Chapter 2

Everybody's Changing

I decided to update a little early. I may need reviews soon. Please and thank you in advance.

This chapter is, in my opinion, a little dull in comparison to what I have planned. But it's necessary, so you'll be able to catch up on what they have been up to. ;)

…………………

After the silence, Quistis unexpectedly heard bushes being pushed about behind her and the sound of weight against the grass. She held out her whip, thinking it may be a fiend that had found it's way to her. She does her best to remain motionless, since if it was perhaps a T-Rex, then she would have to find a better way to rid of it rather than by carnage.

The shrubbery opened and her hands moved in routine. In an instant, she cracked Save the Queen and produced an ear-piercing SNAP, all set to defend herself from any given fiend.

The sound she heard in reply was not a menacing growl or roar or any sound she's ever heard a fiend make. It was in its place a shrill and high-pitched squeal.

"What-?" Quistis was prepared to take on a monster and what she saw instead threw her off guard. She nearly tripped on her own weapon.

But she didn't.

She tripped on a rock instead.

"Hyne…" She exhaled. She was on the grass and staring down at her with dread were two young kids. One dark-haired lass with her hair in a ponytail and blonde-haired boy. Considering the girl had a mouth to her hand, Quistis guessed she was the one who had squealed.

"Oops." The girl said. "Uh… I'm… I'm really sorry. I am so, so sorry." She repeated. She was scarlet but also laughing, the kind of laugh which says you're only laughing because you're on edge.

"No, it's okay." Quistis replied, grabbing the branch of the nearest tree and pulling myself up.

"It's just that I thought, I thought that, um, you were a fiend. So I got freaked out and I, like, totally panicked…" The girl said looking apologetic and worried.

"Really, I'm fine." Quistis told her. She stood up and began to brush herself off but then a thought raced her mind and she raises an eyebrow at them both instead. "But you're…"

"A Junior?" The girl asked. The boy was still looking at me and didn't say a word.

"Yeah. What are you doing in the training area without a guardian?" The Balamb Garden rules are strict about juniors training without an older student or maybe a teacher leading them. The fiends were getting harder and harder to tame so the rules were becoming more severe.

"My sister is here. She's waiting for us outside, she's an instructor. We'll leave now, if you want… Sorry for bothering you!" They ran away so fast that Quistis wasn't able to follow them.

"Hyne…" Quistis said out loud.

"Quistis!" Quistis was shocked by the panicked voice that answered her.

"Selphie!" She shouts.

"Quisty!" Selphie shouts back, relief in her voice. "Hyne! Where are you?"

"I'm over here, near the grove with the big tree and vines."

Selphie reached her hastily and she was quick to cry out, "Booya! Finally found you!" She grinned. "Come on, Quis! We've got somewhere to be!" Selphie said.

Oh, alright." She followed Selphie and asked, "How did you know where I was?" running behind her.

"I happened to see some friends and I described you and asked if they'd seen you and they said they did, in that garden place. Since I had looked practically everywhere for you since the crack of dawn, I decided to have them show me that place. And well… you get the idea."

"Oh." Quistis replied. They reached the outside of the training area safe and sound. She looked around and decided that the place looked rather deserted. People were running in and out of dorm rooms and then some went outside to the parking lot.

"Selphie, why…"

Selphie stuck her tongue out at a passing junior student amiably and smiled. They seemed to be friends. Then she said to Quistis, "Xu has been looking for you. It's something important. She's calling a few SeeDs and a few Instructors for a meeting today at 5:00pm at classroom 2-A but she wanted to talk to you first."

"It's almost 4:30. It's too early to go yet. Want to grab something to eat at the cafeteria then go to the meeting? I think I'll just find out with everyone else." Quistis asked.

"Sure." Selphie shrugged. "I can't find anyone else either. It's like they all disappeared. Irvine's with Lixa. They're so darn mushy that it's becoming harder and harder to hang out with them."

"Hmmm… Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Quistis teased.

"Oh, Hyne, no!" Selphie exclaimed. "They can do whatever they please. It bugs me just a little though that…"

"That what?" Quistis asked, waving to Lianna and Amine and some of her other friends in the cafeteria.

"Well… Irvine just always has to hang around me when he's hanging around her." I knew she meant Lixa . "I mean, I don't get him. It's like, he does stuff with her but he always has to do it somewhere I am. I just don't get it."

"It's strange. But I suppose that's just Irvine." Quistis told her, thinking to herself that he probably had another incentive. He was probably planning to make Selphie jealous or something along that route. It's obvious to the world that something's going on between them. Irvine's the biggest attention-hungry guy in the whole Garden and when Selphie doesn't give him enough of it… He'll do anything. "Well, we all know him. Mr. Ladies Man." She rolled her eyes

"Yep…" Selphie agreed, taking a seat. "You could say the same thing about Rinoa. With guys I mean, of course!" She pointed out.

"Well, that's true. So far, she's caught the attention of the most wanted guys in Balamb Garden. There are only a couple she hasn't been able to talk to… yet."

