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KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Quistis slowly opened her eyes as the loud knocking tore her from her sleep. She glanced around the room and was momentarily confused by her surroundings. Then she remembered she was in her dorm room at Balamb Garden. She sat up and yawned.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Just a minute!" Quistis called as she threw back the blankets and swung her feet off the bed. She slipped them into a pair of bunny slippers that she had found in her room and walked quickly to the door. For some reason that the others hadn't told her, her room had been kept the same as it was before her accident. Still half asleep, she reached for the knob and was surprised when her hand closed around nothing but air. She looked down and saw no doorknob.
"Duh," she muttered to herself and punched in the four-digit code number that unlocked the door. The night before, Rinoa had been nice enough to write the code down on a piece of tape and stick it above the keypad. Once unlocked, the sensors detected her and the door slid open to reveal a certain smirking blonde.
"Sleeping in Quistis?" Seifer asked, "That's not like you."
"Well, I wish someone would've told me that so I knew," Quistis quipped.
"Touché," Seifer smiled and walked past Quistis into the dorm room. "I thought you might want someone to escort you to the cafeteria for breakfast."
Quistis walked away from the door and it slid closed behind her. "Thanks." Yesterday after her brief meeting with Headmaster Cid on the way back to Balamb, Selphie had done a quick tour of the Garden but with all the other things going on in her mind, she didn't pay much attention and knew she couldn't find the cafeteria to save her life.
"Besides," Seifer continued and sprawled out on her bed, "we don't want you wandering around unarmed while the Trepies are loose."
"Trepies?" Quistis questioned as she walked over to her closet, "What's a Trepie?"
"The Trepies, my dear Quisty," Seifer began, "are your own personal fan club. They worship everything you do and look up to you like a goddess."
"Yeah right," Quistis scoffed as she pulled some clothes out of the closet and threw them onto the bed next to Seifer. She turned to look at him. "Really, what's a Trepie?"
"I just told you," Seifer said.
"Come on." Quistis rolled her eyes. "You expect me to believe that there is a group of people running around this Garden who worship me?"
"Believe what you want," Seifer told her, "But news got out that you're back so they'll probably all be waiting for you in the cafeteria this morning. To tell the truth, I'm surprised they aren't camped outside your door hoping to be the first one to catch a glimpse of their legendary Instructor Trepe risen from the dead."
"Whatever." Quistis grabbed the outfit she had chosen and went into the bathroom. After a quick shower, she emerged from the bathroom to find Seifer still lounging on her bed. He smiled and stood as she approached.
"Are we ready?" he asked and held out his arm.
Quistis smiled and sheepishly looped her arm with his. He led her out of the dorm room and down the dorm hallway to the main hall. Once they were in the main hallway, they followed it until they reached the cafeteria. Fujin and Raijin were standing outside waiting for them.
"How's it look?" Seifer asked.
"Not too bad ya know," Raijin answered, "most of the Trepies are sitting on the far side of the room, away from our table ya know."
"What about the path to the table?" Seifer questioned.
"CLEAR."
"All right," Seifer nodded, "The Trepies wouldn't dare come up and talk to her at the table, it's against their Trepie Code of Conduct, but the walk to the table isn't secure. Usually my presence would deter them from coming up to her but under the circumstances we'd need a rocket launcher to keep them back. We've gotta be quick and inconspicuous." Seifer glanced down at Quistis and saw that she was eyeing him suspiciously. "What?"
"What are you talking about?" Quistis inquired.
"PLAN," Fujin informed.
"What plan?"
"The plan Seifer thought up to make sure the Trepies don't ambush you, ya know," Raijin explained.
"Are the Trepies really that bad?" Quistis questioned, suddenly beginning to fear for her safety.
"They could be," Seifer told her, "You see, the Trepies are like junkies. They haven't seen you for a month and they need a fix real bad. Don't worry though, I won't let them get to you."
Quistis nodded, her eyes wide. She was beginning to wish she had stayed in Winhill.
"Okay, it's go time," Seifer stated, "Raijin, you lead, me and Quistis will go in the middle. Fu, you'll follow behind and make sure no Trepies try to sneak up behind. Everybody ready?" Fujin and Raijin nodded, while Quistis remained wide-eyed. "All right. Let's go!"
