Final Fantasy 8: After the Storm
A/N- I'm SO sorry this took so long. I got a bit distracted, what with it being summer and everything. ^_^ Won't happen again, I promise. The next few chapters will come by in a blur. Read on! * snicker *
-SB
Chapter Two: There is a Legend
The blinding stage lights made it hard for Brook to see into the audience, but it didn't matter. Dancing took up all her concentration anyways. Nervously, she tugged on the hem of her long blue gown, and glanced up at the clock, waiting for her turn to go onstage. The other girls seemed just as nervous, and they flitted around like sparkly, gauze-winged butterflies, giggling and chattering to pass the time. "Attention!" came the call, and instantly all the girls scampered to form a straight line, quieting instantly. Brook joined them, standing shyly near the back.
"Now darlings," the instructor began, pacing back and forth, his long nose twitching as he spoke. "In this performance, I want you to float like the little fairies that you are. Understood? I care not that this is only a dress rehearsal. You shall be magical sprites! Understood?!"
"Yes, Mr. Lavine," all the girls echoed as one.
"Good." Mr. Lavine clapped his hands sharply in front of him, stretching to his full height. "Now as you know, Debri has met with a tragic accident, and with a broken foot, she cannot float like you other sweetlings. So in this dress rehearsal, I shall decide who shall take her place as the fairy queen. Understood?"
No one voiced their consent, as all were whispering and giggling excitedly, ignoring the teacher. All but Brook, who stood wide-eyed in the back, quietly waiting for Mr. Lavine to finish. He smiled widely at her, and gave her a wink, and Brook flushed.
"Now angels!" Mr. Lavine barked. "You are not listening! Please be docile little fawns like Ms. Leonhart! Follow her example!"
Instantly, 19 eyes turned to glare at her, and Brook felt like hiding under the floorboards in embarrassment. She looked away, silently seething. Docile little fawn?!
"Alright, you have five minutes to warm up, then onstage you go! You are excited, no?" Mr. Lavine grinned.
"Yes, Mr. Lavine!" the ballerinas chirped.
"Excellent! Excellent! Then I shall see you onstage! Au revoir, my little darlings!" the eccentric teacher cried, and disappeared through a door.
The dance class was instantly in chaos again. Brook crept back into the shadows, watching as the other girls laughed and chattered, each one sure that they would take Debri's place as the fairy queen. "Hey Leonhart!" an urgent voice whispered from behind her, and Brook spun around, face to face with Bria Tilmitt. Bria smiled, pushing an auburn strand of hair away from her pixie face.
"Bria!" Brook gasped, and looked around quickly to make sure no one else was watching, and then grabbed her best friend's arm, dragging her into a corner. "You aren't allowed back here!" she hissed. Bria shrugged nonchalantly.
"So what? No one was stopping me. 'Sides, I gotta tell you something! You will not believe what happened this morning!" Bria hopped breathlessly from one foot to another, her bright green eyes sparkling. Brook shook her head, adjusting her tiara.
"Bri, I can't talk right now. I gotta warm up before I dance. Can't you tell me later?"
"No! C'mon Brook, I-…" Bria glanced over the other girl's shoulder, and frowned. "Oh great. Here comes Ryssa."
A petite girl with golden curls had broken free of the other girls, and was walking towards them, a Cheshire cat smile on her round face. She stopped in front of them, and brushed down her pink skirt, then casually tossed a curl over her shoulder, turning to Brook. "I just thought I should tell you that you shouldn't even bother thinking about being the fairy queen. The rest of the group has decided that it's going to be me."
Brook looked down at her feet, but Bria's eyes were blazing. "Shut up, Ryssa! You can get the whole studio on your side, but Brook will still be the better dancer! Brook floats! You flop!" the redhead snapped, her arms crossed over her green tank top defiantly.
"Bria, you're embarrassing me," Brook muttered, pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear in a gesture of mortification, her pale face slowly turning crimson. Bria shrugged off her friend's comment.
"C'mon Brook, you gotta stand up for yourself! Don't let Ryssa tell you that she's better than you!" Bria declared. "Go on, tell her!"
