Disclaimer: I only own Jamaila and Gabriel, as well as any OCs used in this chapter. The rest belongs to Squaresoft/Square-Enix.
- x – x – x – x – x –
"Reflect on your childhood..."
Flash. Nine figures sat around a table, all smiles and laughter etched on their faces. It was Cid's birthday and they had all just surprised him with their pancakes: they all knew that Cid loved pancakes.
It had been Matron's idea for all of them to cook pancakes and they had, all their pancakes lay in front of Cid, who had had difficulty choosing the one to eat first amidst the shouts of "My one! My one!" "No way, mine's much better!" "Hey, Cid, don't choose Zell's!"
He inhaled once more before hovering his hand above the pancakes, clearly unable to pick one just yet …
"Your sensation..."
Flash. Her head snapped back as she felt the man's hand tear at the tendrils of her hair. Gritting her teeth, she slowly opened the palm of her right hand, and sharply inhaled as the ball of Blizzard coursed through her veins and shot towards her assailant, who flew back with a grunt.
Finally escaped from his hold (although the pain in her head hadn't stopped), she Cast another Blizzard at him and watched as the ice pierced his skin and his eyes stared back at her, lifeless …
"Your words..."
Flash. Cid lowered his head. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do."
Jamaila's head shot right back up. "What?! Father, do you realize what has happened?! Mother –"
"She is not your mother. She is Ultimecia, a woman –"
"- who's possessing my mother, who's using her body for evil!" She jumped out of her seat, outraged. "For Hyne's sake, Dad, why did you go through with it?!"
Cid was momentarily confused. "Go through with what, Jamaila?"
She took a deep breath in, before exhaling slowly and continuing, "Why did you have to go ahead with Garden's construction? You built a stronghold where you could train soldiers to fight Sorceresses, when you knew perfectly well that Mother was one, too!"
Doctor Kadowaki entered the Infirmary at that moment, planning to stop an argument that she knew was going to come …
"Your emotions..."
Flash. She stared around aimlessly, absorbing the sight of the frantically running cadets with her eyes and desperately wishing for the dispatched SeeD groups to return. Damnit, why did her friends have to go missing now?
Ignoring the cadets' shouts and cries, she began to sprint towards the Directory, hoping that there was someone there who was willing to stop the needless fighting.
One of the Garden Faculty members was waiting there and, beneath his hat, Jamaila saw his beady eyes narrow. Clenching her fists, she allowed her emotions to overtake her …
"Time..."
Tick … Tock …
She was standing in a flower field. It took her a couple of seconds to recognize it – the flower field from the orphanage, her old home. Admiring the flowers blossoming from beneath her feet, Jamaila knelt down to take a closer look at them.
They were of various shades of colors and, almost out of habit, Jamaila picked one out and raised it up, admiring its beauty and simplicity. The weather was beautiful, the sky tranquil, and Jamaila found herself wondering if the garden had always been like this – mothering pretty little flowers as they grew from small, simple seeds.
Unlike the Garden that trained potential SeeDs to follow rules and kill any who opposed them (namely the Sorceresses), Jamaila knew that they would blossom.
"It will not wait..."
Scuff … Scuff …
Jamaila's ears were first alerted to the noise, and as she raised herself up, she found her mother staring back at her, wearing a black silk dress, with her hair cascading down her back behind her.
Jamaila allowed herself to smile at the sight of her and, after a little while, Edea did the same …
"No matter..."
Whoosh … Whoosh …
The wind began to blow and Edea's hair began to fly around wildly and her eyes stared straight ahead, as if she could not comprehend what she was looking at. Jamaila looked straight behind her, but found only empty air. Whatever was scaring Edea was obviously not showing itself.
Then, just as sudden, a blue watery veil engulfed her figure and Jamaila tried to (but couldn't) scream out to her. However, the veil was removed and Edea still stood there, but was attired in her 'Sorceress' garb; her eyes looking more hollow than Jamaila had ever seen them. Edea raised a long-fingered hand towards her and, at once, her body stood shock-still of its own accord.
