Squall arrived back at the Garden with a new sense of optimism about it. It had been less than a fortnight since the bombings, but already the Garden was virtually back to normal. Most of the monsters from the monster arena had been re-captured, the monster arena itself was close to being re-opened, and after Squall relayed some of the information Seifer had bragged to him during his torture, in particular, his only brainwashing two Garden students, normal service was close to being resumed. However, Seifer still hung around at the back of his mind, refusing to go away. A few weeks passed, Squall's leg was healing fine, and Selphie had planned his and Rinoa's wedding down to almost the finest detail. However, one morning, they hit a slight snag, when Squall asked something he should really have known not to. It was around 8:30, and Squall was getting ready for yet another wedding planning meeting with Selphie and Quistis. He was putting on his jacket when the unfortunate words slipped out.
"So," he said, innocently enough, "will we be inviting your father to the wedding?" He immediately smacked his head with his hand- Rinoa and her father had not had the best of relationships, and while Squall had found time for Laguna, Rinoa had yet to forgive her father. She came storming out of the bathroom, where she had finished getting ready, and marched straight past Squall, a face like thunder.
"You should know better than to ask me that," she whispered angrily as she passed her fiancé.
"Angel," Squall said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." Rinoa stared at Squall, still with anger on her face, but could see that he was genuinely sorry. She allowed herself a little smile.
"That's OK," she said, as Squall gave her a hug. "It's something I have to think about, though," she conceded. She may not have liked the man, but he was still her father and still had a right to know about the wedding.
"After the meeting," Squall said, commandingly.
"Yes sir!" Rinoa replied, jokily, before giving him a kiss. Upon their return from the meeting (which had done nothing but decide on one song that they would have played), they sat down, and quickly decided that the only way was to go to Deling City and meet with her father. Unfortunately, persuading Cid to let them have the day off AND to let them use the Ragnarok for more personal use would prove to be a bit more tricky, but still, they gave it their best shot.
"I beg your pardon?" Cid asked, upon hearing Squall's request.
"We would like the use of the Ragnarok for one day, for personal use," Rinoa re-iterated. She, along with Squall, could see that Cid was in no mood to let his prized possession be used as little more than an intercontinental taxi.
"Out of the question," Cid stated. "The Ragnarok is only for personal use when it is infeasible for the journey to be made any other way. The time off you may have, both of you, but if you are to go to Deling City then you'll go by train, same as everyone else."
"But sir-!" Squall tried to plead. Cid cut him off with a wave.
"I will not risk the Ragnarok when it may be needed elsewhere. You six," Cid said, referring to Squall, Rinoa et al, "have taken far too many liberties with what is essentially Garden property. Yes, you did salvage it and for that I am eternally grateful, but that doesn't mean you can use it willy-nilly. Request denied. End of discussion." Squall, while he didn't like it, still had to take orders from Cid, so he simply nodded his head.
"Yes sir," he said, disappointedly. Rinoa was going to argue further, but Squall put a hand on her shoulder and managed to dissuade her.
"Yes, sir," she said, reluctantly, before they both left. Rinoa muttered something under her breath as she left, which she hoped Cid didn't hear. Fortunately, he didn't.
Later on, in the cafeteria, Squall and Rinoa were letting Zell and Quistis know what Cid's decision was, and what they thought of it.
"Man," Zell started, "that sucks." Squall, Quistis and Rinoa nodded in agreement.
"Well," Squall said, resignedly, "what are you gonna do? He's the boss. We'll just have to take the train."
"When are you leaving?" Quistis asked.
"Four days," Rinoa answered. "That's the soonest we could get any time off. I- we felt it was best to get this over and done with as soon as possible."
"You've not seen your old man since we beat the sorceress, huh?" Zell asked. Rinoa shook her head, before giggling.
"I'm dying to know what he'll say when I tell him I'm getting married." She laughed a bit more. "It'll come as a shock to him, that's for sure." The others nodded. "Well," Rinoa said, changing the subject, "where are Irvine and Selphie? Didn't they say they'd meet us here?"
