Disclaimer: As the same with all the other chapters, I don't own anything I didn't come
up with. That belongs to Square. I do this for no profit.
Chapter 4: First Friends In The Beginning Of A Battle
Vira had tried to get some sleep but once again the inner voice began whispering
degrading things in her ears while the stabbing pain in her stomach became worse with each
passing second. She wasn't tired enough to travel to the land of dreams. Instead, Vira headed
out into the large hall, hoping to make herself tired by aimlessly walking around.
Garden was very different at night. Quieter, even more peaceful. No students in the
halls, no one was there. Within minutes she had reached the entrance to the Quad. Vira had
expected to see someone around to tell her to get back to sleep, but when she saw no one, she
figured that it wasn't an issue at this point. Vira walked inside, the first time she had laid
eyes on the Quad. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Lush green trees and plants adorned the large
room. The floor was partially gray and partially azure, but it was polished until it shone the
reflection of anything that was above it. Soft white light and bubbling water completed the
entire room's feel of tranquility. An aura of calm serenity engulfed the entire room and reveled
in it. Vira took in all the peaceful feelings and beautiful surroundings. Suddenly her eyes
gazed over to a lone figure sitting on the second flight of stairs. His head was slumped between
his hands, his body reflecting his deep contemplation. When Vira ventured closer she realized
that this lone figure was Squall. He was the only one it could be. Silently, she crept up and
took a seat neat to him; her body posture now being similar to his. She knew he was aware of her
presence but she decided to wait to say anything.
Squall finally spoke. "What brings you here so late, Vira?"
"Couldn't sleep. You?" she replied.
"The same. This place is great at night. They don't usually let students out after
lights out. But later on there was some trouble here and they decided to loosen up a little. Now
you can come here and the training center. SeeDs are really the only ones permitted out after
lights out. I like this place at night especially. You can get a nice moment alone. Except for
right now." commented Squall.
Vira ran a hand through her dark hair, each tressel falling slowly back into place. "You
want me to leave, I will."
Squall craned his head up to look at Vira. "No. That's all right. If we're going to work
together, I'd like to get to know you better."
"There isn't too much to know." Vira stated.
The other SeeD sighed, like he had heard that somewhere before. "I'm sure there's more
to you than meets the eye. It's like that for everyone."
Vira shook her head slowly. "Yeah, but I don't have a particularly interesting past."
"You don't?" Squall asked.
"Nope. I was in the Deling City orphanage until I was old enough to be trained at
Galbadia Garden. And now I've been transferred here." Vira had explained her entire life in only
two sentences. But something told Squall that there was much more beneath the surface. Still
waters run deep.
"What about that necklace?"
She picked up the necklace that laid around her neck. It was silver and sparkled dullly
in the low light. The end of it dipicted a fist clenched around a kamagunblade. Vira looked at
it and sighed a little. "I've had this for my entire life, or as long as I can remember. I don't
know what it really means. Only that I am the weilder of the kamagunblades. Which I've had for
as long as I can remember too."
Squall then picked up the silvery chain that laid around his neck. Comparing stories, he
explained, "This is Griever. I have the pattern on my gunblade. I've had this for a few years.
It's a lion that represents strength and protection. I used to have a matching ring, but I have
it to Rinoa."
"That's cool." Vira replied, admiring the chain. "You...care for Rinoa a great deal,
don't you?"
Squall's eyes glazed over like he was reliving the memories and events of the past few
months. Something Vira could only guess about. For the first time Vira had seen, the corner of
Squall's mouth moved upward. The result was a small smile. It seemed a little odd to see this on
him, as she had appeared to be a very serious man to her. Inwardly she shrugged, telling herself
that he can smile if he wants to. Squall's eyes too on a dreamy look for a second, before he had
landed back in the moment. "Yeah. I do. I've never felt about anyone like I do Rinoa. She brings
out the best in me. She convinced me that I do have friends and I will never be alone. I had
always thought that the only person you could rely on was yourself. That no matter how close you
got to someone, they'd always leave you. But Rinoa changed that. She made me realize that some
people will be there and that you can't go through your entire life alone. Sometimes you need
someone."
