Cursed Hyperion (Ch. 1)
It made Squall Leonhart uneasy, every nerve in his body tense, telling him to destroy the accursed weapon that was once weilded by their enemy.
Hyperion had been found just outside of Balamb, laying on the ground looking much like a wounded animal, quite unlike the powerful gunblade that Seifer had once used to oppose them. The SeeD cadet who had found it had brought it back to Balamb Garden. Squall, not to mention Zell and a few others, wanted to destroy it, wanted to destroy all traces that would even remind them of Seifer Almasy. Quistis had a different idea, though. Somehow she had convinced Squall that it was only a weapon, a gunblade that another cadet could possibly use. There weren't many gunblades in the Garden that were of exceptional make, so Squall reluctantly agreed.
But there it was, taunting him. Taunting him like Seifer had once done. Even without its original wielder it looked ready to kill, ready to destroy. As he lifted it to place it on a shelf with other unused gunblades he found that it was decidedly heavier than his Lionheart. He had to lift the Lionheart with two hands. How did Seifer ever manage to fight single handedly with a much heavier weapon?
What had happened to Seifer? He wouldn't throw down Hyperion and leave it to be found by the common passerby. As protective as Seifer had been of that gunblade it seemed precious to him. Squall could remember that Seifer had once remarked that it was sacred, only to be touched by those deemed worthy. He guessed he'd know what happened to his rival once he turned up in the mud somewhere just like his gunblade had.
~ ~ ~
Two days later, the Garden's training area was in chaos. Irvine and Zell were doing their best to disperse the crowd as Squall pushed his way through to the center of the problem. A young SeeD cadet, Jeff Miles, was laying on the ground, his arm bleeding, the blood flowing from a large gash on his upper shoulder. Hyperion lay on the ground at the cadet's side. Jeff was about 13 or so, a gunblade specialist in training.
"What happened?" demanded Squall.
"I," Jeff winced from the pain, holding his hand over his left shoulder. "don't know. I guess it slipped."
"Be careful next time. Hyperion is a heavy blade. You have to remember that." Squall pointed at a nearby SeeD that had come to see what had happened. "You, take him to the infirmary."
"Yes, sir." The SeeD saluted. Squall stood up and watched as Jeff was lifted and carried off. Only after the young boy was off the ground did he notice that his shoulder wasn't the only thing bleeding. He could see blood seeping through his pants leg on his thigh. It didn't look like Hyperion merely slipped. It looked like it attacked him.
"I saw what happened!" A young first year SeeD suddenly said. She looked white faced and pale, her hands clasped together at chest level.
"Mary, you know about as much as the rest of us, so be quiet." The girl standing beside her pushed her on the shoulder. Mary looked like she was going to push back, the only thing holding her back was the Commander's presence.
"Then what happened?" Squall asked.
"Jeff was fighting a grat. The grat was killed alright, but for a moment it looked like the gunblade kept on fighting! Jeff looked like he tried to let go of it but he couldn't." told Mary.
Squall looked over at two of his fellow SeeDs, who had finally dispersed most of the crowd. "Irvine, Zell, did you two see anyting?"
"We ran over when we heard the commotion." said Irvine.
"What's up, Squall? You actually let a cadet use that bastard's gunblade?" Zell balled up his hands into fists as he spoke.
"It's only a weapon, Zell." Squall shrugged.
"Yeah, well I think somethin's up with that thing. Ain't right that it's around."
"I'm going to talk to the cadet about it." Squall picked up Hyperion from where it lay. Perhaps the fact that Seifer used to wield the weapon weighed just as heavy on everyone else as it did him. The only time anyone cared to even look at the gunblade was when their eyes accidentally shifted over in its direction. When their eyes met its shining blade, their eyes showed a hidden, unexposed fear of it.
As he walked to the infirmary, he guessed that any gunblade that carried Hyperion's history would have cause enough to still be feared and respected. Maybe it was something about the way Seifer used to use it. Hyperion would seem like it would come alive in his rival's hands, slashing through the monsters in the training area. The way Seifer made it look, him and Hyperion were one. One fatal being.
Before even half a day passed Hyperion was once again laying unused in a gunblade case, hidden away in one of the dustiest corners of the weapon storage room. After the incident the day before, Jeff was given a different model of gunblade and Hyperion was locked up.
