Chapter Five: The Festival and the Phoenix
Every one time of the year, students would flee in dread to lie, cowering beneath their beds and hoping to goodness not to hear that sound of doom- knocking on the door. And the object of their mutual fear was..
"Hi! It's Selphie! I was wondering if you could join the committee.."
"Well.." (stutter)
(Big puppy eyes) "Please? It's going to be SUCH fun!"
"Well.." (big sweatdrop-think anime)
"C'mon! It's the biggest event of the year! You could just help out a little here and there."
"I'm..really busy for the next few weeks. Sorry...." (voice trails off at the look on Selphie's face)
"What do you mean, no?" (Selphie's eyes start to gleam terrifyingly)
A few hours later, said student will be standing precariously on a ladder hanging crepe paper, wondering miserably how he had gotten into all this, while Selphie cheers him on and gives him directions. It was amazing to realize, that this petite little brunette with her pixie face was able exert her influence so powerfully.
That was why Irvine loved her so much, other than her good looks. He'd flirted and dated a lot before he'd met Selphie(the second time), but the moment he had seen her memories of their childhood together had resurfaced and he had been delighted, though a little miffed that she did not recognize him.
It was her personality that so many people lacked, that allowed her to smile(and, Hyne, she was beautiful when she smiled) in the darkest hour of conflict, that allowed her to live every day when vivacity and optimism, despite the fact that they were mercenaries and therefore might not live to see tomorrow. When facing death, she would die peacefully with no regrets, he knew, because she acted as though every day, every minute and second was her last, radiating joy and happiness to those around her. She had her faults, true, but they were outshone by her qualities, and after all, Hyne didn't make them perfect people.
Yes, Irvine thought as he stood in the quad and watched his beloved girlfriend, wearing her customary yellow dress, running about and barking out orders, he was a lucky man.
*** The girl stood in the foyer, looking around with shy and confused eyes at the constant rush of students rushing to their classes around her. Her eyes latched onto a tall, statuesque blond woman who walked gracefully towards her who smiled in affable greeting. "I'm Instructor Trepe," she announced, extending a shapely hand. "You must be the new student.." Quistis paused, trying to recall her name.
"I'm Phoenix Kalliran," the girl replied, shaking the offered hand tentatively. She looked at Quistis with something akin to worship in it. "You're.Quistis Trepe?" she asked, her eyes shining. "The hero?"
Hyne, not another Trepie..I've got enough of them. Nevertheless, Quistis smiled at her in a friendly manner and nodded. "Indeed. But I was not the only one. The credit for defeating Ultimecia should go to our leader, Squall Leonheart, who finished her off."
"I've heard of him too," Phoenix said softly, her gaze on her feet.
"Who hasn't?" Quistis patted the girl on the shoulder. "How old are you?" she asked in interest.
"Thirteen this November," was the timid response.
"So young? And you came all this way by yourself, from Timber?" Quistis said in surprise.
"Yes," Phoenix answered. For the first time since they had met, Phoenix smiled, a touch of pride in her voice. Quistis studied her as they walked. She was a pretty girl, with black, ebony hair tied back in a casual ponytail that tumbled down her shoulders and almond-shaped, slightly slanted eyes which were a rich shade of purple, an unusual color in Balamb. She was a little tall for her age, which meant that she was half a head shorter than Quistis. Her features were exotic, and absolutely stunning when she smiled. In about four years' time she would have hundreds of boys worshipping her and perhaps her very own bunch of devoted 'Kalliranites'. Quistis smirked a little at the thought.
They reached Cid's office and Quistis knocked on the door before entering. A muffled 'Come in' sounded from inside and Quistis entered with her companion tagging nervously behind. Cid was a distinguished looking man with a receding hairline and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He smiled at Phoenix, who was all but concealed behind Quistis.
"This is Phoenix Kalliran, sir," Quistis said, saluting.
Cid waved a hand in dismissal, and Quistis departed. Thinking that he meant her too, Phoenix started to rise, but a hand motion from Cid bade her sit down. Self-consciously, she did so in the comfortable chair in front of the desk. Cid put down the sheaf of documents he had been leafing through and leaned forward, giving Phoenix a complete once-over. The young girl flushed under his close scrutiny.
