When had it all started?

That's always the million-gil question - the question everyone asks themselves when they're about to make a huge, life-changing decision.

Quistis supposed it had all started that day, so long ago, at the orphanage when she had told everyone that her love for Squall was a "sisterly love", rather than a "real love".

She'd lied, of course.

Squall, not being an idiot had taken her at her word, but never fully believed her. Sure, for a time, he had pretended at his relationship with Rinoa; they certainly seemed happy for a few months following the events of the Second Sorceress War. Slowly at first, and then all at once, they both seemed to realize that everything they had been through wasn't enough to want to spend their lives together. Quistis had mistakenly walked in on them the day their split happened; no one could blame her, though - Squall and Rinoa were talking about it in the Library. Quistis had tried to make herself invisible, but both Squall and Rinoa had seen her.

Neither said anything, but they knew she had witnessed their last moments as a couple.

The thing that struck Quistis was how calm the conversation was. In the months after the War, Squall had opened up considerably: where once he was quiet to the point of being taciturn, he now expressed himself more freely. Rinoa had even calmed down a little - she no longer had a comment to make after everything Squall said, and her temper had seemed to cool. As Quistis turned to go, she heard Squall speak:

"I'll always care for you, but this isn't working."

"I know, Squall," Rinoa replied, "I've felt it, too. Neither of us is in this for the long haul."

Squall had nodded. Rinoa, surprisingly, spoke the words first: "I suppose this is the end, huh?"

"I suppose it is," Squall said, brushing an errant lock of hair out of his eyes.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

Rinoa wrapped her arms around Squall one last time, and moved past him without another word. Squall had stood there for a few more moments, took a deep breath, and left the Library.

Quistis emerged from the stacks, feeling like an intruder. She promised herself she wouldn't say anything about the conversation she had just witnessed, grabbed the book she needed, and left the Library.

In the following months, she interacted with both Squall and Rinoa, often together. They both publicly acknowledged their breakup, and went about moving forward with their lives. Squall continued his duties as Commander, continuing to dispatch SeeD around the world, and Rinoa began working in the Infirmary, studying under Dr. Kadowaki and using her now-diminished sorceress powers to heal the wounded.

Life continued this way for a time, until one day Rinoa was seen walking hand-in-hand with Nida. This came as a shock to much of Garden's population, and was the subject of hushed conversations in the Cafeteria for several days.

For his part, Squall didn't even seem to notice. He did, of course, but, in typical Squall-like fashion, he ignored it. Quistis would find out later that it was actually Squall who had encouraged Nida to approach Rinoa, which was surprising - but not for the reason everyone else would have thought. Quistis was surprised by just how much Squall had grown and cared for his fellow staff members. Gone was the angry young man. In his place was the calm, caring leader Cid had known Squall would become.

As the years wore on, Squall didn't take another lover. He had plenty of admirers - both male and female - many of whom would have killed for the chance to be with him. Squall remained unattached, however. He continued to work hard to build the reputation of SeeD into something more than it had been before the War. Often, he headed missions himself, and provided leadership through example.

As Quistis watched, both from afar and up close, she began to feel the stirrings of that long ago love. Try as she might, she was unable to ever fully quash those feelings for her former student.

Late one afternoon, 6 years after the War had ended, everything changed.

Quistis was working in the administrative offices (she had recently been promoted to Department Head of the general education classes) when Squall entered. It was not uncommon for Squall to come see Quistis - they had remained close friends, occasionally acting as confidant for one another. Quistis had figured he was just making one of his usual stops.

As he walked in, she looked up and saw he was carrying two to-go cups of coffee, just like he always did when he came to see her.

"You're a lifesaver," she said, gratefully taking one of the cups and removing the lid, the brown liquid steaming and smelling of hazelnut - her favorite.

Squall grinned, and propped himself on the corner of her desk…

...which was different. Normally, Squall sat in the chair across from her.

Quistis, aside from noting the change, didn't think much of it. She sipped her coffee and leaned back in her chair. "So what's up?"

"Well," Squall said, taking a sip of his own coffee, "I came to ask you a question."

"Sure, you know you can always do that."

Squall paused for a moment, as if considering his words. Again, Quistis noted the change - he was usually candid with her and didn't feel the need to consider his words.

"I've been thinking lately," he started, shifting on her desk to face her more fully, "about the time we spent together during the War. I know that was a long time ago now, but it's coming up on the anniversary of our defeat of Ultimecia."

