Quistis sat in the waiting room outside Headmaster Martine's office. She
felt much better after a shower and a change of clothes. Her suitcases were
packed and at her feet.
"The Headmaster will see you now." the secretary said after hanging up the phone on her desk.
Quistis smiled politely and stepped into Martine's office. He was sitting at his desk, his hands folded over eachother on his desk.
"Have a seat, Ms. Rinthe." he said, motioning to the chair on front of his desk.
She shook her head. "No thank you, I'm fine."
"Well okay. How can I help you?" he said.
"I'm leaving Garden. I need a way off. I don't know how they do things here at Galbadia, do you rent pilots or--". She paused, he put his hand up to silence her.
"I'm going to need your I.D. number, Rinthe." he said, turning his attention over to his computer.
"19436." she said uncertainly.
He clicked the mouse a few times, then typed something in. A frown spread over his face. He turned back to her. "I'm afraid leaving isn't an option."
"What?!" Quistis said, her eyes wide.
"Well your profile says you're nineteen. In the event of war involving Galbadia Garden, students eighteen and over are not permitted to leave without the Headmaster's consent. It's all in the handbook." he said.
"But I have too, I have to get home--"
"Please, Rinthe, I've heard enough excuses and sob stories for one day. I haven't let anyone run yet, and I'm not going to start." he said sternly.
She swallowed hard. It was hard not to launch herself over the desk and choke him to death. "I'm not running, I'm not afraid. I need to go."
"Dismissed." he said loudly.
She stared into his eyes for a few seconds before turning and striding out, slamming the door behind her. She grabbed her suitcases and headed back up to her dormitory to unpack her things.
She was halfway through the second suitcase when the intercom dinged. She recognized the voice as Martine's. "All students, SeeDs and Cadets alike, age eighteen and over are to meet in the auditorium this evening at seven. Uniforms required."
She narrowed her eyes at the little speaker box above her door his voice came from. She wished she had Irvine's shotgun so she could blow it out.
She debated over whether or not she would even go to the meeting. Although chances were it was about this whole war thing, and she needed to know as much as she could. Now that going home was nearly out of the question, unless she learned how to fly an airship, she needed to work out her next plan of action.
===Later===
Quistis sat in one of the red velvet chairs of Galbadia's auditorium. She had been here once before, when they were hunting Edea, when Seifer attacked Balamb Garden. It seemed so long ago.
"Couldn't get out eh?" a voice said from behind her right shoulder.
She twisted her head around to see who it was. "How do you know I tried to leave?" she asked Seifer.
"I saw you on your way up to Martine's office with some suitcases. Lucky guess." he said with a shrug.
She smiled. "More like an educated guess."
Seifer climbed over the empty seat next to her, then sat in it, draping his arms on the back of the seats. "How do you manage to see me so much anyway? Everytime I leave my dorm you seem to notice." she said.
"Well it's hard to miss your bright red hair..." he said, then leaned over toward her, "...not natural though, is it?" he whispered.
She looked back at him, eyes wide. "What makes you say that?!"
He grinned. "You've got roots blondie."
Her right hand flew to the top of her head. "Is it really noticable?!"
"Not really I guess." he said, looking back toward the stage. "You'd make a better blonde anyway."
"I hate blonde hair." she lied. "I can't stand it."
"Oh?" he asked.
She suddenly realized his hair was blonde. "Oh, for me! It looks awful on me...you make a good blonde though."
He just grinned and changed the subject."So I guess he didn't let you go? Or did you change your mind?"
"Oh Martine? He said I couldn't go because of the war." she said. "And why are you being so nosy? I thought I told you to worry about your own problems!"
"Hey calm down, just wondering." he said defensively.
At that moment Martine walked onto the stage. Everyone stopped talking almost immediately. "Thank you all for your patience and cooperation in this time we need it most." he said from behind the podium. "As you've all been informed, Galbadia is officially at war with Esthar.
"You all know Deling and us are very tight allies. Their war is our war, and vice versa. I hope it doesn't come as a shock to you, that you'll all be leaving Garden soon. We've agreed to send every student of adult age.
"Galbadian soldiers are on their way to Esthar as we speak. You don't have to worry about being there, I've made a deal with the President of Deling that no students are to be sent to Esthar. You'll be stationed in Dollet, fighting off Estharian soldiers. Your job is to keep the city in Galbadian control. Soldiers will be there also, but not many, Deling can't spare many. This is, for the most part, in our hands.