"Forget it," Quistis said, "ever since they started seeing each other they've forgotten the meaning of on time." As if on cue, Irvine and Selphie came through the doors, hand in hand as usual, and sat down at the table.
"Glad you could make it," Quistis said, sarcastically.
"Sorry, sorry," Irvine said, almost bursting with excitement. Selphie was the same way.
"What's with you two today?" Zell asked. Irvine and Selphie looked at each other, barely able to contain their excitement.
"Do you want to tell them or shall I?" Irvine asked his nearly red-faced girlfriend.
"I wanna do it! I wanna do it!" Selphie replied between giggles.
"Tell us what?" Squall asked impatiently. Irvine smiled at Selphie, who managed to contain herself long enough to speak.
"We're gonna get married too!" Selphie said, climbing on Irvine's lap and giving him a big hug. The other four were shocked, but happy for them.
"Awesome!" Zell shouted, enthusiastically.
"Wow! Well done!" Was Rinoa's response. Irvine shrugged and was soon back to his normal self, the excitement over for now.
"Well," he started, "it means I won't be able to go out with every girl in the Garden after all, but I've learnt something- a diamond's worth a million pebbles. No offence," he said, referring to Rinoa and Quistis, before turning back to his fiancée and giving her a kiss.
"Wow man," Zell said, "that was deep. Where'd you read it?"
"Hey," Irvine retorted, "I made that up myself! Well, most of it, anyway."
"Have you set a date yet?" Rinoa enquired. Selphie and Irvine shook their heads.
"We've only just got engaged," he said. "We don't wanna rush things."
"You've only been together a month and already you're engaged," Squall retorted. "You don't call that rushing?"
"Let's just say," Selphie replied, "that we wanna enjoy the moment!" She kissed Irvine again. Squall got up and shook Irvine's hand. Rinoa gave Selphie, who had separated herself from her fiancé, a congratulatory hug.
"Anyway, well done, man," Squall said, shaking the cowboy's hand, "even if you are overshadowing us a little." He grinned to let Irvine know he was kidding.
"Well done," Rinoa said, hugging Selphie, before starting to leave with her fiancé.
"Well," Squall said, waving goodbye to the others, "we gotta go. We've got train tickets to book." He and Rinoa said their goodbyes and departed, leaving Quistis, Zell, Irvine and an extremely excited Selphie alone at the table. Eventually, Selphie couldn't contain herself any longer.
"We're gonna get married!" She shouted, jumping back in Irvine's lap.
"So," he said, innocently enough, "will we be inviting your father to the wedding?" He immediately smacked his head with his hand- Rinoa and her father had not had the best of relationships, and while Squall had found time for Laguna, Rinoa had yet to forgive her father. She came storming out of the bathroom, where she had finished getting ready, and marched straight past Squall, a face like thunder.
"You should know better than to ask me that," she whispered angrily as she passed her fiancé.
"Angel," Squall said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." Rinoa stared at Squall, still with anger on her face, but could see that he was genuinely sorry. She allowed herself a little smile.
"That's OK," she said, as Squall gave her a hug. "It's something I have to think about, though," she conceded. She may not have liked the man, but he was still her father and still had a right to know about the wedding.
"After the meeting," Squall said, commandingly.
"Yes sir!" Rinoa replied, jokily, before giving him a kiss. Upon their return from the meeting (which had done nothing but decide on one song that they would have played), they sat down, and quickly decided that the only way was to go to Deling City and meet with her father. Unfortunately, persuading Cid to let them have the day off AND to let them use the Ragnarok for more personal use would prove to be a bit more tricky, but still, they gave it their best shot.
"I beg your pardon?" Cid asked, upon hearing Squall's request.
"We would like the use of the Ragnarok for one day, for personal use," Rinoa re-iterated. She, along with Squall, could see that Cid was in no mood to let his prized possession be used as little more than an intercontinental taxi.
"Out of the question," Cid stated. "The Ragnarok is only for personal use when it is infeasible for the journey to be made any other way. The time off you may have, both of you, but if you are to go to Deling City then you'll go by train, same as everyone else."
