Felicity
'It is worth it, is it not? To have people laughing, cheering, when your enemy has fallen.'
- Quistis Trepe, Sayings.
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'Matron, please take my powers! I do not want them!"
- Rinoa Heartily, Rise of Power.
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We had done it; we had vanquished the Sorceress, and Hyne.
Quistis along with many others, rejoiced at the ball that was thrown not long after that in the SeeD Ballroom. The reign of witches was over, and yet magic still existed. It was too good to be true.
Seifer slowly waltzed along with her, she losing herself in his emerald eyes. As the couple pressed close together, they thought about Squall, and tried to find a way to make him happier. There he was, playing a game of Triple Triad with Zell, Irvine and Selphie by the corner. Yet, deep inside, she knew he grieved.
"Quistis……"
Seifer smiled down. "Let him deal with it. He knows that it's all over. He'll get along."
"I hope you're right, Seifer."
Seifer put on a goofy smile. "Hey, I'm always right! Come on, Instructor! Where's your faith in me, eh? And what about puberty boy? Don't you trust him?" He sounded so funny, yet reminded her so painfully of old times, the joys that they had shared together that she laughed and cried at once, burying her face in Seifer's strong shoulders. Seifer was a bit taken aback, but placed his arms around her, smiling.
"Hey, Seifer's lucky, ya know, Fujin? I think that he'll be inviting us to his wedding soon, ya know?"
WHACK.
"IDIOT. SEIFER. HEAR."
Seifer remained facing the other way, a grin creeping up onto his face, but unobserved by Raijin, who was rubbing his knee. "You know, Raijin……I still am Discipline Master of the Garden……"
"Uh-oh. Er, ya know, Seifer, I didn't mean that, ya know? I know ya know, man! Please, Seifer, ya know? For old time's sake Seifer, ya know! Please-not FISHING!!!!"
Seifer smiled, and burst into laughter, making Quistis start with surprise. Raijin had gotten pushed into the water by Fujin when Ultimecia was defeated the first time, and a swarm of Fasticalons had swarmed him, getting him hospitalized for a week. It wasn't very nice to look at.
Seifer brushed away the tears from Quistis' eyes, gave her a look of encouragement, and swept Raijin, Fujin and Quistis into a group hug. "COME ON YOU GUYS! BE HAPPY!"
His outburst was echoed by the other SeeD who cheered along as well. Selphie leapt onto the stage as organizer of the ball. "Hey everyone! Free food and drinks tonight! We do HAVE a right to enjoy after all!"
Squall was next to walk up on the stage, and for a moment, everyone was sober, wondering if the Commander was to reprimand them. His eyes glinted as he took the microphone.
"SeeD are the epitomes of discipline, of self-restraint……such an act as you will see, will never be repeated again, save with a reason…" he trailed off, glaring around the room. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the eruption. When it seemed that the tension was such that the whole room would blow up, Squall grinned, perhaps for the first time in his life.
"Let's party!!"
Selphie gaped at him. Everyone did. But only for a moment.
The cheer swept through the crowd, and everyone moved to comply with Squall's 'orders'. Zell yelled at Squall, "YO MAN! Nice one! I only have one thing to say to ya: GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!!!!!! YOU STILL OWE ME YOUR SQUALL CARD!!!!"
Squall grinned and waved at Zell, asking him to wait. From a quiet corner, Edea and Cid smiled, Cid still sporting the horrible gash on his cheek that Omega gave him, but his face was aglow with joy. Edea conjured up a small rose and sent it to Squall as a gesture of her admiration at the way he handled himself, behaving appropriately at the appropriate times.
Quistis was locked in a mad dance with Seifer, giggling uncontrollably as Seifer picked a flower with his teeth and gave it to her, a masquerade of Romeos. Squall looked around the room, happily gazing at the dancing members of SeeD.
They deserve happiness, after so long.
Squall slowly stepped down from the stage, and Selphie yanked him back to where Zell and Irvine sat, laughing their heads off. Anna had just come in, and she was gazing at Squall with a look of disbelief and struggling to suppress a laugh.
"Yo Squall! Where's my-your-my-argh… my card that was yours and says your name!?"
"What?"
"OHHH! GIMME YOUR SQUALL CARD!"
Squall considered for a while. He had played Laguna Loire for that card, and it wasn't easy to get it. True, Zell had won fair and square, but……
"Zell, how about I give you a pass to Deling's all-you-can-eat sausage buffet? Valid for a year."
Zell's jaw dropped. "WHAT? No way! Are-are you sure!?"
"Yup."
Zell forgot about the card immediately and went down on his knees, thanking Squall profusely. As an after thought, Squall added.
"Oh, you can have five of those. I got a whole bunch of them, and I don't need them."
"OH YES! Man, how can I ever repay you!!??"
"Whatever."
Selphie giggled, and Irvine drawled. "Same old Squall again! Say Squall, I want to challenge Siren. Could you get her out, please?"
