Secrets of the Future
Morn of Understanding
"So, you see the problem, sir. We could use it on Galbadia… but we are not sure of the force of this weapon, or what it does."
"Time is running out, Smith. I can't just be told it might do this, or could do that. I need results, and I need them now. The situation is getting critical, and even with SeeD on our side we're going to lose. We need to use this."
"…Yes, sir."
Griever whined and pulled at the leash that encumbered him. The spunky mix breed, reckless son of the famous Angelo, gave a soft whimper, wondering where everyone was. The sharp, slitting sounds had tormented his sharp ears for hours, and the ringing noise was twice as apparent in the much too silent area. Where bright halls and merry voices had called out a mere day before, now there were only stacks of rubble and half-melted objects. And nothing, to Griever's supreme disappointment, smelled faintly like food. He tugged at the rope once again, and its frayed length gave way with a sharp snap. Red tongue lolled out in pleasure as he trotted away from one of the few places miraculously untouched by the blast. Now, to find that owner of his. He so hated whenever she was sent away, but whenever she came back, she always brought treats. He hoped that she would come back soon, he was hungry. And those noises were scary! The mix broke into a run into the barren, empty world, searching for his lost one, his Ananda. Charred soil flowed strangely under his rough paw pads, and the acid, radioactive air, stronger now than before the blast, begin irritating his sensitive nose. He stumbled, finely shaped head drooping. Maybe… after a rest. The son of the renowned Sorceress's dog slowly collapsed, closing his eyes in sleep.
Alex retreated into the barn, partly to catch up on some of his well-backed up chores, and partly to get away from the whispers and giggles of the townsfolk. 'Did you hear? Alex actually left his farm! To visit that girl no less!' They had the wrong idea there. He simply had a common interest, same as all of them, on how someone just dropped out of the sky, speaking of strange stories and places. It was this that interested him; he who could not travel, which was worse as he was the one whom had set his heart on it. The lanky blonde glared down at his inoperable leg, green eyes filled with self-disgust. Maybe that's what he wanted. Someone who did not know his past, and so could not judge. With a sigh, he turned around again, heading down the road to the hospital.
Ananda Leonhart was a qualified level 15 SeeD, very efficient in weapons and doctoring. She could tell you the best form of attack for fighting anything for Glacial Eyes to Hexdragons, any color that you chose. The first and second place time records for setting broken bones was hers, and you had to search to find a medical problem she knew little about.
Doctoring and weapons did not prepare her at all for what she had been thrust into, not with the scars of the bombing fresh on her mind.
It had been Esthar's fault, really. They had discovered ancient documents from thousands of years ago, back when space travel was nearly unheard of and people still thought that galaxies were in spiral or cloud shape. Their weapon technology was far too advanced for their time however, which greatly interested the technology source of the world. The power was described as 'Nucellular'- there were documents that had called it 'Nuclear', which made the scientists flustered and wondered how a race that was mostly advanced would name technology after one of the most profane swear words. Perhaps it was just as well that is was named that, maybe it was a warning… but too late. That world was dead. Even her self control had a hard time coping with the burning pain that still ravaged her mind, and the thought that millions had died- her friends, family, everyone. Well, except for the people in this one small village. Even if they had no clue what SeeD was, wasn't aware of any bombing, and had never even heard of Ultimecia.
With a soft sigh, the black haired girl swung her legs over the sides of the hospital bed, waiting. The prepared and normal active warrior was being driven crazy by doing nothing, nothing all day. Despite her arguments that she was at least physically fine, the doctor still insisted on doing experiments on her, with old-fashioned instruments at that. Being taught to always respect orders, she relented dutifully. The only respite from her stay was the amount of visitors. It seemed that not many newcomers visited the town in the wartime, one of them had commented. Ananda, seeing who her famous father was, was not much of a 'social butterfly', but fame and inherited looks had made sure she was always inside at least a decent sized crowd, and seeing faces that looked so like her old friends put her at slight ease. That would be the reason why she wasn't surprised in the least as another figure made his way slowly down the hall towards her room.
