I Choose the Knight
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8, even though I really want to… I only own my character(s) and the events that didn't take place in the game, but not the locations, titles, magic, items, or anything else. But, just to consol myself, I do own Ruthor, Risika, James, Kadisha, and any others I may put in.
Chapter 1
An auburn haired girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing bright silver orbs. There was a slight dusting of freckles across her pale nose. She was pale white, no sign of a tan. The girl was lying in the middle of a plain, the grass waving at her as the wind's soft fingers played along the girl's skin. Her long hair was fanned out above her, torn from the pony tail it was normally held in with the elastic broken a few feet away.
The girl was attractive, but plain. She wasn't one to catch the attention of every person in the room when she walked in. She wore a pair of dark denim jeans that flared out at the bottom and a dark blue belt, as well as a pair of worn-looking tennis shoes. She also had a black leather jacket with sleeves that came to the middle of her forearm. It looked rather plain at first glance, but when she twisted, trying to get up, you could see a blue howling wolf head printed on the back. Under the jacket, she had on a light grayish blue tank-top. Around her neck was a chain with a howling wolf head pendant, the same wolf head was carved into two small dangling earrings. Finally, she had on fingerless gloves that came just below where the jacket sleeves stopped.
She stared at the blue sky, screwing her eyes up against the light pounding in the back of her head.
Where am I? the girl asked herself. This isn't Chicago… What happened?
The last thing the girl remembered hearing her TV turn itself on, then she blacked out due to lack of sleep.
She carefully turns her head to the right and sees a small seaside town, one road, a beach, and a forest. She then turned her head to her left and saw more forests, the road, a cavern, some mountains, some islands, and a strange-looking blue, green, and white building. The silver-eyed girl sighed softly, barely making a noise.
Whatever. I guess I'll just… The pounding in her head became stronger as she tried to sit up. Try to sleep off this friggin' headache.
She heard a roar nearby, vaguely thinking that there must be some big bears. A while later, she hardly noticed when two strong, gloved hands picked her up. In her delirious state, the girl figured it was just a very realistic dream. She must have hit her head hard when she hit her TV's screen when she blacked out…
Unbeknownst to the strange auburn haired girl, a blonde young man in a light grey trench coat was watching her. He was protecting her from the blood thirsty monsters of the forest near her. The blonde slashed with his silver blade at a giant monster resembling a Tyrannosaurus Rex, only this one was alive and trying to eat the young man. Quite obviously, the dinosaur was nowhere near extinct. The man glared at the much larger creature with emerald eyes positively brimming with determination.
"You… will… not… get… that… girl!" he growled. Each word he accentuated with a slash at the T-Rexaur's legs. As the blonde fought off the dinosaur, he wondered to himself why he was so determined to save a girl he'd never even met, a girl who was just suddenly there. Besides, there was no reason for him to work himself up over one person. Yet, that's exactly what the blonde did every time he taunted the brunet that was his rival, every time they sparred. The blonde worked himself up over every person, whether he was fighting them or protecting them… Why? The young emerald-eyed man barely noticed when the living relic from the past collapsed at the blonde's feet, dead, and resulted in the ground shaking. The shaking ground brought the young man in the trench coat back to the present and he glared at the monster with contempt, before turning to go help the girl.
Unfortunately, a young couple beat him to it. One was a young man only a year or so younger than the blonde in the forest. He wore dark, leather clothes and was a brunet, not blonde. The other half of the two was a female with darker blonde hair. She wore her hair in a bun with two strands left out to frame her face. She wore a salmon pink dress/outfit with black boots and a black belt, onto which was attached a chain whip.
The blonde in the trees glared daggers at the two as the brunet man picked up the auburn haired girl and ran to the Garden.
When I came to awareness, I couldn't open my eyes. Actually, screw opening my eyes, I couldn't move any part of my body! I felt panic well up in my chest. I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what was going on. I only remembered feeling two strong arms pick me up and then the wind blowing my hair around.
I mentally slapped myself and shook my head, remembering what someone told me a while ago. Remember what you were taught. In times where you can't see, go off of what your other senses tell you.
I forced myself to take in calming breaths, relaxing. I then worked on deciphering what I could feel. I felt a lumpy bed underneath my back, a somewhat more comfortable pillow under my head. There was a light blanket covering my body. I also realized that I was still in my clothes from earlier. I shook off that thought, continuing with my 'examination.' I could feel a light breeze playing with my hair and stroking my face.
