The Guardian
A Final Fantasy VIII Fan-Fiction Series
by Marcus Dawn
DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy VIII, and all aspects of it (characters, locations and other references) belong to Square. Newly introduced characters are original concepts by the author.
A/N - The Prelude wasn't as long as I had hoped... but hopefully what's coming will make up for it! [edit:] Some parts I re-read over and had to fix them... love how things make sense in your head one day, but not the next - should sound a bit more like english now. (...Hopefully.) ^^;
Chapter One – Red Tape
Location: Balamb Garden, Third Floor
The elevator to the Bridge seemed less in-the-way with the Headmaster's desk moved back several feet. There were a few chairs in front of the desk, one facing the wall and moved off to the side slightly. The desk was littered with trinkets – three framed pictures, all of different sizes, as well as a tall stack of paperwork on the top-right corner. There was a lot of colored baskets on the desk, each with signs, like "In" and "Out" as well as one for the fan mail the Trepies would send. A few pencils were arranged perfectly on the right side of the desk, neat and out of the way, with a calendar place mat out in the center. A date was circled – August 21st, with "Winhill" written in capital letters. Two days later was the name of the SeeD Commander.
The Headmaster was sitting behind her desk, looking scathingly at two men dressed in robes: red robes and white sleeves with eerie yellow masks guarding their face. Headmaster Trepe looked at the two men with incredible unrest, which became panic as the elevator opened from the far end of the room, and Zell stepped briskly from the chamber.
Oh no... Not now, any time but now!
"You said that this would be kept in Private!" One of the robed men roared in outrage, demanding an explanation. Zell looked up, about to turn on his heel and run out the door, completely forgetting that his friend didn't have the "come-and-see-me-anytime" schedule she had before as an instructor. His eyes drifted past Quistis, who had swiftly risen to her feet, but caught the garments of the visiting men, and without hesitation found himself with his right arm tucked at his side and his left out in front, with his stance grounded squarely.
Quistis shouted in alarm, "Zell! Stop!" Her voice threw off his attack, making him trip over the rug and stagger, barely managing to control his balance and stay upright.
Zell's eyes wandered up to the desk as Quistis, though still in a state of fright, sat back down, "You two have my word that at least for the time being, you are permitted on school grounds to attend to your previous duties. But remember what I said!"
The Faculty turned, as if looking at each other. One turned to face Zell, who was now standing straight, and not in the least, happy with what he had just heard. "What about him?" the Faculty asked.
Quistis nodded, trying to display a sense of confidence, "He is an instructor here at Garden. He can be trusted."
It was all the two robed men needed to hear, and quickly bid their exit without so much as a pause or goodbye – they brushed their way past Zell, who took the time to throw a few punches while shadowboxing in hopes to scare them (which worked, much to the displeasure of the Headmaster... despite her holding in a tiny chuckle). Quistis finally sighed once the elevator door shut and leaned into her chair letting her exhaustion known audibly, "Ooohhh, I don't know how Cid could have lived like this all those years..."
Zell turned and approached the desk, his eyes fixated upon Quistis. She was wearing her SeeD uniform rather than her normal pinkish attire – her silver rimmed glasses were on the desk however, and her hands were currently covering her face. She let out a stressed groan of discomfort, letting herself fall limp at last, her bright blue eyes gazing at the desk above her, and what sky could be seen beyond that.
"The hell was that all about?" Zell pointed with his thumb toward the elevator.
Quistis composed herself and brought her glasses to her eyes, looking down at some paperwork dropped at her desk that weren't apparently in place correctly, "A delicate matter with the Shumi Tribe I'd rather not make a mess of... After all this time, they're making it their interest to invent their time and energy into whatever it is we're doing..."
"And you're just gonna let them waltz back in? After what happened ten years ago?" Zell folded his arms and crossed his legs – he was irritated after seeing the non-faces of the Faculty again. He was referring from the last encounter they'd had with the Shumi's representatives, when they threatened a hostile takeover of Garden.
Quistis shook her head, her glasses now loose on her nose and falling ever so slightly down the bridge of it, so her gaze would peer up over them at Zell, "I don't want any hostile relations lingering in Garden – we may be training SeeDs for missions, but they are missions for peace, not war," She made full use of her gaze to pierce Zell's, "That goes for you too – you're to put what happened in the past exactly where it should be – in the past. And keep it there."
"Yeah, but I don't see what the big deal-"
"ZELL!" Quistis snapped, making the fighter reel back in surprise. She was now glaring very angrily at him, but as she looked at his frightened face, she squinted and frowned. She sank back into her chair and waved a hand in front of her, "Sorry... just, act civil, okay?"
