They were on a ship. Matron's White SeeD ship, but Matron wasn't up
on the deck to fill the silence between Squall and the others. Selphie was
trying, only talking to herself in the end. Squall though the White SeeDs
liked to be away from people more than he did. Wait ... is that what he
really though about himself? Was that how he really acted? He told himself
no, of course not. Matron came and stood beside him. Her hair was up in a
bun and her black dress was replaced with a purple one. "What's with the
outfit?" Squall asked.
She said, "Around here most people know me as Edea."
"The sorceress?"
"Yes."
"But, I thought you attacked Balamb years ago. Weren't you helping Galbadia?"
"I was, but they tricked me. It's a long story."
"No, tell me."
She sighed a little, "All right. I became a sorceress a while ago, when I was younger. I lived in Esthar at the time. People found out quickly. One day, the city of Esthar was attacked, something unexpected. It was obvious the attack was made by an outsider. General Caraway and his wife came to the damaged city. Caraway gave a speech to the people of Esthar, saying Galbadia was also attacked and Balamb was the culprit. If General Caraway is good at anything it's persuasion. He had everyone convinced that we'd all be better off if we helped each other. So, from then on, our army was part of their army. His wife, Julia stayed in a safe place in Esthar while we, the army and myself, attacked Balamb. I met baby Rinoa before I left. Anyway, it was not until we took Headmaster Cid prisoner did I find out we'd been lied to. How did I know he wasn't lying? Well, call it gut instinct. That man could look me in the eyes and tell me he had nothing to do with it without a hint of fear or nervousness. Then he proceeded to tell me about the attacks Galbadia made on them. When I questioned General Caraway about this, he became nervous and evasive. We withdrew from the fight."
Squall said, "Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Why are you known under two different names?"
"Few people know about that, so it makes it easy for me to hide from anyone that wants to assassinate me."
"Oh."
"Matron, could the motive have to do with Seifer?" Selphie asked.
"It could," she said with a nod. "What're you thinking?"
"Well, Squall and Seifer hate each other. Someone could say that Squall was angry with Rinoa for wanting to go with Seifer and killed her."
"I see. Don't worry, Selphie. We wont give them the opportunity to come up with a reason for it. Look, the orphanage is just up there. Are you ready?"
"Get over here and hide," Seifer yelled at Rinoa for the third time.
She continued to argue, "I want to see Squall!" He struck her, making her fall back and hit her head. He'd just kill her now if it was up to him, but he had a plan to stick to. Footsteps echoed in what was left of the stone building. Squall came running down the sandy path, charging toward Seifer, gunblade drawn. Seifer took his own gunblade out as well. Metal clashed together as their blades met.
"I could kill you now," Squall said between clenched teeth.
Seifer grinned and said, "Just try it then, or are you scared?" Squall growled and punched Seifer in the side of the face. Seifer spit on the ground. "That's a start." He swung his gunblade toward Squall; the end just barely nicked his face. Squall tripped him ignoring the warm liquid running down his skin. He jumped back before Seifer could make a move. They heard the hum of something tearing through the water. A ship Squall didn't recognize was coming.
"Squall, we've got to go," Selphie yelled down to him. "Matron says that's a Galbadian ship!" Squall sprinted back up through the broken building without looking back at Seifer.
Rinoa was starting to come around. Selphie gently smoothed a wet cloth on her ace. She opened her eyes and asked for Squall. "How are you doing?" He asked when he came in.
"I'm okay," she answered quietly. "What happened? You're bleeding."
"Oh, I just cleaned it. Is it bleeding bad?"
"No, just a little bit. Did Seifer do that to you?"
"Yeah. Why did you go with him?"
"Didn't you get my note?"
"I did, but I still don't understand," he told her. "Why do you think those things?"
"I already told you. You act like you'd rather be alone, away from everyone including me. And don't say 'I never said that' because you don't have to. You always get mad at me for something and then when I go away you get mad at me for that too. 'I'm trying to do my job.' Your job is not my problem. And if that's all you're worried about then you're really only watching out for yourself."
"I don't feel like fighting with you so think what you want."
"Sir," one of the White SeeDs said coming down the stairs, "Miss Matron would like to speak with you up on deck." Squall nodded and went to see what she wanted. Selphie joined Rinoa down below.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard arguing."
"I'm fine," Rinoa answered. "Sometimes I just don't get him. Why does he have to hide like that?"
"Couldn't tell ya."
