Nevon's Final Fantasy
Chapter 1 – SOLDIERS Unite!
Bing, bong, bing, bong.
The students began packing up their stuff at the sound of the dismal bell.
"Alright! Don't forget the SOLDIER exam will be on Monday! Rest up! Oh, and Nevon?"
Ugh. Nevon was nearly out the door, ready to buy the freshest hot dogs in the cafeteria and the coldest can of Hero's Drink from the vending machines.
"Come here."
The teenage boy rushed to the front desk. One by one, students left until he was the only one left in the room besides the teacher. He could see at the corner of his eye the hand of the clock rotating around and around. The teacher tapped on the desk slowly, as though finding words to say.
"Nevon, you didn't get your field position and mission objectives for the exam, did you?
Nevon shook his head. "I was absent when they passed it out." Impatiently, he tapped his foot.
"Ok, you have lunch right now? Find your guidance counselor and ask them for it."
SH.T! You're kidding! "Oh, ok. Is that all you wanted to ask?"
The teacher took a moment to think. "Yeah, that's all."
SLAM! Nevon quickly ran out the room and shut the door behind him. He looked up, glowering at the hallway ceiling.
"Crap! I have to visit Stephanie! Oh man, she's going to PMS on me after I glued all her clothes to the ceiling of the boy's dormitory. Took me forever to break into her dormitory, but it was worth it!"
With a grin on his face, he started his way to the cafeteria, the same cafeteria that never changes. This school, Xebec Academy, has been his home for three years, ever since his parents sent him off to study abroad. It's been known for training fierce SOLDIERS and SeeD's, preparing them for war. Nevon never ranked higher than average at test scores, not because he's weak or dumb. In fact, he's one of the quickest students the school has ever seen. However, Nevon can be a bit… playful at times.
…
"NEVON!" A girl clenched the back of Nevon's shirt collar and pulled him closer. Using her free hand, she wrapped around his neck and forced him into a neck hold. Once she had him secured, she pulled out a knife and held it to his neck. Slowly, she fanned the steel against his skin going up and down, sending him into a nervous shock. Nevon stood stunned, shivering like the hair on his neck.
"Nevon," she said slowly, "you didn't expect to get away with your prank, did you?"
"Course not, gah, Stephanie." His eyes shot around as he felt the oxygen depression taking effect. "I, came back to ask, you, for, some, papers!" Her grip tightened as he finished his sentence.
"You need papers? I need about twenty outfits scraped off the boys' dormitory ceiling, which I'm not allowed in!"
"Then dress up as a guy and scrape it off yourself!" He said in a quick breath in a high pitch voice. Stephanie squeezed harder and nudged the blade against Nevon's neck.
"I wouldn't be able if I wanted to since you glued those clothes to the ceiling!" Nevon could hear veins bulging out of her neck.
"Hey, what are you doing? No weapons allowed outside of the arena," a voice yelled.
A security guard on duty came closer and broke Stephanie's hold on Nevon. Nevon rubbed his neck, trying to shake off the feeling of suffocation. Stephanie reluctantly put her blade away in her pocket.
"Now, get going before I write you both up." He tapped his finger on a notepad on his belt right next to a long sword. Stephanie perfunctorily nodded.
Nevon pondered. "Wait, Stephanie AND me?"
"Yes, you were fighting back, and that means I can write you up. Do not deny it, I saw the entire thing."
Nevon blinked innocently. Stephanie veered her head away and whistled a quiet tune.
"Now, get going and don't cause trouble."
The person went away, quickly gone as they were there. Nevon smiled and chuckled, a roguish stare at Stephanie. "So, you were going to get my papers?"
She snatched his shirt collar yet again and dragged him away. "We have to talk you nitwit."
"Where do babies come from?"
"No, not about that you idiot."
One of Nevon's friends watched them walk by. "Hey Nevon! Got a nice cutie there!"
Nevon nodded. "Yep, planning on getting lucky with her."
Stephanie let go of Nevon, letting him drop onto the floor with a hard bonk to the head.
"Ow! What was that for?" He turned around to look at her. She stared at him with such a grimly countenance that she emitted a presence worse than Death himself. In her hand a small ball of fiery magic swirled, aimed directly at his face.
"Nevon, die."
BLAM! The fire magic quickly shot and flared in front of Stephanie. Everything was red, blazing waves whipping in all directions in the hallway. The voices of men screaming mixed with the sound of roaring flames. Nevon walked out of the flames untouched. He wiped off a small flame on his shoulder.
"Stephanie, I have fire-resistant armor on." Stephanie scoffed and shook her head, glancing up at the ceiling.
"Can I have my papers now?" Nevon opened the palm of his hand as though asking for something. She clamped his hand and began to walk away, hauling him away.
…
...
...
In Stephanie's room…
"Nevon, here's your papers. Now you remember what we talked about, right?"
"Yeah. Don't do anything stupid, don't piss off your counselor, gotcha mom." He swiped the papers from her hands and took a glance at the writing.
Stephanie pushed in her desk drawer. She leaned back in her chair, looking at Nevon with a questionable expression.
