Legacy

Second story in the Sands of Time series.
by scribblemoose

Chapter 8

Squall came awake with a start to the sound of his alarm clock. He punched the thing clear across the room before he'd even blinked his eyes open.

"Squall?" Rinoa stirred beside him, one arm stretching out to curl itself around Squall's belly from behind.

"Hm."

"You're warm."

He was. Warm and comfortable and not wanting in the least to get out of bed and face the problems that were likely to be waiting for him.

"Feels nice." Feathery kisses landed on Squall's neck and shoulder. He squirmed back a bit, enjoying the soft push of her breasts into his shoulder blades. She stroked his stomach in little circles, humming sleepily into his ear.

"Uh, I have to get up," he mumbled half-heartedly.

A pause as Rinoa's hand dipped lower and then: "you're already up."

"Hmm."

Her touch was soft but purposeful, vaguely comforting. "Just..."

"Ungh. Oh Hyne."

He thrust slowly into the loose fist she'd formed around his cock, the worries of the day receding, just a little.

"Seems a shame to waste it," she whispered.

He turned around and kissed her. Rubbed himself against her thigh, cupped a full breast in one palm and flicked the nipple with his thumb. Everything about her felt soft and warm and inviting, the exact opposite of the outside world, and for once he let himself revel in it.

His hand strayed from her breast down her back, across her hip, dipping between her legs. She was wet, and shifted to meet his touch with a little moan.

"Oh, Rin. I want..."

She murmured encouragement, falling easily onto her back as he rolled on top of her. He slipped inside as easy as diving into water, and held himself there, trying to ignore the urge to thrust.

She kissed him, bucking her hips up, irresistible. Squall couldn't help himself. Overwhelmed by the need to fuck, to lose himself in her, he let himself move. Pumped his hips, driving into her. And again. And again. It felt good, so, so good... too good.

He tried to stop, but Rinoa moaned and clenched around him.

And he came.

He cried out, more in surprise than pleasure, clutching at her shoulders as he emptied himself inside her, deep, hips convulsing helplessly. It was over quickly, far, far too quickly, and he found himself looking down at her, registering the undeniable look of astonishment in her eyes.

His arms gave way and he rolled off her, landing on his back as she shuffled into his arms.

"Sorry," he said, eyes closed, mortified. "Would you like..."

"It's okay," she said.

"I'm sorry."

"We can do it again in a bit," she said, and kissed his neck.

"I've got to go." Squall opened his eyes but he couldn't bring himself to look at her, staring at the ceiling instead.

"Early meeting?"

"Yes."

She shifted at his side, disappointed. ""What about tonight?"

Part of him wanted to escape as quickly as possible, the other part wanted to bury his face in her hair and cry.

"Don't know what time I'll finish. Have to go to a stupid reception for some bastard who thinks he's important form somewhere or other."

"Oh. Well, never mind." She planted another soft, wet kiss on his shoulder.

"It's just I'm so busy right now. I'm sorry."

"I know. Don't worry about it."

Somewhere from a dark corner of the room, Squall's alarm clock rang again.

"Sounds like my time's up," Rinoa said.

Something twisted inside Squall; she was being so nice, and he'd, he hadn't, she hadn't... "Lunch time," he said. "Are you free at lunch time?"

She seemed pleased. For once maybe he'd done the right thing.

"I'll see you at one," she said, and rewarded him with a hug.

*******

Frila swiped her ID card through the slot by the Clearing Centre door, enjoying a private little thrill when the light turned green. She couldn't imagine getting bored of making SeeD any time soon.

The room inside was buzzing with activity, people in white lab coats milling about with an air of calm efficiency. There were banks of benches in the centre of the room with a ring of desks bearing computer terminals around the edge. The walls and ceiling were polished steel; the furnishings sparse and durable. The usual ornate aesthetics of Garden decor were notably absent.

Squall-era, Frila noted with a little smile. Bare, functional and, if needs be, deadly.

"Can I help you?"

A tall, slender woman with half-rimmed spectacles balanced on her nose looked down at Frila, impatience stealing the warmth from her smile.

"Yeah, I brought a Guardian back a couple of days ago, I've been ordered to come and collect her for duty."

The woman raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow. "She?"

"It was female," said Frila, refusing to let the eyebrow intimidate her. "Sulis."

"Female." The woman gave a delicate little snort and crossed to the nearest terminal with a click of her heels.

"So she told me," said Frila.

"It's been cleared. But this is most irregular, I'm quite certain the correct paperwork hasn't been completed yet."

Frila shrugged. "I'm just doing as I was told."

"And may I ask on whose authority you're acting?"

"Xian sent me."

"The outcome of the assessment really should be reported through the proper channels before I can authorise a release," said the woman, tersely.

Frila was contemplating what the penalties might be for weilding a gunblade at a Clearing Centre Official when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Everything alright, Frila?"

Quistis looked tall, calm and twenty times as good in a labcoat as the Official. She had an inscrutable smile on her face, and Frila was very pleased to see her.

"Xian sent me to collect Sulis."

"Ah, that's right. She mentioned it to me at this morning's meeting." Quistis smiled pleasantly at the Official. "Is there a problem?"

"No, Instructor Trepe. Not if you give your authority."

Quistis dismissed the official with a nod of her head. "Want a tour?" she whispered, when the woman was out of earshot.

Frila grinned. "Would that be okay?"

"Here." Quistis produced a visitor's badge from her pocket and clipped it to the lapel of Frila's leather jacket. "Follow me."

