Chapter 2
The five SeeDs assembled at platform two at Galbadia Station.
"So where do we go now?" asked Zell yawning.
"Yeah, isn't it a little late to go see General Caraway?" chipped in Selphie.
"We have a room booked in the Galbadia Hotel tonight," replied their leader Squall. "Come on, let's go."
"Hey, can't we go on a little sightseeing tour?" asked Irvine. "I want to see what ladies this town has to offer." Selphie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, puh-lease, you're like this everywhere we go. Can't you just behave like an adult for once."
"Why, are you jealous," he teased.
"NO WAY," she protested.
"Alright you two, cut it out," Quistis ordered. "This is a SeeD mission and we should behave accordingly."
"Yes sir," replied Selphie, saluting Quistis.
"Yo, Squall. Can't we look around the town," enquired Zell. "It feels like ages since we were last here."
"No. Tonight we rest. Our meeting with Caraway is early tomorrow. It'll probably be a long day so you should get some sleep."
"Ahhhh but Squall," protested Zell.
"No buts. That's an order. I'll see you all in the morning."
* * *
"How much longer until Deling City," Rinoa pondered whilst staring at the picturesque Galbadian scenery out of the train window. She was anxious to see Squall. Mainly to apologise to him for not staying at Garden but also just so she'd know he was safe. Rinoa knew that he probably was-he could look after himself perfectly well-he was the best fighter in Garden after all. Despite all this though, she couldn't shake off a feeling of trepidation about all this. There was something Squall was hiding, Rinoa knew it. She could read him like a book. He had seemed a little edgy when she asked him who was leading the military coup and he tried to change the subject as quickly as possible, dismissing it as unimportant. Rinoa knew that this wasn't like Squall. To him every mission detail was important, no matter how minor it may seem to everyone else, so why, she wondered, was he being so secretive about this. It made Rinoa uneasy to know that Squall had lied to her. She trusted him with all her heart and it hurt that there were things Squall would not trust her with. However, deep down she knew that Squall would have his reasons for lying to her. She felt he was trying to protect her from something, but what she didn't know. And this fact made her all the more curious to find out. That was the reason she was sat on a train to Deling, trying to track Squall down.
"Next stop Deling Station. Next stop Deling Station," the PA system announced.
"Finally," Rinoa thought, relieved. She stood up and made her way off the train and onto the platform. Stood outside the station she realised just how good it was to be home. Even though there was an unusually large amount of soldiers in the streets and people seemed uneasy, it was still home to her. The bustle in the streets, the cars whizzing past, the smell, all were the same and as she remembered it. Yes, she was home.
"Excuse me, Miss Heartilly?" a smartly dressed gentleman enquired.
"Yes, that's me," Rinoa replied.
"Your father received word that you were coming and sent us to pick you up. He would be delighted if you would visit him at his residence."
"I should go and see him," Rinoa thought. "It's not as if I enjoy fighting with him all the time."
"Very well. I'll go see him," Rinoa told the gentleman.
"Excellent. This way please." The gentleman proceeded to guide Rinoa to a car waiting around the corner. He politely opened the back door for her and she sat down. Before Rinoa knew what was happening, all the locks on the car were activated and she felt a hard, heavy object crash into the back of her skull. Her eyes slowly closed and darkness engulfed her as she slipped into unconsciousness.
* * *
Squall groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, almost smothering himself, trying to escape the infernal racket from Zell and Irvine, Balamb's champion snorers. To Squall, who had in the last month become accustomed to sharing a room with Rinoa, their snoring appeared to have gotten much worse. This was something he hadn't missed since the ending of their last mission. How he longed for Rinoa to be with him now, instead of Zell and Irvine.
"She doesn't snore," Squall thought wistfully to himself. "She's a lot easier on the eye too!" He smiled at this thought.
"Aghhh I can't stand this anymore," he exclaimed, half expecting to wake Zell and Irvine, but they continued with their snoring. Squall leapt out of bed and headed for the balcony, hoping that it was quieter out there. He was glad to feel the crisp night air on his face, a welcome relief from the stuffiness of the hotel room. He leant on the wall and stared up at the night sky, a million bright stars shining like crystals against the inky blackness. From out of nowhere a bright streak sped across the night sky-a shooting star.