Selphie rounded on him. "IRVINE! If it's because all she wear's is a swimsuit, you can-"
"Whoa, baby, no way! I just wanna get her card. (So I can put it under my pillow when I sleep), and besides, Squall won't let me Junction her! (Oo, think of the things I would do if I could get her…hehe)"
Irvine had lapsed into a fit of evil giggling, and was, well, giggling evilly to himself. Squall sighed, and drew upon the GF in his mind. "Come, Siren. I call upon you."
The tall, statuesque lady appeared, and Squall nodded at Irvine, who immediately sprung up. "Hey, Siren girl! Over here!"
Leaving Irvine to his fantasies as the GF complied, walking seductively towards him; Squall turned his attention to freeing his foot from the worshipping Zell. "Zell, I bear witness to your gratitude. Now, please, leave me alone."
**********
The sky sure was nice.
It was a peaceful black, with stars gently twinkling in the sky above. The occasional comet streaked through the sky, lighting up the heavens.
The last time he had been out here, Rinoa had been with him. They first kissed here, and-
"Promise me-that you'll always be here, standing by for me."
"Rinoa-I'll be there, by your side."
Hah.
Some promise. He scowled, and turned to go back into the Garden. She had forsaken him, choosing instead to side with Hyne, who was all dominating, all consuming, omnipotent, everpresent.
Frickin' bastard.
It would have been wrong to stay with Rinoa. It would have been wrong to cause more destruction. He was older now, and he thought more wisely than before, when they had been star-crossed (literally) young lovers, immature and foolish. Now, with the weight of handling SeeD in his hands, he would make the right choice.
That was the past. The present and future were his to decide, and he decided on starting anew.
Life goes on.
Taking a deep breath, he strode back indoors.
"And now, the two most eligible bachelors in SeeD! Squall and Zell!"
His jaw hit the floor (literally and actually again) as a wave of screaming girls buried him and Zell, who tripped over Squall as he was trying to escape.
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Squall awoke in his bed, aching all over his body. Those girls sure packed a punch. Groaning and rolling over to rest on his other side, he tried to get back to sleep, pulling the warm covers over his head. It had to be 10 degrees Celsius out. He was just about to fall asleep when a loud and shrill giggle sounded over the microphones.
(What was Selphie doing on the PA?)
"Hey everyone! You're listening to Garden, 06.57 AM! Today is the fifth of November, and we have some announcements today!"
(Go away.)
"Tee-hee! Would Commander Leonhart please report to the Command Centre in ten minutes? Also, Xu and Nida and pleasantly disposed for the moments, so I will be taking over the announcements and Assistant Pilot Miyuki Minase will be taking the helm."
(Pleasantly disposed…? Whatever. Let me sleep.)
"Also, Zell Dincht, Zell Dincht, please report to the Cafeteria. The cafeteria manager has confirmed the arrival of your order of hotdogs, and would be pleased to allow you to receive them."
There was a sound of someone falling over in the next room and Squall heard a mad cheer slowly fading away as Zell traversed the length of the corridor.
(When will she learn not to announce that over the intercom?)
"Quisty to the Headmistress' Office! Commander to the Command Centre! Neil to 2F Classroom 2E6, Gray Edwards to 2E9, Ross to 2Y2, tee-hee! This is fun, fun, fun!"
(Groan.)
Squall remembered belatedly that he was due in the Command Centre, and so got wearily out of bed (he had been filing paperwork until three in the dawn). He reached for his computer terminal and opened a message window to Command.
"Selphie, this is Commander Leonhart. I will be at the Command Centre in five-no ten minutes."
The reply deafened him.
"SQUALLY!! Matron says to come quickly, or you might not find out what she has to say!"
Squall immediately hastened getting ready. Even though Selphie did not sound it, he knew that Matron was telling him something, the same thing she had told him in secret much earlier.
"Squall, I cannot be with you all every time. I feel that my time is drawing near, and I will not see you all through to the end. Do not interrupt me, Squall. I cannot stay with you all anymore, and Cid knows it as well. That drawing by Omega has weakened me, and I fear that I shall not last long. Squall, you have Laguna, but the others save Zell have no one. Lead them. Lead them well, and you shall bring peace to the world. A last word, Squall. Do not under any circumstances inform the others of what you have heard now. To do so will only weaken their resolve, and we do not want that to happen."
Squall stepped out of the shower and got dressed in his SeeD commander uniform. Opening the door that led to the Command Centre, he stepped out into the always-busy nerve centre of Garden.
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A/N: Now, this is a far more enjoyable one. Yet, as my entire fic is, it is dark in several portions. Okay:
~Lunar-Girl: Now, what you have raised is excellent. It however, was my intention to leave most of you guys in the dark, until it was time to spill the beans. The one thing I can tell you from now on, is to look closely at the quotes I wrote above. (In italics, at the beginning of each chapter) I am also considering writing a spinoff when I am done with this, so observe the italics! ;D
~remote mine: Why, thank you! I will strive my best!
~Thorn Rose: Well, I haven't seen Tidus' final overdrive yet (haven't got that far), but I thank you for your compliments!
Symbolism: Well, notice anything familiar about the SeeD names that Selphie called?
I told you about XuDa.
You know Fujin chucking Raijin into the water at the end of FFVIII? Well, so there.
Thank you for reviewing, and I hope that you enjoy this fic as much as I did writing it!