Chapter Five
Squall heard someone hush him as he entered his room. It sounded like it had come from Cid's room. Squall opened the door to find Cid sitting on the floor staring at his bed.
"What are you doing Cid?" Squall asked. Cid looked up to his father instantly. He raised a finger to his mouth and whispered, "Shhhhh." Cid stood up and slightly pushed his father out of the room, following him out and closing the door behind him.
"He's asleep." Cid informed his father.
"Who's asleep?" Squall hadn't noticed anyone else in the room, had he missed someone? What if it was someone dangerous? Squall reached for the doorknob to see who was in Cid's room, but Cid stopped him.
"Don't worry daddy," Cid could tell Squall was a little worried of who he had in his room, "It's only Levi."
Levi. Squall thought of the name, but he couldn't remember anyone by that name. Squall decided to check on Levi. Perhaps then, a few things would be explained. Squall reached for the doorknob again.
"No, daddy!" Cid whispered, "You'll wake him up!" Cid tried to push his father's hand away again, but Squall refused to let his son stop him from seeing Levi. Squall pushed the door open and prepared for the worst. For all he knew, Levi could have a monster that had tricked his son until he was vulnerable.
Squall peered into the room, noticing it was empty. He walked into the room and looked around, checking in Cid's closet, under the bed, and behind the door. There was no one in the room.
"Cid, where is Levi?" Squall turned to see his son standing in the doorway.
"Asleep on the bed." Cid motioned toward his bed. Squall stared at it, looking for anything that could be Levi, but the bed was empty.
"Levi says you woke him up." Cid said from behind Squall. Squall turned toward his son again.
"When did Levi say that?"
"Just now." A puzzled look crossed Squall's face. Was Cid lying? Or did he really hear a voice?
"Levi says that you look strong. He wants to know if you killed any powerful monsters or anything."
Ultimecia. The name popped into his mind. He looked over at his son's questioning face. Squall hadn't ever found a good time to tell his son about Ultimecia. It was obvious that he heard the name before, but Squall had never told him the real story. He didn't feel like then was a good time to tell him the story either. Especially when it was Levi who was asking.
"No, son, I haven't beaten any strong creatures." Squall lied, "Cid, where is Levi? How can you hear him?"
"Levi says you're lying."
"What?" The comment caught Squall by surprise.
"Huh?" Cid asked to open space, "Okay, I'll ask him. Daddy do you know anyone named Ultimecia?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"No, Squall, I haven't mentioned Ultimecia to Cid yet." Rinoa's look was inquisitive, "Why?"
Squall sighed in confusion, "He just pulled the name out of no where. He says someone named Levi told him to ask me about her."
Squall had found his wife strolling around the Garden in one of the main hallways. It relieved him to see her because he needed to talk to her about Cid. They had decided to sit on one of the benches to talk. Although it wasn't the most private place, many people steered clear of Squall due to his position.
"Levi?" Rinoa asked.
"Yes," Squall sighed again, "He hears someone who's not there."
"Like an imaginary friend?" Rinoa suggested.
"Something like that, but he can't see him. Cid can only hear Levi. It's complicated. And Levi is the person who told Cid to ask me about Ultimecia."
"How can that be?" Rinoa wondered out loud, "Do you think it's safe to take Cid to the Training Center now?"
"I don't see how this will get in his way."
"Fine, then take him tonight, but take care of him."
Rinoa stood and began to walk around Balamb Garden with new fears of her son swimming inside her head. What should she do now?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Squall arrived at the entrance to the Training Center to see Zell and Quistis were already there in their battle clothes. Squall smiled as he remembered all the battles they had had together, and yet they had survived. And yet Squall felt that it hadn't been pure luck that they had all endured, that their strong bonds with each other had helped them.
"I brought four GFs." Squall informed his friends. He held out four glowing orbs. One orb seemed to glow a little brighter and what looked like snowflakes swirled around inside.
