Next Gen FF8
Chapter 2
"Answers"
Author's note: Final Fantasy 8 and all its characters are property of Squaresoft. Except those invented by me.
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"What do you mean you want to talk about your father?" Quistis asked to the young SeeD sitting before her. "Its 2:30 in the morning; can't it wait Ashika.?"
"Yes, but you made me a promise and I've come to collect."
"What?, what promise?"
Ashika rested her head on the chair and closed her eyes. She knew Quistis wouldn't remember, why would she; it was after all a long time ago. "You don't remember do you?"
"No; honestly I have no idea what are you talking about."
Ashika took a deep breath just because she was sleepy too; but she had been waiting for this day for too long and she was not going anywhere until she heard the truth.
"Five years ago when I was just starting at Garden one of the older students came to me and started insulting me and my brother. I don't remember exactly what he said, but I do remember him saying something about my father; something negative. You saw what was going on and quickly interfered; after the older student left I asked you what did he meant by that and you told that I was to young and that you would tell me once I became a SeeD." Ashika took another deep breath.
"Well here I am; I'm a SeeD now and I want to know the truth."
Quistis sigh as she put her hands on her face. "I completely forgot, how could've I; I just told her that to calm her down." Ashika looked over as Quistis struggle with her thoughts. "I'm tired of being kept away in the dark; I'm not a child anymore. All I've got left from them are pictures, faint memories, the weapons and Ryon."
"She'll find out sooner or later, but its not my job to tell her; DAMN! you Laguna; you really haven't changed." Quistis looked at her watch; 2:50am; this was going to be a long night. "What do you want to know, Ms. Leonhart?"
"Everything; starting with how my father got his good reputation and suddenly lost it."
"Have you heard about the sorceresses, Edea and Ultimicia?"
"Yes; it's like a legend among Garden students; that sorceress Ultimicia wanted to control time or something and that a group of SeeDs stopped her."
"Well; that's no legend, it really happen 21 years ago and the group of SeeD's were Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Heartilly, Zell Dincht, Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt and myself."
"Then why all the secrecy; why keep it a legend instead of "going down in history", as they say."
Quistis stood up from her chair and walked up to her window. She could see the town far away. "I really don't know. Fear maybe; fear that history would repeat itself."
Ashika looked over, wondering what Quistis was thinking. "It's now or never"
"Where's my father Quistis?" The words came out with the pain and anger of years of not knowing; years of being lied too. Ashika looked at Quisti's back feeling like a deep burden had just been lifted from her shoulders. Quistis slowly turned around with a readless look on her face. Slowly Quistis walked towards where Ashika was sitting and kneel down to meet her gaze.
"Oh, sweetie; if I knew I'd tell you."
"Wha…what do you mean"
Quistis looked at the girl's puzzled expression. "5 years after you and Ryon were born; Deling started threatening Garden with a war. Claiming that the former President's death was SeeD's fault; even though that guy was a dictator and provoked his own death. Squall as commander was summon to attend a negotiations meeting at Deling; Rinoa didn't want him to go alone so she went with him, but…" Quistis stammered as she pushed away the tears.
Ashika stare at Quistis for a moment wanting to ask her to go on, but she didn't; she just let her take her time.
"…but…but…they never made it to Deling; they just vanished."
Ashika remained sited on the chair as she swallowed her newfound knowledge. She hadn't blinked she just starred at the tearful Quistis; yet Quistis knew she wasn't looking at her at all.
"No…I won't…I won't accept this; after all these years, after, after… this can't be the answer; it…it just isn't fair."
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Ryon stared at the ceiling of his dorm room. It was 3:27 in the morning yet he wasn't a bit sleepy; his roommate's snores didn't help either.
"Stupid insomnia." He got out of bed and searched for something under it. He took out a silver square case that had his initials on it. He unlocked the safety locks and look at the weapon inside. A blaster edge; his blaster edge. He remembered when he and Ashika found both weapons, the blaster and the gunblade, hidden were their grandfather had told them not to go. And how soon after a discussion took place on who will keep each weapon; he couldn't recollect the exact conversation, he was ten at the time, but in the end Ashika had kept the gunblade and he the blaster edge. He didn't like at first, he though it looked like a girl's weapon; so when he started attending Garden he had it modified; giving it a deadly look and changing the weapon from stun to kill. Now he wouldn't change it for the world.
Ryon closed the case, put it under his bed again and went back to bed. He started to doze off when someone suddenly opened the door.
"RYON! RYON!"
"A…Ashika; what the heck are you doing here? It's 3:30 in the morning"
"I'll explain on the way; just get dress, I'll wait for you on the front gate."
"Wha…why; were are we going?"
"Esthar."