Seifer grabbed Quistis' hand and followed Raijin into the cafeteria. Inside, nearly every table was occupied by students or SeeDs having their morning meal. Seifer hurried through the tables towards one close to the back where their friends sat. The entire way, Seifer kept glancing from side to side, searching for any incoming Trepies. Just before they reached their destination, Quistis saw a few cadets stand up from a relatively crowded table. As she watched, they stared in awe and began to come towards them.
"Incoming!" Seifer shouted and broke into a full run, dragging Quistis with him. They rushed past Raijin and reached the table. Once there, they sat down quickly, both of them out of breath. Quistis watched as the group who had approached them stopped, then turned back to their own table, their faces sullen. When she turned back around, she saw that everyone at the table was staring at them.
"What are you doing?" Rinoa asked with a slight smile.
"Making sure the Trepies don't bother Quistis," Seifer replied.
Everyone was silent as they stared questioningly at him. Suddenly, the entire table burst into laughter. Seifer smirked and Quistis looked around in confusion as the SeeDs held their sides and buried their faces in their hands.
"Y…you should've seen yourself!" Irvine gasped as he doubled over with laughter, "Y…you came in here like you were escorting Hyne herself!"
"Laugh it up cowboy," Seifer grinned, "You're just angry because you're not a natural born soldier like me."
Quistis watched the exchange between the two friends and suddenly felt very left out. Even though she knew that this place was her home and these were her friends, she felt like she didn't belong. She hoped that her memory would return soon. She was scheduled for a check-up with the Garden's resident physician, Dr. Kadowaki, today and she hoped that maybe the doctor would have some good news for her.
The laughter around the table died down just as Raijin and Fujin sat down with two trays full of food. Raijin picked up a breakfast burrito and a bottle of apple juice off of his tray and sat it in front of Seifer while Fujin placed a plate of hash browns, bacon and toast in front of Quistis, along with a cup of coffee. Next to the coffee the silver-haired woman placed tow packets of creamer and three packets of sugar.
"Thank you," Quistis said, surprised that Fujin knew what food she liked and exactly how she took her coffee. Remember Quistis, she told herself, these people are your friends. They know you better than anyone.
"WELCOME."
"So, I noticed that you two disappeared when things began to take a turn for the worst," Seifer commented and took a bite from his burrito.
"You looked like you had it under control, ya know," Raijin stated and scooped up some scrambled eggs from his own plate onto a fork, "so me and Fu decided to get breakfast before they ran out ya know."
"That's no excuse to desert your post," Seifer told them.
Zell rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Seifer."
"You wouldn't understand chicken-wuss," Seifer smirked, "you're not a soldier like me."
"I'm as much a soldier as you are!" Zell cried and his face began to turn red, "and DON'T call me chicken-wuss!"
A sudden image of two blonde boys on a beach assaulted Quistis' mind. The taller boy pushed the shorter one, who fell onto the sand. The boy on the ground began to cry, an ear-splitting wailing sound, while the taller boy threw his head back and laughed. From behind the fallen boy, a blonde girl walked up and helped the crying boy to his feet. She told him that it was okay and the boy stopped crying. A huge smile illuminated his chubby face and he ran off down the beach. The little girl turned to the remaining boy and began to scold him for hurting the other boy. The little girl then pushed the boy down and asked him how he liked it. The boy's lip began to tremble and tears pushed up into his emerald eyes. The little girl helped him to his feet also and kissed his hand where it hand been scraped in the fall. The boy smiled and the girl smiled back, then they too headed off down the beach.
"Quistis?"
Quistis blinked rapidly and looked over to see Seifer staring at her curiously. "Yes?"
"You okay?" he inquired.
"Yes," Quistis smiled, "I'm fine."
"Squall decided on what each of us are going to do to help Quisty until she gets her memory back," Rinoa informed after Zell had settled down.
"Really?" Selphie exclaimed, "What am I doing, huh Squall?"
Squall swallowed the food he had been chewing and wiped him mouth with a napkin. He looked over at Quistis. "Since you don't remember anything from your life here, I've decided that to help you, we will all have a certain task to perform that will aid you in getting reaccustomed to the Garden. Is that all right with you?"
