ALL THE LAMBS
A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction
Written by: Arm
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Lamb That Sleeps Within The Storm
The Lamb That Run Alongside The Spirits
The Lamb That Walks Toward The Sun
The Lamb That Dances Before The Winds
The Lamb That Smiles Upon The Moon
The Lamb That Leaps Over The Sky
The Shepherd That Lost The Lambs
The Princess That Caught A Lamb
THE LAMB THAT SLEEPS WITHIN THE STORM
Somehow, I get myself into entering this building. Whatever, I don't care. Let's just get this over with.
After browsing the lobby a little, I found the receptionist desk. There are already some children about my age standing in line in front of it. Looked like they are all new here also, like me.
"Oh, no! The line's this long already?" a voice of another kid heard loud, right behind me. I turned my face, seeing who just lined up after me.
A blonde kid with a weird tattoo engraved on his face.
"Damn! I should've woke up earlier! Um?" he realized that I looked at him, stopped his grumble and grinned at me. I just ignored him and returned my attention toward the line in front of me.
After around twenty minutes or so, I finally got my turn. I handed the lady behind the counter the paper I was holding. She received it with a smile and began reading it.
"Oh, so you're also applying to be a new student here? Your name is… Squall… Leonhart, right? Did I pronounce it correctly?" I just nodded.
"Where's your parents?" she looked around behind me. "Did you come here alone, Squall?" she asked again after seeing I didn't respond her earlier question. Again, I just replied her with a nod.
"Well then, Squall. Let me check your name first in the computer."
She started typing in the computer and nodding a few times. A printer sound heard a few seconds after. She took out the printed paper along with a small book and a set of keys from the shelf behind her before standing back up again and smiled once more to me.
"Yes, we have your name registered here, Squall. Everything is confirmed and you may use the dormitory immediately. This is your confirmation letter, the rules book and the key to your room and locker. Your uniform has been prepared in the room along with your student ID card and other Garden needs. The school's starting by Monday, so please memorize all the rules by then."
She explained and handed the things to me. I just nodded again while receiving it and left the desk.
"Squall, wait!" she called me before I can get anywhere.
I turned my head to her.
"Don't you wanna ask me about where the dormitory is?" she showed another smile.
I pointed an electronic map in the middle of the lobby. "I can read that building map to know how to go to the dormitory," I replied her then began walking again toward it.
"That kid!" I can hear her complained my attitude. But I don't care.
I read the map carefully. It's a big building, there are a lot of places to remember. But it's nothing that I can't handle.
Suddenly I heard steps coming toward me. The blonde kid that was previously right behind me.
"Hi, mind if I read that too? That nice lady have told me where the dormitory is but I wanted to know where the gym and the library too!" he said, placing himself next to me and started to read the map too.
Again, I just ignored him and began to walk toward the left corridor.
"Ah, hay, wait! Can't we go there together?" he called me but I pretended not hearing it.
After walking some, I heard another steps followed me. That blonde kid came aftering me and then started to walk beside me at the same pace as I am.
"Hay, don't you get nervous?"
I ignored him again.
The corridor was long and wide. In the middle of this building was the elevator, the corridor was circling it and branching around its outer parts. Looking up, I saw more floors above me.
"I'm Zell. Zell Dincht. What's yer name?" he offered his hand to me, but I still ignored him.
"Ah, yer a quiet one, aren't ya?" he started to laugh a little and pulled his hand back. I entered a new corridor when I saw the dormitory sign right in front of me.
"Zell! Hay! Over here!" I heard another voice called the blonde kid. He replied him with another 'Hay' and left me to approach the voice.
Finally I can be left alone.
The entrance corridor to the dormitory is also a long one. It's an open walkway, I can see the middle yard clearly on my left and right. Lots of other students walking in and out of the dormitory. I saw the boys were wearing some blue-ish grey or grey-ish blue outfit, I don't really care about what color it was exactly, but I guess that's the uniform I'll be wearing.
At the dormitory's entrance, the corridor split in two. One to the left and one to the right. Both have a big door right in the middle that became the real entrance to the dormitory itself. There's a desk near each door with two students behind it. One of the male students from the left desk saw me. He got up and approached me.
"Hi, I see you haven't worn your student ID card so I guess you're new here?" he asked with a smile. I just nodded.