"Hey! It's Shiva!" Zell exclaimed, "I haven't fought with her since Ultimecia! I'll take her." Squall handed Shiva over to Zell and the orb glowed even brighter.
"It looks like she's happy to see you again." Quistis smiled. She looked at the three remaining GFs, "I believe I will take Carbuncle. I don't think Diablos and Quezacotl like me."
"You see Cid," Squall explained as he handed Carbuncle over to Quistis, "A GF will come when you call it, but if they don't like you, it will take longer for them to appear. Do you understand?"
"Yes, that's easy daddy." Squall was happy that Cid was catching on quick.
"But GFs are more important. You don't just summon them, they allow you to cast magic, use items, and other things."
"Okay, I think I get it." Cid scratched his head.
"It will be easier to show you." Squall handed Quezacotl over to Cid. The boy held the orb filled with lightning in his hand. He could feel the immense power coming from the glass sphere.
"Now do as we do." Squall instructed, "Hold the orb out with your right hand, and just let the GF enter your body."
"Enter your body?" It was hard for Squall to describe it.
"Allow the GF into your mind, let it become part of you." Cid looked over at Zell and Quistis. They both had their spheres in their hand and their eyes were closed. Both Zell and Quistis dropped their hands, but the orbs remained floating in the air. Carbuncle slowly moved to Quistis'' body until it made contact. The orb continued to move closer to Quistis. It wasn't until a few seconds later that Cid realized that the orb had entered her body right through her flesh. Zell's orb also flew straight into his chest.
The fact that Cid would have to let this sphere enter him as well scared Cid slightly, but he didn't want to let his father down. Cid closed his eyes and concentrated on the orb in front of him. He pictured the ball of lightning in his hand. The only thing Cid didn't know was when to let go. The sphere began to vibrate in his hand and Cid decided to release the sphere. He dropped his arm. Cid didn't hear any sound of something clattering to the ground, which told him that the orb was levitating on front of him.
"He's doing it!" Quistis' gasp reached his ears. Cid smiled with pride. He was finally succeeding in something his father wanted him to. A sudden pressure against his chest surprised Cid. He realized that he was junctioning with a GF. The tension on his body finally ended and Cid opened his eyes. He felt a sudden surge of power within himself. The power felt so strong that Cid felt he couldn't control it all, but he was able to sustain himself.
Squall smiled with pride. Cid had completed junctioning with Quezacotl. Even Squall had been unsuccessful the first time he had attempted to junction. Squall quickly junctioned with Diablos and turned toward Zell and Quistis.
"Let's go." Quistis and Zell turned and started down the hallway to the Training Center. Cid held out his hand toward Squall. Squall grasped it and thought that it was about time he had another talk with Cid.
"Okay, here's what I want to do." Squall informed his two friends, "I want one of you to form a party of three with me and Cid, while the other person stays out and protects us from any other unnecessary monster battles during these training sessions."
"I'm ready to fight!" Zell yelled and raised a fist and the air.
"Alright." Quistis agreed, "But I want some battles as well. Remember, as an instructor I can offer some good advice for Cid."
"Fine, we'll switch after a few battles." Zell conceded.
Squall noticed a group of Grats in one part of the Center. Grats were very basic monsters and a good starting point for Cid to begin his training.
"Let's head over there." Squall pointed to the group of Grats. Cid felt a pit form in his stomach. He hated monsters. They scared him so much, but he didn't want to let his dad down.
"It's alright." Squall placed a hand on his son's shoulder and led over to the group of monsters. Cid felt the urge to run away, but his father's hand on his shoulder somehow prevented him from running.
Squall placed his son in the middle position and took the position to Cid's left. Zell took the remaining position to Cid's right and prepared for battle. The Grats noticed the threat and decided to attack.
"Now son, the first thing you must learn is how to take damage." Squall told his son.
"Damage?" Cid could hear the fear rise in his voice.
"Don't be scared," Squall reassured him, "But you must learn to take damage before you can deal damage yourself."
