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. Blah, blah, blah.
Chapter 6: Only What You Bring With You
"So that's it? She just exploded? Did you even find out what she wanted?" asked Cid,
obviously confused at the events that had transpired in Esthar.
Squall shrugged. "We don't really know what was going on in Esthar. The more that Laguna
tried to remember, the less he could remember. It all become a jumble in his head. And there was
no logical reason to why the sealing device would explode. Most of this has turned into a big
myster. Laguna said that he'd look into it and see why it exploded, and try to dig up anything on
Xana that he could. For now, he paid us, we came back, and it's all settled."
After the group had returned to Garden, it was already after sunset. When they were
inside, Squall had suggested everyone go and get some sleep, except for Vira who he suggested go
see Doctor Kadowaki after the lunge she had made for Laguna. In response to this, Vira shrugged
and headed off to the Infirmary. Again, the Garden was quiet, all the students had already gone
to bed. It made sense, most of them had a big day the next morning. SeeD exams again. Squall was
amazed that it was already time for another one. The first one since he graduated. He had heard
that Seifer, who was staring at the group when they had come back in, was going to try one last
time to make it into SeeD. Seifer was alone, standing by the stairs that Squall would have to
ascend to reach Headmaster Cid's office. With the first floor devoid of students, Squall's feet
made loud echoing noises as he slowly made his way to the elevator. Smirking, Seifer stuck out a
hand to stop him.
"How was Esthar?" he sneered, emerald eyes lighting up with confrontation.
Squall stared coldly in response, his steel blue eyes burning into Seifer's deep emerald
ones. "Fine." He finally responded, turning back to climbing the stairs.
Seifer smirked again and added, "Must've been a really short mission. Didn't even take
you an entire day. I don't know why they even sent all of you. Again, the logic is baffling. They
shoulda sent the amount they did today to Timber way back after you graduated." He began
following his rival up the stairs to the elevator. "I guess I'll have to talk about Headmaster
Cid about that soon."
Pressing the button, Squall stepped inside the elevator. The transparent glass swishing
open. Seifer stood in front of the doors, still smiling. Squall turned to his once rival, "Yeah,
you talk to him about that...after you pass the exam tomorrow."
The doors swished shut, cutting off any response that Seifer might have had for Squall.
Smoothly, the elevator ascended to the third floor. A barrier between rivals. But Squall had a
point. Seifer would never get anywhere until he became SeeD. Technically, there were only two
more years for him to pass the test. Unfortunately, the staff did hold what he had done in the
past against him. This was Seifer's last chance. His last chance to become even with Squall; to
level the playing field. Headmaster Cid had made it painfully clear that if Seifer did not pass
this next exam, they would release him from Garden. Where was Seifer to go after that? Everything
that he knew, everything that he had was really here. In Balamb Garden. It was his real home. He
was beginning to realize that he needed to shape up, but did not know how. Wouldn't Seifer lose
himself if he gave in to becoming like everyone else? Then again, if he was kicked out of Garden,
he would have no place to go, no home, no friends. Since he hadn't become SeeD, he had no money.
Fujin and Raijin were still here, studying to become SeeDs and they were really his only friends.
This was Seifer's last chance to prove to everyone he could pull it off, he could be a hero. No
one would pull his strings. No more Sorceress' Knight stuff, this was serious. He had to be good,
he had to try. Seifer stared upwards at the elevator carrying Squall. Silently, Seifer vowed that
this time, he would do right. This time, he would be the hero.
Headmaster Cid sat back in his chair, mulling over what the SeeD had just told him.
"Okay. I guess that situation is settled for now then. On to the next order of business, the SeeD
exam. As you know, Squall, the first SeeD exam since you graduated will be held tomorrow.
Recently, we recieved word that Dollet and Galbadia are fighting over the Communications Tower."
Cid explained.
"Already? I heard that Galbadia let the whole Communications Tower thing go after they
had made their announcement about Matron. Why are they expressing interest in it now?" asked
Squall.
