Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Final Fantasy.

Warnings: Language?

Everything was going as normal about Balamb Garden on that chilled autumn morning. Though, nobody was awake to see it. This was because... They had all been brutally murdered in the middle of the night, by a savage attack of Grats that escaped the Training Centre. Yes, it's true. Dead. All of them.

...Ok, that was lie.

Birds chirped merrily in the sea wind, flying themselves lower to the southern areas of the contenants, to escape the oncoming winter. Winters were never that cold in Balamb, but it was cold enough for the birds. The Garden had been restationed recently back on the small island and students and SeeDs were just beginning to get up for the day. They were dressing and leaving the dorms to congragate in the hallways and meet others for lunch, seeing as how everyone's alarm clock had stopped in the middle of the night and everyone was getting up late (happens all the time).

"Wow! It's sunny outside, today, Irvy!" The smiling emerald eyes of Selphie Tilmitt greeted her sleepy (and a bit hungover) friend with unsupressed glee. They sat at a table near the back of the cafeteria, with two other of their friends.

Irvine Kinneas blinked, forcing a fractured smile for the sunny girl's sake. 'I will not let her know. She doesn't like guys who drink. Therfor, as of now, I don't drink... Grr! Pain!'

Selphie blinked at the cowboy's odd look, "Irvy? How do you feel?"

"Pain is such a bitch." His head dropped to the table below him. His hangover still as violent as ever. He pounded his fists against the table suddenly. "The pain!!! Holy fucking heap of inebriated Bahamut shit!!! The pain!!!" Inside a whiney voice mocked him...

'How ya' feelin' this fine n' luuuvely mornin', Irvine?'

'WTF!? Who is that?'

'It's me, Irvine.'

'Who?'

'Who do you think I am?'

'Mother?! What are you doing!? You can't just go and read my mind like that-' 1

'I'm not your mother, Kinneas.'

'Headmaster Cid?'

'No.'

'Wait... You couldn't be... You're...'

'Yes. I am.'

'You're me!'

'D'Oh! No! I'm not you!'

'Oh... Then who are you?'

'I am God.'

'Shit! Are you fucking serious!?'

'You're language is quite colourful, Irvine.'

'Yea... Probably because all those times me and Zell were sniffing paint... Paint is a very colourful thing, very pretty, smells real good. I'm willing to bet there's some still in my nose--'

'It's "Zell and I". And I didn't mean that as a good thing.'

'Oh. Sorry, sir.'

'Do you believe I'm real, Irvine?'

'Um... Well... Ya see... Well... It's kinda like... Well... No.'

'I see... Then what do you gather of what is happening right now?'

'It's fucking hilarious, and I need to get drunk more.'

'Wrong.'

'You're no fun.'

'Fuck you, Cowboy.'

'Sorry, sir.'

'Now, I have a mission for you Irvine. Are you going to shut the fuck up and listen, or not?'

'Do I get paid?'

'Yes.'

'If you're God, what are you gonna pay me with?'

'I'll give you a sense of purpose, and fill you with the rapture and knowledge of--'

'Ok... Anything I can use?'

'I'll supply you with unlimited liquor for a year.'

'Unlimited? But you just set a year as the limit...'

'Fine, then! Free cable for a year.'

'You got yourself a deal.'

A sly whisper, 'You're too naive, young one.'

'Pardon?'

There was a cough from Heavan, 'It was in English, you wouldn't understand it.'

'Oh.'

'Now, your mission is to save Squall.'

'What?'

'Save Squall.'

'Why? From what? What's happeneing? Huh? HUH!?'

'You will understand when the time comes.'

'Huh? Wait! Explain! What!? Hey... Where'd you go?'

"Irvy? Hello! Wake up!" Selphie snatched the brown hat from off of the Cowboy's head and placed it sloppily onto her own.

"What happened?" Irvine glanced around at the two others at the table, off in their own worlds, and back at the radiant blob of sunshine that was Selphie. "Where'd God go?"

Quistis Trepe, sitting across from the Cowboy, took this moment to peer over the top of her book, 'Advanced Calculus For Tech School Professors' (in which a copy of 'The Non-Conformist's Guide To Why To Commit Suicide' was secretly hidden), and raised a thin blond eyebrow at the question. Beside her, a blond boy choked on his hotdog.

Selphie took the moment to stare in complete puzzlement at her good-friend, "God? What are you talking about, Irvy?"