Cid picked up Phoenix's application form and looked closely at it. "It is not easy to attain SeeDship here in Garden," he remarked. "You have to undergo grueling tests, battle real monsters in the training center, and later go on to fight at real battles in your SeeD exam. Are you certain becoming a SeeD is what you want?"
Phoenix fiddled absently with her ponytail. "It's always been my dream," she said in a soft whisper.
"Good. Just wanting to check. Once you sign up, there's no leaving until you become a SeeD, unless you've lost a limb or two or something like that." Cid smiled at the girl's expression. "Just kidding. What weapon do you use, or do you need Instructor Trepe to assign you to one?"
Phoenix shook her head. "I already have one." She opened her bag, reached inside, and carefully retracted two oiled, gleaming Poseidon pistols. She held them out for inspection. Cid, taking a look at the well-kept, if somewhat old-fashioned guns, nodded in approval. "It's been too long since a sniper has joined Garden. Irvine will be pleased."
Phoenix smiled happily at his praise and, wrapping the pistols in their respective covering again, out them back into her bag. "So.has my application been approved?" she asked.
"Of course," Cid smiled genially at the new student. He pressed a buzzer on his table, and within a few minutes Quistis had arrived, so swiftly and silently that it amazed Phoenix. "Instructor, take the new cadet to her dorm, will you? Thanks!"
Phoenix let herself be led away by Quistis, clutching her duffel to her chest and gazing around at Garden wide eyes, never having seen such a massive and well-built construction in the whole of her short life thus far. Upon reaching her dorm room, Quistis stopped and smiled at her. "This is the place you will be sharing with your room mate for the rest of your cadet years," she announced. "Once you become a SeeD, you will have a room for your very own."
"Great." Phoenix dumped her belongings on the small bed at the side of the room. "Who's my room mate?" she asked curiously.
Quistis consulted a list she removed from her pocket. "Uh..let's see..Shirley McGeoffrey, same age as you, I think. She's at a class right now, but you should be able to see her later at the Garden Festival."
"Garden Festival?"
"It's this annual concert held by the Garden committee on the anniversary of the founding of Garden," Quistis explained.
"Oh. Wait..classes? Which one am I supposed to be at right now?!!!"
"Calm down!" Quistis said, laughing. "Since you are new, you officially get the day off." She gestured vaguely. "Unpack then. Make yourself at home." Glancing at her watch, she gasped. "I've got to go. See you later, Phoenix!"
"Thanks for your help," Phoenix called after her rapidly disappearing figure. She paused, checking that she was alone, and pulled off the twin ornamented bracers on her wrists, suppressing a yelp. Beneath, the skin was heavily scarred, the tissue still not yet healed. Tears of pain welled up in the corner of her eyes as she removed a potion from her pocket and set to work on healing her injuries.
***
Once again, it was night in Balamb Garden, But not just any night. It was the annual Garden Festival, arranged by Selphie Tilmitt and co.
The quad was full to bursting with hundreds of accomplished SeeDs and cadets-in-training, all talking animatedly at the top of their voices. Therefore, when Selphie first climbed onto the stage to speak, she went unheard by her audience.
"Hey! Silence, people!" she yelled into the microphone, effectively deafening them and getting their attention in one shot. The SeeDs turned their attention on the director of the show, clapping loudly. Selphie positively beamed, spreading her arms wide as though to encompass the whole of the quad.
"Welcome, ladies and gents, to the Garden Festival! Before we begin the show, I would like to introduce two new additions to our big family! Firstly..let's have a big round of applause for Phoenix Kalliran, our new cadet! C'mon, Phoenix, don't be shy, come out on stage!" Blushing, the young girl walked slowly to the front. She gave one small wave before scooting behind the safety of the curtains.
"Phoenix is a gunner, and will be joining Instructor Kinneas' classed starting from tomorrow!" Selphie continued. "Secondly..we have a new instructor, a transferee from Galbadia Garden. Let's have a big hand for Travis Axiliam!"
There was a bit of hesitation this time as a young man swaggered confidently to stand beside Selphie. Galbadia wasn't exactly on friendly terms with either Trabia or Balamb (well, having bombs dropped on you tends to feel antagonism towards the one who threw the bombs in the first place.) He said something to Selphie, and she moved to one side, allowing him access to the microphone.