Then, I focused on sent. I could smell… disinfectants. Oh, yay. It was a hospital-like smell. Again, oh, yay. I also made out the scent of fresh air, as if there was garden or something nearby. I could also smell salt air, like the ocean was nearby. And, very faintly, like it was coming through many walls, the smell of raw fish and… hotdogs? Ooo-kay, then… Interesting combination.
Finally, I focused on my hearing. I couldn't use taste, because 1) I can't move, and 2) that would just be weird.
I strained my hearing as far as I could, and realized a few things. I was in a room, I could tell that because all the other sounds were muffled, except for right above my bed, where I supposed there was an open window. I wasn't near any large form of civilization, because I couldn't hear the normal honking and purring of car engines. And I wasn't alone. I could hear voices outside of the window I supposed was above my head, as well as somewhere a lot closer…
The voices I heard were coming from the area connected to my room; four of them, I guessed. Two were female, two were male. One of the females was an instructor, judging by her tone. The other female had a kinder voice, one that said she knew how to comfort almost anyone.
One of the men was the head of some establishment; he had the same tone I'd heard with many people of higher authority. The other male was young, at least 16, if not older. His tone told me that he didn't care about the world. I could remember voices and noises better than most people because I was partially blind when I was a child. I also had a better nose than most people did.
"Doctor, will she be alright?" asked the instructor-toned female.
"Of course she will," replied the other female. "I'll keep an eye on her."
"Good. I don't want her to die on us, not when I carried her all the way here," the youngest man said moodily.
"Now, go. I'll call you if there are any changes," the kind-voiced female said. I heard three sets of footsteps leave the room. I tried to look, but I didn't have the energy to open my eyes, so I laid on the slightly uncomfortable bed cloaked in the blackness of uncertainty and the beginnings of panic, going over what I heard in my mind. Before I could even organize my thoughts, I fell asleep again.
I surfaced from the sea of dreams a while later, wondering what time it is and how long I've been on the slightly lumpy bed. There was an upside, though. The dreams I'd had put everything in perspective, well, almost everything.
I realized a few things: 1) I was in the care of a doctor. 2) Some man who I didn't even know had carried me to the place I was now. 3) I defiantly wasn't in Chicago, or any areas near Chicago. 4) I was in a strange building surrounded by people I don't even know.
I vaguely noticed a pair of footsteps exiting the room outside of my own.
I tried to think deeper, but my headache from earlier came back, preventing any thoughts from forming. So, I decided to try and sleep it off again…
Unfortunately, at that moment, the door to my little room decided to open. I opened my eyes slightly, looking at the intruder through my dark eyelashes. The light that filtered through my lashes hurt, but I still managed to get a good look at the person who decided to disturb me.
The intruder turned out to be a familiar-looking teen. He had short blonde hair slicked back and bright, emerald green eyes. The teen was wearing a black outfit under a light grey overcoat. The overcoat had red crosses on the sleeves. He was also wearing black boots.
I pretended to sleep while tearing through my memories to figure out why he looked so friggin' familiar. Snippets of my life before started to come back.
A female, throwing a very young me onto the streets in the dead of winter.
A group of rough looking men giving a slightly older version of myself self-defense and fighting lessons in a gym, with a large man with kind blue eyes and brown hair watching carefully.
A searing pain in my shoulder and stomach as bullets tore through my skin and muscles as I fell.
The large man with kind blue eyes picking me gently and holding me in his arms as he ran to the hospital.
A large flat screen TV and a blue Lay-Z-Boy rocker-recliner in front of said TV, the opening titles of a video game showing on the screen.
A large turkey pecking me in the head during a camping trip with the man who saved me and his brother.
The TV again, showing a group of people talking, the words showing up in white letters in grey boxes with the speaker's name in the top left hand corner.
My saviors training me, teaching me, making me strain myself so I would build muscle and brains.
I realized these were my memories. Suddenly, names and the corresponding faces flashed through my aching head.
Risika, a brown-eyed, black-haired 16 year old girl, myself. Tom, the tall, brown haired man who took care of me, fitness instructor. Andrew, the black haired brother to Tom, fitness instructor. My dad with his light, sandy colored hair and hazel eyes, who died when I was 3. My dark-haired, violet-eyed, evil step-mom, who threw me onto Chicago's streets after my dad died.
Then, I remembered the faces characters from a game I played, the game I was playing before I blacked out. I strained my mind to remember the title. I remembered it, Final Fantasy VIII, FF8.