There was a moment of serene silence as Vira contemplated all that Squall had just said.
It sounded true, but for Vira she had never had the chance to get close to anyone to know them.
She never had anyone. Thus, she could be the only one she could rely on. Quietly she answered,
"But what if you've been alone your entire life and never had anyone to be close to?"
"I guess you'd have to reach out and try to find someone. I really wouldn't know
something like that. I'm still very new to this relying on others and being with others. People
still view me as very unfriendly." Squall replied, now looking forward towards the lush green
trees.
"I've always been alone so I wouldn't really know what you're talking about. I've always
relied on myself because I had no one else. Being an orphan kinda does that to ya." Vira said.
Squall looked at her for a second. Second to Rinoa, Vira had turned out to be the easiest
person on the planet to talk to. He just felt like his whole life and thoughts were flowing out
of him, maybe not of his own free will, but it happened anyway. He usually was never this open
with someone he had just met. Squall was realizing that Vira was going to do just fine with him.
Almost seeming like a sister that he could talk to. "I'm an orphan too, actually. So's Zell,
Irvine, Selphie, Quistis and Seifer. We all grew up at an orphanage run by Edea..."
"Sorceress Edea took care of you when you were young?" Vira interjected.
"Yeah, but we all called her Matron. She took care of us and was like a mother to us.
Then we all got split up and sent to different places. But in the end we all ended up here."
Squall finished.
"From what I heard, you guys had to fight Edea at Galbadia Garden. I wasn't there at the
time so I wouldn't know. Wasn't it hard going into battle knowing that you could kill the closest
thing to a mother you all ever had?" asked Vira.
Jutting his head upward, Squall replied, "We had all come to terms with that before going
into battle. Luckily, Edea did not have to die. If worse had come to worse...we would have. But,
Seifer wasn't really someone who had to come to terms with that. Back then he was on Edea's side.
But, it's the past and that's where it's gonna stay now."
"Seifer Almasy...he's quite the arrogant SOB, isn't he?" Vira commented.
This made Squall chuckle just a tad as he answered, "That he is. He's gotten me into a
lot of trouble in the past. Caused the scar that's on my forehead. I could never just ignore him.
Sometimes you have to stand up to someone or they'll never leave you alone."
Vira nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, that's exactly what I think. I'm going to have
to put him in his place."
Turning his head towards Vira, he looked at her. Squall tried to look into her eyes to
see the meaning behind what she had just said. "You don't mean-?"
"Kill?" she raised her eyebrows with the mention of the word.
"Yeah." Squall replied.
"No. Of course not. Just a little sparring practice before our mission." Vira explained.
Squall breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Good. Be careful, though. He doesn't always
pull his punches. As you can see by this scar." He pointed to his scar that he had just mentioned
a minute earlier.
"I'm a big girl. I can take him on. He needs to learn that he can't go galavanting about,
acting like he's some big man. What is with that smirking all the time?" asked Vira, moving her
hands about to illustrate her point.
In response, Squall shrugged and smiled a little. "I'm not exactly sure. But that's the
way Seifer has always been. He isn't evil, if he was we wouldn't have let him back into Garden,
but he's ego just gets too inflated for even him to handle."
Vira nodded again. "You could say that again."
"I would, but you already got my point." Squall said.
"Heh." replied Vira.
Finally, Squall rose to his feet, stretching for a moment. Vira followed suit, but
stretched less than her compatriot. Squall outstretched his hand to her, adding to it, "Well,
it's nice to really get to know you, Vira. I think you'll be fine here. Just remember not to be
afraid to talk sometimes. Yeah, I know it sounds weird coming from me, but it's true. Sometimes
you can't be alone. That's one lesson I've finally learned. Oh, and good luck sparring with
Seifer tomorrow."