"I must say that I was a bit surprised when I was accepted into Balamb Garden, considering our history hasn't exactly been sunshine and flowers," was Travis' startling and rather blunt pronouncement. "But that is all over now, hopefully, and my headmaster sends his regards to the highly esteemed Headmaster Cid, and even suggests a possibility of making amends." He bowed gracefully in Cid's direction, and added, "I hope that you will consider what I have said tonight." With that, he inclined his head and exited the stage.
"Well, that was touching," Selphie sighed, wiping at a tear. "Anyway, let the show begin! Our first item is a juggling show put on by Nida and Faine Kloran!" Her voice was drowned out in the thunderous applause that sounded when the two extremely popular siblings, dressed in clown costumes, walked on stage with cheeky grins pasted across their faces.
The rest of the night was full of fun and humor. Phoenix walked along the food aisles, the punch in her hand merely for show. She was more interested in searching for particular somebodies. She looked about in wonder, unused to the bright, happy smiles she saw everywhere, the infectious laughter. Her life before coming to Garden had been terrible, scarring her life forever. Happiness, just plain, pure joy, in such abundance, took her breath away.
She came to a stop, watching from a safe distance. The six of them, standing together; Selphie Tilnitt with her copper-bright curls and cheerful smile, Squall Leonheart, with his taciturn nature and stormy dark eyes, Rinoa Heartilly, the sorceress, hanging on his arm, laughing at something he'd said to her, Irvine Kinneas, flirting with a waitress, his hat perched jauntily on his head, Quistis Trepe, shaking her head in exasperation at Irvine's antics but smiling at the same tme, Zell Dincht, with his distinctive black tattoo, wolfing down a plate of hot dogs. They'd been through hell and back, and in the process connected on such a deep level that in transcended words and thought. She felt a little sad, seeing such intimacy and knowing that it could never be hers. She turned away, her mood darkening slightly.
"Hi!" a voice beside her chirped brightly. It was a small, bespectacled straw-thin girl with baby blue eyes and dimples. "You're Phoenix, right? I'm your roommate, Shirley, but my friends just call me Shirl. It's great to meet you!"
"Me too," Phoenix replied, feeling a little better. "If it doesn't intrude on your spare time, could you take me around Garden sometime?"
"Sure! But you've got to remind me. I've got a rotten memory. My friends say my brain is like a cheese, because both are full of holes. Say, you've got to meet my friends. They'd love to get to know you!" Still chatting happily, Shirley seized hold of Phoenix's arm and dragged her away, ignoring the faint cries of protest.
*** Quistis left her friends and wandered around in search of the new instructor for no particular reason, other than the fact to answer her own doubts as to whether Headmaster Warren(of Galbadia Garden) 's attempt to make peace was genuine or just moonshine. She found him easily, as he was talking with Bennett, another instructor, at the edge of the crowd. Bennett was not a short man, but Travis, with his height of nearly seven feet, dwarfed him completely. Bennett broke off his interrogating long enough to smile at her and welcome her into the conversation.
"This is Instructor Trepe, one of the six who defeated the Sorceress," Bennett announced proudly, almost as though Quistis was some shiny trophy in a display case. Travis appraised her with a long, considering look, and she flushed under his gaze. "You're just as beautiful as the stories say you are," he commented at last, causing her to glower evilly at him. Hyne, she hoped that he wasn't coming on to her. She was okay with herself being single, even though she did feel a little lonely sometimes watching her friends snuggle up to their own special someone. Still, she wouldn't exactly mind. Travis had one of those 'movie star faces', with chiseled, perfect features framed with long, sleek black hair. His eyes, too, were striking; they were a cold, flawless emerald green, flecked with specks of shiny gold. They glinted subtly with amusement as he watched her. "So, warn me first," he said with a smile that did a lot to enhance his already handsome features, "Are you going to have, A, a normal conversation, or, B, the third degree, like Amateur Holmes here?" He shot a glance at Bennett, who scowled at him.
"B," Quistis said with a smirk. "Too bad." She considered. "Did you really mean what you said?"