I kept sifting through my memories, trying to fit the blonde's face with a name, which was hard, considering I couldn't remember any names, except Quezacotl, Shiva, and other GF's.
I open my eyes fully and sit up (carefully), looking at the blonde who decided to sit in the chair next to my bed. I realized as I studied his face he didn't have a scar…
"Hey, there, Sleeping Beauty. Have a good rest?" the boy asked.
"W-wha? Who're you?" I responded.
"I'm Seifer Almasy, leader of the Disciplinary Committee. You've been asleep for three days," he said. Wait. Was that worry I detected in his last statement?
"Whoozy-what now?" I asked the blonde, incredulously. He just shrugged.
"I don't know. I just know that you owe me your life." I looked at Seifer, confused. He just chuckled. "If it wasn't for me, you would be dino chow. The friggin' T-Rexaur was stalking toward you, so I stopped it."
"oh." My voice was small. I hadn't realized how close to death I'd come.
"Anyway, who're you? I've never seen you here or in Balamb."
Did the blonde just say Balamb? Now that I thought about it, he'd also said "T-Rexaur" and "Disciplinary Committee." Add that to the fact that friggin' SEIFER ALMASY was sitting next to my bed and being nice, it wouldn't have been a big surprise if I fainted right there. I stared at Seifer blankly, recognizing the symptoms of shock setting in.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Seifer asked, waving his hand in front of my face.
"Oh, sorry," I shook my head quickly, instantly regretting it. My head exploded with pain. I grimaced as one hand went to my temple, the other pushed Seifer's hand out of my face.
"Um…what did you ask?" I asked, sheepishly, holding my head in my hands. Seifer rolled his eyes as he repeated his question. "Um… my name's…Risika." I had to pause to think, and the pain in my head wasn't making it any easier. "Hey, Seifer, right?" the emerald-eyed boy nodded. "Do you know where any pain killers are? My head is practically killing me," I told the blonde.
"Well, let's hope not! I only just met you!" he laughed. "I want to get to know you better, and that's not gonna happen if you die on me now!" I did a double take as Seifer went to retrieve the meds.
He did say "I want to get to know you better," right? I'm not imagining things? I thought for a bit. What's goin' on? Is this just some cruel joke the universe just suddenly decided to play on me?
Seifer came back in with a small bottle of pain killers.
"Here," he said, tossing the bottle to me. "Take two." Then the blonde tossed an unopened water bottle to me.
"Thanks." Seifer nodded, watching me, as I opened the bottle and shook out two small pills. His eyes never once left me. I squirmed slightly, feeling uncomfortable under the blonde's gaze. He was gazing at me with the intensity he would a potential sparring partner…or something more… Those beautiful emerald eyes stayed on me even when I threw the pills back at him. He just snatched the plastic vile out of the air, smirking slightly.
"Show-off," I muttered into my water bottle, avoiding his eyes.
"Why, thank you!" he replied brightly. "That's the best compliment I've heard all day!" He left quickly, returning within the minute without the pill bottle. When he entered, I was sitting on the edge of my bed. He walked over to the chair that he occupied when I first woke up. I finally met his eyes, and I didn't regret it. His eyes were beautiful.
We sat there, just gazing into each other's eyes, his eyes were the green of a perfect emerald, or a forest. I could see desire and confusion in the blonde teen's eyes, as well as his unasked questions.
Seifer was lost in the captivating depths that were my eyes. I'm not bragging. Every man who has looked into my eyes quickly became captivated… I was sorting through Seifer's eyes, going through his thoughts, feelings, and questions; being able to read what was written in his deep emerald pools with ease.
I was thinking about how alike Seifer and Tom were, and how different. Tom is also easy to read, but not so… much like Seifer. Unconsciously, we started to lean into each other. We were so close, I could feel his shallow breaths and we were breathing the same air.
Without warning, the door to the infirmary "lobby" opened, and we sat up straight, looking out the door. Dr. Kadowaki walked in and went to her desk. She seemed to feel the two pairs of eyes boring into her back because she turned to the door. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me sitting up.
"You're up!" the doctor exclaimed. I nodded. Then Dr. Kadowaki noticed Seifer.
"You were just in here this morning. What's wrong now?" she asked the blonde. I raised an eyebrow at the attractive green-eyed blonde. I didn't just think that… I didn't just think that… I chanted to myself, once I realized what I thought.
"I was just checking up on the mystery girl," he said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, why didn't you get me when she got up?" Dr. Kadowaki asked.