"How hard you hold on…"
Swoosh … Swoosh …
The 'Dream' Edea's hand beckoned her forward and Jamaila's body obeyed; she floated straight towards her mother and when she gained control of her body, she closed her eyes and placed both her arms in front of her, waiting for the crash –
- Instead, it did not come. She felt tight fabric, which helped emphasize the figure's form – from that alone, she knew it was a man. Tentatively opening her eyes, she turned towards the jade-green eyes that greeted her.
As a gesture of affection, Seifer placed a few strands of hair behind her ear and smiled at her. The show of emotion illuminated his face so much, that Jamaila couldn't help but smile back.
"It escapes you..."
Fithos … Lusec …
She heard a rumble of thunder and looked up at the viciously dark sky, dimly registering Seifer's arms losing their hold on her. By the time she looked back towards him, he had gone.
"And..."
Wecos … Vinosec …
She suddenly felt wet and looked back up at the night sky. Raindrops began to crash down on her, and the cold hit her fiercely; her hair was soaked and she ran a hand back to remove the wet strands from her face. She heard another rumble of thunder and, at the same time, felt a presence behind her. Looking back, she caught sight of a figure: concealed by the dark, it was hard to make it out …
"...I can't disappear yet..."
Clap …
More thunder sounded and due to the light created, she could decipher her appearance slightly. It was a woman, clad in a black dress similar to Edea's, and her wet hair clung to her, giving her the appearance of a drowned woman. The rain was now rapidly descending and as Jamaila moved forward, towards the older woman, she extended an arm out. The woman, however, didn't move – she stood rigidly straight and didn't even shiver from the cold.
However, as Jamaila moved towards the unknown figure, she thought she could make out the face. Her eyes looked hauntingly familiar, as if she had visited the brunette's dreams often. Maybe she had, Jamaila thought, in her many disguises. She took another step forward, and another thunderclap was heard.
She gasped.
There was something on the woman's face, something trickling down her cheeks. At first glance, she had thought it had been tears, but now she knew.
That woman … was bleeding …
Bang!
Jamaila gasped and her eyes burst open. Trying to ease her heartbeat, she waited there in the dark and contemplated the dream. They had never been that bad before, despite the fact that the mysterious lady at the end was always in them. For a moment there, she had felt as if she was drowning, her breathes coming out in sudden spasms and her body feeling soaked by a combination of vivid imagery and humidity. She pushed herself up into a seated position and took a glance at the oblivious Gabriel: she was glad that he had not woken up, for she would have found it increasingly difficult to explain what was troubling her.
With a sigh, she lifted herself off the bed and made for the bathroom, intending to wash her dream away.
- x – x – x – x – x –
Following his morning routine, Zell usually got himself revitalized by doing 100 push-ups preceded by 100 sit-ups.
Today, predictably, was no exception.
He sat himself into a kneeling position before lifting himself with his hands and started on his exercise.
It had been like this every day, the meticulous activity only satisfying him when his muscles hurt at the end of it, for it was then that he knew that it was a job well done. Although, more than most of the time, he had wanted to do things differently – break out of the same routine that had been instilled into his mind since childhood. Even now, he felt as if he had exhausted himself, like a T-Rexaur zapped off its entire HP, and the only way for him to satisfy his self-importance was to keep himself fit and healthy.
Well, he was doing that right.
With a relieving sigh escaping his lips, Zell sprung back up and, after jumping from foot-to-foot on the spot, he jogged out of his dorm room. Seeing nothing but closed white doors, the jog didn't make much of an interesting pastime; it was only after Zell had entered the 1F circular hallway that he had found something to gawk at for a couple of seconds.
'Irvine, up at this hour? Huh … and here I always thought Kinneas was the slacker of the group …'
He had stopped just short of one of the benches that leaned against the fountain located in the middle of the hallway, when Irvine raised his head to look at the blond.
With a worn-out smile, the Galbadian raised his hand in greeting. "Hey, Dincht, how's it goin'?"
Zell frowned slightly. "Hey – uh – how come you're up so early? Did Cid call you for a briefing?"
