Chapter 3
Rinoa slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light that was flooding in through the dormitory window.
"Good morning, angel." Squall leant down and kissed her on the forehead. She thought back to the previous night, when Squall had proposed, and afterwards when she had spent the whole night lying in his arms.
"Good morning," she replied, somewhat sleepily. "How long have you been awake?"
"About half an hour." Squall was lying. He had been awake for several hours now and had spent them just staring at Rinoa, sleeping in his arms. "We should get up now. Cid's leaving in an hour or so."
"Okay. I'll go get a shower then."
The whole of Balamb Garden was assembled at the front gate to say their goodbyes to Cid. Garden had been flown to the orphanage in Centra where Cid and Edea were going to live. Numerous SeeDs were actually in tears at the thought of the headmaster leaving. Squall also knew that Cid was trying to prevent himself from crying. He was aware how much the Garden and SeeD meant to Cid, and was afraid that he would fail him. Seeing how emotional the students were becoming only made Squall worry more.
"They really love Cid. I could never replace him. They won't even like me. Everyone thinks I'm a loner and don't care about anyone else."
"Squall. I'm going. I would like to speak to you now." The headmaster was calling him over.
"Yes, sir."
"Don't call me that. How many times have I told you to call me Cid?"
"Sorry, sir. I mean Cid."
"I just wanted to say good luck to you. It's a lot of responsibility running Garden, but I think you're ready for it. And you have to come and visit, that's my last order."
"We'll visit, don't worry."
"Oh, I nearly forgot. Congratulations on your engagement Squall."
"How did you know?"
"I noticed the ring on Rinoa's finger last night. I hope I'm invited to the wedding."
"You will be."
"Goodbye everybody," the headmaster shouted as he left Garden under the command of Squall.
"Are you alright Squall? You look a little tired." Rinoa was worried that Squall had been working himself too hard lately.
"I'm fine. I've just got a lot of work to do."
"Well, it can wait. We're going for a walk."
"I really don't have time."
"Yes you do." Rinoa dragged Squall from his seat and out of their dorm.
"You know, you've been working too hard. You need to rest for a bit. Give someone else some work to do."
"I can't. It's my responsibility. I have to do it."
"You can accept help from other people. It doesn't make you any less of a leader." Squall was silent. "Look, I've been speaking with Dr Kadawaki. She has said that she will be willing to look after any student matters, with my help. That should take a weight off your mind."
"I can handle it."
"It's too much for one person to handle alone. Even Cid didn't do that." Again, Squall was silent. "And I'm sure Quistis would agree to be the head instructor so you don't have to oversee the lessons. Xu can handle supplies as well. She did a good job of it when we were against the sorceress."
"I can't let them do that."
"Why not?"
"Rinoa, I need to prove to myself that I can do this. That I can run this Garden on my own."
"Why?"
"Because I don't think that I'm good enough."
"Squall, if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything. I need you to know that there will always be someone there to stand behind you. There will always be someone there to back you up. There will always be someone there that you can turn to no matter what. That person is me, Squall. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Will you consider my idea?"
"Consider it done."
The next morning, Squall informed everybody about their new posts. Xu was happy that she had been given her old job back and Quistis seemed delighted with her promotion. Especially as, only a year ago, her instructor's license was revoked. Dr Kadawaki seemed unsurprised at being put in charge of looking after student matters. She had known that Rinoa would be able to persuade Squall to share the workload. He was halfway though discussing mandatory student healthchecks with the doctor, when he got a call on the PA. It was Quistis.
"Could Commander, er, Headmaster, er, Squall please report to your office. It's urgent."
When Squall arrived at his office, he found that he had a visitor. It was Martine Dodonna, headmaster of Galbadia Garden. He seemed out of breath, as if he had been in a hurry to get here.
"Is everything okay?" asked Squall.
"No. As you well know, there are still a few, fanatical supporters of the sorceress out there, even though Edea is no longer possessed. They agreed with her ideals that Galbadia should rule the world and are quite militant. Unfortunately, some of the students at Garden were in favour of this. I underestimated how many wanted war against the perceived enemies of Galbadia. I was thrown out of Garden and it is now in their control. I need your help."