Cid scratched his chin lightly, shaking his head at the same time. "I'm not sure. We just
got a call from the Dollet Dukeom that the G-Army has been attacking them, commanding to take
full control over the tower from now on. I can't get through to General Caraway, who's still
ruling since Vinzer Deling's death. At any rate, Dollet has hired SeeD to clear the G-Army from
the mountains and the Communcations Tower. This is another good situation to hold a SeeD exam.
Tomorrow, 12 more students will be going there to help get rid of the G-Army. I just want you
to go and help any students in your team that are having trouble fighting. There will be two
SeeDs assigned to each team. You're with Team B, the same one you were in when you were taking
the test. The team captain is...Rinoa, and the two others are Seifer and Bertaniz. The other-"
"Wait!" Squall held his hand up, his face riddled with shock. "Rinoa is taking the SeeD
exam?! Since when did she even take classes and be accepted?"
Shifting in his seat nervously, Cid realized Squall had been unaware of what Rinoa had
been doing. "Well, she asked me if she could take the minimum requirement of classes to become
a SeeD and I told her that normally we don't do this kinda thing, but her case is special. She's
been taking classes in the morning." He explained.
It looked like he'd been shot. Literally. Squall's expression matched the one of someone
who had just been shot in the back by someone he knew. It wasn't exactly like being betrayed, but
she had been keeping secrets from him. Of all people to not tell, Rinoa had neglected to tell her
boyfriend that she was becoming a SeeD. Squall shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe
she's been doing this...and is going to take the test..."
Cid placed his hand on Squall's gloved on and looked at him sympathetically. "Go and talk
to her. Tonight. Before she has to go. It'd be best for the both of you to get this out before
you have to fight."
Squall rose from his seat and began for the door. Before he could leave, Cid told him,
"By the way, Squall, the other SeeD member you're teamed up with to assist the candidates is
Irvine." Nodding in response, Squall exited the office, with mixed feelings about what Rinoa had
done.
"Doctor Kadowaki? Are you in?" Vira's voice sounded small in the Infirmary, even though
the room itself was small. Her side hurt a little from the lunge she had made, but other than
that, Vira didn't think that there was anything wrong with her. Soon her thoughts turned to that
frightening appraition of Xana. The depths of evil had never been established, but when she had
stared into the eyes of that woman, a chill flew down her spine. How could that woman not be
evil? Vira did not have an answer for that question. Even though the thought of this "ghost" sent
another round of shivers down Vira's spine, at the same time there was something all too familiar
about it. As if she had seen that face before, somewhere.
-No, that's impossible. There is no way you could have seen that woman before in your
life. You're just being weird. Stop it. It was probably some kind of trick....but why did she not
feel so evil after I had gotten over the shivers in my spine? Oh, for Hyne's sake, stop it.
You're not gonna get paranoid about some woman who's dead.-
"I said, can I help you?" Doctor Kadowaki's voice snapped Vira out of her thoughts. She
turned to face the large sized doctor.
"Yeah...hello. I'm Vira Eronwil, I don't believe we've met yet." Vira announced, nodding
her head.
Doctor Kadowaki looked at Vira throughoughly. "Mm-hmm...I'm Doctor Kadowaki. But you
already knew that. You new here I suspect." She commented.
"Yes, I just got here yesterday. Actually, I just got back from a mission in Esthar.
Squall had suggested that I come here and get checked out before heading to bed."
"Why?" asked the doctor, eyeing Vira in an inspecting manner.
Vira turned her head to follow Doctor Kadowaki's as she moved around Vira, inspecting
her. "I lunged for President Laguna to save him from an explosion. I landed kinda hard. My side
hurts a little." She pointed to her right side, where Doctor Kadowaki had just stopped by.
"Lift your arm." the doctor ordered.
Vira complied with this order, Doctor Kadowaki gently pressing against the girl's ribs.
"Does this hurt a lot?" She asked.
Wincing slightly, Vira replied. "Not really. Just a little."
The doctor nodded and stood back. "Don't worry. You'll probably just have a bruise there.
You'll be just fine."
