Chapter 57

Festival

The Quad was located in the aft of Battleship Island, with the stern-facing stage a permanent fixture in the centre, alternatively serving as a ring during more competitive events. Every last crewmember filled the Quad, the only people who were not present were those making final preparations for their performances. The stage was twenty feet square, filled with an array of amplifiers, a drumkit at the back, a synthesiser to the right and a grand piano on the left.

The Island itself was currently docked in the Monterosa Gulf, at Blackwater, though would be sailing for Centra the day after tomorrow, to answer an invitation to the coronation of Steiner Christophe; the liberation of northern Centra had happened much faster than any could have anticipated, and Zell would have been immensely proud of Thalassa.

The roasting Saronan sun was still twice its height on the horizon, though would be long retired before the end of the evening. The temperature was now warm, but not oppressively so, and Rinoa was pacing herself with some watered wine. She and Squall were in a raised section reserved for staff, near to Instructor Aki. Squall was again dressed down in one of his uncountable white vests, but this time with khaki combat shorts. Rinoa wore her newest halterneck dress, which she had just bought from a designer store in Blackwater. It was a pale blue, and she wore three-inch heeled sandals with a diamante angel wing motif on them. There was the reassuring, familiar weight of two rings hanging from her neck, resting above her bosom. She would be drawing confidence from both rings, tonight.

A couple of musclebound Faculty members stood before the temporary barrier that separated them from the sea of excited cadets. The predominantly male Faculty now resembled their counterparts from Galbadia Garden, with their buzzcuts and tight black polos, bulging out of their short sleeves. Yet they had been informed of the not-so welcome return of the old faculty, Norg's former henchmen, who were presently with Nida and the moombas at the independent Trabian town of Sorbald, awaiting passage from a port chock full of fishing and trading vessels during this season.

To the left of the staff was an additional partitioned section reserved for Neo-SeeDs, where Raine was standing with Liu and Zhang, higher than most of the male SeeDs in her own heels. She was wearing her favourite lily dress, replete with the Winhill fashion of a contrasting shawl and a matching flower in her hair, Rinoa noting again that her niece was amazingly proportioned for a tall woman, with that dress emphasising every curve. The twins were dressed suitably for the climate with tank tops, shorts and sandals.

Damian was not among the SeeDs, first due to the restraining order Squall had enforced between him and Zhang, and second because he was going over a last-minute peptalk over the songs he was due to sandblast them all with, after the reformation of his old metal band, Acolytes of Antihyne.

The catering staff had set up a couple of stands portside and starboard, and at Selphie's request, Squall had also decided to reduce the age of alcohol sales for all mature cadets for one night only. Granted, they expected beer and cigarettes to find their way into the hands of some of the high juniors, though the Faculty would turn a blind eye tonight. Selphie wanted nothing to spoil this evening for anyone, and Squall was at ease enough with the collective discipline of his crew. The one most likely to cause a ruckus – Damian – was going to be part of the show.

Selphie would be performing first. She strutted onto the stage with her sunburst, three-quarter length acoustic hanging from a strap, wearing her new magnolia tactical dress and Irvine's recovered hat. She took centre-stage on a stool in front of the standing microphone before a round of applause.

Although well acquainted with 'Lady' Rinoa, SeeD and cadet alike had been enthralled by this legendary SeeD and newly dubbed 'Social Media Sorceress' during her short stint on the Island. Despite spending so long in isolation, it had taken Selphie no time to regain her former popularity. Even those who had no interest in performing tonight had flocked to make this brought-forward Festival one to remember, and the entire crew fell collectively silent as she addressed them.

'Thanks a bunch, folks!' she said extatically. 'Although Irvine and I visited for some of your annual festivals – always the highlight of my year, by the way – it's been so long since I performed myself! And the Festival Committee has done an amazing job at bringing this forward! I was insistent that we needed this after Galbadia, and before Timber! And, just so you hear it from the chocobo's mouth, fifteen and sixteen-year-olds can buy alcohol for one night only! Did I mention everyone's first drink is on me? And, remember, send as much media as you want to Esthar24! Let Ultimecia see how much fun we're having! But, no matter how drunk you get, don't stream live!''

She paused for breath. 'Although I've come up with a lot of songs over the years, this is one I wrote while I was recovering at Wilburn. Rhodry got it in one, so it won't take an Odine to figure out what it's called.' Those emerald eyes swept them all. 'Well, are you ready? Let's get this party started!'