"Don't you mean Yevon?" A voice asked, and everyone stood to do a funny-looking prayer before sitting again as if nothing had ever happened.

Looking around with a confused expression marring his long face, he sighed and dismissed the event as if it hadn't happened, and began to focus his attention on Selphie, again. He watched her as she spoke words that did not reach his ears, and smiled as she blushed at his continuous stare, and shyly brushed a strand of her curly brown hair behind her hear.

Squall leaned heavily against a wall outside, near the gates. His eyes stung from the sun's strong glare. Finally yielding to the weakness in his legs, he took a seat on a nearby bench and leaned forward to watch the ground below him. He knew he couldn't stay here for too long, or the voice would find him, even if he hardly had any energy left to move (after three days without good sleep, who would?).

"Squall?"

The Commander froze, and slowly lifted his head to look around, knowing whatever it was that called him would remain unseen, as usual. Could he not escape it for one moment's rest? He was surprised to see Rinoa standing and looking down at him.

Taking a slightly shocked breath, the raven-haired girl's brow creased slightly as she examined his lifting face, "You look horrible..."

"Really? Thanks." Oh! Humour! He just said something funny!

She frowned, "No, I meant... Are you feeling well?"

Nodding, the brown-haired boy looked away.

Taking a seat on the bench beside him, Rinoa leaned over to see his face, and smiled, "You don't look as if you're telling the truth."

"I didn't say anything. That can hardly be considered lying." Ho-ho! The humour was really rolling today.

The raven-haired girl cast her brown eyes away, "Are you angry?"

At this, the blue-eyed boy lifted his head again, "Why would I be angry?"

She shrugged, "You just don't seem like you want to talk to me."

"...I'm sorry."

There was a small laugh from her, suddenly, "But you hardly ever seem like you want to talk to anyone." She smiled at his stoic face, "We've really got to work on your people-skills, Squall."

The Commander rolled his eyes and sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. Silence followed, so as not to be rude, he tried to provoke her talking. It was conforting to hear her voice.

"What were you doing?" He looked at her, still leaning over like he, himself, had been only moments before, and moved his eyes to her pale face. Her eyes looked so cloudly lately, almost distant. She wasn't acting angry, or cold like she had been for the past few weeks, though. That was a start.

She seemed to be taken off-guard by the question, and looked at him blankly, before smiling, "I was just out walking on the beach. It's really beautiful during the sunrise." She paused, and averted her eyes back to him, as they had drifted towards the gate as she spoke. A small smile danced upon her lips, "Maybe I can convince you to come with me sometime?"

His eyes averted, and he forced himself not to blush at her proposal. He wanted to accept, but he couldn't find the words. He remained silent, and kept his eyes to the ground. He took a deep breath, the breeze blowing lightly against his skin and mingling softly with his hair. He would very much like to see the sun rise from the shoreside with her sometime, but how was he supposed to accept that? What if she had only been joking? What if she changed her mind and didn't want him to go with her? No, he couldn't allow himself to get involved, perchance something be odd about her offer.

When he looked back to her, her eyes had dropped to the ground again and her lips were set in a subtle frown, "It's ok... I understand you don't want to." She looked back up at him suddenly, and forced a smile, though her eyes betrayed her struggle with doing so, "Well, I hope you have a good day. You should probably get some more sleep-- you don't look so well, Squall." She let the back of her hand brush softly against the side of his face in a small gesture of affection, and stood. She walked towards the garden, leaving only the cool sensation of her touch, behind.

Silently berating himself, the Silent SeeD watched her retreating form, and sighed. He was no good at things like that. It was the result of low self-confidence and not trusting in others, like so many other humans would be comfortable doing. Had he hurt her with his refusal? Why should she be sad over anything involving him? He wasn't worth that, and he was definately no good at such matters as these. Even if it was one of the few times since Ultemcia's defeat that he had gotten through an entire conversation with her, without her odd behaviour, he still felt so uneasy around her.

A distant humming filled his ears, shrill in it's intensity, and yet soft and lulling. He looked around, cautiously, and felt the eyes upon him again. It was watching him again.

"Damnit." Ignoring the weakness of his legs, due to lack of sleep, the blue-eyed boy stood quickly to flee from the invisable presence again. Yet it followed him as he re-entered the Garden complex, but his legs were so weak. All he wanted to do was fall down.

So he did.

Notes


1 Yes, I know Irvine is an orphan. Don't question my studpidity, fool.