Quistis led her through a set of swing doors into a lobby, then swiped them through another security door into the main area of the Centre. A series of windows lined the room, each glowing faintly with the tell-tale purple cast of magic.

"Each Guardian is kept behind an enclosure-screen until we decide they're safe," Quistis explained.

"Don't they mind?"

"It varies. We try not to keep them there too long, and we make them as comfortable as we can. They tend to be weak when they come in, usually subdued from battle, so quite often they welcome the rest. But some take longer to investigate than others. It depends on their abilities."

Frila scanned the windows they passed: there was a weird-looking cactus with a flower on its head; something that looked like a gas cloud with eyes; a small, innocuous-looking rabbit with huge, round eyes.

"Don't be fooled," Quistis said. "It nearly killed three SeeDs before it submitted. We had quite a battle to get it into its cell at all."

"Wow."

"Ah. Here we go. Sulis."

In the centre of the cell Quistis indicated, was a bucket.

"Um," said Frila.

"She requested it," said Quistis. "She has difficulty sustaining a consistent corporeal form."

"She seemed pretty corporeal when she was trying to kill me."

"It takes a lot of energy. She was probably near her limit when you beat her. But don't be fooled; if it gets too difficult to maintain a liquid form she changes into a sort of mist, and that can be just as deadly. Imagine breathing in a cloud and having it turn to water in your lungs."

"Wow."

"Yes. She's not to be underestimated. So, are you ready?" Quistis was poised to tap in the release code.

"As I'll ever be."

The barrier faded and suddenly Frila could hear Sulis' voice.

~Shield.~

~That's me. How're you doing?~

~I am strong.~

~Um, good.~

"Junction her," Quistis said. "Go ahead, it's fine."

~Sulis. Be with me.~

It came as a trickle of power, soft as rain, a quiet presence in the back of her mind.

~My honour, Sheild. You are worthy. I serve.~

"Okay?" said Quistis.

"Yeah, fine."

"There's a room at the back where I can go through her powers and junctions with you. After that I'd suggest a session in the training centre."

Frila found herself grinning broadly. Power flowed through her; she hadn't had a decent fight in days and she found she was incredibly curious to find out what this Guardian could do. Sulis sang in her head, soaring energy.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you have an affinity for water magic," Quistis observed dryly.

"It's a gift," said Frila.

*******

Rinoa sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her knees, and watched Angelo wolf down his breakfast. Every now and then he looked up at her with his big doggy eyes, and gave an appreciative wag of his tail.

"I'm sorry, boy," she said, dragging her fingers through his long, silky fur. "I don't see so much of you these days, eh? Let's go for a walk down by the sea tonight. Just you and me."

Angelo gave a little bark, licked her knee and then plunged back into his food bowl.

There was a cursory buzz and the door slid open.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," said Ness, walking straight in.

Rinoa shrugged, and shimmied up the bed a bit to give her room to sit down.

"You look fed up," Ness observed. "Squall busy again?"

"No," said Rinoa with an irritated frown. "No more than usual."

"Sorry. None of my business. Are you on duty today?"

"Yeah, in about an hour."

"Oh, that's a shame. I thought we could do a little shopping before me and Zelly-babe leave for Deling."

"That would have been nice," said Rinoa wistfully.

"You haven't forgotten it's my last day?"

In truth, Rinoa had. She'd spent much of the time since the Graduation party feeling guilty and trying to make things up to Squall, whenever Ness wasn't dragging her off to talk about dresses and shoes and flowers. The days had gone in a bit of a blur. "I should be free at two. We could still get into Balamb if I hire a car."

"Perfect!" Ness squealed. "We don't until six. Zell fixed for us to have a ride on the Ragnarok, isn't that amazing! I must say, Rin, it's wonderful being a SeeD. All these privileges and you work such short hours."

"I suppose." It didn't really work out that way: every mission was three hours of hard work, physically and mentally exhausting, and after that there was training, mission briefings and development classes.... Rinoa would technically be playing hookey to spend the afternoon with Ness, exchanging a favour with another SeeD to take notes for her at Xu's afternoon briefing.

Ness would find out for herself soon enough, when she married Zell. Instructors had it even harder than ordinary SeeDs. They had missions and classes to run.

"You do seem a bit down." Ness put an arm around Rinoa's shoulders and gave her a little squeeze.

"I'm okay. Just tired."

"I worry about you," said Ness.

"Really?" She looked genuinely concerned, a little frown between her pretty blue eyes.

"You're so young. You're not twenty-five yet, but when was the last time you had fun? Actual, proper, fun?"

"The graduation party was fun. Dancing and, um, talking to you was fun. Although afterwards, not so much. I really shouldn't drink."

"Rin, you're old before your time. Let's make a list of the things you supposedly can't do." Ness started counting on her fingers. "You can't drink. You can't go to the movies with your boyfriend. You can't take time out to go get a manicure. You can't wear nice clothes. You can't go dancing on a weekend. You can't take a vacation. You can't get married. You can't-"

"Woah, hang on a minute! Who said I ever wanted to get married?!"

Ness looked oddly triumphant. "Ha! But the other things! You do want to do the other things."

Rinoa opened her mouth to protest, but it felt hollow. Ness was right. She did miss some of the things other girls her age took for granted. "I can't drink," she said, stubbornly. "'Cos of the magic."

Ness patted her hand. "And you can't do the rest because of Squall, and," - she continued over Rinoa's squeak of denial - "your job, of course."

"I suppose," said Rinoa, uncertainly.