"But sir-!" Squall tried to plead. Cid cut him off with a wave.
"I will not risk the Ragnarok when it may be needed elsewhere. You six," Cid said, referring to Squall, Rinoa et al, "have taken far too many liberties with what is essentially Garden property. Yes, you did salvage it and for that I am eternally grateful, but that doesn't mean you can use it willy-nilly. Request denied. End of discussion." Squall, while he didn't like it, still had to take orders from Cid, so he simply nodded his head.
"Yes sir," he said, disappointedly. Rinoa was going to argue further, but Squall put a hand on her shoulder and managed to dissuade her.
"Yes, sir," she said, reluctantly, before they both left. Rinoa muttered something under her breath as she left, which she hoped Cid didn't hear. Fortunately, he didn't.
Later on, in the cafeteria, Squall and Rinoa were letting Zell and Quistis know what Cid's decision was, and what they thought of it.
"Man," Zell started, "that sucks." Squall, Quistis and Rinoa nodded in agreement.
"Well," Squall said, resignedly, "what are you gonna do? He's the boss. We'll just have to take the train."
"When are you leaving?" Quistis asked.
"Four days," Rinoa answered. "That's the soonest we could get any time off. I- we felt it was best to get this over and done with as soon as possible."
"You've not seen your old man since we beat the sorceress, huh?" Zell asked. Rinoa shook her head, before giggling.
"I'm dying to know what he'll say when I tell him I'm getting married." She laughed a bit more. "It'll come as a shock to him, that's for sure." The others nodded. "Well," Rinoa said, changing the subject, "where are Irvine and Selphie? Didn't they say they'd meet us here?"
"Forget it," Quistis said, "ever since they started seeing each other they've forgotten the meaning of on time." As if on cue, Irvine and Selphie came through the doors, hand in hand as usual, and sat down at the table.
"Glad you could make it," Quistis said, sarcastically.
"Sorry, sorry," Irvine said, almost bursting with excitement. Selphie was the same way.
"What's with you two today?" Zell asked. Irvine and Selphie looked at each other, barely able to contain their excitement.
"Do you want to tell them or shall I?" Irvine asked his nearly red-faced girlfriend.
"I wanna do it! I wanna do it!" Selphie replied between giggles.
"Tell us what?" Squall asked impatiently. Irvine smiled at Selphie, who managed to contain herself long enough to speak.
"We're gonna get married too!" Selphie said, climbing on Irvine's lap and giving him a big hug. The other four were shocked, but happy for them.
"Awesome!" Zell shouted, enthusiastically.
"Wow! Well done!" Was Rinoa's response. Irvine shrugged and was soon back to his normal self, the excitement over for now.
"Well," he started, "it means I won't be able to go out with every girl in the Garden after all, but I've learnt something- a diamond's worth a million pebbles. No offence," he said, referring to Rinoa and Quistis, before turning back to his fiancée and giving her a kiss.
"Wow man," Zell said, "that was deep. Where'd you read it?"
"Hey," Irvine retorted, "I made that up myself! Well, most of it, anyway."
"Have you set a date yet?" Rinoa enquired. Selphie and Irvine shook their heads.
"We've only just got engaged," he said. "We don't wanna rush things."
"You've only been together a month and already you're engaged," Squall retorted. "You don't call that rushing?"
"Let's just say," Selphie replied, "that we wanna enjoy the moment!" She kissed Irvine again. Squall got up and shook Irvine's hand. Rinoa gave Selphie, who had separated herself from her fiancé, a congratulatory hug.
"Anyway, well done, man," Squall said, shaking the cowboy's hand, "even if you are overshadowing us a little." He grinned to let Irvine know he was kidding.
"Well done," Rinoa said, hugging Selphie, before starting to leave with her fiancé.
"Well," Squall said, waving goodbye to the others, "we gotta go. We've got train tickets to book." He and Rinoa said their goodbyes and departed, leaving Quistis, Zell, Irvine and an extremely excited Selphie alone at the table. Eventually, Selphie couldn't contain herself any longer.
"We're gonna get married!" She shouted, jumping back in Irvine's lap.