~ ~ ~
It made Squall Leonhart uneasy, every nerve in his body tense, telling him to destroy the accursed weapon that was once weilded by their enemy.
Hyperion had been found just outside of Balamb, laying on the ground looking much like a wounded animal, quite unlike the powerful gunblade that Seifer had once used to oppose them. The SeeD cadet who had found it had brought it back to Balamb Garden. Squall, not to mention Zell and a few others, wanted to destroy it, wanted to destroy all traces that would even remind them of Seifer Almasy. Quistis had a different idea, though. Somehow she had convinced Squall that it was only a weapon, a gunblade that another cadet could possibly use. There weren't many gunblades in the Garden that were of exceptional make, so Squall reluctantly agreed.
But there it was, taunting him. Taunting him like Seifer had once done. Even without its original wielder it looked ready to kill, ready to destroy. As he lifted it to place it on a shelf with other unused gunblades he found that it was decidedly heavier than his Lionheart. He had to lift the Lionheart with two hands. How did Seifer ever manage to fight single handedly with a much heavier weapon?
What had happened to Seifer? He wouldn't throw down Hyperion and leave it to be found by the common passerby. As protective as Seifer had been of that gunblade it seemed precious to him. Squall could remember that Seifer had once remarked that it was sacred, only to be touched by those deemed worthy. He guessed he'd know what happened to his rival once he turned up in the mud somewhere just like his gunblade had.
~ ~ ~
Two days later, the Garden's training area was in chaos. Irvine and Zell were doing their best to disperse the crowd as Squall pushed his way through to the center of the problem. A young SeeD cadet, Jeff Miles, was laying on the ground, his arm bleeding, the blood flowing from a large gash on his upper shoulder. Hyperion lay on the ground at the cadet's side. Jeff was about 13 or so, a gunblade specialist in training.
"What happened?" demanded Squall.
"I," Jeff winced from the pain, holding his hand over his left shoulder. "don't know. I guess it slipped."
"Be careful next time. Hyperion is a heavy blade. You have to remember that." Squall pointed at a nearby SeeD that had come to see what had happened. "You, take him to the infirmary."
"Yes, sir." The SeeD saluted. Squall stood up and watched as Jeff was lifted and carried off. Only after the young boy was off the ground did he notice that his shoulder wasn't the only thing bleeding. He could see blood seeping through his pants leg on his thigh. It didn't look like Hyperion merely slipped. It looked like it attacked him.
"I saw what happened!" A young first year SeeD suddenly said. She looked white faced and pale, her hands clasped together at chest level.
"Mary, you know about as much as the rest of us, so be quiet." The girl standing beside her pushed her on the shoulder. Mary looked like she was going to push back, the only thing holding her back was the Commander's presence.
"Then what happened?" Squall asked.
"Jeff was fighting a grat. The grat was killed alright, but for a moment it looked like the gunblade kept on fighting! Jeff looked like he tried to let go of it but he couldn't." told Mary.
Squall looked over at two of his fellow SeeDs, who had finally dispersed most of the crowd. "Irvine, Zell, did you two see anyting?"
"We ran over when we heard the commotion." said Irvine.
"What's up, Squall? You actually let a cadet use that bastard's gunblade?" Zell balled up his hands into fists as he spoke.
"It's only a weapon, Zell." Squall shrugged.
"Yeah, well I think somethin's up with that thing. Ain't right that it's around."
"I'm going to talk to the cadet about it." Squall picked up Hyperion from where it lay. Perhaps the fact that Seifer used to wield the weapon weighed just as heavy on everyone else as it did him. The only time anyone cared to even look at the gunblade was when their eyes accidentally shifted over in its direction. When their eyes met its shining blade, their eyes showed a hidden, unexposed fear of it.
As he walked to the infirmary, he guessed that any gunblade that carried Hyperion's history would have cause enough to still be feared and respected. Maybe it was something about the way Seifer used to use it. Hyperion would seem like it would come alive in his rival's hands, slashing through the monsters in the training area. The way Seifer made it look, him and Hyperion were one. One fatal being.
Before even half a day passed Hyperion was once again laying unused in a gunblade case, hidden away in one of the dustiest corners of the weapon storage room. After the incident the day before, Jeff was given a different model of gunblade and Hyperion was locked up.
~ ~ ~