Fragile Existence
Chapter Three
The sun was setting as the train pulled into the station just outside the small, quiet town of Dollet. This is where most people would call a taxi and actually pay to miss the beautiful scenery between the station and Dollet. With the sun setting, the sky looked like it was on fire with wisps of purple and pink pastel. The ocean mirrored the sky and gave the appearance of a beautifully broken image. The constant sound of the ocean waves crashing upon the rocks was like heavenly music to the ears; it was tranquil and relaxing. Some people say the sound of the waves crashing upon the rocks drives some people to jump off the high rocks and plunge to their death. Morbid yet beautiful all at the same time.
There were many taxis pulling up to the train station, waiting for anyone to hop in and dish out money. I wasn't about to throw away money like that, so I began to walk; it would only take twenty minutes or so to get to town. The view was spectacular. There were mountains on either side of the town, casting large shadows onto the plains below. The sun was setting almost directly in the middle, between the two mountains. The sky high up above was beginning to turn a deep blue, but the closer to the horizon it got, the more color flushed through. Streams of white clouds floated along the horizon, slowly dying with the day.
I don't understand why anyone would want to pay to miss this. The cool breeze carried a hint of the ocean. I folded my arms in front of my chest and tucked my hands into my sides to keep them warm. As the sun continued to set on the horizon, I couldn't take my eyes away. There were no thoughts in my mind, not even a single thread. These were the moments I longed for; moments like this were one's I cherished forever. It's not easy to forget about the weight on your shoulders, and everything you need to be worrying about.
I made it into town before nightfall. My stomach growled and demanded some food. I didn't want to risk missing the boat, so I decided I would check out the departure time before I fed myself. There were many people standing around the boat schedule, so it took a while before I could get to the front of the crowd to check it. Along the way there, I heard some people mumbling and searching through their pockets. People were shaking their heads and cursing under their breath; this was not a good sign at all.
As I finally made it to the schedule, I noticed there was a piece of paper posted up on the board. It read "There will be no departures for the rest of the day due to technical difficulties." I let out a sigh of frustration and found my way out of the crowd. How could this be? This will set me back an entire day; I can't believe this!
The temperature in the air was slowly declining, and my stomach growled a little louder. I guess there's nothing else to do but settle in at the Hotel. I know there are a few restaurants around town, so I guess I'll have to pick one to eat at. Slowly, I began walking the darkening streets of Dollet. Town Center was merely a stones throw away. Upon arriving, I noticed that there were many people dining at the many restaurants; it may be a little difficult to find a table since everyone who is missing their boat must be staying over night.
Although it was getting darker by the minute, Town Center was alight with many calm lights. Dollet didn't have very many bright lights, unlike cities such as Deling. The neon lights of Dollet were subtle, as were the street lights; it helped ease people's minds before the day was done. Even though I'm used to the bright lights of the cities, it's always nice for a change to see the calm lights here.
As I was passing by one of the restaurants, I noticed a familiar face sitting at a table out on the patio. He waved when he caught my eye and I stopped walking. "Hey, over here!" he yelled over the crowd of people. I began walking closer to him, and as I did so, I noticed that it was Alexander. Did he have business here in Dollet? Or was he also trying to get over to Balamb? I made my way through the crowd of people and he stood up to pull out a chair for me as I got closer to the table.
"Thanks," I sat down in the chair and he returned to his seat. The small round table had only enough room for two people, so I wondered if he had come by himself. I guess he hadn't ordered any food yet because the table was still perfectly set with the menus, two glasses of water and dinner utensils. "Are you here with someone?" I questioned him, feeling slightly uneasy.
"No," he replied. "Are you hungry? Feel free to get anything you want; I'll pay." He offered me a free dinner. I hope he doesn't think that I'm going to fall for him over this. My stomach growled again. I couldn't possibly let him pay for my food.
"That's all right," I told him, "I can pay for my meal, but thanks for the offer." He nodded and picked up his menu and began to scan it. The food was fairly priced here, not that I had to worry about that. After a few moments had passed, I put my menu down and took a sip of the iced water. Alexander was still searching the menu, slowly turning the pages, looking back and forth between them.
"Have you decided what you are getting this evening?" a young waitress stood next to the table with a small notepad and pen in her hand. She noticed Alexander was still searching the menu and so she gestured towards me.
"I'll have tonight's dinner special, please," I ordered. The young waitress jotted down a scribble on her pad. "And the water is fine," I stated as I took another sip of it.
"And you, sir?" the waitress turned to Alexander who slowly pulled his eyes away from the menu.
