Ok so here it is, a new chapter and once again I do not stake claim to any of the characters used for this fan fiction nor do I stake any claim to the stories behind their original creation and use or the material used here other than the plot
Chapter 9 Tuesday Evening Entering the Den
"You are a funny person Yuri," Judith said walking next to Yuri and Repede toward The Wolf Den.
"I try," Yuri replied with a laugh.
"So what do you have to do now?" Judith asked.
"Initiation starts in about fifteen minutes," Yuri replied.
"Well then I will see you later," Judith said.
"Would you like to come? I have heard it is quite the event but I haven't heard it was exclusive or anything," Yuri asked with his laid back grin, Judith enjoyed the time she spent with him and didn't want it to end, although she wasn't sure why she very much enjoyed hanging out with Yuri and Repede.
"Are you sure?" Judith asked.
"Yeah, I wouldn't offer otherwise," Yuri replied with the same grin.
"Then sure I will go," Judith and Yuri walked into the Den to find the other Pack members standing in the audience and the new members up on a stage as well as five senior members, Cloud, Zack, Tifa, Nanaki and Squall.
"I have to go up here so you can just stay here," Yuri said as he walked past Judith with Repede at his side. Judith tried to stop him when she noticed everyone else was a Pack member and thought it actually was exclusive but once Yuri reached the stage she thought it would be far more rude to leave at that point that it would be to sit in on the ceremony. Yuri walked up on the stage and stood next to Flynn.
"Slightly late Yuri," Flynn whispered.
"I like to call it making an entrance," Yuri replied with a grin. Cloud walked to the center of the stage as he was about to begin.
"Welcome my fellow Order of the Fangs members, tonight we enter in new members of our group. As every year passes we see our strength and ranks grow but while some come so must leave us, but none the less our strength and our bonds increase every year and the friends you make here will be people you can rely on for the rest of your life," Cloud spoke loud and confidently to audience which filled up the building, "We pride ourselves on being united, holding strong in any situation and protecting those that need protected at least publicly, deeper down each and every one of you hold true to our doctorins both the public code and the private one. Our private code is one of even more meaning than the public one, as you all know already. We are allies, friends, a tribe, a family; a pack!" Cloud shouted to the crowd which earned a loud cheer from the excited crowd. Zack walked up next to Cloud.
"We are all members of this pack, this family, we rely on one another to such an extent that we can truthfully shout in pride that we only are as strong as our weakest link. But that doesn't make sense, we are all equals when one of us falls who picks him up? Himself? His mommy and daddy? No we pick up our fallen pack member, we stand as one; we fight as one and when the day comes that presents us with a chance to fall will we fall?" Zack shouted, which sparked a loud shout from the entire audience of 'no', "No is right! We will not fall and why shall we not fall? Because we stand as one! One heart, one mind, one soul! We are a pack!" Zack shouted.
"For the pack!" The entire room shouted.
"We exist, strong and confident as always, but we can always use more power more members to boost our ranks and to aid the packs benevolent mission. So tonight we take in these new people not as new individuals that need to prove themselves but as new members of the Order! They have proven their value and worth by being here! When they showed up today they told us, they want to be part of our family, they want to help us and protect those that need it, and they want to be Wolves!" Cloud shouted gaining a loud string of howls from the members, "Now I stand up here with four other senior Wolves, but you know what, we are still a pack, they are no better than you, they simply have had the time and dedication to help lead this pack to brighter days, as you all have in some way. I stand here not as your leader nor your boss nor that guy you have to report to about everything," Cloud said with a slight laugh, "I stand here as the alpha Wolf, but an alpha is nothing without the other Wolves to make him an alpha, an alpha is not an alpha if he is alone. You all give me the power I need to be strong, to fight the battles I need to fight and to lead you all into a brighter future. It is each and every one of you, you give me the power to stand up for the pack when we need defending, I wouldn't defend people that I am not close to, we are close we are more than close, we are one! One pack, one mind, one heart; as we fight, we fight as one; as we struggle we struggle as one and as we win we win as one! For the pack!" Cloud shouted getting the same from the crowd, "Tonight, we are joined by even more members, noble men that want something greater, let us introduce them," Cloud stepped to the side as Zack stepped up.
"Zidane Tribal!" Zack shouted, Zidane walked over to Zack, "Do you accept your position as part of this pack? To be viewed as a brother and ally but in turn to view all others as allies and brothers? Do you accept being part of us? Fighting when we fight, feeling pain when we feel pain and falling should we fall?"
"I accept this honor, my brother," Zidane replied as he bowed his head. As Zack placed a silver medallion with a wolf head on it around Zidane's neck.
"Then I officially pronounce you a member of the Order; raise your head fellow wolf and gaze upon your family!" Zack said just as Zidane looked up at the crowd who began to cheer. Zidane then walked back to his position as Zack called up Vivi and proceeded to recite the same lines the only difference was Vivi's reply which was not scripted like the rest of the new members. Zack proceded through the line of people, calling out the names of the new members; Bartz Klauser, a young swords man who proved to be able to adapt to many different duties, Celes Chere, a young woman in her third year that was a loyal sword wielder; Edgar Figaro, a young nobleman in his third year as well that proved to be very tech savvy; Selphie Tilmitt, an energetic third year student. After Zack had called Flynn up he reached Yuri who walked up and received that same line.
"I will fight with honor, thanks," Yuri said with his laid back demeanor.
"Then I officially pronounce you a member of the Order; raise your head fellow wolf and gaze upon your family," Zack replied. As the crowd cheer a loud feminine whistle was heard, several members looked over at Judith, which gained the attention of Cloud.
"A Hunter?" someone questioned from within the crowd. Judith looked around nervously.
"I am sorry," Judith replied nervously.
"Hunter, come up here," Cloud demanded taking center stage again, Yuri looked over at Cloud and tried to whispered to him.
"I am sorry, I didn't realize it was exclusive to just Order members only, I asked her to come," Cloud nodded his head in acknowledgement as Judith reach the stage and walked up in front of Cloud.
"I am sorry I didn't know it was exclusive I can leave," Judith said.
"Yuri Lowell asked you to come?" Cloud asked.
"Well, he offered I just thought it would be ok, I am really sorry," Judith replied still nervous.
"What is your name?" Cloud asked, everyone was slightly confused including Zack and Tifa.
"Judith," She replied.
"Judith," Cloud repeated in understanding, he then took her wrist and pulled her to the center of the stage, "Wolf members! This is Judith, a Hunter!" The crowd remained silent and Judith became increasingly nervous, far beyond her means of keeping it from showing, "She is a Hunter that accompanied one of our new brothers here … let us welcome a new friend and ally," Cloud shouted, Judith's eyes almost popped out of her head as did Yuri's while Zack tried hard to suppress a laugh which he couldn't; luckily for Zack the cheer of the crowd was over powering, "Now, we have welcomed our new members in our formal way, as brothers. What do you guys say we welcome them in our way?" Cloud asked as the side doors flew open and more people flooded in, mostly Feathers. Music began to play loudly as Squall turned it on with Cloud's cue. Cloud let go of Judith's wrist and leaned over to talk to her over the music, "Sorry to have embarrassed you, if it did. But the chance I couldn't pass up, thanks for coming, many people from other groups don't show till the party starts, I think it shows you are a good friend of Yuri's for having the courage to show," Cloud said with a laugh as he walked away.