"Um, excuse me, but I only just got up a few minutes ago. Seifer decided to let me wake up before you started to 'poke and prod' me," I calmly. Seifer didn't give away anything, nodding his head.
"Ok, well, seeing as you're awake, do you remember your name?" Dr. Kadowaki asked as she checked my pupils, ears, nostrils, and mouth.
"Yeah, Risika." I allowed the doctor to put the pressure cuff on my arm arm, wincing slightly as the cuff became uncomfortably tight.
"Well, I'm Dr. Kadowaki. Do you remember where you came from?" She wrote down the readings from the cuff thing, then took it off.
"…" No, I don't… Wait, yes I do! Sorta… I do know I'm not from here… Where…? I asked myself silently.
"I see. Ok. Well, other than your headache, you're fine."
"How did you…?" I began.
"Seifer wrote a note on a paper," the kind doctor replied, smiling. I shot a glare at the boy next to me.
"Damn you," I growled softly to the smirking blonde. He smirked grew even wider at my reaction.
"Well, I need to call the headmaster and Instructor Trepe. Don't leave," Dr. Kadowaki warned me before leaving to go to her desk.
"I didn't expect you to be such an accomplished liar," Seifer's voice brought me back to reality, or whatever it is I'm in now.
"Eh, I've been lying since I was a little girl." I shrugged, before suddenly rounding on the green-eyed boy. "Why didn't you tell me you left her a note?" I hissed. Seifer flinched upon meeting my eyes; my eyes that were so kind and open moments before were now flashing dangerously, promising a painful future unless he answered my questions. I doubt I could hurt him much in a fair fight, but I could kick him hard where it hurts...
The emerald-eyed teen gulped, lowering his eyes so as to avoid the dangerous eyes that now peered out at him.
"Well, I didn't think it was something you'd wanna know…" Seifer trailed off, fingers twitching instinctively toward his empty gunblade sheath. I sighed, closing my eyes as I breathed deeply and slowly counted to whatever number I needed to in order to calm myself. When I opened them again I looked the blonde.
"Sorry…I get easily paranoid. I don't need anyone to look after me all the time, you know. I can take care of myself. Although," I added, seeing the hurt look on Seifer's face, "I do have a tendency to be clumsy." I smiled at Seifer's expression. It clearly read 'You? Clumsy? As if!"
"So, you're paranoid?" he changed the subject.
"Yeah. I'm always looking behind me, but that's mainly because I was taught to be that way. If someone doesn't tell me something that's about me, I get a bit…eh…"
"Yeah, I get it. And I understand," he said in an undertone.
"Well, at least you had kids your own age," Seifer looked at me shocked, but I went on, not giving him a chance to ask anything. "I only had a bunch of old geezers for company. And the most they did was show me how to fight and defend myself. I can show you later, if you want…" I let the offer stand. My hopes rode on it, but I didn't even know what hopes those were. I dearly hoped Seifer would accept.
"Why not now?" the blonde asked.
"I doubt Dr. Kadowaki would appreciate having two peoples grappling at each other in her infirmary," I smiled. Seifer looked at me blankly. I guessed correctly that he forgot we were in the infirmary.
"Oh… Well, how bout I show you around, then we head into the training center and you show me those moves?" the green-eyed blonde smiled at me.
"That sounds…wonderful!" I had paused to think of the word, the still-present headache making it difficult to think as it was. Add in my totally mixed emotions, and you have to be surprised that I can still form coherent sentences.
At that moment, three people walked in. I assumed the first two were Headmaster Cid and Instructor Trepe, but the last I wasn't sure about. He was a brunet, with stormy blue-grey eyes and a lot of black clothing. Seifer took one glance at the latter of the three and went ridged.
"I have to go… I'll see you after, kay?" then the green-eyed blonde was gone. I looked at the spot Seifer had disappeared to, wishing I could go with him. I shook my head, then took a good look at the people before me. Cid was an aging man with a red sweater vest and a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. Quistis was wearing her salmon-pink dress with her black boots and belt, her whip attached to it. The brunet had his arms crossed, looking at the wall. His black leather jacket was almost like the one I had. The only differences were the brunet's had sleeves that went to his wrists and has a fuzzy white collar. My jacket had sleeves that went to the middle of my upper arm, with no fancy collar. My jacket also had a howling wolf head printed in a light blue.