"Yes, I'll have the same as her," he replied, "and the water is also fine for me." The waitress jotted another scribble on to her notepad and took the menus from us and disappeared into the restaurant. It was so busy that there were numerous lineups just to get in to several restaurants around Town Center. I was lucky enough to have someone save me a seat, even if it was unintentionally.
"Thanks for helping me bypass the line," I leaned forward on to the table and looked around the crowded restaurant patio. Several people were eating, others were ordering and some had just finished up their meals and were taking part in decadent desserts. I sighed and leaned my head on the table for a moment.
"You never did tell me your name," Alexander pointed out as he leaned himself closer to me. His light hair fell into his face and he brushed it aside. Why does he have to look so much like Squall? Or maybe he really doesn't and I'm only imagining things. I shook my head and sat up.
"Rinoa… Rinoa Heartilly," I informed him as I took another sip of water. He leaned back in his chair and stretched for a moment before putting his elbow on the table and leaning his chin onto his hand. Before he could say anything else, I felt like I had to tell him my life story. Not only that, but I wanted to make it clear to him that I wasn't exactly interested in him in that way.
"I'm trying to gather as much information as I can about the Time Compression," I began speaking. "I'm looking for someone… Squall Leonheart… I believe he might have been caught in the threads of Time Compression and I have to find out if he will ever make it back to this time." Alexander nodded as if silently telling me he understood. "You see… Even though the Sorceress War has come to an end, there are still many things out there that we have to watch out for, such as those monsters randomly appearing within the cities." I paused for a moment before I continued, taking a deep breath in and letting it out, "I have to find Squall if it is the last thing I do. Nothing seems real without him here…"
"I see," Alexander spoke.
"I'm sorry for rambling on like that," I apologized to him, "I just needed to spill it to someone…"
"Don't worry about it," he clasped his hands together on the table and looked up to the starry sky, then to me. His ice blue eyes were piercing and entrancing; it was hard not to look at them. Slightly embarrassed, I turned my head nonchalantly to look at the people sitting at the table next to us. The young waitress who took our order was making her way through the crowd towards our table with our food. It looked so delicious; I was probably drooling at the mouth, but I didn't care because I was so hungry.
Our food was set on the table, and without speaking another word, we both began to eat. I was lost in thoughts of Squall and Time Compression as I ate. Slowly, piece by piece, I ate my dinner and placed my fork and knife neatly on to the plate. I was too full to finish the rest of it, but Alexander was still eating. It felt extremely awkward eating at a restaurant with someone I didn't even know, but somehow I felt I could trust Alexander. Could it be the way he reminds me of Squall?
"Where are you headed to?" I interrupted his dinner. I was quite curious to know now. He placed his fork down on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat back in his chair.
"I'm transferring over to Balamb Garden," he replied. "There's going to be a boat for me in no less than an hour or so."
"A boat is coming to pick you up?" my eyes widened. "From Balamb?" He nodded and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to Balamb as well?" he asked. I nodded my head and a hopeful smile washed across my face. "I know the public boat has been cancelled for the night, did you want to get a ride with me?"
"I'd love to," my voice was full of excitement. "I have to go to Balamb Garden as well, I have to talk to the Headmaster there before he retires." I drank the rest of my water and gave out a sigh of relief. Maybe I won't be set back a day in my search for Squall. I may be able to speak with Cid tonight so I can get an early start tomorrow.
Too many thoughts were dancing through my head for the rest of the night. Alexander had finished his dinner and we sat and talked for a long time. Our conversations didn't include anything really important, we mostly talked about Galbadia and Deling City. It was a strange topic, but it passed the time.
We headed down to the docks and hopped aboard the boat and made our way across the ocean to Balamb. From there we got a ride to Balamb Garden. It wasn't a very long ride, but it seemed like it had taken forever. It was probably because I was so anxious to get there. The instructor who had come to pick up Alexander had taken him to his dorm room, leaving me by myself. We said goodbye to each other, and I began to walk towards the main elevator. It was nice meeting Alexander, but I probably won't see him again after tonight because I'll probably be gone by the morning.
When I had finally made it to the elevator, I stopped for a brief moment to let my thoughts catch up to me. The day seemed like a blur of nothingness. I felt like I had gotten nothing accomplished. The whole trip to Balamb took far too long, but now that I am here, I can feel relieved. I don't know exactly where I'm going to go from here, but I guess that all depends upon what Cid tells me.
A/N: I know this story is starting off very dull, but I promise it will pick up in the next chapter. I just have to get all of the boring travel out of the way before I can really start picking away at the purpose of this fic.