"See? Not enough fun."

"There wouldn't be any point getting a manicure." Rinoa looked down at her short, ragged nails. "Wouldn't last ten seconds on the battlefield."

"No," said Ness sadly. "I don't suppose it would."

Rinoa shook her head, as if trying to rid it of her own wistful thoughts. "I don't care. This is the life I wanted. I worked really hard to make SeeD. I waited a long time for Squall. This is what I want."

Ness looked at her, long and hard enough that Rinoa became a little uncomfortable.

"Of course, dear," she said, eventually. "Absolutely."

"Hey, what are you trying to-"

Rinoa was cut short by Angelo, who chose that moment to express his gratitude for his breakfast by jumping up, planting his paws on Rinoa's thighs and giving her face a hearty lick.

"Ewww!! Angelo, you smell of tripe!" Rinoa squealed, allowing Angelo to shove her back onto the bed and collapsing in a fit of giggles.

"He's very playful, isn't he?" said Ness, neatly avoiding Angelo's flailing tail as she got to her feet. "Well, I'll see you at two at the car park, shall I?"

"Sure! Angelo, get off!"

Ness departed with a little wave that Rinoa, pinned down by a mass of panting, barking fur, failed to see.

******

"Squall?"

A voice asserted itself through the depths of Squall's brain, dragging him away from the seemingly endless pile of mission reports on his desk and back into what passed for the real world.

"If it's not convenient I can come back later."

Squall looked up at Quistis and blinked.

"Squall?"

"Oh. Sorry, I was... sit down."

Quistis cleared the chair next to Squall's desk of piles of papers, arranging them carefully on a nearby table instead. Then she sat, crossing one long leg over the other. She looked serious.

"What's wrong?" Squall asked.

"I have a report for you, about the politics in Deling. You remember you asked me to look into it for you?"

Squall nodded, looking for the inevitable neat-bound copy that usually accompanied the word 'report'. There was none.

"Don't worry," said Quistis with a little smile. "I didn't write it down."

The relief must have shown on Squall's face because Quistis' smile turned to a laugh. Squall found himself smiling back. "I've had a lot of reading lately," he said.

"Yes, I can see that. Would you like me to help with some of it?"

"You're already working too hard. It's okay."

"Hm. Perhaps an assistant..."

"I'm okay." There was a touch of steel in Squall's voice. Help sounded good but he was never sure whom, apart from his very closest friends, he could trust. He'd been betrayed once too often. "You've found out something about Deling?"

"Specifically about the election. Fargi is up against some stiff opposition. A man called Poppy."

Squall raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I know. But don't let the name fool you. He's a tough nut. He's got a lot of money behind him, comes from an old family. His policies are fairly liberal, though - he's got some odd ideas about taxation, but as far as we're concerned he's very much pro-SeeD. His son's enrolled at Galbadia."

"That sounds promising."

Quistis nodded. "Until Fargi started getting restless Poppy was seen as the natural successor. But the military don't like him. Apart from SeeD he's, well not exactly a pacifist, but he's talking about savage cuts to the army now that the war's over, to fund regeneration programmes."

"Caraway won't like that."

"Which is why he's allied himself with Fargi. It has other implications, too."

"Such as?"

"Centra. They've been reliant on the Galbadian army for protection since the end of the Sorceress Wars. If Poppy gets into power, they'll lose that protection and get a development initiative instead. The landowners in Centra don't want that. They have their own plans to get rich out of building there themselves. They want to hire SeeD as a personal army for their country."

"I know. Some of them asked already. I told them to fuck off."

"Ah." Quistis smiled again. "Well, that was direct."

Squall leaned back in his chair and swept his fingers through his hair. "So this mess in Deling is important, after all."

"It looks that way. But the people of Galbadia should be reluctant to vote Fargi in and get rid of SeeD. He may not be scared of the monsters, but everyday folk are."

"He must have some kind of answer to that. How long until the election campaign starts?"

"Two weeks until the candidates have to declare themselves, then a month until the election. He hasn't got long to convince people."

"So he must have worked out a solution already," said Squall. There was a grim, tight feeling in his chest.

Quistis leaned forwards a little, and folded her hand over Squall's. "You're right to be cautious. But I don't think you have too much to worry about. Only SeeD know how to defeat the monsters from the Lunar Cry. No-one else has the knowledge, skill or Guardian forces to cope with it. The only nation that comes close is Esthar."

"As far as we know."

"There is nowhere else. You can't hide that kind of power. But... it wouldn't hurt to cement our alliance with Esthar. I think you should reconsider and get Laguna's take on the situation."

Squall's brow furrowed. "I'm not going to drag my father into this."

"Why not? At least let me tell him, if you won't. He's coped with this sort of thing many times before, and we haven't. Politics isn't easy, Squall. It's very different from fighting monsters or running a Garden."

"He's a fool." Squall kicked his chair back from the desk and got up. He went and leaned against the window sill, glaring out at the view of Balamb spread before him. "Laguna doesn't deal with politics, he's got Kiros and Ward and an army of advisers for that. He knows fuck all. He just pays people to know for him."

"Perhaps that's the best way," said Quistis, stiffly. "You can't do everything on your own. Even you."

Like I have a choice.

"Squall..."

"Keep an eye on the campaign and keep me informed. And if you hear anything from Centra, I need to know that, too. In fact, it wouldn't do any harm to step up missions near populated areas over there. Show them what SeeD is really for."

"I'll arrange that for you. Is there anything else I can do?"

Squall hesitated for an instant. Just an instant.