"Of course," Quistis agreed.
"All right." Squall cleared his throat. "First of all, Quistis will need to be shown around the Garden."
"I already did that," Selphie reminded.
"No offense," Squall started, "but your tour was a bit…rushed. Quistis doesn't remember anything so she needs an in depth tour of the Garden and it's facilities." Selphie crossed her arms over her chest and began to pout. "Don't worry, I've got something better for you to do. Rinoa will give Quistis a tour of the Garden, right after breakfast it that's all right."
"I'm okay with it," Quistis nodded.
"Good," Squall said, "and Rin, don't forget that Quistis has an appointment with Dr. Kadowaki at 1230 hours. If you're still giving your tour at that time, take a break and make sure you get Quistis to the infirmary on time. Don't forget."
"I won't forget," Rinoa promised, obviously insulted that Squall thought he had to remind her, "My mind is like a steel trap."
"Ha!" Seifer scoffed loudly.
"Be quiet you big meany!" Rinoa stuck her tongue out at the blonde SeeD.
"Moving on…" Squall continued, "Selphie and Irvine, you're in charge of public relations."
"Booyaka!" Selphie jumped out of her chair and pumped her fists in the air. "All right! Public relations! Whoo hoo!" She dropped back down into her seat and looked over at Squall, a serious expression on her face. "What are public relations?"
Squall groaned and buried his face in his hands. He recovered a moment later and looked up at the anxiously waiting brunette. "Public relations means that you and Irvine are going to tell Quistis who people are and if they have any significance to her."
"Oh!" Selphie smiled and nodded. The smile quickly faded. "Huh?"
"Irvine?" Squall's face landed in his palms.
"I've got it," Irvine assured.
"Thank you." Squall looked down the table at Cammi. "Cammi, I know you're busy in the library so I didn't assign you any certain task. I figured you could help Quistis find books if she wants them and explain how to check them out, when they're due…you know what I mean."
"Can do!" Cammi grinned.
"Fujin and Raijin, I want you two to try and keep the Trepies away from Quistis," Squall relayed, "at least until she gets used to things around here." A smile crept onto the commander's lips, "but you don't have to go all commando like Seifer did this morning."
"Don't be jealous of the skills," Seifer smirked.
Squall ignored his comment. "Xu will be in charge of filling Quistis in on her past. Seifer, since you requested it, you will help Quistis train."
"Train for what?" Quistis inquired.
Seifer smiled and a fire ignited in his emerald eyes. "Battle."
"Battle?" Quistis repeated in shock, "but I don't know how to fight!"
"Sure you do," Seifer told her, "and I'm gonna help you remember."
"I didn't assign myself a job," Squall continued, "that way I can help if a certain area needs it."
"What about me?" Zell called from the end of the table. He had a huge smile on his face and looked excited. "What do I get to do?"
"Uh…" Squall looked over at Rinoa, panic written all over his face. He hadn't assigned Zell a task because he wasn't needed. He had hoped that Zell wouldn't mention it but he should've known better.
Rinoa looked up at Squall and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
"Uh…" Come on Squall, think!. "You get to…help Seifer train Quistis."
"Nooooooooooooo!"
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"This is the training center," Rinoa informed as they entered into the forest-like surroundings. "Seifer and Zell will probably bring you here to train."
Quistis nodded as she looked around. "Why is it decorated to look like a forest? Is that so you can get training in a real life setting as opposed to a plain room?"
"That's part of it," Rinoa agreed, "but it's mostly to make the monsters feel more at home."
"Monsters?" Quistis repeated, "What monsters?"
"The monsters in the training center," Rinoa replied, "the training center is home to two species of monsters, Grats and T-Rexaurs. Grats are low-level monsters and are weak against their own sleep magic. T-Rexaurs are…" She trailed off when she saw the expression on the taller woman's face.
"There are monsters in here?" Quistis questioned, "Real monsters?"
"Yes."