Of all the emotions of Quistis to see, this was one Zell never wanted to. The Headmaster breathed with a slight quiver in her voice, hiding her eyes from her friend. She removed her glasses for a moment to wipe something from her eyes and with a sniff, looked to her friend in feigned composure and addressed him professionally, "and... what can I do for you today, instructor?"
Don't give me that shit, Quisty...
Zell frowned, "Well, after that whole mess, First thing is'f you're alright?" He pulled a chair up close to him and sat in it with the back of the chair resting on his stomach, arms folded on top. "C'mon, you can tell ol' Zell what's up! I swear, I won't say a word!"
Quistis chuckled, almost forgetting she had been crying and gave him a raised eyebrow accompanied with a grin – the kind of look that said, "I know you better than that." Zell rolled his eyes and swore, "Alright, I promise not a word, for at least twelve hours." That sent Quistis over the edge in laughter.
"Zell, you'd sell us all out if the reward was the recipe to those damned hot dogs you love so much."
The fact that the statement had rendered Zell speechless was priceless to Quistis: He had instantly went to go defend that he would never betray his friends, but froze at the mere mention of hot dogs, choking on his words. He shook his head and let out a frustrated grunt. After the laughter subsided, Quistis was left smiling in her former glowing radiance, looking like she hadn't a care in the world.
"So, you'll be okay?" Zell asked.
Quistis nodded, "I'll live... thank you, Zell."
The boxer sat up straight and pointed at his inflated chest with his thumb, "Hey, it's why I'm here!" His smile threatened to crawl off his face if it got much wider. He then remembered why he was truly there in the first place and sank back into his seat, "Actually, there was something I wanted to talk about with you, Quisty... it's about the Field Exams."
Quistis took a deep breath, "Ahhh, yes. I was hoping you'd bring this up – Selphie and Rinoa already turned in the forms for student applicants... Matron is taking some extra time with her students, which is understandable." She smiled at her memories of Edea – the good ones, of course, "She acts so caring toward all her students, I almost think it's unhealthy... if one of them got even a scrape, she'd feel responsible.
"So... that leave Instructor Aki, and you." Quistis narrowed her eyes at her friend, "And Aki's already sent me word over the network that his students had been slacking enough as it is with their previous assignments... I figured with you-"
"Ryan Wolfe wants in this year." Zell cringed as his interruption boiled Quistis's long and playful rant of him down to the main point... to which she was left wordless and slowly sank into her chair.
Quistis took a moment, staring at Zell quizzically. Once she determined that he was serious, she breathed and brought Ryan's file on her work station. She sighed, "Students apply at Garden to become a SeeD from ages fifteen to nineteen, you know that... Once twenty, they can no longer attempt the test, but... even sixteen can be too young for some people."
Zell shrugged, "You were fifteen when you became a SeeD."
Quistis closed her eyes and sighed irritably, "I know, but that doesn't mean everyone should. You've already got more than enough students that are going for SeeD Ranks this year... Embry, Jacob, Morris..."
"This isn't about them – he knows he can do it... and he doesn't want to wait around a whole 'nother year just to prove himself." Zell thought of himself a moment as he argued – he knew the feeling... not exactly, but the desire to prove he could be a SeeD was certainly up there back when he was seventeen.
"The answer is no – I won't allow it."
"Quisty – I know he can do it!" Zell was now standing, confidently.
Quistis winced, still disapproving, "He doesn't have para-magic or even a GF..."
"I've already promised we'd be out doing this!" Zell complained, and upon Quistis's sudden and furious expression, clasped his hands over his mouth in shock, before muttering, "Ooooh, Shit."
"You... did... WHAT?"
Zell slumped forward and groaned angrily at himself. Still frowning, Quistis refrained from standing up but folded her arms, squeezing them crossed in hopes to direct her anger elsewhere. She frowned and cursed herself for even considering this...
"I won't allow him to participate in any SeeD mission as a test until he has a GF." She spoke slowly and as Zell looked up at her quizzically, as she could have just said no, she stressed again the final words, "Until... he has... a GF. Do I make myself clear?"
"You mean... If we got him one?" Zell pointed at himself as Quistis's vision narrowed in on him, "If I got him one?"
"Isn't it the duty of the instructor to assign the supporting SeeD to their own student's Field examination?" Quistis quipped, maintaining her stern authority but with a sparkle in her eyes. Zell stood a moment, processing this before he pumped his fists in success. Quistis smiled and continued, "There isn't many Guardian Forces nearby in Balamb though, so you'll have to travel... The mission is within a week – you need to get the GF, come back, and file the paperwork twenty-four hours prior, understood?"
