Chapter 3

Squall blinked. He heard music. People dressed in formal clothing were dancing. He blinked again, trying to clear his eyes. Where was he?

"Dance with me," the voice came from behind him.

It struck him that he had heard those words before, ten years ago. It was the night of the senior prom, but today, it was also this night. How could one night in his life suddenly divide into two?

"I can’t dance." He replied as he turned around, saying the lines as though he was completing the second half of a favorite quote.

Rinoa smile and he knew he had completed the shibboleth.

"I know you can." She replied. "Come on."

He allowed her to lead him onto the floor. He was in such a shocked state that to others it might have looked as though she rudely dragged him there.

"What are we doing-?" He began to ask before she pressed her finger to his lips and motioned for him to be quiet. She began to lead him in a slow dance, in the middle of the dance floor.

"Whisper. They’re not supposed to hear us." She said in a low voice.

"I remember this night. Everything looks so familiar. .but so foreign at the same time."

"This world is made up of your, mine, Ellone’s and Seifer’s fantasies. Listen, Squall there is something you must remember."

"How did you suddenly become so knowledgeable?"

"Time passes differently here. I’ve been here for about three hours already. Listen carefully, you’ve been assigned a nature."

"What?"

"You’re part of the game. It’s imperative that you listen to me. Be detached to everything. Did you hear me? Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to go now. The dance is ending. Just use your common sense to get by until we meet again."

"Ri-" He began but she covered his mouth with the palm of her hand.

"Sssh! You don’t know my name yet." She backed up and looked to the side as though something had caught her eye. She smiled at the figure and began to walk briskly in that direction. Squall turned around and realized that he was stranded in a foreign place. He began to make his way off the floor when he noticed that there were quite a few eyes staring at him strangely.

Maybe someone can finally see that I’m twenty seven and not seventeen. He thought to himself somewhat humorously. As he came to the refreshment stand, he began to reach for a cup of punch when he noticed a young man pulling a switchblade out from beside his date.

Squall reached inside his jacket for his gun when he realized that his holster was no longer there. Quickly pushing aside his perplexed state, he strolled up from behind the boy and pulled him into in the slightly less populated hallway leading to the restrooms. In a swift motion, Squall shoved the confused kid against the wall.

"What is that you have here, kid?" Squall asked him roughly.

"Help!" The boy yelled in a muffled voice. "Headmaster Cid!"

An old man with glasses and brown hair walked up to them just as Squall pulled the blade from the boy’s hand.

"What’s going on, Squall, Nida?"

"He’s gone insane!" The boy replied. Squall shoved the kid aside as he pulled the dagger up to the light.

"I think he should be expelled for bringing this to a school gathering, Headmaster." Squall replied, with a confident disciplinary tone to his voice as he had acquired from years working with common criminals.

To Squall’s surprise the headmaster merely scratched his chin.

"Did you have one too many to drink, Squall?

"What? He’s armed. Do you realize that this is not a toy and he could have seriously hurt someone?"

"Everyone here is armed, Squall." The headmaster replied as he shook his head.

"What’s gotten into you?" Nida added.

"But these kids are seventeen. They’re not even old enough to vote. How can they be allowed .. .." Squall replied. He looked around him as he realized that he was drawing even more stares now.

"I’m eighteen," Nida replied.

Suddenly Squall heard clapping as blond woman emerged from the crowd and grabbed him by the arm, laughing.

"Wonderful, Squall. Who would have thought you had such a great practical joke in you? Wasn’t it great guys?" She asked the people standing all around. In a split second they all bursted out in laughter as though they finally "got it."

"Come on, Squall." She said as she pulled him away from the hallway. "Your first night as a SeeD and you turn into a comedian."

She led him to a deserted balcony where she finally let go of his arm. He recognized her at once even though she looked much younger then the last he saw her.

"Quistis." He said in awe.

"Instructor." She corrected, chuckling. "You really had quite a few to drink didn’t you?"

He shrugged and turned away as he remembered Rinoa’s words. She was an illusion. Nothing more than a mirage built from a pair of memories. It was best to just play along.

"Thanks for helping me back there."

"Thanks?" She asked. "What happened to ‘whatever’?"

"Whatever?"

"Yes, now that’s the Squall I used to know."

"That’s a word I say a lot?"

"Nevermind. I saw you dancing with that girl. I thought you had changed but I guess you’re just drunk."

"Yes, that must be it. I’m seventeen. I get drunk all the time to blow off my sexual frustration."

She shook her head. "I’ve never seen this side of you, Squall. But never mind that. Why don’t you go rest for an hour, lay off those drinks and meet me at the training center? I have something I want to say to you."

He turned to her, about to agree when she suddenly turned and waved goodbye - trying not to give him an opportunity to refuse.