The black and glittering city lay before Torrin's feet. The cold wind pulled at her copper hair. The tight black SeeD outfit kept her plenty warm though. She lifted the night goggles to her eyes once more to check on the progress of the others.
"I hope you can fly." Came a voice from behind her
"Huh?…Wha-" A hand pushed her and her foot slipped.
She desperately tried to grab on to something, anything! A scream of fear caught in her throat as she realized it was hopeless. The ground raced up to embrace her.
"AAAHHHHH!"
Siefer awoke with a start at the sound of his daughters voice. He grabbed hyperion and ran from his room never minding all he wore was his silk pajama pants. Torrin's door was locked but one blow with his shoulder brought it crashing open. Torrin was tangled in her blanket thrashing. Siefer realizing there wasn't a threat left his weapon by the door.
"Tor." he whispered as he shook her gently. "Wake up. It's another nightmare." Torrin's eyes opened. They always amazed Siefer. Emerald green, they winked unnaturally in the light.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, it's me." He said brushing her hair back.
Torrin leaned forward and clung to him. Something that she hadn't done since she was ten. "Sorry." Her voice was choked with fear.
Siefer had never seen her like this. "What did you dream that made you so afraid?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She said pulling away from him.
Siefer sensed his dismissal. It hurt him. He had once been so close to his daughter, now…she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a SeeD candidate. He had seen so many girls steel themselves so they could do what was required of them. Taking Torrin to Balamb was the hardest thing he had ever done, knowing what she would become.
Quistis stood in the door frame and walked silently with him back down the hall. When they shut the door behind them she kissed him. "You can't hang on to her forever Siefer."
Siefer surrounded Quistis in his arms. He need to hang on to someone. He was afraid of losing his daughter. He didn't want to return her to Balamb tomorrow. At the same time though he knew he had to. There was no choice. She had to learn to fight, and she had to master her strange GF. To much depended on it.
"I know." He whispered into his wife's hair. "I can't help loving her and she pushes me away."
Quistis laughed softly. "Oh Siefer, I wish you could see how much you mean to her. You're her role model. She wants to follow in your foot steps."
Siefer shut his eyes against his thoughts. "I know…that's what scares me."
"Damon!" Damon turned in time to catch Torrin before she completely ran him over.
"Hey! It's good to see you. Ready for the new year?" Damon greeted smiling down at his childhood friend.
"Of course I am. They can throw everything they got at me. I can take it." She flashed him a smile. "Seen Sky yet?"
"No." He tried not to look around. He didn't want to be too obvious about liking her. "You two rooming together again this year?"
"Yep. I pulled a few strings." Torrin said giving him a sly look.
Damon laughed. "Whined to your dad?"
Torrin shrugged. "Hey whatever works, right?"
Damon laughed again hugging her. "It really is good to see you again. Are you looking forward to seeing Dex?"
A dark look came over Torrin's face. "No! Does he call me once over break? No! He can rot for all I care."
Damon was surprised. "What? That's not like him."
"Yeah, well whatever. Oh I see the folks, got to go before Siefer decides it's time to see if he can still drag me home. Later."
"Later." Damon said watching Torrin head over to her mom and dad.
Damon leaned against a pillar watching people saying their goodbyes to their parents. Not very many students had parents so the number was small. Damon felt a bit odd. His adoptive parents loved him, he knew that, but he considered himself an orphan.
Dracos laughed in his head. Damon wasn't on good terms with his GF. He never had been.
"Am I intruding on deep thoughts?"
Damon turned to see Dex grinning in the way that meant trouble. "Hey man."
Dex laughed. "So we ready to turn this place upside down and give Squall an ulcer?"
"You bet. It promises to be an exciting year."
"Oh yeah. You seen the girls yet?"
"I saw Tor, but you might want to stay clear of her." Dex got a confused look on his face, and Damon went on to explain. "She's mad you didn't call her once over break."
"Damn it!" Dex slammed his fist into the pillar. Damon could feel it vibrate. "I was training with my dad in the mountains. I didn't call cause half the time I was freezing my ass off and the rest of the time I was getting it kicked by the monsters up there. Plus there was no phones."
"Well good luck trying to explain that to her."
"Geez, women." Dex exclaimed in frustration. Damon was trying hard not to laugh.
"What about us?" Came a voice that made you think about silk. Cassandra stood on air in front of them and next to her Skylla. Cassandra could have been a supermodel if she wanted to be. It was clear that a lot of the guys at garden had a crush on her. Still it was Sky, Damon couldn't pull his eyes off of.
Dex sighed. "Maybe you two can help me. Torrin's mad at me for not talking to her over break, but I couldn't. Can't you two smooth things over?"
Cassandra and Skylla exchanged doubtful looks. Sky patted Dex on the shoulder. "I think it would be best if you tried talking to her. She has a bit of a temper, if you know what I mean."
