Squall sat in his office. He read the messages over and over again.
If only I knew who sent them he thought
He decided to clear his head and go monster hunting. He grabbed his gunblade, put on his gloves and left the office. He went inside the elevator but instead of pressing "Floor One" he pressed "Floor Two".
"Damn," he said allowed.
He was distracted. When the doors opened his legs took control. He ended up being taken to Rinoa's office. The door was slightly ajar. Peeking inside he saw Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie and Yuffie laughing and painting the walls. They were in the middle of a conversation.
"…the thing is, he's not as good as he lets on," Selphie said waving a paint brush "He makes the most stupidest face that I end up laughing and we never reached anything,"
"So you've never actually felt anything?" Yuffie asked
"No, he stops and starts complaining that I'm laughing. Honestly if you guys could see his face!"
"I think I'll have to pass on that one," Quistis said bluntly, she was covering the couch with plastic covers.
Squall saw Rinoa walk to the other side of the room; she was now in clear view. She was wearing blue dungarees with a white t-shirt underneath. Her long ebony hair was tied back.
"Ok, Rinny-nee your turn, what does Squall do?"
Squall raised an eyebrow. Rinoa set down a tin of red paint and leant on it.
"Umm…I don't really know," she bit the end of her paintbrush "I guess he just looks normal,"
"There has to be something that annoys you…like he eats while you do it or he pulls your hair," Selphie encouraged her to speak
"Ok, ew, who would want to eat whilst doing it?"
There was silence; the four girls looked at one another,
"Irvine," they said in unison and then started laughing.
"And nope, he's never pulled my hair,"
"So you just want us to believe he's perfect," Quistis said
Rinoa fiddled with the paint can trying to open it.
"I guess he is," Rinoa laughed turning as red as the paint.
"Ok, lemme ask you this, did you lose it to him?" Yuffie asked forwardly
Rinoa turned to her hastily.
"Yes! And before you think anything little Miss Sicko I did not do anything with Seifer Alamsy. Just the thought of it makes my skin crawl," she shuddered slightly.
Yuffie laughed.
"Mr Ginger-Pubes,"
This comment had everyone laughing. Even Squall let out a snigger.
"Anyway my point being, because you lost it to him then naturally he's the only one you've ever done it with so you have nothing to compare it too," Yuffie stated
"Well, I don't want to compare it to anyone else," Rinoa finally opened the paint can sending the lid flying "Ouch! I broke a nail,"
Yuffie snorted,
"You're such a girl,"
Rinoa opened her mouth in shock. Without warning she dipped the brush into the paint and flung it across the room at Yuffie.
"You bitch!" Yuffie yelled as she flicked paint back.
Rinoa sent some flying and instinctively Yuffie ducked causing the paint to go on Selphie. In a matter of seconds the three girls were in a paint war.
Squall could see Rinoa best of all and he smiled. She kept complaining about her hair but that didn't stop her from carrying on.
"I don't think this is sanitary," He heard Quistis say
The girls stopped and eyed each other. All together they dipped their brushes in the paint and flung it at Quistis who was attacked from every side. She wiped the paint away from her mouth,
"You guys are so dead!"
After another play fight they decided to stop. Rinoa looked at herself. Red paint was all over her.
"Guys, it looks like I've been stabbed," she laughed, she put the back of her hand to her forehead and slowly fell on the floor "Goodbye cruel world…I hardly knew ye!"
The others laughed and walked over to her.
"She was so kind to us," Quistis said trying to hold back the laughter
"What are we to do now?" Selphie asked almost in fits
"I know lets take advantage of her body!" Yuffie winked.
None of them could carry on, they were laughing too much. Rinoa whacked Yuffie with the paintbrush and sat up.
"I think we should paint properly now,"
They nodded and together they sensibly started to paint. Squall smiled and started to walk away; as he left he heard them start a new conversation.
"So Yuffie-Chan, what does Vincent do?"
x x x
Walking into the training centre he came across a pair of Grats. Not the type of monster he was looking for but it was something. He ran toward them and sliced them with his gunblade. They didn't last 2 minutes. He wanted something more challenging, something he needed to work on. He started looking for a T-Rexaur. Reaching the higher-level monster area he came across someone he'd rather not. Cloud had just defeated one and he didn't even look like he was sweating. Squall just tried to walk past him. He knew if he'd say something it would cause conflict and he couldn't do that do Rinoa.
"Are T-Rexaurs the strongest thing you have in here?" Cloud asked without any emotion
Squall turned.
"Yeah, this is only a training centre not a death wish. If you want something stronger then leave the Garden,"
"I think you want me to leave Garden with reasons other then training,"
"Maybe but what's it to you?" Squall stared directly at him
"Nothing, you mercenary's wouldn't understand,"
"Says who?" Squall's grip tightened on his weapon
"A former mercenary,"
Squall's eyes opened, he finally remembered where he'd seen him from. Those eyes.
"SOILDER! You used to work for SOILDER!"
