The group stood dumbfounded by the words that had just escaped Irvine's lips. Squall… found? How was it possible, after two years? Most importantly, how had Irvine come across this knowledge?
"WHAT!?!?! What do you mean, you know where Squall is? How long have you known, Irvine? HUH? How long have you kept this from the rest of us!" A furious Zell stormed across the room, ready to strike Irvine.
"ZELL! Stop that, right now! Do you want information, or do you want to kill Irvine!" The irritated voice of Quistis was able to break into Zell's mind, and he sheepishly stepped away from Irvine.
"Sorry, man. I just am in a state of shock right now." Zell shakily raked a hand through his spiked blond hair, biting his lower lip uneasily. Irvine, unfazed by the near-attack by Zell, shook his head dejectedly.
"Believe me, Zell… I know the feeling. How do you think I felt, seeing Squall, knowing that he had been gone for two years without a single letter, a single call… a single anything? Mere shock is not the word to describe what I was feeling when I saw him, I can tell you that."
Frowning worriedly, Quistis interjected, saying, "Well, where DID you see him, Irvine? Are you sure it was him? I mean… two years is a long time to be missing, and well, maybe you just THOUGHT you saw him-"
Irvine quickly cut her off, "NO Quistis! It was Squall, I know it was. Two years may have passed, but that doesn't mean my sight has gone away with it! His hair is longer, he's gotten more muscular… but it was him all the same. I know it beyond a shadow of a doubt." Irvine stood up from his place against the wall, and made a circle around the small dorm room. "It was him, you guys. I saw Squall Leonhart."
"That's great, Irvine, just WONDERFUL- but where did you see him? That's the million-dollar question. Where did you see Squall?" Zell's agitation was clear in his voice and mannerisms as he paced back and forth between the window and Quistis.
Irvine reluctantly stopped circling the room, and came to rest in front of the window. Turning to face his inquisitive friends, a frown crossed his face as he recalled seeing Squall for the first time in two years.
"I had left Balamb Garden on official SeeD business, you see." Irvine began hesitantly, choking a bit on his words. "It was about three weeks ago… three long weeks that I will never forget." Irvine paused, as if contemplating his next words. Unsure of how to continue, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Quistis and Zell stood captivated, wanting to know what he was going to say, but at the same time, unsure if they were ready for such knowledge. The silence in the room was thick, and it was all Quistis herself could do to keep from urging Irvine to finish his story.
Quickly opening his eyes, he gazed at them with one of sudden clarity. It was as if a light bulb had turned on inside his head, and he suddenly remembered something of utter importance. Looking saddened, but at the same time determined, he spoke.
"I'm sorry, guys… but I can't tell you where Squall is."