"No doubt she gets it from her dad." The four turned to see Zell had come up to them.
However Zell hadn't seen Siefer coming up behind him. "Want to repeat that chicken-wuss!"
Cassandra, Skylla, Dex, and Damon moved off to avoid standing around, watching the argument. It would only make matters worse. Dex shook his head. "You think our parents could meet once with out getting into a fight."
"So much for adults being mature." Commented Cassandra.
"Oh well, it's a wonderful start to a new year." Sky said with a wink at them.
They group laughed together as they head to their rooms. Together…at last.
Eveonna Loire walked into the bar ignoring several leers aimed at her. Her black hair was braid into one long plait. It made her red earring clearly visible and made those wishing her harm think twice. At the same time it made her a target, a fact she was well aware of. This might not have been a good idea. A phone call had awaken her in the middle of the night.
"You seek information on the Alliance. I can tell you what you need to know for a hundred thousand gil. Bring it with you to the Stabbed Heart bar in lower Esthar, by two this morning. This is your only chance."
The voice had told her no more then that. Still if he knew something it was worth the risk. She had plenty of echo screens with her. She could handle anything.
She scanned the bar looking for someone who knew her. A man sitting in a booth at the back motioned at her. To her surprise he was young. Maybe her age or a year or two older, no more. He had well toned arms, blonde hair and strange glowing eyes. He also carried a huge sword on his back. She sat down and slid a bit chip with the gil stored on it. The money was nothing to her. The man pocketed it quickly enough.
"Who are you?" Eveonna challenged.
"I'm know as Cloud Strife."
Something about this man made Eveonna nervous. "You have information on the Alliance?"
Cloud nodded. "I have a condition first. Your word that if you move against them you will bring me with you."
"I work alone." Eveonna sneered. Who did this guy think he was?
Cloud however shook his head. "Not this time. Your word."
Eveonna thought about it. She never broke her word and didn't plan to. Still the chances of her moving against the Alliance was slim to none. "Alright you have my word Cloud Strife. Now what do you know."
"The Alliance are once again massing their forces, this time in Galbadia. Their leader has returned to them and when they launch they will be launching a massive assault."
"But what do they hope to gain?"
"Something they refer to only as the weapon. It appears Garden has it."
Eveonna shook her head. She hated Garden. It looked like it was time to call her cousin though. She need to know that she was in danger and maybe she could bargain. Something had happened last year between Garden and the Alliance. Eveonna needed to know what but it was classified information, very classified. One thing was for sure though, the Alliance was moving, it was time to end that threat.
"I hope you can fly." Came a voice from behind her
"Huh?…Wha-" A hand pushed her and her foot slipped.
She desperately tried to grab on to something, anything! A scream of fear caught in her throat as she realized it was hopeless. The ground raced up to embrace her.
"AAAHHHHH!"
Siefer awoke with a start at the sound of his daughters voice. He grabbed hyperion and ran from his room never minding all he wore was his silk pajama pants. Torrin's door was locked but one blow with his shoulder brought it crashing open. Torrin was tangled in her blanket thrashing. Siefer realizing there wasn't a threat left his weapon by the door.
"Tor." he whispered as he shook her gently. "Wake up. It's another nightmare." Torrin's eyes opened. They always amazed Siefer. Emerald green, they winked unnaturally in the light.
"Dad?"
"Yeah, it's me." He said brushing her hair back.
Torrin leaned forward and clung to him. Something that she hadn't done since she was ten. "Sorry." Her voice was choked with fear.
Siefer had never seen her like this. "What did you dream that made you so afraid?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She said pulling away from him.
Siefer sensed his dismissal. It hurt him. He had once been so close to his daughter, now…she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was a SeeD candidate. He had seen so many girls steel themselves so they could do what was required of them. Taking Torrin to Balamb was the hardest thing he had ever done, knowing what she would become.
Quistis stood in the door frame and walked silently with him back down the hall. When they shut the door behind them she kissed him. "You can't hang on to her forever Siefer."
Siefer surrounded Quistis in his arms. He need to hang on to someone. He was afraid of losing his daughter. He didn't want to return her to Balamb tomorrow. At the same time though he knew he had to. There was no choice. She had to learn to fight, and she had to master her strange GF. To much depended on it.
"I know." He whispered into his wife's hair. "I can't help loving her and she pushes me away."
Quistis laughed softly. "Oh Siefer, I wish you could see how much you mean to her. You're her role model. She wants to follow in your foot steps."
Siefer shut his eyes against his thoughts. "I know…that's what scares me."
"Damon!" Damon turned in time to catch Torrin before she completely ran him over.
"Hey! It's good to see you. Ready for the new year?" Damon greeted smiling down at his childhood friend.
"Of course I am. They can throw everything they got at me. I can take it." She flashed him a smile. "Seen Sky yet?"
"No." He tried not to look around. He didn't want to be too obvious about liking her. "You two rooming together again this year?"