Irvine looked away briefly and his shoulders formed something that remotely resembled a shrug. "Yeah, yeah, somethin' like that. Well, I was told t'meet with Cid, anyways, so that's where I'm headed now. Did he call you along, too?"
Zell waved a hand, as if he had just swatted a massive Bite Bug. "Nah, I just thought I'd jog around the hallway. I was getting kinda restless sitting in my room."
Irvine nodded. "Well, I guess we'd better take our leave, then: places to go, people to meet."
Zell saluted him, a bold grin plastered on his face. "Good luck, SeeD Kinneas. May the GFs be with you."
Irvine smiled before rolling his eyes. "Yeah, thanks, Dincht."
Zell watched him walk off and his arm fell back to his side. Jumping from foot-to-foot, he began jogging again: another pastime of his that seemed unlikely to change.
- x – x – x – x – x –
It was not common for Seifer to usually smoke in the mornings, but his mind had been occupied with Sorceresses and bodies and the odour of death … and there had been so much blood …
Seifer cringed. It was enough to allow those visions to invade his mind in the dark, but to think about it now …
'Do what the others did – put the past behind you.'
A couple of seconds later, he scoffed.
'Sure, how easy is it to forget about the fact that I betrayed my home, joined a crazy witch and almost helped her take over the world?'
His fingers itched for a cigarette, and he found himself nearing the 2nd floor balcony. Unfortunately, his dorm room didn't allow for much smoking (i.e. none at all) and, hell, the balcony view was more attractive anyway.
After typing in the pass-code (one of the things he had luckily committed to memory) on the door's keypad, the sliding door opened with a hiss and he entered.
He was right about the view – it was nice. With a sigh, he made his way toward the railing and extracted a pack of Marlboros from his jean pocket. It was only a matter of seconds before he lit his cigarette with a Fire spell and took a drag. Hyne, it felt comforting, knowing that he was doing something that would piss more than a few cadets off; Magic was prohibited within Garden, as well as smoking.
'Well,' he sighed as he took another drag of his cigarette, 'it's not like anyone's here …'
It was only when a movement to the left caught his eye that he noticed a figure reclining against the balcony wall, face obscured by a book.
But, that hair colour, he'd recognize anywhere …
He looked back towards the view, and took a drag of his cigarette before exhaling. "Never knew you liked to revise here."
Rinoa lowered the book so that she could see Seifer better. Her hair was in a braid, which was placed to the side, but a few strands of hair still managed to find its way towards her face. She swatted a strand of hair away from her eye before answering, "Well, there was nowhere else to go?"
"The Quad?"
"Apparently, the Garden Festival Committee have a meeting there."
"Leonhart's dorm?"
Rinoa shook her head. "I can't … concentrate there."
Seifer smirked. "Don't tell me – he snores?"
Rinoa frowned. "No, it's because of Angelo."
At the mention of Angelo, Seifer narrowed his eyes and looked towards the horizon. "Oh, the dog."
Rinoa stared at him for a while, whilst he continued to stare off into the distance.
He had never liked that fucking mutt, even when he and Rinoa had been dating. It seemed that Seifer and Angelo were always in tenterhooks about who deserved Rinoa more – the resolute Knight or the loyal companion.
It was, predictably, the mutt who had ended up with the Princess's heart.
Rinoa turned a page of 'SeeD Regulations: What You Need To Know' before asking, "Aren't you supposed to be revising too?"
Seifer shrugged. "I'm not taking the test yet."
Rinoa looked up from her book. "Oh? So when will you take it?"
Seifer shrugged again, his non-verbal way of saying 'Whenever I feel like it.'
A silence stretched between them, in which Seifer found himself looking at Rinoa as she continued to read. It was … interesting to discover that she was planning to become a SeeD, something that she had disapproved of when she had been his girlfriend. It would be hard for her, though, to follow in something she had previously not believed in. And her training needed to improve too, if she was ever planning on making it that far.
His right arm rested on the railing as his left arm held his cigarette. "You know, you could get Leonhart to help you with your revision."