Zell hastily nodded, already heading out the door, "You won't regret this, Quisty! I promise!"
By the time Quistis remembered to ask Zell for the forms for all his other students like she was going to, he was already in the elevator and blissfully ignorant of any other news.
"Hey! Wolfe! Heard you got served the other day at the Training Center!"
Leave it to rumors and gossip to embarrass the hell out of him during lunch. A group of students close-by his table began laughing about the ordeal that went on with him yesterday at the Training Center, where he had almost lost to a Grat. The part about being stampeded over by a resident T-Rexaur was conveniently left out. The only thing left attacking him now was a cascade of wadded up straw papers being tossed at his face. He cringed – one of the boys there had a hearty, noticeable laugh... even with all the noise at the Garden Cafe.
It was then all laughter stopped in the cafeteria and the commotion died down immediately, when three adults walked into the cafeteria eying the event. The one in front brushed back his silver-gray trench-coat, revealing a sheathed, long gunblade at his side (shown strictly by accident and in no way meant to intimidate anybody) and went in stride over to the table next to Ryan.
The blond folded his arms and glared strictly down at the three students, who couldn't help but sink in their seats. When his voice rang out, the entire cafeteria shivered.
"RAIJIN!" The blond called from over his shoulder.
The accompaniment on the right cringed a bit – a man with a purple jacket, prayer beads around his neck and a deep tan skin tone – he brushed his buzz-cut black hair and whimpered, "Geez... I'm right here, ya know?"
The man in gray pointed to the students and barked, "Your names, cadets."
They all spoke their names, to which the man repeated, "Add Lee, White, and Taylor to the list... for littering in our school cafeteria."
"All added to the list, Seifer, ya know?"
The students had begun to interject when Seifer's name was suddenly mentioned, and the man knelt between them all and smiled. The students looked wearily at him as the sinister looking man whispered with a calm voice feigning sympathy, "I know it's a bit hard to distinguish him from a waste basket... so a little time after school might help you three understand the difference."
His sentence ended with a period, and no one dared to speak out against him. A few seconds after he stood straight, the cafeteria resumed it's chattiness once again, leaving the three members of the Disciplinary Committee looking at each other to decide what to do next. Fujin's eye trailed to the student and the mess (now cleaned thanks to the tending of a nearby Cafeteria Staff and Ryan, who felt guilty watching her do the task alone) and Seifer gave a sly smile. The three sat down with the student, who was praying that despite all odds, he could eat a magic carrot or something that would turn him invisible.
"Hey kid." Seifer pulled up a chair and rested his legs up on the table, reclining back on two legs. Fujin and Raijin felt inclined to stand next to him and not sit down, leaving Ryan with some space to himself. Seifer paused and frowned at Ryan a moment before calling again, "Hey KID."
Ryan blinked and looked behind him for a second before answering, "Yes, Seifer?"
Seifer raised both eyebrows in surprise at the response – it took him a while, but the tone he spoke in was not one of fear, but of familiarity... He smiled and let his chair fall to all for legs, his own two hitting the ground as well. He pointed to something below Ryan when the student noticed his meal – a burger smothered in barbeque sauce and a bag of chips with a tall glass of milk. He looked up quizzically at Seifer.
"You haven't touched it... you eating any?" Seifer asked, tilting his head.
Ryan shrugged and pushed the tray to Seifer, "Be my guest."
Fujin blinked, her posture straightening in surprise, not seeing her leader's now wide grin. She attempted to see through Ryan as if he was plotting some sort of trick, "BRIBE?"
Ryan shook his head, "Not hungry. It'd be a shame if it went to waste, right?"
Seifer's grin became a teeth-showing smile, "I like you, kid."
The student simply shrugged, but was thankful that of all sides of Seifer to be on, it wasn't the one in charge of his 'list'. Raijin looked at the burger hungrily, and his stomach let out a loud growl, "Maaan... that's just too good to pass up, ya know?"
Fujin frowned and turned to her comrade, giving him a swift kick to the back of his leg, "SEIFER'S." Raijin buckled backwards in pain.
Seifer reached out and took a large bite out of the burger, "What'd you say your name was, kid?" His words half inaudible for talking with his mouth open.
"I didn't." Ryan blinked, maintaining a straight face.
Seifer laughed, and tapped Raijin (who was still recovering from Fujin's vicious kick) on the abs, pointing to the student afterward before swallowing the burger contents in his mouth. Flakes of lettuce and sauce flew from the burger onto the tray Ryan had presented him, but Seifer's eyes were on the student himself, "The kid's got guts..."
