Author's Note: Okay, everybody knows that these characters are property of Squaresoft… You all know that… Yah yah, I'm updating all the chapters right now so they're prettier and not so full of grammatical errors… -Rhyein
***
"I'm gonna find Sis!" Squall shouted, running out of the house.
"Squall! …Squall come back here!" Edea said, running after him.
(I'm gonna find Sis! I'm not comin' back 'til I do!!) Squall ran out into the yard and away from the house, toward the forest. Edea ran after him, it was too dangerous for him to be alone. There were still many monsters left over from the Lunar Cry that had destroyed Centra years before; he might get killed.
"Squall! Come back here right now!!" Edea stopped and looked around, she couldn't see Squall anymore.
Squall snuck back in the direction he had come, Sis had left by boat and that's how he was gonna go. He giggled silently, watching Matron look around frantically for him. He turned and ran back toward the house. Squall was planning on going to the beach and getting on Edea's small raft, then setting out to find Sis. Matron usually used the boat to go to Winhill to get more supplies when the orphanage needed it. Squall had been with her a few times, so he knew how to pilot the craft.
(I'm gonna find Sis!) Squall was almost back to the house, when he slid to a halt. A woman, very badly hurt, with black wings and weird clothes suddenly emerged in between him and the house. She had appeared out of thin air. Squall cautiously moved toward her. She was obviously dying.
"R yoo alwight lady?" Squall asked, moving closer. Out of the corner of his eye, Squall saw another figure. He turned sharply to see a man, wearing all black, with a gunblade in his hand, standing there. The man looked at Squall and his eyes got wider.
"Don't go near her!" the man shouted running toward Squall and the woman.
"I can't disappear yet!" the woman gasped. Squall saw a bright flash of light and suddenly everything with black.
***
The alarm clock sounded loudly, reverberating throughout the small dorm room. The person lying in bed next to the alarm clock rolled over sluggishly and turned it off. He sat up slowly and stared at the clock, it was seven o'clock in the morning.
(Seven? …Why is my alarm set for seven?) He thought groggily, rubbing his eyes. He turned, put his feet on the floor, and placed his head in his hands.
"Ugh…" he groaned. The man stood up and walked over to the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. He stared at himself, trying to remember why he'd set his alarm for so early. "…Oh yeah…" his eyes lit up with comprehension. "…The fire cavern…" He sat down on the end of his bed and pulled his socks and boots on.
(I hate this… If only the SeeD exam wasn't today…) He pulled a white T-shirt on over his head.
(I guess I'll have to go with Instructor Trepe… I wonder if she's awake yet…) Finally, he buckled two belts around his waist, and pulled his fur-lined jacket on. He stood there for a second making sure he had everything. His gunblade was lying in its case up against the wall next to the door.
(If she's not, I guess I'll get Instructor Aki to go with me… Aki is always awake…) He walked over to the door and pulled his gunblade out of the case. Then he noticed that he had forgotten his gloves. He sighed loudly and looked around the room. His gloves were lying on the table next to his bed, underneath his alarm clock. He strode across the room and laid the gunblade down on his bed. He picked up his alarm clock and grabbed the black leather gloves out from underneath.
***
"There he is… That little shit thinks he's too good for the rest of us… I'll show him."
"Yeah, he so stuck up, ya know?" Seifer stood in the hallway with Raijin and Fujin, his "posse." They were watching as Squall, who was Seifer's biggest rival in Garden, walked toward the elevator. Seifer intercepted him at the stairwell.
"Where you going so early?" Seifer remarked, his palm resting on the handle of his gunblade. Squall and Seifer were the only two people in Balamb Garden who used gunblades; everyone else preferred more modern weapons. Squall stopped as Seifer got into his face.
"Leave me alone Seifer…" Squall said quietly, making to go around. Seifer stepped in front of him again.
"Whassamatter Squallie? You too good to talk to us?" Squall sighed and rested his hand on his hip, staring at the floor.
"Just… tch… nevermind."
"Just what?" Seifer got into Squall's face. "Just… WHAT?"
