Lina instructed everyone to take out their textbooks, and as the students did so, she looked up at the window, at the lazy grayish clouds sifting gently through an aqua blue and the gulls chasing them quickly behind. She smiled, and thought to herself how nice it might be so be out there right then and there. Suddenly, she noticed something strange headed in the direction of the Garden. Lina blinked twice and tried to clear her eyes, but no--it was still there: a large straw hat and a deep blue cloth... flying in her direction.
Suddenly, it struck her and she ran to the back of the classroom disregarding Karen's attempt to trip her and Zell's general gaze. She lifted the lock on the window and pushed them out, wide open. The hat and cloth flew to the window and she snatch them up quickly, then dashed out of the classroom door into the hallway.
Lina very lightly set the two items on the ground and immediately POP! Smoke filled the air and there was Chichiri, Tasuki, Miaka, Tamahome, and Nuriko from Animanga standing right there in front of her. "Hey guys!" Lina called excited as soon as she was sure it was them.
"Lina! You're alright!" Chichiri exclaimed. Lina just remembered that the lot of them hadn't seen her since the tornado incident back at Hotohori's palace.
"No one else could come?" Lina asked, and the others shook their heads. "Alright, well just... here..." Lina pulled out a little gold key to her room with the number "twenty one" etched into both side and tossed it to Chichiri. "Go to my room and stay there for a while--I'll be there in a little bit... We'll try to get you some modern clothes." They agreed and left on their way and Lina sighed--they came to Garden wearing Ancient Chinese robes. She had a long day ahead of her. Lina walked back into the classroom with a new sort of headache, "Alright class...you know what? My first day back, class dismissed."
The students cheered and jumped out of their seats. Some rushed up to Lina and gave her a hug then let out a frightening yelp of joy and rampaged out of the classroom. Before Dan and Karen could leave, she pulled them to the side and informed them on the situation. They rushed away to Lina's room where they would attempt to control the situation while Lina had a little chat with Seifer.
Seifer still sat in his seat, content as ever. Zell was the last of the rest of the students to leave the room, walking very slowly past Seifer, then past Lina, but was unable to read the expression in her eyes. He would wait outside because he somehow felt an obligation to speak to Lina, just speak to her. In the meantime, Lina and Seifer stood in the room and Lina packed up her things.
"So, Instructor, what is it?" Seifer asked, standing up. Lina scooped up her things in her arms and headed for the doorway, Seifer following nonchalantly behind her.
"Listen, you bastard, I don't know what you've heard of 'the hunt' if that's what you call it, but you'd better shut your mouth, in and out of class," she told him, walking out of the doorway where she tried her best not to acknowledge Zell leaning against the wall, Carri somewhere beside him. She felt sick.
"Well, I'm sooorry if I happen to know a little bit more than everyone else. I think you'd actually prefer to know the information. Like why they chose Gorld, how they could tell you were a candidate."
"Shut up, you egotistic piece of shit!" Lina yelled and even Zell looked surprised, concerned even, but Lina was still pretending he wasn't there. She felt sick enough speaking to Seifer as it was. "Won't you feel glad then? You'll just be so proud of yourself that if I die tomorrow, you'll be the only person in the entire world grieving for the right reason." She turned and walked towards the elevator and Seifer sped up his pace to chase her. Zell followed closely behind the two of them--this was interesting. Not only was this interesting though--this was news to him. Never during their relationship had Lina mentioned anything to him as she had just mentioned to the class. That both hurt him and confused him, but somehow he could understand that she was right in doing so.
"Why are you swearing all of the sudden, Instructor?" Seifer asked, starting to get a little bit serious. Lina pressed the button to call the elevator, but turned around sharply to face Seifer.
"Why!?" She took a breath. "Because. After getting knocked in the head the second time, you start to remember who did it the first time." Seifer was quite taken aback and so was Zell. The elevator arrived and Lina stepped through the doors for a quick getaway. Seifer held the doors open with his hand so she wouldn't leave yet.
"Wait, Lina, we have to talk about that. You know that I didn't mean for it like that, right?" Seifer said quickly. His tone hinted desperation.
"I don't know anything Seifer, only that you owe me two or three months of my life," she said, then pushed his hand away so that the doors would close, and as they did she told him, "I don't want to speak to you until you deflate your damn ego." The doors shut and Lina was off. Seifer on the other hand, stood there completely baffled. He had not been in control of that conversation and that's what really frightened him. Zell, still standing behind him felt the urgency to speak to Lina. What would he talk about? That he was sorry, first and foremost, but now, he wanted to know--what exactly was going on? He looked up at Seifer with a fire in his eyes. He didn't know how or why, but this asshole was responsible for those painful three months he'd been separated from Lina, and there was no chance in hell he'd let him get away with it.