Seifer waved his comrades closer, addressing Ryan as a whole as the committee, feeling that an introduction would get a name out of him, but the voices of Seifer and his company as well as those of the Cafe went into slurred whispers... Ryan blinked and stared dreamlike at Seifer, who was in mid-speech when he noticed the glazing of Ryan's eyes.
Their damage will not go... unpunished...
The new whisper sounded almost like a hissing... close to a soft shriek. An impact on his arm jolted him awake.
"Kid!" Seifer ordered, "Pay attention, I was just about to get to the best part!"
"INTRODUCTION." Fujin nodded. Ryan blinked, unknowingly, his gaze following up to the blue-clad woman. Seifer was now standing, and about to speak when Ryan caught a glimpse of someone jogging toward the group from behind.
"Seifer!" Zell shouted, "You're not harassing my student, are you?"
Seifer's speech again fell short and he staggered,, many of the watching cafeteria junior underclassmen chuckling. The gunblade specialist's eyes widened in humiliation and he pointed to the students, "FUJIN! RAIJIN! Get their names!"
The two other members of the Disciplinary Committee agreed, ("Still right next to ya, Seifer, ya know?" whimpered Raijin...) and the leader turned to the martial artist, acting like nothing ever happened and continued alongside his ego, "Well well, if it isn't the Chicken-wuss! This is your student?"
Zell scowled at Seifer, cracking his knuckles through his Ehrgeiz. Seifer sighed with a smile and looked back to Ryan, "A shame... and I was beginning to like ya, kid." Ryan shared a rare smile with Seifer, which made the moment perfect for the committee leader. It certainly made dealing with Zell much more entertaining, "You have an interesting student there, Dincht. Don't screw up with him, get me?"
The fighter backed off, still considerably upset that his old nickname got brought up after all this time... and although that's what he'd expect from someone like Seifer, he didn't anticipate what he said about Ryan. Seifer chuckled and looked down at his burger – he had only taken the one bite out of it... He looked up at Zell and placed the burger in his hand with a bit of force, smearing some barbeque sauce over his gloves. "Fujin! Raijin! We're outta here, let's go!"
"FOLLOWING." Fujin acknowledged, to which Raijin quickly complied as well. Zell, disgusted, looked at the burger and looked up at Seifer. He was staring back, smiling eagerly to see what he would do. With great restraint not to chuck the thing at the ex-knight's face, he opened a trash bin lid and dropped the contents in, giving Seifer the most strained and false grin that he could give. Seifer let out a single loud laugh before continuing on.
Zell looked at his gloves and swore repeatedly to himself, "Errgh... frickin' hell. All over my damned..." Amidst trying to remove the barbeque sauce from his weapons, he looked up and saw his student, apologetically looking toward him. The instructor waved and walked over.
"I am sooooo sorry about that... I wasn't hungry, he asked, and I-"
"Seifer and I go way back," Zell calmed his student down, "No need, I never liked him to begin with anyway." Ryan chuckled and smiled uneasily, not sure if the situation called for it. Zell returned the gesture with a smile of his own, now focused on the big news, "So listen... As promised, I talked with Headmaster Trepe today..."
"Oh yeah?" Ryan's smile expanded eagerly, "How'd it go?"
"We're getting you a GF to use on the mission – can't go without one... but you're in!"
Ryan's smile faded instantly. Zell's lingered for a moment longer before his faded away and became concern. It was like Ryan to be all 'broody and moody', as Selphie spoke of him, but this look of his took the cake. All life in his flashing golden amber eyes were lost.
"What is it? I said you were in...! That's good news, right?" Zell questioned, confused as all hell why the student wasn't jumping out of his seat in excitement right about now. I swear, if this kid backs out...
"The GF is required?" Ryan had a small shadow looming over his eyes.
Zell was taken aback, "Of course... Without a GF to junction to, you can't use magic, your ability to use your equipment goes handicapped, your-" He stopped, as the realization for the need to junction a GF hurt Ryan just as much as a gut punch would... "Why...?"
By now, the majority of the students in the cafeteria were packing up or leaving, running late for next period. Zell was an easy instructor and felt a few minutes left unsupervised would be a bummer for his students, but... for someone who desperately wanted to succeed in life this way – GFs were next to necessity in their line of work, so... why did he not want to use them?
"I... I don't want to talk about it right now, instructor..." Ryan looked away, hoping that this would avoid the subject. He knew it wouldn't.
Damn, Ryan, if you'd just tell me, I could make this a helluva lot easier. "Alright, fine... but the matter still is, you need a GF. You don't have to summon him, you just need to have one... otherwise there's nothing Quistis and I can do for you." Zell folded his arms and left the choice up to him.