The six people in the room stared at Seifer as if he had grown purple horns
with pink polka dots. With a feather on top.
"So let me get this straight." Zell said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Quistis, who is now a GF named Morgan, has ordered you to find her heart upon penalty of your soul??!"
Seifer nodded his head. "Yup. 'Bout sums it up."
Cid took his glasses off and pinched his nose bridge. Xu rifled through her purse briefly, bringing out a bottle of Aspirin. After taking a pill, she tossed the bottle to Squall, who followed suit. Selphie sat, silently regarding the floor, while Irvine maintained his firm hold on her hand, staring at the mutually interesting floor. Seifer sighed, thankful that this 'Morgan' had not put a time limit on his little quest. Otherwise he'd probably be screwed.
"And the Vengeance Stone turned her into the GF Morgan?" Cid asked, blinking. Seifer nodded his head again.
"Uh... What did she mean by 'find my heart?'" Selphie asked suddenly, looking up and meeting Seifer's eyes. Seifer shrugged.
"Shiva was kind enough to inform me that her heart turned into a gem or something, and it's pieces scattered around. I have to find the pieces, put them back together, and present it to Morgan so she can destroy it. By destroying her heart, she will forever seal her fate as a GF. Which is why I would like to request a team to help me research the subject. It is, after all, my soul on the line here. We must, of course, find some way to make Quistis back into... Quistis."
Cid sighed, long and deep, cleaning his glasses, nodding his head all the while. "Granted. Take as many SeeDs as you need. Submit a report of your progress every 24 hours. As far as your alternative exam went, consider yourself a SeeD Mr. Almsy. You'll find your new uniform in your new quarters. Room 56, second hall to the right in the dorm."
"Sir... I'll need to know more about Instructor Trepe, in order to find her heart..."
Cid nodded his head again. He rummaged through his desk, picked out a card key, and tossed it to Seifer.
"It's my skeleton key. Use it to get into Quistis' room. Please return it after you've found what you need." Cid said, suddenly looking years older.
Seifer stiffly saluted, then exited the room. Squall and the rest of the 'Heroes' followed in silence.
"Who are you going to pick to assist you?" Selphie asked timidly.
"Probably Fuujin and Raijin, maybe Judy." Seifer said absentmindedly. Zell perked up slightly at the mention of his girlfriend's name. The library girl would defiantly come in handy for a situation like this. Fuujin was, in all seriousness, a complete and total bookworm, with a large collection of rare books that she had yet to even read, a number about the Guardian Forces Balamb Garden depended on so much. And where there was Fuujin, there always had to be Raijin.
The train of people entered the elevator, silence falling over them. The elevator dinged as its doors opened on the first floor, and the crew silently exited. Squall, Irvine, and Selphie all headed towards the infirmary to keep vigil over Quistis' prone form, while Zell took off in the direction of the training center. Seifer frowned at the keys in his head. One was to his dorm. The other...
With a shrug and a sly grin, Seifer strode towards the dorms. At least he'd get to take a peek in the famed instructor's underwear drawer... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
B......... She's doomed./B Shiva stated flatly. Siren simply sighed, strumming absent-mindedly on her harp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seifer began whistling as he strode away from the library, trademark smirk on his lips, oozing an attitude. He had just informed Fuujin and the rest of what he needed from them. Fuujin promised that she would stop by his new place with any new findings. It was time for Seifer to do his part. His smirk widened as he stopped in front of room 31: Miss Quistis Trepe's quarters.
"My mission? To boldly go where no man has gone before..." Seifer muttered as he fiddled with the lock. With a satisfying "click" the door unlocked, and swished open. Seifer stepped inside, and took a wary look around as the door automatically closed behind him. The room, which must serve as Quistis' living room was... Bear to say the least. No pictures adorned the plain, eggshell white walls. Plain, square tables held lamps to either side of a large, white couch that faced a bookcase filled with books. Seifer raised an eyebrow. The only piece of technology in the room was a telephone, which was hanging on the wall closest to what looked like the kitchen.
The kitchen was small. Very small. 'Tiny' didn't serve justice to the cooking area. A small 2-eye stove sat atop an equally small oven, with a small expanse of counter before a single, large sink appeared. The refrigerator looked ridiculously big in the room, humming softly. The kitchen was almost entirely done in tans and creams save the stove and oven which were silver.
Seifer raised an eyebrow. This was not how he pictured the great Quistis Trepe living. With a shrug he strode down a small hall, noting the bathroom on the left hand side, to the only bedroom.