"I'm Taki, I'm one of the male dormitory coordinators. Can I see your confirmation letter please?" he asked again.
I handed him the letter I received earlier. He read it and nodded.
"Right, Squall. For your information," he pointed to the left corridor, "that is the male dorm and," this time he pointed the right corridor, "that one's the female dorm. Each dorm had two dorm coordinators watching over it and you will get penalties if you ever tried to enter the female dorm without permission. This rule is mentioned in the rules book with further details, so please read it carefully."
I actually can already tell which one's which just by seeing the coordinators in front of it. I mean, the male dorm must be guarded by males and the female dorm must be guarded by females. Anybody didn't notice that, must be too stupid.
But I'm not in the mood for talking right now, I simply nodded to his explanation.
"Since you're a student, you will share room with another student. You will get your own room once you become a full pledged SeeD. That was mentioned in the rules book in the additional info section."
Somebody make him stop! I can read the rules book and it's not a problem for me to memorize it all. I don't need him to read it for me!
"…so, that's all you need to know about the dormitory. Do you want me to show you where your room is, Squall?"
At last, he stopped! I shook my head and answered, "No, I can go by myself. Do you need that confirmation letter or can I have it back?"
He smiled and returned the confirmation letter, "No, I don't need it. Here you go, Squall."
I took the letter and left him toward the male dormitory. The other coordinator that still behind the desk smiled seeing me passing but I just ignored him.
"He got some attitude huh, Taki?" I heard him whispering to the coordinator that kept on talking to me.
"Hahaha, maybe he was just nervous, Lind! Don't worry, he'll make another great addition for this Garden!" the one named Taki was heard optimistic and didn't really care with my attitude at all.
But I still don't care.
The dormitory was also a big one. It's no wonder, since not only students lived here, but also the SeeDs. I read the number of my dorm room that was printed on the cover of my rules book. Searching a little, I can't find a number close to mine, so my room must be on one of the upper floors. I see that the upper floors of the dorm can be reached by stairs provided on each corner. On the second floor, I found a room with my number on it.
I used the key I got from the receptionist to open the door. Like Taki said, it's a double room. Fragmented to one living room right after the front door and two bedrooms that were side by side. This room's kinda small, but I don't care. I saw the right bedroom door didn't have a name on it yet, so I guess that was my bedroom. Before I can go, the left one opened. A boy who's around my age also.
"Oh, I know I heard someone entered! You're gonna be my roommate, huh?" he greeted me.
I kept on walking toward my bedroom, unlocked it, entered and locked it from the inside.
Putting my bag to the bed, I picked up from the desk a name sign with my name on it. I figured this one should be hanged on my bedroom. I'll do that later. I picked up the student ID card and pinned it to my shirt. I took the uniform that was on my bed and put it inside my closet. Since the Garden activities will start on Monday, I won't need it today. I placed all other belongings from my bag to their proper places before picking up the rules book and started reading it on my desk.
I finished half of the book when a knock heard on my door.
Opening the door, I saw my roommate standing outside my bedroom. "Hay, it's lunch time! Let's go grab something to eat at the cafeteria!" he offered.
I just closed the door back.
It's only eleven and I'm not hungry yet. I'll have my lunch around twelve and I don't need to be with him while eating it.
"Do you know that the hotdogs are the best here and you'll run out of it if you don't get in line early?" he shouted from outside of my door, still trying to persuade me.
He finally left after I kept ignoring him.
At ten past twelve, I decided to have lunch. I picked up the name sign and hang it on my bedroom door then locked it.
The cafeteria was just next to the dormitory. For conveniency I guess. Inside, a long line can be seen in front of the ordering desk. The blonde kid I met earlier was ordering his meal now.
"What's the best food here? Hotdog? Okay, I'll have that one then. What? Ya ran out of it already? It's only a quarter past twelve! It always ran out that fast? Oh well, I guess I'll have one cheeseburger n a chocolate pudding then."
He's still loud as before.
After receiving his order, he left the line but then noticed me and said, "Hi! Where's yer room? I'm on the second floor!" but I still ignored him. He looked disappointed but I don't care. He then left.
"So, what'll be?" the cafeteria lady asked when it's my turn.
I looked around the food and answered, "I'll have the curry."
"That's all?" she asked again.
"I can take everything else myself," I replied.