Cid could feel the fear rise slowly within him. A single Grat set its sights on the weakest enemy in front of it - Cid. The pit in Cid's stomach seemed to grow ten times larger as Cid saw the Grat rush towards him. The fear inside him was strong now. He wanted desperately to run away, but was not able to. The fear rose up and consumed Cid. Even with the GF's power rushing through his body Cid didn't feel safe. He felt vulnerable and completely helpless. His fear overpowered him. He couldn't think of anything to do. He raised his arms in front of his face, waiting for the pain.
The monster was a few feet away when Squall heard Cid whisper, "Levi..." Instantly the monster exploded with a fiery blast. The flames rose up from no where and consumed the Grat. Squall recognized the blast. The creature fell to the ground at Cid's feet. Cid pulled away his arms, a questioning look on his face.
"Who cast Firaga?" Squall looked from Quistis to Zell, desperately wanting them to respond, "It was me."
"I didn't." came Quistis' answer from Squall's side. Squall looked over at Zell.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Zell immediately came to his own defense.
"Well, it wasn't Cid, now was it?" Squall snapped at them. Quistis instantly caught on to Squall.
He's angry. she thought, He's hiding something.
Squall refused to think that Cid's imaginary friend had just protected him from the Grat.
"Come on, Cid." Squall grabbed his son's arm, "The session is over." Squall left the Training Center, unanswered questions flying around in his head. He looked back at the boy he was tugging along. Did Cid really hear someone who was protecting him? What if Levi really existed? Or what if he didn't? Then who had cast the Firaga spell?
Squall finally had pulled Cid into the main corridors of Balamb Garden, when he stopped and knelt down to face his son.
"Cid, did Levi tell you anything about himself?"
Cid thought for a second and then answered, "Yes, he said he was a sorcerer, just like mommy!" Cid smiled with pride that he had a friend who could summon magic at any time. But Cid's smile slowly faded as he saw his father's face turn a pale white.
Squall heard someone hush him as he entered his room. It sounded like it had come from Cid's room. Squall opened the door to find Cid sitting on the floor staring at his bed.
"What are you doing Cid?" Squall asked. Cid looked up to his father instantly. He raised a finger to his mouth and whispered, "Shhhhh." Cid stood up and slightly pushed his father out of the room, following him out and closing the door behind him.
"He's asleep." Cid informed his father.
"Who's asleep?" Squall hadn't noticed anyone else in the room, had he missed someone? What if it was someone dangerous? Squall reached for the doorknob to see who was in Cid's room, but Cid stopped him.
"Don't worry daddy," Cid could tell Squall was a little worried of who he had in his room, "It's only Levi."
Levi. Squall thought of the name, but he couldn't remember anyone by that name. Squall decided to check on Levi. Perhaps then, a few things would be explained. Squall reached for the doorknob again.
"No, daddy!" Cid whispered, "You'll wake him up!" Cid tried to push his father's hand away again, but Squall refused to let his son stop him from seeing Levi. Squall pushed the door open and prepared for the worst. For all he knew, Levi could have a monster that had tricked his son until he was vulnerable.
Squall peered into the room, noticing it was empty. He walked into the room and looked around, checking in Cid's closet, under the bed, and behind the door. There was no one in the room.
"Cid, where is Levi?" Squall turned to see his son standing in the doorway.
"Asleep on the bed." Cid motioned toward his bed. Squall stared at it, looking for anything that could be Levi, but the bed was empty.
"Levi says you woke him up." Cid said from behind Squall. Squall turned toward his son again.
"When did Levi say that?"
"Just now." A puzzled look crossed Squall's face. Was Cid lying? Or did he really hear a voice?
"Levi says that you look strong. He wants to know if you killed any powerful monsters or anything."
