A/N: Thanx to the two wonderful people who reviewed. Metropolis Dream, you
genius! That wasn't exactly what I intended, but damn that's a much better
idea than I had! I'll do my damndest to work it in, but gimme more ideas!
Thank you thank you thank you thank you....oh, yeah, Metropolis Dream, have
you read Dragonlance? Silvara of the Elven Council? That's the dragon
disguised as a Wilder elf, right?
Chapter Two: Lonely(for lack of a better title...)
The next morning Irvine brooded absent-mindedly over his breakfast in the cafeteria, moving the contents of the plate around with his fork. He wasn't grudging about Selphie or anything, he was happy as long as she was happy and besides, as she had reminded him last night before he went to bed, that he could find another girl easy. He was Irvine Kinneas, ladies man. But that wasn't why he was brooding. It was the girl. He couldn't get her beautiful face out of his mind. She was constantly on his mind, and had invaded his dreams so that he hardly slept. And it wasn't like they were wet dreams or anything. Far from it. The dreams had been weird, and surreal, somehow warped. She would be standing in front of him, staring at him. He would say something but she wouldn't answer. She was just watching him, with a warm gaze, as if admiring him, or trying to speak with her eyes. And then the sky would fade black but not with clouds. She would look up as if she were noticing a coming storm, and then back at him. There had been pain in her eyes like she didn't want to leave, but she waved good bye anyway and disappeared into the fog before the sky was swallowed completely by the black mass. What the hell did it mean? "Yo Kinneas!" He looked up to see a couple of students walking past him. They sneered at him. "Heard you lost your girl to Dincht. Still pining over her, cowboy?" He grimaced. "Yer lucky I ain't got my rifle with me, or I would've blown your head off by now." "Oh, I'm so scared. Man, you're bein' pathetic, Kinneas. I can't believe you let that ditz dump you." The student dug in his pocket and tossed a Gil coin at Irvine, snickering. "You need to get laid, man. Here, my treat. Go find a whore in the Fisherman's Harbor. They're not much different from Selphie Tilmitt, so you should be okay--" That was it. NO ONE insulted Selphie, even if Irvine wasn't her boyfriend anymore he was still her best friend. The breakfast went flying and the plate shattered on the hard tile floor. Irvine had gotten up so quickly that even his hat fell off. The others who'd been with the jerk who pissed Irvine off ran for their lives, but the jerk couldn't get away fast enough. Every one knew that Irvine was among the tallest men in the Garden, being six foot two, and that was why it was so easy to grab the little bastard by the collar of his candidate uniform and lift him off his feet and high up into the air. "If...you...EVER...insult...Selphie...again..." Irvine said slowly through gritted teeth as he lifted the punk slowly higher, whose legs kicked feebly underneath him as he gasped for air, making small grunts and whimpers. "IRVINE!" A tall blonde young woman strode toward them swiftly. She wore her casual outfit, a zip up pink blouse and skirt, black arm gloves and knee high boots. Her bright blue eyes quivered with rage through the lenses of her glasses. Irvine looked at her, still holding the student up in the air. "WHAT, QUISTIS?!" "Put him down right this instant! Or I'll have to report this to the Headmaster!" She could too. She'd gotten her instructor job back. "But he insulted Selphie! He called her a whore!" he protested, shaking him. "Selphie? He called _Selphie_ a whore?" she said, her rage now aimed at the struggling student. For a moment it looked as if she were going to let him suffocate in the death grip of the tall sniper, but then shook her head. "No. You'd only get in trouble, Irvine." Her tone was now casual, matter of fact. "Besides, he's got his SeeD exam today. I won't take his death as an excuse to get out of class." "That's your opinion." Irvine looked at the punk. "What do you think?" he growled. "I t-think I just wanna live to be 20!" the jerk sobbed. Irvine sighed. "Fine." He threw the student to the ground with amazing strength. The student jumped to his feet and ran out of the cafeteria. Quistis sighed. "What a stupid moron. He just barely passed the written test." "Yeah." "What's gotten into you? I mean, besides what just happened." she asked, concerned. "...It's Selphie, isn't it?" "No! That ain't it, Quisty." "Then what is it?" When he didn't answer, she nodded. "I understand. But remember, you can talk to me about anything, anytime. Even during classtime if you have to. I'm your friend. I'd like to know about these things." "Okay." "But in the meantime, why don't you just take it easy? Go take a walk or something. Go work out whatever's bothering you in the Training Center. It's surprising how much killing a Grat can calm your nerves." Irvine thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. That walk sounds like a good idea." She smiled. Irvine thought it was very pretty when she smiled that teacher smile. "Good for you! And hey, listen, me and Rinoa are gonna go have lunch after my classes. You wanna come?" "Sure. See ya, " Irvine smiled and left. But then he came back, picked up his hat and shoved it on his head, grinning shyly. Then he left. "Oh, well that's just fine!" the cafeteria lady said caustically, staring at the mess on the floor. "Just leave this here for the _cafeteria slave_ to clean up! Kids these days, I tell you...!" "Oh give him a break, he's having a bad day," Quistis said. "Here, I'll help you clean up..." ~~~~~~~~~