"Okay then," she shrugged and prepared my curry. After receiving it, I moved to my right and picked up an apple, a vanilla pudding and a carton of chocolate milk from the displays, moving them to my tray. Then I searched around the cafeteria for an empty table. Found one on the corner and sat myself there.
I must say that the food's delicious. I guess I can't complain anything about the meal.
"Hi, my name's Quistis. Wanna play some Triple triad?" I heard someone talked to me. I looked up and found a girl in uniform, about a year or two older, showing me a deck of cards.
"Triple triad?" I echoed her words.
She looked at me for a split second then smiled. "You didn't know about Triple Triad, huh? I'll challenge someone else then. Sorry!" she left after saying so.
About two tables in front of me, she asked the same question to another boy there. He nodded and they started to play.
It looked like it's some kind of card game.
I continued my eating and finished ten minutes later. Leaving the cafeteria, I saw the blonde kid played the card game also with that girl. I also saw more older students playing the same game. I guess it's a pretty popular game not only for the kids. But it doesn't matter anyway.
Just before exiting, a boy about my age who just got out of the line accidentally bumped into me. His tray fell, messing the floor with his foods.
He stared at me and the next second he grabbed my shirt.
"Watch where you're going!" he shouted.
I let go his hand from my shirt and replied, "You're the one who didn't see where you're going."
"What? So you want a fight, heh?" he started challenging me with a snob smile. A small crowd began to gather around us.
But then two of his friends showed up.
"Seifer, the older kids and the disciplinary committee are coming! Let's just stop it!" said the male one.
"You're saying I'm afraid of them, Raijin?" this time he grabbed the boy's shirt with an angry face. That friend of his looked scared seeing him. The boy that bumped into me was bigger than me yet the boy that was his friend was even bigger than him, but I guess size didn't count when it comes to strength.
"Instructor Aki said to see him at thirteen hundred hours," the female one's turn to speak.
He looked at the girl and then at me.
"You're lucky Fuujin's right. I haven't eaten since morning and now I gotta eat before seeing Instructor Aki," he grabbed my shirt again before continuing, "but next time, you won't get off this easy!" then let it go and returned to the line, chasing away all other kids in front of him and made the cafeteria lady upset a bit.
I don't care and just leave.
I'm thinking of browsing the building. Rather than just memorized the locations from a map, it's better to come see it yourself and remember it with your body.
From the dormitory, I went right to the cafeteria, so I guess I'll go counterclockwise from the dorm until I'm back to the dorm again.
To the right of cafeteria was the quad. It's pretty big and wide, but it's no surprise anymore. Everything in this building is big and wide, except for the students dorm room that is. Some students were hanging out by quad's small garden. Passed that was the stage area. I'm guessing that the quad will be one place I'll rarely visit. I hated crowd.
After the quad was the infirmary. A female doctor greeted me when I took a peek inside.
"Hello there, are you sick or hurt?" she asked. I shook my head and leave.
Once more I returned to the lobby and also the central gate where I entered the building previously. Just to the right of the lobby was the Library. I decided to enter to take a look around a bit. It had a pretty large number of books. Seemed the collections here were complete enough. When I left the library, once again the blonde kid passed by me and entered the library. He asked something to the librarian before running off to one of the shelves.
It looked like he mean it when he said he wanted to know where the library was.
Whatever.
Next to the library was the training center. A female student who's a lot older than me approached me before I can get anywhere.
"I'm sorry, but you can't enter here. It's too dangerous for you. You'll be allowed to enter once you got the proper training, but for now this is as far as you can go," she said, stopping me from advancing.
I just shrugged and left.
The last one to visit was the parking lot. But there's nothing of interest there. Some people with a different uniform than the one I'm going to use left the building on a car.
"Look, it's the SeeDs!" I overheard a talk between two girls.
"They left on a car, are they on a mission?"
"It looks like so. O, I'm going to be a SeeD too soon and ride one of those fancy cars!"
"Ahahaha, you're silly!"
So, that uniform was a SeeD uniform. The uniform I'll too be wearing soon. Some of those people that wore the SeeD uniform are teenagers. I hope I can be a SeeD that soon too.
I've visited all the places in the first floor. To my remembering, the second floor was where the classrooms were. I think I'll go there so I don't have to seek where my classroom is later.
