Once Again

A Final Fantasy VIII Fan Fic

Characters and Locations from said game belong to SquareSoft.

By Robertdogwood

Once Again

Chapter Seven

'Timber Arrival'

'Edea Gets the Message'

'Two New University Students'

'Zell’s Crush'

'Akane’s New Beau'

Zell and Selphie hurriedly returned to the Garden from the Ragnarok. All had gone extremely well in Esthar, although there had been some difficulty with deciding who was going to pilot the Ragnarok so Selphie flew there and Zell on the return trip. Selphie hoped she could remember every one of the kind words that Laguna uttered about Squall and his performance on his latest mission, so she could repeat it to Squall.

Entering the Garden, Selphie and Zell headed straight to the elevator and up to Cid’s office. When they arrived on the third floor, they stepped off the elevator. Cid was standing by his locked file cabinets that filled almost an entire wall. He returned a file to a cabinet and locked it. He asked, “Fujin, would you please page Kasumi over the intercom?”

Fujin stood up from her desk and crossed to Cid’s desk and pressed the intercom button and said, “KASUMI!” and clicked the intercom off. Xu, who was seated at the table, stared at Fujin and shook her head in disbelief.

Nonetheless Kasumi arrived off the elevator less than five minutes later. Cid invited all to be seated at the long conference table. Xu briefly outlined, for Selphie and Zell, the original mission the four SeeDs had been assigned and what Selphie and Zell now needed to accomplish in traveling to Timber and locating the missing SeeDs.

Xu elaborated, “We have no agenda we’re assigning you. We trust your judgment in the field completely and realize if anyone can help Kasumi locate them it will be you two.”

Selphie said, “Thank you for your trust in us,” and nodded at Xu and Cid.

Zell asked, “Who are the three missing SeeDs again?”

Xu answered, “Brian, Shinji and Mishima.”

“Mishima,” Zell echoed almost wistfully. Selphie swore to herself that Zell had a twinkle in his eye.

“When shall we leave?” asked Selphie.

Xu explained, “We want you to arrive as soon as possible, so we’ll drop you on our way to Trabia Garden.”

‘Trabia Garden!’ Selphie thought. ‘Just my dumb luck. They’re finally going back to Trabia Garden and I won’t be here. Oh well, this mission is a lot more important than just seeing my old friends again.’

Xu further explained, “We have to keep the Ragnarok here at Balamb, in case Squall and Quistis return when we’re gone.”

Selphie joked, “Well, just be sure to leave a note on the steering wheel.”

Xu asked, “Cid, are we ready to leave?”

Cid nodded, stood up from the table, crossed to his desk and pressed the intercom button and began speaking, “This is Headmaster Cid. The Garden is preparing to depart. Everyone report to their assigned duty stations immediately.”

…………………

After dropping Kasumi, Zell and Selphie off on Mandy Beach, Xu directed Nida to travel to Trabia the long way, while stopping at the orphanage in Centra. After the Garden had landed in Centra, Xu took the elevator down to Cid’s office and asked, “Cid, may I borrow Fujin for a little while?”

Cid looked up from his constant paperwork. “Why, certainly Xu. Is there anything that I should know about?”

Xu reassured him, “Nothing that I can’t handle.”

As Xu and Fujin rode down on the elevator to the second floor, Fujin stood stoically staring ahead. When they stepped off the elevator, Xu asked, “Will you please go and get Seifer out of class and bring him here?”

Fujin arched one eyebrow and nodded. Fujin returned within five minutes with Seifer, who appeared totally mystified.

Xu said, “Good Morning, Seifer.”

Seifer nodded politely, “Good Morning, Commander.” Beside him, Fujin’s eyes grew wide in surprise at his respectful demeanor.

Turning to Fujin to also include her in the conversation, Xu reported, “I want you two to accompany me to visit Edea.” Seifer visibly blanched remembering the last time he had seen Edea.

………………..

Since Nida had landed the Garden at the Cape of Good Hope in Centra, Xu, Seifer and Fujin exited and headed for the orphanage. They were immediately beset by Fly Monsters. Xu rushed forward swinging her weapon that resembled a bola, but had spikes attached to the balls, and killed one of them. One swing from Seifer with his ‘Hyperion’ finished the other one.

They entered the main path of the orphanage. There was a demolished building on the right and the flower field laid to the left. Edea suddenly appeared at the front door.

“Why Xu, what a surprise! Is something wrong with Cid?”

Striding up the path, Xu assured her Cid was fine and went on to say, “I’ve come to visit you, because I think you’re the one who needs some help, Edea.”

