Chapter 2- Old friends
Rinoa growled as her alarm screamed in her face. She hated her alarm clock, she preferred sleeping. She had dreamt about the kiss again, it was the first and last time that she had kissed Squall.
"Squall. . ." She wanted him more than anything, but it was because she was a dammed sorceress that she couldn't have him. She would give up her powers, but it is difficult for a sorceress to do, maybe one day she would succeed.
Rinoa had remembered what Edea had told her. If a sorceress was to truly fall in love, a bond would formed that cannot be broken. Ultimecia and Adel had once loved, and lost. They soon turned bitter after and committed the unforgivable sins. Edea and Cid had been having problems around the time that she was possessed. Edea had warned Rinoa of the consequences of loving another person if you were a sorceress. She told Rinoa that if something was to happen, she would turn evil and possible repeat the crimes of Adel and Ultimecia, Rinoa and Squall knew this was too big of a risk, so they held back their urges. But still Rinoa couldn't help but wanting Squall.
She got into her uniform; above all other things Rinoa reviled her uniform. She was Garden sectary, it wasn't such a bad job, free food and accommodation and reasonable pay, but she still hated the uniform. A navy skirt, a white shirt and a jacket. It was so bland, Rinoa often had the desire just to toss it into an ocean and never see it again, but she had to wear it. She gave her dog a quick drink; she smiled as the dog messily slurped it down.
She headed towards the canteen for her usual morning coffee, with her friend Quistis. She saw Quistis getting the usual table with her coffee in one hand and Rinoa's in the other.
"Morning Rin." She had her usual smile on. Quistis seemed to be the type who was always awake and alert, Rinoa on the other hand was far from a morning person, she simply mumbled in her response, Quistis was well used to this by now. Rinoa drank her coffee with haste, she always did. She found the quicker she drank it, the faster she woke up, Quistis on the other hand drunk hers at a more sensible rate.
"You're starting back on instructing again today aren't you?" Rinoa mentioned with a grin,
"Well more of a test run, I'll be giving one on one lessons to a student who missed out on a lot of lessons. If they pass the Field exam then I'll get my instructing license returned." Quistis said calmly, the corners of her mouth were suppressing a smile,
"Oh come on Quistis, you'll get it! Don't be all modest!" Rinoa said enthusiastically, Quistis felt herself blushing slightly, "So do you know who you'll be teaching?"
"I'm not sure yet, Cid will tell me today." Just at that moment Squall walked into the canteen, he usually joined the two for a coffee in the mornings.
"Morning Squall, busy today?" Quistis asked,
"No, not too busy today thank Hyne, morning Rinoa!"
"Hey Squall, oh I got those documents completed for you last night, they're up in the office at the moment."
"Thanks Rin, you're a life saver." Over the past few months Squall and Rinoa had become friends, they didn't want that, they wanted more, but they knew they couldn't have it. They had to be careful to keep their relationship strictly platonic.
"I got a letter from Selphie and Irvine last night, Trabia Garden is coming along very nicely and should be completed by the end of the year." Squall mentioned. After Ultimecia's defeat Selphie had left Balmb to help repair Trabia and Irvine had gone with her. They came to visit every so often and they often sent letters.
"It'd be great to have them back! Quistis said enthusiastically, "The Garden Festival hasn't been the same since she left, I'm even starting to miss Irvine's flirting." Quistis joked,
Without warning Zell came bursting into the canteen and sprinted towards the three, "SQUALL! SOMETHING BIG'S HAPPENED!"
"Whoa! Calm down Zell, what the hell are you on about?" Squall asked with concern,
"Well, I was heading towards the canteen when I saw Seifer, and he," Zell began but was stopped by Squall who kicked him in the leg, Rinoa noticed this.
"Squall? What do you know about this?" She asked suspiciously, "Did you know he was coming back?"
"Well, I-uh," Squall mumbled,
"SQUALL!" Rinoa shouted, "Why didn't you tell us?!" She demanded,
"Wait, slow down a minute here, does Seifer returning have anything to do with the student I will be teaching?" Quistis snapped,
"Well. . ." Squall said awkwardly, Quistis looked disgusted,
"Squall! How could you not tell me? How could you not tell us that the very man who tried to kill us is coming back to Garden?!" Quistis yelled, it wasn't like Quistis to give out that much; she only did it when she was really angry,
"Look, Seifer's trial took place about a week ago, and he was released from prison on the terms that he would rejoin SeeD and pass the SeeD exam! Cid and I agreed to the terms, so well, he's back! This was strictly confidential; I wasn't supposed to say anything!" Squall protested,
"Squall! You should have said something! Why did agree to the terms?! Do you not remember what he did?!" Rinoa retorted,
Squall remained silent; Quistis gave him a glare and stormed off. Just as she was walking out of the canteen she crashed into Seifer,
"Sorry," He mumbled and looked up, he was different somehow, Quistis couldn't quite put a finger on it, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Quistis," Seifer said slyly. Quistis scowled and walked off towards the lifts. She went up to the third floor and stormed into Cid's office,
"Ah, good mourning Ms. Trepe." Cid said with a smile, but the smile faltered when he noticed Quistis's annoyed expression, "Is everything alright?"
