Chapter 2
Auron and Irvine were sitting on a couch, looking at the necklace. Suddenly the phone rang. Irvine jumped up and went to his desk.
"Yep?"
"Irvine?..Well. It's me.Squall."
"Oh. hey buddy. What's up?" Irvine was surprised. He thought Squall would never talk to him ever again. Quistis had told him that he was pretty angry. And now he seemed a bit nervous.
"Nah. I just ..wanna ask you something. You know. uhm.did Quistis tell you about my daughter wants to leave my Garden?"
"Well..actually, yes she did. Your daughter called me some days ago and asked if she could come over to my school."
"I see.."
"Squall. "
"No. let me finish! I don't think it is such a good idea.but anyway. she has a strong will. like her mother.," Squall sighs.
Auron looked at his father with surprise. Squall? Squall Leonhart? He knew something about him, that his father and Squall were best friends until Irvine had to leave. But what did he want?
"So. could you fetch her from the train station. In three days?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks. Bye."
"Squall wai.."
Squall has hung up the phone. Irvine held the the phone some moments longer, then he hung up, too.
"Everything okay?"
"I think so. Squalls and Quistis daughters will be here in three days."
"They will be on time for the party!" Auron said with a smirk on his face. "I hope they are pretty!"
"Auron!!! Squall is gonna kill me if his little angel is hurt or something."
"I don't plan to hurt anybody."
"I am sure about it," Irvine said, putting his hand on Aurons head and stroke his hair.
Two hours later a group of nine people stood outside of the new Galbadia Garden. Auron was one of them. They were joking around until Irvine and two instructors went to the group. Silence and order. The young students, all dressed in black except their shoulder decorations of red and golden symbols, stood in rows and looked straight at their teachers. The instructors wore nearly the same clothes, but each had a long black cape that nearly touched the ground. Irvine loved it. Squall always said that he had a strange style of dressing but he liked to be dressed in black with that long cape, like a vampire. He cleared his throat and said loudly: "Good morning! I hope everybody is well prepared and ready for the test of his life!" Some students nodded.
"Good. if anybody feels not ready to do this say so NOW. On the battlefield you won't have a chance to ask your enemy to wait for a moment until you are gone." Irvine looked into the group. His eyes found his son and he smiled. "Okay then. The instructors will give you your orders now. Anything I forgot? .no? Okay.Good luck. And come back unhurt."
The group split up. Auron and two other students went to Irvine.
"You alright?"
"Yes, I think so," Auron said with a smile. He had his rifle in his hand and his sword hung on a belt around his hips.
"Rita?"
"I am fine."
"Gray?"
"Alright! We can start."
"Good. your task is it to find someone. In the wood area some miles ago there was a large collision between a monster and an airplane. The area is dangerous, so be careful."
"Tz.some monsters.dangerous?"
"I am not just talking about monsters. It is a stony area with a lot of wood and steep slopes. So first listen, Gray!"
"O..kay, Sir," he answered.
After they got some more information the four people went to a car and climbed in. They drove two hours through half of Galbadia, as Auron remarked, until they stopped in front of a wood.
"Well then. Good luck, guys."
Rita cleared her throat and looked at Irvine angrily.
"Oh.hehe. I am sorry," he said with his I-cannot-hurt-anybody-look.
"Hmpf."
"Okay, let's go."
It was not as difficult to find the airplane as to decide how to get there. The area was really bad. Gray was angry and cursed all the time. Irvine knew that he would not manage to pass the exam, he had too many minus points. And his bad mood made it only worse. Sometimes Irvine thought about him being Seifers double. Strong, but with an iron will and not able to follow the orders. Rita was much different. She was quite and shy; he liked her. Auron could manage it. It was not his wish to get his son in his class but, anyway, it was not the plan that he should become a SeeD. But Auron does have an iron will, also, and he had always wanted to be a protector, just like his father. He had some minus-points but he will make it, Irvine thought.
"Huh.?"
"What's on, Auron?," Irvine asked his son.
Auron was looking at the sky, which starts to fill with clouds..pretty dark clouds, Irvine thought.
"I think it starts raining."
Irvine held out his hand and a little tear from heaven hit his hand.
"You're right."
" I am not gonna go anywhere if it rains," Gray said angrily and crossed his arms on his chest.
"Oh Gray," Auron sights, "this is not gonna kill you or so. And we are allowed to finish that even when it rains. So come on!"
"Don't bother me, daddy-boy!"
Irvine and Auron glared at him and said in union: "What did you say?"