Vira took his hand and shook back, even cracking the slightest of smiles. "Yeah, it was
nice to meet you. The longest conversation I've ever had. If this is any indication, I think I
will get along here. I'll remember what you said, just keep in mind some lessons people have to
learn on their own."
"Good night, Vira." Squall said as he headed towards his room.
"G'night, Squall." she replied, standing around in the Quad alone for a few minutes to
contemplate everything he had said. Finally it seemed like she had found a friend. She was not
alone. Not anymore.
Lightening crackled and bolted down to the wet ground, growling thunder coming only a
second after. A man in a navy blue suit ran like lightening through the storm, in his hands a
cream colored blanket holding something inside. Hard rain pounded down on the ground and the man,
but he kept running. Through the violent fit of the heavens the man ran, not paying any attention
to its temper tantrum. Soft yellow lights of builings came into view, the man now pushing
harder to reach his destination. In a matter of seconds he was in a city, the rain still hitting
him as hard as it had before. Panting from his run, the man collapsed on the steps of the Deling
City Orphanage. His bundle in the cream colored blanket slowly rolling on to the doorstep,
crying. It was a child, soaking wet from the rain and wailing through the storm. With what seemed
like the man's last bit of strength, he rang the doorbell to the building, the lights inside
coming to life in an instant. Quickly he left a silver necklace around the baby's body, wrapped
it back into its blanket, and left two gleaming kamablades next to it.
"Be strong, girl. You will have to when you face who you are...Vira."
Before the occupants of the house had opened the door, the man was gone. All that was
left was the crying baby in the terrible storm.
Bright sunlight flew into her room, accompaning her alarm clock to stur Vira from her
slumber. Slowly she rolled from her small bed and sat up, her dark chocolate and blonde streaked
hair a tangled mess on her head. Shaking the strange dream from her, Vira got up and walked over
to get ready for her first sparring match in Balamb Garden. She had just enough time to get
dressed, grab something to eat, and get to the training center with a few minutes to spare.
Quickly, Vira sprung into action, knowing that this would shape up to be a long day. Her first
long day in her new home.
Not too long later, Vira was standing at the entrance of the training center waiting for
her opponent to arrive. Finding the training center had been easier that she thought, remembering
everything Zell had pointed out the day before. Quietly she hummed to herself, waiting as she
had seemed to be doing a lot of in the past few days. Vira looked over her kamagunblades for a
moment, seeing if they were in good shape. They were; they always were. She took better care for
those weapons that herself at some times and the care showed. The sharp edges of the blades
glinting and shimmering in the early morning light that filter through the Garden windows. After
inspecting her weapons, Vira looked up to see if she could spot Seifer. Instead, she spotted
Zell, Squall and Rinoa walking towards her. Zell grinned from ear to ear when he saw her, Vira
already prepared to talk to the three before her fight.
"Good morning, Vira." Zell jovially announced.
"'Morning." She replied.
Squall nodded his head in greeting, adding, "'Morning, Vira."
The girl nodded back. "'Morning, Squall."
"G'morning, Vira. Did you sleep well?" asked Rinoa pleasantly.
"Yes, very well." She lied. That dream had been weird to say the least.
Rinoa tilted her head to one side slightly. "I heard you were going to fight with Seifer
this morning."
Vira nodded. "That's true. I'm waiting for him right now."
Zell put a hand behind his neck nervously. "I don't think it's a good idea, Vira. I mean,
Seifer's gotten Squall in trouble tons of times. He can do the same for you."
Rinoa nodded her head in agreement to Zell. "Yes, he can be quite a troublemaker. Right,
Squall?"
"Yeah, but Vira knows what she's getting into. She should be able to handle it." He
answered.
Rinoa's face curled into a squint. "What? Is there something you're not telling me?"
Squall shook his head in reply. "No, but Vira is old enough to know what she's doing.
All we can do is wish her luck and warn her."
"Yeah...I guess you're right. If she is like you, she's not going to be talked out of
something." Rinoa said.
