Chapter 3: Giving her a break.
This story is entirely based around characters, places and events from Squaresoft's wonderful games. Very little is mine, so don't give me too much credit.
I'm sick of stories with nice, lovely, perfect heroines. I prefer to create female characters with plenty of character flaws, like my favourite characters in stories, Susan Sto Helit, Magrat Garlik and Granny Weatherwax from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Lyra Silvertongue from Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy, and, of course, Hermione Granger From JK Rowling's Harry Potter books. And from such heroines is born Ellone. Don't think of her as a bitch, more as a realistically imperfect human being.
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Ellone sat alone in her dorm. She couldn't sleep. She had always been troubled by bad dreams, as long as she could remember, well, not bad exactly, just strange and sometimes a little frightening. But this dream had been bad, it had been terrifying. It was a small mercy that she couldn't remember the dream itself so well, but the emotion lingered, a feeling of loneliness and desolation...and darkness.
She slipped off the bed and picked up her gunblade, cradling it. She wished her parents were around. They were always off somewhere, on diplomatic missions and trying to get funding for Garden.
('This is so stupid, I'm shaking. Scared of a nightmare, like a little kid....But I am a kid, I'm only fourteen, I want my mum. I don't want to be alone, I want somebody to hug me and say the monsters aren't real.')
She checked the clock. Five am. She wouldn't be able to go to sleep again now, and besides, she'd wake up in a couple of hours anyway. She changed into her clothes, stuffing her pyjamas into a drawer. And buckled on her gunblade belt. The Garden was very quiet, Ellone listened to the soothing sounds of the fountains as she walked. She noticed a lone figure was sat on a bench. Staring, lost in thought.
('So, I guess you're all alone too Instructor Trepe.')
Ellone's first though was to walk past, leave her too it, it wasn't her problem. But some little ember of compassion flickered.
('Remember when you were little? Instructor Trepe was always there for you then.')
"Instructor?" ('She's the closest person I have in this place to my mother')
"E-Ellone?" Quistis' head snapped up and her thoughtful blue eyes looked straight into Ellone's face. "Why are you awake so early?"
"I had a bad dream."
"Was it the usual?"
"What do you mean?"
"When you were very small, you used to always tell me about this nightmare you had, where you were all alone in the dark. You still have it?"
"Yes. I've been having it more frequently lately." Ellone sat down on the bench.
"You always used to forget the dream. Does that still happen?"
"I never remember exactly what happens, it's always slightly different. I was holding my gunblade this time, and a voice I didn't know called to me, I can't remember what it said, but it scared me, and I held up the gunblade, but it dissappeared. Dissolved into white feathers that fled from my hand. Then somebody...Somebody I know, or knew that I had once known came out of the darkness and they plunged their hand into my chest and... I woke up." Ellone's hand touched the centre of her chest for a moment as she drew breath, shaking again.
Quistis was silent for a moment. When Rinoa had become a sorceress, she had been plagued with frightening dreams. And Matron had mentioned once that sorceresses often had bad nightmares. Did the dreams even mean anything?
"You can't remember who the person in the dream was?"
"...No."
"Why did you talk to me? You don't usually..."
"I trust you...Maybe it was reading Instructor Kinneas' play that's changed how I look at people, but you're one of the few out there who doesn't treat me as an extention of my parents."
"Well, I've known you for a long time, and you are like them, but at the same time, you're not like them at all. I'm adept at understanding Squall, and I think Rinoa's easy to read once you get the hang of her. But every time I think I have you figured you do the last thing I expect."
"...Do you always analyse everything like that?"
"I like learning about people."
"No offence, but it's kinda...creepy. I hate people trying to understand me."
Quistis suddenly began to laugh.
"Then you really are like your father. All you need is to start doing this," She put a hand to her forehead and scowled, "and saying '...whatever' now."
('She's making fun of me? ...Actually, that is a really good impression of him') A ghost of a smile appeared on Ellone's face.
"You see, but then you smile and I think you can't be Squall at all. I never thought you'd agree to be in Selphie's production."
"The part appealed to me."
"I find it quite amusing," Said Quistis, "That I'm being played by the daughter of the guy who was my worst enemy at the time."
"Kelli Almasy? She's not really anything like her father. She's pretty shy."
"Either that or she's terrified of seeming to be anything like he was in case people take it against her. I've heard she can be quite manipulative."
"She was a bully when she was younger. I hated her. But we've barely spoken since then, she's in different classes to me."