"You'll all be issued three Galbadian soldier uniforms. They provide more protection than our SeeD and Cadet uniforms. They are to be worn at all times while on duty.
"If Dollet's own forces give any trouble, they are to be silenced. This matter is no longer negotiable. Dollet is too weak to fight us off, and will be taken by force. Our only competition is with Esthar.
"I'd like you all to pack necessary things, weapons included, tonight. Please keep it down to one suitcase per person, you can leave most of your things in your dormitory. Garden will land just outside Dollet and you will be stepping off tomorrow morning at six.
"If there are no questions, you are dismissed." he said. The room was silent. Martine walked away from the podium and behind the curtains.
"So we're going to be in Dollet." Quistis said to herself. It wasn't so bad. At least she wouldn't be on Garden, should Balamb attack. Maybe she could even run from Dollet to Balamb. Ma Dincht lived there and would surely hide her...
"I'm just glad to be doing something with myself." Seifer said, looking down at the ground.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Fishing is only amusing the first week or so. After that it's kind of boring." he said.
She laughed. "You fish?"
"Did." he said. "Fujin convinced me to come here. Mixed blessing."
There was an awkward silence. They watched the other students crowding around the door. The scene oddly reminded Quistis of the hotdog lines back at Balamb. Lines that were more like mobs. It reminded her of Zell, and she grinned.
"What are you grinning about?" Seifer asked, looking back at her.
"Oh, that just reminded me of something." she said with a wave of her hand.
"Oh." he said. He started to say something, then paused, looking like he was trying to find the right words. "Hey...um....why did news of the war upset you so badly?" he asked.
Her smile faded. "I'm not afraid. I mean, I'm nervous, but that's not why." she said.
"What, you have family or friends in Esthar or something?" he asked.
"You could say that." she said quietly.
"So you're on the wrong side of things aren't you?" he said.
"Heh, yes, I am." she said, managing a smile.
"Well it wasn't the wisest idea to join a Garden Esthar is generally against in the first place." he said, looking at the ground.
"No, I guess it wasn't." she said.
Most of the crowd was gone already. He stood up. "Well we should probably get going."
"Yes, we should." she said, standing up also. She followed him out the door and down the corridor. They parted ways when she turned to go into her dorm.
It was amazing how polite he could be when he thought she was someone else. Or maybe he'd just grown up a bit?
"The Headmaster will see you now." the secretary said after hanging up the phone on her desk.
Quistis smiled politely and stepped into Martine's office. He was sitting at his desk, his hands folded over eachother on his desk.
"Have a seat, Ms. Rinthe." he said, motioning to the chair on front of his desk.
She shook her head. "No thank you, I'm fine."
"Well okay. How can I help you?" he said.
"I'm leaving Garden. I need a way off. I don't know how they do things here at Galbadia, do you rent pilots or--". She paused, he put his hand up to silence her.
"I'm going to need your I.D. number, Rinthe." he said, turning his attention over to his computer.
"19436." she said uncertainly.
He clicked the mouse a few times, then typed something in. A frown spread over his face. He turned back to her. "I'm afraid leaving isn't an option."
"What?!" Quistis said, her eyes wide.
"Well your profile says you're nineteen. In the event of war involving Galbadia Garden, students eighteen and over are not permitted to leave without the Headmaster's consent. It's all in the handbook." he said.
"But I have too, I have to get home--"
"Please, Rinthe, I've heard enough excuses and sob stories for one day. I haven't let anyone run yet, and I'm not going to start." he said sternly.
She swallowed hard. It was hard not to launch herself over the desk and choke him to death. "I'm not running, I'm not afraid. I need to go."
"Dismissed." he said loudly.
She stared into his eyes for a few seconds before turning and striding out, slamming the door behind her. She grabbed her suitcases and headed back up to her dormitory to unpack her things.
She was halfway through the second suitcase when the intercom dinged. She recognized the voice as Martine's. "All students, SeeDs and Cadets alike, age eighteen and over are to meet in the auditorium this evening at seven. Uniforms required."
She narrowed her eyes at the little speaker box above her door his voice came from. She wished she had Irvine's shotgun so she could blow it out.
She debated over whether or not she would even go to the meeting. Although chances were it was about this whole war thing, and she needed to know as much as she could. Now that going home was nearly out of the question, unless she learned how to fly an airship, she needed to work out her next plan of action.
===Later===
Quistis sat in one of the red velvet chairs of Galbadia's auditorium. She had been here once before, when they were hunting Edea, when Seifer attacked Balamb Garden. It seemed so long ago.
