Chapter One: Seifer's Vow
1: It Begins . . . Again
After
what we all thought was the end, a shadow falls on the land. The wind blowing
viciously through the tree branches as a man stands solemnly on a low laying
cliff. His grey-silver cloak whips out behind his solid body, his face grave as
ash.
The
clouds are mounting into the night sky, as the storm begins to rage down on the
land. Yet a hard determination remains within his icy blue eyes. His sword, a
famous gunblade, is held within one of his powerful hands, lays dormant by his
side.
The
moon, barely visible now due to the thunderstorm, is turning blood red. Every
nook on its surface is a shifting swarming animal, moving fluidly like the
blood cells in his veins. Shaken by the ghastly scene that he's seen before, he
turns his head away.
A cold breeze brushes by him holding a
familiar sight; a feather whips violently by his face. Rinoa. He bows
his head again and wishes that the feather had taken another path. But like
life, a feather cannot choose its path . . . it's way is forced by the destined
hands of fate.
He
shudders, remembering the past . . . those times of confusion and hatred. He
could never really get over the ideas that he held then. His romantic dream had
been nothing but a flaw in reality. He left his companions . . . his friends,
although at the time he would never have admitted that they were even
acquaintances. Just so he could get what he wanted . . . greed, such a shame.
Turning
his eyes outward from the depths of his own existence, he notices that he's no
longer alone on this flower-covered cliff. The storm above him is raging its
intricate ballet between light and darkness and sound and silence.
"Edea?
What are you doing here?" The man asks.
"I
see you've noticed that it has started again Seifer, the Lunar Cry has begun."
She says not really answering his question. A bolt of lightning cast her image
as a silhouette for a moment.
"But
why is it happening again? What does this all mean for us?" he asks as timid as
a young boy who asks his mother for a new Triple Triad card.
"Evil
is coming, I can sense it. Not just the monsters from the moon, but something
even more catastrophic" she says nearly having to yell over the howl of the
wind in her ears.
"What
kind of evil? Whatever . . . what should I do?" Seifer asks. He stands in
silence for a moment; hating himself for not understanding what she is saying.
"Seifer
. . . settle yourself. You must play a major role in helping us, and the world.
I need you again . . . we all need you." She says attempting to comfort a
person who is as antisocial as a snail.
"Let
me get this straight . . . you need me? For what, I am nothing but a failure."
Seifer replies sounding more and more depressed with each small word uttered.
"We
need to find Squall and Rinoa! We need you and the SeeDs' to help us find them!
Now come with me, the Garden is about to leave. Think what I've said through,
it's true we do need you!" she says luring him away from the edge of the cliff.
They
walk side-by-side back toward the hovering Garden. Edea seems to float over the
green grasses, her head held high, like a princess. Yet Seifer drags through
the grass with heavy feet, leaving two distinct lines of passing. His head held
low.
2: The Elevator
They
want me to help find Rinoa . . . whatever.
Seifer walks slowly through the vacant
second floor hallways, looking for someone to talk to, yet scared to approach
anyone. His arms dangle lifelessly from his body, his hair wet and disarrayed
from the wild storm outside.
If I find Rinoa, then I must find
Squall, argh!
As he walks towards the elevator the
lights above him flicker. A second of darkness hits his eyes, and then the
light returns. He boards the elevator to ascend to meet with headmaster Cid.
Selphie is already in the elevator and nods cautiously to Seifer.
"Hey Seifer . . ."she says turning her
eyes away from his. Seifer doesn't answer her; he doesn't even seem to acknowledge
she is there.
These children of fate . . . I
could have had the same fame they have.
The elevator stops. Trapped within the
small metal box, Seifer looks up. The overhead light slowly dims out and is
gone.
"Stay calm, it's only the storm." Seifer
says, not really directing it at Selphie, but more to calm his own emotions.
"I will…" she answers.
Trapped, literally this time. Why
do I always feel like this? Where is my heart now?
He sits down on the floor of the elevator and closes his
eyes to the darkness around him. Turning his attention inside again. His face,
though not visible is torn and distorted, his thoughts eating at him. A small
moan escapes his lips, sending shudders of grief down his spine.
"What's wrong?" Selphie asks, bending
down to touch his shoulder. Seifer's hand flashes out and catches her
approaching hand, gripping it tightly. She jumps back and hits the wall,
startled at the vicious accuracy of his coordination even in the darkness.
"Just leave me alone…" he answers very
coldly. He puts his hands over his face as if to mask the horrible being he has
become, the monster that is the result of greed. But everyone has noticed his
growing depression; the Headmaster has even put a watch on his life.