At the elevator, I saw four floors to choose from. I decided to try pushing each. The basement floor was forbidden unless with permission from Headmaster Cid Kramer or if you're a SeeD member so it won't be pushed by me. The third floor was the Headmaster's office and I can't go there unless the Headmaster called me so it's another button I can't push. In the end, I can only pushed the second floor button.
There are a lot of classrooms, some laboratories, some training classes, and special classes rooms. All the classrooms are shut, but a couple of the labs' windows are open and I can see the inside for some. I got startled a bit when a flame showed up out of nowhere on a palm of a student. But he didn't get burnt. The flame was floating a little above his palm. An instructor talked to him and the flame grew bigger. She talked again and the fire's out. She smiled and patted the student who also smiled in happiness.
That was magic. This lab was for practicing and learning magic. Unconsciously I raised my right hand palm and copy his hand pose when doing that Fire magic. I too will learn how to use magic like that.
Moving on to the next lab, I saw another student seemed to be concentrating. Maybe she'll do another magic also. But suddenly she disappeared and at where she was standing previously a woman with white colors all over her body appeared. With an elegance move, she swayed her hand toward a target and the target turned to a mountain of ice. After, the white woman disappeared and the student returned. She looked happy seeing the iced target.
I don't know what that was, but it looked incredible. It looked like the Blizzard magic, yet it seemed to be stronger also. And I never saw anyone have to transform first before casting magic. Will I do that also? What was this lab for? I examined the sign on the lab's door and found a sentence of 'Guardian Force Lab' written on it. What's a 'Guardian Force'?
"Hei, hei, this isn't a beginner class," all of a sudden, someone grabbed my shoulder. An instructor.
"Who are you?" he looked at my student ID, "oh, you're one of those new students that just entered today. Well, this place is not for you until two or three years later, so go on now," he ordered.
I left the lab area quietly.
Moving toward a training class, I saw a few students combating each other with different weapons. Two instructors watching over them and told them some stuffs each time. There are a lot of weapons on display on the wall. I wonder which one I'll use later.
On one of the training class, the boy that bumped into me at the cafeteria and his two friends were talking to an instructor. They looked at the weapons on display and each one of them point at one of the weapons. The instructor smiled and they had a little chat while taking out the weapons. I'm guessing it's the first time they're allowed to use weapons. It seemed even though we're only a year or two difference, they weren't a newbie like me.
Since I already know where my classroom was, I'm done also at the second floor. On my way to the elevator, I noticed the girl that challenged me to that card game was entering one of the classrooms. She was too a senior.
I came back to the dorm in the late afternoon. Browsing a building this big does take a good amount of time. The elevator only took you to four floors, but each floor can take us to another section above or below that floor. With the height of every floor reaching over twenty meters each, no wonder Balamb Garden looked so high.
Today's Friday, which means I still have two more days. When I returned to my room, my roommate just entered his bedroom too. I don't know about him, but I know I'm pretty tired already. I decided to take a rest now and continue memorizing the rules book tomorrow.
My roommate called me again when it's dinner time but I'm too tired to eat, I ignored him again. After calling me a few times without any answer, he decided to go on eating on his own.
The next morning, I woke up around seven. After a short shower, I went out of the bedroom. My roommate was on the living room, reading a book.
"Oh hey, Squall!" he called me by name now. I figured he already read it from the sign I hanged on my door.
"Have you read the rules book? There were plentiful of them!" he said again.
I left him without replying and went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Again, a long line formed on the ordering desk. Not only the students, some of the instructors can be seen also. Looked like a few instructors also lived in the dorm.
There are still two kids before me when a loud crashing sound heard from outside the Garden. The instructors and older cadets instantly got up from their table, looking out the window and ran outside when realizing what has happened.
I can't help to look out from the window also.
To my surprise, there's a huge machine attacking the Garden. Alongside it was a group of soldiers which I can't tell their origin. Instructors, cadets, and SeeDs appeared from all over the place to fight them.
"Get over here, it's dangerous!" a man dragged me away from the window. The students that's around my age were gathered in the middle of the cafeteria.
"Children, don't any of you move from here, understand?" that man said again. The children, but me, replied with a choir of "Yes, Sir". Just a few seconds later, two teams of fully armed cadets appeared and circled us. Guarding us from any possible threats.
"Any of you got hurt?" asked a female cadet.
A kid raised his hand up. He said when the crash sound heard, he fell and hurt his arm. The female cadet examined it and smiled.
