Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Resurrection - Rebirth of a Foe ❯ Friends in Need ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Seven - Friends in Need
Seifer's hard blue eyes were transfixed onto the wavering shadows that moved in the moonlight. He was ready to pull the trigger to his gun-blade just as a warning to whoever was lurking out there, when the sudden appearance of Selphie's face jumping out of nowhere almost scared him to death, and nearly fired the gun-blade at her.
"Geez! What the hell are you trying to do, coming out of nowhere?!" Seifer yelled, raking a shaking hand through his blond hair, and then muttering to himself. "Scaring the shit out of me. Yeah, and what is the deal with everyone following me, huh? Have you got a thing for me too, besides that wuss??"
Smiling her sunny smile, Selphie gave an apologetic gesture before wagging a finger at him. "Had to follow you Seifer," she said, "you might have gone to do something baad."
"Ooh, like whaat??" Seifer said sarcastically. "Went and followed hot-dog lover here and found Squall and the Instructor too and what looked liked a secret rendezvous." a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"Shut-up, Seifer," Squall said coldly and continued walk through the ferns and bushes, away from Seifer's mocking voice.
"You'll never change," Quistis said with a hint of sadness, and went to go after Squall.
"Irvine?? Irvine where are you?" Selphie called out into the gloom.
"What, cowboy is here too??" Seifer asked. "Why don't we just wake the whole of Balamb Garden and throw a party?!"
Irvine appeared from amidst the drooping branches of a yew tree, his cowboy hat titled forwards as he covered a hand over his mouth to hide a yawn. "I was sleeping," he complained. "Nice dream too, a brunette, blonde, even a ginger headed. . ." another yawn followed.
"Maybe one day when we're all dying of boredom you can tell us your erotic fantasies, huh, Irvine?" Seifer suggested with a smirk before ducking out of sight to search for Squall and Instructor Trepe.
"Scum bag!" Irvine called after him. "Always were, always will be!"
Balamb Garden looked considerably beautiful tonight, highlighted by the blue haze of the night-time sky and the moon. Squall inhaled a gulp full of air and then exhaled. His insides were churning up with too much emotion and the need to confide in someone. Ellone would have been the number one person Squall would have turned to in this time of loneliness. But Squall was never lonely from the start. Even though his mother had died when he was still young, and abandoned by his father, Squall still had his friends. Friends that still stood by him even now. So what was the problem, what was holding him back?
I need your help Rinoa. . . help me out. . .
Silently, Quistis stood next to him her youthful face admiring the structure that was the Garden. She was beautiful, smart and could stand her ground. She was wondering when she would meet the "right person" to liven up her life. At one stage she had thought it was Squall, but no. She knew that from the moment Squall had danced with Rinoa at the graduation ball, he had made up his mind who he liked. But even then he still acted subdued towards the Forest Owl leader - typical Squall. And as she recalled - if she could trust her memory that was affected by the usage of the GF's - Squall had been reluctant to help rescue Rinoa when she was left dangling at a broken section of Balamb Garden during the Galbadian attack. Everything changed over time, Squall learnt to open up, and Quistis felt Rinoa had done a great deal to pry apart the tightly shut shell that covered the Squall underneath.
"Yes, Squall?" Quistis whispered when she heard him call her name. The older girl turned and faced the boy, and found him struggling to put his feelings into words. She wanted to help, but knew she couldn't. No Quistis let him learn - he'll shut up like a clam if you don't let him learn.
"This leader and commander position I hold, I, I don't think-" he began and was not allowed to continue because Quistis stopped him in mid-sentence.
"No, Squall. No. I won't let you say it, I won't listen to what I know you're going to say." Quistis said, turning her back from him.
"I can't-"
"Can't?!" she echoed. "What do mean you can't? You can," Quistis said fiercely. "I know you can. Your friends know you can, 'you "just don't think you're able to carry on. You're stronger than this Squall - Griever? A lion, known for it's courage and strength? That's you Squall, don't give up now."
"But I feel. . . so low," he said, his crystal blue eyes hazing over and his breathing becoming heavier. "If we do find Rin-"
"We will find her," Quistis put in firmly.
"What would I say to her, Quistis? It's all my fault that I left her alone. I wasn't there when she needed me. . . Rinoa. . . she'll hate me forever. . ."
"Will you stop blaming yourself!" Quistis snapped, and then her face softened to a look of pain that matched his. "Squall, there was nothing you could do that Irvine and Selphie couldn't. Stop thinking it's a one-man mission, we're all here to help. We're all just as worried as you are. And she won't hate you forever, Rinoa could never do that to someone like you." Placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, the Garden Instructor gave him an awkward hug of reassurance.