Edea said with a laugh, “Same old Xu! Direct and honest to a fault, well come.”

As Seifer approached, Edea greeted, “Hello Seifer.” Seifer nodded, but remained silent.

Edea turned to Fujin and said, “Welcome Fujin. I never thought I’d ever see you again having anything to do with the Garden.”

Fujin answered, “IRONIC.”

Edea laughed, “Yes it is.” Edea turned back to Seifer and spoke hoping to help ease his obvious discomfort, “There’s no need to be shy and afraid of what I think, Seifer. I’ve known you most of your life.”

Seifer tersely replied, “Hello Matron.”

Edea turned back to Xu and directed, “Come in. We’ll go to my bedroom. It’s the only room that has chairs.”

Edea led them through two rooms that were badly damaged and had little or no furnishings, but, at least, had walls and a ceiling; they came to the bedroom, in which there was a bed and two old straight back chairs. After Edea offered the chairs and receiving no immediate response, Seifer and Fujin sat down leaving Edea standing in one corner and Xu in the center of the small room by the end of the bed.

“So Xu, don’t stand on further ceremony. What is it you wish to say to me?”

“Edea, when you first returned to yourself, you didn’t have a worse critic than myself. I felt forgiveness in your case should not have been given so easily, but I came to realize I was wrong through watching you and listening to others. I forgave you. I, your worst critic, forgave you. Everyone else had already forgiven you. It’s high time for you to forgive yourself.”

Edea asked, “What makes you think I haven’t, Xu?”

“This,” replied Xu raising her right arm and sweeping the room with it. “You have remained here in this broken down old ruin and left your husband alone for weeks at a time to run the Garden. It is past time for you to become his wife again.”

Tears began to flow down Edea’s face and she had difficulty in speaking. “What you say, Xu, is entirely correct, but what you don’t say is how to do this thing – how to forgive myself for the unspeakable crimes I committed.”

Xu started to speak, “But-.”

Edea interrupted, “Let me finish.” “I know what you’re going to say – that I was possessed. Is that a reason or an excuse? That’s the question that so bothers me.”

Xu replied, “Is your guilt a reason or an excuse for why you don’t rejoin your husband? He needs you, Edea! His bedroom is lonely at night.”

Again tears began to flow down Edea’s face and she flushed slightly.

Xu went on, “I’m not a psychiatrist, but I can tell you this. If you want to learn to forgive yourself, you don’t do it here by yourself among these battered old buildings. You do it by your husband’s side and you do it among your friends and your children. Now that’s all I came here to say. Please think about it. We will lay over here tomorrow and then we have to leave for Trabia. I hope to see you again, Edea, and I hope it will be very soon.”

With that, Xu signaled Seifer and Fujin that it was time to leave and they silently left Edea weeping in the room and returned to the Garden.

After passing through the forest and reaching the car without incident, Squall and Quistis were now riding down the highway towards East Academy. Quistis turned to Squall and asked, “What now?”

Squall answered with a slight smile, “Now dear sister, we are going to enter East Academy University.”

Quistis asked, “What are you talking about now? Aren’t we trying to get back to Garden? And what’s with this sister stuff?”

Squall held up his right hand. “Slow down please. Of course we’re trying to get back to Garden, but the closer we get to Timber the harder it’s going to be to escape detection at this time. We need to lay low until some of this heat dies down which it will eventually. East Academy is the logical place and attending the University is the logical thing for us to do, if we’re staying in East Academy. There will be many young people around the University and it will make it more difficult for the Galbadian Secret Police to locate us.”

Quistis pointed out, “But Squall, we need transcripts to get into the University. We can’t just go waltzing up there and start school.”

Squall reached under the front seat of the rental and pulled out some documents that he had earlier liberated from underneath the false bottom in his guitar case and handed them to Quistis.

Quistis said shocked, “These are acceptance papers and Ronin School transcripts! How is this possible? We left the Garden on a moments notice. There was no time for anyone to do this.”

Squall grinned, “Mind boggling, isn’t it? Apparently this is something Xu did a while back just in case something like our assignment ever came up and to answer your other question – Yes, we are supposed to be brother and sister. It’ll make it a lot easier to explain why we’re entering together and also to explain to other students why they see us together all the time.”

Quistis shook her head in amazement. “That Xu!”

………………..

After the Garden had dropped off Zell, Selphie, and Kasumi on Mandy Beach on the outskirts of Timber and lifted up almost immediately, Selphie suggested, “We might as well get going, it’s going to be a long walk.”