"Don't worry, it's just a sprain. I'll heal it," she raised her hand up and said, "'Cure'!" and a white light came out from the female cadet's palm, circled the kid's arm for a second before vanishing. He then moved it a couple of times and smiled.
"Thank you, Senior! It doesn't hurt anymore!" he said. The female cadet smiled and asked around again if there's another one that hurt.
She just did a Cure magic. This whole chaos pretty much give me some advantages. I can see a magic using in person while it'll took another year until I can really practice it.
Taki, the dorm coordinator, showed up.
"Sasha!" he called the female cadet who used Cure magic.
"What's wrong, Taki?" she asked, approaching him.
"I ran out of Cure magic!"
"What? But my stocks are limited!" the female cadet replied.
The card game girl raised her hand, "Senior Taki, you can draw it from me!" she said.
"Quistis! Your inventory's full?" The card girl nodded.
"Okay, 'Draw'!" and a white light came out from the card girl and flew into the dorm coordinator. He repeated it for three times before stopping.
"Thanks, Quistis. This should be enough."
That dorm coordinator left the cafeteria to return to the dorm and the card girl was praised by the other seniors.
They just showed me how to do magic Draw. But I wondered, how come a girl that's around my age like her can already have some magics learnt?
"Hey, why don't ya let me fight also?" another voice heard from one of the kids. It was the blonde kid.
"You? Heh, you'll be beaten in a second! If there's anyone here that can fight, that's me!" his words were replied by the kid that bumped into me in the cafeteria.
"Zell, Seifer, stop! The both of you! Not any of you can fight yet so stay put and don't bother us!" the man that pulled me from the window snapped them, stopping their fight and making them sit back on the floor again.
About an hour long the fighting sound heard from outside the Garden. I can't see what happened outside, but when a cadet entered the cafeteria with a relieved look, I know the battle's over with victory on our side.
That showed me how strong Balamb Garden SeeDs were.
"Phew," the man that dragged me from the window blew a relieved breath. He looked at me and smiled.
"It's over now, kids. You can all return to your previous activities."
Standing up, he ordered us and the cadets. The cadets then gave him a salutation. Seeing the older cadets did that, made the young students, including me, do the same eventhough we don't know why.
"Thank you, Headmaster Cid!" said the older cadets all at once.
Headmaster Cid? Headmaster Cid Kramer? So he's our Headmaster? He… didn't look like one. I mean, he's… fat. I see that some of the other kids share my surprise.
"I'm sorry you have to be involved too, Sir," a SeeD showed up and gave a salutation to Headmaster Cid before saying the sentence.
Headmaster Cid laughed and patted the SeeD's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. This kind of thing can happen anytime and anywhere. It is also my duty to protect the children, not just yours."
The SeeD smiled and gave another salutation before excusing himself.
"Excuse me, we're from the Sanitation Committee. We are going to sanitize the cafeteria, so please move from this area immediately."
A group of cadets showed up. The cafeteria lady followed them.
"Children, if there's any of you that haven't eaten yet, you can take some bread we have prepared on your way out. Be in line and be patience please," the cafeteria lady announced.
I took a curry bread, a coconut bread and a carton of vanilla milk from the cafeteria lady. Not exactly the breakfast I want, but at least I can see a lot of things this early in the morning.
"Zell, it's not polite to eat while walking! Can't you wait after you arrived at your dorm?" the card girl yelled the blonde kid who's busy munching on a bread. But he just grinned and ran off from her.
"Why do you hafta acted so old like that? You're just my age, Quistis!" the kid that bumped me pushed the card girl's back.
She turned around to him angrily, "Then why do you have to acted so childish like that, Seifer? You're older than the new kids here!"
"You want a piece of me, Quistis?"
Their fight was stopped by a Disciplinary Committee member who break them up and warn them of penalty.
I just left the scene. Why should I care.
"Hay Squall, where have you been? I was here all the time so I don't know what happened outside but the coordinators told us to stay in our room. I haven't eaten yet, I wonder if the cafeteria's fine…."
"You better go there quickly. There are still some breads."
Halfheartedly, I replied him.
He looked shocked, saying, "Really? Oh man, I gotta go there fast!" and ran off out of the room.
I wondered why I told him that.
But whatever.