"So you finally remembered. Yes, I was the one who fought you when you was just a cadet,"
"You humiliated me!"
"Was it my fault you couldn't take a hit?!"
Squall's temper rose. He thought back to when he had first met Cloud.
x x x
"There isn't anything you can do!"
"Yes there is!" Squall was only fourteen years old,
"You're trying to hard, you SeeDs are all alike!"
"I'm not a SeeD yet but I will be one day and then I'll come and destroy you!"
"Being a mercenary isn't everything its cracked up to be; don't waste your life wishing to be one,"
"Stop messing with my head!" Squall ran toward him and slung his gunblade at Cloud
Using his Buster Sword Cloud dodged every attack
"You'll end up with nothing!"
"I don't have anything to lose! I'm not going to gain anything in the future, so what's the point?"
"That's pathetic; you have no expectations for yourself!"
"Shut up!" Squall lunged at him again.
Cloud pushed his attacks with his buster sword not even breaking a sweat. Squall fell to the floor; Cloud stabbed his Sword in the ground. He leant down so they were face to face.
"We will meet again, but next time, don't consider yourself so lucky. If you have nothing to fight for…then there's no point in fighting," Cloud stared directly into Squall's eyes.
Squall would never forget those eyes. The eyes of the man who had fused with Mako. The eyes of the man who had humiliated him and the eyes of the man who had messed with his head.
x x x
Squall gritted his teeth.
"Bastard," his memory had made him so angry. He'd cursed himself since that day. His weakness was unforgivable.
"So your finally a SeeD, are you going to keep to your word?"
Squall knew what he was going on about. He tried to stay calm, god he tried. But nothing could make him forget, nothing could calm his thoughts. Before he knew it he was running toward Cloud; gunblade high in the air.
He set off the trigger sending a bullet directly at him. It scraped past his cheek; scratching it slightly.
Cloud gripped his sword with both hands and swung it at his opponent. Squall leapt out of the way and jumped in the air. Powering up he spun around to perform a fated circle limit break. The energy blasted around him and threw Cloud against a wall.
"You've become stronger I see,"
"Yeah, because I have something to fight for!"
"Well then fight me like a real man! Get rid of your toy!" Cloud dropped his sword and started to walk over to Squall.
"Fine," Squall dropped his and ran over to Cloud arms up and ready.
Squall leapt at Cloud and punched him in the face. Cloud gripped Squall's hand and started to crush it in his fist. Squall automatically kicked Cloud in the stomach and used his free hand to grab his throat. Cloud let go and pulled Squall off of him. He twisted Squall's arms around his back and kicked him in the spine. Squall grunted and struggled to get out of the grip. Once he was free they rammed heads and were punching and kicking each other. Other SeeDs and students had gathered watching. Some thought they were training so cheered Squall on. Others knew it was a proper fight. One of the spectators was Xu. She gasped at the sight of the commander fighting with a guest. She ran from the training centre towards the elevator.
x x x
"I like this colour," Rinoa said munching on her sandwich "Although it definitely needs a second coat,"
"Definitely, this colour says casual yet smart," Selphie threw away her sweet wrapper "And it matches the furniture,"
The girls nodded proud of their days work. They were in deep conversation when Xu burst threw the door.
"Rinoa!" she was out of breath.
"Xu, Are you ok?"
Xu panted hard to gather her words.
"Squall…training centre…fight…with…your friend,"
"Cloud…he's having a fight with Cloud!" Rinoa shot up from her space on the floor and left the room, the other three following closely.
"They could kill each other," Yuffie stated
"Then we better get their quick!"
They ran down the hallway dripping paint as they went. When they reached the training centre they met Tifa at the door.
"What's going on?" She cried
"Squall and Cloud are fighting!"
Together the five girls pushed passed the mob of students that had gathered. They found Cloud and Squall in a ruckus on the floor. Rinoa and Tifa ran towards them.
"Squall, stop!" Rinoa cried but he didn't listen, he rose from the floor and went to kick Cloud who was also getting up.
"Cloud!" Tifa yelled.
Rinoa ran to the scene and grabbed Squall's waist. He stopped immediately. Tifa flew in front of Cloud to stop him from pursuing another attack.
Squall and Cloud stood staring at each other with pure hatred. Squall spat on the floor.
Headmaster Cid came storming through the crowd.
"You will stop this, you will stop this, this instant!" he was very angry.
As he approached, Rinoa let go of Squall and took a few steps back.
"Squall, this is not how a commander should behave!" he poked a finger at him "This man is our guest and the other students look to you for guidance!"
Squall turned his gaze to his superior.
"Apologise now!"
Squall felt sick. Aside from the fact he suffered a few blows to the stomach he couldn't bare to think of apologising to a man he hated.
"Whatever," he said and stormed out of the training centre.
Cid shouted his name but he refused to turn around.
Rinoa walked over to Cloud who she was equally angry with.
"What was that all about?!" she yelled
"Ask your boyfriend," and then he walked in the opposite direction to the exit.
Rinoa and Tifa exchanged worried glances.