No Turning Back
Chapter 3 Leaving Garden
Present.
After the celebration Edea stayed in Garden, which was once again stationed in Balamb, for a few weeks. She wanted to be close to her children (minus one) again.
Only one of her children concerned her. While the others flourished after the defeat of Ultimecia, Quistis was withdrawing more and more in her old shell. The shell Edea herself had helped to destroyed when she was just a small child.
She knew she had to do something, and that she should probably involve Seifer, but how?
She knew it was herself that had to help Quistis; after all she was one of the few who knew of the relationship between Quistis and Seifer, during and before the war.
She even saw it at the orphanage, the beginning of their strong bond, which she unconsciousness had broken.
It was her who convinced Cid to make Quistis an instructor.
It was her who took Seifer under her wings when she was possessed.
It was her should make everything alright again, or at least push them in the right direction.
Only problem was, she didn't know where Seifer is. She only spoke to him shortly after his sentence was pronounced and the only thing he told her was that he was going far away and that Rajin and Fujin were joining him.
Far away, that could be any place except Balamb.
There were other places where he wasn't welcome anymore (Esthar, Deling) but that still left a lot of other places.
No, she shouldn't focus on finding Seifer, but on helping her daughter.
It was clear for her that Quistis shouldn't stay in Garden, but how to convince her to leave the place she calls home? Maybe she could suggest a vacation? Cid would surely agree with her and give Quistis some time off.
Decision made, she went in search of her husband.
She just knew how she could help Quistis, and hopefully Seifer too.
Her friends kept giving her worried glances, she knew, but she couldn't help how she felt.
She feels lonely, abandoned, as if she is all alone.
But that was stupid because she was never alone, she was always surrounded by her friends, her family, but still her heart hurt.
It was all because he wasn't with her.
At the party she made a promise to Seifer that they could go back to what they had. But what did they have? A secret relationship none of her friends knew about? She didn't want to go back to that. She wanted to be able to openly love him, but after everything that had happened she just didn't see it happen.
She couldn't choose between Garden and Seifer, her home and family or her lover.
It was just too hard.
So when Edea came to her and told her they were leaving on a little trip, just the two of them, she was happy. She wanted to leave, albeit for a short while, but she never had the courage to go.
Two days later she walked out of the Garden, with Edea at her side. For some reason it made her think about the last she left Garden, with someone she loved by her side.
It was a year ago. One day after the field exam.
-x-x-x-x-
"Stop, Seifer!" Quistis screamed.
He didn't stop.
Quistis had no other choice than to follow him. Seifer ran out of Garden towards the town of Balamb.
Quistis had trouble keeping on Seifer's tail, his long legs giving him an advantage. But that didn't stop her of trying to stop her student.
Student, he was still her student. He had failed his exam again. Again he had disobeyed direct orders. Even though he had, unintentionally, discovered a bigger plot than a simple invasion (which wasn't simple, ever).
They were in Balamb in no time, Seifer never stopped running until they were in the train station.
Quistis was glaring at him but Seifer ignored her and bought two train tickets. Waving them in front of her he asked, "You coming?"
Getting her ticket pushed into her hand she had no other choice than to follow him.
Sitting opposite of him she wondered what had made him run away from the Garden. As soon as he heard her and Xu talking about the Timber-mission, Seifer had started mumbling to himself and left the room in a hurry.
Feeling that he was about to do something stupid she had followed him.
And he had expected her to do it.
"I knew you couldn't let me go." He said with his always present sneer.
Ignoring him, she looked out of the window, trying to figure out a way to get the both of them out of this mess.
-x-x-x-x-
She didn't get them out of the mess, once they reached Timber everything happened so fast she didn't have any time to process what happened until they were imprisoned, one month later.
-x-x-x-x-
They left Balamb the same way as one year ago. But when they reached Timber this time, Edea let her towards the Harbor. There was a ship waiting for them, a ship she recognized, the White Seed Ship.
"Where are we going?" Quistis asked Edea, although she already could guess the answer.
"We're going to Cetra, we're going home."