Irvine walked across the Alcauld Plains, making his way for the forests as casually as he could. He had to know if the girl was still there. He traveled into the lush forests, the shade cooling him from the harsh heat slightly. As he came to the clearing he had been in before, he searched the tall willows for any sign of her. "Hello?" There was no answer. "It's me. The guy from the other day," he called. "Listen, I'm sorry I scared ya...would you come out? Please?" Nothing. He sighed. She must've gone somewhere else. Oh, well. He turned around to go but let out a cry of surprise as he came face to face with the woman whom he had looked for, who had been standing behind him. She smiled at his surprise and laughed. "Oh! Uh--hi." Irvine waved his hand feebly, smiling himself. "Hello." She stepped toward him with her hands folded behind her back, slightly bent over and gazing at him with wide emerald eyes. She acted in a manner similar to Rinoa, he thought briefly as he stepped backward. "You didn't tell them I was here yesterday, when they came to look for you," she spoke. "Thank you so much." "Uh, yer welcome," he stuttered. "And then you come back. I was hoping you'd come back." "R-really?" "Oh yes." She didn't elaborate on the reason why. "So how are you, Irvine Kinneas?" "Fine. You can call me just Irvine if ya want." "Okay, Just Irvine." She laughed again. "I'm kidding. It's nice to see you again." "Hey, what is your name?" Irvine asked. "My name? Oh! I didn't tell you. My name is Laurena." She cast him a devious smile, though she didn't elaborate on her last name. "So why have you come to visit me, Irvine Kinneas? Surely it wasn't just for my name." "No. I came to just talk. I mean, I figured that you had no one to talk to, and I was just curious to see that you were all right, I guess." He grinned at her. His flirtatiousness was steadily returning. "Oh, that was the reason?" she said, but she didn't look disappointed. She looked happier. "You were worried? Oh, that is so kind. No one has cared enough to worry about me in a long time." She sat down gracefully on the soft mossy grass that filled the clearing. "Well, sit down. Let's talk for a while." He rose his eyebrows. She was so eager and willing to keep him here. He guessed she didn't have much company. He sat down and the two began to talk. "So where do you come from, Irvine?" she asked. "Well, I'm really from Galbadia, but I got transferred over to Balamb Garden." "Oh...you are a SeeD?" "Yep. One o' the best," he boasted. She chuckled. "I'm sure you are." "So, how about you? Where are your roots?" "...I'd rather not talk about it," she said plainly, looking down. Irvine cleared his throat and changed the subject. They talked for a few hours about several things, simple things like the weather and kinds of food, until the subject came back to SeeDs again. "Irvine...being a SeeD, you must have faced many adventures," she commented. His eyes widened. "Adventures? Hell, yeah! Didn't ya hear about me?" "No." "Why, me and a couple buddies o' mine are the ones who killed Ultimecia," he said, smiling smugly. "We were through time compression and everything to save the world." He melted when her beautiful eyes widened in awe and admiration. "That was you? You and your friends were the Great Heroes?" "Well, I never heard it put that way, but yeah I guess--" He choked off as she came forward, wrapping her arms around his broad chest. "It was you," she murmured admirably, hugging him. Irvine blushed, though she didn't see it. "Uh--yeah." She suddenly realized she was making a fool of herself and pulled away, regaining composure. "You and your friends did great things for people that I know. You set them free. They are happy now." "Oh, you mean the guys in Timber?" She paused. "Yes," she nodded. "Timber." "Ah, it was nothin...she wasn't that hard to kill..." He looked at her and noticed that she suddenly looked sad. Very, very sad. "Hey, what's the matter? Did I say something wrong?" "Only I know the truth," she said quietly, suddenly interested in the weave of her linen dress. "Ultimecia...she hasn't died. No soul that evil could possibly die. Sometimes I still feel her presence in the air around me. Her face still lurks within even the happiest of my dreams. She is alive, somehow. And if the people realize that there is a chance she might return, they will lose all hope." Laurena looked away into the forest, murmuring so he could barely hear, "And then what will I do?" Irvine stared at her. Why was she so scared about Timber? And Ultimecia? Sure, Ultimecia was a scary bitch, but she was dead. Dead people can't come back to life, especially evil. "Nothin'. Cause it ain't gonna happen, okay?" he said gently. "That sorceress is long gone. Timber ain't got nothin to worry about. And neither do you, Laurena. She's dead. Dead people gotta stay dead. It's the rules of life." She parted her lips as if to protest, but closed them in a soft smile. "If that is your belief, your hope, then I shan't dare to ruin it." She got up and gestured him to follow. "Would you like something to eat?" Irvine heard his stomach grumble and remembered that he really hadn't eaten anything this morning, thanks to that punk. "Yeah, sure. Whaddya have?" "Not much. Some berries and such, but it is very good." She climbe up the tree and came back with a bundle of blackberries. "Blackberries!" he cried with joy. "Aw, now don't that beat all! These are my favorite!" "Yes?" "Hell, yeah! I used to eat 'em right off the bush when I was a youngin'. I'd eat so many I'd get a stomachache. But Matron always managed to make me feel better..." Laurena became suddenly intrigued. "Matron?" Irvine paused at her reaction, a slight bit uncomfortable. He guessed it didn't occur to her that he had no parents. "I...I was raised in an orphanage down in Centra," he explained. "I never knew my parents." Laurena looked down again, looking guilty. "Oh." She unwrapped the bundle and set it down on the ground. "I'm sorry." "Hey, it ain't nothin'. Don't worry about it." "I also know the pain of growing up without a mother or father," she said. "I knew my mother, but...my father...he..." "He died?" "...Yes, he died. Before I was born. And my mother, when I was but a small child." "Grief, I guess?" "...Yes." "Aw, now I'm the one that's gotta be sorry," Irvine groaned. "I mean, growing up not knowin' yer parents is one thing, but knowing 'em and then havin' 'em taken