Notes!- I forgot to include a disclaimer in my first chapter. I do
not own any of the characters from Final Fantasy 8, obviously. However,
Ainsley and Ryo both belong to me, as will other characters that come along
in this ongoing fanfiction. Do not use any of these characters without my
permission.
A cool breeze blew across the Alcauld Plains of Balamb as Quistis and Ainsley headed out. Quistis looked sideways at her prodigious student as they walked purposefully in silence. Ainsley's head was turned down at the ground as her strawberry blonde hair blew in the wind. Quistis inwardly sighed. Ainsley was one of her more promising students, but was almost worse than Squall had been when it came to any sort of communication or emotion. Even when she had seen Ainsley with that boy of hers, Ainsley hadn't shown any genuine feeling or kindness towards the boy. Quistis sighed softly out loud, the breath ruffling a few wayward tendrils of hair across her eyes. Although she had later found out the reasons behind Headmaster Cid's revoking of her instructor's license she hadn't been able to forget the comment that she was incompetent. Simply thinking back on those words coming from the Headmaster's mouth, and also from the source of her incompetence, her belligerent former student Seifer Almasy, caused a small sting in her chest. She briefly brushed her fingertips over her heart. Seifer. Rumors were always abundant about the former Sorceress's Knight, most telling of an untimely or gruesome demise. Quistis, however, didn't believe a word of any of them. Not long after Seifer had begun taking her classes, she had recognized his incredible potential and intelligence. Frankly, she thought to herself, although she wouldn't be too sad to know that Seifer was indeed dead, he was simply too smart to be caught by the numerous governments, organizations, and bounty hunters who were all searching for him.
"Instructor?"
Quistis was quickly pulled out of her pensive state as Ainsley looked up at her with a look of puzzlement.
"Instructor, we passed the turnoff for the Fire Cavern," Ainsley pointed at the small worn trail, forged by the numerous students who had gone to the Fire Cavern for their GF tests. Quistis cleared her throat and nodded,
"That's because we're not going to the Fire Cavern for your test." Ainsley looked puzzled at this statement.
"But…" she said. Quistis could see the panicked thoughts flutter across her face in succession. She had assumed, correctly, that any studying that Ainsley might have done in the past had only been on acquiring the guardian force Ifrit, and not any of the others. She also knew that an elementary GF like Ifrit would be a breeze for Ainsley, and that Ifrit's temperament would not mesh well with Ainsley's personality. Ainsley put her head back down to stare at the grass. Quistis smiled.
"Ainsley…" she began, "Although I am your instructor, you can call me Quistis from now on." Ainsley simply nodded and stared at the passing ground.
"You know," Quistis tried again, "I was only a bit older than you when I passed my own guardian force test." Ainsley nodded again but didn't say anything. Quistis nodded and then looked out at the ocean.
"Ainsley, we're here." Ainsley looked up from the ground. She had been so deep into her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed the stubby field grass had turned into long coarse sea grass and finally sand. The breezes blew slightly faster and the smell of salt air that prevailed throughout the island was strongest here. Suddenly Ainsley fell to the sand with a thud. Quistis drew out her Save the Queen and whirled around to face a Bite Bug that had flown from the plains onto the beach. She concentrated and drew a few fire spells from the large bug, leaving the attacking to her student. Ainsley did not disappoint her. She quickly pulled herself up from the sand and prepared a fighting stance with her rapier. Dashing forward she jammed her point down through the bug, pinning it to the sand. It gave a few last flutters of its wings before collapsing. Ainsley pulled her rapier out of the now dead bug and quickly ran to the ocean to clean her blade. To her surprise, she was knocked back by a large wave that washed her up further onto the shore and drenched her clothes. She looked to Quistis in alarm, but Quistis stood calmly on the beach, as if she had expected this to happen. Quistis pointed at the wave to turn Ainsley's attention back to the water. As Ainsley turned her head she saw something rising from the water. It seemed beautiful in it's own way, with scales that sparkled and reflected all of the colors in the rainbow. The sun glinted off of the creature so sharply that Ainsley had to avert her eyes for a few moments in order to see clearly. The creature, that Ainsley now recognized as the guardian force Leviathan, loomed over her and looked her in the eye.
"So you are the cadet that wishes to challenge me?" 'I don't wish to challenge anyone,' though Ainsley to herself, but this comment was thought mainly out of habit rather than genuine contempt. She rose to attention as Quistis quietly approached.
"This is the SeeD cadet that wishes to challenge you and I am her accompanying instructor." The creature nodded at Quistis and then turned it attention back to Ainsley. Ainsley stood firmly at attention.
"This will not be easy, little one." Ainsley bristled at this comment on both her age and her small stature.