Underneath his jacket, the brunet wore a plain white t-shirt. His black pants had three different belts around the waist, then three smaller belts around his right leg. He wore heavy combat boots, and he also wore a lion head pendant on a long chain around his neck. His steely blue-gray eyes were guarded, not even I could read what he had hidden, and I was a good people reader.
"Oh, thank Hyne!" Instructor Trepe cried, seeing me awake. "You're awake!"
"Um, ok... Do I know you?" I ask bluntly.
"I'm Quistis Trepe, instructor and SeeD member," Quistis saluted me, which I mimicked.
"I'm Cid Kramer, founder and Headmaster of Balamb Garden," the eldest man introduced.
"Squall Leonhart, student, SeeD cadet," Mr. Leonhart growled. I realized that the four people before me were the ones I'd heard talking earlier, before Seifer came in.
"Ignore him, he's not very social," Quistis apologized.
"Its fine. I've met worse. Mr. Sourpants isn't the worst social person in the world," I smirked at the cadet. That got a reaction out of the newly nicknamed Mr. SourPants (aka: Squall). He looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
"Yay, I got a reaction!" I jumped up and down, clapping my hands excitedly with a big huge smile on my face. Mr. SourPants rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, I'm Risika Auroras Rengar, uh… I don't have a special title…"
"So, how'd you end up in the plains?" Cid asked.
"Um… I… don't know…It's all a blur. Do keep in mind I was extremely tired, though," I told the group. I didn't exactly lie, but nor did I tell the full truth.
I finally turned off the PS2 and thus my Final Fantasy VIII game. I loved that stupid thing; I'd replayed it time and again. I was almost finished with the game for the 100th time, but I'd have to wait to finish it. It was really late, and I'd been sleeping poorly the past few nights. But, even so, I didn't turn off the game until I couldn't even think straight and I was walking around like a drunk, not that I knew what it was like to be drunk. Ruthor and James didn't keep alcoholic beverages in either of their houses, and I couldn't go anywhere without one of the two brothers tagging along. I was home-schooled also, so I couldn't go there either.
Anyway, I was looking forward to sleeping in my own, soft, comfy bed. The past few nights, I'd been going to sleep in my Lay-Z-Boy with the game and TV still on and the controller in my hands. Tom found me like that often enough to know when I was having a rough time. Mostly I only stayed up really late playing FF8 if I was really bothered by something.
I'd almost drifted off to sleep when my hearing picked out the FF8 music, and a soft breeze. My nose also picked out the scent of… salty sea air? I sighed and pulled myself out of bed, staggering into the living room.
The TV was on, showing Balamb to my left, Balamb Garden slightly to the right, and the Fire Cavern on the extreme right. This was way back at the beginning of the game, the Garden wasn't mobile yet. Why was this showing?
I noticed faintly the scent of salty air was coming from the TV. I was pretty tired, so I did the only thing that came to mind, and that was to pinch myself. I did, yelped and opened my eyes, for I had closed them before I pinched myself. The TV still showed the same picture, or rather, scene; the grass and trees were moving, as were the clouds.
I leaned in, trying to see if there were people, when a bite bug flew across the screen. It was life-sized, not the puny thing that it seemed to be in the game, and ugly. I slapped my hands to my mouth to stop the scream that threatened to break out. I started feeling faint, and the last thing I remembered seeing was the TV screen coming to meet my face.
The flashback only lasted seconds, but I noticed Quistis was looking at me worriedly.
"Hmmm… Strange…" Cid muttered. Quistis bit her lower lip in thought, twisting one of her two strands of hair falling around her face around her fingers.
"Well, why don't we think about this later?" I suggested. "I might remember something later…"
"Good idea!" Cid said. He sounded tired.
"Well, I'll get you enrolled, and you can explore the Garden after, okay?" Cid told me after a bit of thinking.
"Mmm-kay. Sounds good to me," I replied.
"We can have someone show you around after you've been enrolled, if you like." The headmaster immediately looks at Squall.
"I'll go if she wants me to go," the stoic teen said.
"That's fine, I'm sure you have something better to do," I told him, sending him a small smile. The socially challenged teen looked at me, nodding at me as his face remains impassive.
"Very well. Come with me, I have paperwork I need you to complete first." Quistis and Squall walked out, the latter getting told off for not doing an assessment yet.
Well, here's chapter one of my new fanfic. I'll be working on both this one and TWatL, so don't worry. Um, any mistakes or things i could add, put in a review. I've had this done for a while now, just haven't felt good. Anyway, reviews are welcome!