"Nothing! Just leave me alone!" Squall tried to get around Seifer again.
"That's not what you were gonna say! Come on! What were you really gonna say puberty-boy?" Squall took a deep breath.
(I don't have time for this…)
"Seifer…. Just back off…" Squall muttered angrily.
"Or you'll do what?" Seifer grinned; this was just what he was waiting for... a chance to see how good Squall really was with that gunblade. Squall raised his eyes to Seifer's.
"Don't Seifer… Believe me… You'll regret it…" Seifer took a step closer to Squall.
"Them's fightin' words ass-wipe…" Seifer was right in Squall's face, looking down into Squall's clear blue eyes. Raijin and Fujin silently watched the staring contest. Squall stared up into Seifer's face, anger flaring up inside.
"Anytime you wanna back up those boasts of yours…" Squall snarled.
"Ten minutes, outside Garden…"
"I'll be there." Squall turned and walked away from Seifer and the rest of the disciplinary committee, his anger boiling.
***
"He's not coming, ya know? He's scared of ya, ya know?" Raijin said. Seifer was standing on a cliff side, in full view of Garden, pacing. Fujin was standing to the side.
"SQUALL," she declared, pointing. Seifer stopped pacing and drew his gunblade. Squall was walking purposely toward them.
(What was I thinking? …I gotta be insane…) Seifer thought, watching Squall's intimidating frame approach him. Squall was four inches shorter than Seifer and still struck a rather frightening pose. There was just something about him that made you either like him, made you scared of him, or both. Squall stopped a few feet away and drew his gunblade. Silently they saluted one another and stood ready.
"Alright, I'm gonna tell ya the rules, ya know? So it's a fair fight and all, ya know?" Raijin looked from one man to the next. They both nodded. "Alright. No magick, and first person to draw blood wins, ya know? Is that okay with you two?" Again, they both nodded. Raijin joined Fujin a few feet away. "Okay, go!" Seifer attacked first.
Fujin and Raijin stepped to the side and watched quietly from a distance. The battle was intense. Squall really was as good as everyone said he was... probably even better. They watched as Squall and Seifer used the whole plateau, moving from one side to the other. It looked like Seifer was winning. He was deliberately taunting Squall. After what seemed like hours, Seifer started to get visibly tired. Fujin and Raijin knew what that meant. Sure enough, Seifer moved away from Squall and got some breathing space, just enough. As Squall ran toward the stationary man, Seifer raised his hand and turned his head slightly to the side, his outstretch arm glowing orange. Squall slid to a stop and tried to turn, but it was too late. A fireball shot out of Seifer's hand toward Squall and hit him squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Seifer advanced upon Squall as he struggled to get to his feet. The gunblade came up over Seifer's head and he brought it down again with all his might, the tip barely scraping the skin of Squall's face. Blood spattered the ground; Squall stared at it and looked up at Seifer angrily, pulling himself and his gunblade up. The tip of Squall's blade slid across the ground, sending sparks everywhere as he brought it up and reflected Seifer's movements, adding more blood to the rocks. This time however, it wasn't his.
"STOP!" Fujin interjected. The two men stared at one another, breathing heavily.
"Yeah! That's enough, ya know!?" Raijin and Fujin came in between the two warriors. Seifer glared at Squall as Fujin handed him a towel. Seifer took the towel and wiped his face, adding sweat and blood to the piece of cloth. Fujin looked down at her watch.
"CLASS…" She nodded back toward Garden. Seifer looked at her, then at Squall.
"Later wuss…" he said as he and the rest of the disciplinary committee walked away. Squall watched them disappear behind the rocks and fell to his knees. His head was throbbing. He raised a gloved hand to his forehead and looked at it. The black leather was glossy with his blood. He lied back on the rocks, breathing heavily, waiting. Slowly, the pain subsided and his head stopped throbbing. He raised his other hand to his forehead and looked at it, no blood. Squall stood up, sheathed his gunblade, and walked back down toward Garden… He was gonna be late for class.