That was some years ago. My arrival at Balamb-Garden.
I became one of them. One of the famous group of people who saved the world.
You all know the story, which followed. The history books surely told you.
There's just one fact they always leave out. It wasn't only this little
group. They just did the important part. The dirty works was ours. From
freeing the cities of the Galbadian Soldiers control to restoring the new
peace. It was our work, not theirs. They 'just' hunted the main evil down.
But first, a few facts about me. I was seventeen when I became a SeeD. My
roommate didn't graduate with me, but we remained roommates, because of the
lack of rooms in Galbadia-Garden. At his exam I was the SeeD on his team.
Seventeen. That was ten years ago. Ten years ago I became a SeeD. My exam
was to invade a harbour and take it over.
It wasn't easy.
My part was to invade the main building and destroy the defence of our
enemies. I was injured. My partner was dead. Our SeeD died in the hospital
at the garden after saving my life at the harbour. He pushed me out of the
way of some bullets. He was shot and we helped each other to the ship waiting for us.
~ Start flashback ~
"Come on!" he shouted at me: "Two steps left and we're home."
"Yeah, I know!" I shouted back: "But I'm not deaf, I only got some bullets
in my hip, you know?"
"Oh!" he laughed: "Than you can walk without me, can't you?"
With a last evil grin he collapsed into the arms of the waiting nurses and
pushed me away.
"Asshole!" I teased him, standing upright before collapsing, too: "I'll kick
your ass, when this is over, Tora."
"Shut the fuck up!", he groaned and than was knocked out by an
injection.
He never woke up again. I honour his memory. He was my mentor and a dear
friend. Almost like a big brother. Dr. Immen informed me right after my
awakening from the surgery. I was down.
"Hey, buddy!", my best friend sat down beside my bed: "You'll have a scary
scar on your hip, you know."
"Yeah, whatever!", I sighed and looked away.
"Are you okay?", he asked, going into his serious mode: "You can talk to me,
you know?".
I didn't answer him.
"You're scaring me, Draco!", he stood up and removed his coat and hat. He
only did this when he was very worried. Than he sat down next to my left
side on the bed and remained silent.
After some minutes, he took my hand and just held it. He didn't squeeze it,
or stroke it, he just held it. That was his way to tell me he was there.
"Tora... is dead...", I whispered and I felt him tremble.
"I didn't know.", he whispered back.
"He rescued me...", I tried to explain, but Irvine shook his head.
"Don't go on this guilt trip again!", he spoke loud and with a serious tone
of voice: "He... Tora was a SeeD. And Tora was on duty for your team. You
know what this meant?"
I nodded. It meant that it was his job to make sure that we did our job and
that we were safe. But even then he didn't had to...
"No!", Irvine got up and let go of my hand, than he leaned over me and spoke
loud: "I know, what you think."
I was startled.
"You think, that Tora hadn't have to die.", he was silent for awhile: "He
was my friend, too. Remember!?"
I nodded.
"So, say it.", he insisted: "You're a SeeD now, too. You know what this means?"
I nodded again.
"Than say it.", he shouted at me: "Say it and understand!"
~ End flashback ~
And I said it. I was true. Tora gave his life for me, but I lost a friend.
They prepare you for everything... really everything.
But when it happens, it's hard... never mind what they say... it's hard to
loose a friend. But I was alive and I intended in keeping his memory alive.
Today, seven years later, I'm still in a Garden, Balamb-Garden to be
specific. I'm now a trainer and teacher, a job that isn't as bad as I
thought it might be. In the past I never wanted to teach. Oh God, think of
the kids and teens. Most of them wanted to be cool. But some of them wanted
only something steady in their life. I don't know what I wanted.
Perhaps the thrill of facing death in each fight? I needed adrenaline in my blood.
One of my partners at the martial arts classes said he loved the uniforms
we'll get as SeeDs. The uniforms... No, that was definitely not a reason to
become a SeeD.
I should inform you, that not all of our friends are here anymore.
Rinoa took of to an island for studying the nature of magic. She built a
village around her laboratory. She visits us every now and then.
Mostly, it's for one of our big celebration parties that are very famous.
Her knight, Squall stays with her most of the time. But he's a SeeD, too and
so he attends many missions. He's still Squall, but he warmed up with us. He
even jokes around now and than. If you have luck... bad luck to be fair...
and you catch him with Zell in one of his joking moods, you can be sure,
they get you in trouble. Believe it, it happened to me two times last year.
That brings us to Zell. Believe it, or not. He's married. The lucky woman is
Xu. Xu now is the second in command of our Garden. Zell himself is a
part-time combat-teacher here. Most of his time he's on mission with Squall
and the others.
Quistis Trepe. She was killed on a mission three years ago. It was an
accident. She was tired of teaching and wanted a to be a real SeeD. She was
killed in a car accident. What a way to die for a SeeD and for a hero!
The whole Garden was in shock. But the most shaken was her family. She was
married and mother to a two-year-old daughter.
Irvine is still my best buddy, but he is back at the Galbadia-Garden. We
meet every week for some shooting fun. He's still with Selphie.
Our little Selphie has grown up. She's now a beautiful woman. She took the
job of a counsellor of Galbadia-Garden and is the one who handles messages
between the 3 Gardens. And she throws the best parties. God, was I wasted
after the last one...
And last but not least, there is Seifer Almasy. He's a SeeD now, too. The
situation between him and Squall is nearly the same like ever. They argue,
they fight and they talk. Okay the last is new, but they do. Not much, but
it's a beginning. Seifer's follower Fûjin and Raijin have retired. Raijin
got seriously wounded and decided to quit as a SeeD. Fûjin went with him.
They work now at the Orphanage that Edea had rebuilt with Cid Kramer.
All could have, should have been so peaceful, but a new adventure was
waiting for us.
