Once again, standard disclaimers apply. Do not use any of my characters
(Ainsley, Ryo, Xaria, Moss et. al.) without permission. All other
characters are being borrowed from Squaresoft.
"An Elastoid! Man that is crap!" Ryo slammed his hand on the cafeteria table for emphasis.
"Don't get mad at me because you suck!" exclaimed his friend, Moss, good- naturedly. Ryo glared at him and the redheaded mop top boy goofily grinned back. Ryo tried to hold his glare but Moss looked so stupid to him that he burst out laughing.
"That's it," Moss said, "I haven't seen you smile in days. What bug has been up your ass lately anyway?" Moss gathered the cards up the cards on the table as he said this, and fanned them out to choose one. Ryo looked off into space for a minute.
"I dunno," he shrugged, "nerves I guess." Moss studied his friend for a few minutes before accepting his answer.
"Yeah, the SeeD test is a big deal," Moss then admitted. "I probably should be studying for it myself." Ryo looked puzzled.
"I thought that you already passed the written at Trabia and came here to take the field exam only." Moss fleetingly looked nervous but then shrugged his shoulders.
"Nope," he replied. Ryo shrugged and felt around the table for his cards.
"You still haven't picked one yet?" he asked incredulously.
"Hmmmm…" Moss studied the cards once more and moved his fingers around in a circle over them, as if choosing one at random. "I'll take…" he plucked a card from the array, "this little number."
"Bastard!" Ryo exploded, "That's my one GF card I have left!" Ryo had already lost Shiva to Ainsley and Quetzacoatl to an aging Trepie named Bartell.
"Then learn how to play better!" Moss taunted, holding the Ifrit card between his fingers. He then added this to his deck and slid the remainder of Ryo's cards across the table. Ryo added them to the rest of his deck and shuffled them angrily.
"I'll 'play better' you," he mumbled and then called out louder, "Rematch!" Moss grinned and began to sift through his deck in search of the right cards. As Ryo shuffled through his own deck, he felt a small but forceful tap on his shoulder. "Wha-?" he turned to find a Faculty member behind him.
"Student number 315672, Ryo Namsura?" asked the Shumi faculty. Ryo nodded in reply as Moss looked up from his cards to see what was happening. "Come to the Infirmary. Instructor Trepe wishes to speak with you," the Faculty member stated. Ryo nodded again and rose from his seat, shooting a small, perplexed look at Moss. Moss shrugged back and Ryo followed the robed faculty out of the cafeteria.
As the Faculty ushered Ryo into the Infirmary, he saw that Instructor Trepe and Doctor Kimuri were already assembled, along with another girl with dark hair who Ryo felt he should know. The familiar looking girl smiled at Ryo and Ryo gave a small half smile back. Instructor Trepe turned to Ryo and smiled.
"Ryo Namsura?" she asked. Ryo nodded. The instructor held out her hand and Ryo shook it. He was surprised at her firm handshake. "You should be very proud of her," she said as it finally dawned on Ryo why he would be called to the Infirmary to meet with Instructor Trepe.
"Ainsley!" he exclaimed. "Is she okay? Where is she?" Instructor Trepe smiled at his concern.
"She's fine," she replied. Doctor Kimuri stepped forward with a small clipboard in her hands.
"Against my judgment," she began, shooting a look at Instructor Trepe, "Cadet Ainsley faced a secondary level guardian force this afternoon." Ryo was puzzled.
"But I thought…" he began. Instructor Trepe stepped forward again.
"Although the most common GF to acquire for this test is Ifrit, an elementary level GF…" Ryo nodded at this statement. Ifrit had been the GF that he had acquired for himself in the same test, although he preferred to use Quetzacoatl in battles.
"I felt as if Ainsley needed a bigger challenge, not to mention that Ifrit's and Ainsley's personalities do not match at all," the instructor continued. Ryo nodded once more. He wasn't sure about the 'challenge' statement, but he agreed that Ainsley's subtle and rather cool temperament did not mix well with Ifrit's 'strike first, think later' attitude. Doctor Kimuri cleared her throat at this statement, showing that she didn't necessarily agree with Instructor Trepe.
"Needless to say," the doctor began, "Cadet Ainsley fought the GF Leviathan…"
"Leviathan!" Ryo shouted at Instructor Trepe, "Are you insane!?" Leviathan was known for being a strong guardian force that, instead of attacking at whim, contemplated and chose it's own battles. If it has seen Ainsley as a worthy opponent, it would not have gone easy on her. Doctor Kimuri cleared her throat again to get Ryo's attention.