"I wish she was here now," Squall thought sadly to himself. To him and Rinoa, shooting stars would always be special, they were watching shooting stars on the balcony at Balamb Garden the night they first kissed. Thinking of this made Squall miss Rinoa even more. He slumped down against the balcony wall, deep in thought. He didn't know how long he sat out there, just thinking, but he eventually fell asleep against the hard concrete, away from any snoring!
* * *
"Awwwww. Isn't he sooooooo cute when he's sleeping," Selphie teased. Squall, hearing this, began to stir.
"Adorable," Quistis affirmed.
"Don't you two have anything better to do than stare at me?" demanded Squall sleepily.
"Ouch. Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning," said Selphie.
"Or should that be the wrong side of the balcony?" added Quistis as the two of them collapsed in fits of laughter.
"Whatever," Squall replied, storming off into his room. Zell and Irvine were already up.
"Yo, Squall. Do we really snore so bad you have to leave the room?"
"Shut up and get ready. We meet Major Caraway in one hour."
* * *
Rinoa woke up in a pitch black room. There was no sound or smell. Nothing to tell her where on Gaia she was.
"Where am I?" Rinoa thought as she shook her head, attempting to clear the groggy feeling she had, courtesy of being hit over the head. At that moment she wasn't particularly worried about who had taken her or why. She didn't even care what they wanted to do to her. She was just worried about what Squall would think.
"He'll hate me. I lied to him and got in trouble. He'll be so disappointed he won't want to come after me. He won't want anything to do with me. He'll just leave me here, alone. Alone." That word echoed inside Rinoa's head. She was so afraid of being alone, of being without Squall. "I'll never see him again."
"Don't be stupid this is Squall. Of course he'll come after me. He wouldn't leave me here, he's not like that." Consoled by this thought, Rinoa decided that there was nothing she could do at that moment so she settled down to sleep, hoping to get rid of her pounding headache.
* * *
"Could you please wait here," the guard at Caraway's mansion told the SeeD group on their arrival to meet the general.
"He always keeps people waiting," Squall thought, being reminded of his first visit here. "It's a good job Rinoa's not here this time. Maybe we'll be able to get on with our mission and not get stuck in the middle of a family quarrel."
"It seems so long since we were last here," Quistis said, attempting to start a conversation.
"Yeah, so much has happened since then," agreed Selphie. "It kinda brings back bad memories being here, doesn't it."
"Can't help thinking bout getting our asses kicked by Edea and then getting thrown in that godforsaken prison." Zell punched the ground. "It still gets me."
"Follow me please, the general will see you now." The guard ushered the five SeeDs into Major Caraway's study.
"Welcome," the Major greeted them. He strode over to Zell, Selphie and Irvine and shook their hands before turning to Quistis. "Instructor Trepe, a pleasure to see you again."
"You too, Major."
When it came to acknowledging the presence of Squall, he merely nodded and mumbled, "Leonhart."
"Please, everybody, make yourselves comfortable." The Major gestured towards several comfy looking chairs scattered around the room. Selphie was the first to accept Caraway's offer, and much to her annoyance, Irvine sat next to her. Zell joined these two on the sofa, leaving Quistis to sit alone. Squall, declining the General's offer, propped himself up against the wall, arms folded.
"Now that we're all settled, I will brief you on our plan of action. As Headmaster Cid will have told you, the army are occupying the city, swarming around the streets. This means that this will have to be a covert operation. Do not do anything to attract attention from anyone. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," replied everyone but Squall.
"You are free to explore the city until tomorrow evening when Seifer will address the people of Deling at the Presidential Residence. This will start at 20:00 hours. Do not be late. We will then reconvene here to discuss further plans. I will see you tomorrow night." And with that, the Major marched out of his study, leaving the five SeeDs to discuss what they had just heard.
* * *
As the group left the building, Major Caraway followed and as soon as he caught up with the group, he addressed Quistis. "Could I have a word with you Instructor Trepe?"
"Certainly. Squall, I'll meet you and the others back at the hotel" "Fine," replied Squall.