Almost immediately after leaving the beach area, they were attacked by two Thrustaevis. Selphie noticed, with satisfaction and some relief, that Kasumi immediately sprang into action by throwing her ‘Rising Sun’ and killing one of them. Zell, simultaneously, pummeled the second one with his fists killing it immediately.

The first thing Selphie noticed, when they entered Timber, was the large amount of Galbadian soldiers present in the streets. It appeared to her to be worse than after Rinoa’s ill-fated attempt to abduct Vinzer Deling.

“Wow,” Zell proclaimed, “Things are serious here!”

Kasumi agreed, “Yes, we need to stay very low profile, so we don’t attract much attention. Maybe we should separate right now and meet at the Forest Fox lady’s house.”

Zell and Selphie quickly agreed and Kasumi immediately set out down the main thoroughfare, while Zell interested himself in the menu posted in the window of Hamptons, the most popular restaurant in Timber.

Selphie sauntered past Zell, as if she were out on a morning stroll, and glanced into the open doors of the hotel as she passed by and saw the lobby was full of Galbadian soldiers.

As she walked across the railroad trestle that spanned three lanes of tracks, she noticed that not one train was moving. ‘If the trains are shut down, it certainly is going to complicate our getting to Dollet,’ Selphie thought.

Noticing that strange little man, who always walked on the trestle searching for Rinoa, Selphie approached him and asked, “Is the train service shut down?”

As he nodded his head yes, he asked, “Where’s Rinoa? Is she in Timber?” and when Selphie told him no, he immediately ran off.

‘He certainly is a weird little dude,’ Selphie thought to herself. ‘A Rinoa groupie,’ she giggled aloud.

As Zell turned and started down the street following about five minutes behind Selphie, he began to muse of Mishima. Boy, did he use to have a crush on her! Mishima and Zell were in many of the same classes together, although she was actually a few months ahead of him in graduating.

Zell remembered when he and two close friends at the time snuck into Headmaster Cid’s office and looked into Mishima’s file to discover her measurements listed in the medical history section of the file, because there had been such wild speculation concerning this among the male upper-classmen.

Zell could still recite her measurements – 91cm – 61 cm – 91 cm, just an awesome figure and pretty too! Zell was also very attracted to her, because their weapons and fighting techniques were very similar.

But Zell was always shy. ‘She probably never even knew I existed,’ Zell thought ruefully to himself while walking down the streets of Timber.

As Zell walked into the lower end of the main part of town, he was surprised to discover Selphie talking to someone in front of the Timber Pet Shop. It appeared Selphie was conversing with an old man, adorned in a religious robe, and badly bent by age. Zell became uncertain whether he should approach Selphie and this strange old man or walk by, as if he didn’t know her, until she waved him over.

Zell approached Selphie who said softly but with a large grin on her face, “We’ve found a friend!”

Zell was completely perplexed until Selphie explained, “It’s Zone!”

‘Zone’s here!’ Zell thought excitedly. ‘Maybe he knows something that will help us.’

Zell decided, rather than standing there turning their conversation into a crowd, he should continue walking downtown. He knew Selphie would catch up later.

Zone and Selphie continued with their previous conversation. “So like I was saying, Watts and I had to separate when we fled town because of the massive sweep by the Galbadian Secret Police. I just came back this morning and I don’t have a clue as to the whereabouts of Watts or any of your comrades.”

Selphie responded, “We’re headed down to the Forest Fox headquarters. We’ll tell her you’re back. Maybe she knows where Watts is.”

“Thanks, Selphie,” Zone said enthusiastically. “I really appreciate that. I’ll be around the train station, if you need to contact me.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“By the way, Selphie,” Zone said as Selphie began to turn away to walk down theeet.eet. “How is the princess doing?”

Selphie thought, ‘The princess! Another Rinoa groupie!’ Selphie replied, “She’s doing fine, Zone. In fact, she’s started taking classes in preparation of becoming a SeeD.”

“Oh, isn't that something!” Zone exclaimed, his face wreathed in happiness.

“Uh, Selphie,” Zone started to say and then stopped. Selphie thought to herself, ‘Now what?’

Zone started again. “Do you think – I mean when everything starts to calm down a little – uh, maybe we could – you know – uh, go out to dinner sometime?”

Selphie thought, ‘So that’s it!’ and had to restrain herself from laughing out loud.

“Why certainly Zone,” Selphie replied offhandedly. ‘I’m certain that can be arranged.’

Zone practically shouted, “That’s wonderful, Selphie! I’ll be in touch!” and he rushed away down the street.