As if on cue, a rustling of bushes and a shrill wail announced the arrival of a lumbering Grat. Quistis screamed as loud as she could and dove behind a tree while Rinoa casually lifted her hand. A huge flame surrounded the Grat, burning it to ashes. After the monster had been dealt with, Quistis shakily got to her feet and walked out from behind the tree.
"Nothing to worry about," Rinoa assured, "just a Grat."
"That thing was huge!" Quistis exclaimed.
"Trust me Quisty," Rinoa started and bent down to pick up the items that the Grat had left behind, "Once you get you're memory back, you'll be ashamed of the way you just acted."
Quistis scoffed and looked down at her watch. "Uh, Rinoa?"
"Yes?" The black haired sorceress stood up.
"Does 1230 hours mean 12:30?" Quistis inquired.
"Yes, why?"
"It's time for my appointment," Quistis informed.
"Oh Hyne I forgot!" Rinoa grabbed Quistis' wrist and began dragging her out of the training center. "I can't believe this! If Squall finds out that I forgot, he'll never trust me again!"
The women burst out of the training center hallway, nearly colliding with the card playing jogger, and raced around the Garden towards the infirmary.
"Figures!" Rinoa cried as they ran, "We had to be all the way across the Hyne forsaken Garden!" Rinoa continued to drag her blonde friend until they reached the infirmary. The two women spilled through the door and stood just inside, panting and trying to catch their breath.
The blue clad woman looked up at the clock on the wall. "We…made it," Rinoa managed before sinking into a plastic waiting chair.
"B…barely," Quistis gasped and collapsed next to her. They had been sitting for no more than a few seconds when a plump woman with short brown hair wearing a white lab coat entered from the back. She smiled at the two women.
"Hello Quistis," Dr. Kadowaki greeted, "it's good to see you."
"You must be Dr. Kadowaki," Quistis deduced.
"Indeed I am," Dr. Kadowaki grinned. "If you'll follow me to the back, I'll begin the exam." The doctor turned to Rinoa. "It's going to be about half an hour. If you want to wait here, I've got the new Timber Maniacs magazine if you want to look at it. It's on my desk."
"I think I'm gonna go check on Squall," Rinoa informed, "I'll be back though. We'll continue our tour afterwards, all right Quistis?"
"Okay," Quistis agreed and followed Dr. Kadowaki back into the examination room.
"First off, let's weigh you," Dr. Kadowaki said, "go ahead and step up on the scale." Quistis stepped onto the platform of the large scale. A digital display at about eye level read 123lbs. Dr. Kadowaki wrote the number down on a chart hooked to a clipboard.
"That's a little low," the doctor commented as Quistis stepped from the scale, "you should be between 130 and 135, give or take. Don't worry about it though, you'll level out after you start training again and build up those muscles. When do you start?"
"Tomorrow," Quistis informed, "Seifer told me we're going to start at 0600 hours."
"Sounds like he wants a little revenge," Dr. Kadowaki chuckled, "have a seat on the table."
Quistis sat down on the paper covered examination table. "What do you mean, revenge?"
"When you were training Seifer to become a SeeD the last time, you had him up at 0700 sharp to begin lessons," Dr. Kadowaki informed as she gathered some medical supplies, "looks like he wants to get one up on you."
"I trained Seifer to be a SeeD?" Quistis questioned.
"More than once," Dr. Kadowaki told her, "I won't bore you with the details of Seifer's failed attempts but he's taken and failed the SeeD field exam more times than anyone in the history of the Garden." She put a stethoscope on and pressed it to Quistis' back. "Take a deep breath." Quistis did and Dr. Kadowaki frowned. "Do you have a GF junctioned?"
"A what?" Quistis asked.
"Never mind." Dr. Kadowaki picked up a white phone hung on the wall and dialed a few numbers. "Squall? It's Dr. Kadowaki. Do you know if Quistis has any GFs junctioned?" Dr. Kadowaki fell silent for a moment as she listened to Squall's answer. "What about before the accident?" Another pause. "All right, well, do you know someone who would know? Can you send him down here and make sure he has some Scans stocked. Thanks Squall." Dr. Kadowaki hung up the phone and turned back to Quistis.
"What's a GF?" Quistis inquired.