Rinoa sighed. "Well … I just don't want to bother him."
"I mean, wouldn't he have dreamt of this chance?" Seifer continued, without really listening to Rinoa. "Two SeeDs living in a big house, married and with a couple of kids?"
Rinoa dog-earred the page she had been reading before closing the red manual and setting it down. "Well … I'm not sure Squall and I will end up married."
Seifer looked back at her, his eyebrows raised. "You're kidding."
Rinoa fiddled with her necklace. "No, it's just …" She closed her eyes. "I'm not as innocent as Squall believes and I … don't want to cause him any problems." She opened her eyes and chocolate brown stared into jade green.
A pause was inserted, before Seifer looked to the clouds. "You know, if this is about me –"
"It's got nothing to do with you -" Rinoa persisted.
" – like me giving Squall the leftovers, is that it?"
Rinoa turned pink as she realized the implications of that statement. "No, really, Seifer, I don't think -"
Before Seifer could answer, he heard two voices mumbling behind the door before the door hissed open, which revealed both Jamie and Gabriel, who both stopped talking when they saw the pair at the balcony.
"Oh," Jamie muttered. A few silent seconds passed where she stared at Seifer, and he turned to stare at anything but her; he did not want to see any pity or guilt held in her gaze.
"Well, I, uh …" Rinoa had gotten up, with her book in hand. "I guess you guys want to talk, so -"
"It's fine." Seifer looked back at Rinoa, and wondered why she felt so awkward for. However, he wondered why …
' … The hell did she come here for?'
It was then that he noticed the kid, who had his hand encased in Jamie's. In a way, he felt slightly envious of the way that Gabriel could attract Jamie's attention so easily: something that he had yearned for so long ago; a helping hand.
Rinoa interrupted his thoughts from travelling any further. "Look, you obviously need to talk, so -"
"It's fine." This time, it was Jamie who interrupted her.
Seifer looked at Gabriel and registered something. "Hey – kid."
Gabriel looked away as Seifer addressed him, but the ex-Knight knew that the kid was listening.
"You're the one that told Jamie here about me and Rinoa, right?"
Jamie glared at him. "Seifer, this is neither the time nor the place."
Seifer managed to smirk. "Well, I've got time and this is a pretty nice place."
"I -"
"Jamie?" Gabriel grabbed her arm. "Can we go now?"
Jamie looked at him for a moment and Seifer felt pretty curious. Had she come here to spy on them? And, if so …
'What a cheeky little minx.'
Jamie glanced at Seifer, then Rinoa, and then Seifer again. "Right … let's go."
She moved back inside, with Gabriel in tow. Rinoa exhaled loudly and Seifer took a long drag of his cigarette. Eventually, the silence expired.
"What is wrong with you?!"
Seifer looked back at her and frowned. "What?"
"You could have tried to be nice," Rinoa said, before turning to him, hands on her hips. She looked so typically petulant there, that she seemed to look every part the spoilt brat she usually acted like.
'Okay, she wants me to be nice to someone that had punched her Hyne-knows-how-long-ago … Hah …'
Seifer's lips twitched upwards. "Rin, you don't know how weird you sound right now."
Rinoa blinked, partly due to the nickname he had used; it had been too long since he had called her by that name, as if she was still …
His little princess.
Rinoa placed her hands to her side and looked down. "Well, I …"
Seifer threw the cigarette over the balcony railing and moved to go back inside. "I have a favour to ask of you …"
Rinoa stared at him as he moved towards the door.
"Don't interfere."
And with that, he waited for the door to slide open, his steel boots echoing through the corridors.
No matter what, he would make sure that no-one ever saw the real side to him. No, that would just make him look vulnerable.
- x – x – x – x – x –
Squall had registered Rinoa's absence as soon as he'd risen from his sleep. Unfortunately for him, he was still lumbered with Angelo, who seemed to be enjoying scouting for antiques and decorations to break. He was lucky that the dog hadn't run off with Lionheart nestled between his teeth.
He had just logged into his e-mail account and was currently reading a message sent to him by Xu.
