Chapter 10
Squall awoke to the bustling sounds of his team clearing away the remains of the fire that had burned out overnight.
"Quistis, do we have to do this?" Zell whined. "I hate cleaning."
"We know. We've all seen the state of your dorm. It looks as though it's been bombed." This last remark provoked a small laugh from Irvine. "And don't you start, Irvine. You're not even helping." She picked up two plastic bottles from the floor, and through them at him roughly, hitting him square in the chest. "Go and make yourself useful. Fetch some water." Zell smirked as Irvine slinked off to do as he was told.
"Yeah, you tell them Quistis," screamed Selphie. Squall cringed. If there had been anyone at all following them, they would certainly have heard that.
"Selphie. Keep it down," he ordered, urgently.
"Why? So we don't wake Rinoa up?" she teased. "Isn't she adorable when she's sleeping? Well, you obviously think so." She winked at him, before returning to help Quistis.
"Don't be ridiculous. I want you to keep quiet in case someone's following us," he insisted.
"Hee, you're blushing," she giggled. "You like her." To his embarassment, his cheeks were feeling warm, and he was sure that he was blushing, although he had no idea why.
"Whatever."
"See, see, I'm right. Aren't I right Quistis?" She tugged on the older woman's arm.
"Well, I don't know about that, but I suggest that you drop it, unless you want a very grumpy Commander for the rest of the day."
"Ok, but I know I'm right."
"Whatever," was the only reply he could manage.
He hadn't noticed that Rinoa was asleep until Selphie had begun to tease him. He found watching her strangely compelling, the soft sound of her breathing captivated him.
"To tell the truth, I guess she is kind of adorable when she's sleeping." He smiled as she stirred slightly, before settling back down to sleep. "Wait, what am I thinking? It's not as if I like her or anything. Is it?" He shook his head. "No."
"Squall, we'll need to set out soon," Quistis reminded him. "It's well past dawn." He nodded, taking one last look at the peaceful form of Rinoa.
"It's time to go," he whispered gently into her ear.
"What?" she asked groggily, opening her eyes and rubbing the sleep from them in an effort to wake up.
"I said it's time to go."
"Fine," she said, not wanting to complain about the early start. She stood up slowly, stretching.
"You can bathe in the stream. It slows down behind those trees over there. There's a nice little lake. Don't worry, it's very private," Selphie told her. "You look like you need waking up anyway."
"But I don't want to be any trouble. I'll just be holding you up if I do," said Rinoa.
"No, don't worry about it. We're not going to be ready for a while yet the speed that these two are going." Selphie pointed towards Zell and Irvine, who were trying to sneak away from the campsite.
"Get back to work," ordered Quistis. They both hung their heads and sighed in unison.
"You're sure?" Rinoa asked Squall. He nodded.
"Hey Squall. Don't you think someone should go with her?" asked Irvine. Squall didn't reply, shooting Irvine a deathly glare instead. "Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. I just mean someone should go with her in case she gets attacked or something."
"I hate to say it Squall, but I think Irvine's got a point," said Quistis. "She might be in danger on her own."
"See, someone should go with her. And seen as you obviously don't want to, I think it should be me to go." Irvine gave Rinoa a wink. "I'll take care of you baby."
"I'm not going anywhere with him."
"Fine. I'll go." Squall finally gave in and walked with Rinoa to the small lake beyond the trees. He sat down at the shore, his back turned to Rinoa. The only indication he had that she was bathing was the slight splashing sounds from behind him.
"Erm, Squall?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for this."
"For what?"
"Being here. I'm quite sure that if Irvine came, he wouldn't be the perfect gentleman like you are." Squall said nothing, his cheeks turning bright red. "Are you blushing?"
"No."
"Yes you are," she replied, turning his face to look at her. Instinctively, he shut his eyes. She laughed. "But you really need to lighten up." Suddenly, she tugged his shoulders and he fell backwards into the water. "See?"
"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted, trying to keep the anger in his voice.
"That's it, just let anything out," she giggled. He thrashed about in the water, still with his eyes shut, trying to find the edge. When he finally did, he dragged himself slowly out of the water and shook his head, trying to get the water out of his hair, the droplets of water hitting Rinoa in the face. "Hey, stop that," she protested. He smirked slightly.
"Hurry up. We have to go soon." Sighing, she reluctantly got out of the water and got dressed. "Want me to stay here and guard you while it's your turn," she joked.
"I think, I can take care of myself," he replied, not knowing that she was only teasing.
"Fine, I'll be back at the campsite," she said, leaving Squall alone.
The moment Squall emerged from behind the trees, everybody was ready to leave.