"I know, I just have to ask someone. I don't want him to hate me. I want to get to know him, maybe even be his friend, but he wont let me in." She pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms.
"Look," Matron said pointing out on the water. "Their ships are keeping up, they may even catch us."
"We could lead them away from Balamb," Squall suggested.
"Where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know. We could keep to the water for a while. If anything we could hide out at Fisherman's Horizon 'til they're gone."
Selphie was worrying herself with Rinoa's problems. She felt bad but had no idea what to do. Would it do any good to confront Squall? She didn't know, but decided to give it a shot. She found him on deck alone (as usual), watching the sunset. She spoke to him in a firm tone, "Squall, we need to talk." She swallowed her giggles and continued, "You need to start being nicer to Rinoa. She was almost in tears because of you; ya know that? All you have to do is talk to her a little. Avoid any subjects that start arguments but talk to her. Can you do that for me?" After a long pause, Squall said, "Fine" and Selphie was satisfied.
Everyone was asleep by the time the stars came out. Rinoa stared at them with shattered hopes filling her mind. Things were weird lately, even before Squall came. She never did have a very good relationship with her dad but he had become more evasive and detached than usual. They never made eye contact. They never even spoke to each other. If he had anything to say to her, he set a guard with the message. It made her feel like he was ashamed of her for some reason. Sometimes, thinking about it made her want to cry but not as much as thinking about Squall.
She looked out onto the ocean and saw a ship behind them. She recognized it as a Galbadian ship. All they did was fight; Squall didn't want her around. At least Seifer could hold a conversation and speak his mind. She wanted to make Squall happy. She was sure he'd be happy to quit his job. Of course she'd miss him but what was the point of trying if he didn't really care? So she did the first thing that came to her; she jumped the rail. The water wrapped her body into a blanket of ice. She fought against it and swam for the Galbadian ship.
Squall ran up on deck when he heard the water splash. Selphie heard it too. They both saw Rinoa's figure moving toward the other ship. They tried calling to her but she didn't even look back. Seifer pulled her out of the water. One of the soldiers put a blanket around her. "Let's head back home boys," Seifer commanded. Squall growled and slammed his fist against the railing. Selphie suggested that they go back to Garden to pick up Quistis and Zell.
I noticed the italics aren't working on fanfiction.net. and sometimes the borders don't either. Sorry about that. I suppose its not that big of a deal, but anyway, the next part will be the start of the war.
She said, "Around here most people know me as Edea."
"The sorceress?"
"Yes."
"But, I thought you attacked Balamb years ago. Weren't you helping Galbadia?"
"I was, but they tricked me. It's a long story."
"No, tell me."
She sighed a little, "All right. I became a sorceress a while ago, when I was younger. I lived in Esthar at the time. People found out quickly. One day, the city of Esthar was attacked, something unexpected. It was obvious the attack was made by an outsider. General Caraway and his wife came to the damaged city. Caraway gave a speech to the people of Esthar, saying Galbadia was also attacked and Balamb was the culprit. If General Caraway is good at anything it's persuasion. He had everyone convinced that we'd all be better off if we helped each other. So, from then on, our army was part of their army. His wife, Julia stayed in a safe place in Esthar while we, the army and myself, attacked Balamb. I met baby Rinoa before I left. Anyway, it was not until we took Headmaster Cid prisoner did I find out we'd been lied to. How did I know he wasn't lying? Well, call it gut instinct. That man could look me in the eyes and tell me he had nothing to do with it without a hint of fear or nervousness. Then he proceeded to tell me about the attacks Galbadia made on them. When I questioned General Caraway about this, he became nervous and evasive. We withdrew from the fight."
Squall said, "Can I ask you something?" She nodded. "Why are you known under two different names?"
"Few people know about that, so it makes it easy for me to hide from anyone that wants to assassinate me."
"Oh."
"Matron, could the motive have to do with Seifer?" Selphie asked.
"It could," she said with a nod. "What're you thinking?"
"Well, Squall and Seifer hate each other. Someone could say that Squall was angry with Rinoa for wanting to go with Seifer and killed her."
"I see. Don't worry, Selphie. We wont give them the opportunity to come up with a reason for it. Look, the orphanage is just up there. Are you ready?"
"Get over here and hide," Seifer yelled at Rinoa for the third time.
