Disclaimer: I own the story and the characters I created. The downside is that I don't own Final Fantasy. Squaresoft does. :(
Chapter Eight
" So this is Matthew Caraway?" the Headmaster inquired. The woman adjacent to him handed him papers and he thumbed through my records.
" You've been tutored at home until now, correct? This is Headmaster Cid and I'm Xu, his assistant. At the Garden, you are obligated to work with other pupils and get along well. Tardiness is not accepted. You will be assigned a dorm room that you might have to share. You will be expected to keep it decent. Your instructor will be appointed to you. You must follow their directions and orders, especially when you're in the field to avoid harm. But it's crucial in the classroom as well. Failure to comply to all the rules will result in detention, suspension, or even being expelled. Do you understand?" the woman announced to me.
" I understand," I replied.
" Excellent. The rest of the day is all yours to settle in. Classes will begin tomorrow. In this time, we will notify your teachers, security, the library, and of course the infirmary. Take this map because you'll definitely need it," Xu handed me a foldout map.
" Welcome to the Garden, Matthew. Zell, would you please return to my office in 15 minutes? I have something to discuss with you," Headmaster Cid said.
" Yes sir," Zell said.
I walked from the office down the halls. Which way is the dorm? Is that the office I just came from? Where's the entrance? Is this map upside down? I flipped it to right, but it still didn't make any sense. I growled.
Just then, a little seven year old boy with brown hair shoved by me and bumped into a girl. She lost her balance and fell on the ground. The boy hadn't stopped. I ran up to help her. Her soft turquoise eyes glanced up at me adoringly. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ruffled ponytail.
" Are you okay?" I asked. She reddened.
" Yeah, dumb kids, huh?" she responded.
" Let me help you up," I held out my hand. She took it and I lifted the girl to her feet.
" Thanks," she smiled, then she started to jog away.
" Wait! What's your name?" I hollered.
" It's Caitlin!" she stopped and turned.
" I'm Matthew!" I called back.
" Matt? Cool!" she grinned.
" Yeah! Can I ask you something?!" I shouted.
" Sorry! I'm going to be late to class! Ask me later! Bye!" she waved and ran off.
Great, I was going to ask her how to figure out this map. I shrugged. I roamed around for a short time, not trying to guess with the map anymore. I finally found the library. I sat down in one of the seats there and stared off into space.
" Did I hurt you? I'm real sorry," a small voice said by my side. It was the little boy that ran into me earlier. His brown hair was messy. His blue eyes seemed weary. Good, maybe he'll be settled down now.
" Bryant!" a man shouted. Zell was next to him, talking.
" I have to go, but please forgive me," the boy whispered. The little boy trotted over to the man and hugged him. The man looked familiar.
" Don't ran off like that. You'll give your mom a heart attack," the man said.
" Okay daddy," the boy laughed. I felt a tingle of remorse and envy. I tried to keep my eyes away from the sight, but I couldn't help it. The man noticed me sitting there and looked back curiously. Zell said something. He breathed something to the boy.
" Yes daddy," the boy scampered off. Zell and the man approached me.
" Matthew. This is General Leonhart," Zell introduced him.
" I know who he is," I said. For once I do.
" You can remember me from when you were six?" the man said.
" Apparently," I replied.
" How was it living with your grandfather?" Squall asked.
" Boring," I said.
" I can see why it be that way. The old man's too profession oriented," he muttered.
" Yeah," I nodded slowly," Well, I got to be going to my dorm. It's getting late."
I didn't care it was an obvious lie.
" Yeah, I'll see you around Matthew," Squall said.
" Bye Matthew," Zell said.
I walked around a little more until I found the dorms. Now I had to find the room with the number 487. I had walk up four flights of stairs and a hallway to find it. This whole place is a labyrinth.
I opened the door cautiously and peered inside. There was two halves of the room, one pulled up with laundry and junk. The one was clear and empty. I flipped the light on and threw my bag on the vacant bed. I stuffed my clothes into the trunk at the end of my bed. On the side table, I put papers and stuff in the drawer. I put my mom's picture in the drawer too. It was old and she was about seventeen in the picture. In the photo, she was in a flowery field and she was holding the very chain I had around my neck. Her carefree smile made me feel loved so I always kept this picture. I wouldn't have kept it on the dresser, but who knows what kind of stupid pervert I had for a roommate.
After unpacking, I headed for the door. But it burst open and a guy ran in. He was about thirteen, I guess. He was kinda lanky. He looked somewhat weak, but he had a fiery look in his dark brown eyes.
" Hey! You must the new guy!" he laughed.
" I'm Matthew Caraway," I said.
" My name is Kiros Seagul," he replied.
" That's a weird name," I remarked.
" It's my dad's. I was named after him," Kiros said.
I picked up my schedule off the dresser.
" When does Trepe's class start?" I asked.
" You got Trepe! No way!" Kiros exclaimed.
" That's what it says. What's the big deal anyways?"
" Trepe just got back into teaching. She's got her own fan club called the Trepies that's existed for years, even after she got married and had three kids. Like two sons and a daughter. Besides, they must think you'd be a talented fighter. That's the advanced class. I've been here since I was eleven years old and I finally made into Trepe's class a few weeks ago. The basic classes is predominately physical fighting and strategies. But you just got here," he said.
" Why does the Garden still exist? I thought it was just to fight the sorceress. But she's dead," I wondered.
" Well, it's still operating because people want to hire people to do dangerous stuff. Besides, what if another sorceress comes? You have to be prepared."