"No," he said. "That's all for now."

*******

Frila stood in front of room 317 and watched the door slide open.

A tearstained Kellon sat cross-legged on the end of her bed. She was wearing pyjamas, her hair scraped back into a ponytail, and her cheeks were flushed from crying. The other bed in the room, the one that had been Frila's a million years ago, was stripped bare. Kellon's room-mate, having made SeeD, had obviously moved on already.

"Hey," said Frila. "Can I come in?"

"Don't have to ask," Kellon sniffed. She shuffled up the bed a bit to make room.

Frila sat down next, feeling ten kinds of awkward. "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

"I guess not. What are you going to do?"

"Don't know." Kellon folded her damp tissue into a neat square. "Go home, I guess."

"You could retake."

Kellon shook her head. "My mother..."

"Ah." Frila remembered Kellon's mother: a thin, tired-looking woman who had witheld Kellon's allowance once when they'd been caught out after curfew. "What about your dad?"

"I don't know where he is right now, exactly. He went to Trabia for work a few weeks ago. He won't be back until next month. And he'll be so disappointed..." Kellon disolved into a fresh outburst of hiccuping sobs. "I've let them both down so badly!"

Frila put an arm around Kellon's shoulders. "Don't be an idiot, of course you haven't. It's just one of those things. It was an unusual year. Most times loads of people fail, it's really common."

"Yeah," said Kellon with a wry grin. "But this year even Seifer Almasy passed. Shows you just how crap I am, eh?"

"Fuck off. That's nothing to do with it. Anyway, what happened, exactly? You did great in the written."

"That's what I'm good at. I was nervous, is all. I made a few stupid mistakes because I just didn't think." She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"What kind of mistakes?"

"We were supposed to call in to our team leader at ten-minute intervals. I got separated from the group after a fight and I forgot. I was too busy trying to work out how to get where I was supposed to be. And then when I did find the rest of the team I blundered in and shouted hello when they were supposed to be hiding. Nearly blew our cover. The team leader was furious, I thought he was going to kill me. After that I kept quiet and did as I was told, but I was scared and I threw a couple of easy moves in the next fight."

"I thought you were on recon?"

"Yeah. Well, we kind of got ambushed, because they'd got lost looking for me, and I'd got lost looking for them, so we strayed off the road and boom. Bloody behemels all over the place. And bite bugs." Kellon scratched absently at her arm.

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"So you're really going home?"

"Don't have much option." Kellon blew her nose loudly. "I won't be the first, or the last."

"Yeah, but... it's not that hard. Really. Maybe if you stayed, I could coach you..."

"Thanks, Frill, I know you're only trying to be kind, but honestly, my mother would never pay. I'm not eligible for a scholarship. And anyway, it's easy for you to say, you passed. You don't know how crap I really am."

"But-"

"Crap as Tenta Foley," said Kellon. "That's how crap I am."

Frila opened her mouth, about to say that actually, Tenta wasn't crap at all, she was just unlucky. A bitch and a total airhead in some ways, but she'd coped remarkably well with being slapped unconscious. If she hadn't lost it in the corridor things would have been totally different for her.

But none of that would make Kellon feel any better, so she didn't say anything at all.

*******

Squall sliced the last grat cleanly down the middle, and stood panting for a moment in the training centre lobby. A group of cadets were checking out weapons at the other side, ready to go in for a training session, Xian herding them like a mother hen, despite the fact that several of the boys were taller than she was.

One of them looked across at him, then nudged his neighbour. They both stared, mouths hanging open like landed fish.

Squall stripped off his jacket, trying not to notice. He was never comfortable with this kind of attention. Not like Irvine. Irvine postively preened when he got noticed like this.

Thinking of Irvine didn't do Squall's temper the slightest bit of good. He must have looked menacing because the huddle of cadets positively flinched as he stormed past, even the fish.

He had an hour to work his way a little further down the endless pile of reports before his noon meeting. He couldn't remember who it was with. Didn't much care; they all seemed to go the same way these days: some moron asking for Garden's help and then the inevitable hissy fit when Squall said no.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd even wanted to say yes.

Squall half-strode, half-jogged to his quarters. Everything there was still and silent. Rinoa would be on mission by now. He stripped off his clothes on the way to the bathroom, naked by the time he reached the shower. He stood under the hot water and closed his eyes as it washed him clean.

Sometimes he'd love nothing more than to walk away, like Irvine had.

But it was never a possibility for Squall. If he ran away, the world would end.

Again.

*******

Frila folded the last t-shirt out of the laundry basket and squashed it into her drawer. It was a waste of time folding, really, but she liked to show willing.

She heard the door slide open, and yelled out Sanke's name. A subdued "hi Frila," greeted her. Frila stuck her head around the bedroom door.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yup. Hungry. Hey, you'll never guess, we were in the training centre earlier on a tour thing and Squall was there. He looked really angry. Do you think he's found out about Irvine?"

"I expect so. He always seems to be pissed off lately, though. I guess it's tough being the big Leader Man and all. How was class?"

Sanke shrugged. "Okay. I got two paper pellets flicked at me, but Asha, the girl I was telling you about? She borrowed a pencil and gave it back and even smiled at me. I think she's okay. It was good, apart from, uh, and... ah. What's for lunch?"

"Dunno. Want to go to the canteen and find out?"

"Sure." Sanke dropped her backpack on the sofa and stretched her arms above her head, fingers interlaced, cracking her joints. She let out a long yawn.

"Sanke?"