Being for the first time in days alert and fully conscious, she took a moment to look over her visitor. Almost classic farmer's build, with a frame that, to her mind, was much too tall. It had always been jokingly rumored that she had her Godmother Selphie's blood in her somewhere that accounted to her slightly-shorter-than-average size. He had short-cropped blonde hair and startlingly bright green eyes, along with a world weary expression that added up to give her chills of familiarity, though she could not quite place why.
~"Daddy? Who is that?" Slender child hands pick up an old and faded photograph, flipping it around to show to her father.
The dark haired man turns from the window view he had been staring absently out, awaken from his thoughts by his daughter's voice. Blue eyes that match his daughter's move down to the picture, fading in remembrance. "An old… acquaintance of mine. I haven't seen him in years…"
"Why, daddy?"~
He looked slightly startled to see her awake, but that expression was quickly faded into a questioning glare. Ah, one of those. She had been regarded by many of the 'old souls' of the village with hostility and un-want; they saw her only as a foreign object with possibly the hint of a threat. Being in SeeD, she had seen quite enough of this to not let it bother her any more. This was different, however- she had seen him before, while the others she only had glimpses of. "Have you been here before?"
The blonde crowned man nodded slowly. "Yes, I don't think we've been introduced, though. I'm Alex." He made a small movement, almost what you would call a bow. One of the old romantic types, probably. She inclined her head in the best response she could sitting down, which brought a guarded, but curious look to his eyes. "I'm Ananda."
~The uniform clad man sighs, rubbing his world-renowned scar. "We weren't exactly friends… Where did you find that picture, anyway?"
The little girl shrugs in childlike mystery. "In the box, in the storage room. With this really adel sword. It's not as nice as yours, though." Bright eyes shine with simple admiration.
Commander Leonhart lets out a sigh at the slang, muttering, "Must remember to keep her away from those gatemen…" then turns his attention to her comment. "So… Hyperion has been found…" Eyes become lost in thought again for a moment. The child doesn't comment, knowing the thoughts that often overtook her dad would soon pass.
Frowns suddenly. "What were you doing in the storage room?"
She giggles. "Looking! Gotta go, daddy!" Runs over and gives him a hug, reducing his glare into a rather goofy smile, then dashes out of the room.
Shakes his head and turns back to the window. "It's been awhile… Seifer…"~
The man shifted to one side, placing a hand on his hip confidently. She had spotted him limping slightly on the leg before, and took a moment to regard it with medical-experienced eyes. He noticed her stare and changed his to a glare. "What are you looking at?"
She glanced up, realizing she had been staring. Instead of blushing embarrassingly or even turning it into a flirting situation like most teens would, she pasted her father's example onto her fine features. "You. Got a problem with it?" So she had managed to turn it into a flirtatious remark, after all.
He smirked.
~She hovers outside the door with no intent of leaving. Her father often mumbled to himself while thinking, and she wanted to know who exactly this man was. Large eyes glanced down at the photo. The figure in subject was wearing a long gray coat with red lines down the arms. He was smirking for some reason, and looked like he would be the kind of person her mom said sad was 'full of himself'. Now that she was looking, she could see a long scar, much like the one her father had, down the side of his nose. 'Seifer', her father had said.~
She jerked suddenly, looking at him with new eyes. "It's you."
The man raised a brow in question. "Yes, it is."
"No… the one my father said… Sei- oh. That's right."
Shook his head, bemused, still smirking. "I think you must've hit your head on that fall."
A voice behind him spoke up. "She did. Now, Alex, I need to ask you to leave. My patient needs her rest."
She sighed and threw up her hands. "I'm fine."
Nods to the doctor, ignoring this girl whom had more sides then he had thought. "I should be getting back anyway, chores." Raises his eyes in contempt.
~"So long ago… Seifer… Seifer-"~
"Wait!" Ananda called out. He turned back his head for a moment. "What… what's your last name?"
He gave her a slightly puzzled look. "Why do you want to know?"
The raven-haired girl decided to follow up on his previous reference. "It isn't right to inform a lady of your first name and not your second."
Alex raised his eyes again.
~"Seifer-"~
"Almasy."