From: Ling, Xu; ()
To: Leonhart, Squall; ()
Subject: Transfer Students
Date Received: 30/04/'09, 08:45am
Commander,
Enlisted here are the names of the cadets transferred from both Trabia and Galbadia Gardens:
Trabian cadets: Ayer, Joanna; Courniers, Faz; Riarre, Jenny; Symonds, Jaycee
Galbadian cadets: Bennett, Ryder; Remin, Canto; Toshi, Meyamo; Veck, Liona
All records of transfer students have been received and filed copies are available in the Admissions Bureau, as well as the Headmaster's, Instructor's and Commander's offices. If anything else is required, please let me know via e-mail.
Xu Ling, Assistant Headmistress
It had taken Squall a while to reply, due to Angelo constantly pestering him. Even now, he felt as if he had grown up too fast – he hadn't even reached 20 yet and he was already doing paperwork. He was planning to retire early too …
'Hynedammit, I hate this.'
He had loved the practical aspects of SeeD, and the theory tests were fine as long as he revised for them.
No, it was the marking and filing that he'd never get used to.
Angelo came bounding in at that moment and almost pounced at Squall. He impatiently pushed the dog away, as he went to rise from his chair. He heard Angelo whine and, impatiently, he waved a hand, as if he was swatting a Bite Bug.
"Go. I've got work to do."
Truthfully, Squall would have been surprised if the dog had moved. She just sat there, wagging her tail, her tongue hanging between her teeth, as if Squall had just announced that he was going to treat her. Squall sighed, and tried again.
"Look. Rinoa's outside, go find her."
Angelo's response was a bark. Well, she either understood or was trying to tell the gunblade specialist something. Squall resisted the urge to face-palm.
'Rinoa, where in Hyne's name are you?'
He heard a noise from outside and, frowning, moved to open the door. For some reason, as soon as the door was slid open, Angelo bounded off outside and, due to her excitement, knocked over a cadet, who screamed and landed on her backside.
"Hyne, whose dog is that?!"
Squall sighed. 'Not mine.'
He switched his attention from Angelo to the girl on the floor. With his right hand, he offered in helping her up, and after a few seconds, she placed her hand inside his. With a slight pull, he helped lift the blonde back on her feet and placed his hand back to his side, after releasing her hand. For some reason, the blonde looked disappointed.
However, she regained her composure and smiled at him. "Thanks so much, Commander!"
Squall shrugged. "It was nothing." Really, it wasn't. He had only helped her up …
"Well, I just came here to see you. I've always wanted to meet you, since the Second Sorceress War."
Squall frowned. Sometimes, he wasn't sure of what bothered him more; the visions he sometimes had or the fame that apparently came with defeating a Sorceress bent on world domination (both of which never seemed to leave him alone). He only hoped that this girl was not a rabid 'fan-girl' hoping to glomp him.
"Oh, uh, okay." He seriously needed to learn how to be modest.
In fact, he needed to learn how to socialize, period.
"Look, uh -" he started.
"Liona."
'Veck. Liona Veck.' Great, one of the new (not to mention, Galbadian) cadets wanted to meet him. Suffice to say, he was still distrustful of anyone who hailed from Galbadia; Martine and Vinzer Deling being the culprits.
"Okay, Liona, do you have your luggage unpacked?"
"Well, I started unpacking, but when I realized you were near, I thought I'd come pay you a visit." Liona flicked her hair over her shoulder dramatically and batted her mascara-coated eyelashes a couple of times.
In Squall's opinion, she was trying too hard.
He forced a smile onto his face, in hopes that it'd make her go away faster. "Well, you must have things to do, so …"
She clapped her hands together. "Right, you must be a busy man. So, I'll leave you to … whatever you're doing." She sighed and looked at her right hand, like a cadet who'd just obtained her first GF. "I am never going to wash this hand again."
Squall looked momentarily confused. "You know, you should -"
"Be going now! Bye!" She waved and walked off, her heels echoing as she made her way further down the corridor, her blonde ponytail swinging from side to side.
Squall's eyebrows creased together. Were all his fans this … desperate?