Ryssa's sapphire eyes were flashing angrily. "I AM the better dancer! And you have no right to tell me I'm not, Bria Tilmitt! You don't even have a dad!"
Instantly, the entire studio was silent. Ryssa had just crossed the line into the unforgivable, and all eyes were on her. Tears filled Bria's eyes, but she stuck out her chin. "Go on, Ryssa."
No one had ever accused Ryssa of being smart, so she continued. "Do you know what people say about you? You're a bastard. Your dad was a drunk that fooled around with your mom, and then moved on. You're nothing." The slap came as a shock to Ryssa, and her eyes watered as she held her hand to her stinging face. Bria turned to Brook, tears running down her cheek.
"Don't let her get away with that, Brook. Dance your best for me," she muttered, and then walked away. Brook watched her best friend go in astonishment. What had at first been nothing more than a dress rehearsal had just turned into a deadly contest of pride.
"Girls! Onstage now!" Mr. Lavine called from the doorway, and quietly all the ballerinas left the room. Only Brook and Ryssa remained, and the tall instructor walked towards them, and bent down to their height, smiling kindly. "Ah, my best students. I hope there's no rivalry between you two?" The girls glanced at each other, and then shook their heads, fake smiles plastered on their faces.
"Good," Mr. Lavine continued. "Because if there was, I should be most displeased. Now get onstage! Shoo!"
Glaring at Brook, Ryssa stalked off, her hand still covering her red cheek. Brook scampered after her, her steps filled with a new determination. She would dance her best today. She would get the part of the fairy queen, and Bria would be happy again. That was all she thought about as the music started, and she began to dance.
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Bria was running. She didn't know where, and it didn't matter. But in a few seconds she was down the hill and beyond the studio, far back in the woods. Tears blurred her vision, and her slender frame was racked with sobs of hurt and anger as she ran on, ignoring the scraping branches that cut into her bare arms and legs. Finally she collapsed against a tree trunk with a shuddering sigh, and sank to the ground, drawing her knees to her chest. All around her, golden sunlight filtered through a leafy canopy of green, and the forest floor seemed dotted with puddles of warm sunshine. Birds called out to each other, spiraling through the sky, and a gray squirrel jumped from one tree to another. But all Bria could focus on was the dull emptiness she felt inside.
It had never bothered her that she had no father until now. She hadn't even really noticed. After all, her entire life she had been in the center of a circle of close friends. Her uncles, Seifer, Squall, and Zell, and her aunts, Quistis, Mirae, and Rinoa, had always made sure she knew that she was loved, and invited her on many family outings. She had never considered herself an only child, or her mom a single mother. They were part of one huge family, and over the years the boundaries had been so worn down that there really was no line between one true family and the next. They were all one and the same. But the way Ryssa had said that, as if it was wrong to not have a father…that had truly shocked Bria to the core.
Brushing her tears away, she reached into her shorts pocket, and came up with a photo. The picture was a little worn and yellow at the edges, but the little girl smoothed out the ends, and peered at it. Her father and mother sat together, smiling happily, totally in love. She wore his cowboy hat, and he had his arm around her, pulling her close in a tight embrace. Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt. What had happened to pull two people so close apart? Had her father really been a drunkard? She couldn't bring herself to believe that. It had to have been something more serious. And Bria was determined to find out.
Standing up, she pulled her hand through her tangled auburn hair, and shoved the picture back in her pocket. Her mind was made up. "I do have a dad," she said to the wind, the sky, the forest…whoever would listen. "I have a dad. And I'm going to find him."
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As soon as Quistis woke up, she knew something was wrong. The whole world was spinning about her, and she bolted from bed, dashed to the bathroom, and threw up. When there was a knock on the door, she ignored it, and collapsed against the wall, curling up on the ground.
"Quisty? Hey, answer me! Are you okay?" Seifer's voice seemed full of concern, so Quistis sighed and tried to answer.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You'd better get going if you want to make the train to Timber." Her voice was hoarse, and she pushed a limp strand of blonde hair away from her face.
