(When the Dust Settles: Balance of Power - cont.........)
From that day on, Seifer and Meg spent an awful lot of time together. Jealousy and gossip arose, but despite all the rumors, Seifer and Meg were friends....yeah...still just friends.
It was another boring morning. Seifer and Zell were sparring with the punching bag behind Zell's desk. Quistis was sorting some files of the previous school year in Squall's files. Rinoa was on the couch by Squall's desk. Suddenly, Zell tumbled backwards. His nose was burning red.
"SEIFER!" Zell screamed before grabbing his nose in pain.
"Uh...sorry about that Zell." Seifer attempted to help Zell.
"How could you miss the bag like that?!" Zell smacked his helping hand away and got up on his own.
"I guess I have better aim than I thought," Seifer joked. Zell pulled an ice pack from his drawer. He angrily sat back in his chair and rested the ice pack on his nose/forehead area. Seifer continued training.
Meg and Squall were visiting the 2F classroom giving a lesson on the necessary ethics for a good SeeD to a group of candidates. Instructor Aki was there as a moderator and to keep his students in order. He really wasn't needed. Everyone listened to Squall and Meg because they had high respect for them. Except for a rowdy few who were mainly jealous.
"Okay, so let's get to it. When you arrive on site of your field exam, you will meet with your SeeD supervisor. He will announce your Squad captain for the day." Squall began.
"You are to obey that captain whether you like him or not. SeeD is about following the orders you are given. NOT questioning authority." Meg continued.
"Your exam results will be based on your ability to follow orders, cooperation, intelligence, how you handle pressure, teamwork, and---" Squall was interrupted.
"---how cute a girl's ass looks in a uniform."
Squall stared at a young man in the back. He reminded him of Seifer. Meg glared at him.
"What was that?" Meg asked.
"You heard me, Meg."
"That's ma'am to you, young sir. If you have any more wise cracks I suggest you keep them to yourself or I'll introduce my foot into your ass. You have a problem with that?"
The boy was silent.
"DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?" Meg asked again.
"So what if I do?" he stood up.
"Instructor, who is that young man?" Squall asked Instructor Aki. Aki put on his glasses. Squall sighed and ignored Aki.
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked. The young man walked down the aisle. He came closer and closer to Squall and Meg. He raised his hand as if he was charging up some energy in it. Meg noticed some light flicker in his palm. She shoved Aki out of the way as the man threw a ball of what seemed to be fire at the old man.
"Using magic inside Garden is strictly forboden!" the senile Aki yelled.
"Everyone get down and stay where you are!" Meg called out.
"Fools." The man raised his arms. A channel of fire encircled his arms as he charged towards Meg.
"Meg!" Squall warned.
Meg leaped back and evaded each fire punch.
"What is this...magic??" Meg was almost cornered. Squall came from behind and kicked the man's back. Meg rolled away and drew her staff. Suddenly, the windows crashed and screams followed. Meg and Squall were distracted for a moment and the man seized the opportunity of throwing Meg into the far back of the room. She slammed into one of the computers before hitting the wall and rolling down onto the floor to where a new enemy stood. She one was a young woman. She had long blond hair and wore a plain white outfit and gloves. She picked Meg up by the neck and squeezed hard.
Squall couldn't get to her. The man's hair turned auburn and his clothes changed into that similar to the woman's.
"What was that?" Zell asked. They felt the crash from the 2F.
"I dunno, but I don't like it." Seifer stopped punching the bag and picked up his gunblade. The window at the far back of the room, near Quistis and Rinoa, crashed in. Glass debris flew everywhere. Zell and Seifer hit the ground and shielded their eyes. Quistis got off Rinoa after the mess settled and pulled her up. Before they could make to the Zell or Seifer, Rinoa was lifted off the ground and pulled towards the windowless side. Quistis spun around, but the ground beneath her shook and uplifted. She was thrown off balance into Zell and Seifer. Rinoa was pulled out the window and a young man with long grey hair wearing a white outfit and a grey cape flew into the room. He held Rinoa by the throat and arms.
"Shit. RINOA!" Seifer got up and drew his gunblade. He didn't know what to expect from the stranger. If he made a move now, Rinoa's life could be taken. All Seifer and the others could do was wait.
"LET HER GO!" Zell held his fists in the air.
He let go of her throat and took out two envelopes. He held them in the air with wind and blew them at Seifer and Zell. They caught the envelopes and when they looked back at the man, he and Rinoa were gone.