"Yeah, you always get like this around this time, though," Quistis said with a smirk.

"Okay, fair enough," Squall said, the corner of his mouth pulling into a half-smile, "but this time is different. It's not nightmares about being pulled through time, or having to battle a beast of my own making." He set his coffee cup down and fiddled with the ring on his right ring finger. Quistis nodded.

They'd spoken many times about how difficult it had been for Squall to face the Legendary GF. Ultimecia had cruelly given the beast the shape of the very being Squall relied on most: Griever, the lion-like monster that was the embodiment of Squall's pride and strength. Quistis knew how hard it had been for Squall to strike Griever down, even though the Griever he fought wasn't the same as the beast that lived in his heart.

He looked back toward her, "No, what I've been thinking about is the echoes I heard when I was in the void after Ultimecia died. Most of them were Rinoa, but, recently, I've been thinking about the other things I'd heard. I...I think they were you."

Quistis stopped, coffee halfway to her lips. She set the cup down and turned to face Squall head on.

"I had a dream last night," Squall said, "in that dream, I was back in the Void. I heard the promise that Rinoa and I made, but, last night, I heard something new. I heard another voice, very faintly, pleading for me to find my way back. 'Squall, you have to come back to us. To me. It's real love, Squall, I know that now. You have to come back.' That's what the voice said. I think it was your voice, Quisty."

Quistis stared at him. How could he remember those details so many years later? And her exact words, too? Was it because they had stopped using GFs? She knew their memories had returned, but could the memory of something like that still be floating around the portions of the brain the GFs used to inhabit?

"Squall, I…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Do you still feel that way?"

Quistis caught her breath. Of course she did, she had never been able to fully move past her feelings. She hadn't been pining for Squall all these years, and she had certainly had boyfriends and lovers. Now that he was here, asking her, though, she started to feel those buried feelings again.

"Squall…"

"Look, nevermind," Squall said, picking up his coffee and standing up, "I shouldn't have asked." There was no anger in his voice, no sarcasm, no hurt. Just the soft voice she had come to know so well when he was calm and fully in control of his emotions. Squall turned to walk to the door, telling her he would talk to her later. He was reaching for the door control -

"I do."

He dropped his hand and turned back toward her.

"I do, Squall. I didn't realize it until right now, but, yes."

She moved around the desk, watching his face as a smile crept across his lips.

"I'm glad you fe-"

She didn't let him finish. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him for the first time. It was a kiss both of them would always remember.

There was a buzz around Garden for weeks afterward - a larger buzz than when Nida had proposed to Rinoa. Squall and Quistis largely ignored it, continuing about their duties with a newfound lightness. When the time came for Rinoa's wedding, she excitedly found the couple and gave them the invitation, all but begging them to come. Quistis accepted with a smile, and Squall, grinning, nodded in agreement.

Rinoa's wedding came and went. Squall and Quistis were happy together, eventually even moving into a modified dormitory that acted as their home.

Two years after moving in together, Squall and Quistis attended the newly-reestablished SeeD ball.

Everything was perfect: Squall looked handsome and dapper in his SeeD uniform, and Quistis opted for a flowing, red ball gown. As they danced under the stars, she rested her head against his chest, smiling softly. That was the image that Zell - now a photographer - captured. As the song ended, the couple moved to the balcony and looked out over the forests of Balamb. Garden had been stationary for a long time, resting not far from its original site.

On the balcony, in the moonlight under the stars, Squall proposed.

In what felt like a daze, Quistis accepted, staring at the gorgeous diamond and sapphire ring he slipped on her finger. As they planned their wedding, it seemed as though both of them had difficulty holding back their smiles.

So, that's how it started.

At least, that's how that chapter had started. Today, a new chapter was starting, and Quistis would remember this beginning for the rest of her life.

She looked in the elaborate mirror, taking in all the details of her meticulously styled hair, the pearls at her throat, and the soft, pink lipstick on her lips. She looked down at the photograph Zell had given her, framed in a beautiful silver frame, of her and Squall on the night he proposed. She sighed, smiling into the mirror. As she stood, she followed the lines of her dress, taking in all the lace, beads and rhinestones. As she turned, the train fanned out behind her, sparkling softly in the dim light of the dressing room. From behind her, Selphie poked her head in:

"Hey - wow! You look amazing!" She said, eyes widening, "are you ready? It's just about time!"

Quistis turned, adjusting the white evening gloves. She smiled, and picked the bouquet up from the silver holder.

"Yes," she said, "the next chapter is starting today."