"Uhuh?" She looked the picture of innocence, all big round eyes and bouncing pigtails.

"Apart from what?"

"Sorry?"

"You said it was 'good apart from' and then you changed the subject."

"Just, y'know. Pellets."

Sanke was a rubbish liar. It made her look guilty and afraid, and she tended to clasp her hands behind her back or sit on them as if she was worried they'd give her away if she let them loose.

Frila put an arm around her shoulders.

"We talked about this. You must tell me if things happen. Remember?"

"I guess," Sanke mumbled. "'S not important. I mean, nobody hurt me."

"So if it's no big deal, you can tell me, right?"

Sanke shifted uncomfortably, squirming out from under Frila's arm. "I guess. It wasn't anything, really. Just some kid trying to make me feel unwanted, I suppose."

"What did they say?"

"Um..." Sanke fished about in her back pack for a moment, finally producing a crumpled white envelope. "Here."

The message inside was plain enough.

Die, Freak.

"This is important," Frila said. "Who gave you this?"

Sanke shrugged. "I found it in my desk. It doesn't mean anything."

"It's fucking horrible," Frila protested, and regretted it immediately as tears sprang to Sanke's eyes.

"Just throw it away," Sanke said. "If they make me sad, they've won. So I won't be sad."

"Okay, then." Frila folded the paper in half, about to shove it surreptitiously in her back pocket, but stopped when she noticed some more writing on the other side. It was smaller, in a spiky, irregular hand.

"All GFs are what?" she squinted, trying to make out the letters.

"Traitorous vermin," said Sanke quietly. "Throw it away."

"But-"

Sanke folded her arms across her chest and stamped her foot. "Are you taking me to lunch or what? Because I only get an hour, you know."

Frila tried to swallow, her throat dry as she looked at Sanke's miserable face behind the mask she was so desperately trying to keep in place. "Sure," she said. "I'll be with you in a sec, just need the bathroom first."

Sanke rolled her eyes theatrically, indicating her assent by shooing Frila towards the bathroom with one hand.

Once safely behind a locked door, Frila read the note again.

Vermin.

He'd given her his life. How dare they?

Sulis shifted in her mind, responding to her rising fury.

Sanke. Sanke, who was brave and innocent and worth fifty of their pathetic human lives.

How the fuck...

She snorted back her own tears and shoved the note into her pocket. Whoever it was, whoever had set about tormenting Sanke this way, she was going to hunt them down and by Hyne, she'd show them the meaning of pain.

"Frila, come on! I'm hungry!"

Whatever it took.

*******

Squall found Rinoa in the cafeteria, sucking on a milkshake through a straw.

"Hey. Have you eaten?"

She shook her head. She looked pissed off.

"What do you want? I'll get it for you."

"Nothing."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"I don't have time. You're an hour late."

Squall's shoulders tensed. "Sorry. Meeting ran over. But you've still got an hour before your briefing."

Her eyes narrowed. "I already have plans."

"Plans?"

"I'm going shopping with Ness."

"Can't you tell her you can't make it?"

"Why should I?"

That felt like a slap round the face. Squall was struck silent. What could he say? It was up to Rinoa to decide what to do with her time, and if she wanted to spend it with that awful woman... Maybe she really was mad at him and this was her way of getting back at him.

"Do what you like," he said. "I'm hungry."

"Oh, thanks a lot," she muttered.

"You said you didn't want anything."

"I don't, I... oh, forget it."

When Squall returned from the counter with a bowl of pasta she was still there.

"I thought you were meeting Ness?"

"I'm meeting her here."

"Oh."

"And there's no need to look like that. She's not that bad."

Squall said nothing.

"She's going to be Zell's wife. You may as well get used to her."

Squall looked down at his plate and scooped up a forkful of pasta. The whole notion of Zell's marriage disturbed him for reasons he couldn't quite fathom. Partly it was that he was marrying Ness, but more than that....

He couldn't shake Martine's words out of his head. What if Rinoa wanted to get married? What if he was being stupid about it and should come right out and ask her?

He looked up. She still had a face like thunder.

He didn't want to get married. Not yet. Not now. Not while the world was such a mess, and his job was so demanding. Besides, they were still so young. Things were fine as they were, weren't they?

What the fuck was Zell thinking?

"Here she is," Rinoa hissed. "Be nice!"

Squall did his best to ignore her.

Ness bounded up to their table and there was the usual giggling and hugging. "It's very good of you to lend Rinoa to me again," she chirped. "Don't worry, Zelly-boy and me are leaving for Deling today, so you'll have her all to yourself again."

"Good," said Squall. Judging by Rinoa's face it wasn't what he was supposed to say, but Ness took it in her stride.

"I can't believe it's really happening," she continued. "To think, in less than a week I'll be properly engaged!"

"I'm so happy for you," said Rinoa. She was smiling. She seemed to mean it.

"Thank you, dear. Oh, I almost forgot!" She emitted a high-pitched squeal, piercing enough that Squall felt moved to cover the ear closest to her with his hand.

"I was right!" she exclaimed. "You remember I told you that Irvine was all over Selphie at the graduation party? Well, it looks like it wasn't just a one night stand. They've run away together to Galbadia!"

Squall's fork clattered into his bowl.

Rinoa laughed. "No, I'm sure that's not right. Selphie's my best friend, she definitely would have said something. Besides, she's been living with Xu for years now, they're close as anything. I expect she's on vacation or something. And Irvine was due to go back to Galbadia after graduation anyway. He'll be back at the weekend, and-"

"Oh no, darling, I'm sorry but you're way behind the times."