"Make sure you have everything," reminded Quistis.
"Yes, yes Quistis. This is the third time that you've made us check," groaned Zell. "We have everything. Nobody will find any trace of the campsite, so stop worrying."
"I am not worrying. I am just being careful. It wouldn't do you any harm to be more careful now and again," she admonished.
"Are we all ready," asked Squall, taking charge of the situation. They all nodded in reply. "Let's go then. Quistis, which direction are we heading in."
"That way, I think," she replied, setting off at a fast-paced walk.
Rinoa had fallen in line with Squall, who brought up the rear of the party.
"You know, you should really stay in the middle of everybody. It's safer there."
"I feel safe with you though. Besides, here, I'm further away from Irvine." He laughed.
"You know, he isn't always that bad. Well, some of the time he isn't."
"I'm not sure if I believe that."
"He just tries to act like that to impress Selphie."
"You really think that?"
"No, Quistis and Zell think that." He brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Sorry. How silly of me to think that you could be bothered about your friends."
"Look, Rinoa. That's the kind of thing that gets in the way of judgement on a mission. You follow the orders exactly, even if that means compromising the safety of one of your friends. Forming close attachments to them is pointless."
"No, it's an important part of being alive. Nobody can live alone. Everybody has to have somebody to rely on."
"Not me."
"Following orders and doing what you're told isn't a life you know. You need to learn to relax. You're way too responsible for someone who's still a teenager."
"This is the path that I chose. It wasn't as if I was forced into it."
"That isn't the point. I mean, have you ever gone out and had fun, or stayed up really late at a party? Have you even had a girlfirend?"
"No."
"Never?" He shook his head. "You've missed out on so much of your life."
"I really don't see what I'm missing."
"Right, that's it. When this is all over I'm taking you out. We're going to have fun. You scared?" Her eyes flickered wickedly.
"Do you think it's fun to tease me?" he sighed.
"Maybe a little. It's good for you."
"Yeah right."
"It is. I've seen you laugh after all. Now how often do you do that?"
"I'm not even sure I did until recently." He smiled at her.
"See. I told you it was good for you."
"Whatever."
"And there you go being all moody again."
"Hey will you two keep up back there?" shouted Irvine. Squall looked up, shocked at the distance that had opened up between the head of the party and himself and Rinoa. He had been too intent on listening to her conversation to notice that his pace had dropped and that they were falling behind.
"Sorry, that was probably my fault," Rinoa admitted, beginning to walk faster.
"No, I wasn't paying attention."
"So, how long until we arrive? Not that I'm complaining or anything," she insisted. "I'm just curious."
"It shouldn't be long now," he replied. "And you shouldn't worry about complaining. Have you been listsening to Irvine and Zell for the last couple of hours?" She shook her head. "Listen."
"Quistis, are we nearly there? We've been walking for too long. I want a rest," moaned Irvine.
"Oh, you two are like a pair of kids. Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet?" she mocked.
"See?" pointed out Squall.
"Fine."
"I don't think any less of you just because you're not a SeeD you know?"
"You don't?"
"No. In a way, I envy you. You fight for what you believe in. You make your own choices. Life's more difficult that way." As if he was ashamed at admitting this, he quickened his pace, leaving Rinoa in his wake, staring at him in wonder.
"Everybody. We're here," announced Quistis, rounding the brow of a hill and stopping to take in the view.
"Wow, this place is so much bigger than Balamb," exclaimed Selphie in awe. There seemed to be a great deal of activity all around the Garden, as opposed to the rather sedate atmosphere at their own Garden.
They walked down the hill and into the front gate.
"Wow, this place really is huge," agreed Zell.
"Yes. It is very different from what you're used to, but it has it's own charm," said Quistis as they walked through a further set of gates.
"Do you know the headmaster here?" asked Squall, getting back to business.
"Yes. I've met him on many occasions over the years."
"Go and see him then. It'll be better if he knows you," reasoned Squall. "That, and I don't want to have to talk to him," he thought to himself.
"Yes, sir," she said obediantly, aware that this was a public place and so she tried to convey a sense of discipline. "You should stay in the waiting room until I return. It's up the stairs and straight ahead." Squall simply nodded as Quistis left for the headmaster's office.
"Geez, how long is she gonna be?" complained Selphie.
"These things take time. There's paperwork for everything that will have to be filled in," informed Squall. "Besides, the Commander here will need to be briefed on the current situation. Caraway could come after them too."
"Well, I just hope they hurry up. I hate waiting around."
"Be patient Selphie."
"So, is your Garden not like this?" asked Rinoa, hoping that the conversation would stop the boredom.