"Well, that you, Auron, just play the big guy here, because of your daddy."
"Well.. I don't think so," Auron said and went to Gray to face him.
Rite looked at the scene and began to worry. Irvine noticed the tension between them and stepped between them angrily.
"Stop it, you two! It is enough!"
"Huh.if daddy would not protect you, I would kick your ass, buddy."
Auron just wanted to pull out his weapon, as his father suddenly grabbed Gray by his shirt and pulled him up by it.
"I said STOP it, remember? If you don't do it RIGHT NOW I will stop this mission immediately! Understood, BUDDY?" Gray just nodded and stared at Irvine in shock.
"Good then," Irvine said and let Gray fall to the ground.
"Let's go then."
The boys were able to calm for nearly an hour. The rain was not so bad anymore, but they were soaked wet. Rita did not say a word. She just went with all them, and sometimes Irvine worried about her. She was too shy sometimes. Too calm to say if anything is bothering her. Irvine knew that this could destroy people. They went on until they saw something shone white through all the green branches. Gray and Auron wanted to see it and start to walk to the white object.
"Wait," Irvine ordered. "Check your weapons. Be prepared!" More minus points, he thought. The boys got their weapons loaded or at least in their hands and started sneaking to the object. Rita was close to Irvine, waiting for the boys to tell what it was.
It is too quite, Irvine thought.
Suddenly Auron steped an a branch which crashed under his weight. He earned a dark glare from Gray who cleared his throat to yell at Auron as they heard a very loud roar.
"What the hell..?"
Auron looked at his father and Rita, grabbed Gray by his arm and started to ran with him back to the others. He was nearly there, just two meters, but then this "roar" jumped in front of them.
"God, damn. What is that?"
This thing was totally different from every monster they knew. It was as large as a Qual, but black and his red eyes were facing the boys. He had large wings which were spread up from his body, but they are damaged a lot, so he wasn't able to fly. But he would be able to bite with his fangs! The thing roared again.
Gray stood there in shock, shivering he let fall his sword to the ground. Auron just looked at it. He could not move. He felt his weapon in his hand, cold metal and soft wood. He would be able to kill this thing if he just would move. His fathers first gun by his side he just stared at it in shock.
Another roar followed and the thing prepared himself for a jump at the boys. He strained his muscles and jumped up. But suddenly fell to the ground with the sound of a gun. Auron looked at his father who held his gun pointed at the monster. A serious look in his face. The thing did not move anymore. it was dead.
"Brilliant, boys," Irvine remarked angrily and went to them.
His weapon pressed on his body, he passed the boys and went to the "white thing". He smelled something awful and took away some branches to find a dead body, cupped with flys and maggots.
He turned to his little group and said: "Mission is over, let's go. We found him. he is dead.. thanks to this thing. It found him before us." He pointed his weapon at the monster.
Back in the Garden Dana Kinneas ran to her brother to congratulate him but he just held up his hand and passed her by. A little bit dasappointed she ran to her father and hugged him tightly.
"And?" she asked.
"Well, cookie.. it was not what I.. WE had expected."
Gray and Rita followed Auron to the mensa where every student had to wait after the exam until the results were presented. Auron did not say a word, Gray just made his stupid comments at everybody and everything and Rita was next to Auron. She had placed her hand on his back to soothe him a little bit. It was not that bad for her if she would not made it, but for Auron it was hell. He wanted to become a SeeD so badly! It was his dream since he was five years old.
It took nearly one hour until the instructors came into the mensa. They read out the names of two students which were able to pass the exam. None of them was in Irvines group. After most of the students had left the mensa Irvine went to his son and took a seat next to him. Rita looked at him in with understanding and went away.
"Auron."
He had his head on the table and on his crossed arms. He didn't want to talk nor did he want to see anybody.
"Auron.look at me."
Auron just shook his head.
"Hey.come on! There will be another exam in three months! So don't be so upset. Okay, little one?"
"..I. I am not little.," he answered and looked up at his father and tried to smile.
"You are," Irvine said and placed a hand on Aurons shoulder.
"Hey, but be happy. you can take part on at least two SeeD-Graduation- Parties," Irvine said and chuckled.
"Very funny. in Balamb I would not be allowed to go there. none of us would be allowed to if we did not pass the exam."
"But we are not at Balmb, remember? Oh, and you have to go, anyway, 'cause you are my son."
"But I won't play babysitter for Dani, understood?"
"We'll see." Irvine stood up and left with his well known cheeky smile.
