Chapter 3
Lony shut the door to her bed room quietly and sighed. She was rather surprised to find Squall on the banks of the river but now…. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and walked down the hall to the living room. Her sister was curled up in the large papas an chair in the corner of the room reading. Her black hair was pulled back into a bun and her gray eyes roamed over the page she was reading. Lony sighed and flopped onto the couch. Star, the little moomba that they had found one day in the park, hopped up onto the couch with her and settled into her side. Lony ran her fingers through the moomba's thick fur and stared at the ceiling.
"Did he wake up?" Lony sat up slightly and looked at her sister.
"Yeah," she answered.
"How is he?"
"He should be able to walk soon if the bones in his leg decide to stay in place and heal properly. Her sister nodded and turned the page of her book.
"How's his head wound?" Lony chewed her lip and lay back down on the couch.
"Fine I guess,"
"You guess?"
"He…… doesn't remember anything," her sister was silent a moment as she processed the little morsel of information. Lony chewed her lip still as she petted the moomba curled up against her side.
"So, what do we do?" Lony finally asked as the silence began to eat at her.
"Help him recover," her sister said simply. Lony nodded slightly and stretched. Star looked up as the door bell rang and hopped off the couch. Lony stood and went over to the door as her sister put her book mark in her book and stood.
Star ran into Lony's room as the stampede of kids entered the house. They were warned to be quiet as they were brought out back. Star hopped onto the bed that held one of the people responsible for saving the world and peered at him. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his head and a small red splotch could be seen on them. One of his legs was propped up while the other wasn't. Bandages were also wrapped around his chest and abdomen as well as his arms.
A small mass of pale white scar tissue rested on his shoulder from something and other thin ropes of scar tissue littered his body. The grayish blue eyes were hidden under his eye lids which fluttered slightly as he dreamt. His hands were callused from wielding a gunblade and their usual case of leather was missing. Star moved Squall's arm a bit and settled under it. He rested his head on his shoulder and moved Squall's arm back to its original spot only this time it was lain over his back. Star settled down and fell into the darkness of sleep.
Balamb Garden
Blue steel hissed slightly as it swung through the air. The young cadet in front of the blade dodged and tried to strike back with his blade. Steel and blue steel collided and sent sparks to the ground as jade green eyes glinted in the warm afternoon sun. The instructor's voice droned on about what to do when your weapon collided with your opponent's weapon. Seifer paid the instructor no mind. He felt Hyperion hum slightly as he broke away from his opponent, disarming him. The cadet held his hands up in surrender and Seifer lowered his gunblade. The instructor patted the cadet on the back as a bell rang somewhere in the Garden.
"Alright, everyone, that's all for today," the instructor called. The cadets slowly dispersed and made their way back to the garden. Seifer followed at a much slower pace and stared at the ground as he walked. His muscles itched for an actual battle and not these stupid exercises against the junior cadets. Seifer sighed slightly and entered the garden. Most of the students gave him a wide berth as he made his way towards the Quad.
The infirmary was still a swarm of activity as the SeeDs who went on the mission yesterday were dealt with. He adverted his eyes from the scene and hurried past to the Quad. The thrive of activity was dulled as he entered and found who he was looking for. The rest of the orphanage gang and Rinoa were gathered under a tree and talking quietly. He walked over and stood a few inches behind Selphie. The short little ball of energy was bouncing slightly as the listened to what Quistis was saying.
"Cid said that in a few days we might be able to send some people to find Squall," was what she was saying.
"We need to go now!" Rinoa shouted, her voice desperate. Quistis shook her head.
"We can't, Rinoa," Quistis held her hand up quickly to dismiss whatever arguments Rinoa might have had. "We don't want to risk anymore lives by sending some people out there. The only ones who might be able to go right now are Zell, Irvine, Selphie, myself, you and Seifer. Zell and Irvine still need to recover as does Selphie, I need to stay here and help run Garden in Squall's place and you and Seifer can't go by yourselves because you both are two big targets."
"I am NOT a target!" Rinoa exclaimed.
"Yes, you are, Rinoa, you are a sorceress. Sorceresses aren't very popular right now," Quistis sighed a bit and rubbed her forehead.
"We just can't risk it right now, Rin," Irvine said softly, placing a hand on Rinoa's shoulder. Rinoa's eyes fell into shadow as she leaned against Irvine a bit. Seifer put his hands on Selphie's shoulders and looked at Quistis.
"What are the chances of Squall being alive?" He felt a cold weight settle as the words left his mouth. A silent cry of sorrow rang through the air as the first stirrings of anger were released. Seifer stared calmly at Quistis as he felt the angry eyes of Rinoa bore into him.
"Less then forty percent possibly," Quistis answered, her voice a bit breathy. The thought of Squall dead was something that they didn't want to think about. However, the possibility of it hung over them. Seifer nodded a bit.
"How long before a team can be sent out to look for him?" Irvine asked this time.
"Maybe in a couple of days,"
"What about tomorrow?"
"What about tomorrow?" Quistis said, reiterating his question.
"Can't two people be sent out to search for him?" Quistis sighed heavily and shook her head.
"We don't—
"I heard that," Irvine interrupted. "But I'll probably be fine by tomorrow so will Selphie. Seifer can come as well and we can search any towns or cities close to where the base was," Irvine's logic made a bit of sense and Seifer could see the confliction in Quistis's eyes.
"It would give us a jump start on it, Quistis," Seifer said. Irvine flashed him a grateful look as Quistis finally gave in.
"Alright, you three can head out early tomorrow," she said. Selphie cheered happily and hugged Rinoa.
"See, Rin? We'll have Squall back in no time!" Selphie's words had little effect.