The rest of the day was done by helping to clean up or rebuild places and items that were broken or destroyed during the morning battle. Even Headmaster Cid helped us too. Not everything can be done in a day work, but at least it's better than let the debris and ruins scattered everywhere.
"We're lucky no monsters breaking in," I heard a cadet said so.
"Yeah. Fighting that machine and those soldiers are already a pain. If the monsters outside Garden also managed to enter, we might have facing more than just cleaning up."
I actually regretted there's no monster entered. I wanted to see how the cadets and the SeeD would handle monsters.
"Zell, you can really fight a little, can't you?" the card girl's voice heard. That blonde kid was busy sweeping the dusts when he heard the girl.
"Of course! I'm the grandson of the world's number one wrestler!" he exclaimed.
"I can tell from your tattoo!" the girl said again, "Since I read it from a book that only a wrestler with high skills can have that tattoo."
The blonde kid looked surprised yet happy hearing it, "Ya knew about it, huh? I'm not officially high skilled yet, but I will! That's what I promised grandpa when he gave me this tattoo!"
So the tattoo wasn't just a make up or for showing off.
Right now, I questioned myself of why I even bothered to hearing them.
"You! Move it!" I heard somebody yelled at me from behind. I stopped from picking up the small ruins and turned around.
The kid that bumped into me the other day and his two friends were carrying a big ruin. Carrying it toward my direction.
"Why are you carrying it here? Senior Nobu said big ruins are to be collected on the front gate over there," I replied, without looking at him and continuing collecting the small ruins and throwing them inside a garbage can.
"Why you! -"
"Seifer, Fuujin, Raijin, put that big one over here! Not over there!" a yell stopped him from dealing another trouble toward me. I can hear him complaining before moving to the other direction.
It looked like I'll have to deal with that kid a lot more than I wanted to.
As expected, everything can't be done on a single Saturday. The work was stopped when lunch time came and all cadets ordered to return to their normal activities. The rest will be handled by the Sanitation Committee.
The cafeteria has fully recovered now. A long line formed just as the previous as if nothing ever happened.
"Oh man, I'm running out of Gils!" a SeeD complained. He and his female friend were at the vending machine that was next to the ordering desk.
"What did you do with your last salary?"
"I have to upgrade my weapon but I can't get any item for it from the monsters I've fought so I have to bought them instead."
The female SeeD chuckled, "No wonder. You got a hard mission, huh?"
"Yeah. If I don't upgrade my tonfa to a better one, I might gonna have a hard time fighting the enemies."
"Don't worry, you'll get your next salary soon. This cola's on me, okay?" she patted the male SeeD's shoulder and they move on.
I wished they would mention how much a SeeD earned.
On one of the pillars, the card girl seemed to be surrounded by a quite number of other kids. I guess she was popular enough. Maybe because of what she did this morning.
After getting my lunch, it turned out that there's no empty table where I can sit alone. Too bad. I put the tray and its contents on the tray collecting desk and picked up just the milk carton.
"Wait, why didn't you finish your meal?" one of the cafeteria lady asked me when she saw my full tray.
I shook my head and answered, "It's too crowded. I hate crowd."
Sipping my milk, I returned to my dorm room. Luckily, my roommate isn't around so at least I won't get bothered for now.
I finished the rest of the day by memorizing all the contents of the rules book. At dinner time I can eat properly, thanks to the empty cafeteria. Looked like everyone went to bed early, tired of the works done today.
That night, I can sleep without anymore disturbance.
When I went out for breakfast on Sunday morning, I can saw how the busyness of Balamb Garden was different from the previous days I've been here.
All the new kids can be seen in every part of the Garden. Some was busy with the rules book, another was busy interviewing their seniors about life in Garden, library's crowded with children that were searching more info about Garden, and more. Last minutes preparations it seemed.
I'm just glad the cafeteria wasn't as full as usual. The line wasn't too long and there are empty tables for me to sit by myself. While eating, I realized that the restoration of the Garden was done almost completely. The older cadets seemed to be fast and effective doing those kinds of stuffs.
Meaning that a battle like the one happened yesterday was something to be expected any time. Risk of being a Garden cadet. I have to memorize that too.
Returning to my room, my roommate was ironing his uniform on an ironing table in the corner of the living room. I didn't know he brought his own iron along with the table, but it was a good idea to have your uniform ironed.