away from ya? That's gotta be so much worse. Where did you go when yer ma died? Yer aunt or somethin'?" "...I had no other family." "Oh, so you went to an orphanage?" "No. I...ran away." She looked like she was near tears. Irvine's heart panged in sympathy. "So...you grew up...alone...?" he barely dared to ask. "Pretty much so," she nodded, not looking at him. "Ah--well, now--ah, jeez, Laurena, I'm sorry," he stuttered, pulling out a handkerchief. He hated it when women got all emotional, but he wasn't any better when his feelings were hurt, and besides, he felt this was his fault. "I didn't mean to make ya cry, girl...I'm sorry, I mean look at me, I barely know ya and I'm askin' ya all these personal questions...here, wipe yer pretty eyes..." She took the handkerchief in her hand, but looked at him with confidence in her watery eyes, confidence that came close to stubborness. "You weren't going to make me cry. I didn't mind growing up alone. Are you kidding? If I could do it all over again, I would. It's just kind of sad remembering my mother. That's all. You didn't pressure me with questions. I didn't mind." She wiped her eyes and handed the handkerchief back with a polite thank you. "You sure?" "Yes, very sure." She gazed at him. "But you're right. We hardly know anything about each other. I would like to get to know you more. You're very nice." "Aw, gee," Irvine grinned and blushed boyishly. "I'm not that nice." "Oh but you are. You thought I was crying and you handed me a handkerchief. Where I come from, that is the mark of a true gentleman. It shows sensitivity and gentleness...you really think my eyes are pretty?" she asked awkwardly. "Beautiful," he assured. It was her turn to blush now. "Your friends are lucky to have you as a friend." "Yeah...oh my dear sweet Hyne!" "What is it?" Irvine shot to his feet. He forgotten all about his lunch with Quistis and Rinoa! It was already past 17:00 hours(4:00 P.M). "I--I was supposed to have lunch with my friends at the Garden! They'll be worried about where I am. I'm sorry, I really gotta go--it was nice meeting you and talking to you--" He tipped his hat and with some reluctance turned to leave. But Laurena grabbed his arm. "Wait, Irvine!" "Yeah?" He looked back at her. "Please come back and visit me tomorrow." Irvine gazed into her eyes, which he had been trying to avoid all day because every time he looked he became trapped within them. She had said those words in a tone that settled oddly in Irvine's head. It wasn't an order or a question. It was a plea. She was begging him to come back. He looked into those gorgeous eyes and realized that living out here must make her extremely lonely, and for some reason she didn't dare go out of the forest, and it was seldom that people came in. Her eyes were shrouded with the pain of solitude, and it looked as if she would go insane if her one friend from the outside left her. He nodded. "I'll come back. Don't worry." She smiled and handed him the bundle of blackberries. He grinned and waved goodbye, then left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Irvine searched the cafeteria but did not find Quistis or Rinoa. Finally he went back to his dorm, embarrassed that he had missed lunch with his friends. As he stepped in the door and removed his trenchcoat, the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" It was Rinoa. "There you are, finally. I've been trying to reach you for hours, are you okay?" "I'm great, Rin." "We got worried. You said to Quistis you were going to join to join us for lunch but you never showed up." "Yeah, sorry about that, I--I got kinda tied up in somethin' else and I lost track of time." "It's okay. What were you doing, anyway?" "Oh, uh...just stuff." "Ok." The tone was unconvinced. "Well, maybe we can get together tomorrow, you know, the whole group. I'll try to get Squall away from his commander duties for a day or two cause he's really straining himself. But yeah, we'll all get together andmaybe go down and visit Matron." "Hey, yeah, that'd be great." "Yeah, and then the day afterward we can all go to the Fisherman's Harbor." "Why, what's in the FH?" "It's the huge beach party they're having. They're even letting the students off curfew so they can go. It's going to be a blast. So can I tell the other guys you're coming?" "Hey, count me in, gal." "Great. See you tomorrow. Bye." "Bye." Click. He hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. That beach party sounded fun. Maybe he would try to pry Laurena into it. She seemed like a fun person. She seemed alot like Rinoa, he noticed. There was a knock on the door. He got up and opened the door. "Yeah?" "Hello, there. Would you know where Dorm 206 is?" He turned his full attention to the woman and nearly gawked. She was an incredibly attractive woman, almost unhumanly so. She was as tall as he was, her curved figure shown easily by the skintight dark purple leggings she wore, the knee high, high heeled boots and the tightly fitting strapless dark purple top, deliberately showing clevage. She wore black knuckle gloves on her hands. Her skin was a dark beige, as if she had spent alot of time in the sun and yet had not burnt. Her hair was jet black and traveled straight down to her thighs. Her eyes were violet and sharply shaped and lined with purple and gold kohl(eye shadow), her ruby red lips playing an alluring smirk. He remembered how he'd thought that Laurena looked Egyptian--this woman looked more Egyptian than anything, especially with the black onyx pendant of an ankh around her neck. She wore a bullwhip at her waist. She shifted her weight as he stared, not minding one bit, as if she was used to it. She even chuckled, her voice deep. "What a charming one you are," she commented. "Would you know where Dorm 206 is?" her accent was like Laurena's, Egyptian, only much more deeper and thicker. "Uh--that way, ma'am." He pointed in the direction the room was. "You can't miss it. Sorry for staring." "That's quite all right. I was doing a bit of staring myself." She purred. "I love your hat. It makes you look so daring. I like daring men." She purred again, coming close to his face. "Just so you remember...my dorm is Room 206, and my name is Tryphaena. You're welcome to come over whenever you like. Thank you for showing me the right direction." Then with a noticeable movement of her hips, she walked on down the hall, her bags slung over her shoulder. Irvine closed the door and leaned back against it, sweating. Dear sweet Hyne! ~~~~~~~
