"But sir, with all due respect, I do not see why-"
"It is required Squall." Cid cut him off. "You were involved with the designing of the new laws, you knew that they would affect your position as well."
"I am aware of that sir, but I never asked for the role of commander. You forced me into it."
"And I am glad to see that I made the right choice. The people of this garden look up to you Squall. You're the example that so many young students wish to follow up to." He intentionally paused a few seconds to strengthen his next few words. "You're a hero."
A hero. Why was it that everytime someone said that his skin crawled and an uncontrollable shiver went down his spine. He never asked to be commander. He never asked to be a hero. He never asked to be given the assignment to be shot out into space to avoid an evil sorceress from being released and reigning hell down upon the planet. He never asked to be sent out into the future to defeat another all-powerful evil sorceress that was threatening to compress time and destroy all existence as we know it. He was thrown into each respective pile of dung, blindfolded, gagged and with his hands tied behind his back.He just acted accordingly. Did what he had to do to survive it all, and to ensure the safety and survival of his teammates.
Yet people saw him as a hero. They almost worshipped him, named buildings and streets after him, built him a statue. Then why didn't he see himself as that man? Why didn't he see himself as 'The Lionheart'? He never felt like a hero, yet the people had dubbed him one. He wasn't perfect, how couldn't they see that? Everyone has their flaws. Squall wasn't any different from the next person. He didn't want to be different. He just wanted to be left alone to go about doing his thing. And here he was sitting across from the man that was responsible for it all, and that man was scheming another devious plan to make life harder on him than it already was.
"Then why can't I just stay here?" He inwardly whinced as he hadn't intended to sound as whiny as he did.
Good work Leonhart. Now jump up and stomp the ground like a little kid. That will convince him.
"Even hero's have to abide by the laws of SeeD. Although some things aren't as important, like curfew for example…"
Squall uncomfortably shifted in his seat as he recalled the happenings of a night only days before, when he had reluctantly helped Zell to sneak into the cafetaria at night to get some hotdogs, but was caught by Cid himself while standing watch at the entrance. He had made up an excuse about his watch being off time, and that he thought the cafetaria wasn't closed yet. Luckily Cid had bought it, but when Squall asked the headmaster what he was doing there so late at night, he turned red and stuttered something about how taking a stroll around Garden every once in a while calmed his nerves, before hurrying back to the elevators.
"You know, the weirdest thing happened…" Zell said when he returned, unaware that they were nearly caught just moments before. "You know that instructor that teaches both the classes of sorceress' and GF history?"
"You mean miss Kensington?"
Zell nodded as he looked into the bag filled with hotdogs and buns, counting their spoils as they cautiously headed back to the dorms. "I bumped into her in the cafetaria. She was sitting there all alone. Said she was waiting for her boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Squall shuddered at the thought.
That old hag, a boyfriend? Here? The average age of the students in Balamb Garden, or even the instructors for that matter, must be a around sixteen or seventeen. The thought that one of them… with her… that's just wrong.
"She was dressed pretty enticingly too."
Squall was busy picturing miss Kensington when the word 'enticing' fell. The result of wich will be noticable in many a nightmare to come, he feared.
Zell quickly corrected his statement when he noticed Squall glancing at him with a disturbed look on his face.
"Er… well, as far as enticing goes for a woman at her age." He scratched the back of his head slightly embarassed of the remark.
Squall decided to let it go. "You were damn lucky I was here. Cid came by just a few minutes earlier."
"The headmaster?! What did he say?" Zell asked. And then in an even more surprised tone: "What was he doing here?"
Squall shrugged. "Said he was just taking a stroll. He bought my excuse and then hurried off to the elevators. It was strange though."
Taking a stroll, my ass. He was up to something. Or maybe he had been following us all the way to the cafetaria? No, we would've noticed it. Cid may be the headmaster but he is no expert in espionage tactics, cunning enough to remain undetected. We would've heard him following us from a mile away.
"Say… you don't think… she was waiting for Cid, do you?"
"Miss Kensington and Cid?!" Squall exclaimed, immediately looking around hoping no one was there to overhear them. The thought was absurd, yet Cid's acting had made him rather suspicious.
"Yeah, nevermind. It's a crazy thought. Besides, he's married to Matron right?"
Squall tried to shake the thought of Cid and the old hag having an affair. Cid was married to Edea. And although they sometimes had their differences, he could see that they loved one another. Cid had always been supported by his wife, and after defeating Ultimecia she had been helping out at Balamb Garden taking care of the younger students attending there. She had always had a way with children, she hadn't been their Matron for nothing.