‘Now what have I gotten myself into?’ Selphie wondered.

………………..

Zell continued walking downtown until he came to the ‘Timber Maniacs’ Building next door to the Forest Fox leader's home. Zell quickly approached the front door and softly rapped on it. It was opened almost immediately. They must have been watching him, Zell thought. The leader’s daughter waved Zell in silently and glancing around the street she quickly shut the door.

“They’re upstairs,” she explained laconically.

Zell bounded up the stairs two at a time and looked in the first bedroom – empty – and then in the second where he saw Rinoa’s friend, Sakura, who ran the Forest Foxes and then noticed Kasumi talking to a young woman in the corner of the room. Zell’s heart skipped a beat. It was Mishima!

‘Mishima’s alright,’ Zell thought happily.

Mishima, noticing Zell for the first time since he had entered the room, stepped forward.

“Zell!” she exclaimed happily. “How wonderful to see you again,” she expressed, while moving toward him, her large breasts jiggling beneath her skimpy mid-riff until she paused and embraced him in a big hug.

‘Oh my God!’ Zell thought, ‘I’m going to die.’

Before Zell could respond in any manner, Selphie bustled into the room. “Alright,” she demanded with a grin, “What’s going on here?” Selphie continued, “Unhand him, wench! He is spoken for.”

Mishima dropped her arms and said, “Good to see you, Selphie.”

Selphie offered another smile and asked if she knew where any of the other SeeDs were.

Mishima answered in the negative. Zell continued standing there with a vacuous smile frozen on his face.

Kasumi suggested from the corner, “We need to sit down and discuss what we’re going to do.”

Selphie concurred, “That’s a good idea,” and then turning to the Forest Fox leader explained, “Zone’s back in town.”

Rinoa’s friend replied, “I’ll leave you to your planning. I’m going to look up Zone,” she said while returning to the lower floor.

“Well, let’s get started,” Selphie directed.

…………………

The town of East Academy lies halfway between the towns of Timber and Dollet and was located in the Vaulny Canyon.

East Academy University was a well respected institution of higher learning. In fact, outside of the Garden, it was considered to be by many the best education possible. The actual city of the same name expanded around the University after the school had been established.

Driving up the main thoroughfare leading into East Academy, Squall informed Quistis, “We’ll need to ditch this car in the city as far away from the University as we can.”

Quistis questioned, “Why not leave it somewhere outside the city?”

“Because we would look conspicuous walking for miles into town.”

“If and when they find the car,” Squall explained, “at least it won’t be around the University, even though I think they’ll assume whoever left the car will be at the University, it will make it more difficult for them to track us.”

Squall drove past the hotels that dotted the highway when first entering East Academy. He took the first left and, when he approached a street with a number of shops, he turned right and parked on the street.

“Squall, are we stopping for some reason?”

“Yes,” Squall explained, “What would you think if you saw students enter the University only carrying a backpack and a guitar case?”

“Oh, I get it,” Quistis replied.

After about an hour Squall and Quistis were finished shopping for their new clothes and two suitcases. In fact, Squall made his purchases in the first five minutes and spent the rest of the time trailing behind Quistis, watching her choose different outfits and trying them on and asking his opinion.

‘Good grief,’ Squall thought, ‘She’s worse than Rinoa.’

At long last, in Squall’s opinion, they were back on the road. Squall made a U-turn and returned almost to the spot, where they had entered East Academy, searching for an appropriate site to park the car. He finally decided on parking in a back parking lot of a fairly large hotel. They vacated the car with their possessions and thoroughly searched it for anything they might have forgotten or might be incriminating.

Squall locked the car, threw the keys in a small pond that lay beside the parking lot, placed his guitar case over his shoulder using the strap he had attached to it, picked up both suitcases, one in each hand and said, “Come on, Quisty,” and set off down the road towards the bus stop whistling as he walked.

The bus they boarded not only traveled to the University front gate; it also went to a number of places on the University property. Squall and Quistis, from their vantage point high atop a double decker bus, were able to distinguish where the dormitories were located. They rode past the many different colleges the University had to offer and finally arrived at the Main Administration Building.

Squall hopped down from the bus and, after setting the suitcases and his guitar case down, helped Quistis step down. As the bus roared away, Quistis commented, “I hope this goes quickly. I’m hungry.”

“Uh, huh,” Squall said, “What else is new?”

Quistis made a sudden move as if she was going to slap him. Squall ducked away.

“We better get going,” Squall said picking up his guitar case and the suitcases. “It’s getting fairly late in the afternoon. I’d hate to be stuck outside all night.”