The bedroom was really the only place in the dorm that looked slightly decorated. The carpet was a pale blue (A welcome change from the plain white stuff through the rest of the place), setting off the pale, pale yellow wallpaper. The queen-sized bed was covered with a thick yellow blanket, just darker than the color on the walls. A small desk sat in a corner of the room, with a lamp and a book placed neatly on top. Curious, Seifer walked over and picked up the book, flipping to a random page. He was mildly surprised to discover the book as Quistis' journal.
Seifer grinned, and snapped the small, blue book shut, placing it in his pocket as he headed towards the door.
"Mission accomplished." Seifer declared as he exited the dorm, deciding that the diary was his number one priority.
After all, how often do you get the chance to read a dear instructor's diary? ----------------------------------------------------------------------
~June 12
He caught me crying again today.
I know that I shouldn't have been, but I tripped when I was playing outside, and fell into a rosebush. Darla's prized Red and White rosebush. The thorns scratched me everywhere, and it hurt really bad every time I tried to get out. I managed wriggle free, but it hurt so much I started to cry. Just a little, nothing like the grand tantrums Edward throws every time he doesn't get his way.
But He was just happening by when he heard me sniffle. He dragged me inside, not saying a word. He carried me into my room. Then he started to yell again. The usual things, how a Trepe never cries, how he wished that he hadn't adopted this "weak link" into his family. He decided to give me something to cry about...
I hate this place. I hate it I hate it I hate it. I promised myself that I'd never cry, even when it hurts. Even when the kids at school pick on me for living with a rich family, even when He beats me, and that no matter what I'm going to find some way to escape. I'm not going to run away, only the weak run from problems. And I can't be weak. Not ever. I have to be strong... Have to try my best...
I turned in an application for Garden today, without Him finding out. It should take a few months for them to process, but I'm sure they'll accept me after I turn 10. He can't get me at Garden...
I hate Darla. I hate her roses. I hate her son.
~
Seifer frowned, setting down the diary slowly. Quistis had started her little diary at 8, and he had read up until she was almost 10. She had, apparently, been adopted into a well-to-do family, The Trepes. But the woman responsible for her adoption died suddenly (Quistis didn't write the cause of death, just that she had died). Up until that point she had been calling her new parents Mother and Father. But something had made her father change into a much different person. From what Seifer could tell, he beat her fairly often. If her grades slipped below an A+, she was grounded until her grade was pulled above and beyond most capabilities of the average 9 year old. When she wasn't at school, she was studying. Never allowed to play, never allowed to have friends, always had to be five steps ahead of her peers.
With a sigh, Seifer rubbed his temples. This... Was going to be a little difficult. More than a little, a lot difficult.
Yay.
There was more to read, so much more.
More, in fact, than Seifer cared to read on an empty stomach.
Like magic a soft knock was heard on Seifer's door. Tossing the diary carelessly on the coffee table that held everything else BUT coffee, Seifer rose from his couch to greet what was probably Fuujin at the door.
And sure enough, when the door slid open with a subtle "swish," Fuujin stood silently, notes in one hand, a tray from the cafeteria in the other.
"Ah, a life saver as always! I was just thinking about food." Seifer said, giving Fuu his most charming smile as he relieved her of the tray. Fuu rolled her eyes, brushing past Seifer to enter his quarters. Smile morphing into smirk, Seifer closed his door and, after knocking off a stack of "Weapons Monthly," set the tray neatly on his dining area table.
"You talk, I eat?" Seifer asked, eyeing the notepad covered in the chocobo- scratch that was Fuujin's handwriting. Fuu simply nodded her head, pulling up a chair across from her long-time friend.
"I found some rather... Surprising things." Fuu began softly as Seifer bit into a hotdog. Contrary to popular belief, Fuu was perfectly capable of talking in complete, non-shouting sentences. Her unique way of talking in public made those who were unaware uneasy and set them off guard. Fuu, of course, used this to her full advantage to get whatever she needed from said people.
"Like?" Seifer prompted, mouth full of half-chewed pig parts.
"Well, a few of my older books confirmed that GFs are created when a creature, and this isn't limited to just humans mind you, is holding a Vengeance Stone right before their time of passing on. The stone reads who you are, and your subconscious mind chooses whether or not to allow the energy to come within. If you allow it, even if you aren't consciously aware of your decision, it comes into you. It's like the life draining from you is replaced with the energy within, and that is the only way the power within can be tapped."
Seifer grinned, thinking of all the scientists beating their brains out trying to find a way to access the energy. If only they had taken time to actually READ about the stone, instead of throw every experiment in the book at it!
"Once the power is within you, it evolves your body into a higher being. Refines a power you once had, gives you access to power we can only dream of. And then it sends your 'being' into a Place. A place we can only access through our GF orbs to summon them."