"..And won," the doctor finished. Ryo looked at the instructor with shock.
"She won?" he said, startled, and then continued, "Well, of course she won…" he trailed off. Instructor Trepe smiled once more at his obvious concern for Ainsley. Doctor Kimuri, although not happy that Quistis had been so reckless to send a fourteen-year-old cadet against a secondary GF, was also slightly amused at Ryo's exhibition of emotion.
"She sustained a large blow to the head, however," the doctor said, "And she needs some rest."
"Can I go in to see her?" asked Ryo. At this, the girl with long dark hair who had been standing in the corner for all of the exchange stepped forward.
"May I go in to see her as well?" she asked. Doctor Kimuri nodded at the two cadets.
"You may both go in for a little while, but remember she is sleeping and needs her rest, so do not disturb her."
"Okay," Ryo said. The girl simply smiled and they both went into Ainsley's small room together.
Ainsley lay peacefully on the bed in a deep sleep. The ocean breezes ruffled her reddish hair and it brushed across the large gash that was bandaged on her forehead. Ryo reached forward to pull her hair back when the dark haired girl whispered,
"Don't, you might wake her." Ryo looked at the girl, who smiled. "I'm Xaria, Ainsley's roommate. You must be Ryo." Ryo felt a twinge of pride.
"Since you know who I am, Ainsley must talk about me a lot, hunh?" Xaria laughed slightly at this.
"Sometimes," she replied. Ryo gave her a look. She laughed at him again,
"I'm not saying she doesn't talk about you, but, come on, I could have heard your name from Instructor Trepe a couple of minutes ago." Ryo bristled at the mention of the instructor's name.
"What was she thinking?" Ryo asked.
"Who? Instructor Trepe?" without waiting for a reply from him, Xaria continued, "I agree with Instructor Trepe. Ainsley, although not overconfident in any visible ways, was becoming too used to breezing through her studies. She needed a challenge."
"She's fourteen!" Ryo raised his voice and Xaria shushed him as Ainsley stirred in her sleep.
"She's also one of the smartest students Balamb Garden has ever had," said Xaria. She looked back and Ainsley lying on the Infirmary bed. "She never would have admitted it, but I think she was glad to have to work for this one." Ryo just shook his head and also looked at Ainsley. In her sleep, she looked so young and defenseless. He had often wondered what had persuaded Ainsley's parents to send her to a ruthless mercenary school at such a young age.
"An Elastoid! Man that is crap!" Ryo slammed his hand on the cafeteria table for emphasis.
"Don't get mad at me because you suck!" exclaimed his friend, Moss, good- naturedly. Ryo glared at him and the redheaded mop top boy goofily grinned back. Ryo tried to hold his glare but Moss looked so stupid to him that he burst out laughing.
"That's it," Moss said, "I haven't seen you smile in days. What bug has been up your ass lately anyway?" Moss gathered the cards up the cards on the table as he said this, and fanned them out to choose one. Ryo looked off into space for a minute.
"I dunno," he shrugged, "nerves I guess." Moss studied his friend for a few minutes before accepting his answer.
"Yeah, the SeeD test is a big deal," Moss then admitted. "I probably should be studying for it myself." Ryo looked puzzled.
"I thought that you already passed the written at Trabia and came here to take the field exam only." Moss fleetingly looked nervous but then shrugged his shoulders.
"Nope," he replied. Ryo shrugged and felt around the table for his cards.
"You still haven't picked one yet?" he asked incredulously.
"Hmmmm…" Moss studied the cards once more and moved his fingers around in a circle over them, as if choosing one at random. "I'll take…" he plucked a card from the array, "this little number."
"Bastard!" Ryo exploded, "That's my one GF card I have left!" Ryo had already lost Shiva to Ainsley and Quetzacoatl to an aging Trepie named Bartell.
"Then learn how to play better!" Moss taunted, holding the Ifrit card between his fingers. He then added this to his deck and slid the remainder of Ryo's cards across the table. Ryo added them to the rest of his deck and shuffled them angrily.
"I'll 'play better' you," he mumbled and then called out louder, "Rematch!" Moss grinned and began to sift through his deck in search of the right cards. As Ryo shuffled through his own deck, he felt a small but forceful tap on his shoulder. "Wha-?" he turned to find a Faculty member behind him.
"Student number 315672, Ryo Namsura?" asked the Shumi faculty. Ryo nodded in reply as Moss looked up from his cards to see what was happening. "Come to the Infirmary. Instructor Trepe wishes to speak with you," the Faculty member stated. Ryo nodded again and rose from his seat, shooting a small, perplexed look at Moss. Moss shrugged back and Ryo followed the robed faculty out of the cafeteria.