She roared the last two words how she used to, making both Squall and Rinoa smile. They all clapped their hands and cheered furiously.

Her song was soon underway, with Selphie softly picking the intro before starting her ballad about her fallen Knight and soulmate, the second of the Children of Fate to fall. It covered the length and breadth of their relationship, which had begun in earnest in childhood. Rinoa had wondered how such a usually upbeat person would convey a lamentation that would inevitably turn to loss, but only one verse was about Irvine's death, touching the audience with Selphie's first-hand account of how she had been aware, but wholly powerless to disobey Ultimecia and turn her back before Irvine was killed.

Selphie's voice was ordinarily mellifluous, more so than Rinoa's own, and it carried along the deck profoundly. Zell was mentioned before the end, with Selphie rightfully singing of how the arrival of Quistis shortly after Irvine would stop the two reluctant friends' constant bickering from escalating and turning the Netherworld over. They knew the song was concluded when there was a long silence and Selphie relaxed her fretting hand. The crowd started chanting Irvine's name. Selphie took the maroon hat off to them, finally giving in to tears.

Wiping her eyes, she said earnestly, 'Thank you so much, guys! I poured everything I had into that one – short of sorcery! I'm gonna follow with a couple songs I wrote in Trabia, then play you a few classics. My favourite gal Rinoa will be up next! Then we'll get a jig from my fellow Trabians. But, before I start, go and grab yourselves that beer I got you!'

Selphie played for the better part of the next hour, never failing to engage the audience every time with her campfire and singalong covers. Rinoa was all too conscious of the weight of her mother's ring, sitting next to the Griever one. Her own moment was fast approaching, and she could not remember how many songs Selphie had said she would play. She was sure it had already gone over.

'And now!' Selphie suddenly announced, the spotlight moving from her to the piano with exaggerated slowness, 'My dear friend, and fellow Sorceress, Lady Rinoa!'

Rinoa was so glad she knew how to use her powers to suppress her anxiety. Without it, she never would have agreed to this. The performance she had done before the western leaders at her father's manor – her manor, now – had given her the confidence boost she needed to play here. She too had worked upon music during her years in isolation, yet she had always been too coy to play in front of anyone other than Squall, and even that had been hard for her at first. Quistis had taken comfort in music as well, and it was regrettable that the lost recipient of Rinoa's power would not be gracing the masses with some of her violin covers. That would have been like old times, Rinoa pondered sadly.

Her heels tapping audibly on the deck as she walked, and with everyone's wondrous eyes on her, Rinoa made her way to the left of the stage, her own eyes fixed on the piano that had been moved from their living space this morning. Although it was a show, she resisted the urge to grow her wings. She accepted the aid of a young Faculty that helped her ascend the steps before bowing to her. The audience cheered again as Selphie approached her, and the two Sorceresses embraced unhurriedly.

'Go get 'em, torama!' Selphie whispered, before departing the stage.

Rinoa would not be playing Eyes on Me, Soldier, Man with the Machinegun, or any other of her mother's bestselling singles that had secretly been about Laguna. There was one particular song she had completed, and almost come close to finding a publisher for, before Balamb Garden's entrapment by Esthar's navy had forced her and Squall to leave their blissful existence by the Obel. Maybe I'm a Lion, she had tentatively named it. The first version had been written years before, and although it had originally supposed to be about her Knight, it could be applied to all of them now. Inevitably, it pertained to the importance of love and friendship, without which Time Compression never would have been thwarted, and – even after the Children of Fate's greatest victory – Squall would have ceased to exist. It also spoke of coming of age, sudden but effective leadership, stoicism in the face of adversity and the pride of being a SeeD.

Though Rinoa made a couple of mistakes, she persevered to the final measure. Her voice remained steady. It was of a higher pitch than her mother's, which was one reason why she did not like covering her songs; the melodies were fine, but the vocals just did not sound right. She firmly believed that President Martine and the others had just been polite to her at the wake. The was a mechanical round of applause as the prevailing silence indicated the song had finished. She would not be playing another.

'Four cheers for Lady Rinoa!' someone near the front shouted.

Very pleased, Rinoa spoke into her microphone. 'Thank you for listening,' she said. 'It was an original piece I named "Maybe I'm a Lion", and that was my first time playing it live! I know it wasn't perfect. It might have been if I never left Timber.' She trailed off awkwardly, unsure of what else to say, and struggling to match Selphie's chirpiness, her eyes resting on Rhodry near the stage. 'Are you people ready for a jig?'