Why does everyone pretend to care
for me, I am useless.
The elevator's light winked on, and
Selphie turned away from the cowardly pose that Seifer was in. Seifer reached
with one hand and pressed the button marked 3F and the elevator began to move
again. Seifer slowly made his way to his feet, brushing himself off with a
distracted determination.
3: Conspiracy of the Storm
"We
are going towards Esthar, I think someone there might know about Squall's
whereabouts. We had received a message about a week ago stating that Rinoa and
Squall had just passed through on their way to Esthar Sorceress Memorial."
Headmaster Cid says with a frown forming on his face.
"Why would they be going there? It
seems like such a weird place to visit for no reason." Selphie says watching
the raging storm through the glass dome, which protects the Bridge from the
weather.
"You got that right," Seifer adds
unenthusiastically. A lightning bolt flashes directly in front of the speeding
Garden, and the thunder shakes the whole structure violently.
"I can't answer that, but what I do
know is that we must find them. I fear they may be in great danger." Edea, who
has been very quiet, says with a blank face.
The Garden continues to move with a
fluid motion, turning gently in the raging storm. Gracefully Headmaster Cid
steers it around the last of the remaining mountains on the northern continent
and into the open waters.
"What do you mean great danger
Matron?" Selphie asks glancing quickly at her.
"I just have a very bad feeling about
all of this. Squall and Rinoa leaving us for a journey in the middle of the
night, and the Lunar Cry starting, it's all too strange." She answers nearly in
a whisper.
"Strange, yes. But it could also be
coincidence." Headmaster Cid says bowing his head as if to examine his own feet.
"What?" Seifer asks looking up for the
first time in many minutes. He is lost in his own thoughts again, thinking
about what has happened to his beloved, lost, Rinoa.
"It's just . . . well it could be
something in the back of my mind about Rinoa, and what happened to her the last
time this all happened." Headmaster replies obviously not liking the words
exiting his mouth, his face contorts making him look a lot older than he is.
"No, that cannot be the case. Rinoa
had no control over those circumstances. Even I know that and I wasn't even
there!" Seifer screams, a horrible feeling swelling from deep within his
stomach nearly forces him to sit down.
"It is possible there could be a great
evil on it's way from the moon, you know that Seifer. I feel something strange
in the atmosphere, something very powerful with magic. Cid's thoughts may not
be all that crazy." Edea says with an air of Excellency.
"I still wont believe it," Seifer says
under his breath.
"So we have to find them. What about
Zell, Quistis and Irvine?" Selphie asks the Headmaster. He shrugs, and
contemplates the idea of sending two different parties in separate directions.
"I will call them here, we'll decide
how to go about the search then." Headmaster Cid replies, still unable to decide
how many parties to send. The storm rages out of control just on the other side
of the glass that surrounds them.
Flashes of lightning streak across the
pitch-black backdrop that is the sky, illuminating the sea around the Garden.
The rain is consistent, beating down violently into the glass dome. The sound
of the thunder is muffled, yet it rattles the Garden with a ferocity that is
amazing.
4: Quistis Renounces
"Unfortunately
I do not wish to accompany this mission Headmaster. I would be far too emotionally
attached." Quistis says without looking directly into his eyes.
She thinks she emotionally attached
. . . oh Rinoa.
"I shouldn't even give you an option, the fate of the
world is at hand and you're worried about your emotions Quistis. Please get a
hold of yourself, the party needs your Blue Magic." Headmaster says pointing
out all the obvious pluses to her accompaniment. He quickly glances into the
stormy world; cautious of anything that may be in their paths.
"I still can't, I'm sorry you guys."
She says and then turns to walk out of the Bridge. A solitaire tear rolls down
her left cheek.
"Quistis!" Zell says with a
compassionate voice. "I understand where you're coming from, I have feelings
that I'm wrestling with about this mission too, but we're SeeDs we gotta forget
those feelings, cast 'em aside and do as we are asked!"
"Zell, it's not that easy for me. I
have to go…" Quistis says as she walks away.
"Well anyone else want out?" Edea asks
the depleted group.
I do
"That's good, we are almost to Esthar,
and I figure that one party will have to do now. Please take advantage of this
time and get some rest. Seifer you will be the leader of this group, please
take good care of them" Headmaster Cid says, his eyes weary and tired looking.
"…Whatever" Seifer says.
"You are sounding more and more like
Squall! Ha!" Zell says laughing. Everyone else has begins to laugh as well,
Seifer did not. He drew his gunblade and pointed the tip directly at Zell.