Quistis followed the Major into his residence. "Please, take a seat," he offered. "Thank you. Can I ask what all this is about? Why did you only want to see me?" asked Quistis.
"It's about Leonhart. I don't think he's capable of completing the mission." "Why?" exclaimed Quistis, openly shocked.
"It is obvious that he has a great dislike for me. I don't believe that he will follow my orders."
"Squall is a SeeD. He will always follow orders. He prides himself on his disciplined attitude."
"But he does dislike me?" enquired Caraway. Quistis fell silent. "I thought as much. He's with Rinoa isn't he." Quistis said nothing, fearing that anything she said might make Major Caraway remove Squall from the mission. "That would explain his hatred for me. That girl can do much better."
"Why do you hate Squall so much? Why don't you want Rinoa to be with him?" "Because he's only a lowly mercenary, a brooding half-wit," Caraway bellowed. "He strode across the room and banged his fist against the wall. "How could I let this happen?"
"If you have such a low opinion of SeeDs why did you ask us here in the first place?"
"I don't have a low opinion of SeeDs, I just don't want my daughter to be with one."
"Why not? It's Rinoa's choice, and Squall loves her, he'd never let anything bad happen to her."
"That's not true! He'll never be good enough for her, he'll only hurt her!" The General sighed and sat down. "I should know."
"How?"
"Because Squall reminds me of what I was like as a young man. He'll neglect her for his job."
"You think you neglected Julia?" asked Quistis. She was aware she was treading on very dangerous ground by asking the question, but she felt compelled to know the answer.
"I worked everyday. It became so important to me that I didn't realise I was neglecting my own wife. One day I promised her I'd pick her up after she went shopping but I decided to work late. She had to get a taxi home but the taxi driver was drunk and they were involved in a crash. Julia died and I wasn't even there by her side. I didn't answer the phone when the hospital called, I was so busy working. So you see, not only was I responsible for my wife's death, but I wasn't even there to say sorry." With that he broke down crying. "Could you leave me please?"
"Of course," replied Quistis, casting a worried glance back into the room as she walked out.
The five SeeDs assembled at platform two at Galbadia Station.
"So where do we go now?" asked Zell yawning.
"Yeah, isn't it a little late to go see General Caraway?" chipped in Selphie.
"We have a room booked in the Galbadia Hotel tonight," replied their leader Squall. "Come on, let's go."
"Hey, can't we go on a little sightseeing tour?" asked Irvine. "I want to see what ladies this town has to offer." Selphie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, puh-lease, you're like this everywhere we go. Can't you just behave like an adult for once."
"Why, are you jealous," he teased.
"NO WAY," she protested.
"Alright you two, cut it out," Quistis ordered. "This is a SeeD mission and we should behave accordingly."
"Yes sir," replied Selphie, saluting Quistis.
"Yo, Squall. Can't we look around the town," enquired Zell. "It feels like ages since we were last here."
"No. Tonight we rest. Our meeting with Caraway is early tomorrow. It'll probably be a long day so you should get some sleep."
"Ahhhh but Squall," protested Zell.
"No buts. That's an order. I'll see you all in the morning."
* * *
"How much longer until Deling City," Rinoa pondered whilst staring at the picturesque Galbadian scenery out of the train window. She was anxious to see Squall. Mainly to apologise to him for not staying at Garden but also just so she'd know he was safe. Rinoa knew that he probably was-he could look after himself perfectly well-he was the best fighter in Garden after all. Despite all this though, she couldn't shake off a feeling of trepidation about all this. There was something Squall was hiding, Rinoa knew it. She could read him like a book. He had seemed a little edgy when she asked him who was leading the military coup and he tried to change the subject as quickly as possible, dismissing it as unimportant. Rinoa knew that this wasn't like Squall. To him every mission detail was important, no matter how minor it may seem to everyone else, so why, she wondered, was he being so secretive about this. It made Rinoa uneasy to know that Squall had lied to her. She trusted him with all her heart and it hurt that there were things Squall would not trust her with. However, deep down she knew that Squall would have his reasons for lying to her. She felt he was trying to protect her from something, but what she didn't know. And this fact made her all the more curious to find out. That was the reason she was sat on a train to Deling, trying to track Squall down.