"Yes, I am aware of what I'm doing." Vira assured the other girl.
Zell was still not covinced. Nervously he paced back and forth in front of the other
three. "This really isn't a good idea, Vira."
"Zell, just wish her luck." Squall ordered.
Throwing his hands up in the air Zell sighed. "Fine! Good luck, Vira."
"Thanks." She replied.
"So where is Seifer then?" Zell asked afterwards.
"Right here." Answered Seifer from behind everyone. They all turned around to see the
young man, dressed in his usual trenchcoat, and trademark smirk on his face. "Let's get to it,
then."
"Fine by me. Let's go." Vira sharply answered.
With that, the two walked briskly into the training center, wasting no time at all. The
other three that had been standing there were now just small figures down the long hallway to
the training center. Zell immediately tried to enter to at least watch the fight, but Squall's
firm hand on his shoulder prevented that.
"Let her go, Zell. We have to go up to see Headmaster Cid about the new mission." He
ordered.
"But, Squall, you could just-" started Zell.
Squall's hand remained firmly placed on Zell's shoulder. "Zell, I know she's new here
and you seem to want to protect her or something, but it's her battle. Let her handle it."
Again, Zell through his hands up in the air defeatedly. "Fine! This just isn't my day..."
He grumbled out. "I'll come with you to see Headmaster Cid about the mission then."
Seifer was an excellent fighter. Possibly the best one Vira had ever fought against.
There was no doubt that this was turning out to be the longest battle she had ever had, but there
was an element of fun and challenge that made her feel alive. Seifer too seemed to have this
feeling in him, the sparkle in his eyes, the grin that sometimes streaked across his face. It
was appearant that Seifer was enjoying this just as much as Vira was.
At the beginning they had laid down the ground rules that there would be no shots fired
from either weapons and magic should be kept to a minimum. The battle had started out even.
Seifer starting off with a hard slash at Vira, but being blocked by both her kamagunblades at
once. Her offensive move was then two slashes at Seifer's mid-section with both kamagunblades.
Both of her moves were also blocked. For the rest of the fight that's what it had remainded.
One slash or two, always blocked by the defender. No one could get the upper hand. It was
frustrating and impressive all at once for the two combatants. Metal clanged against metal, white
sparks flying in all directions. Seifer attempted an overhead strike which Vira side stepped
with plenty of time to spare. But, Seifer had an ace up his sleeve. Turning around, he charged
a fireball from his hand, the same move that had knocked Squall down the day they both recieved
their scars. Barely seeing this move coming, Vira went into a blocking stance with both her
kamagunblades facing outward to shield the blast. Luminecent light emerged from Seifer's hand,
shooting at Vira with lightening speed. The brunt of the blast had been taken by her
kamagunblades, but the blast had been so powerful it knocked her down to the dirt floor of the
training center. Seifer grinning with triumph. He was ready to demonstrate his final move. A
stab to the chest. He heaved his gunblade high into the air, the lights shining on it sharply.
Seifer knew that he would stop the attack right before it hit her, to demonstrate she needs more
work. He was so throughoughly pleased at how this fight had gone. Vira was an excellent fighter,
right up there with Squall and the others, but she'd need a lot more practice to defeat the likes
of Seifer Almasy. He readied his attack, but Vira's face remained determined. She crossed her
kamagunblades in front of her for a defensive shield. Then something happened that had never
happened before. When Vira crossed her kamagunblades, a bright white ball of light began forming
from the two. It started out small, but grew exponentially in a matter of seconds until it
englufed to the two gladiators. Then it exploded. The light flashed across the room, spreading
out to all corners. Seifer was knocked clear across the training center, his body smoking after
he landed. After a few seconds of being unconcious, the young man coughed, smoke emitting from
his mouth. Groaning he lifted himself up, almost using his gunblade as a crutch. Seifer walked
over to his opponent, bewildered at what had just happened. Vira laid in the same place Seifer
had left her, the exact same; kamagunblades fanned outwards as a shield, but her face wore a mask
of shock. Her dark brown eyes were mostly covered in the blacks of her dilated pupils, her
eyebrows arked upward and her mouth wide open. Like a statue coming to life, Vira untensed her
face and body, rising up to her feet slowly.