Seifer finished his hotdog and started on another, thinking about what Fuu was saying.
"Now, normally once you become what we call a Guardian Force, you're stuck like that. To eternally aid whomever gains your orbs. Some you must fight with to earn their aid."
"Like Ifrit or Diablos?" Seifer interrupted, sipping his soda.
"Yes. Exactly like them. They choose to be of this world and challenge those who want the added power of that GF. The GF, in turn, grants his orb in return for being beaten. Therefore, many people with that GF are running around."
Seifer had to grin at that. Everybody and their brother had Ifrit at Balamb.
"But others end up with only one single orb available, and are content to just aid whomever asks for it."
"You said that 'normally' being a GF is permanent. Why only normally?" Seifer asked with a frown.
"When a GF is created, their heartstone, or a physical concentration of all that makes the individual them, is shattered. Their stone was complete, or they had experienced every emotion there was to feel. They had all known the pains and joys of love, and since a GF cannot feel this emotion, they could choose to live without it. But Quistis was incomplete. She only knew the pain of it. So, instead of shattering into a thousand pieces, which would by the way eventually evolve into magic, her heartstone just... broke. It can be repaired."
"And can we fix her when we put it back together?" Seifer asked slowly.
"Perhaps. It's never happened before. Once put together, her heartstone is incomplete. We must fill the final void, so that she may re-evaluate her decision to become a GF. If she decides that whatever it was that completed her is worth staying in the mortal world, she should go back to good ol' Icebitch. If it isn't enough... Well, at least you'll have a super strong GF?" Fuu supplied with an indifferent shrug.
"Ok... So how do we find the pieces to her stone thingy?"
"In the places of her strongest emotions." Fuu said simply.
Seifer smirked at the simple diary lying innocently on the coffee table.
"You know, Fuu, I might have just the way of finding just such places."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B Did I mention Quistis is doomed?/B Shiva asked flatly.
B Several times, dear Shiva. /B Siren replied with a small, warm laugh.
B Just checking. Because she's doomed. /B
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AN:
Miss me, dear sweet readers? This chappy was long in coming, and doesn't make up for it in content. What can I say? Writer's Block is a bitch. There might be a few flaws in the writing, and I'm going to repost the two previous chapters with the proper revisions to them.
Till next chappy!
"So let me get this straight." Zell said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Quistis, who is now a GF named Morgan, has ordered you to find her heart upon penalty of your soul??!"
Seifer nodded his head. "Yup. 'Bout sums it up."
Cid took his glasses off and pinched his nose bridge. Xu rifled through her purse briefly, bringing out a bottle of Aspirin. After taking a pill, she tossed the bottle to Squall, who followed suit. Selphie sat, silently regarding the floor, while Irvine maintained his firm hold on her hand, staring at the mutually interesting floor. Seifer sighed, thankful that this 'Morgan' had not put a time limit on his little quest. Otherwise he'd probably be screwed.
"And the Vengeance Stone turned her into the GF Morgan?" Cid asked, blinking. Seifer nodded his head again.
"Uh... What did she mean by 'find my heart?'" Selphie asked suddenly, looking up and meeting Seifer's eyes. Seifer shrugged.
"Shiva was kind enough to inform me that her heart turned into a gem or something, and it's pieces scattered around. I have to find the pieces, put them back together, and present it to Morgan so she can destroy it. By destroying her heart, she will forever seal her fate as a GF. Which is why I would like to request a team to help me research the subject. It is, after all, my soul on the line here. We must, of course, find some way to make Quistis back into... Quistis."
Cid sighed, long and deep, cleaning his glasses, nodding his head all the while. "Granted. Take as many SeeDs as you need. Submit a report of your progress every 24 hours. As far as your alternative exam went, consider yourself a SeeD Mr. Almsy. You'll find your new uniform in your new quarters. Room 56, second hall to the right in the dorm."
"Sir... I'll need to know more about Instructor Trepe, in order to find her heart..."
Cid nodded his head again. He rummaged through his desk, picked out a card key, and tossed it to Seifer.
"It's my skeleton key. Use it to get into Quistis' room. Please return it after you've found what you need." Cid said, suddenly looking years older.
Seifer stiffly saluted, then exited the room. Squall and the rest of the 'Heroes' followed in silence.
"Who are you going to pick to assist you?" Selphie asked timidly.