Tryphaena opened the door to her dorm, looking it over and figuring it would suffice. She opened her bag and out slithered her black king cobra Medusa. She flung the bag into the corner and flopped down onto the bed strecthing and yawning like a cat. "Did you see that man I talked to, my pet?" she cooed, holding up her arms to her. Medusa slithered up onto her arms and neck until her full six foot body was ensnared around Tryphaena's body. "He is a handsome one, I'll admit. A little slow, but handsome." She stroked the black scales softly. "Just a few days, Medusa, that's all we need. We'll find her. And then we shall reap our share of the harvest. You shall see." There was a knock on the door. Tryphaena grinned, thinking it was the cowboy man. "By the gods, Medusa, my charms work fast. Come in!" she called, louder. The door opened and in walked a young woman in blue, with long black hair and almond brown eyes. "Oh." Tryphaena's grin faded slightly. "Can I help you?" "My name is Rinoa Heartilly, and I live in the double dorm next to yours. I just wanted to come in and welcome you to Balamb Garden and Dorm 206." She gave a fake, but convincing, smile. "How kind of you." She rose from the bed, moving over to brush her hair. "Please...come in." Rinoa stepped in, recieving a warning hiss from Medusa. She jumped. "Oh! What a lovely...pet." "Medusa," Tryphaena said, completely uninterested. "She's also my bodyguard, so watch out." "All right." "Rhonda..." "Rinoa." "Rinoa...since you're here, could you help me with this baret? I'd like to go training but I won't be able to see a thing with all this hair in my face, and it's ever so thick..." "Certainly." She came forward and grasped her thick hair gently, holding it up and tying it into the baret. "So, Tryphaena...where do you..." Rinoa looked down and froze. On her slim shoulder blades and her back there was a design of a pair of wings that seemed to be tattooed there. It looked exactly like the design on the back of Rinoa's dress, only it was black. She stepped backward, gasping. "What is it?" Tryphaena asked, intrigued at the look of shock on her face. "I...uh..." She groped her mind for an excuse...anything... "I forgot I have a very important meeting with my boyfriend! He wanted to talk to me and he said it was really important, ha ha, I think he's going to pop the question!" "Well, good for you. What made you think of him so quickly?" "I-I don't know! Something just rang a siren--I mean bell, in my head, and I gotta go! Bye!" She backed out of the room. Tryphaena wrinkled her small nose. "Hmm. She's friendly enough. But she obviously has mental problems. I pity her boyfriend." "Hiss..." ~~~~~~~~~~~ Rinoa ran into her room and closed the door, and locked it. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," she panted. "I thought they were all gone..." There was a rapid knocking at her door. "Can't come in!" She yelled. "Uh...I'm naked!" First there was a silence, then a deep chuckle. "When has that ever stopped me?" "Squall?" She ran to the door and unlocked it, and dragged Squall inside and locked the door again. Squall watched her do this, then furrowed his eyebrows in mock disappointment. "I thought you said you were naked," he remarked. They had never done anything sexually speaking, but that would've been a sight to Squall. "I got dressed really quickly," she shot back gently, giving him a hug. "Then why am I here?" he joked, before kissing her. He had just gotten used to joking. "You tell me." "Well, Quisty told me that you guys were gonna take a trip to Matron's, and that I should take a few days off. Sounds like a good idea." "Yeah, I already gave everyone else the info." "Okay. So, let me ask this, and sorry for changing the subject, but: why have you turned your dorm room into Fort Knox?" "I--was keeping evil sorceresses out of my room?" Squall chuckled. "If that's the case, you'd better hang some garlic or something." he sighed. "Whatever. But if you're afraid of evil sorceresses, all you have to do is call for your Knight." Rinoa smiled serenely, looking up at Squall from under her lashes. It had taken a couple of weeks, but she'd finally gotten him of the shadows that he thought he'd never arise from. Now he expressed his affection freely. "Who would that Knight be?" she teased softly. ''Oh, I don't know." He pressed her against his chest and kissed her warmly on the mouth. She responded, reaching up to touch his face. When the kiss ended, he smiled. "I think it might be me." "Oh, you think?" she hugged him, nestling against his shoulder. Squall stroked her hair lovingly. "Now really...why'd you lock your door? You don't usually do that," he murmured. "...I don't remember," she said dreamily, hugging him still.
But she did remember.
A/N: I know, this is getting a litle weird...Squall being happy and flirtatious? Irvine being nervous and standoffish? And it doesn't stop there, there's also the little detail about the entire PLOT TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE, that's all!!! :) Heh heh...sorry. But anyway, if ya like it, review please, if you don't, keep your discontentments to yourself. Please review, or I'll cry! ;_;Metropolis Dream, I read your fic, Color of my Love? IT'S GREAT! Please write more, Squall's being a meanie! Anyone who hasn't read Color of My Love, by Metropolis Dream, rated PG-13, please read it NOW! It's really cool and you won't be wasting your time, I swear! And review the story too! then if you have time, come back and read the rest of this piece o' crap, because I'll probably have another chapter up. Thanx! Please Review!