I became one of them. One of the famous group of people who saved the world.
You all know the story, which followed. The history books surely told you.
There's just one fact they always leave out. It wasn't only this little
group. They just did the important part. The dirty works was ours. From
freeing the cities of the Galbadian Soldiers control to restoring the new
peace. It was our work, not theirs. They 'just' hunted the main evil down.
But first, a few facts about me. I was seventeen when I became a SeeD. My
roommate didn't graduate with me, but we remained roommates, because of the
lack of rooms in Galbadia-Garden. At his exam I was the SeeD on his team.
Seventeen. That was ten years ago. Ten years ago I became a SeeD. My exam
was to invade a harbour and take it over.
It wasn't easy.
My part was to invade the main building and destroy the defence of our
enemies. I was injured. My partner was dead. Our SeeD died in the hospital
at the garden after saving my life at the harbour. He pushed me out of the
way of some bullets. He was shot and we helped each other to the ship waiting for us.
~ Start flashback ~
"Come on!" he shouted at me: "Two steps left and we're home."
"Yeah, I know!" I shouted back: "But I'm not deaf, I only got some bullets
in my hip, you know?"
"Oh!" he laughed: "Than you can walk without me, can't you?"
With a last evil grin he collapsed into the arms of the waiting nurses and
pushed me away.
"Asshole!" I teased him, standing upright before collapsing, too: "I'll kick
your ass, when this is over, Tora."
"Shut the fuck up!", he groaned and than was knocked out by an
injection.
He never woke up again. I honour his memory. He was my mentor and a dear
friend. Almost like a big brother. Dr. Immen informed me right after my
awakening from the surgery. I was down.
"Hey, buddy!", my best friend sat down beside my bed: "You'll have a scary
scar on your hip, you know."
"Yeah, whatever!", I sighed and looked away.
"Are you okay?", he asked, going into his serious mode: "You can talk to me,
you know?".
I didn't answer him.
"You're scaring me, Draco!", he stood up and removed his coat and hat. He
only did this when he was very worried. Than he sat down next to my left
side on the bed and remained silent.
After some minutes, he took my hand and just held it. He didn't squeeze it,
or stroke it, he just held it. That was his way to tell me he was there.
"Tora... is dead...", I whispered and I felt him tremble.
"I didn't know.", he whispered back.
"He rescued me...", I tried to explain, but Irvine shook his head.
"Don't go on this guilt trip again!", he spoke loud and with a serious tone
of voice: "He... Tora was a SeeD. And Tora was on duty for your team. You
know what this meant?"
I nodded. It meant that it was his job to make sure that we did our job and
that we were safe. But even then he didn't had to...
"No!", Irvine got up and let go of my hand, than he leaned over me and spoke
loud: "I know, what you think."
I was startled.
"You think, that Tora hadn't have to die.", he was silent for awhile: "He
was my friend, too. Remember!?"
I nodded.
"So, say it.", he insisted: "You're a SeeD now, too. You know what this means?"
I nodded again.
"Than say it.", he shouted at me: "Say it and understand!"
~ End flashback ~
And I said it. I was true. Tora gave his life for me, but I lost a friend.
They prepare you for everything... really everything.
But when it happens, it's hard... never mind what they say... it's hard to
loose a friend. But I was alive and I intended in keeping his memory alive.
Today, seven years later, I'm still in a Garden, Balamb-Garden to be
specific. I'm now a trainer and teacher, a job that isn't as bad as I
thought it might be. In the past I never wanted to teach. Oh God, think of
the kids and teens. Most of them wanted to be cool. But some of them wanted
only something steady in their life. I don't know what I wanted.
Perhaps the thrill of facing death in each fight? I needed adrenaline in my blood.
One of my partners at the martial arts classes said he loved the uniforms
we'll get as SeeDs. The uniforms... No, that was definitely not a reason to
become a SeeD.
I should inform you, that not all of our friends are here anymore.
Rinoa took of to an island for studying the nature of magic. She built a
village around her laboratory. She visits us every now and then.
Mostly, it's for one of our big celebration parties that are very famous.
Her knight, Squall stays with her most of the time. But he's a SeeD, too and
so he attends many missions. He's still Squall, but he warmed up with us. He
even jokes around now and than. If you have luck... bad luck to be fair...
and you catch him with Zell in one of his joking moods, you can be sure,
they get you in trouble. Believe it, it happened to me two times last year.
That brings us to Zell. Believe it, or not. He's married. The lucky woman is
Xu. Xu now is the second in command of our Garden. Zell himself is a
part-time combat-teacher here. Most of his time he's on mission with Squall
and the others.
Quistis Trepe. She was killed on a mission three years ago. It was an
accident. She was tired of teaching and wanted a to be a real SeeD. She was
killed in a car accident. What a way to die for a SeeD and for a hero!
The whole Garden was in shock. But the most shaken was her family. She was
married and mother to a two-year-old daughter.
Irvine is still my best buddy, but he is back at the Galbadia-Garden. We
meet every week for some shooting fun. He's still with Selphie.
Our little Selphie has grown up. She's now a beautiful woman. She took the
job of a counsellor of Galbadia-Garden and is the one who handles messages
between the 3 Gardens. And she throws the best parties. God, was I wasted
after the last one...
And last but not least, there is Seifer Almasy. He's a SeeD now, too. The
situation between him and Squall is nearly the same like ever. They argue,
they fight and they talk. Okay the last is new, but they do. Not much, but
it's a beginning. Seifer's follower Fûjin and Raijin have retired. Raijin
got seriously wounded and decided to quit as a SeeD. Fûjin went with him.
They work now at the Orphanage that Edea had rebuilt with Cid Kramer.
All could have, should have been so peaceful, but a new adventure was
waiting for us.