By NightsDawne
Chapter 10: Ragnarok
Irvine lurched backward on the ramp of the Ragnarok as the weight of the battered trunk he was holding one half of shifted. "Seifer! Watchit!"
"Did you have to bring so much stuff?" Seifer got his grip again and started forward.
"You expected me ta just leave my whole life behind? Besides, it ain't all that much."
"It's all heavy. Why the hell do you have to have your own bowling ball? Bowling isn't a sport where you can grab girls' asses for points."
"You ever sat at a score table watchin' girls do that cute little waggle up ta the lane and stick their asses out for the release?"
Seifer paused as he maneuvered the trunk through the entryway. "...You have a point. Can I borrow your bowling ball?"
"Why, you thinkin' of askin' that someone bowlin'?" Irvine grinned as he dropped his side of the trunk.
"Maybe." Seifer eased his half down and sat down on the trunk. "So this is the Ragnarok, Squall's famous ship."
Irvine plopped down next to him. "Well, ain't like it belongs ta him personal. Esthar owned it, but President Loire gave it ta the Garden outa gratitude. Squall can barely fly the thing. Sefie's the one who uses it mostly."
Seifer raised a brow. "Our lives are going to be resting on the flying skills of a girl who can't walk and chew gum at the same time?"
Irvine laughed. "She ain't bad at it. 'Sides, it's a kick and a half flyin' with her." He looked up as Quistis walked down the narrow hallway.
"Alright, you two, get this stowed somewhere besides the main walkway. We're taking off."
"Yessir, ma'am." Seifer mockingly saluted as he and Irvine got up to move the trunk into a cargo hold.
Quistis clenched her teeth. "Seifer, I'm warning you. I'm not putting up with it this time. My job is to turn you both into responsible, orderly, disciplined SeeDs and I'll be damned if I'm going to watch you blow it again."
Irvine stepped out of the way of the retracting ramp as the hatch closed. "He ain't gonna blow it, Quisty."
"Oh, really, Irvine? And what assurance do you have of that?"
Irvine grinned, brushing against her as he passed on his way to the cockpit. "I bet him a hundred gil I'd graduate before he did."
"And you're going to lose that bet. Excuse me, Instructor." Seifer strode past Quistis, who wore an expression of mixed frustration and resignation.
Irvine gave a brief tour as he walked, waving his hand lazily to indicate directions. "That's the conference room through there. Main cargo hold is below decks, along with the medical bay and the supply room. Got bunks in these two rooms and that's the galley."
"Pretty tight. I could get used to this. Go anywhere you want and just take home with you." Seifer ducked under a low doorway. "Even if it is a bit cramped."
"It's better in the cockpit. Can see everything." Irvine grabbed for the wall as the ship rose suddenly with a roar of takeoff jets.
"You sure Selphie knows how to fly this thing?" Seifer had to raise his voice to be heard over the jets.
"Yeah, she's great!" Irvine grinned and opened the cockpit hatch, swinging himself inside. "Sefie!"
Selphie looked up from the controls with a frown. "I should hate you, Irvy Kinniepoo, walking out on us like that! But, I can't, so have a seat." She turned on her sunshine smile, switching over to flight controls as the engines cut to a softer cruising sound.
"Yahoo!" Irvine jumped over the back of the co-pilot's seat and leaned forward to see out the window. "C'mere, Seifer, you gotta see this view!"
Seifer leaned forward. "Gotta admit, it's pretty awesome."
Selphie eased back the yoke, the ship inclining to get to a higher altitude, then levelling out. "So, Seifer, you're coming back, huh? I take it Irvy took you to the orphanage?"
Seifer nodded, watching her pilot. "Yeah. Strange, thinking we'd forget knowing each other. You still involved in all those committees?"
Selphie grinned. "Yup! And still looking for students interested in involvement. I'm the advisor for the Festival Committee now, so if you want to sign up, just let me know."
"Yeah, I'll sign up."
Irvine spun in his seat. "What? You're gonna be on the Festival Committee, Seifer?"
"Why not?" Seifer looked at Selphie, then out the window. Irvine leaned back, wondering, recalling Seifer's perfect girl, which sounded a lot like a description of the petite bundle of sunshine Selphie.
"I'm fully expecting you to sign up, too, Irvy," chirped Selphie. "We've got a lot of work to do for the Spring Ball."
Irvine sighed. "Do I gotta?"