Auron and Irvine were sitting on a couch, looking at the necklace. Suddenly the phone rang. Irvine jumped up and went to his desk.
"Yep?"
"Irvine?..Well. It's me.Squall."
"Oh. hey buddy. What's up?" Irvine was surprised. He thought Squall would never talk to him ever again. Quistis had told him that he was pretty angry. And now he seemed a bit nervous.
"Nah. I just ..wanna ask you something. You know. uhm.did Quistis tell you about my daughter wants to leave my Garden?"
"Well..actually, yes she did. Your daughter called me some days ago and asked if she could come over to my school."
"I see.."
"Squall. "
"No. let me finish! I don't think it is such a good idea.but anyway. she has a strong will. like her mother.," Squall sighs.
Auron looked at his father with surprise. Squall? Squall Leonhart? He knew something about him, that his father and Squall were best friends until Irvine had to leave. But what did he want?
"So. could you fetch her from the train station. In three days?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks. Bye."
"Squall wai.."
Squall has hung up the phone. Irvine held the the phone some moments longer, then he hung up, too.
"Everything okay?"
"I think so. Squalls and Quistis daughters will be here in three days."
"They will be on time for the party!" Auron said with a smirk on his face. "I hope they are pretty!"
"Auron!!! Squall is gonna kill me if his little angel is hurt or something."
"I don't plan to hurt anybody."
"I am sure about it," Irvine said, putting his hand on Aurons head and stroke his hair.
Two hours later a group of nine people stood outside of the new Galbadia Garden. Auron was one of them. They were joking around until Irvine and two instructors went to the group. Silence and order. The young students, all dressed in black except their shoulder decorations of red and golden symbols, stood in rows and looked straight at their teachers. The instructors wore nearly the same clothes, but each had a long black cape that nearly touched the ground. Irvine loved it. Squall always said that he had a strange style of dressing but he liked to be dressed in black with that long cape, like a vampire. He cleared his throat and said loudly: "Good morning! I hope everybody is well prepared and ready for the test of his life!" Some students nodded.
"Good. if anybody feels not ready to do this say so NOW. On the battlefield you won't have a chance to ask your enemy to wait for a moment until you are gone." Irvine looked into the group. His eyes found his son and he smiled. "Okay then. The instructors will give you your orders now. Anything I forgot? .no? Okay.Good luck. And come back unhurt."
The group split up. Auron and two other students went to Irvine.
"You alright?"
"Yes, I think so," Auron said with a smile. He had his rifle in his hand and his sword hung on a belt around his hips.
"Rita?"
"I am fine."
"Gray?"
"Alright! We can start."
"Good. your task is it to find someone. In the wood area some miles ago there was a large collision between a monster and an airplane. The area is dangerous, so be careful."
"Tz.some monsters.dangerous?"
"I am not just talking about monsters. It is a stony area with a lot of wood and steep slopes. So first listen, Gray!"
"O..kay, Sir," he answered.
After they got some more information the four people went to a car and climbed in. They drove two hours through half of Galbadia, as Auron remarked, until they stopped in front of a wood.
"Well then. Good luck, guys."
Rita cleared her throat and looked at Irvine angrily.
"Oh.hehe. I am sorry," he said with his I-cannot-hurt-anybody-look.
"Hmpf."
"Okay, let's go."
It was not as difficult to find the airplane as to decide how to get there. The area was really bad. Gray was angry and cursed all the time. Irvine knew that he would not manage to pass the exam, he had too many minus points. And his bad mood made it only worse. Sometimes Irvine thought about him being Seifers double. Strong, but with an iron will and not able to follow the orders. Rita was much different. She was quite and shy; he liked her. Auron could manage it. It was not his wish to get his son in his class but, anyway, it was not the plan that he should become a SeeD. But Auron does have an iron will, also, and he had always wanted to be a protector, just like his father. He had some minus-points but he will make it, Irvine thought.
"Huh.?"
"What's on, Auron?," Irvine asked his son.
Auron was looking at the sky, which starts to fill with clouds..pretty dark clouds, Irvine thought.
"I think it starts raining."
Irvine held out his hand and a little tear from heaven hit his hand.
"You're right."
" I am not gonna go anywhere if it rains," Gray said angrily and crossed his arms on his chest.
"Oh Gray," Auron sights, "this is not gonna kill you or so. And we are allowed to finish that even when it rains. So come on!"
"Don't bother me, daddy-boy!"
Irvine and Auron glared at him and said in union: "What did you say?"