"I resent the very concept of dissembling," Travis said indignantly. "I said it, I mean it from the bottom of my heart." He crossed his arms, and glared at Quistis, all levity gone. "if no one believes me, then it's their problem, not mine. I knew it. Shouldn't have wasted my breath." He turned away, heading toward the refreshment stand. Bennett shook his head at Quistis. She ignored him and ran after the instructor, catching him by the arm. "I didn't mean it like that," she said to his back.
"You sure made it sound like that," he commented to the air in front of him.
"Look, I'm sorry. I thought that was a great speech. It's just kind of hard to trust Galbadians after they rammed your airship and murdered half of the junior cadets."
"So, all Galbadians are bastards?" But his tone had lightened somewhat, and he turned to regard her. "Okay, you were just being cautious. I get that. Now, can you let go of me so that I can get a drink?"
Realizing that she was still holding his arm, she released him and looked thoughtfully at empty air. He did seem sincere enough, but it didn't hurt to keep her eyes peeled and her ears open.
***
From Travis' POV
I filled a cup with punch, but I did not drink it. Instead, I watched her, the girl who had come to Garden on the same day as me.
She appeared normal enough, but then....you never know.
I thought of Instructor Trepe. Yes, I had meant what I had said, but there was a lie tangled in the truth of my words. I had to do what I must. And hope that they will understand when the time comes.
I was ridding the world of a menace.
I drained the cup, tossed it into the bushes, and left. No one noticed as I left the quad.
***
Normal POV
Phoenix lay on her bad, listening to Shirley's gentle snores. She and her friends all seemed nice enough. It had been the best day of her life, so far, anyway. The only incident that had disturbed her was Instructor Axiliam. She had sensed his eyes on her, even though her back was to him. She had turned around and seen him walking away, but she had known.
She dismissed the mystery with a shrug. She would call her guardian in the morning and he would know what to do. Right now, she was bone tired. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she slept.
There were no dreams.
The plot thickens.. REMINDER: R&R!!! Note: Who votes for a QuistisXTravis pairing? It'll be incredibly difficult to write, but it'll be fun too!
Every one time of the year, students would flee in dread to lie, cowering beneath their beds and hoping to goodness not to hear that sound of doom- knocking on the door. And the object of their mutual fear was..
"Hi! It's Selphie! I was wondering if you could join the committee.."
"Well.." (stutter)
(Big puppy eyes) "Please? It's going to be SUCH fun!"
"Well.." (big sweatdrop-think anime)
"C'mon! It's the biggest event of the year! You could just help out a little here and there."
"I'm..really busy for the next few weeks. Sorry...." (voice trails off at the look on Selphie's face)
"What do you mean, no?" (Selphie's eyes start to gleam terrifyingly)
A few hours later, said student will be standing precariously on a ladder hanging crepe paper, wondering miserably how he had gotten into all this, while Selphie cheers him on and gives him directions. It was amazing to realize, that this petite little brunette with her pixie face was able exert her influence so powerfully.
That was why Irvine loved her so much, other than her good looks. He'd flirted and dated a lot before he'd met Selphie(the second time), but the moment he had seen her memories of their childhood together had resurfaced and he had been delighted, though a little miffed that she did not recognize him.
It was her personality that so many people lacked, that allowed her to smile(and, Hyne, she was beautiful when she smiled) in the darkest hour of conflict, that allowed her to live every day when vivacity and optimism, despite the fact that they were mercenaries and therefore might not live to see tomorrow. When facing death, she would die peacefully with no regrets, he knew, because she acted as though every day, every minute and second was her last, radiating joy and happiness to those around her. She had her faults, true, but they were outshone by her qualities, and after all, Hyne didn't make them perfect people.
Yes, Irvine thought as he stood in the quad and watched his beloved girlfriend, wearing her customary yellow dress, running about and barking out orders, he was a lucky man.
*** The girl stood in the foyer, looking around with shy and confused eyes at the constant rush of students rushing to their classes around her. Her eyes latched onto a tall, statuesque blond woman who walked gracefully towards her who smiled in affable greeting. "I'm Instructor Trepe," she announced, extending a shapely hand. "You must be the new student.." Quistis paused, trying to recall her name.
