll just have to leave again and off to another bloody battle. What if we fail? Or worse, what if one of us doesn't make it back this time?" Zell put his hand on Quistis' shoulder, "Hey, you ok? You look like you're about to cry ya'know? What's the matter?" Quistis looked at Zell then at the ground. She didn't speak, Zell looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Fine, tell you what, when we get back I'll buy you some hotdogs and you can tell me all about it, what do you say? Mmmm…hotdogs." He moaned. Quistis started to laugh. "He always knows how to make me feel better." She thought. They continued walking over the next few hills when they saw it. They were so close to FH now that they could smell the ocean air, and there ahead of them was the bridge that led to FH and their Garden.

The Squad was on the bridge now the wind starting to pick up. As they walked Selphie ran to the front of the group and looked at them. She then asked, "Hey, haven't any of you wondered why they didn't send anyone to come and get us after we didn't come home the first day?" They all stopped in their tracks. "Yeah what's that about ya'know?" asked Zell. Rinoa looked at Squall, "Can you think of any reason why they didn't come looking for us?" "No." he replied. "Well I say we find out." Irvine said as he started walking towards the Garden. But Squall stepped in front of him. "No Irvine, I want to talk to Cid alone about this. I'll let you all know what I find out." So they started walking again all of them focusing on the Garden a head of them. Just when they thought they could relax and be done with one problem, another one always comes along.

End Of Chapter 6