The sound of boots clanking on the metal stairs made Quistis quickly withdraw from Squall's side, but gave him a look of encouragement.
"Sooo, this is where everybody heads off to, to make out, eh?" Seifer said, glancing in the direction of Squall and Instructor Trepe. "Honestly Instructor, if I'd known about this, I would have been the first to volunteer, free of charge."
Blushing furiously, Quistis set her back to Seifer and pretended to look on with interest the splendid view at this part of the training area provided. None of what Seifer had said was true of course, so why was she embarrassed at his antics when she knew very well that they were his idea of a 'joke'? Shaking his head as a resigned gesture, Squall's hand wandered to where his neck was and he fingered the Griever necklace that hung there. Rinoa had a replica of his Griever ring that Zell had done for her, and now he stared at the ring on his finger when he removed on of his gloves. He was stronger than this he knew it.
Pulling himself together, Squall banished the thought of a disastrous ending in this experience of his teenaged life and only thought of the words that Quistis had said to him. His mind wandered back to when they had rushed back to Esthar City, and Ellone had been found. She, at the time, had appeared considerably tired and drained of energy, which was very unlike the Ellone Squall knew. He still thought that there was more to what Ellone was telling them or even her 'Unca Laguna'. Her excuse was too abrupt, too short with not enough detail - in other words it was too simple for anyone's liking which left quite a lot to the person's imagination. And knowing Squall and his friends, they all had good imaginations especially one in particular.
"Uh, oh, we're losing him," Seifer drawled seeing Squall's face cloud over.
Ignoring him, Squall turned to address his fellow SeeDs and friends. "First thing tomorrow morning we're gonna start the search for Rinoa and Matron. Wherever we find them, we're bound to find Odine and Ultimecia. Whatever Odine intends to do, it surely can't be good which is why we've gotta find him fast and soon."
"With ya all the way, Squall!" Zell said balling his fists up and punching the air. "We're gonna kick their ass!"
"Leave Ultimecia to me," Seifer said. He was not asking politely, he was saying. "Frozen state or not, she's mine."
A personal vendetta? Squall wondered. Well it would be if it were him who had his dreams taken away and played for like a lowly pawn. "Thanks Zell," Squall said appreciating the support.
"It is important that we carefully prepare ourselves tomorrow. We do not know exactly what Odine has in mind and what he intends to do, but be rest assured we can expect some sort of onslaught." Quistis said, jumping right into her role as instructor and teacher. "Good sleep and a good breakfast should prepare us well enough. And Zell, try eating something other than hot-dogs for a change?" she suggested to the mohawkish haired boy.
"Don't want to sleep and I'm not hungry," Seifer said almost like the petulant child he was before. Or maybe I am. Hungry for revenge, that is. "Anyone wanna do some training?"
"With you? Nah, I'd give it a miss, it might ruin my appetite for tomorrow morning," Zell said, clambering back down the stairs and back to the dormitories.
Ah, the chicken-wuss is learning. He'll soon get to be good as me.
"Sorry, the brunette, blonde and ginger beckon me back to my bed." Irvine said, grinning as he went.
"Fwaahha!" Selphie yawned, and gave an apologetic, sleepy smile. "Too tired. . ."
Not content with leaving Seifer and Squall all on their own in the training area, Quistis gave them a few solid words before departing. "I don't want a repetition of last year, you understand? It's bad enough having both of you with scars on your faces. And I don't you wearing yourselves out OK? I certainly don't want one of you, or either falling out in battle, if the need to fight should arise."
"You got it, Instructor," Seifer said with his charismatic charm and boyish grin. "Me and Squally will play nicely."
Here was his chance to run, to leave now before anything bad could further happen. But would he run? Squall wanted to finish his 'chat' with Seifer, and what better place to do it in? He hadn't practised enough on his sword skills lately and now was his chance to do so, against his number one rival.
"We'll be fine, Instructor," Squall said, matching Seifer's taunting eyes stare for stare.
A small nod, and Quistis left without further questioning, the heels of her boots echoing eerily against the metal of the stairs before quieting to a soft whisper against the undergrowth of the ferns and bushes that populated the main training area.
"Don't expect me to be kind to you, Squall," Seifer said leaving down the stairs and out into the open, drawing out his gun-blade at the same time. "Ready? En guard."