Before Dr. Kadowaki could answer, the intercom on the wall came to life. "Would Seifer Almasy please report to the infirmary? I repeat, Seifer Almasy report to the infirmary. That is all."
"To answer you're question," Dr. Kadowaki began, "a GF is a summon monster that SeeDs use to aid them in battle. When one is junctioned, two separate heartbeats can be heard through the stethoscope. That's why I think you have one junctioned, maybe more. It would also explain why your memory is hesitant to come back. GFs take up space in your mind, specifically the part that controls memories, and they may be preventing your memory from returning."
"So if I get rid of the GFs, then my memory will come back?" Quistis asked hopefully.
"No," Dr. Kadowaki answered, "but without the GFs taking up space in your brain, your memories might return sooner."
Suddenly, the infirmary door slid open and Seifer burst in. He skidded to a halt in the doorway of the examination room.
"Where is she?" Seifer demanded, "Is she all right? What happened?"
"Is who all right?" Dr. Kadowaki questioned.
"Quistis!" Seifer exclaimed, "Where is she?" Dr. Kadowaki stepped aside so Seifer could see Quistis sitting on the exam table. He rushed over to her. "Are you all right?" he questioned.
"I…I'm fine," Quistis stammered.
"Thank Hyne!" Seifer praised and seemed to relax.
"Seifer, what is going on?" Dr. Kadowaki inquired.
"You tell me," Seifer snapped, "They call me over the PA and tell me to report to the infirmary so I ran all the way here and I find out nothing's wrong."
"Who said anything was wrong?" Dr. Kadowaki inquired.
"No one," Seifer replied, "I just assumed something was wrong with Quistis when the announcement said to come here."
Dr. Kadowaki smacked Seifer in the back of the head. "Think boy! Why would I have them call you over the intercom if something had happened?"
"Ow!" Seifer rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I was concerned." He looked away from the doctor. "Crazy old lady," he muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Seifer replied quickly, "so, why did you call me here?"
"Do you know if Quistis had any GFs junctioned before her accident?" Dr. Kadowaki asked.
"Yeah," Seifer answered, "she had Shiva and Bahamut."
"Scan her for me and see if she still has them."
Seifer closed his eyes. "Scan."
Quistis felt a tingling sensation envelope her and she shivered.
"Yep," Seifer informed and opened his eyes, "she's still got 'em."
"Can you draw them out?" Dr. Kadowaki questioned.
Seifer frowned. "Why can't she just unjunction them?"
"No," Kadowaki shook her head, "they need to come out of there. I think they may be blocking her memories from returning."
"But…" Seifer looked over at Quistis, then back to the doctor. "If I draw them out, it'll hurt her."
"I know Seifer." Dr. Kadowaki turned to Quistis. "It will hurt but it's for your own good. If those GFs stay in there, you may never get your memory back. It's your decision."
"How bad will it hurt?" Quistis asked.
Seifer hesitated. "It doesn't hurt for very long but the pain is pretty intense."
Quistis nodded. "I'll deal with it. I just want my memory back."
"Are you sure?" Seifer prodded.
"Yes."
"Okay." Seifer grabbed Quistis' hand. "Are you ready?" She nodded. Seifer closed his eyes. "Draw Shiva."
A bright light exploded in Quistis' head and she felt like it was going to split her skull open. She screamed in pain and tears ran down her cheeks. The pain started to recede and she vaguely heard Seifer say "Draw Bahamut." Once again, the pain flared in her head and just as she thought she couldn't take any more, the pain subsided. She wobbled on the table and started to fall forward but was stopped by Seifer's arms around her.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered and wiped the tears off her face, "I'm so sorry." He hugged her tightly and began to stroke her hair.
"I…it's okay," Quistis assured and gently pulled away. "I'm all right."
He cupped her face in his hands. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Okay." He bent down as if he were going to kiss her but stopped himself. He released her face and took a step back.
"I'm sorry Seifer," Dr. Kadowaki apologized, "I shouldn't have made you do that. I should've had someone else do it."
"It's all right," Seifer told her, "If you had gotten someone else to do it, I probably would've killed them for hurting her like that." He paused. "Do you need me for anything else Doc?"
"No Seifer," Dr. Kadowaki shook her head, "you can go."