"Look, you know if you're sick I'm not gonna leave ya. So I'll just tell Skylar that the trip is off-,"
"No!" Quistis stood up shakily, and turned on the sink, splashing water on her face. "I'm alright. Really. You and Skylar have a good time. I'm feeling fine now."
She could hear Seifer slump against the door, and there was silence for a while, then he sighed. "Fine. But if you're feeling bad again, call Selphie to take you to the doctor. You hear me?"
Quistis smiled weakly, and turned the sink off, wiping her face with a towel. "I will. Now go away."
Her husband chuckled, and she heard his footsteps down the hallway. Relaxing, Quistis took a cell phone out from the bathroom cabinet, and dialed a number. "Selphie? Yeah, hi. Listen, could you do me a favor? Right. I need a ride to the doctor. Right away."
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Darkness. It was everywhere, all around him. Enveloping him in cold, tangible shadows of…black. Endless. And he was screaming. It echoed in his ears as he fell faster and faster, desperately trying to grab hold of something. And finding her.
"Don't expect me to help you
when you need it, Irvy. I've all but
given up on you."
Her words were soft, gentle like
the tickling of a feather, yet strangely cold. When had she become so alien? When had she stopped loving him? He reached out for her, longing to touch her skin, feel the silk of her
hair, the delicious friction as their two bodies met as one. Found nothing but empty air.
She laughed lightly, dancing
just out of his reach, her eyes sparkling like dusky emeralds. A flash of blinding light, searing pain…
Oh Hyne. That night. He was there again. Saw it all
over again, was forced to remember just what he had done to her to make her
cry. Sefie… No…
"Why are you doing this to me,
Irvy?" Her voice vibrated with held-in
emotion, and she touched his arm with a small hand, peering up into his
face. A sunflower, still. Curious.
Innocence, so pure and tender…
"Fuck it, Sefie. I just can't take it anymore. Leave me alone." He brushed her hand away angrily, facing the opposite direction.
Drops of honey to my lips…
She moved to stand in front of
him, adjusting the hem of her yellow sundress almost nervously. Her light floral perfume invaded his senses,
and he backed away from her, eyes narrowing in something very akin to
hate. Drunk, of course. Too damn drunk to be thinking
rationally.
"Dammit, will ya leave me alone
already! What the hell is wrong with
you?"
Selphie raised an eyebrow but
said nothing. Her silence spoke for
itself. The room seemed to shimmer, and
the next few seconds were a blur of color and screams. His hand lashed out, hitting her across the
face. He dimly saw her fly across the
room and land with a sickening crack against the wall, crumbling to the ground
like a broken doll. His hand ached, and
the tears came again. Screaming… Hyne…
"I thought you loved me…"
Fragile wings broken by strong gloved hands, a little butterfly crushed by the
butt of a rifle. Love is such an
ephemeral thing…
Momentary…yet endless…
He awoke with tears streaming down his face.
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"Okay guys, remember what I taught ya, and have a great rest of your Saturday! Class dismissed!"
The junior classmen piled out of the classroom, laughing and joking, and Selphie watched them with a faint smile. Hyne knows it wasn't easy getting up on a Saturday morning, but these kids took it all in stride with the cheerful attitude taught them by their Instructor.
Shuffling her papers, the petite woman made a halfhearted attempt at organizing the ever-present piles of paper cluttering her desk, then chuckled and gave up. It was her desk, anyways. Why change anything when she was perfectly happy the way it was? And she was. Perfectly happy. She didn't need anyone, contrary to the popular belief of her fellow Instructors. She was an independent woman, a-
A muffled snore caught her off balance, and Selphie turned around quickly, then rolled her eyes, a smile of amusement on her face. Niles Tek, one of her newest pupils, lay curled up behind his control panel fast asleep, his chubby face half hidden by his huge wool sweater.
Shaking her head, Selphie crossed the room, her black boots clicking along the tile floor, and tousled the boy's sandy blonde hair. "Gee, Niles! Did my class bore you that much?"
Niles shot up from his bench, a blush reddening his cheeks. "N-n-n-no, Instructor Tilmitt!" he stammered.