She rose and walked for the steps, where a number of people were waiting with an assortment of instruments, Rhodry at their front. Most of them were of Trabian descent and garbed in traditional northern clothing. The sun had set now, but Rinoa did not envy them in their woollen and snowlion hides.

When she reached Squall, he was talking with Doctor Kadowaki. Yuna Kadowaki had now seen more than seventy summers. By all rights, she should have retired. She had served as a field medic in the First Sorceress War and had been a close friend of Cid's, in addition to her compatriot Aki, who was on her other side. She had resolved to serve SeeD until the end of the current war, or for as long as she lived. Whichever came first. Kadowaki was technically on a part-time contract now, but still managed the Infirmary, and this had been her first day off since Galbadia. Rinoa and Selphie had been easing her workload whenever they could, and Rinoa could not recall the last time she had seen Kadowaki outside of her white coverall.

'Coulda gone better,' Rinoa said immediately, as she rejoined Squall's side.

'You were great,' Kadowaki said automatically. 'Right, Squall?'

'Sure!' he offered.

'Come on,' Rinoa protested, but barely above a whisper.

She excused herself to top up her wine glass, and it was not diluted now. Even if the audience had noticed her five or six missed keys, which had cut through her like a blade, they were thoroughly engrossed in the dancing happening now. Kadowaki was now speaking with a sniffling cadet, and Squall was alone, propping himself up against the rail.

Rhodry's impeccable balance was good for something other than his swordplay, those tapping feet not slipping once as they moved in unseemly angles before propelling him under and over his younger nationals to an uplifting fiddle. He took the mic when the music stopped.

'Diolch yn fawr iawn!' he cried happily. 'That one was one of Adaryn's favourites! And now, we give you another!'

In the middle of the second jig, Rinoa commented, 'Everyone's worked their butts off for this. The best Festivals here always were organised by Selphie, weren't they? I'm so glad she's back!'

Squall nodded once. 'Me, too.'

'Aw! Thanks, guys!'

Selphie had appeared behind them, throwing an arm around each of her dearest friends. There was a deserved beer in the hand that was over Rinoa, and her phone was in the other.

'Say Children of Fate!' she said giddily, snapping a selfie before Squall could say a word in protest. Rinoa's slight smile came naturally, and when Selphie showed them the shot, neither of the Sorceresses looked bad. Though Squall never photographed well, and his frown had become permanent. Selphie edged in between them, putting her phone back in its purpose-fitted pouch.

'You should get yourself on the Network, Squall!' she urged.

He shook his head once, eyes centred on the jig. 'Not interested.'

'Why not?' Selphie asked, nudging him with her elbow. 'I've proven it's not too late!'

'What's the point?' he said, necking his bottle. 'Everyone here knows what goes in my personal life. Rinoa does enough statuses for the two of us.'

Rinoa shot her Knight a fleeting look, then regarded Irvine's hat.

'That really suits you, Selph,' she said, tipping her glass to it.

'Matches my boots, right?'

The next performer was an effeminate but artistic harp player named Edward, who had flowing blond hair and was adorned in a colourful bard costume. He was one of the high juniors, shooting up in height but largely unfilled, introduced by Rhodry as the rest of the Trabians left the stage.

If there was ever a case of stage fright, Edward looked pallid as he clutched his harp and tottered to centre stage. His feet scuffed a couple of times as he moved in mid-length leather boots. He clumsily adjusted the mic a few inches down from Rhodry's height, then finally looked at the spectators, his gaze was fixed slightly above everyone. The silence and everybody's expectant stare must have made things worse for him. Edward's mouth gaped, and he hunched over the harp. Rinoa was embarrassed for him. It made her think of her first ever piano performance, at pre-school, the only one her mother had ever seen.

'Go on, Eddie,' Selphie whispered.

Edward started to play the ancient tune Ingus the Onion Knight. Play, not sing. The opening was made up of long notes, helping him to ease into the tune, and he did not fumble as it picked up slightly in tempo. Though his first off-pluck was followed swiftly by a second, then a third, then a fourth. Then he messed up an entire measure, his playing hand doing a spasm and his whole body shaking. Trying not to be stumped, Edward flexed his hand and started the measure over, only to mess up the next one.

'Oh, no!' Selphie said quietly. 'I shouldn't have convinced him he was ready!'