"Couldn't get out eh?" a voice said from behind her right shoulder.
She twisted her head around to see who it was. "How do you know I tried to leave?" she asked Seifer.
"I saw you on your way up to Martine's office with some suitcases. Lucky guess." he said with a shrug.
She smiled. "More like an educated guess."
Seifer climbed over the empty seat next to her, then sat in it, draping his arms on the back of the seats. "How do you manage to see me so much anyway? Everytime I leave my dorm you seem to notice." she said.
"Well it's hard to miss your bright red hair..." he said, then leaned over toward her, "...not natural though, is it?" he whispered.
She looked back at him, eyes wide. "What makes you say that?!"
He grinned. "You've got roots blondie."
Her right hand flew to the top of her head. "Is it really noticable?!"
"Not really I guess." he said, looking back toward the stage. "You'd make a better blonde anyway."
"I hate blonde hair." she lied. "I can't stand it."
"Oh?" he asked.
She suddenly realized his hair was blonde. "Oh, for me! It looks awful on me...you make a good blonde though."
He just grinned and changed the subject."So I guess he didn't let you go? Or did you change your mind?"
"Oh Martine? He said I couldn't go because of the war." she said. "And why are you being so nosy? I thought I told you to worry about your own problems!"
"Hey calm down, just wondering." he said defensively.
At that moment Martine walked onto the stage. Everyone stopped talking almost immediately. "Thank you all for your patience and cooperation in this time we need it most." he said from behind the podium. "As you've all been informed, Galbadia is officially at war with Esthar.
"You all know Deling and us are very tight allies. Their war is our war, and vice versa. I hope it doesn't come as a shock to you, that you'll all be leaving Garden soon. We've agreed to send every student of adult age.
"Galbadian soldiers are on their way to Esthar as we speak. You don't have to worry about being there, I've made a deal with the President of Deling that no students are to be sent to Esthar. You'll be stationed in Dollet, fighting off Estharian soldiers. Your job is to keep the city in Galbadian control. Soldiers will be there also, but not many, Deling can't spare many. This is, for the most part, in our hands.
"You'll all be issued three Galbadian soldier uniforms. They provide more protection than our SeeD and Cadet uniforms. They are to be worn at all times while on duty.
"If Dollet's own forces give any trouble, they are to be silenced. This matter is no longer negotiable. Dollet is too weak to fight us off, and will be taken by force. Our only competition is with Esthar.
"I'd like you all to pack necessary things, weapons included, tonight. Please keep it down to one suitcase per person, you can leave most of your things in your dormitory. Garden will land just outside Dollet and you will be stepping off tomorrow morning at six.
"If there are no questions, you are dismissed." he said. The room was silent. Martine walked away from the podium and behind the curtains.
"So we're going to be in Dollet." Quistis said to herself. It wasn't so bad. At least she wouldn't be on Garden, should Balamb attack. Maybe she could even run from Dollet to Balamb. Ma Dincht lived there and would surely hide her...
"I'm just glad to be doing something with myself." Seifer said, looking down at the ground.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Fishing is only amusing the first week or so. After that it's kind of boring." he said.
She laughed. "You fish?"
"Did." he said. "Fujin convinced me to come here. Mixed blessing."
There was an awkward silence. They watched the other students crowding around the door. The scene oddly reminded Quistis of the hotdog lines back at Balamb. Lines that were more like mobs. It reminded her of Zell, and she grinned.
"What are you grinning about?" Seifer asked, looking back at her.
"Oh, that just reminded me of something." she said with a wave of her hand.
"Oh." he said. He started to say something, then paused, looking like he was trying to find the right words. "Hey...um....why did news of the war upset you so badly?" he asked.
Her smile faded. "I'm not afraid. I mean, I'm nervous, but that's not why." she said.
"What, you have family or friends in Esthar or something?" he asked.
"You could say that." she said quietly.
"So you're on the wrong side of things aren't you?" he said.
"Heh, yes, I am." she said, managing a smile.
"Well it wasn't the wisest idea to join a Garden Esthar is generally against in the first place." he said, looking at the ground.
"No, I guess it wasn't." she said.
Most of the crowd was gone already. He stood up. "Well we should probably get going."
"Yes, we should." she said, standing up also. She followed him out the door and down the corridor. They parted ways when she turned to go into her dorm.
It was amazing how polite he could be when he thought she was someone else. Or maybe he'd just grown up a bit?