Chapter Eleven
The Masked Stranger
Later that day, Quistis went to the canteen to find Rinoa. She hadn't been in her room which was the only place that Quistis had thought of looking for her. She had tried to find Squall too but had couldn't find him either. She hoped that they were together.
In the Canteen she could only find Zell. He waved her over to his table.
"Mmm, theesh are re'ey goog" He told her with a mouth full of hotdog.
"Right." Quistis said, not understanding. "Have you seen Rinoa or Squall?"
"Nope." he said swallowing. "Squall said he was going into town and I haven't seen Rinoa since after we got here."
Quistis nodded grimly.
"Why? what's up?" Zell asked.
"I was going into town and wondered if Rinoa wanted to come," Quistis lied.
"Oh," Zell started on another hotdog, "You look dressed up. Are you meeting anyone in Balamb?"
Quistis laughed and resisted the urge to tell him all about Tyrren. "Don't wait up." she joked in reply and left the canteen.
A person sitting at the back of the canteen watched the blonde leave. He pulled the hood he wore further over his face and left the canteen through the back.
******
Rinoa sat on a rock in the twilight and dipped her bare feet in the calm waters. To her right she could see the lights of Balamb, their reflections dancing on the small waves. She picked up her shoes and strolled down the beach in the direction of the small port.
******
In the forests outside the Garden, Quistis felt her heart skip at the thought of seeing Tyrren again. They had met briefly at the last Garden festival. He worked in the shop in Balamb where she had met him again and he had asked her out. She knew that he would be working now, he always worked late. She was going to surprise him because he thought she would still be on the mission. He didn't know that they were having a break.
A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, pinning her against a tree. A dark hood covered the face of the stranger. Quistis winced as he reached a hand up and brushed her cheek. She pushed against the attacker and freed one of her hands which she reached up and used to rip off the strangers hood.
Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp as the fading light revealed who the stranger was.
"Wha..." Her words were muffled as the familiar face pressed his lips against hers, releasing his grip on her hand and pressing her back onto the tree. Quistis reached up and grabbed a handful of short blonde hair, yanking it back, away from her. She brought her other hand up and threw it into his cheek, knocking him back. Thank you, Zell, she thought as she turned and ran from where the cloaked figure was getting up, shaking himself.
As she ran, she heard no footsteps following her, but it was still a relief for her when she broke out through the trees to see the lights of Balamb glowing in front of her. She kept running and didn't stop until she bumped into Tyrren who
was locking up the shop.
"Quistis," he said in surprise, "what's wrong?"
She kept her head buried in his chest, breathing heavily. Full of worry, Tyrren opened the shop again and lead her in.
******
From just outside the town the masked stranger rubbed his cheek where Quistis had hit him and grinned as he watched the blonde run into the arms of a tall, black haired boy. He laughed to himself as they disappeared into the shop. I'll be waiting for you, instructor, he thought.
The Masked Stranger
Later that day, Quistis went to the canteen to find Rinoa. She hadn't been in her room which was the only place that Quistis had thought of looking for her. She had tried to find Squall too but had couldn't find him either. She hoped that they were together.
In the Canteen she could only find Zell. He waved her over to his table.
"Mmm, theesh are re'ey goog" He told her with a mouth full of hotdog.
"Right." Quistis said, not understanding. "Have you seen Rinoa or Squall?"
"Nope." he said swallowing. "Squall said he was going into town and I haven't seen Rinoa since after we got here."
Quistis nodded grimly.
"Why? what's up?" Zell asked.
"I was going into town and wondered if Rinoa wanted to come," Quistis lied.
"Oh," Zell started on another hotdog, "You look dressed up. Are you meeting anyone in Balamb?"
Quistis laughed and resisted the urge to tell him all about Tyrren. "Don't wait up." she joked in reply and left the canteen.
A person sitting at the back of the canteen watched the blonde leave. He pulled the hood he wore further over his face and left the canteen through the back.
******
Rinoa sat on a rock in the twilight and dipped her bare feet in the calm waters. To her right she could see the lights of Balamb, their reflections dancing on the small waves. She picked up her shoes and strolled down the beach in the direction of the small port.
******
In the forests outside the Garden, Quistis felt her heart skip at the thought of seeing Tyrren again. They had met briefly at the last Garden festival. He worked in the shop in Balamb where she had met him again and he had asked her out. She knew that he would be working now, he always worked late. She was going to surprise him because he thought she would still be on the mission. He didn't know that they were having a break.
A rough hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, pinning her against a tree. A dark hood covered the face of the stranger. Quistis winced as he reached a hand up and brushed her cheek. She pushed against the attacker and freed one of her hands which she reached up and used to rip off the strangers hood.
Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp as the fading light revealed who the stranger was.
"Wha..." Her words were muffled as the familiar face pressed his lips against hers, releasing his grip on her hand and pressing her back onto the tree. Quistis reached up and grabbed a handful of short blonde hair, yanking it back, away from her. She brought her other hand up and threw it into his cheek, knocking him back. Thank you, Zell, she thought as she turned and ran from where the cloaked figure was getting up, shaking himself.
As she ran, she heard no footsteps following her, but it was still a relief for her when she broke out through the trees to see the lights of Balamb glowing in front of her. She kept running and didn't stop until she bumped into Tyrren who
was locking up the shop.
"Quistis," he said in surprise, "what's wrong?"
She kept her head buried in his chest, breathing heavily. Full of worry, Tyrren opened the shop again and lead her in.
******
From just outside the town the masked stranger rubbed his cheek where Quistis had hit him and grinned as he watched the blonde run into the arms of a tall, black haired boy. He laughed to himself as they disappeared into the shop. I'll be waiting for you, instructor, he thought.