As the Faculty ushered Ryo into the Infirmary, he saw that Instructor Trepe and Doctor Kimuri were already assembled, along with another girl with dark hair who Ryo felt he should know. The familiar looking girl smiled at Ryo and Ryo gave a small half smile back. Instructor Trepe turned to Ryo and smiled.
"Ryo Namsura?" she asked. Ryo nodded. The instructor held out her hand and Ryo shook it. He was surprised at her firm handshake. "You should be very proud of her," she said as it finally dawned on Ryo why he would be called to the Infirmary to meet with Instructor Trepe.
"Ainsley!" he exclaimed. "Is she okay? Where is she?" Instructor Trepe smiled at his concern.
"She's fine," she replied. Doctor Kimuri stepped forward with a small clipboard in her hands.
"Against my judgment," she began, shooting a look at Instructor Trepe, "Cadet Ainsley faced a secondary level guardian force this afternoon." Ryo was puzzled.
"But I thought…" he began. Instructor Trepe stepped forward again.
"Although the most common GF to acquire for this test is Ifrit, an elementary level GF…" Ryo nodded at this statement. Ifrit had been the GF that he had acquired for himself in the same test, although he preferred to use Quetzacoatl in battles.
"I felt as if Ainsley needed a bigger challenge, not to mention that Ifrit's and Ainsley's personalities do not match at all," the instructor continued. Ryo nodded once more. He wasn't sure about the 'challenge' statement, but he agreed that Ainsley's subtle and rather cool temperament did not mix well with Ifrit's 'strike first, think later' attitude. Doctor Kimuri cleared her throat at this statement, showing that she didn't necessarily agree with Instructor Trepe.
"Needless to say," the doctor began, "Cadet Ainsley fought the GF Leviathan…"
"Leviathan!" Ryo shouted at Instructor Trepe, "Are you insane!?" Leviathan was known for being a strong guardian force that, instead of attacking at whim, contemplated and chose it's own battles. If it has seen Ainsley as a worthy opponent, it would not have gone easy on her. Doctor Kimuri cleared her throat again to get Ryo's attention.
"..And won," the doctor finished. Ryo looked at the instructor with shock.
"She won?" he said, startled, and then continued, "Well, of course she won…" he trailed off. Instructor Trepe smiled once more at his obvious concern for Ainsley. Doctor Kimuri, although not happy that Quistis had been so reckless to send a fourteen-year-old cadet against a secondary GF, was also slightly amused at Ryo's exhibition of emotion.
"She sustained a large blow to the head, however," the doctor said, "And she needs some rest."
"Can I go in to see her?" asked Ryo. At this, the girl with long dark hair who had been standing in the corner for all of the exchange stepped forward.
"May I go in to see her as well?" she asked. Doctor Kimuri nodded at the two cadets.
"You may both go in for a little while, but remember she is sleeping and needs her rest, so do not disturb her."
"Okay," Ryo said. The girl simply smiled and they both went into Ainsley's small room together.
Ainsley lay peacefully on the bed in a deep sleep. The ocean breezes ruffled her reddish hair and it brushed across the large gash that was bandaged on her forehead. Ryo reached forward to pull her hair back when the dark haired girl whispered,
"Don't, you might wake her." Ryo looked at the girl, who smiled. "I'm Xaria, Ainsley's roommate. You must be Ryo." Ryo felt a twinge of pride.
"Since you know who I am, Ainsley must talk about me a lot, hunh?" Xaria laughed slightly at this.
"Sometimes," she replied. Ryo gave her a look. She laughed at him again,
"I'm not saying she doesn't talk about you, but, come on, I could have heard your name from Instructor Trepe a couple of minutes ago." Ryo bristled at the mention of the instructor's name.
"What was she thinking?" Ryo asked.
"Who? Instructor Trepe?" without waiting for a reply from him, Xaria continued, "I agree with Instructor Trepe. Ainsley, although not overconfident in any visible ways, was becoming too used to breezing through her studies. She needed a challenge."
"She's fourteen!" Ryo raised his voice and Xaria shushed him as Ainsley stirred in her sleep.
"She's also one of the smartest students Balamb Garden has ever had," said Xaria. She looked back and Ainsley lying on the Infirmary bed. "She never would have admitted it, but I think she was glad to have to work for this one." Ryo just shook his head and also looked at Ainsley. In her sleep, she looked so young and defenseless. He had often wondered what had persuaded Ainsley's parents to send her to a ruthless mercenary school at such a young age.