Hey guys, lol I'm on a roll. I couldn't just leave it at that last chapter. The stories really gonna get into the swing of things soon! It's all kicking off and I'm excited about what's to come. I have quite a lot planned… but on with the show and as you all know I don't own anything to do with final fantasy VIII
Chapter 4: A knights rest
A shill loud ringing brought her to consciousness as Quistis slowly cracked open her eyes, groaning at her alarm clock and wishing she could have just stayed in bed. But it was Wednesday, which meant she had a full day ahead of her.
Sighing to no one she swung her legs over to sit up and stretch out her arms above her, making her white vest ride up her side. She was a natural night owl, so mornings were not her favoured time of day. But she did what she had to without complaint. And that included writing up reports for squall in the small hours of the night, and getting up for her many classes in the mornings.
She surveyed her accommodation as she wiped the sleep from her eyes, simple and comfortable was how she'd describe it. Her bed was a double, covered with a crisp cotton white and red duvet and a couple of large red pillows. She had seen the bed set in a quaint home furnishing store in timber last year when she was off duty from finishing a mission clearing a large cockatrice nest from nearby Obel Lake.
The colour was what attracted her. She adored red, she'd wear it everyday if she could but the colour didn't exactly make her look great. Softer colours suited her pale skin tone, hence the peach she wore often. Anyway this was the first set of linen she'd seen that was red, and more importantly they weren't 'sex sheets' that she hated. Everywhere she looked it was like the only red bed sets available were tacky satin or silk made for the boudoir and made her want to cringe.
Her furniture was the standard issue that was in all of the upper rank seed accommodation, but her few nick knacks warmed the place up. Her bedside table held an elegant red tiffany lamp, her alarm clock and a picture frame containing a group shot of her friends taken from the party held in their honour.
After switching off the alarm she smiled at the picture. They were all having the time to relax and unwind when Xu was bugged by Selphie to take the snapshot. Selphie had dug out her camera after the camcorder's battery had died. The picture was her favourite.
Cid and Edea stood in the centre, proud and tall, cid with his arm wrapped around his wife's waist. Quistis herself had stood on the other side of cid and was smiling towards the camera. Irvine stood on her other side, his arms cuddling Selphie who had his hat perched on her head. Squall stood next to Edea, a slight smile on his face as rinoa next to him had leant up to plant a light kiss on his cheek. And zell was crouched in front of them all, arms outstretched, hot dog in both hands and mouth wide open in his mega watt smile having ran out and posed just as the flash went off.
Finally feeling awake she padded over to her mirror and began her morning routine. Yes sometimes it was dull to start the day with a series of stretches but if anything it helped her wake up and gave her much needed energy for the day. On finishing she walked right over to her small bathroom, grabbing her soft terry bathrobe and hanging it on the back hook on the door.
Now this is heaven! She thought to herself as she stepped under the shower spray and lathered up her body puff with her creamy shower gel. She loved the coconut scent it left the room. This had to be her second favourite place in garden… and her bed would follow up close third.
She took comfort in the small luxuries she had made for her self; her home was her resting spot. This was the place to hide when she needed to get away from the over zealous trepies and Selphie when she was on a sugar high.
Half an hour later she emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and dressed in her seed uniform. She walked over to her desk and switched on her computer, then padded across her sitting room to the kitchenette, opened her fridge and selected a cereal bar and the carton of orange juice.
She returned to sit at her desk cereal bar in mouth and a tall glass in one hand and the juice in her other. The computer would always take a couple of minuets to upload because of her e-mail account. She wished she could limit the e-mails she received from the trepies but her address was open to all students because of the necessity as an instructor to be available to answer any queries that students had.
The screen glared brightly at her as the general garden welcome page opened up. You have 187 messages. Quickly pouring out her drink she sipped at it while scrolling down her new message. There was the normal amount of love declarations, the trepies did make up about 90 of her in box after all, and she quickly scrolled through those, empting her in box as appropriate.
This eventually left a couple of messages from Selphie updating her on the current festival plans, some student queries about the assignment she had set on the ethics of field missions for them for the following week, and a message from Xu enlisting that she attend the meeting with cid and squall today. Not much else was said about that.
She glanced up from her desk to the clock that hung on her wall. She had an hour until the meeting; she may as well get her proper breakfast at the canteen and drop off the files that she planned to work on later at her office.
She lent back, now waiting for the terminal to switch off. Squall had looked worried when she saw him two nights ago. He'd said he was doing some work for his father, and garden was moving towards Esthar at a very quick pace. Just what was happening? Squall liked to keep garden grounded in Balamb, he wouldn't give authority for garden to move unless it was important. She was curious as too what could be going on? Well more than likely she would get some answers at today's meeting.
-X.X.X-
"She had another one last night..." Kiros informed Laguna who looked up at him, tucking his stray hair behind his ear out of his worried tired eyes.
He sighed, stood from his seat to grasp the file Kiros had in his hands. It was a copy of the dream journal that ellie had made. "…And how was she?"
"These dreams are apparently getting clearer to her. She was able to pin point a location as to where she was - Tears point." Kiros nodded at Laguna as his friend's head snapped up at this. They all were worried, but Laguna was taking it the hardest because he was so close to ellone.
Laguna was in deep thought, and Kiros could pretty much guess what his friend was thinking. He was asking himself the same questions. Why now? What did these dreams mean? Why ellone…
Laguna sat back down, his head in his hands tenderly rubbing his eyes. He'd not been sleeping because of his nerves and had started keeping a small handgun nearby just in case. He just wasn't liking the situation one bit but at least now he had something he could work with… admittingly he'd never liked tears point. The place was just depressing to him.
Laguna lent back in his chair, looking sternly at the report cover on his desk before looking up at Kiros, a flash of action now present in his eyes. "Seed arrives at noon, I want a meeting set up here for as soon as they arrive, I want ellone and Dr Odine present too. After we talk I'm gonna have a team explore Tears point and make sure nothings out of order there."
Kiros nodded but one question graced his mind "what happens if there is something at tears point?"
Laguna looked harshly at his friend, it was the same look he held when he'd witnessed Adel's treatment of those poor girls she brutally abused. "Then we'll take whatever action is needed."
Kiros bowed and walked out of the office swiftly, leaving Laguna and the report. He picked up the file and opened it tenderly. He knew how ellone's dreams always began… she was drawn to Adel, who wanted her and then she would freeze and run, Adel chasing her… to experience this vision night after night made his heart bleed for ellie. His girl had had enough pain from that monster when she was young.
He paused as he got to the last page, his frown deepening as he traced a finger over the drawing that ellone had made. That gunblade… he'd seen it before. He'd fought against it himself years ago when on his search for ellone. The others didn't know it, but he knew it's owner… and that person hadn't been seen for years, not since Adel's capture.
His fists slammed against his desk, throwing the file across the room. He didn't like this one bit… if she was involved than Adel was more likely to be a real threat. Seed better hurry up and get here a.s.a.p.