- x – x – x – x – x –
Quistis had somehow managed to wake up later than usual (one of the reasons being that her alarm clock never went off) and had hastily partaken in her morning routine.
She had almost run out of her room and had realized that she had left her dorm key-card on her table. Rushing back, she grabbed it and made her way back out again; key-card and folder in hand.
Unfortunately for her, she had left today's notes beside her bed, as she had been reading over them last night.
She briskly walked towards her classroom, greeting Jamaila and Gabriel on the way, and set off to the elevator. Luckily, she had not met anyone else and stepped into the designated classroom, noticing as she did so that most of the occupants were either gossiping about trivial matters or throwing paper balls and planes at each other. One paper ball narrowly missed Quistis' head.
She closed her eyes and silently counted to ten. I swear, if they aren't ready –'
She felt a paper ball hit her forehead. For her, that was the thread that snapped.
"All right, that's enough!" she ordered, and was pleased to know that they complied. Opening her eyes, she caught sight of 15 shocked cadets, looking as if a T-Rexaur had just walked in.
'Hyne, I'm not that bad … am I?'
Clearing her throat, she proceeded to instruct her class. "Okay, let's start today's lesson." She moved behind her desk and placed her key-card in the drawer and her folder on the desk.
'We've already gone through Iron Giants …' Quistis thought to herself as she riled through her papers. 'So, that leaves the Marlboros and –'
She suddenly paled. 'Oh, Hyne, no …'
The blonde looked back at her cadets, who were muttering under their breath. 'Hyne, what a time to make a bad impression …'
Clearing her throat to regain order, she started again. "Okay, I've decided to give you all a practical lesson." At their questioning frowns, she added, "We'll go to the Infirmary, where Doctor Kadowaki will give you an explanation on basic medical procedure."
The reaction was balanced; some students were satisfied with the fact that they would not have to copy out any boring notes, whereas the others felt that their so-called 'lecture' would be worse.
Quistis hoped that Doctor Kadowaki was not too busy. "Okay, um … you're dismissed."
All the cadets began talking loudly as they gathered their belongings and made their way to the 1st floor.
Quistis exhaled loudly. 'What am I going to do with myself?'
- x – x – x – x – x –
The beautiful red airship grew larger as Irvine approached it. Due to Cid's request, Irvine was going to Esthar with Selphie, and both were to be escorted by a party from there, which included Kiros: the mission entailed delivering Hekora's body to Dr. Odine, who wanted to investigate the corpse for any signs of excessive magic consumption, something that had been common amongst the Centran residents.
Selphie had run off towards the airship first, in hopes of meeting her 'hero' and Irvine glimpsed her petite form stomping towards him, a cute little pout on her face.
"Um … somethin' wrong?" Irvine asked, and his eyes shifted to the inside of the Ragnarok. Maybe Nida had messed something up again …
Selphie stamped her foot, making her look menacingly cute. "I wanted to meet Sir Laguna!"
Irvine rolled his eyes. "Selphie, darlin', you'll be meetin' him soon enough." Really, was that something to sulk about?
Selphie followed Irvine into the Ragnarok. "Even so, I'd have liked to have seen him!"
Irvine shook his head as they made their way through the Boarding Ramp. "Selph, I just don't get what's so special about him."
Selphie's eyes instantly glazed, her hands clasped together and her mind possibly concocting fantasies about the 'White Knight'. "Well, he's amazing and funny and respectable and drool-worthy and –"
Irvine made a face. Hyne, imagine if Squall heard Selphie refer to his father as 'drool-worthy'.
He repressed a shiver.
Selphie's eyes were then focussed on Hekora's body, which was clothed in white and floating between two SeeD escorts. She looked back at Irvine, as Hekora and the SeeD pair entered made their way towards the Passenger Room, with her eyes wide.
"Do you … think she'll be okay?"
Irvine frowned. "What? Selphie, she's -"
"I know," she said and looked down. "But, I'd hate it if Odine experiments on her for no reason at all."
