Author's Notes: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII.
This is just a fun idea I had, at how different the story would play out had Squall and Rinoa's places been switched.
Two figures, one male in a silver ankle length jacket and the other female in a black, leather waist high jacket and miniskirt, stand facing each other in a rocky terrain, their gunblades(Swords with handgun grips for hilts) glinting in the sunlight. They give each other a duelist's salute and then charge at each other. The man thrusts his blade towards the woman and she deflects it upward and counters with a slash to the man's leg, only putting a cut into his pants leg.
The man, looking down to his leg, lets out a laugh and then punches the girl in the stomach and then kicks her six feet away. As she struggles to get up, he fires off a fist sized fireball at the dazed woman. She only had enough time to raise her gunblade over her face in an attempt to block the magic attack, the fireball exploding on impact with the gunblade and sending flames into her hair igniting it with magic induced flames. The man laughing as the woman thrashes around trying to put her hair out.
The woman grabs hold of her long hair and with her gunblade she cuts off a large piece of her hair. After seeing that she wasn't taken out so easily the man runs up to her, as she tried to defend herself the man slashes the woman across the face leaving a deep gash between her right eye and nose. The man lets out a smirk as he walks away, thinking himself victorious, not aware that the woman was getting up. After standing, she charges at him and yells as she drags her gunblade against the ground and as the man turns around gets a slash across his face, between his left eye and nose. Afterwards the woman passes out, exhausted.
The woman opens her eyes to see a bright light from the ceiling blinding her as she tried to open them and a faint voice saying something that she just can't make out. After awhile her eyes get use to light and the voice and other images start to become clearer. After the images clear, and her mind settles, she sees a woman in the white coat, a few moments later she realizes where she was.
"Crap." Is the entirety the young woman said as she let out a sigh and puts her hand to her face. Wincing as she touches the fresh gash between her eye and nose.
"Are you ok? You were coming in and out for the last 20 minutes." Said the doctor, Kadowaki
"……….Yea I'm fine. Just feel like my face was nearly cut in two, but other than that, peachy keen." The young woman said while looking at Dr. Kadowaki with a look that said 'I'm in no mood right now'
"That's good to hear. But I'm going to have to do a few more tests just to be sure. Just follow the light with your eyes." Dr. Kadowaki said with a small smirk at the woman's joke.
Dr. Kadowaki takes a small pen light from her breast pocket, turns on a small light and shines the light into the woman's eyes and moves the lights back and forth. After checking to see that the woman's eyes dilated properly, Dr. Kadowaki turned off the pen light and replaced it.
"You're eyes seem to be focusing and I see no other injuries. Now if I could just have your name for the Balamb Garden files." Dr. Kadowaki said as the young woman rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look. We need these for every time you kids get hurt while training."
"……..It's Rinoa Furey". Rinoa said after awhile. And then lay back down on the bed she was laying in.
"All right, Miss Rinoa Furey. Why don't you take it easy in your trainings? Next time may be your last." Dr. Kadowaki says as she writes down Rinoa's name on a medical pad.
"Tell that to Seifer." Rinoa sharply replies.
"That guy won't listen to anyone. Just try to walk away next time." Dr. Kadowaki
"I'm not going to runaway, if that's what you are suggesting." Rinoa replied with her fist pounding on the med bed she was sitting on.
"Whatever, it's your body. Just lay here and I'll call your instructor to pick you up". Dr. Kadowaki says as she walks over to the intercom on her desk. "Miss Quistis, your student is ready to be picked up…..Yes, she's fine. The injury isn't very serious; it'll probably just leave a scar…….Right, she'll be right here when you get here."
As this was going on, Rinoa laid there as a woman in green and white looked at her from behind the window in the next room.
"Is that you, Rinny? Wow, haven't seen you in ages?" The mysterious woman in green said. "We'll have to talk again some other time."