"I am prepared," she said simply in reply. The creature bent it's head down in a nod and then quickly attacked her without warning, knocking her, once more, to the sand. She scrambled up as Quistis rushed forward with her Save the Queen and delivered a blow that would have easily cleaved another creature into pieces. Instead, it only caused a small welt along the thick scales. Ainsley quickly recognized this and realized that she couldn't attack with her rapier at all. She then clasped both of her hands on the hilt of her weapon and brought it to her chest. Bending her head down, she began to concentrate on summoning the elementary GF Shiva that had been given to her. She quickly lost conciousness and fell to her knees, disappearing momentarily and reappearing in the back of the guardian force's mind. While summoning a guardian force, Ainsley couldn't control it's actions, but was able to watch what was going on, much like the GF itself when it is not in use but remains at the back of one's mind. She felt Shiva's arms raising above her head and release a large, icy beam of energy. Leviathan recoiled and shivered from the blow as Ainsley reappeared on the beach. She looked over at Quistis, who was in an intense state of concentration. Leviathan coiled and lashed at Quistis with its serpentine tail. Quistis stumbled slightly, but didn't fall, and soon disappeared at the arrival of Quetzacoatl. Leviathan was paralyzed by the lightning bolts that danced from the sky, and Ainsley took this opportunity to rush forward and thrust her point into a small soft spot that had appeared on the creature's underbelly. Leviathan raised its head in a silent scream and thrashed back into deeper water, dragging Ainsley with it. Ainsley sputtered and choked as she struggled to pull her rapier from the creature's wound. Leviathan rose up from the water and Ainsley managed to yank her point out. She fell back into the water with a splash as Leviathan called a large tsunami to wash over the beach. Ainsley was swept up into the giant wave and washed up onto the shore. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to breathe. Quistis looked over with concern, but knew that she needed to continue the fight. She took a deep breath and summoned Quetzacotl again, buying Ainsley a little time to recover. Ainsley slowly pulled herself up from the sand and saw that Quistis was attacking with a GF. She gritted her teeth and focused on summoning Shiva once more. Again, she felt the release of a large beam of energy and fell back to the ground. Leviathan flopped onto the sand momentarily and then slowly approached Ainsley. Ainsley held her rapier in a defensive stance, not noticing that Quistis had already relaxed her stance. Leviathan whirled around Ainsley once and took in the shivering, sopping wet, little girl. It nodded and then jumped back into the waves. Ainsley waited a few minutes and then opened her eyes, which had been squeezed shut. A glittering thing fell from the sky and into her hands. It was a Triple Triad card. Ainsley was confused for a few moments, before turning the card over and seeing Leviathan on the playing side of the card. She then concentrated in her head and felt a small shift as Leviathan junctioned with her. She slowly smiled and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
A cool breeze blew across the Alcauld Plains of Balamb as Quistis and Ainsley headed out. Quistis looked sideways at her prodigious student as they walked purposefully in silence. Ainsley's head was turned down at the ground as her strawberry blonde hair blew in the wind. Quistis inwardly sighed. Ainsley was one of her more promising students, but was almost worse than Squall had been when it came to any sort of communication or emotion. Even when she had seen Ainsley with that boy of hers, Ainsley hadn't shown any genuine feeling or kindness towards the boy. Quistis sighed softly out loud, the breath ruffling a few wayward tendrils of hair across her eyes. Although she had later found out the reasons behind Headmaster Cid's revoking of her instructor's license she hadn't been able to forget the comment that she was incompetent. Simply thinking back on those words coming from the Headmaster's mouth, and also from the source of her incompetence, her belligerent former student Seifer Almasy, caused a small sting in her chest. She briefly brushed her fingertips over her heart. Seifer. Rumors were always abundant about the former Sorceress's Knight, most telling of an untimely or gruesome demise. Quistis, however, didn't believe a word of any of them. Not long after Seifer had begun taking her classes, she had recognized his incredible potential and intelligence. Frankly, she thought to herself, although she wouldn't be too sad to know that Seifer was indeed dead, he was simply too smart to be caught by the numerous governments, organizations, and bounty hunters who were all searching for him.
"Instructor?"
Quistis was quickly pulled out of her pensive state as Ainsley looked up at her with a look of puzzlement.
"Instructor, we passed the turnoff for the Fire Cavern," Ainsley pointed at the small worn trail, forged by the numerous students who had gone to the Fire Cavern for their GF tests. Quistis cleared her throat and nodded,
"That's because we're not going to the Fire Cavern for your test." Ainsley looked puzzled at this statement.
"But…" she said. Quistis could see the panicked thoughts flutter across her face in succession. She had assumed, correctly, that any studying that Ainsley might have done in the past had only been on acquiring the guardian force Ifrit, and not any of the others. She also knew that an elementary GF like Ifrit would be a breeze for Ainsley, and that Ifrit's temperament would not mesh well with Ainsley's personality. Ainsley put her head back down to stare at the grass. Quistis smiled.
"Ainsley…" she began, "Although I am your instructor, you can call me Quistis from now on." Ainsley simply nodded and stared at the passing ground.