"Thanks." Vira answered, already heading towards to leave. A flash of bright light
blinded Vira as she tried to leave, Xana apparition standing in front of her. Vira shook her head
violently to get her head and eyes straight. Instead, the whole world suddenly became obsidian,
Vira becoming unaware of her surroundings.
The ceiling above was dark, not black, but more like navy blue. A thunderstorm outside
roared as a ferioucious lion would. Flashes of lightening cracked and snapped outside. However,
it did not match the loud screaming from the other room. Two people, a man, and a woman. The two
were yelling at each other in such ferocity that it put the storm to shame. The woman was yelling
something about, "It must be destroyed! You can't allow that thing to live any longer! It wasn't
made to be there in the first place! Just a laspe of judgement! I demand you get rid of it at
once!" A moment after the man replied yelling something about how they could not get rid of
whatever it was. It was impossible. This heated arguement continued until the two were right in
the navy blue colored room. Now the arguing was untolerable. One loud, shrill scream eminated
off the walls and ceiling, going to every corner of the room, stopping the man and woman both in
mid-sentence. The scream continued, not letting up for even a second.
"Vira! Vira!" Doctor Kadowaki shook the young woman gently for a few seconds, beconing
her. "Vira! Stop screaming! You're okay now! You're here in the Garden's Infirmary!"
She was lying down on one of the small beds in the adjoining rooms to the Infirmary.
Doctor Kadowaki was leaning forward in front of her, still shaking. From out of Vira's mouth
came still came a loud scream. Vira had not even been aware that she was screaming. Letting out
a long nervous breath, she repiled. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."
"You fainted as you were leaving. I guess that knock to your ribs were worse than we
thought. You've been out for about a half hour. You seem all right now, though. What happened?"
Doctor Kadowaki looked very concerned, not sure what the reason for Vira's passing out had been.
Gingerly, Vira placed a hand on her head. It didn't seem to hurt, nor have and blood
coming from it. Still, a feeling of displacement, detachment, and darkness was wrapped around
her like a burial shroud. Inside she felt cold, more frigid than any ice spell that Shiva chould
deliver. She shook her head slowly, sitting up in the bed. Why had she passed out? Did something
happen while she was out? Slowly, Vira began to remember something that she had seen right before
passing out; two eyes. Eyes that burned a hole right through the purest of souls. They looked
normal enough, except that on second inspection they looked to be more feline. The color around
the pupils being a dark goldenrod. They had looked right through Vira, seeming to know everything
about her, and yet absolutely nothing at all. If that was even possible. The feeling that
eminated from them felt like the embodiment of evil itself. Hate, destruction, evil, anger, fear,
malice, beligerence, cruelty, and sinister intent. Nothing like Vira had ever felt in her life.
Worse than anything she had ever seen on the battlefield, worse than any kind of emotional scars
she might have been carrying with her. Again, Vira shook her head to get the feeling from her.
"Nothing. I guess I'm just overtired from everything that I did today. I'll just go to
bed and get some sleep." Vira finally answered, now trying to get up from the bed. She would
have, except for Doctor Kadowaki standing in front of her.
"Are you sure there isn't anything you aren't telling me? You were screaming pretty
loudly when you came to." Doctor Kadowaki's suspicion was true, but Vira had no intention of
telling her some silly story about a pair of ghost eyes staring at her.
Vira gently pushed the doctor out of her way and proceeded to the door. "I'm sure, Doctor
Kadowaki. I'm fine. I just need some sleep."
"Fine, but-" Doctor Kadowaki started, but it was too late. Vira had already left the
Infirmary.
A commanding rapping woke Rinoa from her deep sleep. Groggily, Rinoa threw the sheets
from her bed and shuffled to the door, opening it slowly. Rushing inside came a serious looking
Squall. He rushed with a forceful walk to the back of her room and turned around, facing her.
Confused, Rinoa tilted her head to the side and asked, groggily, "What is it, Squall? It's after
midnight."
"Why didn't you tell me you've been taking classes to become a SeeD and that you're
taking the SeeD exam tomorrow?" He demanded of her, steely blue eyes narrowed at her.
Rinoa intentionally averted his powerful gaze. "I...wanted it to be a surprise..."