Irvine sighed. "I know, but … we were simply assigned as Cid's informants, nothing more. We shouldn't worry about it."
Selphie looked up at him, eyes pleading. "But, Irvy-!"
Irvine interrupted. "Come on, let's make our way to the Cockpit." Then, as if to shift her attention, he reminded her, "You'll be drivin', right?"
Selphie smiled, although with something less of her usual gusto. "Sure, let's go."
Irvine followed her towards the lift pad, his mind echoing Selphie's sentiments. 'This better not be for nothin'.'
- x – x – x – x – x –
Since Seifer's departure, Rinoa had taken to revising in the library, which was crammed with quite a few other people, no doubt in the same situation as her.
It was odd, really, that she had to come back to revising in the library and studying notes after defeating (with the help of her friends) the most powerful Sorceress to date. Cid had (with regret) informed herself, Irvine and Seifer that he had tried to persuade the Garden Examination Board to allow the trio to automatically become SeeD, but they had hinted on how that would be 'unfair' and they would be 'playing favourites'.
She had privately thought that helping save the world would have automatically assigned them to the 'Fan Favourite' setting.
That is why she sat in the library and continued to read through the 'SeeD Regulations' manual. She was currently reviewing the basic Junction abilities when a tap on the back diverted her attention.
"Gotcha!" Zell grinned from his seated position, his arm slung around the back of his chair.
Rinoa smiled. "Oh, hey, Zell." It had been a while since she had hung out with most of her friends. At times, she felt like Squall: pushing her friends away despite the fact that they could help expel her insecurities. But times like these, where she could chat to her friends with no fear of what she was …
… That was the time that she savoured most.
Zell, still with the grin on his face, asked, "So, you wanna come battle some monsters down in the TC with me?"
Rinoa honestly wanted to say "yes", but her heart thought otherwise. "Sorry, Zell, but I've got to revise." She held up her book. "Big test tomorrow, you see."
Zell shrugged. "… Right, well – 'Course, I understand, but -"
Rinoa felt the need to apologize again. "I'm sorry, Zell."
Zell shrugged again and got up. "Nah, don't worry, Rin … I might find someone else to train with." Then, with a grin on his face, he raised a hand in farewell. "Later, Rin! And, good luck with the exam!" He shouted as he rushed off to Hyne-knew-where, much to the librarians' and occupants' displeasure.
Rinoa giggled to herself. 'Some things will never change.'
- x – x – x – x – x –
Short on food supplies, Jamaila had decided to go to the Cafeteria along with Gabby, and both were currently engrossed in their thoughts and their food.
However, their thoughts inevitably came back to the same person.
Seifer was like an enigma: a puzzle that always had a piece or two missing. It had taken the brunette almost 15 years to understand him and today, she realized that he was still as unpredictable as ever.
The Second Sorceress War had obviously affected his behaviour and personality.
Jamaila thoughtfully took a bite of her toast. As much as she didn't understand Seifer, she also didn't understand her sudden … interest in him. Sure, they had been friends since childhood and, after everything he had been through, she felt this unexplainable sympathy for him within her. Not to mention, he was charming, cute and –
'Cute?'
She must have made a face, because Gabby placed a hand on his lap. "Jamie, what's the matter?"
Jamaila snapped out of her reverie and looked at him. "Oh, uh, nothing, Gab."
He smiled up at her. "If it's the food, then I understand."
She laughed. "No, Gabby, it's not the food." 'Trust me.'
"Oh, okay." He then looked down at his porridge with mild distaste before he resumed eating. Jamaila did the same.
It was a blissful silence, until the smell of lavender overcame the brunette's senses and a familiar voice called out to her.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
She looked back and was face-to-face with her mother. Gabby turned his attention to her as well.
The dark-haired Sorceress smiled before taking a seat opposite her daughter. "Mind if I sit here?"
Jamaila shook her head, still not saying anything. It had been a while since the two had talked, mother and daughter. In a way, she felt uncomfortable, one of the reasons being that those same amber-tinted eyes had gazed at her with malice through the television screen.
Sometimes, she wondered if there was still some of her left inside her mother.