"You know," Quistis tried again, "I was only a bit older than you when I passed my own guardian force test." Ainsley nodded again but didn't say anything. Quistis nodded and then looked out at the ocean.
"Ainsley, we're here." Ainsley looked up from the ground. She had been so deep into her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed the stubby field grass had turned into long coarse sea grass and finally sand. The breezes blew slightly faster and the smell of salt air that prevailed throughout the island was strongest here. Suddenly Ainsley fell to the sand with a thud. Quistis drew out her Save the Queen and whirled around to face a Bite Bug that had flown from the plains onto the beach. She concentrated and drew a few fire spells from the large bug, leaving the attacking to her student. Ainsley did not disappoint her. She quickly pulled herself up from the sand and prepared a fighting stance with her rapier. Dashing forward she jammed her point down through the bug, pinning it to the sand. It gave a few last flutters of its wings before collapsing. Ainsley pulled her rapier out of the now dead bug and quickly ran to the ocean to clean her blade. To her surprise, she was knocked back by a large wave that washed her up further onto the shore and drenched her clothes. She looked to Quistis in alarm, but Quistis stood calmly on the beach, as if she had expected this to happen. Quistis pointed at the wave to turn Ainsley's attention back to the water. As Ainsley turned her head she saw something rising from the water. It seemed beautiful in it's own way, with scales that sparkled and reflected all of the colors in the rainbow. The sun glinted off of the creature so sharply that Ainsley had to avert her eyes for a few moments in order to see clearly. The creature, that Ainsley now recognized as the guardian force Leviathan, loomed over her and looked her in the eye.
"So you are the cadet that wishes to challenge me?" 'I don't wish to challenge anyone,' though Ainsley to herself, but this comment was thought mainly out of habit rather than genuine contempt. She rose to attention as Quistis quietly approached.
"This is the SeeD cadet that wishes to challenge you and I am her accompanying instructor." The creature nodded at Quistis and then turned it attention back to Ainsley. Ainsley stood firmly at attention.
"This will not be easy, little one." Ainsley bristled at this comment on both her age and her small stature.
"I am prepared," she said simply in reply. The creature bent it's head down in a nod and then quickly attacked her without warning, knocking her, once more, to the sand. She scrambled up as Quistis rushed forward with her Save the Queen and delivered a blow that would have easily cleaved another creature into pieces. Instead, it only caused a small welt along the thick scales. Ainsley quickly recognized this and realized that she couldn't attack with her rapier at all. She then clasped both of her hands on the hilt of her weapon and brought it to her chest. Bending her head down, she began to concentrate on summoning the elementary GF Shiva that had been given to her. She quickly lost conciousness and fell to her knees, disappearing momentarily and reappearing in the back of the guardian force's mind. While summoning a guardian force, Ainsley couldn't control it's actions, but was able to watch what was going on, much like the GF itself when it is not in use but remains at the back of one's mind. She felt Shiva's arms raising above her head and release a large, icy beam of energy. Leviathan recoiled and shivered from the blow as Ainsley reappeared on the beach. She looked over at Quistis, who was in an intense state of concentration. Leviathan coiled and lashed at Quistis with its serpentine tail. Quistis stumbled slightly, but didn't fall, and soon disappeared at the arrival of Quetzacoatl. Leviathan was paralyzed by the lightning bolts that danced from the sky, and Ainsley took this opportunity to rush forward and thrust her point into a small soft spot that had appeared on the creature's underbelly. Leviathan raised its head in a silent scream and thrashed back into deeper water, dragging Ainsley with it. Ainsley sputtered and choked as she struggled to pull her rapier from the creature's wound. Leviathan rose up from the water and Ainsley managed to yank her point out. She fell back into the water with a splash as Leviathan called a large tsunami to wash over the beach. Ainsley was swept up into the giant wave and washed up onto the shore. She coughed and sputtered as she tried to breathe. Quistis looked over with concern, but knew that she needed to continue the fight. She took a deep breath and summoned Quetzacotl again, buying Ainsley a little time to recover. Ainsley slowly pulled herself up from the sand and saw that Quistis was attacking with a GF. She gritted her teeth and focused on summoning Shiva once more. Again, she felt the release of a large beam of energy and fell back to the ground. Leviathan flopped onto the sand momentarily and then slowly approached Ainsley. Ainsley held her rapier in a defensive stance, not noticing that Quistis had already relaxed her stance. Leviathan whirled around Ainsley once and took in the shivering, sopping wet, little girl. It nodded and then jumped back into the waves. Ainsley waited a few minutes and then opened her eyes, which had been squeezed shut. A glittering thing fell from the sky and into her hands. It was a Triple Triad card. Ainsley was confused for a few moments, before turning the card over and seeing Leviathan on the playing side of the card. She then concentrated in her head and felt a small shift as Leviathan junctioned with her. She slowly smiled and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.