She continued to argue, "I want to see Squall!" He struck her, making her fall back and hit her head. He'd just kill her now if it was up to him, but he had a plan to stick to. Footsteps echoed in what was left of the stone building. Squall came running down the sandy path, charging toward Seifer, gunblade drawn. Seifer took his own gunblade out as well. Metal clashed together as their blades met.
"I could kill you now," Squall said between clenched teeth.
Seifer grinned and said, "Just try it then, or are you scared?" Squall growled and punched Seifer in the side of the face. Seifer spit on the ground. "That's a start." He swung his gunblade toward Squall; the end just barely nicked his face. Squall tripped him ignoring the warm liquid running down his skin. He jumped back before Seifer could make a move. They heard the hum of something tearing through the water. A ship Squall didn't recognize was coming.
"Squall, we've got to go," Selphie yelled down to him. "Matron says that's a Galbadian ship!" Squall sprinted back up through the broken building without looking back at Seifer.
Rinoa was starting to come around. Selphie gently smoothed a wet cloth on her ace. She opened her eyes and asked for Squall. "How are you doing?" He asked when he came in.
"I'm okay," she answered quietly. "What happened? You're bleeding."
"Oh, I just cleaned it. Is it bleeding bad?"
"No, just a little bit. Did Seifer do that to you?"
"Yeah. Why did you go with him?"
"Didn't you get my note?"
"I did, but I still don't understand," he told her. "Why do you think those things?"
"I already told you. You act like you'd rather be alone, away from everyone including me. And don't say 'I never said that' because you don't have to. You always get mad at me for something and then when I go away you get mad at me for that too. 'I'm trying to do my job.' Your job is not my problem. And if that's all you're worried about then you're really only watching out for yourself."
"I don't feel like fighting with you so think what you want."
"Sir," one of the White SeeDs said coming down the stairs, "Miss Matron would like to speak with you up on deck." Squall nodded and went to see what she wanted. Selphie joined Rinoa down below.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard arguing."
"I'm fine," Rinoa answered. "Sometimes I just don't get him. Why does he have to hide like that?"
"Couldn't tell ya."
"I know, I just have to ask someone. I don't want him to hate me. I want to get to know him, maybe even be his friend, but he wont let me in." She pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms.
"Look," Matron said pointing out on the water. "Their ships are keeping up, they may even catch us."
"We could lead them away from Balamb," Squall suggested.
"Where do you think we should go?"
"I don't know. We could keep to the water for a while. If anything we could hide out at Fisherman's Horizon 'til they're gone."
Selphie was worrying herself with Rinoa's problems. She felt bad but had no idea what to do. Would it do any good to confront Squall? She didn't know, but decided to give it a shot. She found him on deck alone (as usual), watching the sunset. She spoke to him in a firm tone, "Squall, we need to talk." She swallowed her giggles and continued, "You need to start being nicer to Rinoa. She was almost in tears because of you; ya know that? All you have to do is talk to her a little. Avoid any subjects that start arguments but talk to her. Can you do that for me?" After a long pause, Squall said, "Fine" and Selphie was satisfied.
Everyone was asleep by the time the stars came out. Rinoa stared at them with shattered hopes filling her mind. Things were weird lately, even before Squall came. She never did have a very good relationship with her dad but he had become more evasive and detached than usual. They never made eye contact. They never even spoke to each other. If he had anything to say to her, he set a guard with the message. It made her feel like he was ashamed of her for some reason. Sometimes, thinking about it made her want to cry but not as much as thinking about Squall.
She looked out onto the ocean and saw a ship behind them. She recognized it as a Galbadian ship. All they did was fight; Squall didn't want her around. At least Seifer could hold a conversation and speak his mind. She wanted to make Squall happy. She was sure he'd be happy to quit his job. Of course she'd miss him but what was the point of trying if he didn't really care? So she did the first thing that came to her; she jumped the rail. The water wrapped her body into a blanket of ice. She fought against it and swam for the Galbadian ship.
Squall ran up on deck when he heard the water splash. Selphie heard it too. They both saw Rinoa's figure moving toward the other ship. They tried calling to her but she didn't even look back. Seifer pulled her out of the water. One of the soldiers put a blanket around her. "Let's head back home boys," Seifer commanded. Squall growled and slammed his fist against the railing. Selphie suggested that they go back to Garden to pick up Quistis and Zell.
I noticed the italics aren't working on fanfiction.net. and sometimes the borders don't either. Sorry about that. I suppose its not that big of a deal, but anyway, the next part will be the start of the war.