"No," said Zell. "Ours is smaller and quieter I guess."
"And much prettier," offered Selphie.
"Galbadian SeeDs have much more in common with the military than we do," explained Squall. "The way they are trained is very different. They concentrate on fighting as a unit, whereas we are encouraged to fight alone. They also have ranks similar to that in the military."
"So everybody in this place is trained like drones? Is that what you're saying?" she asked, curiously.
"I guess." At that moment, Quistis entered the room, halting any further conversation.
"The headmaster says that all communications are down due to the storm, so they can't contact Balamb to warn them. However, they will lend us a car and we can make it there ourself."
"We'll have to take a boat through Dollet I presume?" asked Squall. She nodded.
"The headmaster kindly gave us enough money to pay for the boat trip."
"That's if the sea isn't too rough," Squall pointed out.
"It's a risk we have to take."
"Do we leave now then?" asked Zell, anxious to get home.
"They're preparing the vehicle for us now. We should get something ot eat before we go."
"Agreed."
"Alright. Hotdogs," exclaimed Zell, who swiftly found himself being elbowed in the stomach by Selphie.
"Well," said Rinoa brightly, "Let's go."
"Oh, man. Eating properly feels so good," Zell uttered between mouthfulls.
"I wouldn't call six hotdogs a proper meal," Quistis told him.
"Ahh Quistis, let him have some fun for once," said Irvine. "We all need a break."
"What's the matter, Rinoa?" asked Squall. "You haven't touched your food. You've just been picking at it."
"I'm not hungry."
"You really should eat."
"I guess I just don't feel like it because I'm worried. I've got all of you into a lot of trouble. I can't help but feeling guilty. You could all get hurt and it would all be my fault."
"Don't say that. If Caraway really wants to get rid of SeeD, he would have found a way no matter what. So you're not to blame at all."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah. We're all just pawns in his game. We can't blame each other." Rinoa was about to speak, but was interrupted by the PA system.
"Could the students from Balamb please report to the parking lot, your vehicle is ready."
"Alright, let's go," shouted Zell, punching the air. Squall merely shook his head, as he lead the team towards the parking lot.
Thanks to:
Dan
Mariko
Rinoa Leonhart73
Honor
Riona
CTHKSI
Reeona
Rebekka
Dream ][ Walker
Squall awoke to the bustling sounds of his team clearing away the remains of the fire that had burned out overnight.
"Quistis, do we have to do this?" Zell whined. "I hate cleaning."
"We know. We've all seen the state of your dorm. It looks as though it's been bombed." This last remark provoked a small laugh from Irvine. "And don't you start, Irvine. You're not even helping." She picked up two plastic bottles from the floor, and through them at him roughly, hitting him square in the chest. "Go and make yourself useful. Fetch some water." Zell smirked as Irvine slinked off to do as he was told.
"Yeah, you tell them Quistis," screamed Selphie. Squall cringed. If there had been anyone at all following them, they would certainly have heard that.
"Selphie. Keep it down," he ordered, urgently.
"Why? So we don't wake Rinoa up?" she teased. "Isn't she adorable when she's sleeping? Well, you obviously think so." She winked at him, before returning to help Quistis.
"Don't be ridiculous. I want you to keep quiet in case someone's following us," he insisted.
"Hee, you're blushing," she giggled. "You like her." To his embarassment, his cheeks were feeling warm, and he was sure that he was blushing, although he had no idea why.
"Whatever."
"See, see, I'm right. Aren't I right Quistis?" She tugged on the older woman's arm.
"Well, I don't know about that, but I suggest that you drop it, unless you want a very grumpy Commander for the rest of the day."
"Ok, but I know I'm right."
"Whatever," was the only reply he could manage.
He hadn't noticed that Rinoa was asleep until Selphie had begun to tease him. He found watching her strangely compelling, the soft sound of her breathing captivated him.
"To tell the truth, I guess she is kind of adorable when she's sleeping." He smiled as she stirred slightly, before settling back down to sleep. "Wait, what am I thinking? It's not as if I like her or anything. Is it?" He shook his head. "No."
"Squall, we'll need to set out soon," Quistis reminded him. "It's well past dawn." He nodded, taking one last look at the peaceful form of Rinoa.
"It's time to go," he whispered gently into her ear.
"What?" she asked groggily, opening her eyes and rubbing the sleep from them in an effort to wake up.
"I said it's time to go."
"Fine," she said, not wanting to complain about the early start. She stood up slowly, stretching.
"You can bathe in the stream. It slows down behind those trees over there. There's a nice little lake. Don't worry, it's very private," Selphie told her. "You look like you need waking up anyway."