As Rinoa has a slight confused look on her face, the mysterious woman smiles with a wave then walks away. Rinoa then got up from the bed and walked to the sink and removed her bandages. After removing the last of the wrappings around her head and examining the after effects of her training she turned on the faucet and collected some water in her hands and ran her hands through her hair. She let out a wince as the wet water touched the fresh scar and grabbed a rag nearby and dabbed it. She soon went to lie back down on her cot. After a few minutes of waiting, an orange clad woman enters the room and lets out a sigh as she looks at Rinoa.
"I knew it was either you or Seifer. What happened to your hair?" Quistis said with a puzzled look at her student's unusually short hair.
"It was Seifer; he sent a fireball at me. I had to do something and it couldn't be put out. So I had to cut it off." Rinoa said as she brushes her head with her hand and let a sigh.
"It looks nice. I love how it looks." Quistis she gave a little smirk after saying it.
Quistis and Rinoa leave the medical bay and head down the hallway of that massive Military Academy. As they pass many younger students who are all wearing the same blue uniforms, Rinoa and Quistis are quiet. They leave the main hall and head through an open courtyard that is decorated with tables for students to sit and eat or work together. Many students were either walking towards their classes or talking with each other about random subjects.
"There something on your mind?" Quistis asks with a concerned tone in her voice.
"…….Not really." Rinoa and Quistis say at the same time. Quistis then lets out a laugh and stopped where she was standing with Rinoa letting out a sigh and looked at Quistis with small glare in her eyes.
"And what is so funny?" Rinoa says while looking away from Quistis and into the clean air.
"Nothing, I'm just happy. I feel like I understand my student that's all." Quistis said while trying to stop laughing but continuing her laughter.
"Well, I'm much more complex than you think." Rinoa responded while looking at Quistis.
"Oh, do tell then. I want to know more about you." Quistis said teasingly as they both continue across the courtyard. As they walked, they passed a blond haired young man in shin length blue jeans, black boots, black vest, black and red hoodie, and metal braced gloves doing martial arts moves.
"It's none of your……." Rinoa was about to finish before being cut off.
"...Business!" Quistis interrupts and then lets out a small laugh before finishing, "Ok, I've got some things to do, so be in class tomorrow."
Quistis turned and walked away leaving Rinoa alone in the courtyard. Rinoa looks around and then decides to just go to her dorm and sleep. As Rinoa walks through the main Hub of the Academy, she sees men in robes hand rounded triangular hats (The Balamb Garden faculty) helping some students or otherwise just standing there like statues. After turning into the hallway leading to the dorms she sees an average height black man in black pants and open blue vest with an average height woman with one red eye, a black eye patch, white hair, and all blue outfit walking towards the Hub she just came from.
After making it to her room, Rinoa lay down on her bed and as she was falling asleep her last though was "Damn Seifer."
Rinoa awoke to her alarm blaring. After banging on the alarm to stop it, Rinoa got up and put on new clothing and grabbing a leftover meat bun from yesterday's lunch. As she ate the small meal, Rinoa made her way to the 2nd floor of the Garden where her class was. Finally making it to her seat, Quistis entered the room and quieted everyone down and then cleared her throat.
"Good morning, class. Let's start with today's schedule, shall we? There seem to have been some rumors flying around since yesterday... Yes, the field exam for SeeD candidates will begin later this afternoon. Those not participating and those who failed last week's written test are to remain here in home room. Field exam participants will have free time until the exam. Just be sure you're in top condition. Meet in the front hall at 1600 hours. Teams will be assigned there. Does anyone have any questions? Good, and one more thing to remember, do try *NOT* to injure any partner you are teamed up with while training." Quistis said in front of the class. While not directing the last sentence to anyone in the class in particular, the blond man in grey named Seifer knew it was him she was talking about. He pounds his fist into his desk and those around him laugh.
"Those of you who are going to participate in their field exams are free from class for the rest of the day. Rinoa, I'd like a word with you, alone please." Quistis finished the class off with that remark, there were some small cheers from some of the class and a few guys let out a whistle at Quistis's final comment which cause a few more laughs and claps. Quistis smiled and ignored the reactions as Rinoa just rolled her eyes. After everyone that had field exams left the class, leaving only a handful of students there, Rinoa went up to Quistis.