"I thought we agreed keeping magic to a minimum. Which also meant no powerful spells."
Seifer snapped.
Vira scratched her head, confused. "I didn't mean to do that. I never have before. That
isn't any magic spell I've ever seen."
The young man sighed and demanded, "Don't you even know what you're doing?"
"I do! It was a freak accident, Seifer! So lay off." Vira bitterly remarked.
"All right, all right. I'm really impressed, though. That was a fantastic way to throw
your opponents off guard. Bravo." Seifer put his two golved hands together and clapped for a few
seconds.
Vira sneered at her opponent. "Knock it off, Seifer. I don't need your accalades."
"Okay. I'm just saying that I was impressed." Seifer commented.
Vira glanced at her watch; it was time for her to go see Headmaster Cid about her first
mission. "I gotta go. I have a job to do. Why don't you keep trying to be a SeeD in the meantime,
okay? Later."
"Yeah...later." answered Seifer, already out of earshot of Vira.
Headmaster Cid stood on the bridge, looking at the wonderful view from there. Another
glorious day was upon him. Sun shining, light blue sky spanning as far as he could possibly see.
Not a single cloud in the sky. Yet, Cid felt that something beyond the horizon could pull the
entire world into another boiling pot of chaos. That whatever laid beyond what he could see was
a threat to humanity, to everyone on the planet. The calm before the storm. Quickly he pushed
the thoughts from his mind, this was no time to get lost in thoughts. He had to assign everyone
their mission. Squall had arrived first along with Rinoa and Zell. Not too long after that
Selphie and Irvine bounded onto the bridge, Selphie looking particularly happy to have Irvine
around. Quistis came to the bridge, looking as calm and collected as she always did. Vira
finally showed up not too long after Quistis, panting from running the entire distance there.
"Have some trouble finding your way here, Vira?" asked Cid.
"Uhh...no, sir. I was just running late." She replied.
Cid shrugged the comment off, not having the time to ask her what she had been up to.
"Well, now that you're all here, we can get down to business. In the past few days we've recieved
word from Kiros in Esthar that a new sorceress has arrived there."
Before Cid could go on, Rinoa's eyes already began to widen in surprise. "Yes," Cid
nodded. "We don't know what her name is as of now, but we heard that Laguna is letting her run
the city for some reason. It doesn't seem like him at all. So, Kiros has secretly hired Garden
SeeDs to investigate what is going on. We don't want another Sorceress War on our hands. Esthar
has had enough trouble already. I want you all to go to Esthar and find out who this sorceress
is, what she wants, where Laguna has went, and why he let her rise to power. Just be careful.
Sometimes things can get a little tricky. Use your best judgement. Squall will serve as leader.
You are all to follow his orders, when given. Do you all understand?"
"Yes, sir!" They all answered in unison.
"Good. Rinoa may go along as a "honorary" SeeD and expert in the ways of sorceresses.
To get there the quickest, I suggest using the Ragnarok. Dismissed and good luck!" Cid saluted
his students, and then pointed toward the elevator authoritatively. The group all went to the
elevator and disappeared. Sighing inwardly, Cid looked back at the horizon. Silently he hoped
that his preminitions were wrong.
Author's comments: That's all for chapter 4. Now the real mission begins. The next
chapter might take a little longer for me to get out because this is where things get a little
tricky. So please bear with me. Any comments on how you think this is turning out so far are
definitely welcome. :) Chapter 4 will feature the gang all heading to Esthar to investigate this
new sorceress. Is she evil? Is she like Edea, posessed from a future sorceress? Stay tuned to
find out. Same FF time, same FF station. lol I'm sorry, I couldn't help doing that. I always
wanted to. :) Let me know what you guys think; please R&R. :)