"When were you planning on telling me? After you graduate? When you show up in the exam?"
Squall's anger actually began to rise, not understanding Rinoa's motives.
"I wanted to surprise you. I'm sorry that it hurt you, but...you have to understand...you
and all your friends...even the new girl, Vira...they're all part of SeeD. They're all commrades
in your team. You all are together, part of a group. A group that I haven't been able to be a
part of. You grew up with most of them, which already put me on the outside, but now you're all
also SeeDs and that's another way that I am pushed further out. I don't want to just be 'Squall's
girlfriend.' I want to be a part of your and everything that your life involved." Rinoa implored,
her dark eyes pleading to Squall; now looking him straight in his steely gaze.
Squall saw the pleading in her eyes, and it softened his hard stare considerably. He
sighed, collapsing onto her bed. "But, Rinoa, you used to say that I have such a sad life always
following someone's orders and now you're trying to become part of that? It doesn't make any
sense. Headmaster Cid always lets you come along as an honorary SeeD or an expert on something."
Softly, Rinoa shook her head. "I don't want to be an honorary anything anymore. I want
to be the same as you. The same as everyone else. I know that I said that just following orders
must be sad, but I've been doing that ever since I decided to stay here with you. I've been going
on all your missions, helping and following the orders just like everyone else. I want it to be
official now. Please, Squall, please understand that I'm just doing this to be closer to you and
everyone else. Please...don't be angry..." Her eyes began to water, glazing over in tears.
Gently, Squall placed a hand on Rinoa's cheek, smiling slightly. "I'm not angry anymore.
I understand. Just...be careful. I don't want you to get hurt when you take this test."
Rinoa sighed dreamily, putting her hand on his and closing her eyes. "I won't. I've
gotten quite good at fighting. If worse comes to worse, someone will be there for me. Don't
worry. I'll be fine." She assured him.
"Okay. Good luck then. I'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast." With that said,
Squall kissed Rinoa softly on the cheek and got up to leave.
Rinoa watched him leave, blowing a kiss to him as he left. "Good night. See you
tomorrow." After her door closed, Rinoa slowly went back to sleep, feeling better that he had
found out and was not angry at her anymore.
Outside the thunderstorm raged on, but the fury was still worse from within the dark
navy blue colored room. In the corner of the room, the woman sat, staring, even leering at what
was there. Effortlessly, she rose from her seated position, walking over to the object of her
discontent. The woman sneered, all her hatred coming to the surface. Accusingly, she pointed a
finger at it. In the back, lightening bolted down to the dirt ground outside once again, roaring
thunder coming right afterwards.
"You are not supposed to be here...you aren't even supposed to be alive." The woman
sneered again. "Just a mistake. One that will be rectified. As soon as I can manage it..."
With another crack of lightening, the man ran into the room, rushing towards the woman.
He grabbed her hand with the accusing finger, shaking the woman violently. "You can't be serious!
It's a living being! You can't destroy it just because of one moment of weakness!" He demanded.
Ferociously, the woman pulled away, remarking, "Of course! All mistakes must be
corrected! And this is one of them! We have to-!"
Again, the shrill, loud scream came out, breaking the arguement. Slowly, it turned into
the sound of a buzzer, or maybe...an alarm.
Vira's slender, but strong hand slammed down on the alarm clock. This action halted the
incescent buzzing to an abrubt stop. Vira looked out her window for a moment, it was still dark
outside. She sighed exasperatedly; the alarm clock must have malfunctioned again. Leaning over
tiredly, she could see that the flourecent light shown brightly that it was only 5:32. She still
had another two hours before she needed to be up. Slowly, Vira leaned back to her bed, trying to
get back to sleep. It did not come. Images danced on her eyelids, frightening images from some
place she did not know and some people she had never met. What any of these strange dreams had to
do with her, she did not know. Still, Vira tried to get to sleep again, finally succeeding to
slip into a dreamless, restless sleep. The sleep of someone who does not truly want to fall
asleep.
Zell scoured the cafeteria, looking for one of his friends to have breakfast with. He
saw many students, most of them running around nervously, some other sleeping in their seats. The
rush and commotion made it seem like Deling City station, rather than Balamb Garden's cafeteria.