"Probably Fuujin and Raijin, maybe Judy." Seifer said absentmindedly. Zell perked up slightly at the mention of his girlfriend's name. The library girl would defiantly come in handy for a situation like this. Fuujin was, in all seriousness, a complete and total bookworm, with a large collection of rare books that she had yet to even read, a number about the Guardian Forces Balamb Garden depended on so much. And where there was Fuujin, there always had to be Raijin.
The train of people entered the elevator, silence falling over them. The elevator dinged as its doors opened on the first floor, and the crew silently exited. Squall, Irvine, and Selphie all headed towards the infirmary to keep vigil over Quistis' prone form, while Zell took off in the direction of the training center. Seifer frowned at the keys in his head. One was to his dorm. The other...
With a shrug and a sly grin, Seifer strode towards the dorms. At least he'd get to take a peek in the famed instructor's underwear drawer... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
B......... She's doomed./B Shiva stated flatly. Siren simply sighed, strumming absent-mindedly on her harp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seifer began whistling as he strode away from the library, trademark smirk on his lips, oozing an attitude. He had just informed Fuujin and the rest of what he needed from them. Fuujin promised that she would stop by his new place with any new findings. It was time for Seifer to do his part. His smirk widened as he stopped in front of room 31: Miss Quistis Trepe's quarters.
"My mission? To boldly go where no man has gone before..." Seifer muttered as he fiddled with the lock. With a satisfying "click" the door unlocked, and swished open. Seifer stepped inside, and took a wary look around as the door automatically closed behind him. The room, which must serve as Quistis' living room was... Bear to say the least. No pictures adorned the plain, eggshell white walls. Plain, square tables held lamps to either side of a large, white couch that faced a bookcase filled with books. Seifer raised an eyebrow. The only piece of technology in the room was a telephone, which was hanging on the wall closest to what looked like the kitchen.
The kitchen was small. Very small. 'Tiny' didn't serve justice to the cooking area. A small 2-eye stove sat atop an equally small oven, with a small expanse of counter before a single, large sink appeared. The refrigerator looked ridiculously big in the room, humming softly. The kitchen was almost entirely done in tans and creams save the stove and oven which were silver.
Seifer raised an eyebrow. This was not how he pictured the great Quistis Trepe living. With a shrug he strode down a small hall, noting the bathroom on the left hand side, to the only bedroom.
The bedroom was really the only place in the dorm that looked slightly decorated. The carpet was a pale blue (A welcome change from the plain white stuff through the rest of the place), setting off the pale, pale yellow wallpaper. The queen-sized bed was covered with a thick yellow blanket, just darker than the color on the walls. A small desk sat in a corner of the room, with a lamp and a book placed neatly on top. Curious, Seifer walked over and picked up the book, flipping to a random page. He was mildly surprised to discover the book as Quistis' journal.
Seifer grinned, and snapped the small, blue book shut, placing it in his pocket as he headed towards the door.
"Mission accomplished." Seifer declared as he exited the dorm, deciding that the diary was his number one priority.
After all, how often do you get the chance to read a dear instructor's diary? ----------------------------------------------------------------------
~June 12
He caught me crying again today.
I know that I shouldn't have been, but I tripped when I was playing outside, and fell into a rosebush. Darla's prized Red and White rosebush. The thorns scratched me everywhere, and it hurt really bad every time I tried to get out. I managed wriggle free, but it hurt so much I started to cry. Just a little, nothing like the grand tantrums Edward throws every time he doesn't get his way.
But He was just happening by when he heard me sniffle. He dragged me inside, not saying a word. He carried me into my room. Then he started to yell again. The usual things, how a Trepe never cries, how he wished that he hadn't adopted this "weak link" into his family. He decided to give me something to cry about...
I hate this place. I hate it I hate it I hate it. I promised myself that I'd never cry, even when it hurts. Even when the kids at school pick on me for living with a rich family, even when He beats me, and that no matter what I'm going to find some way to escape. I'm not going to run away, only the weak run from problems. And I can't be weak. Not ever. I have to be strong... Have to try my best...
I turned in an application for Garden today, without Him finding out. It should take a few months for them to process, but I'm sure they'll accept me after I turn 10. He can't get me at Garden...
I hate Darla. I hate her roses. I hate her son.
~
Seifer frowned, setting down the diary slowly. Quistis had started her little diary at 8, and he had read up until she was almost 10. She had, apparently, been adopted into a well-to-do family, The Trepes. But the woman responsible for her adoption died suddenly (Quistis didn't write the cause of death, just that she had died). Up until that point she had been calling her new parents Mother and Father. But something had made her father change into a much different person. From what Seifer could tell, he beat her fairly often. If her grades slipped below an A+, she was grounded until her grade was pulled above and beyond most capabilities of the average 9 year old. When she wasn't at school, she was studying. Never allowed to play, never allowed to have friends, always had to be five steps ahead of her peers.