"Still can't believe you were smart enough to wear stuff resistant to fire."
Nevon smirked, not looking away from the documents. "Yeah, I actually listen to my teacher in Battle Tactics." Stephanie stared with a doubtful face. "Uh-huh."
Nevon skimmed through the paper. It was titled in big, black, font: SOLDIER Exam and had very small text.
The exam was taking place on an actual battlefield, and the school would be paid according to how the students do. They will travel to the city of Dollet and defend the city from the invading Galbadia Army. Boring, flip.
The next page was entirely full of names. The big, black, font on this page said Position and Objectives.
Several words were highlighted. SOLDIER Infantry – Battle Contact with Galbadia Soldiers. He looked down further. Nevon Tulin. His name under SOLDIER Infantry.
"Sweet, I get to fight the baddies."
Stephanie got up from her seat. She pointed at one of the highlighted marks. "Read that."
Caution – Injuries and Death are to be expected – Caution
"I already read that, but I'll be alright. If I'm ever in trouble, I'll hide behind those pathetic 1st year students."
"Whatever you say Nevon." She took the papers back and flipped to the next page. She pointed at one specific column and showed it to him. "This is where I will be, so if you're lucky, I'll consider saving your life."
Nevon glanced at the paper. SOLDIER Infantry. Under it, the first highlighted text said Stephanie Ifrie. Looks like she's in the front lines with me.
He took the stack and continued to flip through the pages. Names, names, names, he tossed it onto Stephanie's bed and followed up by jumping into it too.
"Nevon, you're a good kid. You could be doing so much better than this, I mean, you don't have to be below average each quarter. Just do your best and try not to fool around. Get your hand out of my drawer before I cut it off and feed it to my blood hounds."
Nevon's hand shot out of the drawer. Stephanie eyed him with a questionable expression.
"Hm, take out the bomb in my drawer."
Nevon took out a bomb from her drawer.
"All of it!"
Nevon sighed. He took out a pack of dynamite and several cans of smoke bombs, a set of C4, a shotgun, a pack of matches, a katana…
"No, put the katana back. Now keep going."
Nevon placed the katana back in the drawer and continued his act. He pulled out ninja stars, a knife, several stink bombs, a chicken, a laser pen, a machine gun, several vials of ethers, a rose, a chainsaw, hedge cutters, a switch blade, a pistol, and a mini-chocobo that fit into his palm.
"Oh wow Nevon. With all this stuff, you think you'd do something more productive with your few last minutes of lunch."
"Wait, what? Oh crap, I didn't eat yet! Bye Stephanie!"
With that statement he left Stephanie by herself and a small chocobo as he dashed through the door. Stephanie raised her hand to call him, but slowly lowered it. She shoved all of Nevon's junk onto the floor and jumped on her comfy bed, careful not to hurt the creature. She watched it jump around, making small sounds like a recently hatched chick. A smile wiped around her face.
"I think I'll name you Boco."
...
...
...
"WHAT!" The noise roared through the entire cafeteria.
"I'm sorry Nevon, but all we got left is Gyshal Green Soup." Nevon shivered at the thought.
"You sure? No Goblin Punch Sandwiches? No Flan Cake? No Tonberry Grudge Subs? Not even Malboro Tentacle Pizza?"
The cafeteria lady shook her head. "Nothing."
Nevon grumbled, but listened to his hungry stomach. He slammed a handful of gil on the counter, some coins rolling around.
"Give me the bird food lady."
…
Around and around the spoon moved in the bowl of green soup. With a glum face, Nevon stared at his food, holding his head up with his arm. He scooped up some bits of green chunks in the soup.
"What is this…chocobo meat?"
He twirled his spoon over, letting the meat drop back into the bowl with a big splash. Some of it got his shirt. Nevon got up from his seat to wipe it off.
"Hi Nevon."
In front of him stood Cindy, Nevon's friend from one of his classes. Nevon looked down, startled. He could feel his face turning red already.
"Oh, h-hi Cindy."
"Nevon! You spilled soup over yourself!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a neatly folded napkin. "Here," she said in her cheerful voice. Nevon reached out and took it.
"Thanks."
Cindy smiled as she watched him wipe off the smudges on his shirt. Nevon examined his shirt, making sure there weren't any spots left, but quickly wiped it some more. He placed the napkin in his pocket and got ready to thank her. With Cindy's ecstatic visage, Nevon couldn't help but chuckle and look away.
Bing, bong, bing, bong.
Drat. "Cindy, is your next class far away?" He grabbed his soup and rushed to a trashcan, throwing away the plastic bowl and all the green stuff in it.
"No, is yours?" Cindy followed him, careful not to push him. Nevon spun around and started walking. She moved up to his right side, and gazed at him with a worried face. "Yes, it's on the other side of the campus," Nevon replied.
"Oh. I'll go with you then!" The two of them walked for several minutes. Cindy looked back.
"Nevon, I'm really sorry, but my class is back there. I'll see you another time, ok?"
Nevon turned to say goodbye but saw Cindy run away. She was running to her class. Even though she said her class wasn't far away, it was in the opposite direction he was going. With a slow sigh, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand and took off for his next class.