Chapter Fifty-Three:
A/N: No opening notes this time.
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"I left behind everything I had," Tessa admitted to Adette later that night. For hours they had been talking, about themselves and each other.
Adette told of how she had grown up in Winhill (she didn't know Ellone or Raine), guided by her grandparents into a future of caring after the small item shop at the entrance of town. It seemed her parents had grown tired of caring for a child and simply taken off, leaving Adette with her father's parents. One day, when she was about ten, some Galbadian soldiers had come into the town to deal with widespread monster problem. Ever since then, she had been obsessed with fighting.
Much like the beginning of Adette's story, Tessa had also been abandoned by her parents. The faculty of Lotia Garden had simply awoken one morning to find a red-eyed, red-haired toddler asleep on the grounds. When the topic turned to her rape, Tessa changed the subject. It was obvious that it was one part of her life that she didn't want to flesh out.
"So you just up and left everything you knew to come to Balamb Garden?" was Adette's reply when Tessa had finished. "Surely you brought something with you."
"Well," Tessa said thoughtfully as she leaned back against the railing. "My friends Liana and Dave gave me a 'memory book' full of pictures and such, but it's back in my dorm. Most likely someone has died on it by now."
It was dark out and the moon was shining down on the waves that were lapping gently against the side of the vessel. The other four were already asleep, and lay on various parts of the deck. Quistis and Irvine were laying together, her arm thrown over his torso. Fujin had fallen asleep standing up, leaning against the wall of the control room. Last of all, Hunter had conked out at Fujin's feet, whimpering every few seconds as a pained look flashed across his face.
"Why are you always so negative?" Adette asked. "You never have anything good to say."
Tessa laughed, the first time she'd done so in awhile. "If you expect the worst out of life, you're never disappointed."
"Do you really believe that?"
All the redhead did was shrug and say, "I've never been proven wrong."
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The next day was spent doing what Quistis called "inventory." They went through the cargo in the vessel, throwing what they had no use for overboard. Several electric lamps and computers slipped below the waves as the cargo hold was slowly shaped into a living space. Boxes were moved around to form makeshift walls so that there was some semblance of privacy.
One of the first things Quistis had done was kill the engines and turn on the radio. Her rationale was that, with what fuel they had and the girls' knowledge of what was happening in the nearby nations, there was no safe place to go. They would simply hope that someone would pick up on their frequency and rescue them. Secretly, Tessa thought the Instructor was hoping the mobile Trabia Garden would find and take care of them. Of course, it didn't seem likely that it would happen. Most likely the six of them would die of dehydration on the vessel before they made it anywhere safe.
"What's in that crate?" Quistis asked Irvine, who just happened to be lounging around on a large wooden box.
"How should I know? The thing's nailed shut and I don't have a hammer," was the cowboy's response. Rolling her eyes, Tessa looked to Adette.
"Here," Adette stood up and pulled a knife out of her back pocket. During the earlier bit of the morning, they had managed to find a case of rare hunting knives fastened from Ruby Dragon bones. "Try this."
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Irvine asked as he stared at the weapon in Adette's hand. "Why even bother doing this? We're going to land somewhere soon, anyway."
Tessa sighed and threw a loose piece of wood at the sharpshooter, hitting him in the leg. It didn't look like it hurt, but a commotion was made anyway. Quistis had to get between Irvine and Tessa, chastising them both. The redhead grumbled and went back to sorting what little food they had. Silently, Fujin was helping her. Hunter had requested radio duty, and Tessa had insisted he do it. There was something sinister in the way he would glare at Adette. It was almost like he hated her.
Fujin was actually calming to be around. She didn't press Tessa for questions about past like Adette, or mutter inaudible insults like Hunter. Hell, even the great Quistis Trepe had gotten onto Tessa's case about the kiss, informing her that such actions could result in her suspension from Garden. Of course, the Instructor realized that there was no more Garden and apologized, but that didn't matter. The damage had been done. The admiration of Instructor by student was gone. All Irvine did was tell dirty jokes and prod about who did what during sex. It wasn't that Tessa was uncomfortable with the questions, it was that she didn't know. Besides, Adette might not approve of telling people of their sexual history, not that they had one. No, Fujin was the best person for Tessa because so much was conveyed without saying a word. Silence was their gift to each other.
You do know that Fujin is straight, right?
Yes, Tessa answered her GF. Shiva hadn't spoken to her in awhile, but the young warrior knew why. She felt that her work had been done in getting Tessa and Adette together, so now she could sit back and watch her work take fruition. And before you ask, I'm not into her. Adette is all I need, right now.
I don't like how you said "right now."
I don't like how you say anything, was Tessa's response. Of course, this start a whole new battle royale between GF and Host, which ended with Shiva declaring that she couldn't fade into the background until she was sue Tessa would be a good thing for Adette.
"Chuck it," Quistis said as she kicked the crate Irvine had previously been sitting on. "We have no use for gunblades, even of this quality. Nobody here knows how to use one."
"It's a shame," Irvine said with a whistle as he pulled two gunblades out of the crate, examining the trigger as meticulously as though it were one of his own firearms. "I'm sure Squall would have loved one."
Then came the awkward silence, crashing down on the five as though the deck overhead had collapsed. The only sound made was of Irvine sliding the gunblades back into crate. He was fully aware of every eye resting on him.
"I'll just, umm, go now," he said as he walked up the stairs to the deck. It was daytime by then, and small rays of sunlight lit up the cargo hold just enough for the four women to see what they were doing.
Tessa bit her lip, remembering the ordeal in the office. That was the first time she had used her limit break. Ever. Shiva told her that they become available whenever someone's life is in danger. Apparently, Tessa's limit break was known as the Sonic Cry. (A/N: Yes, I'm a fan of the Black Canary.) Squall's Firaga attack had been deflected by the growing electromagnetic static around her. What that had to do with magic was beyond the redhead's knowledge. She studied medicine, not physics.
"Are you okay?" Quistis asked, draping an arm around the girl's shoulder. "Do you need a break?"
No was Tessa's answer. She didn't say it, just shook her head. The tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes didn't have a chance to fall before she wiped them away. Adette didn't even move. She had heard of how the Garden's Commander had tried to kill her new lover. It still didn't seem possible.
Suddenly a great clamour arose as Hunter and Irvine ran down into the hull, looking extremely excited.
"WHAT?" asked Fujin with a yell. Of course, all Fujin did was yell, so no one was surprised.
"We've got them!" Irvine gushed. Behind him, Hunter nodded. Of course, his expression had become grim and settled on Adette again, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the news the cowboy had for everyone. "We have Trabia Garden on the radio!"
"Already?" Quistis asked, not completely believing it. Tessa didn't understand why, it was the best news that she'd gotten since leaving on her exam over a week before. "But my last transmission with the Trabian Headmaster suggested that they were in the Centra region, to the south. The equipment on this vessel isn't strong enough to make contact..."
"Instructor!" Adette interrupted. Her face, even when covered with dirt and grime, was lit up. "We're going to be rescued! Can't you just celebrate?"
Tessa saw the fingers itching at the whip on her side as Quistis nodded. The other four dashed up the stairs, leaving behind the Blonde and redhead. Of course, Fujin had momentarily looked at the two figures before heading upward herself.
"Antessence, you feel it, too. Don't you?" Quistis asked, looking at the crate full of gunblades that were still waiting to be discarded.
"No, I don't, Instructor," Tessa lied. She did feel the darkness rolling in on the survivors, but actively ignored it. And with that, she walked up the stairs to the deck.
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A/N: I know, it's a filler. I just didn't know what to write for this chapter. Sorry.