"Hay Squall, have you ironed your uniform?" just before saying I wanted to borrow the iron, he asked me that. I answered by shaking my head.
"Oh, well then, I'll be over a couple of minutes, wanna borrow mine?" he asked again with a big grin on his face.
I looked at him for a couple of seconds, and then nodded.
"Okay, you just get your uniform ready then," he told me.
I moved to my room and get my uniform out from the closet.
"Don't forget to bring out the hanger too, Squall!" he yelled from outside.
Of course I won't forget it. I want to yell back at him with those words, but I'm too lazy to bother myself to do so. When I came out of my bedroom, his uniform's all ironed. He showed it to me with a proud face.
"What do you think? Neat, huh? Mom told me how to do it properly so you won't burn your clothes, and your hand too that is. Wanna know the tricks, Squall?" he grinned again.
"No, I've ironed my clothes myself a couple of times, I already familiar with ironing," I replied in a lazy mood. He looked kinda disappointed hearing it, but he still pulled out a laugh.
"Ahahaha, is that so. I guess there's nothing you can't handle, huh Squall? Okay, this iron's all yours! Just leave it here when you're done."
He returned to his bedroom, singing Balamb Garden's anthem. It made me remember that I haven't memorized that song. Damn, I hate singing….
I finished ironing after fifteen or twenty minutes. Looking at the result, I must say that my roommate's uniform was ironed better than mine. I guess his mom told him some good tricks.
Once I've hang my uniform on the hanger on the wall of my bedroom, I returned to the living room to fold the ironing table and packed the iron back on its box. I knocked my roommate's bedroom door.
"Yeah, wassup Squall?" he asked after the door's opened.
I handed him the table and the iron. "Thanks."
He received them with a surprised look before grinning and replied, "No prob, roomie!"
Now I'm sorry I've bothered to say thanks to him.
But whatever, I was too busy thinking of memorizing the Balamb Garden's anthem, I don't wanna talk to him for too long.
I returned to my room, get the song lyrics out of my drawer, and spent the entire Sunday forcing myself to memorize the song. It's not hard for me to remember the lyrics, but to sing it….
Monday morning finally came.
Once more, I looked at the reflection of me wearing the Garden uniform in front of the mirror. I've pinned my student ID, I've brushed my hair, everything's set and I'm ready to go. After I'm sure of that, I went out.
My roommate was standing right in front of the door, back facing me and blocking my way to the door.
"What are you doing, standing there?" I asked, annoyed a bit.
He seemed startled. Turning his body to face me, now I can see that he's trembling a bit.
"Do-don't y-you fe-feel n-ne-nervous?" with a shaky voice he asked me.
I can't believe this kid.
"No. This is just an opening ceremony for the new education year. If you wannabe nervous, you should've once you sign in as a cadet here," I replied as necessary.
He shook his head, "No, actually, I was also nervous then. Now I'm nervous again."
I sighed.
"Look, do you or do you not want to be a Garden cadet?" I asked, kind of resisting my urge to knock him down to the floor and left him there.
My roommate looked at me with a strong face.
"Of course I wanted to be a cadet! I've always dreamt of becoming a SeeD!" his answer was firmed.
"Then you can be nervous when the SeeD Exam day finally comes. For now, just move yourself to the ceremony or you'll never get to that exam!"
Ordering him a little, I pushed him to the side and opened the door.
"Squall, wait!" he called before I left.
I ignored him and walked outside.
"But, Squall! O yeah, the dorm key! Squall, I forgot my key! I'll lock this door first! Squall, wait!"
I just don't care and leave.
He finally showed up in one of the lines of new students just five minutes after me. We're not in the same line so I thought I'll get some peace, until he kept on waving toward me and calling my name over and over, making everyone around us knew my name.
"What?" I finally answered him after getting annoyed.
That roommate of mine showed a big grin. "Thanks a lot!"
I just turned my face away.
At eight, the ceremony started.
I'm finally here. It's official now. I'm the cadet of Balamb Garden. I'm going to be graduated as a SeeD. I'll be a strong SeeD. I'll be stronger than anyone else here. I'll be the best SeeD ever.
That way, I won't need any help from any other SeeDs, or any other person in this whole wide world.
I'll be able to do everything on my own without any help from any one. I'll be alright by myself.
"I'll be alright alone, Sis. I'll be strong…."