"That was my doing. I'm good at understanding people, I had a good idea of what was going on, and I think she realised that I did. But to be safe I made sure you two weren't together for anything."
('She cares about me more than I thought she did. She might actually care about me more than my parents do.')
"She seems quiet now." ('Too quiet?') "Anyway, I guess I should go change."
"What? Why?"
"I've got class this morning, and I'm not in uniform."
"You? Uni-? What?"
"This is just a one off by the way, as I owe you one. Don't expect this every day."
Quistis nodded dumbly as she watched Ellone walk briskly away.
"I'll believe it when I see it." She muttered.
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Sylvie checked the clock. She could spend twenty more blissful minutes in bed before she would have to force herself to get up and ready for class. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, listening to the morning birdsong, not expecting the harsh and angry sound that was about to come from the next room.
"Gaaah! How do you put this friggin' thing on?! Sylvie! I know you're awake, so don't pretend you're not! Come and help me!"
Sylvie made a moody growling sound and levered her long legs out of the bed, padding around the partition that separated her room from Ellone's.
"What are you-?" She pulled a face and tilted her head on it's side, as if hoping that the image in front of her would make more sense upside down. Then she began to laugh, a laugh which quickly became a giggling fit that ceased up her whole body making her double up.
"It's not that funny."
"I'm sorry, it's just that-" Another fit of giggles, "-you look so adorably sweet!"
Ellone scowled.
"So says captain pink bunny pyjamas."
"Hey, don't mess the pink bunnies, some day they will pounce on you and plait your hair! ...By the way, you've really not tied that necker properly."
"...That's why I called you through mastermind."
"See? Now you need captain bunny. I could be a super villain! 'Le Lapin Rose!' I will steal all your 'orrible black clothes and make you wear uniform aaaalll the time!"
"...You scare me sometimes."
Sylvie knotted the yellow necktie with a single deft movement.
"There. Now, I'm gonna get dressed, I expect a cup of tea for being woken up so early."
"You've been awake for half an hour anyway, you always do that thing where you set your alarm really early and then lie there thinking or whatever it is you do."
"It's good for you. You should spend some time after you wake up waking up, not leap straight out of bed when your alarm goes off."
"Sensible enough I guess. You want real tea or one of those wierd herbal fruit things you drink that smell wierd?"
"Just tea thanks."
Ellone made herself a cup too. She hadn't been a tea person until she'd been stuffed into a dorm with Sylvie. But she had come to appreciate it, few drinks were relaxing and stimulating at the same time like tea was, it was also pleasantly bland and warm, made her feel at home.
The uniform felt strange, her legs felt horribly exposed. ('A bit like that Rinoa costume') She thought. ('Sylvie's probably gonna tell me to dress like this every day now.') She poured the water into the mugs, ('She's not a bad person. She gets really excited about stuff. If I had to beat the sorceress like Dad did, I wouldn't mind if she was in my group.')
Sylvie came out fully dressed, and minus pink rabbits in any form. Her brown hair in a simple pony tail. She grabbed a seat at the small table that they shared.
"You were up very early this morning." She remarked.
"I had a bad dream, nothing special."
"Man, you and those dreams, you need a psychiatrist. Have you ever been to doctor Kadowaki about it?"
('As if Instructor Trepe analysing me isn't enough.')
"I don't need a doctor."
"Your choice." She blew on her tea and took a sip, "What's the lesson this morning?"
"Instructor Trepe, Negotiation."
"Dull. Guess I won't need my spear then."
"Depends if you're negotiating with somebody normal or with Genji Dincht."
"Yeah, I should get a pole to fend him off."
"And therin lies the fatal flaw of being 'cute'."
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The classroom was quiet when The two girls arrived. Only afew 'Trepies,' fans of Instructor Trepe, and of course Genji, who was early for lessons due to his disgusting overenthusiasm about everything. He wasn't hard to spot, though he wasn't overly tall, he had bright blonde hair that stuck straight upwards, an open face aith wide blue eyes and a tendancy to fidgit constantly. He spotted Ellone with a whoop of joy.
"Hey! Woah! You're like, wearing your uniform!"
('Go away Genji.')
"Heh hehhhh, and I thought Sylvie was the cutest in the class, you might just top my list."
('Eeewwww. I thought you were just a moron, don't make me think you're a creep too.') Ellone looked daggers at him.
"Hey chill, I was just kiddin'! ....So, what's with the uniform? I thought you hated it."
Ellone ignored him and went for her desk at the back of the room.