But a month ago Edea was asked to help out with the many orphans at Trabia Garden as they were still rebuilding the place. If it were up to Cid he probably would've sent someone else, but she insisted on going. And truth be told, there was no one better qualified to lend aid than Edea. No matter who, or how many there were, she was instantly recognised by most children as a surrogate mother, and Edea wouldn't have it any other way.
But Cid had been without his wife for over a month now, and would be without her for another two months. Surely he would be able to cope with their parting for three months. Or would he seek to find refuge and/or conselation with someone else? To put his urges somewhere else. Or someone else. Someone like miss Kensington?
"…Right."
Squall almost gagged in disgust with his own thoughts. No way that Cid, his headmaster, would betray his wife. Certainly not with someone that looked more like a geezard than a woman.
"Well, see you tomorrow in class then, commander." Zell winked at him and hauled the bag of hotdogs over his shoulder. Squall gave him an inquiring look and nodded towards the bag.
"It's a s-e-c-r-e-t." Zell gave him another wink before entering his dorm room.
"Whatever."
"… but this is something none of us can get out of. It is a requirement. Without it you can not be the commander of any Garden."
"And that is a problem… why?" Squall replied sarcastically narrowing his eyes. He wouldn't mind being forced out of his function. He wouldn't mind it one bit. Stepping out from command wouldn't look good, he understood that. He understood that after everything that had happened, he couldn't just give it all up and be a regular SeeD again.
"Wether you like it or not, you are the commander of this Garden. Like I said, people look up to you. These students need someone to act as a rolemodel.
"I'm a rolemodel now?"
"Don't act like you don't know or care Squall. These people need you. Bare with me here, son. It's only for three months."
"…"
Three months in Galbadia Garden as a regular student. Squall hated all the duties and responsiblities that came with being the commander, having so many people depending on him was a burden of massive proportions. But every negative thing has a positive side as well. Being the commander also meant having certain privileges over regular students. Curfew was something that had no meaning to him whatsoever. Well, except when for instance Cid caught him in the act, but that was a rare occurance. He enjoyed walking around Garden at night. When there weren't students running around the hallways. No one gaping at him. No one asking for his autograph. Yes that actually happened to him once. He replied asking if the guy maybe wanted to take a closer look of Lionheart instead.
"Where do you want me to put it?" He had said, waving the gunblade in his face. Strangely, no one asked an autograph ever since.
Another privilege was his room. The room he now had to his disposal was twice the
size of his old one, with more windows that provided an incredible view of the garden courtyard, a bigger bathroom with both a shower and a tub, and a reasonable-sized kitchen.
And of course, not to forget, his 'king-size bed' as Selphie had called it, all the while bouncing up and down on it.
"looky me, I'm on Squall's bed!" She had managed to yell before he yanked her off his bed.
"I hope you enjoyed it, because this was the first and last time for you to have ever touched my bed." He had spat at her. He couldn't remember why he had brought her in his room in the first place, but Selphie had this way of getting him to do what she wanted.
The memory of the look on her face and the slight disappointment in her eyes almost made Squall snicker on the inside. He liked Selphie, annoying and hyper-active as she might be. Not that he'd ever tell anyone.
The bed wasn't even king-size really, although it was bigger than the standard SeeD and student beds. Two people could sleep comfortably in it, but he was the only one that ever occupied his room. No girlfriend for Squall. No need for one either. They only complicate things, give him more things to worry about. He had 'no time for a girlfriend', he stated once firmly. Yet he could find the time to help Zell steal hotdogs from the cafetaria… But that was different, he told himself.
Irvine had tried to teach Squall a thing or two, but after a few minutes of showing off Selphie knocked him down as his 'succes-rate' was alarmingly high.
Poor Irvine.
"So… by noon tomorrow you will be off to Galbadia, to meet with general Caraway. He wants to meet you before you start your first day at Galbadia Garden."
Oh joy, he was going to meet a general tomorrow. More politics.
"Wait, tomorrow?! But I have a ton of paperwork to finish!"
"Already taken care of. Quistis will act as your replacement while you are gone."
"But sir, the test tomorrow…"
"Don't worry about it. I suggest you start packing. And take the time to say goodbye to your friends. Six months is a long time."
"Excuse me? Six months?" The old man was on a roll today, coming up with one unexpected surprise after another.
"Of course, three months at Galbadia, and after that at Trabia Garden. And once Esthar Garden is completed-"
"I get the picture." Squall rubbed between his eyes. He felt a headache coming on.