Kiros and I talked for a while longer. Then I went to sleep.
Chapter Eight
" So this is Matthew Caraway?" the Headmaster inquired. The woman adjacent to him handed him papers and he thumbed through my records.
" You've been tutored at home until now, correct? This is Headmaster Cid and I'm Xu, his assistant. At the Garden, you are obligated to work with other pupils and get along well. Tardiness is not accepted. You will be assigned a dorm room that you might have to share. You will be expected to keep it decent. Your instructor will be appointed to you. You must follow their directions and orders, especially when you're in the field to avoid harm. But it's crucial in the classroom as well. Failure to comply to all the rules will result in detention, suspension, or even being expelled. Do you understand?" the woman announced to me.
" I understand," I replied.
" Excellent. The rest of the day is all yours to settle in. Classes will begin tomorrow. In this time, we will notify your teachers, security, the library, and of course the infirmary. Take this map because you'll definitely need it," Xu handed me a foldout map.
" Welcome to the Garden, Matthew. Zell, would you please return to my office in 15 minutes? I have something to discuss with you," Headmaster Cid said.
" Yes sir," Zell said.
I walked from the office down the halls. Which way is the dorm? Is that the office I just came from? Where's the entrance? Is this map upside down? I flipped it to right, but it still didn't make any sense. I growled.
Just then, a little seven year old boy with brown hair shoved by me and bumped into a girl. She lost her balance and fell on the ground. The boy hadn't stopped. I ran up to help her. Her soft turquoise eyes glanced up at me adoringly. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ruffled ponytail.
" Are you okay?" I asked. She reddened.
" Yeah, dumb kids, huh?" she responded.
" Let me help you up," I held out my hand. She took it and I lifted the girl to her feet.
" Thanks," she smiled, then she started to jog away.
" Wait! What's your name?" I hollered.
" It's Caitlin!" she stopped and turned.
" I'm Matthew!" I called back.
" Matt? Cool!" she grinned.
" Yeah! Can I ask you something?!" I shouted.
" Sorry! I'm going to be late to class! Ask me later! Bye!" she waved and ran off.
Great, I was going to ask her how to figure out this map. I shrugged. I roamed around for a short time, not trying to guess with the map anymore. I finally found the library. I sat down in one of the seats there and stared off into space.
" Did I hurt you? I'm real sorry," a small voice said by my side. It was the little boy that ran into me earlier. His brown hair was messy. His blue eyes seemed weary. Good, maybe he'll be settled down now.
" Bryant!" a man shouted. Zell was next to him, talking.
" I have to go, but please forgive me," the boy whispered. The little boy trotted over to the man and hugged him. The man looked familiar.
" Don't ran off like that. You'll give your mom a heart attack," the man said.
" Okay daddy," the boy laughed. I felt a tingle of remorse and envy. I tried to keep my eyes away from the sight, but I couldn't help it. The man noticed me sitting there and looked back curiously. Zell said something. He breathed something to the boy.
" Yes daddy," the boy scampered off. Zell and the man approached me.
" Matthew. This is General Leonhart," Zell introduced him.
" I know who he is," I said. For once I do.
" You can remember me from when you were six?" the man said.
" Apparently," I replied.
" How was it living with your grandfather?" Squall asked.
" Boring," I said.
" I can see why it be that way. The old man's too profession oriented," he muttered.
" Yeah," I nodded slowly," Well, I got to be going to my dorm. It's getting late."
I didn't care it was an obvious lie.
" Yeah, I'll see you around Matthew," Squall said.
" Bye Matthew," Zell said.
I walked around a little more until I found the dorms. Now I had to find the room with the number 487. I had walk up four flights of stairs and a hallway to find it. This whole place is a labyrinth.
I opened the door cautiously and peered inside. There was two halves of the room, one pulled up with laundry and junk. The one was clear and empty. I flipped the light on and threw my bag on the vacant bed. I stuffed my clothes into the trunk at the end of my bed. On the side table, I put papers and stuff in the drawer. I put my mom's picture in the drawer too. It was old and she was about seventeen in the picture. In the photo, she was in a flowery field and she was holding the very chain I had around my neck. Her carefree smile made me feel loved so I always kept this picture. I wouldn't have kept it on the dresser, but who knows what kind of stupid pervert I had for a roommate.
After unpacking, I headed for the door. But it burst open and a guy ran in. He was about thirteen, I guess. He was kinda lanky. He looked somewhat weak, but he had a fiery look in his dark brown eyes.
" Hey! You must the new guy!" he laughed.
" I'm Matthew Caraway," I said.
" My name is Kiros Seagul," he replied.
" That's a weird name," I remarked.
" It's my dad's. I was named after him," Kiros said.
I picked up my schedule off the dresser.
" When does Trepe's class start?" I asked.
" You got Trepe! No way!" Kiros exclaimed.
" That's what it says. What's the big deal anyways?"
" Trepe just got back into teaching. She's got her own fan club called the Trepies that's existed for years, even after she got married and had three kids. Like two sons and a daughter. Besides, they must think you'd be a talented fighter. That's the advanced class. I've been here since I was eleven years old and I finally made into Trepe's class a few weeks ago. The basic classes is predominately physical fighting and strategies. But you just got here," he said.
" Why does the Garden still exist? I thought it was just to fight the sorceress. But she's dead," I wondered.
" Well, it's still operating because people want to hire people to do dangerous stuff. Besides, what if another sorceress comes? You have to be prepared."
Kiros and I talked for a while longer. Then I went to sleep.