"Hey hey hey!" she laughed. "Its no big deal. Okay?" Her face became serious, and she sat on the bench beside him. "Look, Niles. You're new, so you haven't gotten the schedule yet. I understand that. Y'know, in Trabia they start three hours later than here! I was always missing first period when I transferred to Balamb." Selphie wrapped an arm about the little boy, smiling genuinely, and Niles relaxed a bit. "So like… I don't mind you sleeping in my class. I'm pretty lax about things like that. But after the bell rings, I expect you to leave, okay?"
Niles grinned. "Okay, Instructor Tilmitt. Sorry."
Selphie pinched his cheek, her eyes sparkling. "Keep that smile on your face, kid. I'm sending you to the infirmary next time so you can catch up on your sleep. Dr. K won't mind. Now get."
Beaming, the boy slid off the bench, grabbed his bag, and ran out the door. "Bye, Instructor Tilmitt! Have a nice weekend!" he yelled over his shoulder, and Selphie waved to him as he disappeared down the hallway.
Smiling to herself, Selphie stood up. Niles would be a useful addition to Garden. Such a nice boy. Humming absently, she glanced at her watch. 11:30 a.m. She had just enough time to race to her flat on the third floor, grab her car keys, and drive down to Balamb to pick Bria up for lunch. It would be a wonderful surprise. Bria must have gotten bored of the dance rehearsal by now. Pulling down the hem of her Instructor's uniform, Selphie picked up her notebook, holding it tightly to her chest, and walked out the door, head held high.
As she walked down the hallway towards the
elevator, a tall figure caught her eye, and Selphie's heart sank. That would be Instructor Darien Black
waiting for her. Oh, he would never
admit that he was waiting, of course. But Selphie knew he was. Taking
a deep breath, she clutched her notebook tighter to her chest, and hurried
past.
Please don't talk to me; please
don't talk to me, please don't-
"Selphie!"
Shit.
Slowly, Selphie turned around as Darien walked towards her casually, a smirk on his rugged face. She knew that walk. She knew that look. It reminded her of someone else, long ago. Inwardly, she shivered.
Darien was a very tall man. Tall, and elegant. He held himself well, with honor and poise. And he had every reason to. Many years before, he had been a general alongside Caraway in the Second Sorceress War. A respectable gentleman and amazing swordsman, many girls fawned over him. Selphie was not one of them. Something about him repelled her. That, and the fact that he was old enough to be her father.
What would Quistis do? Gathering her confidence, Selphie did her best to look him straight in the eye. "Instructor Black," she said coolly, "I would prefer if you stuck to my last name. After all, our relationship is purely professional."
The man laughed coarsely, tossing his long, gray streaked black hair behind one shoulder. "My dear girl. Jumpy today, aren't we? What on earth would I want with a young thing like you?" He raised an eyebrow, his mouth quivering in a mocking smile.
Selphie blushed. Real good, Selph. Real good. Lets just face it. When it comes to understanding men, you suck. "I ah…um…" His comment had shaken her confidence, and her words came out in a stammered rush. "Whatexactlydoyouwant,DarienBlack?Noofenseroranything,butlikeIgottapickmydaughterupsoifyoucouldjustgettothepoint…" She tapped the soles of her boots in a nervous habit, too embarrassed to meet his eye.
Darien nodded understandingly. "Of course. The pressure of being a single mother. I feel for you, my dear. I may as well get on with it. You asked what I want," he began, moving closer. Instinctively, Selphie took a step back, which made him chuckle. "I want nothing more than your company, Instructor Tilmitt. I'm getting older, and a man my age is rather lonely. So perhaps if we had tea one day?"
"Tea?" Selphie almost laughed in relief. So that's why he had been watching her all these weeks! And to think, he hadn't gotten up the nerve to ask until now. Just like a schoolboy! "Okay, sure! Whenever. Gimme a call. Now I seriously gotta go!" Without waiting for his response, she ran onto the elevator and closed the door.
Darien watched the lift go up, smiling coldly. "Nothing more innocent than tea, my dear." Twirling his saber, he walked away.