Lony shut the door to her bed room quietly and sighed. She was rather surprised to find Squall on the banks of the river but now…. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and walked down the hall to the living room. Her sister was curled up in the large papas an chair in the corner of the room reading. Her black hair was pulled back into a bun and her gray eyes roamed over the page she was reading. Lony sighed and flopped onto the couch. Star, the little moomba that they had found one day in the park, hopped up onto the couch with her and settled into her side. Lony ran her fingers through the moomba's thick fur and stared at the ceiling.
"Did he wake up?" Lony sat up slightly and looked at her sister.
"Yeah," she answered.
"How is he?"
"He should be able to walk soon if the bones in his leg decide to stay in place and heal properly. Her sister nodded and turned the page of her book.
"How's his head wound?" Lony chewed her lip and lay back down on the couch.
"Fine I guess,"
"You guess?"
"He…… doesn't remember anything," her sister was silent a moment as she processed the little morsel of information. Lony chewed her lip still as she petted the moomba curled up against her side.
"So, what do we do?" Lony finally asked as the silence began to eat at her.
"Help him recover," her sister said simply. Lony nodded slightly and stretched. Star looked up as the door bell rang and hopped off the couch. Lony stood and went over to the door as her sister put her book mark in her book and stood.
Star ran into Lony's room as the stampede of kids entered the house. They were warned to be quiet as they were brought out back. Star hopped onto the bed that held one of the people responsible for saving the world and peered at him. Bandages were wrapped tightly around his head and a small red splotch could be seen on them. One of his legs was propped up while the other wasn't. Bandages were also wrapped around his chest and abdomen as well as his arms.
A small mass of pale white scar tissue rested on his shoulder from something and other thin ropes of scar tissue littered his body. The grayish blue eyes were hidden under his eye lids which fluttered slightly as he dreamt. His hands were callused from wielding a gunblade and their usual case of leather was missing. Star moved Squall's arm a bit and settled under it. He rested his head on his shoulder and moved Squall's arm back to its original spot only this time it was lain over his back. Star settled down and fell into the darkness of sleep.
Balamb Garden
Blue steel hissed slightly as it swung through the air. The young cadet in front of the blade dodged and tried to strike back with his blade. Steel and blue steel collided and sent sparks to the ground as jade green eyes glinted in the warm afternoon sun. The instructor's voice droned on about what to do when your weapon collided with your opponent's weapon. Seifer paid the instructor no mind. He felt Hyperion hum slightly as he broke away from his opponent, disarming him. The cadet held his hands up in surrender and Seifer lowered his gunblade. The instructor patted the cadet on the back as a bell rang somewhere in the Garden.
"Alright, everyone, that's all for today," the instructor called. The cadets slowly dispersed and made their way back to the garden. Seifer followed at a much slower pace and stared at the ground as he walked. His muscles itched for an actual battle and not these stupid exercises against the junior cadets. Seifer sighed slightly and entered the garden. Most of the students gave him a wide berth as he made his way towards the Quad.
The infirmary was still a swarm of activity as the SeeDs who went on the mission yesterday were dealt with. He adverted his eyes from the scene and hurried past to the Quad. The thrive of activity was dulled as he entered and found who he was looking for. The rest of the orphanage gang and Rinoa were gathered under a tree and talking quietly. He walked over and stood a few inches behind Selphie. The short little ball of energy was bouncing slightly as the listened to what Quistis was saying.
"Cid said that in a few days we might be able to send some people to find Squall," was what she was saying.
"We need to go now!" Rinoa shouted, her voice desperate. Quistis shook her head.
"We can't, Rinoa," Quistis held her hand up quickly to dismiss whatever arguments Rinoa might have had. "We don't want to risk anymore lives by sending some people out there. The only ones who might be able to go right now are Zell, Irvine, Selphie, myself, you and Seifer. Zell and Irvine still need to recover as does Selphie, I need to stay here and help run Garden in Squall's place and you and Seifer can't go by yourselves because you both are two big targets."
"I am NOT a target!" Rinoa exclaimed.
"Yes, you are, Rinoa, you are a sorceress. Sorceresses aren't very popular right now," Quistis sighed a bit and rubbed her forehead.
"We just can't risk it right now, Rin," Irvine said softly, placing a hand on Rinoa's shoulder. Rinoa's eyes fell into shadow as she leaned against Irvine a bit. Seifer put his hands on Selphie's shoulders and looked at Quistis.
"What are the chances of Squall being alive?" He felt a cold weight settle as the words left his mouth. A silent cry of sorrow rang through the air as the first stirrings of anger were released. Seifer stared calmly at Quistis as he felt the angry eyes of Rinoa bore into him.
"Less then forty percent possibly," Quistis answered, her voice a bit breathy. The thought of Squall dead was something that they didn't want to think about. However, the possibility of it hung over them. Seifer nodded a bit.
"How long before a team can be sent out to look for him?" Irvine asked this time.
"Maybe in a couple of days,"
"What about tomorrow?"
"What about tomorrow?" Quistis said, reiterating his question.
"Can't two people be sent out to search for him?" Quistis sighed heavily and shook her head.
"We don't—
"I heard that," Irvine interrupted. "But I'll probably be fine by tomorrow so will Selphie. Seifer can come as well and we can search any towns or cities close to where the base was," Irvine's logic made a bit of sense and Seifer could see the confliction in Quistis's eyes.
"It would give us a jump start on it, Quistis," Seifer said. Irvine flashed him a grateful look as Quistis finally gave in.
"Alright, you three can head out early tomorrow," she said. Selphie cheered happily and hugged Rinoa.
"See, Rin? We'll have Squall back in no time!" Selphie's words had little effect.