Ultimecia. The name popped into his mind. He looked over at his son's questioning face. Squall hadn't ever found a good time to tell his son about Ultimecia. It was obvious that he heard the name before, but Squall had never told him the real story. He didn't feel like then was a good time to tell him the story either. Especially when it was Levi who was asking.
"No, son, I haven't beaten any strong creatures." Squall lied, "Cid, where is Levi? How can you hear him?"
"Levi says you're lying."
"What?" The comment caught Squall by surprise.
"Huh?" Cid asked to open space, "Okay, I'll ask him. Daddy do you know anyone named Ultimecia?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"No, Squall, I haven't mentioned Ultimecia to Cid yet." Rinoa's look was inquisitive, "Why?"
Squall sighed in confusion, "He just pulled the name out of no where. He says someone named Levi told him to ask me about her."
Squall had found his wife strolling around the Garden in one of the main hallways. It relieved him to see her because he needed to talk to her about Cid. They had decided to sit on one of the benches to talk. Although it wasn't the most private place, many people steered clear of Squall due to his position.
"Levi?" Rinoa asked.
"Yes," Squall sighed again, "He hears someone who's not there."
"Like an imaginary friend?" Rinoa suggested.
"Something like that, but he can't see him. Cid can only hear Levi. It's complicated. And Levi is the person who told Cid to ask me about Ultimecia."
"How can that be?" Rinoa wondered out loud, "Do you think it's safe to take Cid to the Training Center now?"
"I don't see how this will get in his way."
"Fine, then take him tonight, but take care of him."
Rinoa stood and began to walk around Balamb Garden with new fears of her son swimming inside her head. What should she do now?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Squall arrived at the entrance to the Training Center to see Zell and Quistis were already there in their battle clothes. Squall smiled as he remembered all the battles they had had together, and yet they had survived. And yet Squall felt that it hadn't been pure luck that they had all endured, that their strong bonds with each other had helped them.
"I brought four GFs." Squall informed his friends. He held out four glowing orbs. One orb seemed to glow a little brighter and what looked like snowflakes swirled around inside.
"Hey! It's Shiva!" Zell exclaimed, "I haven't fought with her since Ultimecia! I'll take her." Squall handed Shiva over to Zell and the orb glowed even brighter.
"It looks like she's happy to see you again." Quistis smiled. She looked at the three remaining GFs, "I believe I will take Carbuncle. I don't think Diablos and Quezacotl like me."
"You see Cid," Squall explained as he handed Carbuncle over to Quistis, "A GF will come when you call it, but if they don't like you, it will take longer for them to appear. Do you understand?"
"Yes, that's easy daddy." Squall was happy that Cid was catching on quick.
"But GFs are more important. You don't just summon them, they allow you to cast magic, use items, and other things."
"Okay, I think I get it." Cid scratched his head.
"It will be easier to show you." Squall handed Quezacotl over to Cid. The boy held the orb filled with lightning in his hand. He could feel the immense power coming from the glass sphere.
"Now do as we do." Squall instructed, "Hold the orb out with your right hand, and just let the GF enter your body."
"Enter your body?" It was hard for Squall to describe it.
"Allow the GF into your mind, let it become part of you." Cid looked over at Zell and Quistis. They both had their spheres in their hand and their eyes were closed. Both Zell and Quistis dropped their hands, but the orbs remained floating in the air. Carbuncle slowly moved to Quistis'' body until it made contact. The orb continued to move closer to Quistis. It wasn't until a few seconds later that Cid realized that the orb had entered her body right through her flesh. Zell's orb also flew straight into his chest.
The fact that Cid would have to let this sphere enter him as well scared Cid slightly, but he didn't want to let his father down. Cid closed his eyes and concentrated on the orb in front of him. He pictured the ball of lightning in his hand. The only thing Cid didn't know was when to let go. The sphere began to vibrate in his hand and Cid decided to release the sphere. He dropped his arm. Cid didn't hear any sound of something clattering to the ground, which told him that the orb was levitating on front of him.
