Chapter Nine
Squall stood, gunblade held in front of him at head height, completely still. His leather jacket was flung over a nearby rock, his GFs absent from their usual space in his head. The spells that strengthened him beyond even the standards of Garden's elite force were unusable without those presences in his head, and he could already feel his arms beginning to shake slightly, and he schooled himself back to stillness. Just him and his gunblade, man and weapon.
A roar and thunderous footsteps behind him shattered the silence. Ignoring the protests in his arms, he swung the bright blue blade up at the T-Rexaur. The primeval beast howled in pain as the steel bit deep into its throat. Squall pulled the trigger and the monster howled again, while the kick of the gunblade sent Squall reeling backwards, his usual grace in battle discarded with the spells that made up his evade junction. The T-Rexaur lunged at him, but Squall rolled aside quickly, recovering and sinking his blade into the animal's muzzle. It threw back its head and howled, and Squall seized the opportunity to go for the beast's throat. As the steel blade, strengthened by Dragon Fangs and Adamantine, sank into the beast's throat, it's hot blood splashed over Squall. He barely managed to jump out the way before the beast crashed down into the mud of the training center with a great thud. Squall sat there panting, exhausted.
"Nice one Squall. I take it that means Seifer's staying." Squall turned to see Zell standing behind him.
Squall managed a weak smile, shrugging on his jacket. "Headmaster Cid said it was up to me."
"And you said yes?" Zell asked incredulously.
Squall shrugged as his face took on the blank expression of someone checking his junctions. "What else could I do? I said it was ok. Then Cid said he'd be transferred to Esthar Garden."
Zell whistled. "Seifer won't like that."
Squall linked with the last of his Guardians and picked up his gunblade, easily resting it on his shoulder now his strength was back to it's maximum. "I'm not too keen on the idea myself Zell."
***
Seifer strolled up the steps to Garden's entrance. Squall, Quistis and Cid stood at the top in dress uniform. Seifer stopped just in front of them. "Hello puberty boy. They got you here to carry my bags?"
"You'll show proper respect to your headmaster Seifer." Cid said, sternly.
Seifer stood for a moment, shocked, before yelling "This idiot? What the hell are you doing putting me under him?"
"If you don't like it Seifer, you don't have to re-enroll."
Seifer curled his mouth in disgust, but swallowed down his objections, giving a stiff nod of his head to Cid and Squall. "Headmaster. I take it I'm staying here for the time being then?"
Cid shook his head. "President Loire has kindly donated a temporary headquarters in the center of Esthar for us. The staff and students of the new Garden will be dropped off there."
Quistis came forward with a dark blue and purple uniform. "This is the new uniform for Esthar Garden Seifer. You'll wear this one I trust."
"Yeah sure, whatever" Seifer said, stuffing the uniform under his arm. "I'll see you later then." He strode off, his white trenchcoat trailing in the wind.
"He's going to be a problem." Squall muttered.
"I'm sure you can deal with it Squall." Cid said, patting him on the back. "I have every faith in you, headmaster."
Squall just grimaced.
Squall stood, gunblade held in front of him at head height, completely still. His leather jacket was flung over a nearby rock, his GFs absent from their usual space in his head. The spells that strengthened him beyond even the standards of Garden's elite force were unusable without those presences in his head, and he could already feel his arms beginning to shake slightly, and he schooled himself back to stillness. Just him and his gunblade, man and weapon.
A roar and thunderous footsteps behind him shattered the silence. Ignoring the protests in his arms, he swung the bright blue blade up at the T-Rexaur. The primeval beast howled in pain as the steel bit deep into its throat. Squall pulled the trigger and the monster howled again, while the kick of the gunblade sent Squall reeling backwards, his usual grace in battle discarded with the spells that made up his evade junction. The T-Rexaur lunged at him, but Squall rolled aside quickly, recovering and sinking his blade into the animal's muzzle. It threw back its head and howled, and Squall seized the opportunity to go for the beast's throat. As the steel blade, strengthened by Dragon Fangs and Adamantine, sank into the beast's throat, it's hot blood splashed over Squall. He barely managed to jump out the way before the beast crashed down into the mud of the training center with a great thud. Squall sat there panting, exhausted.
"Nice one Squall. I take it that means Seifer's staying." Squall turned to see Zell standing behind him.
Squall managed a weak smile, shrugging on his jacket. "Headmaster Cid said it was up to me."
"And you said yes?" Zell asked incredulously.
Squall shrugged as his face took on the blank expression of someone checking his junctions. "What else could I do? I said it was ok. Then Cid said he'd be transferred to Esthar Garden."
Zell whistled. "Seifer won't like that."
Squall linked with the last of his Guardians and picked up his gunblade, easily resting it on his shoulder now his strength was back to it's maximum. "I'm not too keen on the idea myself Zell."
***
Seifer strolled up the steps to Garden's entrance. Squall, Quistis and Cid stood at the top in dress uniform. Seifer stopped just in front of them. "Hello puberty boy. They got you here to carry my bags?"
"You'll show proper respect to your headmaster Seifer." Cid said, sternly.
Seifer stood for a moment, shocked, before yelling "This idiot? What the hell are you doing putting me under him?"
"If you don't like it Seifer, you don't have to re-enroll."
Seifer curled his mouth in disgust, but swallowed down his objections, giving a stiff nod of his head to Cid and Squall. "Headmaster. I take it I'm staying here for the time being then?"
Cid shook his head. "President Loire has kindly donated a temporary headquarters in the center of Esthar for us. The staff and students of the new Garden will be dropped off there."
Quistis came forward with a dark blue and purple uniform. "This is the new uniform for Esthar Garden Seifer. You'll wear this one I trust."
"Yeah sure, whatever" Seifer said, stuffing the uniform under his arm. "I'll see you later then." He strode off, his white trenchcoat trailing in the wind.
"He's going to be a problem." Squall muttered.
"I'm sure you can deal with it Squall." Cid said, patting him on the back. "I have every faith in you, headmaster."
Squall just grimaced.