Not far from the stage, Damian and his metalheads were snickering, unable to contain themselves. Some of the burlier cadets were struggling not to join in, in addition to some of the Faculty. To their left, Zhang was staring daggers at Damian, Liu and Raine holding an arm each to restrain him; rightfully so, he did not want to lose another month's wages. Edward's face had turned scarlet. He began crying, having completely lost his place in the song.

'Shut the hell up!' Selphie shouted at Damian's group.

They fell silent instantly when Damian did. If he was wary of Selphie's power, then his cronies would be terrified. Selphie hoisted herself over the rail and into the cadets.

'C'mon, Eddie!' she cried, running for the stage. 'You got this! Start over if you want!'

Rinoa was startled by a light coming from Zhang, realising they were summoning orbs. Siren appeared onstage, a few feet from the quaking Edward.

'I remember the Onion Knight,' the Guardian Force announced fondly. 'A fine choice of dirge, bard. Let us begin anew and do the heroic Ingus the justice he deserves. I shall begin, and you can accompany when you are ready.'

Siren captivated the audience as she started the first measure, singing too. With renewed confidence, Edward soon joined her, and the song was played almost to perfection on his part. As it progressed, Siren subtly lowered the volume of her own instrument until Edward was leading without realising it, and he was singing with a gentle tenor. His earlier anxiety was but a bad memory. When it was over, even Damian's group joined in with the appraising clamour.

'Regretfully, I must return to the land once again known as Sarona anon,' Siren announced. 'It has been an honour and a privilege to live amongst SeeD, and to be junctioned 'twixt two of their finest warriors! Let it be known that I am eternally in SeeD's debt after you freed me from Elvoret! I make the vow that I shall return, if only to perform for you all again!' Then, Siren turned to Edward. 'Might you know Warriors of Light, dear bard?'

Edward nodded eagerly.

'Then let us not keep our congregate waiting!' Siren said.

They played that one, followed by Saviours of the Eldertree. Edward seemed like he wanted to play another, but the extra time given to him was making Damian's group impatient, who were due to play next. Selphie reluctantly gestured that his time was up.

'Never discard your instrument, dear bard,' Siren told him. 'Harp strings are plucked too little in this era, and with more confidence, you can be a modern sensation. Draw confidence from the memory of our duet, and when next we play, I expect you to lead from the beginning.'

'Yes, my lady!' Edward replied.

He gave Damian's band a wide berth as he left the stage. Acolytes of Antihyne took some time to get their equipment ready, but it was far from their first live performance. They were all from Winhill, though could have passed for members of one of northern Galbadia's biker gangs with their leather and denims, tattoo sleeves, considerable beards, and tobacco chewing. With Damian's deployment to Timber for the past two years, they had been on hiatus, but had been a cult hit with the metal scene in Galbadia City prior to that. They had not had the time to collectively come up with something new, so would be playing their greatest hits.

Damian was both lead vocalist and lead guitarist for them. Rinoa considered them heavy, but not gratingly so, with the screaming intermittent between the high beats, shredding, machine-gun drums and entrancing solos. Damian was also capable of shifting between octaves, too young for his vocal cords to suffer lasting damage as of yet.

Before his long-term secondment to the Forest Fox, Damian had personally compilated Rinoa an EP of instrumentals for use in the gym, absent the screaming. It did well to aid her cardio and toning on the days she did not feel up to her workouts, and the gym was the only environment where Rinoa could listen to such music. Although she could restore the stamina of every other gymgoer, she could do nothing for her own; perhaps the inability to self-buff was a deliberate weakness Hyne had cast off along with His skin. Either way, Damian's music had played a part in Rinoa keeping a good physique whilst living mostly at sea.

Alcohol had gotten to some of the inexperienced drinkers by the time the Acolytes were on their last song, and a growing moshpit had started in the thick of the cadets. When Damian noticed some of the juniors trying to escape, he put on his demonic glow, courtesy of Diablos. His eyes shone like spilled blood and his tribals gleamed as brightly as the stage lights. Rinoa witnessed a huge distortion across the whole crowd, with everyone at the edge of the throng being drawn inward, and she realised Damian was casting a huge gravity spell to compound the chaos. He started laughing maniacally during his current solo, while some people started screaming.

'Someone's losing another month's pay,' Squall remarked.

'Shouldn't we just let him have his fun?' Rinoa pondered. 'It's their last song.'

'Whatever,' Squall muttered.

When glass started shattering and junior classmembers began crying, Rinoa had to accept it was getting out of hand. Selphie beat her to it, though, flooding the flock with magnolia light potent enough to end the song before its last verse.