"What is this about? I have things needed to be done before tomorrow." Rinoa said as she stared down some of the men in her class who had whistled.
"You haven't been to the Fire Cave yet have you? You won't be able to take part in the SeeD exam if you haven't gone there". Quistis asked while looking up from some of the paper work still at her desk.
"I was going to go, but Seifer…." Rinoa mumbles under her breath.
"Well, do you have any excuse?" Quistis asked, even though she knew the truth.
"No, just forget it." Rinoa said after letting out a small sigh and rolling her eyes.
"Good, now review your studies for the fight ahead and meet me at the front gate." Quistis left the room.
Rinoa went back to her desk and went over the information at her study panel. After turning on her computer, Rinoa found and acquiring the two Guardian Forces: the Thunder Bird Quetzalcoatl and the Ice Queen Shiva. Rinoa got up from her desk and headed towards the door.
"That lucky Rinoa. Got herself a date with Quistis!" one of the men in her class said loud enough for everyone to hear. The group around him laughed, but more people laughed when Rinoa, not even turning around to respond, just simply flipped him off as she turned the corner towards the elevator she heard a loud yell and fast footsteps.
"CRAP! I'm late! I'm late! I'm LATE! I'M LA………" A girl in yellow yelled as she ran into Rinoa. Bouncing off of Rinoa and landed on the ground.
"Ooof!" The girl said after bouncing off of Rinoa, who offered her hand to her.
"You ok?" Rinoa said as she helped up the girl.
"Much better, Tee Hee. I'm fine. Sorry, I was in a hurry to get to home room. You…..didn't come from that calls room did you? Is home room……….over?" The girl said while pointing to the room Rinoa had left.
"Yes it is. If you are taking a field exam, you don't have to worry. We get the rest of the day off." Rinoa had said, guessing that that was why she was rushing to class. Relieved the girl perked up.
"This is a lot bigger than my old Garden. Since, I just transferred here; do you…..think you could give me a tour?" The girl put her hands together and looks up at Rinoa with puppy dog eyes. Rinoa tried to resist but found that she couldn't.
"A regular tour would take too long and I'm kind of busy, so I'll just give you the summary. Follow me." Rinoa said as she walked to the elevator as the girl followed her. While waiting quietly in the elevator the girl broke the silence.
"By the way, my name is Selphie Tilmitt." Selphie then held her hand out
"I'm Rinoa Furey." Rinoa, while looking straight ahead, ignoring the hand. The uncomfortable silence returned and after the doors open up, Rinoa led Selphie to the information booth in front of the elevator.
"We were just up in the classrooms and that's pretty much all that's on the second floor. The Third floor is where Headmaster Cid lives and works and only those he gives permission to aloud there." She says as he points to the elevator.
"On the first floor we have: the Garage, where those with SeeD mission requirements may take the cars out, since all SeeDs live in the Garden. Next we have the dorms where SeeDs and the younger students live." She says while pointing at the symbol on the marquee.
"Here is where the Training Center is located, you have to be careful because dangerous monsters live there and are free to roam around. Next to the Dorms is the Library, all sort of reading materials can be found there. Then we have the Auditorium, some kind of festival is being set up so it's being used right now."
"I'm on the festival committee here! I had several ideas at my old Garden, I went to Trabia by the way, and want to make use of them here" Selphie interrupted. Rinoa simply rolled her eyes and went right back to what she was doing. "
"Here is the cafeteria. You have to get there early otherwise the buns are gone. And then finally there is Dr. Kadowaki's office, she's the resident doctor and a lot of students go to her for advice as well." Rinoa finishes her little 'tour'
"Wow, there's a lot of stuff here. Thanks a lot." Selphie waves by and runs off towards the Auditorium as Rinoa quietly walks towards the front gate.
I'm cutting off Chapter one there. Hope you all enjoyed reading this. Please review.