"Are you going to be all right Quistis?" Seifer inquired.
"I'll be fine," Quistis promised and offered him a weak smile.
Seifer nodded and left the infirmary. Once he was out of sight, Dr. Kadowaki commented. "I'm surprised he's following Squall's orders."
"What orders?"
"Xu told me that Squall told Seifer to take it easy on you," Dr. Kadowaki answered, "since you don't remember anything, Squall told Seifer to keep your relationship strictly platonic until you get your memory back."
Quistis nodded. She was glad that Squall had spoken to Seifer about their relationship. She knew, deep down, that she loved Seifer but for now, he was nothing but a stranger to her. She made a mental note to talk to him about it later.
"All right then," Dr. Kadowaki announced, "let's get on with the examination."
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Quistis was in her dorm room, lying on the bed and reading a book. There wasn't much to do around the Garden, especially since Seifer had warned her not to wander around the Garden unescorted for fear that the Trepies would attack her. During her tour of the Garden with Rinoa, more than one Trepie had come up to her and gushed about how amazing it was to see her and how they thanked Hyne every day that she was alive. Quistis had smiled and thanked them with crimson cheeks.
After Rinoa had concluded the tour, they had gone back to the cafeteria for lunch where Selphie and Irvine had told her the names of everyone present. Of course, she had forgotten most of them. Then after lunch, Seifer, Raijin and Fujin had escorted her to the library so she could check out some books about the Garden, one of which she was currently reading. Or trying to. She was having trouble seeing the words up close and her eyes were beginning to sting. She hoped that her blurry vision wasn't an unseen side effect of her accident and made a mental note to tell someone about it later.
A knock on her door pulled her out of a lengthy paragraph about the construction of Balamb Garden. She put the book down on her bed and rubbed her aching eyes, then went to the door. It slid open and she saw Seifer standing on the other side.
"Hi," he greeted and entered without waiting for an invitation. "What are you up to?" He walked over to her bed and sat down.
"Do you just barge into everyone's room like that?" Quistis inquired.
"Nope," Seifer answered, "just yours." He picked up the open book on her bed. "What'cha reading?"
"Trying to read," Quistis corrected and sat next to him on the dark blue comforter. "I was having trouble seeing the words in the book. My eyes are killing me."
Seifer reached over and opened the top drawer on the nightstand next to the bed. "That's what these are for." He pulled out a pair of thin-rimmed glasses.
"Oh." Quistis took the glasses from him and put them on. She picked the book up from the bed and looked at the pages.
"Better?" Seifer questioned.
"Much better," Quistis nodded, "thank you."
"So," Seifer started and leaned back on the bed, "I was wondering if you needed an escort to the cafeteria."
"I don't need one," Quistis told him, "but I'd love it if you would."
Seifer smiled. "Your wish is my command." He started to get up.
"Uh, Seifer?" Quistis called as she sat her glasses on the nightstand.
"Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you about something?" Quistis asked.
Seifer sat back down on the bed. "Sure."
Quistis folded her hands together in her lap and looked down at them. "Well, Dr. Kadowaki told me about what Squall said to you about our relationship." She glanced up at Seifer and found him looking at her intently.
"Go on."
"And well, I think it's a good idea if we do keep our relationship platonic," Quistis continued, "I know deep down that I do love you but I don't remember. It probably seems like I'm being selfish or unfair and I'm sorry but I can't be intimate with someone I don't really know. Now, I know that you probably have, um, needs, so if you want to date someone else, I'll completely understand." Even as she said it, she knew if he agreed it would break her heart.
"Quistis."
Quistis brought her eyes up from her hands and they locked with his green ones.
"You may not remember me, but I remember you," Seifer told her, "I remember the love we shared and the love we'll share again once you get your memory back. I'll wait forever if I have to, if that's what it takes for you to feel comfortable with me."
"Thank you," Quistis murmured, tears shining in her eyes. She hugged him tightly. "You're welcome Quisty," Seifer said. He pulled away from her. "Come on. Let's go get some food before Zell eats it all."
Quistis laughed and wiped her eyes. "Okay."
The two of them stood and left the dorm room, heading towards the cafeteria.