"They're my friends," Rinoa said. "Seriously, there's always rumours flying around, but I'd know-"

"You've been so busy, it's quite understandable that you'd get a bit out of touch. But Zell, of course, has access to quite a lot of information, and well, I can tell you it's not just a holiday. She's left Xu for good, no-one knows when she'll be back at work, and Irvine's transferred."

Rinoa burst out laughing at that. "Irvine? Now I know you're kidding me. Irvine would never-"

She caught Squall's eye.

"Squall?"

He didn't really know what to say.

"Don't tell me it's true." Her eyes were dark, almost magic-dark. She was furious.

"Irvine's transferred," Squall said. "Selphie's position is a personal matter." He glared at Ness, but she ignored him. She had a smug little grin on her face.

"You didn't say anything to me about it!" Rinoa said.

"It didn't really come up."

"What do you mean it didn't come up?" she yelled, getting to her feet. "This is Irvine we're talking about! For fuck's sake, with things like that you don't just wait until they 'come up'!"

"Not here, Rin," he hissed. People were starting to stare.

"Why not? It's not like I know when I'm next going to see you. So tell me. Why on earth would you let him do a thing like that?"

"Rinoa, I'm not going to discuss it in public." He stood up, chair scraping on the smooth tiled floor.

"It looks very much like you weren't going to discuss it at all!"

They glared at each other across the table; Squall felt the hiss of power about her that often sprang up when she was angry. Her eyes carried a hint of rainbow colours from her junction with Gemini and her skin glowed. It was the first time he'd ever seen that anger directed at himself. His hand went instinctively for his gunblade, but he caught himself in time and plunged it into his pocket instead.

"Later, Rinoa," he said.

"Fine. If you feel that way, I'll go and find someone who will tell me." She clattered her empty glass onto her tray, and hitched her bag onto one shoulder. "Come on, Ness."

Ness didn't say anything, for once, but she was still smiling.

"You're being stupid," Squall said to Rinoa's retreating back. "You're totally overreacting."

"Oh, am I? Well, excuse me for caring about my friends! Of course, you wouldn't know what the fuck that feels like!"

With that she stormed from the cafeteria, with the abominable Ness right behind her, Squall left fuming in her wake.

*******

"I've changed my mind."

Seifer looked up, squinting slightly at the sun, an irriating smirk on his face that Frila longed to wipe off with the flat of her gunblade. He was sprawled on a bench, smoking.

"Really? Want another taste, Hotshot?" The smirk stretched into a leer.

Frila bunched her hands into fists and took a deep breath. "About Sanke."

"Ah." Siefer took a long drag of his cigarette.

"Things have got worse."

Seifer glanced around the quad, taking some kind of visual roll call of who was there. There weren't more than half a dozen cadets, all out of earshot.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You said you knew something."

"Did I?"

Frila let out a long sigh. "Okay. I don't have to put up with this. Just crawl right back under your rock, and forget I ever asked." She turned to go.

"Shit, someone lost their sense of humour." Seifer caught her hand and yanked her arm hard. She fell back onto the bench next to him with a thud.

"Wanker," Frila muttered, rubbing her arm.

"So tell me. What happened?"

"She got a note from someone. It's vicious."

"A death threat?"

"Pretty much."

Seifer let out a low whistle. "Nasty."

"It's unforgivable."

"So why not report it to teacher? What's she holding back for?"

"Look, do you know anything or not? If not, stop wasting my time."

"I just need to establish a few facts, is all. The Disciplinary Committee has strict rules about this kind of thing. So. Why won't she go through official channels?"

"You know how kids are. She doesn't want to tell tales."

"But you do?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. What. Ever."

He thought for a moment. "Okay then. You got the note?"

Frila fished it out of her back pocket, then hesitated for a moment. "What are you going to do with it?"

"It's probably better that you don't know," said Seifer. "Just leave it to me. Sanke won't get bothered again."

Frila looked at the obscene thing in her hand, suddenly wishing she'd taken a copy. Still. Too late now. The sooner Seifer got started, the quicker Sanke would be safe. She handed it over.

Seifer scanned both sides of the paper and raised an eyebrow at her. "So they found out already?"

"What?"

"That she's a Guardian."

"She's not a Guardian. She's... well, she's unique. They call her a Hybrid." Frila wrinkled her nose; it was never a term she'd liked, although it didn't seem to bother Sanke.

"She's different. That's enough."

"It's not her fault."

"Never said it was." He clamped his cigarette between his lips and put the note carefully in his pocket, wincing at the smoke that drifted into his eyes.

"What happens now?"

"Leave it with me for a few days. I'll get back to you as soon as I hear something."

"I thought you said you already knew."

"That was different. Random acts of unkindness, yeah, sure. I could pick out those little brats a mile off. But this is a different order of nasty, you know?"

"Yeah."

He patted her shoulder. "Cheer up, Hotshot. I'll deliver. Promise. For old times' sake."

"We don't have any old times," she said, as slowly and clearly as she could. "None. Got that?"

"Right you are," said Seifer, in a tone that made it perfectly clear he was never, ever going to let it go.

*******

Rinoa stumbled into her room, not sure whether she was more angry or miserable. She was dimly aware of Ness following her, and for that reason and that alone she refused to cry.

"You poor thing," Ness crooned. "How awful."

"It's nothing," said Rinoa. "It's just how Squall is. He's an idiot sometimes."

"All the same, dear..."

