Chapter 5

Squall got up and out of bed. And got himself ready for his first mission as a SeeD. He didn't think too much about Quistis and her problems. He could care less. He was putting on his jacket when Sephie was telling him about their first assignment.

"Hey, Squall. Meet at the front gate. Were heading to Timber." He saw Sephie standing next to one of the faculty members. Zell hadn't arrived yet. So they had to wait for a few. Then he heard the buzzing noise, and it was Zell coming from his scooter board. The faculty member saw it and confiscated it.

"Scooter boards are prohibited in the Garden. I will be taking that." Zell wanted to take it along with them cause he thought it would be helpful on their mission. But the faculty member disagreed. It looks like his board will be held by them until his return. Headmaster Cid wanted to give the team a talk before they went out on their mission.

"On this mission, you will be going to Timber. You're going to help a resistance faction group. When you arrived, someone will meet you there at the station. The person will say a phrase that you need to remember." It seems that this faction group wasn't too trusting in people. So they had to make sure the people they work with were the only ones that knew the secret phrase.

"They will respond with 'The trees in timber don't look how they use to.' And you will respond by saying 'But why are all these owls around?'" The team had to follow the order of the group. Zell noticed that it was just the three of them.

"Were the only ones going on this mission?" The faculty member took out the contract and looked over and this particular mission wasn't worth a lot of money. So it didn't need that many people involved.

"Let's not go into it. Squall, you're the leader. You make choices as you seem fit. Zell and Sephie are to back you up." That was the end of Headmaster's speech, and the team took off to catch the train to Timber. They made it to the station and hopped on the train. Sephie was so excited about being on a train that she decided to stand by the window, look out it, and then go into the cabin later. Squall and Zell went into the cabin and relaxed until the train made it to their stop. Squall sat on the couch. Zell sat next to him.

"Squall, do you know anything about Timber?"

"Not really." Squall didn't want to hear about the Timber. He just wanted to do the mission and go back to school. Zell kept talking Timber, and he was thinking thought Zell is a know it all. Then Sephie walked in funny. She seems as though she had been drinking.

"Squall, I'm not feeling right. I'm sleepy." Then Zell notice Sephie wasn't looking right. And then Zell started feeling the same way. They drop like flies. The only one left was Squall, and he was wondering what was going on. Then he got sleepy and passed out. When they awoke, they were in a big forest. They didn't know how they got there. But they see three soldiers in the forest. Who were these soldiers? And what were soldiers doing in a forest? The next thing they know, the soldiers are talking about something. Squall wonder what the heck they had gotten themselves into.

"What's going? Squall remembered hearing one of the soldiers call one of them Laguna.

"Hey! Laguna, is this the way we're supposed to be going?" What the hell?! Why were they looking at these soldiers? How did they get here? They couldn't do much but watch what happens next. They watch as they tried finding a way out of this forest.

"Hey, I thought we were fighting a war?" said Ward.

"He's lost again." Kiros remark.

"That's not it. We're heading home, boys. Let's head to Deling City."

What was Deling City? And why were they going there? It was starting to confuse Squall and them. They couldn't get past that they were watching this happen. Before the soldier took off, they got a chance to figure out who they were. They were pretending to be enemy solider from the Galbadian army. The Chunky guy was Ward. The slender one who must be of ethnic race was Kiros. And the one with the long hair would be Laguna. They saw the soldiers hop into the vehicle and head out. They arrived at a fancy hotel. They went to the hotel bar. They went up to the waitress, and she told them their table was ready.

Squall was thinking this was a dream. Sephie was too busy seeing how dreamy Laguna was. And Zell is wondering what was happening to him. The guys were talking when a lady dress in red came to play at the piano. Laguna noticed her and the boys started making fun of him again. He couldn't get his courage up enough to talk to her and would chicken out when he did.

"Go on, Laguna. Go talk to her!" Laguna got up from his seat and went over to her.

"To be this close to her. Julia." He silently said to himself. Squall was thinking, is this guy for real? Then Laguna's leg cramped up, and he couldn't go through with it. He eventually went back to his seat. The guys were berating him for not going and talking to Julia. Then the piano music stops.

"Hey, Laguna. We're going to head out. We'll catch you later." Laguna didn't know why they were leaving him until he turned around and there was Julia. Julia had come to see him. He was so nervous when she started talking to him.

"Did I scare your friends off?" She said to him, but he stuttered when he tried to talk back.

"N-N-No. I-It's A-Alright." He was thinking to himself, what was he going to do. Where were his boys when he needed them now? Squall still can't figure out what this guy is thinking. It just a woman. Talk to her. Julia could tell how nervous he was. She thought he was cute being like this. So she took a seat next to him. His leg was still cramping from he went up there to tried and speak to her. She notices him rubbing it. And wanted to know if his leg was ok.

"Oh, that. It's fine. It happens whenever I'm nervous." And he was incredibly nervous whenever he saw Julia. She knew he was, but he had no reason to be.

"It's fine. Relax." Laguna tried to relax, but then she suggested something else.

"How about we go someplace a little quieter?' She wants to be alone with him. He was stun.

"Y-Y-You w-want t-to b-be alone with me?" Then she looked as though he didn't want to. But they couldn't really talk like they wanted to with all the noise and people around. So Laguna stood up and thought if it was a good idea, and in the end, he decided he wanted to. She had a room reserve for her at the hotel. Julia told Laguna to ask the front desk for her room number when he was ready to come up. Squall was all this happening in a dream. Then he thought it would be weird if this were happening in a dream. Even Laguna was thinking what was happening to him was a dream too. Julia wanted to talk to him.

Meanwhile, Henry was enjoying this time becoming Squall. He loves wielding his gunblade. Getting to dance with a pretty woman. He didn't understand why he was such a prick about things. He understood where Quistis was coming from; why didn't he. Henry hoped that his way of thinking would change on this journey. Henry wondered what Clayton was doing at this moment. Did his parents give him back his system? Is he being required to do a bunch of chores to get it back? Henry hopes he would get here soon before any real action happen.

Getting back to the weird dream that Squall and they were involved in. Squall was listening as this Laguna was still in awe that Julia wanted to talk to him.

"Hey, haven't you notice that he talks to himself a lot?"

"Yeah, he's pretty weird, but all so dreamy." Sephie being girl crazy and not paying attention to what was going on. Then Laguna snapped out it because he was talking to himself too much. And people were around, and someone might notice he was acting strange. He made his way to the front desk to get her number. Why waiting for the lift, he would not talk about himself so much with Julia. Tonight would be all about her. The boys saw him waiting for the lift and tried to give him a pep talk before he went to see Julia.

"Remember, it's all about her."

"Don't worry. I've got this."

"Are you sure? We know once you start talking. No one can stop you." He knew he was like that, but he wasn't going to let that happen. The lift came down. He got on, and it reaches her floor. He got off the lift and headed to her room. He was right in front of her door. For a second, he almost back off when the door open. And there stood Julia.

#####

Please leave comments or suggestions. I would love to hear from you guys and if you like it. Till then. Later.