"But I don't want to be any trouble. I'll just be holding you up if I do," said Rinoa.
"No, don't worry about it. We're not going to be ready for a while yet the speed that these two are going." Selphie pointed towards Zell and Irvine, who were trying to sneak away from the campsite.
"Get back to work," ordered Quistis. They both hung their heads and sighed in unison.
"You're sure?" Rinoa asked Squall. He nodded.
"Hey Squall. Don't you think someone should go with her?" asked Irvine. Squall didn't reply, shooting Irvine a deathly glare instead. "Hey, hey, don't look at me like that. I just mean someone should go with her in case she gets attacked or something."
"I hate to say it Squall, but I think Irvine's got a point," said Quistis. "She might be in danger on her own."
"See, someone should go with her. And seen as you obviously don't want to, I think it should be me to go." Irvine gave Rinoa a wink. "I'll take care of you baby."
"I'm not going anywhere with him."
"Fine. I'll go." Squall finally gave in and walked with Rinoa to the small lake beyond the trees. He sat down at the shore, his back turned to Rinoa. The only indication he had that she was bathing was the slight splashing sounds from behind him.
"Erm, Squall?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for this."
"For what?"
"Being here. I'm quite sure that if Irvine came, he wouldn't be the perfect gentleman like you are." Squall said nothing, his cheeks turning bright red. "Are you blushing?"
"No."
"Yes you are," she replied, turning his face to look at her. Instinctively, he shut his eyes. She laughed. "But you really need to lighten up." Suddenly, she tugged his shoulders and he fell backwards into the water. "See?"
"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted, trying to keep the anger in his voice.
"That's it, just let anything out," she giggled. He thrashed about in the water, still with his eyes shut, trying to find the edge. When he finally did, he dragged himself slowly out of the water and shook his head, trying to get the water out of his hair, the droplets of water hitting Rinoa in the face. "Hey, stop that," she protested. He smirked slightly.
"Hurry up. We have to go soon." Sighing, she reluctantly got out of the water and got dressed. "Want me to stay here and guard you while it's your turn," she joked.
"I think, I can take care of myself," he replied, not knowing that she was only teasing.
"Fine, I'll be back at the campsite," she said, leaving Squall alone.
The moment Squall emerged from behind the trees, everybody was ready to leave.
"Make sure you have everything," reminded Quistis.
"Yes, yes Quistis. This is the third time that you've made us check," groaned Zell. "We have everything. Nobody will find any trace of the campsite, so stop worrying."
"I am not worrying. I am just being careful. It wouldn't do you any harm to be more careful now and again," she admonished.
"Are we all ready," asked Squall, taking charge of the situation. They all nodded in reply. "Let's go then. Quistis, which direction are we heading in."
"That way, I think," she replied, setting off at a fast-paced walk.
Rinoa had fallen in line with Squall, who brought up the rear of the party.
"You know, you should really stay in the middle of everybody. It's safer there."
"I feel safe with you though. Besides, here, I'm further away from Irvine." He laughed.
"You know, he isn't always that bad. Well, some of the time he isn't."
"I'm not sure if I believe that."
"He just tries to act like that to impress Selphie."
"You really think that?"
"No, Quistis and Zell think that." He brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Sorry. How silly of me to think that you could be bothered about your friends."
"Look, Rinoa. That's the kind of thing that gets in the way of judgement on a mission. You follow the orders exactly, even if that means compromising the safety of one of your friends. Forming close attachments to them is pointless."
"No, it's an important part of being alive. Nobody can live alone. Everybody has to have somebody to rely on."
"Not me."
"Following orders and doing what you're told isn't a life you know. You need to learn to relax. You're way too responsible for someone who's still a teenager."
"This is the path that I chose. It wasn't as if I was forced into it."
"That isn't the point. I mean, have you ever gone out and had fun, or stayed up really late at a party? Have you even had a girlfirend?"
"No."
"Never?" He shook his head. "You've missed out on so much of your life."
"I really don't see what I'm missing."
"Right, that's it. When this is all over I'm taking you out. We're going to have fun. You scared?" Her eyes flickered wickedly.
"Do you think it's fun to tease me?" he sighed.
"Maybe a little. It's good for you."
"Yeah right."
"It is. I've seen you laugh after all. Now how often do you do that?"
"I'm not even sure I did until recently." He smiled at her.
"See. I told you it was good for you."
"Whatever."
"And there you go being all moody again."
"Hey will you two keep up back there?" shouted Irvine. Squall looked up, shocked at the distance that had opened up between the head of the party and himself and Rinoa. He had been too intent on listening to her conversation to notice that his pace had dropped and that they were falling behind.