In the back sunlight streamed through the windows in bright golden strips. None of the rushing,
nervous students seemed to notice this small amount of beauty in the room.
-Man, was I this nervous when I was testin' to become a SeeD? I don't remember people
bein' this nervous.-
Throughout the mass of students, he finally managed to see Squall sitting with Vira at
one table. Squall was leaned over his breakfast, while Vira looked like she was almost sleeping
in it. Quickly Zell bounded over to the table, happily taking his seat next to them. Upon
closer inspection, to Zell, it looked like Vira was asleep in her food.
"Yo, Squall! Yo, Vira!" Zell looked at Squall, pointing a thumb to Vira. "What's with
her?"
Squall quickly glanced over to Vira, then back at Zell, shrugging. "I don't know. Tired,
I guess."
Zell gently began to poke Vira, her head jutting upwards immediately. "I am not a mi-!"
Vira looked at where she was and stopped mid-sentence. After seeing where she was, she settled
back down into her seat. "Nevermind."
"You're not a what?" inquired Zell, now poking at his breakfast with his fork.
"Nothing." Vira quickly replied.
Zell shrugged this off again, asking Vira, "So, how'd you sleep last night?"
She leaned forward on the table again, her body language answering before her words
could. "Badly."
"That's too bad." Zell replied, now turning to Squall. "What's up with you, man? Ready
to oversee the first SeeD exam since ours?"
Squall looked down at his breakfast, an aura of gloominess coming from him. "I still
don't understand why she's doing this. She doesn't even like to fight. It's not like her at all."
Confused, Zell looked to Vira for help at what Squall was talking about. Instead, he saw
that Vira had fallen asleep again, this time on her hand. "What are you talking about, Squall?"
"Rinoa's taking the exam." He replied, darkly.
Zell's eyes widened considerably in response to this. "What?! Rinoa?! Taking the exam?!
How?! I don't get it!"
"That makes two of us." Squall answered.
Vira's head bobbed into conciousness for a second, her voice mumbling out, "Three of
us..." Then she dipped back into sleep.
Zell finally began to calm down. He looked at Squall and asked, "Why is she doing it?"
"I'm not sure," Squall started. "She told me it was because she felt like an outsider
and didn't want to be like that anymore. Something about she's already doing the work of a SeeD
she might as well be a SeeD. I tried to understand, but the more I think about it, the less I
understand it. She hates taking orders."
Zell stared thoughtfull at his breakfast, mulling over this subject. "Well, maybe it's
best if we don't ask too many questions. It's up to her after all. She wants to be a SeeD, then
let her be a SeeD. She has a point that she already does the work of a SeeD. I heard that no one
can stay at Garden unless they're a student, SeeD, staff member, or a client. Rinoa isn't a
client anymore, isn't staff, and until today, wasn't counted to us as a student or SeeD. They
probably need to do this for technial reasons. I wouldn't get so worked up about it anyway. She
can take care of herself. She's gotten pretty good at fighting. Besides, if she gets in trouble,
someone will be there to bail her out."
Squall took in all this information while poking at his pancake. "...whatever." He sighed
out.
Shrugging, Zell went back to eating his breakfast, not noticing Seifer approaching the
table. Grinning in his usual manner, he looked at the three. "'Morning, Squall, Chicken-wuss,
Vira."
"Stop calling me that." demanded Zell.
Looking up from his food, Squall asked, "What do you want Seifer?"
"Nothing, from you. I want to ask Vira a question." He replied, matter-of-factly.
"Good luck." remarked Zell. "She's been like this since I got here."
Seifer's grin widened. "I didn't ask your opinion, Zell." Putting his firm hand on Vira's
shoulder, he shook her forcefully. "Vira, wake up."
With sudden life, Vira's eye shot wide open, even taking on a slightly frightened look.
"Stop calling me a mi-!" The next second, Vira realized where she was again, and slumped back
into her seat.
"Vira?" Seifer looked at her intently.
Finally, Vira took notice to Seifer's presence, craning her head upwards to look at him.