"Cheer up son. Just think how happy Irvine and Selphie will be when I tell them you switched places with him in Galbadia."
"Well at least someone's happy about this." Squall grumpily mumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"Tomorrow at noon sir. I'll be ready." Squall had switched back to formal-mode.
"Good. I wish you the best of luck."
They both stood up and Cid motioned to shake Squall's hand. He merely nodded and saluted the headmaster, and headed out of his office.
"…And I'll miss you." Cid whispered as the door slowly closed behind the young commander.
"Six months?!" Zell exclaimed, trying to keep up with Squall's pace. "When did you find out?"
"Yesterday."
It wasn't a complete lie. He had known for quite a while, but the new laws that were made as a preparation for the newly built Esthar Garden were only of effect as of yesterday. He was silently hoping that Cid would let it go and forget about it. Bute fate was cruel, especially to Squall Leonhart.
"No! I don't want Squally to leave." Selphie tugged on his suitcase.
Mental note: Kill Selphie if she ever calls me Squally again.
"We didn't even get to throw you a going-away party!"
Hyne be praised.
"Where's Quistis? Shouldn't you say goodbye to her too?"
Squall hadn't intended on saying anyone goodbye. They just had this annoying way of finding him everytime he didn't want to be found. He had hoped that they would be in classes by the time he had to leave, but of course their class was out early today. Just his luck. He would've loved to see their faces.
"Hey have you seen Squall today? What do you mean, Galbadia? Since when? Last week?!!!"
A soft grin appeared on his face at that thought.
"Quistis left me a note. She was too busy."
"And you didn't think of telling us?"
Oh I thought about it, and I tried to avoid you two hyperactive little pests.
"Somehow I knew I'd run into you."
They had arrived at Squall's car and he threw his suitcase in the trunk. Why were they still following him around? He was leaving. Deal with it.
"We'll miss you, Squall." Zell scratched the back of his head uneasy.
Miss him? A grumpy dark commander who attended classes and sat in his office filling out paperwork all day long. What was there to miss? But they'd be more than happy once they found out that Irvine was up in Cid's office being briefed on the changes in rules and regulations. They'd forget about him soon enough.
"Hey Squall, been a while."
Not long enough.
"Kinneas." He said as he shook the cowboy's hand. He didn't really mean that thought, but old habits are hard to get rid of.
"So how's the luck with the ladies?"
The sound emitted by Squall was hard to define. Somewhere in between a grunt and a snore.
"Still no wife for you to come home to eh?"
"Not that it's any of your business. But no."
Irvine, the ladies' man. Apparently chicks digged the ponytail, cowboy hat and long coat combination. Usually he was blunt and direct, but for some reason he never failed to impress Squall with how many women he could twirl around his finger with that southern accent and smooth voice of his.
"Sorry to hear that, but trust me, having a girlfriend isn't all that great. Did you know that over at Galbadia there are way more hot girls than before? I'm telling you, if it wasn't for Selphie, I would've-"
"Good morning Irvine, sorry to keep you waiting." Cid interrupted thankfully as he walked into the office. This was one of the few times Squal was actually glad to see the man.
"Oh, good morning headmaster. No problem, I was just telling Squall about all the mighty fine women over at Galbadia that are just dying to meet the commander of Balamb Garden and slayer of Ultimecia. Yes sir, he'll have 'em for the pickin'."
Irvine tipped his hat and winked at him, whispering: "I put in a good word for ya."
Great. As if having all the girls in Balamb Garden giggle and whisper all around him as soon as he entered a room wasn't enough. He was silently hoping that no one would know him at Galbadia Garden, That he could be just another speck on the walls, but that hope just flew out the window. For a moment Squall considered jumping after it. This was going to be a long three months. Maybe Trabia would be different, but if Squall had to bet on it… with his luck… fat chance.
Selphie jumped up to hug him before he got a chance to get into his car.
For such a tiny girl she has a lot of strength.
Gasping for air he eventually managed to pry her off of him.
"I've got a feeling you won't miss me all that much."
"Are you kidding? I don't know what we're gonna do without you." Zell seemed to almost be sobbing. It was very unlike him
"Have a going-away party." Squall replied dryly as he got in his car.
"Without you?"
He shrugged. "It's still a party."
"Heeeeey… you're right!" Selphie's face was suddenly shining as bright as ever.
"Thanks Squall!"
Don't mention it.
"See you in six months." With those last words Squall drove off to Balamb train station.