Edea smiled at Gabby. "And you must be … Gabriel, correct?"
Gabby was surprised that she knew his name, now wanting more than ever to find out how she and Jamie were related. Nevertheless, he nodded. "Um, yeah, that's right."
Edea continued to survey him through her eyes, until Jamaila swallowed a bite of toast and asked, "So, Mother, what brings you here?"
Gabby looked back at the brunette. It made sense now, they were both family, which obviously meant that –
"Well, I had actually decided to pay everyone a visit. It can get quite lonely in the orphanage, you see."
Jamaila noted the dullness in her eyes as she said this, but decided not to bring it up. Maybe she'd imagined it.
Edea smiled at her. "I'd never actually stopped by to see everyone, which is why I decided to come today." Her smile belied her yearning of company. "I miss you all."
Jamaila meekly smiled back at her mother. She felt guilt well up inside her at the fact that she had not once gone to see her mother after the Second Sorceress War. It was as if their bond had broken: unfixable, irreplaceable …
… unchangeable.
She looked down at her empty plate. "I'm sorry, Mother."
Edea looked startled. "No, dear, don't worry about it. I understand."
'No, I don't think you do, Mother.' Sometimes, Jamaila barely understood herself.
Edea's hands shook slightly on her lap. "It's my fault, anyway."
Jamaila looked back at her mother and (to her astonishment) realized that her mother was crying. Instantly, she moved to her mother's side and reached for her hands, which were shaking like tremors.
"Mother, what's wrong?" she whispered, as she leaned in to inspect her mother's pretty face, which was unchanged with age. Her cheeks were glistened with tears and, hastily, she wiped them away.
Edea shuddered under the contact, but allowed her daughter to resume wiping away her tears, her voice intermingled with baby sobs. "Jamaila, I … I wish I could have … s-stopped her … then, none of this … none of this would have happened."
Jamaila knew that she was referring to the events leading up to the Second Sorceress War, which would have affected her more than anyone else. But, oersonally, the brunette felt that Edea would have been too powerless to stop someone like her.
The wicked tyrant.
She saw Edea, wrapped in her black dress, addressing the nation. "- killed countless men and slaughtered many nations? She stands before your very eyes to –"
Jamaila blinked back the memory. Her mother was here now, safe from Ultimecia's hands.
Edea looked down at her daughter, regarding her troubled expression. "I see her, too."
Jamaila's eyes snapped back up to stare at her mother. "What?"
Edea's eyes stared off, her thoughts far from the Cafeteria. Gabby stared at her with a mixture of awe and something akin to fear. "Ultimecia … I see her all of the time. It's like …" Her hands clenched on her dress, her sobs subsiding. "She's still inside me, waiting to come out one day, and -"
"No." Jamaila's hands wrapped around her mother's, as if she could erase the nightmarish visions from her mother's mind by the force of denial. At times, she wished she could.
Edea kept quiet, releasing a quiet sob every now and then. With a look to Gabby, Jamaila slowly eased her mother off the chair, who obeyed without question. As they moved past the blond, the brunette spoke over the shoulder to him.
"Stay here; I'll be right back, okay?"
She waited for Gabby's nod before making her way to the Infirmary, her mother's arm on her shoulders. She ignored the various looks she got from cadets and walked on towards her destination.
Doctor Kadowaki should have an idea of what to do in this situation because, frankly, Jamaila was lost.
- x – x – x – x – x –
It was only after Jamaila had left that Gabby felt extremely anxious here. She was, really, the only one he had depended on (although Raijin and Selphie were close contenders) and he still felt uncomfortable in this big place.
Catching sight of none of Jamie's friends, Gabby tucked into the remainder of his porridge.
"Well, well, well, fancy meeting you here."
The blond raised his head up and stared into a pair of familiar, narrowed, blue eyes.
- x – x – x – x – x –
Author's Note: Sorry about the update time! Gosh, Real Life has decided to show me no mercy so I usually have to sneak updates in between bouts of work!
Aaaaaaaaanywayyyyy … please Read & Review!
Ash XX