"Next stop Deling Station. Next stop Deling Station," the PA system announced.
"Finally," Rinoa thought, relieved. She stood up and made her way off the train and onto the platform. Stood outside the station she realised just how good it was to be home. Even though there was an unusually large amount of soldiers in the streets and people seemed uneasy, it was still home to her. The bustle in the streets, the cars whizzing past, the smell, all were the same and as she remembered it. Yes, she was home.
"Excuse me, Miss Heartilly?" a smartly dressed gentleman enquired.
"Yes, that's me," Rinoa replied.
"Your father received word that you were coming and sent us to pick you up. He would be delighted if you would visit him at his residence."
"I should go and see him," Rinoa thought. "It's not as if I enjoy fighting with him all the time."
"Very well. I'll go see him," Rinoa told the gentleman.
"Excellent. This way please." The gentleman proceeded to guide Rinoa to a car waiting around the corner. He politely opened the back door for her and she sat down. Before Rinoa knew what was happening, all the locks on the car were activated and she felt a hard, heavy object crash into the back of her skull. Her eyes slowly closed and darkness engulfed her as she slipped into unconsciousness.
* * *
Squall groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, almost smothering himself, trying to escape the infernal racket from Zell and Irvine, Balamb's champion snorers. To Squall, who had in the last month become accustomed to sharing a room with Rinoa, their snoring appeared to have gotten much worse. This was something he hadn't missed since the ending of their last mission. How he longed for Rinoa to be with him now, instead of Zell and Irvine.
"She doesn't snore," Squall thought wistfully to himself. "She's a lot easier on the eye too!" He smiled at this thought.
"Aghhh I can't stand this anymore," he exclaimed, half expecting to wake Zell and Irvine, but they continued with their snoring. Squall leapt out of bed and headed for the balcony, hoping that it was quieter out there. He was glad to feel the crisp night air on his face, a welcome relief from the stuffiness of the hotel room. He leant on the wall and stared up at the night sky, a million bright stars shining like crystals against the inky blackness. From out of nowhere a bright streak sped across the night sky-a shooting star.
"I wish she was here now," Squall thought sadly to himself. To him and Rinoa, shooting stars would always be special, they were watching shooting stars on the balcony at Balamb Garden the night they first kissed. Thinking of this made Squall miss Rinoa even more. He slumped down against the balcony wall, deep in thought. He didn't know how long he sat out there, just thinking, but he eventually fell asleep against the hard concrete, away from any snoring!
* * *
"Awwwww. Isn't he sooooooo cute when he's sleeping," Selphie teased. Squall, hearing this, began to stir.
"Adorable," Quistis affirmed.
"Don't you two have anything better to do than stare at me?" demanded Squall sleepily.
"Ouch. Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning," said Selphie.
"Or should that be the wrong side of the balcony?" added Quistis as the two of them collapsed in fits of laughter.
"Whatever," Squall replied, storming off into his room. Zell and Irvine were already up.
"Yo, Squall. Do we really snore so bad you have to leave the room?"
"Shut up and get ready. We meet Major Caraway in one hour."
* * *
Rinoa woke up in a pitch black room. There was no sound or smell. Nothing to tell her where on Gaia she was.
"Where am I?" Rinoa thought as she shook her head, attempting to clear the groggy feeling she had, courtesy of being hit over the head. At that moment she wasn't particularly worried about who had taken her or why. She didn't even care what they wanted to do to her. She was just worried about what Squall would think.
"He'll hate me. I lied to him and got in trouble. He'll be so disappointed he won't want to come after me. He won't want anything to do with me. He'll just leave me here, alone. Alone." That word echoed inside Rinoa's head. She was so afraid of being alone, of being without Squall. "I'll never see him again."
"Don't be stupid this is Squall. Of course he'll come after me. He wouldn't leave me here, he's not like that." Consoled by this thought, Rinoa decided that there was nothing she could do at that moment so she settled down to sleep, hoping to get rid of her pounding headache.
* * *
"Could you please wait here," the guard at Caraway's mansion told the SeeD group on their arrival to meet the general.