"I'm Phoenix Kalliran," the girl replied, shaking the offered hand tentatively. She looked at Quistis with something akin to worship in it. "You're.Quistis Trepe?" she asked, her eyes shining. "The hero?"
Hyne, not another Trepie..I've got enough of them. Nevertheless, Quistis smiled at her in a friendly manner and nodded. "Indeed. But I was not the only one. The credit for defeating Ultimecia should go to our leader, Squall Leonheart, who finished her off."
"I've heard of him too," Phoenix said softly, her gaze on her feet.
"Who hasn't?" Quistis patted the girl on the shoulder. "How old are you?" she asked in interest.
"Thirteen this November," was the timid response.
"So young? And you came all this way by yourself, from Timber?" Quistis said in surprise.
"Yes," Phoenix answered. For the first time since they had met, Phoenix smiled, a touch of pride in her voice. Quistis studied her as they walked. She was a pretty girl, with black, ebony hair tied back in a casual ponytail that tumbled down her shoulders and almond-shaped, slightly slanted eyes which were a rich shade of purple, an unusual color in Balamb. She was a little tall for her age, which meant that she was half a head shorter than Quistis. Her features were exotic, and absolutely stunning when she smiled. In about four years' time she would have hundreds of boys worshipping her and perhaps her very own bunch of devoted 'Kalliranites'. Quistis smirked a little at the thought.
They reached Cid's office and Quistis knocked on the door before entering. A muffled 'Come in' sounded from inside and Quistis entered with her companion tagging nervously behind. Cid was a distinguished looking man with a receding hairline and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He smiled at Phoenix, who was all but concealed behind Quistis.
"This is Phoenix Kalliran, sir," Quistis said, saluting.
Cid waved a hand in dismissal, and Quistis departed. Thinking that he meant her too, Phoenix started to rise, but a hand motion from Cid bade her sit down. Self-consciously, she did so in the comfortable chair in front of the desk. Cid put down the sheaf of documents he had been leafing through and leaned forward, giving Phoenix a complete once-over. The young girl flushed under his close scrutiny.
Cid picked up Phoenix's application form and looked closely at it. "It is not easy to attain SeeDship here in Garden," he remarked. "You have to undergo grueling tests, battle real monsters in the training center, and later go on to fight at real battles in your SeeD exam. Are you certain becoming a SeeD is what you want?"
Phoenix fiddled absently with her ponytail. "It's always been my dream," she said in a soft whisper.
"Good. Just wanting to check. Once you sign up, there's no leaving until you become a SeeD, unless you've lost a limb or two or something like that." Cid smiled at the girl's expression. "Just kidding. What weapon do you use, or do you need Instructor Trepe to assign you to one?"
Phoenix shook her head. "I already have one." She opened her bag, reached inside, and carefully retracted two oiled, gleaming Poseidon pistols. She held them out for inspection. Cid, taking a look at the well-kept, if somewhat old-fashioned guns, nodded in approval. "It's been too long since a sniper has joined Garden. Irvine will be pleased."
Phoenix smiled happily at his praise and, wrapping the pistols in their respective covering again, out them back into her bag. "So.has my application been approved?" she asked.
"Of course," Cid smiled genially at the new student. He pressed a buzzer on his table, and within a few minutes Quistis had arrived, so swiftly and silently that it amazed Phoenix. "Instructor, take the new cadet to her dorm, will you? Thanks!"
Phoenix let herself be led away by Quistis, clutching her duffel to her chest and gazing around at Garden wide eyes, never having seen such a massive and well-built construction in the whole of her short life thus far. Upon reaching her dorm room, Quistis stopped and smiled at her. "This is the place you will be sharing with your room mate for the rest of your cadet years," she announced. "Once you become a SeeD, you will have a room for your very own."
"Great." Phoenix dumped her belongings on the small bed at the side of the room. "Who's my room mate?" she asked curiously.
Quistis consulted a list she removed from her pocket. "Uh..let's see..Shirley McGeoffrey, same age as you, I think. She's at a class right now, but you should be able to see her later at the Garden Festival."
"Garden Festival?"