"Seifer. What do you want?"
The young blonde man swung his gunblade a bit. "Just a friendly warm-up match before I
have to head out to take the test."
Vira's tired eyes gazed around the cafeteria, like she was lost in thought of some other
time. The room was very...blue. The tables and chairs around here were of a light and dark blue
mixture. Dark blue that resembled the same navy blue she had been seeing in her dreams
constantly. She was more tired than she had ever been in her entire life. Her body was just lead.
Dead weight she would have to carry through the entire day. Through a SeeD exam, through a
graduation. This would prove to be a very long day for her. No, a match was out of the question.
With such little energy she had this morning, spending it on some grudge match with Seifer Almasy
seemed stupid and a waste. "Not today. Ask someone else."
"You afraid I'm going to beat you this time?" Seifer jeered.
"No. I'm tired. I'm saving my energy." Vira replied, still sounding groggy.
Seifer rolled his emerald eyes. "A likely story. Just too much like Chicken-wuss here
to take me on again, eh?"
Vira sighed sleepily. With clouded eyes, she looked to Seifer. "May I remind you that I
beat you the last time? Anyway, find someone else. You'll never pass the exam with that
attitude. And weapons in the cafeteria are against the rules. You should know that by being part
of the disciplinary committee though, right?"
Seifer was shocked by this response. How would she know if he could not pass the test
with that kind of attitude? It was all he had. If he had to be part of the organization, he was
at least going to keep his individuality. That would be all he could have left. "What the hell
are you talking about, Vira?" He snapped back at her.
"I may be what people would call unfriendly, but it won't lead me down the path of
destruction. I know what happened with you and everyone else here. I've heard the stories. You're
trying to redeem yourself, right? Well, it ain't going to happen if you keep challenging people
to fights, acting like you're better than everyone else. You know where that path leads. You've
already been there. I see it this way, you are at a junction in your life. You can either stuff
that bad attitude of yours away for five seconds and realize who you are, or you can run and skip
and hop down to the path of self-destruction. It's up to you. Just remember, what you have to
fight in Dollet is only what you bring with you." explained Vira.
Her sudden speech seemed to take everyone at the table off guard. Squall looked at her
thoughtfully, nodding his head slowly. Zell began snickering uncontrollably at Vira's analysis
on Seifer. Seifer himself was in complete shock for a minute, staying frozen in place. Suddenly,
he melted, looking at Vira with confused anger. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "You think
you know me because we fought once and you've heard about my past? What do you know?"
"I only know what I see. Now, if you want to pick a fight before your last chance; find
someone else. I will not fight you today." Making it clear that Vira was no longer interested in
talking to Seifer, she turned back to her meal, finally starting to eat.
Seifer growled angrily, storming out of the cafeteria. What infuriated him the most was
that she was right. He wanted to still be himself, but today he had to try his best not to do
what he would normally think is right. Vira's words stuck with the young man as he exited,
remembering one sentence over and over. A broken record of speech in his own mind. "...what you
have to fight in Dollet is only what you bring with you."
Author's comments: Yeah, Rinoa trying to become a SeeD will most likely cause quite a
ruckus amongst you guys, but bear with me. I know it's weird, hell, the idea was weird to me in
the first place, but I think it makes some logical sense if you look at it the right way. Yes,
I did say that I'd have the SeeD exam in Dollet (again), and what Galbadia wants with the
Communcations tower this time in this chapter, but it didn't progress that way. Sorry. The next
chapter will be sure to have SeeD action as Squall and the gang help Rinoa and Seifer pass their
SeeD exam. Will Seifer be able to face down the demons in himself and go against his own nature
to do what he thinks is best instead of what he is ordered to do? Stay tuned to find out. The
graduation dance afterwards will most likely cause a chuckle or two as Zell tries to convince
Vira to dance. Vira's problem with her dreams and passing out will be revealed soon, so stick
with me. It'll all come together soon. :) I promise. Please, let me know how you liked this
chapter by R&R. :) Suggestions are always welcomed. Remember, same FF time, same FF channel.
Yep, I can't stop doing that. lol :D