Chapter Two: Lonely(for lack of a better title...)
The next morning Irvine brooded absent-mindedly over his breakfast in the cafeteria, moving the contents of the plate around with his fork. He wasn't grudging about Selphie or anything, he was happy as long as she was happy and besides, as she had reminded him last night before he went to bed, that he could find another girl easy. He was Irvine Kinneas, ladies man. But that wasn't why he was brooding. It was the girl. He couldn't get her beautiful face out of his mind. She was constantly on his mind, and had invaded his dreams so that he hardly slept. And it wasn't like they were wet dreams or anything. Far from it. The dreams had been weird, and surreal, somehow warped. She would be standing in front of him, staring at him. He would say something but she wouldn't answer. She was just watching him, with a warm gaze, as if admiring him, or trying to speak with her eyes. And then the sky would fade black but not with clouds. She would look up as if she were noticing a coming storm, and then back at him. There had been pain in her eyes like she didn't want to leave, but she waved good bye anyway and disappeared into the fog before the sky was swallowed completely by the black mass. What the hell did it mean? "Yo Kinneas!" He looked up to see a couple of students walking past him. They sneered at him. "Heard you lost your girl to Dincht. Still pining over her, cowboy?" He grimaced. "Yer lucky I ain't got my rifle with me, or I would've blown your head off by now." "Oh, I'm so scared. Man, you're bein' pathetic, Kinneas. I can't believe you let that ditz dump you." The student dug in his pocket and tossed a Gil coin at Irvine, snickering. "You need to get laid, man. Here, my treat. Go find a whore in the Fisherman's Harbor. They're not much different from Selphie Tilmitt, so you should be okay--" That was it. NO ONE insulted Selphie, even if Irvine wasn't her boyfriend anymore he was still her best friend. The breakfast went flying and the plate shattered on the hard tile floor. Irvine had gotten up so quickly that even his hat fell off. The others who'd been with the jerk who pissed Irvine off ran for their lives, but the jerk couldn't get away fast enough. Every one knew that Irvine was among the tallest men in the Garden, being six foot two, and that was why it was so easy to grab the little bastard by the collar of his candidate uniform and lift him off his feet and high up into the air. "If...you...EVER...insult...Selphie...again..." Irvine said slowly through gritted teeth as he lifted the punk slowly higher, whose legs kicked feebly underneath him as he gasped for air, making small grunts and whimpers. "IRVINE!" A tall blonde young woman strode toward them swiftly. She wore her casual outfit, a zip up pink blouse and skirt, black arm gloves and knee high boots. Her bright blue eyes quivered with rage through the lenses of her glasses. Irvine looked at her, still holding the student up in the air. "WHAT, QUISTIS?!" "Put him down right this instant! Or I'll have to report this to the Headmaster!" She could too. She'd gotten her instructor job back. "But he insulted Selphie! He called her a whore!" he protested, shaking him. "Selphie? He called _Selphie_ a whore?" she said, her rage now aimed at the struggling student. For a moment it looked as if she were going to let him suffocate in the death grip of the tall sniper, but then shook her head. "No. You'd only get in trouble, Irvine." Her tone was now casual, matter of fact. "Besides, he's got his SeeD exam today. I won't take his death as an excuse to get out of class." "That's your opinion." Irvine looked at the punk. "What do you think?" he growled. "I t-think I just wanna live to be 20!" the jerk sobbed. Irvine sighed. "Fine." He threw the student to the ground with amazing strength. The student jumped to his feet and ran out of the cafeteria. Quistis sighed. "What a stupid moron. He just barely passed the written test." "Yeah." "What's gotten into you? I mean, besides what just happened." she asked, concerned. "...It's Selphie, isn't it?" "No! That ain't it, Quisty." "Then what is it?" When he didn't answer, she nodded. "I understand. But remember, you can talk to me about anything, anytime. Even during classtime if you have to. I'm your friend. I'd like to know about these things." "Okay." "But in the meantime, why don't you just take it easy? Go take a walk or something. Go work out whatever's bothering you in the Training Center. It's surprising how much killing a Grat can calm your nerves." Irvine thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. That walk sounds like a good idea." She smiled. Irvine thought it was very pretty when she smiled that teacher smile. "Good for you! And hey, listen, me and Rinoa are gonna go have lunch after my classes. You wanna come?" "Sure. See ya, " Irvine smiled and left. But then he came back, picked up his hat and shoved it on his head, grinning shyly. Then he left. "Oh, well that's just fine!" the cafeteria lady said caustically, staring at the mess on the floor. "Just leave this here for the _cafeteria slave_ to clean up! Kids these days, I tell you...!" "Oh give him a break, he's having a bad day," Quistis said. "Here, I'll help you clean up..." ~~~~~~~~~