“Then let’s go!” Quistis said giving him a slight push.

“You’re asking for it,” Squall joked.

“Yes, I am. But when I am I going to get it?” Quistis asked sadly.

Squall was taken aback at how quickly things had turned serious. He understood perfectly Quistis’ position and had great sympathy for her, but there was nothing he could do. It was as if he ‘had’ been fated to be Rinoa’s lover and knight and always would be.

“I’m sorry, Quisty.”

“I know, Squall, I know,” she said softly.

………………..

Quistis was in luck. An hour later she and Squall were sitting in a coffee shop much like the one in Garden except it was larger. Their admission to the University had proceeded smoothly and quickly. Squall and Quistis were now officially students at East Academy University, but, of course, not under their real names.

Quistis glanced up from her voracious eating and asked, “What’s your new name again?”

Squall patiently answered, “Yuji.”

“And mine is Madoka,” said Quistis brightly.

“Uh, huh,” Squall replied dryly. “Eat up,” he directed. “I want to get to the dormitories and get settled for the evening.”

“Yes sir!” Quistis snapped off a SeeD salute!

Her face immediately fell as she realized her blunder. “Oh, Squall. I’m so sorry, it was automatic,” Quistis apologized while taking a quick glance around the coffee shop to discover if anyone was watching. She felt somewhat relieved when it didn’t appear there was.

Squall stood up and picked up the bill, along his his guitar case and the two suitcases and strode toward the front of the shop to pay for their meal, while Quistis quietly glided behind him.

Once they were outside Quistis said, “Squall, I-.”

Squall interrupted, “Let it go. No harm done.”

“Thank you, Squall,” Quistis spoke softly. “It won’t happen again,” she promised.

But Squall wasn’t certain there was no harm done. He wasn’t sure if he was just being overly paranoid or had there been one blonde woman in the corner of the coffee shop, who had displayed an inordinate amount of interest in them, only looking away from them when Squall would meet her eyes?

………………..

Rinoa, Irvine, and Akane sat around a table in the coffee shop waiting for dinner hour to arrive. Rinoa asked while nodding to her right, “Akane, is that the cute boy I saw talking to you in the hall this morning?”

Akane nodded slightly blushing. Irvine exclaimed obviously upset, “What?”

Rinoa pressed on, “Let’s call him over,” and, before anyone at the table could protest, she stood up and called, “Hey, yes you. Come on over and sit down.”

The short fifteen-year-old boy with dark hair and even features, who obviously had been lurking around the perimeter of the area surrounding Akane, quickly arrived at the table. He introduced himself brightly, “Hi! I’m Arnaz,” and held his hand out for Irvine to shake, who limply touched it.

Rinoa introduced, “I’m Rinoa and this is Irvine. Grab a seat,” she suggested, while automatically registering that he might have been short, but he appeared to have a nice build and owned dark good looks.

Arnaz turned to Akane and said, “Good to see you again, Akane. How have you been?”

Akane again blushed and slightly turned her head looking at the table replied softly, “Fine, Arnaz.”

Rinoa turned to Irvine and asked happily, “Aren’t they so cute together?” causing Arnaz and Akane to both blush furiously. Irvine shook his head no, but declined to comment.

Akane softly pleaded, “Rinoa, please!”

Rinoa, who was not to be thwarted, declared, “We’re laying over at Centra tomorrow for some reason and classes are cancelled. Let’s all go the beach together.”

Akane excitedly answered, “That sounds like fun. I’ll go.”

Of course seeing that Akane had agreed, Arnaz immediately acquiesced.

“Rinoa,” Irvine replied in a heavy voice, “That’s a bad idea. That beach is full of Fastitocalon-F.”

Fastitocalon-F were fish that swam in the sand of beaches. They were believed to be a distant member of the shark family. They were quick moving deadly enemies.

“Okay Irvine, then you come along as protection,” countered Rinoa.

“I guess I’ll have to,” Irvine replied in a resigned voice.

“Good! We’ll leave in the morning after breakfast,” Rinoa informed them.

Rinoa stood up. “Let’s go to dinner, everyone!”

As they were walking through the coffee shop, Irvine sidled next to Akane and asked, “Hey! How’d you like to go to the training center tonight and practice killing some monsters?”

“Oh, wow!” Akane excitedly exclaimed. “That’ll be way cool!”

Irvine rejoined, “Good! Then it’s a date. Meet me at seven outside of the training center.”

Rinoa shook her head and thought, 'When’s the cat’s away, the mouse will play.'