"It doesn't matter." She went to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. But Ness followed her, and put an arm around her shoulders, and that was more than Rinoa could bear. To her horror she burst into tears, all too willing to let Ness hold and comfort her.

"Shhhh," said Ness. "It's okay. It's just a lover's tiff. Even Zelly-boy and I have those. It's harder I suppose because Squall's... but.... don't worry, Rin. It'll all work out fine, you'll see."

Rinoa sniffed, and raised her head. "Yeah?"

"You just need a little space," Ness said, stroking Rinoa's hair back from her tearstained face. Angelo whined, winding himself around Rinoa's legs.

"You think?" Rinoa absorbed the reassurance hungrily. Her instincts were telling her something else entirely - scary, awful things about endings - and she desperately wanted them to be wrong.

"Of course, silly. You know, I had an idea. It's just an idea, you're absolutely allowed to say no, but... how does a trip sound?"

"A trip? But I've got work. Missions."

"When did you last take any leave?"

"Well... I don't know. Couple of years ago, I suppose. Squall doesn't have time to go anywhere and I get bored kicking around by myself..."

"Then take some time off and come back with me and Zell to Deling. Just for a few days."

Rinoa laughed. "But I hate Deling! I only just got back, and-"

"No, no, you hate staying with your father. And I know just how that feels, sweetie. You're a grown woman! I mean, I love my father to pieces but living with him? Ugh! But Deling... just think of it, Rin. The shops, the theatre... I've got invites to a fabulous party next week. Not boring diplomatic crap, I mean a proper, fun party. All the best people. I could easily get you in."

Parties, shopping, theatre... Rinoa was tempted. It had been so very, very long since she'd done any of those things. "But I have responsibilities, and Squall-"

"I'm sure Quistis or someone would look after Angelo. And as for Squall... really, dear, do you think you owe him anything after the way he treated you? He was so rude to you in the cafeteria. And he's been lying to you!"

Anger returned to Rinoa with a big, air-gulping sob. She still couldn't believe Squall had let Irvine transfer and not even mentioned it to her....

"Give him some time to realise what he's done," Ness advised. "Show him how awful his life is without you around."

"But I'm scheduled for missions..."

Ness stepped back a little and gnawed delicately on one perfectly-manicured nail, as if weighing something up. "I wasn't going to say this," she said eventually. "It's so selfish, but... well, I'd like you to come back with us. I think Zell's a bit scared of talking to my father, and once he's got his permission everything's going to go ballistic, I'll need loads of help with the logistics and everything. It would be really good to have someone around I can rely on."

"Oh. Well... I guess I could check with Corben and Xu, see if they could find cover for me..."

"That's a great idea! Come on, let's go ask them now!" said Ness, excitedly.

Ness' enthusiasm was catching. Rinoa let the anger rise inside her and strengthen her resolve.

Perhaps a break was just what she needed, after all.

*******

The Ragnarok gleamed in the late afternoon sun, exotic and powerful, languishing at the end of the driveway that led to Garden's main entrance. Quistis stood at the main gates with Laguna, just barely not-touching his arm.

"I'll miss you," Laguna said, softly. "I'll miss you terribly. I wish-"

Quistis put a finger almost to his lips. "Don't make it harder. You know it has to be this way."

"Do I?"

Quistis quickly scanned their surroundings to make sure they were alone; then risked the quickest, most fleeting of kisses, her long fingers just skimming his hair. "It'll only be for a couple of months. I'm due to bring Sanke back for her check-up then."

Laguna opened his mouth to protest some more, but all he actually came out with was: "it was better when you came to tutor Frila."

"Zell's coming," Quistis murmured, by way of warning. Laguna looked over in the direction of the approaching party and waved.

"Is that Rinoa?" he said.

"Yes. Didn't she tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"She's going to Deling for a few days too. Said she owed Zell a favour or something."

"Oh. That's sudden."

"Yes, I thought so too. She seems very friendly with Ness."

"Hmm. Where's Squall?"

"Working, I expect. His schedule is ridiculous these days."

Zell ran the last few yards towards them, hi-fiving Laguna and planting a friendly (but powerful) slap right in the middle of Quistis' back. "Wish me luck!"

"What for?" asked Quistis.

Zell winked. "Can't say." Then Ness arrived and giggled at him.

Rinoa followed a few steps behind, looking tired and not entirely happy. Quistis felt a pang of concern, but there was no time. The ramp of the Ragnarok was down and Zell and Ness were already bounding towards it. Rinoa gave Quistis a fleeting hug and ran after them.

Laguna squeezed Quistis' shoulder, and smiled at her. He looked forlorn, a little resentful, even. But Quistis had no doubts. That was one of the things she loved most about Laguna. He would never lie. He'd never string her along. Whatever he felt was right there in his eyes for all to see: sometimes so much so she could barely believe they'd kept things secret for so long.

She watched him stride towards the Ragnarok; he turned to wave just as he reached the ramp, only to stumble as his boot snagged on the metal edge. He backed in sheepishly, hair blowing around his shoulders in the wind from the engines. She waved, and ached, and tried not to cry.

Then Laguna and the others disappeared from sight, and the ramp closed up like a mouth. The noise from the engines grew, almost deafening by the time the huge craft finally lifted into the sky.

Quistis folded her arms across her chest and watched until it was a tiny speck against the pale blue sky. Then, with a deep sigh, she turned and walked slowly back to Garden.

Head down for fear her expression and the dampness that clung to her cheeks might give her away, Quistis didn't register the folorn figure who was leaving through the turnstiles at the same time as she entered. She just kept walking.

