Visions Of The Darkness
Chapter 4, Joining Forces
'He walked, slowly and flat-footedly forward. He stumbled, tripped and landed on the ground. Surrounded by nothingness, night welled around him. Then the voice came, taking over his last few thoughts. "You will not win, you cannot win. You were always doomed as a failure" the semi-familiar voice said, "You hear me Kinneas! FAILURE!" she finished. As the voice said those words the sky darkened even more and rain started to poor down. Irvine stood up and raised his Exeter just in time as 3 Silver Dragons surrounded him and started to attack……..'
'BRRRRRRIIIIINGGG'! Irvine woke as the bell ended his SeeD history class. After gathering his books and swiftly running out of the classroom from the spying glacier blue eyes of the intellectual tall blonde instructor Quistis Trepe, Irvine made his way to the lunch table in the cafeteria which himself and his friends usually occupy.
'Oh man, I wished I hadn't talked all night with Malacia, I'm soo tired. Hmm…that voice in the dream I just had….I was like Malacia's….but it isn't. This voice is meaner, wispier and more hollow it be her sister….possibly….I'll ask her tonight.'
Irvine then sat down after collecting a small lunch for himself consisting of 4 hotdogs, 2 lots of egg and lettuce sandwiches, a packet of herb and spice chips, a 'Garden' salad, 3 very strong coffees and a piece of trifle. Just as Irvine was about to tuck into the first hotdog, a petit pretty hypo ball of energy in a SeeD uniform bounced up to the table and sat down.
'Oh Hyne, it's Selphie…how can I explain this to her….she won't believe…she'll say I'm only making excuses for not spending time with her ….wait I know……'
"Howdy Selphie, how are you today?" the tired cowboy drawled. "Oh fine Irvy! You look rather tired, what u been doing to make yourself so tired?" the concerned girl beamed. "Well Selphie, I've been given a mission from outside of Garden from a private hirer and I have been working on it since I got hired on the night of the dance and that was why I had to go. I'm sorry but I've already told you more than I can because it is confidential. I'm sorry Selph" Irvine stammered from lack of coffee, as he promptly finished the hotdog and had a sip of his coffee. "Oh Irvine, I had no idea. Why didn't u tell me? Can I come along to help? Please Irvy…pretty pretty please!" she pleaded. "Selphie, I know you want to help me but I don't know if you can. You see my employer has just hired me and I don't know if anyone else can go with me. I'll ask her Selph and I'll tell you tomorrow" the solum cowboy said as he was quickly eating his lunch. "Ok Irvine. Thanks!" she said as she bounced up, kissed him on the cheek and left. Irvine still left with his last coffee decided to go to the Training Centre to get a little practice in before his trip to the future. He quickly drank the lukewarm coffee, threw away his rubbish and sleepily and methodically walked off to the Training Centre.
Meanwhile Quistis, intrigued by Irvine's unusual behaviour decided to follow him and see what was on the flirtatious cowboy's mind.
As Irvine was on his way into the fighting area of the Centre, he felt someone was following him. He ran ahead slipping through the metal doors and behind the first tree tall enough to hide him. Then he saw the follower and was surprised out of his wits. It was Quistis Trepe. Irvine came out from behind the tree and laughed. "You gave me a fright there Q. Next time when your tracking me at least let me know will you" he said jokingly. Quistis turning around replied "Irvine I'm sorry but you behaviour in my class was well….not like you. I had to see what was wrong and then I heard you talk about that unregistered mission; you know that's against regulations to take a mission that the Garden hasn't approved. Seriously Irvine I should report you". " But you won't will you Quisty, because as long as I tell you what it is and you know why I am taking this job and that I'll be relatively safe when taking it, you wouldn't have to tell the authorities as long as I came back" the smirking sly cowboy said. Quistis looked shamed to see that Irvine was right. "Yes Irvine that is it. Now tell all about this mission" she said quietly. "Ok but we can't talk here. Meet me at my room in about an hour, then we will talk" Irvine said.
'Oh great ….now I have to tell Q and she'll want to come to when she finds out who is involved….although I wanna take Selph I know I can't because I doubt Malacia could handle her but maybe taking Quistis along wouldn't be a bad idea….'
Irvine then left the Training Centre after thirty minutes of monster slaughtering and went to clean up and have a shower before Quistis arrives.
Over at Irvine's half an hour later
Irvine heard the knocking at the door and opened it to find a suave Quistis standing behind it. Irvine not having a chance to invite Quistis in before the genius walked straight past him and sat down on his favourite chair.
'Oh well she took my favourite chair….well at least I can lounge around on the sofa….'
"Now Irvine tell me this story," she said with her smooth Instructors voice. "Well Q it all started like this…."
"It was the night of the dance and I walked out to the balcony after dancing with Selphie. I was standing with my back facing the entrance and then I heard this voice behind me so I turned around and this girl was there…..she looked like someone I knew but then I couldn't place it….she did though have a Griever necklace and Sorceress Edea makeup mind you. She said something about me being a person of the past and that she was Destiny, Eternity and Hope. Then the next day I started a little research to see if I could find who that girl reminded me of. Since she came from the future I found a picture of Ultimacia and compared it with a picture of everyone I know to see if I could find any resemblance and when I overlayed Rinoa's over Ultimacia's I found that they were almost identical. Seeing what the girl was hinting about I went to the balcony and tried to call her. After about an hour she came and explained that she was the inheritor of her mother – Ultimacia's powers and that she was the eldest of the 2 future daughters of Squall and Rinoa. Then she told me that she came to the past to find some people to help her destroy her sister who is trying to take over the world in the future which would also destroy our futures so I agreed to go to her time and help take out her sister " Irvine said.
Quistis now looking shocked and horrified, stared at the cowboy. "Quistis I am going and neither you nor the Garden can stop me. Selphie wants to come but I am not letting her because I doubt she would handle the situation" the concerned Irvine said. "Irvine, I think you will need more that a young Sorceress help with this. I want to come if that's ok by the girl." Quistis said surprising Irvine. "Thank you Quistis. I am meeting Malacia tonight so why don't you come and meet her by the way I think if she lets you come I could do with the help." Irvine said as Quistis and him walked out of his apartment and locked their door while making their way to the balcony to meet Malacia.