Irvine walked across the Alcauld Plains, making his way for the forests as casually as he could. He had to know if the girl was still there. He traveled into the lush forests, the shade cooling him from the harsh heat slightly. As he came to the clearing he had been in before, he searched the tall willows for any sign of her. "Hello?" There was no answer. "It's me. The guy from the other day," he called. "Listen, I'm sorry I scared ya...would you come out? Please?" Nothing. He sighed. She must've gone somewhere else. Oh, well. He turned around to go but let out a cry of surprise as he came face to face with the woman whom he had looked for, who had been standing behind him. She smiled at his surprise and laughed. "Oh! Uh--hi." Irvine waved his hand feebly, smiling himself. "Hello." She stepped toward him with her hands folded behind her back, slightly bent over and gazing at him with wide emerald eyes. She acted in a manner similar to Rinoa, he thought briefly as he stepped backward. "You didn't tell them I was here yesterday, when they came to look for you," she spoke. "Thank you so much." "Uh, yer welcome," he stuttered. "And then you come back. I was hoping you'd come back." "R-really?" "Oh yes." She didn't elaborate on the reason why. "So how are you, Irvine Kinneas?" "Fine. You can call me just Irvine if ya want." "Okay, Just Irvine." She laughed again. "I'm kidding. It's nice to see you again." "Hey, what is your name?" Irvine asked. "My name? Oh! I didn't tell you. My name is Laurena." She cast him a devious smile, though she didn't elaborate on her last name. "So why have you come to visit me, Irvine Kinneas? Surely it wasn't just for my name." "No. I came to just talk. I mean, I figured that you had no one to talk to, and I was just curious to see that you were all right, I guess." He grinned at her. His flirtatiousness was steadily returning. "Oh, that was the reason?" she said, but she didn't look disappointed. She looked happier. "You were worried? Oh, that is so kind. No one has cared enough to worry about me in a long time." She sat down gracefully on the soft mossy grass that filled the clearing. "Well, sit down. Let's talk for a while." He rose his eyebrows. She was so eager and willing to keep him here. He guessed she didn't have much company. He sat down and the two began to talk. "So where do you come from, Irvine?" she asked. "Well, I'm really from Galbadia, but I got transferred over to Balamb Garden." "Oh...you are a SeeD?" "Yep. One o' the best," he boasted. She chuckled. "I'm sure you are." "So, how about you? Where are your roots?" "...I'd rather not talk about it," she said plainly, looking down. Irvine cleared his throat and changed the subject. They talked for a few hours about several things, simple things like the weather and kinds of food, until the subject came back to SeeDs again. "Irvine...being a SeeD, you must have faced many adventures," she commented. His eyes widened. "Adventures? Hell, yeah! Didn't ya hear about me?" "No." "Why, me and a couple buddies o' mine are the ones who killed Ultimecia," he said, smiling smugly. "We were through time compression and everything to save the world." He melted when her beautiful eyes widened in awe and admiration. "That was you? You and your friends were the Great Heroes?" "Well, I never heard it put that way, but yeah I guess--" He choked off as she came forward, wrapping her arms around his broad chest. "It was you," she murmured admirably, hugging him. Irvine blushed, though she didn't see it. "Uh--yeah." She suddenly realized she was making a fool of herself and pulled away, regaining composure. "You and your friends did great things for people that I know. You set them free. They are happy now." "Oh, you mean the guys in Timber?" She paused. "Yes," she nodded. "Timber." "Ah, it was nothin...she wasn't that hard to kill..." He looked at her and noticed that she suddenly looked sad. Very, very sad. "Hey, what's the matter? Did I say something wrong?" "Only I know the truth," she said quietly, suddenly interested in the weave of her linen dress. "Ultimecia...she hasn't died. No soul that evil could possibly die. Sometimes I still feel her presence in the air around me. Her face still lurks within even the happiest of my dreams. She is alive, somehow. And if the people realize that there is a chance she might return, they will lose all hope." Laurena looked away into the forest, murmuring so he could barely hear, "And then what will I do?" Irvine stared at her. Why was she so scared about Timber? And Ultimecia? Sure, Ultimecia was a scary bitch, but she was dead. Dead people can't come back to life, especially evil. "Nothin'. Cause it ain't gonna happen, okay?" he said gently. "That sorceress is long gone. Timber ain't got nothin to worry about. And neither do you, Laurena. She's dead. Dead people gotta stay dead. It's the rules of life." She parted her lips as if to protest, but closed them in a soft smile. "If that is your belief, your hope, then I shan't dare to ruin it." She got up and gestured him to follow. "Would you like something to eat?" Irvine heard his stomach grumble and remembered that he really hadn't eaten anything this morning, thanks to that punk. "Yeah, sure. Whaddya have?" "Not much. Some berries and such, but it is very good." She climbe up the tree and came back with a bundle of blackberries. "Blackberries!" he cried with joy. "Aw, now don't that beat all! These are my favorite!" "Yes?" "Hell, yeah! I used to eat 'em right off the bush when I was a youngin'. I'd eat so many I'd get a stomachache. But Matron always managed to make me feel better..." Laurena became suddenly intrigued. "Matron?" Irvine paused at her reaction, a slight bit uncomfortable. He guessed it didn't occur to her that he had no parents. "I...I was raised in an orphanage down in Centra," he explained. "I never knew my parents." Laurena looked down again, looking guilty. "Oh." She unwrapped the bundle and set it down on the ground. "I'm sorry." "Hey, it ain't nothin'. Don't worry about it." "I also know the pain of growing up without a mother or father," she said. "I knew my mother, but...my father...he..." "He died?" "...Yes, he died. Before I was born. And my mother, when I was but a small child." "Grief, I guess?" "...Yes." "Aw, now I'm the one that's gotta be sorry," Irvine groaned. "I mean, growing up not knowin' yer parents is one thing, but knowing 'em and then havin' 'em taken away from ya? That's gotta be so much worse. Where did you go when yer ma died? Yer aunt or somethin'?" "...I had no other family." "Oh, so you went to an orphanage?" "No. I...ran away." She looked