"It's this annual concert held by the Garden committee on the anniversary of the founding of Garden," Quistis explained.
"Oh. Wait..classes? Which one am I supposed to be at right now?!!!"
"Calm down!" Quistis said, laughing. "Since you are new, you officially get the day off." She gestured vaguely. "Unpack then. Make yourself at home." Glancing at her watch, she gasped. "I've got to go. See you later, Phoenix!"
"Thanks for your help," Phoenix called after her rapidly disappearing figure. She paused, checking that she was alone, and pulled off the twin ornamented bracers on her wrists, suppressing a yelp. Beneath, the skin was heavily scarred, the tissue still not yet healed. Tears of pain welled up in the corner of her eyes as she removed a potion from her pocket and set to work on healing her injuries.
***
Once again, it was night in Balamb Garden, But not just any night. It was the annual Garden Festival, arranged by Selphie Tilmitt and co.
The quad was full to bursting with hundreds of accomplished SeeDs and cadets-in-training, all talking animatedly at the top of their voices. Therefore, when Selphie first climbed onto the stage to speak, she went unheard by her audience.
"Hey! Silence, people!" she yelled into the microphone, effectively deafening them and getting their attention in one shot. The SeeDs turned their attention on the director of the show, clapping loudly. Selphie positively beamed, spreading her arms wide as though to encompass the whole of the quad.
"Welcome, ladies and gents, to the Garden Festival! Before we begin the show, I would like to introduce two new additions to our big family! Firstly..let's have a big round of applause for Phoenix Kalliran, our new cadet! C'mon, Phoenix, don't be shy, come out on stage!" Blushing, the young girl walked slowly to the front. She gave one small wave before scooting behind the safety of the curtains.
"Phoenix is a gunner, and will be joining Instructor Kinneas' classed starting from tomorrow!" Selphie continued. "Secondly..we have a new instructor, a transferee from Galbadia Garden. Let's have a big hand for Travis Axiliam!"
There was a bit of hesitation this time as a young man swaggered confidently to stand beside Selphie. Galbadia wasn't exactly on friendly terms with either Trabia or Balamb (well, having bombs dropped on you tends to feel antagonism towards the one who threw the bombs in the first place.) He said something to Selphie, and she moved to one side, allowing him access to the microphone.
"I must say that I was a bit surprised when I was accepted into Balamb Garden, considering our history hasn't exactly been sunshine and flowers," was Travis' startling and rather blunt pronouncement. "But that is all over now, hopefully, and my headmaster sends his regards to the highly esteemed Headmaster Cid, and even suggests a possibility of making amends." He bowed gracefully in Cid's direction, and added, "I hope that you will consider what I have said tonight." With that, he inclined his head and exited the stage.
"Well, that was touching," Selphie sighed, wiping at a tear. "Anyway, let the show begin! Our first item is a juggling show put on by Nida and Faine Kloran!" Her voice was drowned out in the thunderous applause that sounded when the two extremely popular siblings, dressed in clown costumes, walked on stage with cheeky grins pasted across their faces.
The rest of the night was full of fun and humor. Phoenix walked along the food aisles, the punch in her hand merely for show. She was more interested in searching for particular somebodies. She looked about in wonder, unused to the bright, happy smiles she saw everywhere, the infectious laughter. Her life before coming to Garden had been terrible, scarring her life forever. Happiness, just plain, pure joy, in such abundance, took her breath away.
She came to a stop, watching from a safe distance. The six of them, standing together; Selphie Tilnitt with her copper-bright curls and cheerful smile, Squall Leonheart, with his taciturn nature and stormy dark eyes, Rinoa Heartilly, the sorceress, hanging on his arm, laughing at something he'd said to her, Irvine Kinneas, flirting with a waitress, his hat perched jauntily on his head, Quistis Trepe, shaking her head in exasperation at Irvine's antics but smiling at the same tme, Zell Dincht, with his distinctive black tattoo, wolfing down a plate of hot dogs. They'd been through hell and back, and in the process connected on such a deep level that in transcended words and thought. She felt a little sad, seeing such intimacy and knowing that it could never be hers. She turned away, her mood darkening slightly.