"He always keeps people waiting," Squall thought, being reminded of his first visit here. "It's a good job Rinoa's not here this time. Maybe we'll be able to get on with our mission and not get stuck in the middle of a family quarrel."
"It seems so long since we were last here," Quistis said, attempting to start a conversation.
"Yeah, so much has happened since then," agreed Selphie. "It kinda brings back bad memories being here, doesn't it."
"Can't help thinking bout getting our asses kicked by Edea and then getting thrown in that godforsaken prison." Zell punched the ground. "It still gets me."
"Follow me please, the general will see you now." The guard ushered the five SeeDs into Major Caraway's study.
"Welcome," the Major greeted them. He strode over to Zell, Selphie and Irvine and shook their hands before turning to Quistis. "Instructor Trepe, a pleasure to see you again."
"You too, Major."
When it came to acknowledging the presence of Squall, he merely nodded and mumbled, "Leonhart."
"Please, everybody, make yourselves comfortable." The Major gestured towards several comfy looking chairs scattered around the room. Selphie was the first to accept Caraway's offer, and much to her annoyance, Irvine sat next to her. Zell joined these two on the sofa, leaving Quistis to sit alone. Squall, declining the General's offer, propped himself up against the wall, arms folded.
"Now that we're all settled, I will brief you on our plan of action. As Headmaster Cid will have told you, the army are occupying the city, swarming around the streets. This means that this will have to be a covert operation. Do not do anything to attract attention from anyone. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," replied everyone but Squall.
"You are free to explore the city until tomorrow evening when Seifer will address the people of Deling at the Presidential Residence. This will start at 20:00 hours. Do not be late. We will then reconvene here to discuss further plans. I will see you tomorrow night." And with that, the Major marched out of his study, leaving the five SeeDs to discuss what they had just heard.
* * *
As the group left the building, Major Caraway followed and as soon as he caught up with the group, he addressed Quistis. "Could I have a word with you Instructor Trepe?"
"Certainly. Squall, I'll meet you and the others back at the hotel" "Fine," replied Squall.
Quistis followed the Major into his residence. "Please, take a seat," he offered. "Thank you. Can I ask what all this is about? Why did you only want to see me?" asked Quistis.
"It's about Leonhart. I don't think he's capable of completing the mission." "Why?" exclaimed Quistis, openly shocked.
"It is obvious that he has a great dislike for me. I don't believe that he will follow my orders."
"Squall is a SeeD. He will always follow orders. He prides himself on his disciplined attitude."
"But he does dislike me?" enquired Caraway. Quistis fell silent. "I thought as much. He's with Rinoa isn't he." Quistis said nothing, fearing that anything she said might make Major Caraway remove Squall from the mission. "That would explain his hatred for me. That girl can do much better."
"Why do you hate Squall so much? Why don't you want Rinoa to be with him?" "Because he's only a lowly mercenary, a brooding half-wit," Caraway bellowed. "He strode across the room and banged his fist against the wall. "How could I let this happen?"
"If you have such a low opinion of SeeDs why did you ask us here in the first place?"
"I don't have a low opinion of SeeDs, I just don't want my daughter to be with one."
"Why not? It's Rinoa's choice, and Squall loves her, he'd never let anything bad happen to her."
"That's not true! He'll never be good enough for her, he'll only hurt her!" The General sighed and sat down. "I should know."
"How?"
"Because Squall reminds me of what I was like as a young man. He'll neglect her for his job."
"You think you neglected Julia?" asked Quistis. She was aware she was treading on very dangerous ground by asking the question, but she felt compelled to know the answer.
"I worked everyday. It became so important to me that I didn't realise I was neglecting my own wife. One day I promised her I'd pick her up after she went shopping but I decided to work late. She had to get a taxi home but the taxi driver was drunk and they were involved in a crash. Julia died and I wasn't even there by her side. I didn't answer the phone when the hospital called, I was so busy working. So you see, not only was I responsible for my wife's death, but I wasn't even there to say sorry." With that he broke down crying. "Could you leave me please?"
"Of course," replied Quistis, casting a worried glance back into the room as she walked out.