"Everyone's changing." Selphie noted. "Or maybe, everyone's just showing their true colors. Even Zell. I hardly see him anymore…"

"Yeah, I know. Ever since he started hanging out with Monica…"

"Her name's Monice."

"Whatever." They both fell into a silence. Quistis' thoughts were getting too profound lately. They became like a burden she carried on her shoulders and so she longed to let it out through words. Selphie was almost the same.

"Yep… But you've changed too." Selphie mentioned.

"Me?" Quistis asked. "How?"

"You used to be more… I don't know. Serious, maybe? Anyway, you changed. Not dramatically… you just did. All of us have."

"Hmmm. I didn't notice." She really didn't. Of all the time, I've noticed the transformations in my friends and mourned over them some. But until Selphie brought it up, I never really considered myself. I wonder if they disliked the change in me… But I don't dare ask. I don't know why. I know Selphie would be truthful. I just don't fancy knowing, I suppose.

"This topic's getting a little too heavy." Selphie laughed. "What are we anguished about? We're still friends! Things are all right. It's not the time to be depressed… yet."

Quistis laughed too and said, "You're right." For a moment, she actually convinced herself things were going to remain passive.

…………………

"Selphie, when you said 'a meeting' I didn't expect such a crowd."

"Half of these people aren't even SeeDs. They'll probably leave in a while. I betcha they're just chatting with their friends or something. Hey, look over there! I finally spotted Xu, she's talking to the headmaster."

"Quis! Selph!" Rinoa's voice was heard but her face was no where to be spotted. Finally, she emerged out of a sea of faces, running towards them. She was wearing a new outfit. A feminine turquoise skirt, slightly crumpled, and a white shirt. She wore a peacock blue knitted sweated, buttoned all the way up. "Hi." She said, breathing heavy.

"Where were you?" Quistis asked.

"Nice greeting." Rinoa said, smiling.

"Hello, Rinoa. Nice to see you. Wonderful day isn't it?" Quistis rolled her eyes pleasantly. "Where were you?"

"Nowhere." She replied, with those immense innocent eyes.

"I know that look." Selphie said wisely.

"It's more than the innocent look," Selphie eyed Rinoa's outfit. "You don't usually get all dressed up. Hmmm… I wonder why you are now?" She winked at Quistis. "You were spying on Seifer again, weren't you?" Selphie stated more than asked.

"You're beginning to seem like a stalker," Quistis said good-naturedly.

Rinoa laughed and blushed a little. They were so used to teasing her now that sometimes they didn't bother worrying that they said his name out loud.

Irvine came into the room at that moment, being chased by Lixa. Quistis thought she saw his eyes dart over at Selphie for a moment but she might've been wrong. Might've.

Abruptly, they heard a loud sound which they identified as a whistle. All eyes turned to the front where Xu was standing.

"This classroom is held in reserve for a meeting of the SeeDs and Instructors I called today," She paused and scanned the room briefly. "Those of you with no part in this at all, leave at once."

Just as Selphie has estimated, half the people in the room weren't part of the meeting. They all singled out up their friends and their things then wasted no time in leaving so they wouldn't have to deal with Xu's wrath.

"Thank you." Xu said. "Alright, let's begin," She waited until everyone had taken a seat until she began. "The sole purpose of this meeting was to inform all of you about the new changes or alterations or adjustments we'll have to make this year. Enrollment for Balamb Garden just begun and frankly, we've been taken unaware of what could've and did come.

"In only three day's time, the academics will begin again. But starting tomorrow, students will be coming already to settle in. Much more students than we expected. Many students have left as well. Approximately a fourth or more of this year's students are going to be new ones."

"Frankly, we have to be flexible. Not all of these students may be quick to adapt to Balamb Garden. Others are scholars, highly above the average level for their age."

Xu talked more about helping these students, about reorganizing some of our programs and making sure SeeD was willing to help out. She also talked about lowering our salaries a little.

"Just a bit. Nothing too major." She reassured. "Alright, I'm going to call out a few names and tell you about a task you've been given. Most of which are being assigned a new student and making sure he, or she, is comfortable in Garden.

"Selphie Tilmitt?" Xu asked. "You're still going to be in charge of the Garden Festival. But you're going to have to find a junior to help you out this time. Soon it's going to be primarily their Festival."

"Quistis?" Xu smirked at her. "You've got a junior boy named Ian Mison. He's coming in late so don't worry about him yet."

"Got it."

Xu called a several more names and gave a few more assignments. Rinoa had to help Cid in assigning the classrooms and Squall, still presently commander, just had to oversee everything but he also had to help a new girl his age.

"No name yet. She just registered a while ago." Xu told him.

Oddly, Zell's name wasn't even called. He shrugged uncomfortably when I asked him and said he'd just ask Xu later.

I wondered what was to happen the second year round. Trouble was sure to stray near…

First there was drama. What happens when even more students, dilemmas, and pandemonium comes running in? The anxiety is powerful and they are powerless. What could erupt out of Balamb Garden this time?