"Hi!" a voice beside her chirped brightly. It was a small, bespectacled straw-thin girl with baby blue eyes and dimples. "You're Phoenix, right? I'm your roommate, Shirley, but my friends just call me Shirl. It's great to meet you!"
"Me too," Phoenix replied, feeling a little better. "If it doesn't intrude on your spare time, could you take me around Garden sometime?"
"Sure! But you've got to remind me. I've got a rotten memory. My friends say my brain is like a cheese, because both are full of holes. Say, you've got to meet my friends. They'd love to get to know you!" Still chatting happily, Shirley seized hold of Phoenix's arm and dragged her away, ignoring the faint cries of protest.
*** Quistis left her friends and wandered around in search of the new instructor for no particular reason, other than the fact to answer her own doubts as to whether Headmaster Warren(of Galbadia Garden) 's attempt to make peace was genuine or just moonshine. She found him easily, as he was talking with Bennett, another instructor, at the edge of the crowd. Bennett was not a short man, but Travis, with his height of nearly seven feet, dwarfed him completely. Bennett broke off his interrogating long enough to smile at her and welcome her into the conversation.
"This is Instructor Trepe, one of the six who defeated the Sorceress," Bennett announced proudly, almost as though Quistis was some shiny trophy in a display case. Travis appraised her with a long, considering look, and she flushed under his gaze. "You're just as beautiful as the stories say you are," he commented at last, causing her to glower evilly at him. Hyne, she hoped that he wasn't coming on to her. She was okay with herself being single, even though she did feel a little lonely sometimes watching her friends snuggle up to their own special someone. Still, she wouldn't exactly mind. Travis had one of those 'movie star faces', with chiseled, perfect features framed with long, sleek black hair. His eyes, too, were striking; they were a cold, flawless emerald green, flecked with specks of shiny gold. They glinted subtly with amusement as he watched her. "So, warn me first," he said with a smile that did a lot to enhance his already handsome features, "Are you going to have, A, a normal conversation, or, B, the third degree, like Amateur Holmes here?" He shot a glance at Bennett, who scowled at him.
"B," Quistis said with a smirk. "Too bad." She considered. "Did you really mean what you said?"
"I resent the very concept of dissembling," Travis said indignantly. "I said it, I mean it from the bottom of my heart." He crossed his arms, and glared at Quistis, all levity gone. "if no one believes me, then it's their problem, not mine. I knew it. Shouldn't have wasted my breath." He turned away, heading toward the refreshment stand. Bennett shook his head at Quistis. She ignored him and ran after the instructor, catching him by the arm. "I didn't mean it like that," she said to his back.
"You sure made it sound like that," he commented to the air in front of him.
"Look, I'm sorry. I thought that was a great speech. It's just kind of hard to trust Galbadians after they rammed your airship and murdered half of the junior cadets."
"So, all Galbadians are bastards?" But his tone had lightened somewhat, and he turned to regard her. "Okay, you were just being cautious. I get that. Now, can you let go of me so that I can get a drink?"
Realizing that she was still holding his arm, she released him and looked thoughtfully at empty air. He did seem sincere enough, but it didn't hurt to keep her eyes peeled and her ears open.
***
From Travis' POV
I filled a cup with punch, but I did not drink it. Instead, I watched her, the girl who had come to Garden on the same day as me.
She appeared normal enough, but then....you never know.
I thought of Instructor Trepe. Yes, I had meant what I had said, but there was a lie tangled in the truth of my words. I had to do what I must. And hope that they will understand when the time comes.
I was ridding the world of a menace.
I drained the cup, tossed it into the bushes, and left. No one noticed as I left the quad.
***
Normal POV
Phoenix lay on her bad, listening to Shirley's gentle snores. She and her friends all seemed nice enough. It had been the best day of her life, so far, anyway. The only incident that had disturbed her was Instructor Axiliam. She had sensed his eyes on her, even though her back was to him. She had turned around and seen him walking away, but she had known.
She dismissed the mystery with a shrug. She would call her guardian in the morning and he would know what to do. Right now, she was bone tired. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she slept.
There were no dreams.
The plot thickens.. REMINDER: R&R!!! Note: Who votes for a QuistisXTravis pairing? It'll be incredibly difficult to write, but it'll be fun too!