"Well, that you, Auron, just play the big guy here, because of your daddy."
"Well.. I don't think so," Auron said and went to Gray to face him.
Rite looked at the scene and began to worry. Irvine noticed the tension between them and stepped between them angrily.
"Stop it, you two! It is enough!"
"Huh.if daddy would not protect you, I would kick your ass, buddy."
Auron just wanted to pull out his weapon, as his father suddenly grabbed Gray by his shirt and pulled him up by it.
"I said STOP it, remember? If you don't do it RIGHT NOW I will stop this mission immediately! Understood, BUDDY?" Gray just nodded and stared at Irvine in shock.
"Good then," Irvine said and let Gray fall to the ground.
"Let's go then."
The boys were able to calm for nearly an hour. The rain was not so bad anymore, but they were soaked wet. Rita did not say a word. She just went with all them, and sometimes Irvine worried about her. She was too shy sometimes. Too calm to say if anything is bothering her. Irvine knew that this could destroy people. They went on until they saw something shone white through all the green branches. Gray and Auron wanted to see it and start to walk to the white object.
"Wait," Irvine ordered. "Check your weapons. Be prepared!" More minus points, he thought. The boys got their weapons loaded or at least in their hands and started sneaking to the object. Rita was close to Irvine, waiting for the boys to tell what it was.
It is too quite, Irvine thought.
Suddenly Auron steped an a branch which crashed under his weight. He earned a dark glare from Gray who cleared his throat to yell at Auron as they heard a very loud roar.
"What the hell..?"
Auron looked at his father and Rita, grabbed Gray by his arm and started to ran with him back to the others. He was nearly there, just two meters, but then this "roar" jumped in front of them.
"God, damn. What is that?"
This thing was totally different from every monster they knew. It was as large as a Qual, but black and his red eyes were facing the boys. He had large wings which were spread up from his body, but they are damaged a lot, so he wasn't able to fly. But he would be able to bite with his fangs! The thing roared again.
Gray stood there in shock, shivering he let fall his sword to the ground. Auron just looked at it. He could not move. He felt his weapon in his hand, cold metal and soft wood. He would be able to kill this thing if he just would move. His fathers first gun by his side he just stared at it in shock.
Another roar followed and the thing prepared himself for a jump at the boys. He strained his muscles and jumped up. But suddenly fell to the ground with the sound of a gun. Auron looked at his father who held his gun pointed at the monster. A serious look in his face. The thing did not move anymore. it was dead.
"Brilliant, boys," Irvine remarked angrily and went to them.
His weapon pressed on his body, he passed the boys and went to the "white thing". He smelled something awful and took away some branches to find a dead body, cupped with flys and maggots.
He turned to his little group and said: "Mission is over, let's go. We found him. he is dead.. thanks to this thing. It found him before us." He pointed his weapon at the monster.
Back in the Garden Dana Kinneas ran to her brother to congratulate him but he just held up his hand and passed her by. A little bit dasappointed she ran to her father and hugged him tightly.
"And?" she asked.
"Well, cookie.. it was not what I.. WE had expected."
Gray and Rita followed Auron to the mensa where every student had to wait after the exam until the results were presented. Auron did not say a word, Gray just made his stupid comments at everybody and everything and Rita was next to Auron. She had placed her hand on his back to soothe him a little bit. It was not that bad for her if she would not made it, but for Auron it was hell. He wanted to become a SeeD so badly! It was his dream since he was five years old.
It took nearly one hour until the instructors came into the mensa. They read out the names of two students which were able to pass the exam. None of them was in Irvines group. After most of the students had left the mensa Irvine went to his son and took a seat next to him. Rita looked at him in with understanding and went away.
"Auron."
He had his head on the table and on his crossed arms. He didn't want to talk nor did he want to see anybody.
"Auron.look at me."
Auron just shook his head.
"Hey.come on! There will be another exam in three months! So don't be so upset. Okay, little one?"
"..I. I am not little.," he answered and looked up at his father and tried to smile.
"You are," Irvine said and placed a hand on Aurons shoulder.
"Hey, but be happy. you can take part on at least two SeeD-Graduation- Parties," Irvine said and chuckled.
"Very funny. in Balamb I would not be allowed to go there. none of us would be allowed to if we did not pass the exam."
"But we are not at Balmb, remember? Oh, and you have to go, anyway, 'cause you are my son."
"But I won't play babysitter for Dani, understood?"
"We'll see." Irvine stood up and left with his well known cheeky smile.