like she was near tears. Irvine's heart panged in sympathy. "So...you grew up...alone...?" he barely dared to ask. "Pretty much so," she nodded, not looking at him. "Ah--well, now--ah, jeez, Laurena, I'm sorry," he stuttered, pulling out a handkerchief. He hated it when women got all emotional, but he wasn't any better when his feelings were hurt, and besides, he felt this was his fault. "I didn't mean to make ya cry, girl...I'm sorry, I mean look at me, I barely know ya and I'm askin' ya all these personal questions...here, wipe yer pretty eyes..." She took the handkerchief in her hand, but looked at him with confidence in her watery eyes, confidence that came close to stubborness. "You weren't going to make me cry. I didn't mind growing up alone. Are you kidding? If I could do it all over again, I would. It's just kind of sad remembering my mother. That's all. You didn't pressure me with questions. I didn't mind." She wiped her eyes and handed the handkerchief back with a polite thank you. "You sure?" "Yes, very sure." She gazed at him. "But you're right. We hardly know anything about each other. I would like to get to know you more. You're very nice." "Aw, gee," Irvine grinned and blushed boyishly. "I'm not that nice." "Oh but you are. You thought I was crying and you handed me a handkerchief. Where I come from, that is the mark of a true gentleman. It shows sensitivity and gentleness...you really think my eyes are pretty?" she asked awkwardly. "Beautiful," he assured. It was her turn to blush now. "Your friends are lucky to have you as a friend." "Yeah...oh my dear sweet Hyne!" "What is it?" Irvine shot to his feet. He forgotten all about his lunch with Quistis and Rinoa! It was already past 17:00 hours(4:00 P.M). "I--I was supposed to have lunch with my friends at the Garden! They'll be worried about where I am. I'm sorry, I really gotta go--it was nice meeting you and talking to you--" He tipped his hat and with some reluctance turned to leave. But Laurena grabbed his arm. "Wait, Irvine!" "Yeah?" He looked back at her. "Please come back and visit me tomorrow." Irvine gazed into her eyes, which he had been trying to avoid all day because every time he looked he became trapped within them. She had said those words in a tone that settled oddly in Irvine's head. It wasn't an order or a question. It was a plea. She was begging him to come back. He looked into those gorgeous eyes and realized that living out here must make her extremely lonely, and for some reason she didn't dare go out of the forest, and it was seldom that people came in. Her eyes were shrouded with the pain of solitude, and it looked as if she would go insane if her one friend from the outside left her. He nodded. "I'll come back. Don't worry." She smiled and handed him the bundle of blackberries. He grinned and waved goodbye, then left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Irvine searched the cafeteria but did not find Quistis or Rinoa. Finally he went back to his dorm, embarrassed that he had missed lunch with his friends. As he stepped in the door and removed his trenchcoat, the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" It was Rinoa. "There you are, finally. I've been trying to reach you for hours, are you okay?" "I'm great, Rin." "We got worried. You said to Quistis you were going to join to join us for lunch but you never showed up." "Yeah, sorry about that, I--I got kinda tied up in somethin' else and I lost track of time." "It's okay. What were you doing, anyway?" "Oh, uh...just stuff." "Ok." The tone was unconvinced. "Well, maybe we can get together tomorrow, you know, the whole group. I'll try to get Squall away from his commander duties for a day or two cause he's really straining himself. But yeah, we'll all get together andmaybe go down and visit Matron." "Hey, yeah, that'd be great." "Yeah, and then the day afterward we can all go to the Fisherman's Harbor." "Why, what's in the FH?" "It's the huge beach party they're having. They're even letting the students off curfew so they can go. It's going to be a blast. So can I tell the other guys you're coming?" "Hey, count me in, gal." "Great. See you tomorrow. Bye." "Bye." Click. He hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. That beach party sounded fun. Maybe he would try to pry Laurena into it. She seemed like a fun person. She seemed alot like Rinoa, he noticed. There was a knock on the door. He got up and opened the door. "Yeah?" "Hello, there. Would you know where Dorm 206 is?" He turned his full attention to the woman and nearly gawked. She was an incredibly attractive woman, almost unhumanly so. She was as tall as he was, her curved figure shown easily by the skintight dark purple leggings she wore, the knee high, high heeled boots and the tightly fitting strapless dark purple top, deliberately showing clevage. She wore black knuckle gloves on her hands. Her skin was a dark beige, as if she had spent alot of time in the sun and yet had not burnt. Her hair was jet black and traveled straight down to her thighs. Her eyes were violet and sharply shaped and lined with purple and gold kohl(eye shadow), her ruby red lips playing an alluring smirk. He remembered how he'd thought that Laurena looked Egyptian--this woman looked more Egyptian than anything, especially with the black onyx pendant of an ankh around her neck. She wore a bullwhip at her waist. She shifted her weight as he stared, not minding one bit, as if she was used to it. She even chuckled, her voice deep. "What a charming one you are," she commented. "Would you know where Dorm 206 is?" her accent was like Laurena's, Egyptian, only much more deeper and thicker. "Uh--that way, ma'am." He pointed in the direction the room was. "You can't miss it. Sorry for staring." "That's quite all right. I was doing a bit of staring myself." She purred. "I love your hat. It makes you look so daring. I like daring men." She purred again, coming close to his face. "Just so you remember...my dorm is Room 206, and my name is Tryphaena. You're welcome to come over whenever you like. Thank you for showing me the right direction." Then with a noticeable movement of her hips, she walked on down the hall, her bags slung over her shoulder. Irvine closed the door and leaned back against it, sweating. Dear sweet Hyne! ~~~~~~~