"He's doing it!" Quistis' gasp reached his ears. Cid smiled with pride. He was finally succeeding in something his father wanted him to. A sudden pressure against his chest surprised Cid. He realized that he was junctioning with a GF. The tension on his body finally ended and Cid opened his eyes. He felt a sudden surge of power within himself. The power felt so strong that Cid felt he couldn't control it all, but he was able to sustain himself.
Squall smiled with pride. Cid had completed junctioning with Quezacotl. Even Squall had been unsuccessful the first time he had attempted to junction. Squall quickly junctioned with Diablos and turned toward Zell and Quistis.
"Let's go." Quistis and Zell turned and started down the hallway to the Training Center. Cid held out his hand toward Squall. Squall grasped it and thought that it was about time he had another talk with Cid.
"Okay, here's what I want to do." Squall informed his two friends, "I want one of you to form a party of three with me and Cid, while the other person stays out and protects us from any other unnecessary monster battles during these training sessions."
"I'm ready to fight!" Zell yelled and raised a fist and the air.
"Alright." Quistis agreed, "But I want some battles as well. Remember, as an instructor I can offer some good advice for Cid."
"Fine, we'll switch after a few battles." Zell conceded.
Squall noticed a group of Grats in one part of the Center. Grats were very basic monsters and a good starting point for Cid to begin his training.
"Let's head over there." Squall pointed to the group of Grats. Cid felt a pit form in his stomach. He hated monsters. They scared him so much, but he didn't want to let his dad down.
"It's alright." Squall placed a hand on his son's shoulder and led over to the group of monsters. Cid felt the urge to run away, but his father's hand on his shoulder somehow prevented him from running.
Squall placed his son in the middle position and took the position to Cid's left. Zell took the remaining position to Cid's right and prepared for battle. The Grats noticed the threat and decided to attack.
"Now son, the first thing you must learn is how to take damage." Squall told his son.
"Damage?" Cid could hear the fear rise in his voice.
"Don't be scared," Squall reassured him, "But you must learn to take damage before you can deal damage yourself."
Cid could feel the fear rise slowly within him. A single Grat set its sights on the weakest enemy in front of it - Cid. The pit in Cid's stomach seemed to grow ten times larger as Cid saw the Grat rush towards him. The fear inside him was strong now. He wanted desperately to run away, but was not able to. The fear rose up and consumed Cid. Even with the GF's power rushing through his body Cid didn't feel safe. He felt vulnerable and completely helpless. His fear overpowered him. He couldn't think of anything to do. He raised his arms in front of his face, waiting for the pain.
The monster was a few feet away when Squall heard Cid whisper, "Levi..." Instantly the monster exploded with a fiery blast. The flames rose up from no where and consumed the Grat. Squall recognized the blast. The creature fell to the ground at Cid's feet. Cid pulled away his arms, a questioning look on his face.
"Who cast Firaga?" Squall looked from Quistis to Zell, desperately wanting them to respond, "It was me."
"I didn't." came Quistis' answer from Squall's side. Squall looked over at Zell.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Zell immediately came to his own defense.
"Well, it wasn't Cid, now was it?" Squall snapped at them. Quistis instantly caught on to Squall.
He's angry. she thought, He's hiding something.
Squall refused to think that Cid's imaginary friend had just protected him from the Grat.
"Come on, Cid." Squall grabbed his son's arm, "The session is over." Squall left the Training Center, unanswered questions flying around in his head. He looked back at the boy he was tugging along. Did Cid really hear someone who was protecting him? What if Levi really existed? Or what if he didn't? Then who had cast the Firaga spell?
Squall finally had pulled Cid into the main corridors of Balamb Garden, when he stopped and knelt down to face his son.
"Cid, did Levi tell you anything about himself?"
Cid thought for a second and then answered, "Yes, he said he was a sorcerer, just like mommy!" Cid smiled with pride that he had a friend who could summon magic at any time. But Cid's smile slowly faded as he saw his father's face turn a pale white.