"Heh, guess you haven't changed so much after all."
('Ignoring, ignoring, ignoring....')
"You know, it looks kinda wierd, that little skirt with a big gunblade buckled to it."
('Ignoring, ignoring, ignoring....resisting urge to give him closer look at gunblade...')
"Good morning class." Instructor Trepe's eyes settled on Ellone for a second before she went about her register. After which she stood up and addressed them, "Today's lesson is normally negotiation, but since the Garden Festival is coming up I decided to do something more fun."
A small cheer went up from the class.
"So, you have a choice, those who want to take this as a free period may leave and do whatever they want, anybody who wants a suprise is to meet me in the Quad in fifteen minutes. Being in uniform isn't nescesary." She said the last part with a sly little smile.
('What!? I get all dressed up and I don't need to be in uniform? Dammit Instructor!')
Ellone was suprised to see that most people wanted to take a free rather than find out about the 'secret' in the Quad. Probably because they didn't think that Instructor Trepe had the same view of 'fun' as they did.
"Are you going to get changed now?" Asked Sylvie as they took the lift down.
"I'm tempted to stay like this, because otherwise it seems like a wasted effort. But we might end up fighting or something...I'm gonna change."
"I'll change too then."
Ten minutes later the two cadets entered the Quad together. Ellone in her habitual black jeans, t-shirt and jacket and Sylvie in a purple crop top and blue denim shorts worn with simple leather sandals and a light white shirt tied around her waist, and of course her telescopic aluminium spear hanging at her hip. The sun in the Quad was bright on the white and blue tiles, and quite dazzling. Ellone could just make out some figures in front of her. She shaded her eyes with a hand.
"Mum! Dad!" She dropped her hand and ran forward, "You're here!" She didn't know which one to run to first and could barely see anyway, so she collided into the both. It turned into a hug anyway, once they had all got their balance.
"I thought you would be in Timber for another week."
"There's been some progress in negotiations," Said Squall, "There's going to be a peace talk in a week's time. Until then, we have some time off for the Garden Festival." He ruffled her hair affectionately while her mother continued to hold her tightly.
Quistis smiled, she felt better when she saw Ellone with her parents, they weren't around as much as they ought to have been.
"Hey dudes! Sorry for being late an' all, but since I was in Garden I had to go to the Cafeteria to pick up one of those hot dogs! They just can't be beaten!"
"Zell! You made it!" Called Quistis.
"Hey, you didn't think I'd miss a big reunion did ya?" Zell Grinned. "Woah! Sylvie! You're taller every time I see you! You looking into a career in professional Basketball or what?"
"Hey Zell, you know my baby girl's gonna be a SeeD!" Irvine put his hand on Sylvie's shoulder. Then Selphie appeared from behind him.
"Heya guys! What do you think of the decorations?"
"Perfect as always Selphie." Rinoa almost had to shout over to growing sound of conversation. She released her tight grip on Ellone, but kept holding hands, unwilling to break contact with her daughter. "It's going to be another great Garden Festival."
Ellone smiled widely, she felt content. Her parents were with her, the sun was warm on her hair and a soft breeze was coming from the Balamb sea. She looked around her parents friends. Small Selphie with her very green eyes and wide smile. Irvine, dashing and tall in his long coat with a shotgun at his side. Quistis, dressed in her SeeD uniform and little round glasses, her blonde hair up in a bun. Zell, quite short and with a boyish face with a dark tattoo down one side a large grin and thick pale blonde hair. They were strange people, it was true, but all of them were heroes. She watched with some amusement as the few teenagers who had decided to come to the lesson stopped and stared in amazement.
('I guess they're used to Instructor Kinneas and Instructor Trepe, but Zell Dincht, and my parents as well, all in one place. Probably pretty overwhelming for them.')
"Mister Leonhart! I've always wanted to meet you! My name's Simeon Rego, I just transferred here from Trabia-"
"You're the one playing me in Selphie's play aren't you?"
Simeon nodded, suddenly overcome by shyness.
"I'm pleased to meet you Simeon."
Rinoa looked down at Ellone.
"Hey, I heard you were playing me, did the clothes I send fit okay?"
"A little bit big, but not bad. Is that what you were wearing when you defeated Ultimicia?"
"Yeah. But I stopped wearing those clothes after the victory celebration, too many memories, not all of them pleasant."
"It seemed that way in the script."
"Hmmm..." Rinoa looked far off for a moment, and her hand brushed her long black dress thoughtfully. Then suddenly she came back out of her thoughts, smiling. "Ellone, aren't you going to introduce your friends?"