"Yep. I pulled a few strings." Torrin said giving him a sly look.
Damon laughed. "Whined to your dad?"
Torrin shrugged. "Hey whatever works, right?"
Damon laughed again hugging her. "It really is good to see you again. Are you looking forward to seeing Dex?"
A dark look came over Torrin's face. "No! Does he call me once over break? No! He can rot for all I care."
Damon was surprised. "What? That's not like him."
"Yeah, well whatever. Oh I see the folks, got to go before Siefer decides it's time to see if he can still drag me home. Later."
"Later." Damon said watching Torrin head over to her mom and dad.
Damon leaned against a pillar watching people saying their goodbyes to their parents. Not very many students had parents so the number was small. Damon felt a bit odd. His adoptive parents loved him, he knew that, but he considered himself an orphan.
Dracos laughed in his head. Damon wasn't on good terms with his GF. He never had been.
"Am I intruding on deep thoughts?"
Damon turned to see Dex grinning in the way that meant trouble. "Hey man."
Dex laughed. "So we ready to turn this place upside down and give Squall an ulcer?"
"You bet. It promises to be an exciting year."
"Oh yeah. You seen the girls yet?"
"I saw Tor, but you might want to stay clear of her." Dex got a confused look on his face, and Damon went on to explain. "She's mad you didn't call her once over break."
"Damn it!" Dex slammed his fist into the pillar. Damon could feel it vibrate. "I was training with my dad in the mountains. I didn't call cause half the time I was freezing my ass off and the rest of the time I was getting it kicked by the monsters up there. Plus there was no phones."
"Well good luck trying to explain that to her."
"Geez, women." Dex exclaimed in frustration. Damon was trying hard not to laugh.
"What about us?" Came a voice that made you think about silk. Cassandra stood on air in front of them and next to her Skylla. Cassandra could have been a supermodel if she wanted to be. It was clear that a lot of the guys at garden had a crush on her. Still it was Sky, Damon couldn't pull his eyes off of.
Dex sighed. "Maybe you two can help me. Torrin's mad at me for not talking to her over break, but I couldn't. Can't you two smooth things over?"
Cassandra and Skylla exchanged doubtful looks. Sky patted Dex on the shoulder. "I think it would be best if you tried talking to her. She has a bit of a temper, if you know what I mean."
"No doubt she gets it from her dad." The four turned to see Zell had come up to them.
However Zell hadn't seen Siefer coming up behind him. "Want to repeat that chicken-wuss!"
Cassandra, Skylla, Dex, and Damon moved off to avoid standing around, watching the argument. It would only make matters worse. Dex shook his head. "You think our parents could meet once with out getting into a fight."
"So much for adults being mature." Commented Cassandra.
"Oh well, it's a wonderful start to a new year." Sky said with a wink at them.
They group laughed together as they head to their rooms. Together…at last.
Eveonna Loire walked into the bar ignoring several leers aimed at her. Her black hair was braid into one long plait. It made her red earring clearly visible and made those wishing her harm think twice. At the same time it made her a target, a fact she was well aware of. This might not have been a good idea. A phone call had awaken her in the middle of the night.
"You seek information on the Alliance. I can tell you what you need to know for a hundred thousand gil. Bring it with you to the Stabbed Heart bar in lower Esthar, by two this morning. This is your only chance."
The voice had told her no more then that. Still if he knew something it was worth the risk. She had plenty of echo screens with her. She could handle anything.
She scanned the bar looking for someone who knew her. A man sitting in a booth at the back motioned at her. To her surprise he was young. Maybe her age or a year or two older, no more. He had well toned arms, blonde hair and strange glowing eyes. He also carried a huge sword on his back. She sat down and slid a bit chip with the gil stored on it. The money was nothing to her. The man pocketed it quickly enough.
"Who are you?" Eveonna challenged.
"I'm know as Cloud Strife."
Something about this man made Eveonna nervous. "You have information on the Alliance?"
Cloud nodded. "I have a condition first. Your word that if you move against them you will bring me with you."
"I work alone." Eveonna sneered. Who did this guy think he was?
Cloud however shook his head. "Not this time. Your word."
Eveonna thought about it. She never broke her word and didn't plan to. Still the chances of her moving against the Alliance was slim to none. "Alright you have my word Cloud Strife. Now what do you know."
"The Alliance are once again massing their forces, this time in Galbadia. Their leader has returned to them and when they launch they will be launching a massive assault."
"But what do they hope to gain?"
"Something they refer to only as the weapon. It appears Garden has it."
Eveonna shook her head. She hated Garden. It looked like it was time to call her cousin though. She need to know that she was in danger and maybe she could bargain. Something had happened last year between Garden and the Alliance. Eveonna needed to know what but it was classified information, very classified. One thing was for sure though, the Alliance was moving, it was time to end that threat.