"There's girls on the committee." Selphie peeked sideways at Irvine, noting the magic effect of her words.
"Where do I sign and when do we get started?"
"BOOYA!" Selphie bounced out of her seat to give Irvine a hug. "I knew I could count on you. We're going to have so much fun."
"The ship, Selphie," warned Seifer. "Fly the ship."
"Oh, right." Selphie resumed her seat, righting the Ragnarok from the gentle turn it was drifting into.
"Aren't ya gonna give Seifer a hug, too?" Irvine cast a grin to Seifer, who narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
"Don't distract her, Irvine."
Selphie giggled. "I'll save it for after we land, okay?"
"Maybe." Seifer turned away, but not before Irvine caught him smiling.
Quistis opened the cockpit door. "There's a whole ship here. Why does everyone have to be in the cockpit?"
"It's more cozy," said Irvine, turning halfway around. "Y'know, it's even cozier on my lap."
"Good for your lap," commented Quistis drily. "We've got new orders, Selphie. Pick up Fujin and Raijin at Fisherman's Horizon, then return to Esthar."
"Return?" Selphie looked up. "Why?"
Quistis pursed her lips. "SeeD's assistance has been hired there. Galbadia has attacked."
"Why would they start up the war again?" Seifer looked across the conference room to Irvine, who was drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair. Fujin and Raijin remained quiet, still absorbing the information from the briefing.
"Irvine is our resident expert on Galbadia." Quistis leaned against the map that displayed the Galbadian continent. "Do you know anything about this group, the Red SeeD?"
Irvine nodded grimly. "Martine and Caraway. Was their elite group. Not official Garden SeeD, not regular Galbadian Army, either. Loyal ta them."
"So Rinoa's father is behind this?" Seifer leaned forward.
"Yeah. Caraway sorta assumed the job of president-for-life after the sorceress left, and he ain't never forgiven Esthar for the last war."
"Generals make lousy politicians." Quistis sighed. "If the Red SeeD is there, the entire Galbadian army can't be far behind. How good are these guys, Irvine?"
Irvine resumed his drumming. "Good. All of them top fighters trained in at least two weapons, plus magic. They'd make Balamb Garden's training center look like a stroll through a sandbox."
"Strength?"
"They've been buildin' up for five, six years. Maybe a couple hundred. At least as many as Black and White SeeD put together. And they ain't kids, they're veterans." Irvine lit up a cigarette.
Raijin raised his hand hesitantly as if he were in class. Quistis looked over at him and nodded. "Instructor Trepe, if they've already taken over the missile base and the space center, how are we gonna do anything about it, ya know? I mean, we're gonna be kinda on the outnumbered side, ya know, especially if the army comes in, too."
"Shit." Seifer looked disappointed in his friend. "Rai, don't act like a chicken, okay? Balamb Garden will get here when they can and take over. We're just the first force. Recon. We're not taking on the Galbadian Army by ourselves."
"Exactly," agreed Quistis. "We're to find the Red SeeD forces and watch their movements in preparation for our regular forces making landing in the capitol." She looked at Seifer pointedly. "I don't want any heroics. Let's just do our job."
"READY!" Fujin tilted her chin up, flipping her bladed ring to her hand, her one good eye steely. "TEAM!"
"You betcha, Fuu, we're a team, ya know." Raijin smiled, patting his double bladed naginata. "Okay, Instructor, you can count on us."
Irvine cocked his rifle. "Piece of cake."
Quistis smiled solemnly. "Seifer?"
Seifer tossed his gunblade up, the black blade reflecting the light dully as he caught it again, dropping it to rest against his shoulder. "All for one and one for all. Let's ride."
Quistis nodded. "Good. Dismissed. Be ready to land in ten minutes."
Irvine shot Seifer a quick grin as they stood. It was going to be nice, fighting on the same side as his friend. Seifer grinned back, reaching for Irvine's cigarrette just as a loud bang rocked the ship, knocking everyone off their feet. Irvine slid along the floor of the conference room, colliding with Quistis. He grabbed her waist as the ship nosed downward, engines silent. The only noises were shouts of alarm and crashing equipment. Irvine swallowed hard as he saw a projector dangling only by its cord above his and Quistis's heads. He threw himself over Quistis protectively as it broke loose, slamming into his shoulder.
"Sorry, everyone!" Selphie's voice sounded strained over the intercom. "We got hit by a missile. We're going down."