"Would you like to have a scar to
match his Zell? Shut up!" Seifer screams at him, then turns and walks out of
the room.
"At least he didn't call me
chicken-wuss…" Zell states under his breath, while he tries to calm himself
down.
"… Ok meet me back here in and hour,
we should be there by then." Cid says scratching his head. He wonders if it was
the best idea to leave such a depressed Seifer in charge, but he can't see why
it won't work.
5: Seifer's Heart
Why
can't I just curl up and die. No one really cares about me… they are just
putting on an act. If I could only have my new dream come true… all I want is
Rinoa to see me like she did before, is that so much to ask?
Siefer
lies in his dormitory bed with his face pressed down onto a single pillow. His
torso is flat against the surface of the hard mattress. His arms are dangling
lifelessly from either side of the small cot.
Since
becoming an actual SeeD, Seifer has drifted in and out of depression. He
normally will walk the garden, searching for Rinoa…but now that Rinoa is gone
with Squall he can't even do that.
Why
doesn't she notice me? It was all about her and I when I was seventeen years
old. I almost fell in love with her, and I would have if I were only given the
chance. Now I am in love with her, and she loves Squall…I hate him!
The lights above Seifer's head flicker
again without going out. The constant roar of the wind hitting the side of the
Garden keeps him awake, though sleep is not on his mind right now. The thunder
is muffled and yet rattles his core…something is wrong, very wrong.
The
lights fade out.
The
emergence lights flicker on, shedding their red light onto Seifer's room, and
undoubtedly the rest of the garden.
The
siren begins to wail.
Seifer
can hear students scrambling in the hallways trying to get to the Emerge Check
Points. Yet he just lies there, never really caring. He is lost in his own
mind.
Someone
slams their fists into Seifer's door, and runs off. Seifer jumps at the sound,
but does not move. "…Whatever."
The sirens continue…lulling Seifer
back into the world of self-pity that he has created for himself. A paradise
where his thoughts no longer matter, and Rinoa is in his arms again.
6: Legendary Assault
"Yo
what the hell is that?" Zell says looking at the massive being hovering over
the open waters. A shimmering vision…a man with a long grey beard and long
flowing capes. In his hand he holds a staff with a crescent moon atop it. The
bridge lights up with flashes of purple lightning.
"I'm not too sure Zell…but I think I
have seen it in a book in the Library." Cid replies. His face is sweating;
gleaming with every flash of lightning.
"Your right! It was… 'Legendary
Summons' I think. His name is Ramuh. He was the electricity summon before
Quezacotl!" Irvine says then bows his head, as if ashamed that he has done some
studying.
I HAVE BEEN
SENT TO DESTROY ALL BEINGS WITHIN THE WALLS OF BALAMB GARDEN. NO ONE MUST
OPPOSE THE REIN OF KUJA!
"WHAT! No way! Quezacotl get out there
and teach him a …" Zell starts but is interrupted.
"Calm yourself…we can't battle electricity
with electricity." Edea says a little too calm for the situation. "We need a
water elemental summon, we need Leviathan!"
Leviathan suddenly appears above the
Garden, and advances the Tsunami attack. A lightning bolt emits from Ramuh's
staff and strikes Leviathan. The Tsunami attack falters but Leviathan
recuperates and allows the water to release, dousing Ramuh causing him to flail
backward. Leviathan swings it's massive tail and strikes him in the chest.
Ramuh falls slowly into the waters as all his energy has been drained from him.
"That was really easy if you ask me…"
Selphie says utterly confused.
"It may have been too easy. Who is
this Kuja character anyway?" The Headmaster asks, already knowing that
no one would know the answer. "I think this mission is going to be even more
imperative than we first presumed. They have summons, which are far more
powerful than any of our Guardian Forces. If they are using the "Legendary
Summons" we may all face serious danger."
"Yes, but Cid don't you think we
should at least attempt to find out who our enemies are first. We certainly can
wage war against the entire world because of this one attack. I think we should
stick with our original plan. We can protect the Garden and the SeeDs can go
and search for Squall and Rinoa." Edea explains, her voice slightly shaking.
"I see your concern, and understand it
Edea. Well I guess we should consult with the entire team. Where is Seifer? He
is the only one not here!" The Headmaster exclaims, noticing for the first time
that his fearless leader was nowhere to be found. "Selphie! Please go and find
him, he couldn't have gotten far, not with the security lock down!"
Selphie
nods her head with enthusiasm and skips towards the elevator.