With a sigh, Seifer rubbed his temples. This... Was going to be a little difficult. More than a little, a lot difficult.
Yay.
There was more to read, so much more.
More, in fact, than Seifer cared to read on an empty stomach.
Like magic a soft knock was heard on Seifer's door. Tossing the diary carelessly on the coffee table that held everything else BUT coffee, Seifer rose from his couch to greet what was probably Fuujin at the door.
And sure enough, when the door slid open with a subtle "swish," Fuujin stood silently, notes in one hand, a tray from the cafeteria in the other.
"Ah, a life saver as always! I was just thinking about food." Seifer said, giving Fuu his most charming smile as he relieved her of the tray. Fuu rolled her eyes, brushing past Seifer to enter his quarters. Smile morphing into smirk, Seifer closed his door and, after knocking off a stack of "Weapons Monthly," set the tray neatly on his dining area table.
"You talk, I eat?" Seifer asked, eyeing the notepad covered in the chocobo- scratch that was Fuujin's handwriting. Fuu simply nodded her head, pulling up a chair across from her long-time friend.
"I found some rather... Surprising things." Fuu began softly as Seifer bit into a hotdog. Contrary to popular belief, Fuu was perfectly capable of talking in complete, non-shouting sentences. Her unique way of talking in public made those who were unaware uneasy and set them off guard. Fuu, of course, used this to her full advantage to get whatever she needed from said people.
"Like?" Seifer prompted, mouth full of half-chewed pig parts.
"Well, a few of my older books confirmed that GFs are created when a creature, and this isn't limited to just humans mind you, is holding a Vengeance Stone right before their time of passing on. The stone reads who you are, and your subconscious mind chooses whether or not to allow the energy to come within. If you allow it, even if you aren't consciously aware of your decision, it comes into you. It's like the life draining from you is replaced with the energy within, and that is the only way the power within can be tapped."
Seifer grinned, thinking of all the scientists beating their brains out trying to find a way to access the energy. If only they had taken time to actually READ about the stone, instead of throw every experiment in the book at it!
"Once the power is within you, it evolves your body into a higher being. Refines a power you once had, gives you access to power we can only dream of. And then it sends your 'being' into a Place. A place we can only access through our GF orbs to summon them."
Seifer finished his hotdog and started on another, thinking about what Fuu was saying.
"Now, normally once you become what we call a Guardian Force, you're stuck like that. To eternally aid whomever gains your orbs. Some you must fight with to earn their aid."
"Like Ifrit or Diablos?" Seifer interrupted, sipping his soda.
"Yes. Exactly like them. They choose to be of this world and challenge those who want the added power of that GF. The GF, in turn, grants his orb in return for being beaten. Therefore, many people with that GF are running around."
Seifer had to grin at that. Everybody and their brother had Ifrit at Balamb.
"But others end up with only one single orb available, and are content to just aid whomever asks for it."
"You said that 'normally' being a GF is permanent. Why only normally?" Seifer asked with a frown.
"When a GF is created, their heartstone, or a physical concentration of all that makes the individual them, is shattered. Their stone was complete, or they had experienced every emotion there was to feel. They had all known the pains and joys of love, and since a GF cannot feel this emotion, they could choose to live without it. But Quistis was incomplete. She only knew the pain of it. So, instead of shattering into a thousand pieces, which would by the way eventually evolve into magic, her heartstone just... broke. It can be repaired."
"And can we fix her when we put it back together?" Seifer asked slowly.
"Perhaps. It's never happened before. Once put together, her heartstone is incomplete. We must fill the final void, so that she may re-evaluate her decision to become a GF. If she decides that whatever it was that completed her is worth staying in the mortal world, she should go back to good ol' Icebitch. If it isn't enough... Well, at least you'll have a super strong GF?" Fuu supplied with an indifferent shrug.
"Ok... So how do we find the pieces to her stone thingy?"
"In the places of her strongest emotions." Fuu said simply.
Seifer smirked at the simple diary lying innocently on the coffee table.
"You know, Fuu, I might have just the way of finding just such places."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B Did I mention Quistis is doomed?/B Shiva asked flatly.
B Several times, dear Shiva. /B Siren replied with a small, warm laugh.
B Just checking. Because she's doomed. /B
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AN:
Miss me, dear sweet readers? This chappy was long in coming, and doesn't make up for it in content. What can I say? Writer's Block is a bitch. There might be a few flaws in the writing, and I'm going to repost the two previous chapters with the proper revisions to them.
Till next chappy!