"Sorry, that was probably my fault," Rinoa admitted, beginning to walk faster.
"No, I wasn't paying attention."
"So, how long until we arrive? Not that I'm complaining or anything," she insisted. "I'm just curious."
"It shouldn't be long now," he replied. "And you shouldn't worry about complaining. Have you been listsening to Irvine and Zell for the last couple of hours?" She shook her head. "Listen."
"Quistis, are we nearly there? We've been walking for too long. I want a rest," moaned Irvine.
"Oh, you two are like a pair of kids. Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet?" she mocked.
"See?" pointed out Squall.
"Fine."
"I don't think any less of you just because you're not a SeeD you know?"
"You don't?"
"No. In a way, I envy you. You fight for what you believe in. You make your own choices. Life's more difficult that way." As if he was ashamed at admitting this, he quickened his pace, leaving Rinoa in his wake, staring at him in wonder.
"Everybody. We're here," announced Quistis, rounding the brow of a hill and stopping to take in the view.
"Wow, this place is so much bigger than Balamb," exclaimed Selphie in awe. There seemed to be a great deal of activity all around the Garden, as opposed to the rather sedate atmosphere at their own Garden.
They walked down the hill and into the front gate.
"Wow, this place really is huge," agreed Zell.
"Yes. It is very different from what you're used to, but it has it's own charm," said Quistis as they walked through a further set of gates.
"Do you know the headmaster here?" asked Squall, getting back to business.
"Yes. I've met him on many occasions over the years."
"Go and see him then. It'll be better if he knows you," reasoned Squall. "That, and I don't want to have to talk to him," he thought to himself.
"Yes, sir," she said obediantly, aware that this was a public place and so she tried to convey a sense of discipline. "You should stay in the waiting room until I return. It's up the stairs and straight ahead." Squall simply nodded as Quistis left for the headmaster's office.
"Geez, how long is she gonna be?" complained Selphie.
"These things take time. There's paperwork for everything that will have to be filled in," informed Squall. "Besides, the Commander here will need to be briefed on the current situation. Caraway could come after them too."
"Well, I just hope they hurry up. I hate waiting around."
"Be patient Selphie."
"So, is your Garden not like this?" asked Rinoa, hoping that the conversation would stop the boredom.
"No," said Zell. "Ours is smaller and quieter I guess."
"And much prettier," offered Selphie.
"Galbadian SeeDs have much more in common with the military than we do," explained Squall. "The way they are trained is very different. They concentrate on fighting as a unit, whereas we are encouraged to fight alone. They also have ranks similar to that in the military."
"So everybody in this place is trained like drones? Is that what you're saying?" she asked, curiously.
"I guess." At that moment, Quistis entered the room, halting any further conversation.
"The headmaster says that all communications are down due to the storm, so they can't contact Balamb to warn them. However, they will lend us a car and we can make it there ourself."
"We'll have to take a boat through Dollet I presume?" asked Squall. She nodded.
"The headmaster kindly gave us enough money to pay for the boat trip."
"That's if the sea isn't too rough," Squall pointed out.
"It's a risk we have to take."
"Do we leave now then?" asked Zell, anxious to get home.
"They're preparing the vehicle for us now. We should get something ot eat before we go."
"Agreed."
"Alright. Hotdogs," exclaimed Zell, who swiftly found himself being elbowed in the stomach by Selphie.
"Well," said Rinoa brightly, "Let's go."
"Oh, man. Eating properly feels so good," Zell uttered between mouthfulls.
"I wouldn't call six hotdogs a proper meal," Quistis told him.
"Ahh Quistis, let him have some fun for once," said Irvine. "We all need a break."
"What's the matter, Rinoa?" asked Squall. "You haven't touched your food. You've just been picking at it."
"I'm not hungry."
"You really should eat."
"I guess I just don't feel like it because I'm worried. I've got all of you into a lot of trouble. I can't help but feeling guilty. You could all get hurt and it would all be my fault."
"Don't say that. If Caraway really wants to get rid of SeeD, he would have found a way no matter what. So you're not to blame at all."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah. We're all just pawns in his game. We can't blame each other." Rinoa was about to speak, but was interrupted by the PA system.
"Could the students from Balamb please report to the parking lot, your vehicle is ready."
"Alright, let's go," shouted Zell, punching the air. Squall merely shook his head, as he lead the team towards the parking lot.
Thanks to:
Dan
Mariko
Rinoa Leonhart73
Honor
Riona
CTHKSI
Reeona
Rebekka
Dream ][ Walker