"Headmaster, why was I not informed that I would be teaching Seifer?!" Quistis asked irately,
"I see Squall mentioned it to you." Cid said grimly,
"He let it slip. Now please answer my question," Quistis was trying to maintain her tone, but it was slowly rising,
"Mr. Almasy has been given a second chance. This may well be his last chance to join SeeD, and seeing that he is ahead of other classes and you have reapplied for your instructing license I decided that it would best for you to give him one on one lessons," Cid said calmly, "Please Quistis, I was rather reluctant to let Seifer back into Garden, despite his discipline problems he is a skilled young man and that is exactly what we need here at Garden." Quistis raised an eyebrow,
"With all due respect, do you not remember how he tried to kill us all?" Quistis asked cynically, heavily emphasising the word 'kill,'
"Quistis, give him a chance, if he passes you get your license back. The Garden Faculty didn't want to let you have it back, you are a talented instructor, there is no doubt, but you need to prove it to the Garden Faculty, then you'll get your license back." Just at that moment Seifer walked through the door, "Ah, just on time Mr. Almasy," Cid said.
"Headmaster," Seifer nodded,
"You know Quistis, she will be your instructor. I trust that you will work hard to achieve SeeD status. Quistis you know the designated class room to go to. That will be all, dismissed!"
Quistis took a deep breath and walked towards the lift with Seifer behind her. She headed towards the class room, neither of them said anything. The silence was unbearable. The quick journey to the class room seemed to take an age. When they finally did arrive Quistis was the first to break the silence, "This will be the class room that we will be using for the next two months. That is when the SeeD exam will take place," Quistis said trying to maintain a professional approach, but her hands were shaking, Seifer simply nodded. There was something that wasn't right with him. "Right, it would have been a while since you last used your gunblade and magic so we'll work on that today. We'll start off with your limit break, and then in the afternoon we'll use the training centre."
"So no 'welcome back Seifer'" Seifer said sarcastically, he hadn't changed a bit,
"No, Seifer, where you expecting a welcome back? Maybe you should go back to prison, I'm sure all your buddies there will welcome you back with open arms," Quistis snapped, she instantly regretted saying what she had just said,
"Touché," Seifer retorted, "Well frankly all that gives Garden the edge over prison is the fact that you don't have to share a cell once you get SeeD status!"
"Look, let's just get this done and over with, if you co-operate then maybe these damned two months will pass a bit quicker!" Quistis said with annoyance, she was going to kill Squall for this.
Rinoa growled as her alarm screamed in her face. She hated her alarm clock, she preferred sleeping. She had dreamt about the kiss again, it was the first and last time that she had kissed Squall.
"Squall. . ." She wanted him more than anything, but it was because she was a dammed sorceress that she couldn't have him. She would give up her powers, but it is difficult for a sorceress to do, maybe one day she would succeed.
Rinoa had remembered what Edea had told her. If a sorceress was to truly fall in love, a bond would formed that cannot be broken. Ultimecia and Adel had once loved, and lost. They soon turned bitter after and committed the unforgivable sins. Edea and Cid had been having problems around the time that she was possessed. Edea had warned Rinoa of the consequences of loving another person if you were a sorceress. She told Rinoa that if something was to happen, she would turn evil and possible repeat the crimes of Adel and Ultimecia, Rinoa and Squall knew this was too big of a risk, so they held back their urges. But still Rinoa couldn't help but wanting Squall.
She got into her uniform; above all other things Rinoa reviled her uniform. She was Garden sectary, it wasn't such a bad job, free food and accommodation and reasonable pay, but she still hated the uniform. A navy skirt, a white shirt and a jacket. It was so bland, Rinoa often had the desire just to toss it into an ocean and never see it again, but she had to wear it. She gave her dog a quick drink; she smiled as the dog messily slurped it down.
She headed towards the canteen for her usual morning coffee, with her friend Quistis. She saw Quistis getting the usual table with her coffee in one hand and Rinoa's in the other.
"Morning Rin." She had her usual smile on. Quistis seemed to be the type who was always awake and alert, Rinoa on the other hand was far from a morning person, she simply mumbled in her response, Quistis was well used to this by now. Rinoa drank her coffee with haste, she always did. She found the quicker she drank it, the faster she woke up, Quistis on the other hand drunk hers at a more sensible rate.
"You're starting back on instructing again today aren't you?" Rinoa mentioned with a grin,
"Well more of a test run, I'll be giving one on one lessons to a student who missed out on a lot of lessons. If they pass the Field exam then I'll get my instructing license returned." Quistis said calmly, the corners of her mouth were suppressing a smile,
"Oh come on Quistis, you'll get it! Don't be all modest!" Rinoa said enthusiastically, Quistis felt herself blushing slightly, "So do you know who you'll be teaching?"
"I'm not sure yet, Cid will tell me today." Just at that moment Squall walked into the canteen, he usually joined the two for a coffee in the mornings.
"Morning Squall, busy today?" Quistis asked,
"No, not too busy today thank Hyne, morning Rinoa!"
