#x3;

6: Gentle Peck

Selphie was almost like a sister to her. Her almost ever present smile and cheery mood something that she took for granted until one of the occassions arose that would remind her that she was prone to sadness as well. They had both been working diligently, Rinoa when she could come up, and Selphie had been taking longer trips to the cold climate Garden. Repairs were time consming and winter was coming harshly. It was inevitable but it still seemed to hit her friend hard as some of the children became sick from the less than adequate heating and room conditions. Though better than the previous year, several rooms were still seperate from main buildings and heating was giving mostly for those younger students. Meaning that though they were warm when they slept they had to still traverse cold temperatures to get to the main building for classes and the cafeteria set up.

The brunette seemed so down trodden as she tried to work through more of the paperwork that Rinoa couldn't help but set down the papers she had been carrying to lean over and give her a gentle peck on her cheek.

That was… Sorceress Rinoa, wasn’t it? Almost immediately, she wondered if she knew about the destruction of Balamb Garden — or if she was one of those from another universe somehow. It made her heart ache, to think that in some universe, Balamb still existed. Made her homesick for a place that would never truly be home.

Swallowing, she forced the emotions down and away. Balamb or not, she felt a connection to the young Sorceress that was undeniable. After all, with their contact with Ultimecia, they were in similar situations: learning to control powers they’d never wanted in the first place. It made her instantly intrigued.

“Hey… Do you need something?”

Rinoa had been distracted by her own thoughts, not paying a great deal of attention as to where she was or who she was around. She'd heard a report on the news that she hadn't wanted to believe, the thought making her sick with worry. She pushed those thoughts to the side as she hoped fervently for the trains to Balamb to start running once more so she could find the answers for herself. She hadn't heard word from Squall or the others at all...

It was as she let out a quiet sigh that she heard the voice of another. She turned to see who it was and found a blonde girl before her. In a quick assessment she noted that they must be close to the same age, but she couldn't be sure. She also noted that the girl seemed rather worried, something in her expression making the sorceress curious.