Kellon supposed Quistis must be busy. Besides, she'd never taught her directly. It wasn't like Zell Dincht, who'd just rushed past her in blur, without even a word....

But then why should they care? She wasn't their cadet any more. She wasn't SeeD. She wasn't anything.

Kellon hitched her rucksack a little further up onto her shoulders, and left Garden not in a blaze of glory or the whirr of the Ragnarok's engines, but in a cloud of dust, on foot, without much clue at all as to where she might be going.

She wasn't entirely alone, though. As she trudged towards the driveway and the long road to Balamb beyond, she noticed a tall, slender figure leaning against the gatepost of the big metal gates, half-hidden in the shadow of the wall.

Lurking in the shadows like a spy, sucking on a cigarette and clad from head to foot in skintight black leather, was Tenta Foley.

"Ah," said Tenta. "The other reject."

"That's me," said Kellon. No point denying it. "You want to gloat? Go right ahead. I'm out of here anyway."

"So I heard." Tenta emerged onto the path, squinting at the low sun for a moment before she popped her sunglasses in place on her pretty little nose. "I'm not going to gloat. Matter of fact, I have what you might call..." she dropped the glasses down to give Kellon an appraising look over the top of them. "A proposition."

Kellon regarded her suspiciously, and with a sinking heart. It wasn't fair of Tenta to ruin her last few moments at Garden, however miserable they were, by taking the piss.

"I'm serious," Tenta said.

"I'm not part of Garden any more. I don't have to put up with you, and you don't have to talk to me. Just leave me alone."

"I'm not either."

"Pardon?"

"I've left Garden too." Tenta waved a hand dismissively. "The whole thing's a waste of my time and talents."

More like she couldn't face the humiliation of being outranked by the classmates she'd lorded it over all these years, Kellon supposed. "So? Why don't you run along home and let Daddy send you to some expensive finishing school somewhere? Or another Garden? I can see you as the Ice Queen of Trabia."

"You know, I was right about you. You have a lot more spine than people credit you with."

Kellon sighed a weary sigh. "Get to the point, if you have one. I have to go home."

"Like I said, I have a proposition."

"Which is?"

"Hmm." Tenta took a thoughtful drag of her cigarette. "Have you ever considered going freelance?"

"Freelance?"

"They may be keeping us out of SeeD, but we're still trained mercenaries. The way I see it, they missed their chance. They had the opportunity to take us on and work for Squall and his cronies in whatever world-saving mission they're running after. They decided we didn't cut ice. Whatever. So we're not good enough to do whatever the fuck they want us for. Boo Hoo. That doesn't mean we're not good enough for someone else."

She looked very smug about this revelation, and Kellon had to admit that it was an angle she hadn't considered before. But Tenta was right. Garden training was good currency. But still....

"I don't know. It doesn't seem right, after all the time they spent training us and-"

Tenta snorted. "Yeah, right. Fuck that, girl. My daddy paid for it. And I know you're no orphan and you didn't get a scholarship, right?"

Kellon shrugged. True enough.

"So you owe them fuck-all. You paid your debt in Gil and every time you killed a bitebug out on training. Ever think of that?"

Kellon had to admit she hadn't.

"We're free agents. Young, strong, talented... The world's at our feet, girl."

"But how would we find work? Most people come to Garden if they want help, don't they? Or through governments or the military in Deling..." Truth be told, Kellon had no idea how things worked outside of Garden. It had been her life, her dream for more than ten years. She'd never thought of anything else.

"I've got contacts. Big contacts. People who don't want to go to Squall for help for one reason or another. People with what you could call specialist requirements."

"Oh."

"Tell you what." Tenta tossed her cigarette butt on the floor and ground it flat with one high-heeled boot. "It's a long walk to Balamb station. Why don't we get started and we can talk about it on the way?"

Kellon took one last look at Balamb garden over her shoulder. It looked rather ominous in the fading light; too dark to pick up the gleaming pink and purple, not yet dark enough for the twinkling lights to show.

She shrugged her shoulders, rucksack already digging meanly into her skin, and fell in step behind the girl who had been no more than a distant enemy for years.

It wasn't like she had much left to lose.

*******

It was gone midnight, and Squall had just got home. He felt as dirty and tired as if he'd been ploughing his way through grats and t-rex, but in fact it had just been an interminable pile of reports.

He rested the much-neglected Lionheart gently in its case, slipping Shiva and Eden out of junction as he did so. He braced himself against the sudden wash of fatigue as the power left him, and started stripping off his clothes. He left his jacket on the arm of the couch, his t-shirt on the floor outside the bathroom, and was just popping the buttons on his leather trousers when he noticed something on corkboard by the door.

It was a note.

He plucked it from the board, recognising Rinoa's neat, round handwriting.

It was brief, and to the point.

He had to read it twice to make sure it said what he thought it said.

She'd gone to Deling.

Squall put the note back on the board, very calmly, and continued to get undressed. Once stripped of leather and cotton he stood under the shower and turned it on, letting the initial cold jet blast across his shoulders, relishing the shock of it before it started to warm up. He poured shampoo into his palm and scrubbed it over his hair.

Deling? With Ness?

He didn't understand. Hadn't a clue.

She hated Deling.

Unless....

Squall shook the thought from his head, spattering the shower tile with shampoo.

He may not understand Rinoa all the time, but he absolutely trusted her. If she wanted to go to Deling, well, fine.

Squall finished his shower and went to bed alone.

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