"Uh...I think you know them all apart from Simeon."
"Who's that blonde girl over there?" Rinoa gestured discreetly towards a gaunt fourteen year old stood alone in the shade of a tree.
"That's Kelli Almasy." Replied Ellone, "We're not really close at all."
"Ohh, I thought I knew her from somewhere. Siefer and Fujin's little girl. I hear she has a brother, but he didn't want to come to Balamb Garden, he went to Galbadia instead."
('Interesting. Something to remember.')
"Well, I suppose I should show everybody what I wanted to share with them." She kissed Ellone's forehead and broke away, bringing a strange orb from her pocket. "Hey Guys! Can you all be quiet for a minute!" The people in the quad stopped their various conversations. "Thankyou." Rinoa stepped into the center of the group, who formed a loose circle so that they could all see.
"As you know I contacted you about a week ago about some information I had discovered from Doctor Odine on the effects of time compression. It seems that thieves have been trying to break into his lab. He said that the reason was that they thought they had located another sorceress using some kind of 'magic scanner,' and were obsessed with obtaining a certain artifact from his lab."
"Uh, why?" Interrupted Zell.
"Well, it's odd, but they seem to think that the sorceress is...inside the artifact." She held up the sphere, "So apparently, there's a sorceress of equal power to myself...inside this thing."
"You gotta be kidding me, it's smaller than a football!"
"Never mind the size, what is it? It looks like it's full of something moving, like mist. Did Odine tell you anything?" Asked Quistis.
"He says that it's a globe of compressed time." This statement caused the small crowd to become very agitated.
"Quiet please!" Called Squall, "We need to contact Cid and Edea on this, I've had Nida prepare the Garden for flight, we'll be traveling overnight to the old orphanage. Until then, we'll put this topic on hold."
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It was past midnight. Ellone had only just noticed. She had been engrossed in her fighting in the training centre, which was of course the only place where no Garden staff would come to tell you that it was time for curfew. She noticed very suddenly how tired she felt and decided to head for her dorm. It would be the Garden Festival on the morrow, so no lessons, she could afford to sleep in if she so wished. She crept through the man made jungle, hoping to avoid any encounters.
She didn't bump into any monsters, but she did have a different encounter altogether. She hid herself as she heard her parents' voices.
"It's nice to fight together like we used to."
"Yeah....But it's harder now, without my GF. I'm glad I have my sorceress to look after me."
"I thought the knight was supposed to take care of the sorceress, not the other way around."
"Well, as soon as Odine manages to make that non memory loss GF he's been going on about, we can go back to being that way."
"Neo Bahamut? He says he's almost done."
"What do you think about the orb? Do you think we should have told them the whole truth?"
"Not with those other people there. And I wouldn't want to worry them, especially not Quistis."
"Quistis? Why would she be so worried?"
"She's concerned about Ellone. She's still having those recurring nightmares. Quistis suspects that she may be a sorceress, and she may be right, Odine says that my powers have diminished substancially since he tested me when I was seventeen, and the power must have gone somewhere."
"You think when Ellone was born she took some of your power with her?"
('WHAT?!')
"...I hope not."
"She's never shown any magical abilities."
"But she's never been taught how to use magic, and you have to admit, she's abnormally strong for such a small girl, even one who trains so much."
('You have to be kidding me.')
"We don't have any proof. I'll talk to her in the morning, I see too little of her anyway."
Squall left the training center, his brow furrowed. He looked noticably worried when he came into Ellone's view, and when Rinoa followed, she also looked anxious. Ellone waited a short while before she left. She didn't want to be caught evesdropping, and she was too dumbstruck to move for some time anyway.
('It's not true. It can't be true. I won't let it be true.')
She walked through the silent halls of the Garden. Staring straight ahead, but not really seeing, pretty much on autopilot.
('Me? A sorceress? No way....Odine's a wacko, he probably measured wrong, yeah, that's it....I'm not a sorceress.')
The corridor to the dorms flickered with strip lighting, cold bluish white light on grey walls.
('But...what if?')
"Hey! Hyne's blood, you had me worried, I was about to go look for you! What were you doing training so late?" Asked Sylvie in a concerned whisper.
"....Couldn't sleep. Sorry."
"Gaaah, well, I'm going to bed. Night."
"Yeah, night."
"...Is something wrong?"
('There's no point in worrying her, there's no sound evidence for anything yet')
"Nothing. Goodnight Sylvie."