Rinoa slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light that was flooding in through the dormitory window.
"Good morning, angel." Squall leant down and kissed her on the forehead. She thought back to the previous night, when Squall had proposed, and afterwards when she had spent the whole night lying in his arms.
"Good morning," she replied, somewhat sleepily. "How long have you been awake?"
"About half an hour." Squall was lying. He had been awake for several hours now and had spent them just staring at Rinoa, sleeping in his arms. "We should get up now. Cid's leaving in an hour or so."
"Okay. I'll go get a shower then."
The whole of Balamb Garden was assembled at the front gate to say their goodbyes to Cid. Garden had been flown to the orphanage in Centra where Cid and Edea were going to live. Numerous SeeDs were actually in tears at the thought of the headmaster leaving. Squall also knew that Cid was trying to prevent himself from crying. He was aware how much the Garden and SeeD meant to Cid, and was afraid that he would fail him. Seeing how emotional the students were becoming only made Squall worry more.
"They really love Cid. I could never replace him. They won't even like me. Everyone thinks I'm a loner and don't care about anyone else."
"Squall. I'm going. I would like to speak to you now." The headmaster was calling him over.
"Yes, sir."
"Don't call me that. How many times have I told you to call me Cid?"
"Sorry, sir. I mean Cid."
"I just wanted to say good luck to you. It's a lot of responsibility running Garden, but I think you're ready for it. And you have to come and visit, that's my last order."
"We'll visit, don't worry."
"Oh, I nearly forgot. Congratulations on your engagement Squall."
"How did you know?"
"I noticed the ring on Rinoa's finger last night. I hope I'm invited to the wedding."
"You will be."
"Goodbye everybody," the headmaster shouted as he left Garden under the command of Squall.
"Are you alright Squall? You look a little tired." Rinoa was worried that Squall had been working himself too hard lately.
"I'm fine. I've just got a lot of work to do."
"Well, it can wait. We're going for a walk."
"I really don't have time."
"Yes you do." Rinoa dragged Squall from his seat and out of their dorm.
"You know, you've been working too hard. You need to rest for a bit. Give someone else some work to do."
"I can't. It's my responsibility. I have to do it."
"You can accept help from other people. It doesn't make you any less of a leader." Squall was silent. "Look, I've been speaking with Dr Kadawaki. She has said that she will be willing to look after any student matters, with my help. That should take a weight off your mind."
"I can handle it."
"It's too much for one person to handle alone. Even Cid didn't do that." Again, Squall was silent. "And I'm sure Quistis would agree to be the head instructor so you don't have to oversee the lessons. Xu can handle supplies as well. She did a good job of it when we were against the sorceress."
"I can't let them do that."
"Why not?"
"Rinoa, I need to prove to myself that I can do this. That I can run this Garden on my own."
"Why?"
"Because I don't think that I'm good enough."
"Squall, if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything. I need you to know that there will always be someone there to stand behind you. There will always be someone there to back you up. There will always be someone there that you can turn to no matter what. That person is me, Squall. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Will you consider my idea?"
"Consider it done."
The next morning, Squall informed everybody about their new posts. Xu was happy that she had been given her old job back and Quistis seemed delighted with her promotion. Especially as, only a year ago, her instructor's license was revoked. Dr Kadawaki seemed unsurprised at being put in charge of looking after student matters. She had known that Rinoa would be able to persuade Squall to share the workload. He was halfway though discussing mandatory student healthchecks with the doctor, when he got a call on the PA. It was Quistis.
"Could Commander, er, Headmaster, er, Squall please report to your office. It's urgent."
When Squall arrived at his office, he found that he had a visitor. It was Martine Dodonna, headmaster of Galbadia Garden. He seemed out of breath, as if he had been in a hurry to get here.
"Is everything okay?" asked Squall.
"No. As you well know, there are still a few, fanatical supporters of the sorceress out there, even though Edea is no longer possessed. They agreed with her ideals that Galbadia should rule the world and are quite militant. Unfortunately, some of the students at Garden were in favour of this. I underestimated how many wanted war against the perceived enemies of Galbadia. I was thrown out of Garden and it is now in their control. I need your help."