Chapter 4: Painful reunion

Five years had passed since the great tragedy and life went on at Balamb Garden. Seifer, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa were all sitting in the cafeteria listening to Selphie's ramblings about the upcoming Garden festival she'd been working on. "And I told him I DIDN'T want pink but what do you think that idiot buys…yes, pink decorations. Who the hell buys pink decorations?!?!"

Irvine chuckled and padded his girlfriend's shoulder. "You've managed worse before"

"So what did you do?" Rinoa asked.

"I had to drop everything and rush into Balamb before they closed the stores and buy new stuff" Selphie answered with a pout. "I knew I should have gone myself"

Zell rolled his eyes and finished his coke. "You can't be in two different places at the same time Selphie. Besides, the festival is always great, you shouldn't worry that much"

"Bah" the tiny brunet snorted.

"Hi guys" Fiona smiled and took a seat beside Zell.

Rinoa smiled at her. "Hi, where've you been?"

"Where do you think? Working in the library of course" Fiona answered with a giggle and then kissed Zell on the cheek. "Got a new shipment of books so I had to sort them all"

"Anyway" Selphie said and looked at Seifer and Rinoa. "Are you two bringing dates to the Festival?"

"I don't know" Rinoa shifted uncomfortably, five years wasn't enough time to heal the wounds from the lost lover.

Seifer shook his head. "Nah"

"I think Courtney'll wanna come" Irvine pointed out.

Seifer had been seeing a new SeeD a couple of months now but it wasn't really serious from his side. She was tall, blond, beautiful, but all she did he compared to what Quistis would have done. "You have to move on some time" Selphie sighed. "I hate seeing you sad"

"I'm okay, really I am" Rinoa smiled reassuringly. "I just don't feel like dating"

Fiona decided to help Rinoa along the way. "And besides, who needs dates to have fun. You can have way more fun without them"

"Oh thanks a lot" Zell answered wryly by her side. "I feel really appreciated"

"You know I don't mean you" she smiled and padded his cheek. "But Seifer and Rinoa will what makes them feel the best and if that means being dateless to the festival, so be it"

Selphie shrugged. "True, true…Oh, we're still on to go into Balamb and eat dinner at that new place, aren't we?"

"Hell yeah" Zell grinned and padded his stomach. "I'm starving"

"Me too" Rinoa nodded. "I've been looking forward to this the whole week"

Fiona smiled. "I've heard the food is great there"

"How about we leave in an hour?" Seifer asked. "That'll give us enough time to shower and change clothes"

"Fine by me" Selphie giggled and bounced up to her feet. "I'm so excited; I haven't been out to dinner in ages"

"Front gates in one hour then" Irvine said and the whole group began walking to their dorms to get ready. Time passed by and soon one hour had passed by. Seifer, Zell, Fiona and Irvine were standing waiting for the missing two persons.

"Where the hell are they?" Seifer muttered. "I haven't eaten in six hours and I'm getting just a little bit edgy"

Selphie and Rinoa came jogging up to them. "Sorry we're late"

"Then we're ready" Fiona announced and entwined her fingers with Zell. "Let's go"

"Would Seifer Almasy, Zell Dinch, Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine Kinneas and Rinoa Heartilly please report to the principal's office" Cid's voice echoed out of the speaker system. "I repeat would…

Seifer groaned as he heard their names get called up one more time. "You gotta be shitting me"

"Let's just go up there and see what the man wants" Irvine said. "Maybe it'll be quick"

"Come with us, I'm sure it's nothing" Zell said to Fiona who nodded. Then they all walked towards the elevator and pressed the 3 floor button.

"What's up Cid, we were just about to leave and go to Balamb?" Zell asked as they walked into his office. Cid looked up, his face somewhat pale and there was a shocked look painting his usually warm and friendly eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll have to cancel your plans" the headmaster said, his voice unsteady so he cleared his throat. "There's been some…Hyne, how do I say this, unexpected turns"

"Dear, don't you think you should make them sit down first" Edea said as she stepped into the office.

Cid nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. Please have a seat"

Seifer, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa and Fiona all glanced at each other and then sat down in the chairs surrounding his large wooden desk. "Are you okay?" Selphie carefully asked. "You don't look so good"

Cid laughed slightly. "I don't know children, I mean, I'm happy but…this isn't gonna be easy on any of us"

Edea squeezed her husband's shoulder in comfort. "Tell us what's wrong already" Seifer said shifting uncomfortably in his chair. There was something very disturbing by Cid and Edea's expressions and the way Edea comforted her husband signaled that he was about to tell something very important.

Before Cid could answer the office door behind the group opened and Edea smiled sadly. The SeeD's turned around and felt their eyes grew wide, they'd expected anything but that. Selphie gasped, Rinoa bit back a sob while the others were too shocked to say anything at all. In front of them stood Squall and Quistis and Quistis was holding a small boy. "Oh God" Selphie whispered. "Y…you're alive"

"They don't remember anything" Cid said. "All this time they've only remembered each other and not until recently did they remember the Garden and the many years they've spent here"

Rinoa couldn't hold back the tears. "They don't remember?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry" Quistis said, her voice sounding exactly the same it had done all those years ago. "It feels as if I should recognize your faces, but I don't"

"Squall?" Rinoa asked; her voice breaking.

He looked at her a while, confused and not really sure what to do or say. "I…I'm sorry but I can't remember" he answered sadly.

Rinoa sobbed and then sprinted out of the office. She couldn't take it and the fact that he didn't remember hurt more than she'd ever been able to imagine. Selphie watched her friend's retreating back and then returned her attention to her lost fiends. "The child, is it…yours?"

Squall nodded and took the child into his arms. "Yes, it's ours"

Quistis caressed the boy's black curls with a loving gaze. "His name is Dante and he's three years old"

"They'll be staying here in one of the larger dorms since they obviously need to live together with their child" Cid announced.

Edea nodded. "I think we're all shocked enough tonight and I'm pretty sure this is very hard on Squall and Quistis too. All these faces you should remember but just can't"

"I'll show Squall and Quistis to their dorm and perhaps its best if all of you others went back to yours" Cid continued. "We'll continue this tomorrow"