"Hey Squall, oh I got those documents completed for you last night, they're up in the office at the moment."
"Thanks Rin, you're a life saver." Over the past few months Squall and Rinoa had become friends, they didn't want that, they wanted more, but they knew they couldn't have it. They had to be careful to keep their relationship strictly platonic.
"I got a letter from Selphie and Irvine last night, Trabia Garden is coming along very nicely and should be completed by the end of the year." Squall mentioned. After Ultimecia's defeat Selphie had left Balmb to help repair Trabia and Irvine had gone with her. They came to visit every so often and they often sent letters.
"It'd be great to have them back! Quistis said enthusiastically, "The Garden Festival hasn't been the same since she left, I'm even starting to miss Irvine's flirting." Quistis joked,
Without warning Zell came bursting into the canteen and sprinted towards the three, "SQUALL! SOMETHING BIG'S HAPPENED!"
"Whoa! Calm down Zell, what the hell are you on about?" Squall asked with concern,
"Well, I was heading towards the canteen when I saw Seifer, and he," Zell began but was stopped by Squall who kicked him in the leg, Rinoa noticed this.
"Squall? What do you know about this?" She asked suspiciously, "Did you know he was coming back?"
"Well, I-uh," Squall mumbled,
"SQUALL!" Rinoa shouted, "Why didn't you tell us?!" She demanded,
"Wait, slow down a minute here, does Seifer returning have anything to do with the student I will be teaching?" Quistis snapped,
"Well. . ." Squall said awkwardly, Quistis looked disgusted,
"Squall! How could you not tell me? How could you not tell us that the very man who tried to kill us is coming back to Garden?!" Quistis yelled, it wasn't like Quistis to give out that much; she only did it when she was really angry,
"Look, Seifer's trial took place about a week ago, and he was released from prison on the terms that he would rejoin SeeD and pass the SeeD exam! Cid and I agreed to the terms, so well, he's back! This was strictly confidential; I wasn't supposed to say anything!" Squall protested,
"Squall! You should have said something! Why did agree to the terms?! Do you not remember what he did?!" Rinoa retorted,
Squall remained silent; Quistis gave him a glare and stormed off. Just as she was walking out of the canteen she crashed into Seifer,
"Sorry," He mumbled and looked up, he was different somehow, Quistis couldn't quite put a finger on it, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Quistis," Seifer said slyly. Quistis scowled and walked off towards the lifts. She went up to the third floor and stormed into Cid's office,
"Ah, good mourning Ms. Trepe." Cid said with a smile, but the smile faltered when he noticed Quistis's annoyed expression, "Is everything alright?"
"Headmaster, why was I not informed that I would be teaching Seifer?!" Quistis asked irately,
"I see Squall mentioned it to you." Cid said grimly,
"He let it slip. Now please answer my question," Quistis was trying to maintain her tone, but it was slowly rising,
"Mr. Almasy has been given a second chance. This may well be his last chance to join SeeD, and seeing that he is ahead of other classes and you have reapplied for your instructing license I decided that it would best for you to give him one on one lessons," Cid said calmly, "Please Quistis, I was rather reluctant to let Seifer back into Garden, despite his discipline problems he is a skilled young man and that is exactly what we need here at Garden." Quistis raised an eyebrow,
"With all due respect, do you not remember how he tried to kill us all?" Quistis asked cynically, heavily emphasising the word 'kill,'
"Quistis, give him a chance, if he passes you get your license back. The Garden Faculty didn't want to let you have it back, you are a talented instructor, there is no doubt, but you need to prove it to the Garden Faculty, then you'll get your license back." Just at that moment Seifer walked through the door, "Ah, just on time Mr. Almasy," Cid said.
"Headmaster," Seifer nodded,
"You know Quistis, she will be your instructor. I trust that you will work hard to achieve SeeD status. Quistis you know the designated class room to go to. That will be all, dismissed!"
Quistis took a deep breath and walked towards the lift with Seifer behind her. She headed towards the class room, neither of them said anything. The silence was unbearable. The quick journey to the class room seemed to take an age. When they finally did arrive Quistis was the first to break the silence, "This will be the class room that we will be using for the next two months. That is when the SeeD exam will take place," Quistis said trying to maintain a professional approach, but her hands were shaking, Seifer simply nodded. There was something that wasn't right with him. "Right, it would have been a while since you last used your gunblade and magic so we'll work on that today. We'll start off with your limit break, and then in the afternoon we'll use the training centre."
"So no 'welcome back Seifer'" Seifer said sarcastically, he hadn't changed a bit,
"No, Seifer, where you expecting a welcome back? Maybe you should go back to prison, I'm sure all your buddies there will welcome you back with open arms," Quistis snapped, she instantly regretted saying what she had just said,
"Touché," Seifer retorted, "Well frankly all that gives Garden the edge over prison is the fact that you don't have to share a cell once you get SeeD status!"
"Look, let's just get this done and over with, if you co-operate then maybe these damned two months will pass a bit quicker!" Quistis said with annoyance, she was going to kill Squall for this.