'Encore?' Damian asked Selphie hopefully.

'Fine,' she allowed, before she set about healing people's cuts. 'One more. But no moshpit!'

They finished with a slightly less adrenaline-inducing song, while Faculty members – assisted by some dutiful moombas already in Squall's employ – cleared broken bottles and glassware. As she aided Selphie, Rinoa made a mental note that they needed to enforce plastics in future. Most of the crowd left the central area to replace their lost drinks.

What came next was a rap from a Kakashbaldi yet Timberian raised middle junior named Barrett, who was already so tall and girthy he could have passed for a SeeD cadet, and looking highly stylish with his flattop and designer shades. Rinoa wondered if Barrett was still sore at her for setting him the additional homework of watching the first, monochrome version of The Sorceress' Knight during her lecture about a young Adel. Aki had said Barrett had taken the assignment seriously, though, writing a two-page summary of the classic.

The rap started as an overview of the twenty-year long struggle between SeeD and Ultimecia, giving homage to every pivotal point of the war, from the Fall of Trabia Garden to the Battle of Galbadia City. It endeared the Children of Fate in particular, both living and deceased, with Barrett gesturing animatedly to Squall, Selphie, and Rinoa as he dedicated lines to each of them in turn. It also covered the decades of oppression within his ancestors' adoptive homeland of Timber, giving loving mention to his mother, father, and grandfather, who had all made the ultimate sacrifice for the Forested Plains.

Barrett was rightfully elated that Timber may soon know peace again, and Rinoa had heavy sympathy for him. Even those who had no love for his preferred genre were clapping and cheering, and Barrett finished the rap with a very audacious, 'Game over, 'Mecia!'

Another big swerve in genre saw a jazz band play next, followed by a young female violinist that would have impressed Quistis, and then they had a short opera performance from the Theatre Club. Rinoa was becoming addled on sweet wine, making no use of her magic nor Griever to divert its effects, reassured that she could cheat the worst of hangovers. Squall was finally letting himself go, now on his fourth bottle, having broken his usual limit for the second evening running. He was laughing at something Rhodry had just told him.

While the stage was empty, Rinoa thought about their conversation the previous night. Tyris was not here. After docking at Blackwater, Tyris had told them in no uncertain terms that she needed a break, and they head heard nothing from her in the week since. They knew that more than anyone else, Tyris had deserved a reprieve from the almost constant fighting. Tyris had always seemed so serious to Rinoa, in the short time she had been reacquainted with her, though for justified reasons. It was hard to imagine her partaking in these festivities. Wherever she was, Rinoa speculated that her newfound Garland lover had remained with her, and she was very happy for them. She gave her soft smile at the distant memory of young love.

The final act of the evening was an upbeat rock band from Blackwater, encouraging much singalong with their covers of timeless hits between original material. After giving their thanks, the stage was given to Selphie once more.

'Hynedamn, Battleship Island!' she cried into the standing mic. 'What a night! Seriously, guys, this takes me back to the Garden Festivals! Getting those back is motivation enough for ending this stupid war!' She paused. 'Well, it's been emotional, guys. We'll do this again once we've kicked Ultimecia's ass!' She looked in their direction. 'Isn't that right, Squall?' As everyone looked at their Commander, Squall simply raised his beer bottle with the hint of a half-smile. 'Alright! Anyway, peeps, the Festival might be done, but the party is just getting started!' She threw out her arms. 'Hit those dance beats!'

Generic club music started playing with the onset of some disco and starlight projectors. Selphie put her moves on, egging everyone on, and was quickly joined onstage by intoxicated cadets. Rinoa looked at her heels, and seeing that Squall was still in conversation with Rhodry, decided she would pass. For now.

A few hours later, Rinoa was impatiently waiting for Squall at their bedroom door, as he emptied a bladder full of beer. She knew that trying for their child so soon after their talk was too much to hope for, especially not before a huge battle, or while Ultimecia's shadow lingered. Though there was no reason why she should not get the best possible end to such a great night. As he staggered out of the bathroom in his boxers and undershirt, Rinoa stood naked, in a supine pose against the door casing. Her light skin glistened like virgin snow bathed in moonlight. Her breasts, while modest, had lost none of their perkiness over the years, and the rest of her was as unchanging as her face.

Her Knight eyed her hungrily, sweeping his Sorceress up as she spread her arms, carrying her to their inviting bed.