Tryphaena opened the door to her dorm, looking it over and figuring it would suffice. She opened her bag and out slithered her black king cobra Medusa. She flung the bag into the corner and flopped down onto the bed strecthing and yawning like a cat. "Did you see that man I talked to, my pet?" she cooed, holding up her arms to her. Medusa slithered up onto her arms and neck until her full six foot body was ensnared around Tryphaena's body. "He is a handsome one, I'll admit. A little slow, but handsome." She stroked the black scales softly. "Just a few days, Medusa, that's all we need. We'll find her. And then we shall reap our share of the harvest. You shall see." There was a knock on the door. Tryphaena grinned, thinking it was the cowboy man. "By the gods, Medusa, my charms work fast. Come in!" she called, louder. The door opened and in walked a young woman in blue, with long black hair and almond brown eyes. "Oh." Tryphaena's grin faded slightly. "Can I help you?" "My name is Rinoa Heartilly, and I live in the double dorm next to yours. I just wanted to come in and welcome you to Balamb Garden and Dorm 206." She gave a fake, but convincing, smile. "How kind of you." She rose from the bed, moving over to brush her hair. "Please...come in." Rinoa stepped in, recieving a warning hiss from Medusa. She jumped. "Oh! What a lovely...pet." "Medusa," Tryphaena said, completely uninterested. "She's also my bodyguard, so watch out." "All right." "Rhonda..." "Rinoa." "Rinoa...since you're here, could you help me with this baret? I'd like to go training but I won't be able to see a thing with all this hair in my face, and it's ever so thick..." "Certainly." She came forward and grasped her thick hair gently, holding it up and tying it into the baret. "So, Tryphaena...where do you..." Rinoa looked down and froze. On her slim shoulder blades and her back there was a design of a pair of wings that seemed to be tattooed there. It looked exactly like the design on the back of Rinoa's dress, only it was black. She stepped backward, gasping. "What is it?" Tryphaena asked, intrigued at the look of shock on her face. "I...uh..." She groped her mind for an excuse...anything... "I forgot I have a very important meeting with my boyfriend! He wanted to talk to me and he said it was really important, ha ha, I think he's going to pop the question!" "Well, good for you. What made you think of him so quickly?" "I-I don't know! Something just rang a siren--I mean bell, in my head, and I gotta go! Bye!" She backed out of the room. Tryphaena wrinkled her small nose. "Hmm. She's friendly enough. But she obviously has mental problems. I pity her boyfriend." "Hiss..." ~~~~~~~~~~~ Rinoa ran into her room and closed the door, and locked it. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," she panted. "I thought they were all gone..." There was a rapid knocking at her door. "Can't come in!" She yelled. "Uh...I'm naked!" First there was a silence, then a deep chuckle. "When has that ever stopped me?" "Squall?" She ran to the door and unlocked it, and dragged Squall inside and locked the door again. Squall watched her do this, then furrowed his eyebrows in mock disappointment. "I thought you said you were naked," he remarked. They had never done anything sexually speaking, but that would've been a sight to Squall. "I got dressed really quickly," she shot back gently, giving him a hug. "Then why am I here?" he joked, before kissing her. He had just gotten used to joking. "You tell me." "Well, Quisty told me that you guys were gonna take a trip to Matron's, and that I should take a few days off. Sounds like a good idea." "Yeah, I already gave everyone else the info." "Okay. So, let me ask this, and sorry for changing the subject, but: why have you turned your dorm room into Fort Knox?" "I--was keeping evil sorceresses out of my room?" Squall chuckled. "If that's the case, you'd better hang some garlic or something." he sighed. "Whatever. But if you're afraid of evil sorceresses, all you have to do is call for your Knight." Rinoa smiled serenely, looking up at Squall from under her lashes. It had taken a couple of weeks, but she'd finally gotten him of the shadows that he thought he'd never arise from. Now he expressed his affection freely. "Who would that Knight be?" she teased softly. ''Oh, I don't know." He pressed her against his chest and kissed her warmly on the mouth. She responded, reaching up to touch his face. When the kiss ended, he smiled. "I think it might be me." "Oh, you think?" she hugged him, nestling against his shoulder. Squall stroked her hair lovingly. "Now really...why'd you lock your door? You don't usually do that," he murmured. "...I don't remember," she said dreamily, hugging him still.
But she did remember.
A/N: I know, this is getting a litle weird...Squall being happy and flirtatious? Irvine being nervous and standoffish? And it doesn't stop there, there's also the little detail about the entire PLOT TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE, that's all!!! :) Heh heh...sorry. But anyway, if ya like it, review please, if you don't, keep your discontentments to yourself. Please review, or I'll cry! ;_;Metropolis Dream, I read your fic, Color of my Love? IT'S GREAT! Please write more, Squall's being a meanie! Anyone who hasn't read Color of My Love, by Metropolis Dream, rated PG-13, please read it NOW! It's really cool and you won't be wasting your time, I swear! And review the story too! then if you have time, come back and read the rest of this piece o' crap, because I'll probably have another chapter up. Thanx! Please Review!