Meg squirmed but the collision into the computer and the wall had drained her endurance and strength. She was losing breath and the class was much too scared to help. Squall managed to stall the man in time to throw a dagger at the woman. The woman loosened her grip of Meg as she evaded the dagger which grazed her cheek. Meg kicked the woman in the chest with all her strenght and sent her flying into the opposite wall. Meg dropped to the ground gasping for air. Meg looked around for her staff, but she had dropped it near Squall. She wearily picked herself up and obtained some balance. The woman, too, stood up. Meg focused on her, but in an instant, the girl was gone. She reappeared in front of Meg and greeted her with a punch. Meg caught her punch and counterkicked. The woman stumbled back. Meg prepared for another attack, but the woman backed up. The woman and man disappeared. Meg looked at Squall who held up an envelope. Meg looked back at the ground and picked up one just like it.
Meg collapsed on her knees.
From that day on, Seifer and Meg spent an awful lot of time together. Jealousy and gossip arose, but despite all the rumors, Seifer and Meg were friends....yeah...still just friends.
It was another boring morning. Seifer and Zell were sparring with the punching bag behind Zell's desk. Quistis was sorting some files of the previous school year in Squall's files. Rinoa was on the couch by Squall's desk. Suddenly, Zell tumbled backwards. His nose was burning red.
"SEIFER!" Zell screamed before grabbing his nose in pain.
"Uh...sorry about that Zell." Seifer attempted to help Zell.
"How could you miss the bag like that?!" Zell smacked his helping hand away and got up on his own.
"I guess I have better aim than I thought," Seifer joked. Zell pulled an ice pack from his drawer. He angrily sat back in his chair and rested the ice pack on his nose/forehead area. Seifer continued training.
Meg and Squall were visiting the 2F classroom giving a lesson on the necessary ethics for a good SeeD to a group of candidates. Instructor Aki was there as a moderator and to keep his students in order. He really wasn't needed. Everyone listened to Squall and Meg because they had high respect for them. Except for a rowdy few who were mainly jealous.
"Okay, so let's get to it. When you arrive on site of your field exam, you will meet with your SeeD supervisor. He will announce your Squad captain for the day." Squall began.
"You are to obey that captain whether you like him or not. SeeD is about following the orders you are given. NOT questioning authority." Meg continued.
"Your exam results will be based on your ability to follow orders, cooperation, intelligence, how you handle pressure, teamwork, and---" Squall was interrupted.
"---how cute a girl's ass looks in a uniform."
Squall stared at a young man in the back. He reminded him of Seifer. Meg glared at him.
"What was that?" Meg asked.
"You heard me, Meg."
"That's ma'am to you, young sir. If you have any more wise cracks I suggest you keep them to yourself or I'll introduce my foot into your ass. You have a problem with that?"
The boy was silent.
"DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?" Meg asked again.
"So what if I do?" he stood up.
"Instructor, who is that young man?" Squall asked Instructor Aki. Aki put on his glasses. Squall sighed and ignored Aki.
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked. The young man walked down the aisle. He came closer and closer to Squall and Meg. He raised his hand as if he was charging up some energy in it. Meg noticed some light flicker in his palm. She shoved Aki out of the way as the man threw a ball of what seemed to be fire at the old man.
"Using magic inside Garden is strictly forboden!" the senile Aki yelled.
"Everyone get down and stay where you are!" Meg called out.
"Fools." The man raised his arms. A channel of fire encircled his arms as he charged towards Meg.
"Meg!" Squall warned.
Meg leaped back and evaded each fire punch.
"What is this...magic??" Meg was almost cornered. Squall came from behind and kicked the man's back. Meg rolled away and drew her staff. Suddenly, the windows crashed and screams followed. Meg and Squall were distracted for a moment and the man seized the opportunity of throwing Meg into the far back of the room. She slammed into one of the computers before hitting the wall and rolling down onto the floor to where a new enemy stood. She one was a young woman. She had long blond hair and wore a plain white outfit and gloves. She picked Meg up by the neck and squeezed hard.
Squall couldn't get to her. The man's hair turned auburn and his clothes changed into that similar to the woman's.
"What was that?" Zell asked. They felt the crash from the 2F.
"I dunno, but I don't like it." Seifer stopped punching the bag and picked up his gunblade. The window at the far back of the room, near Quistis and Rinoa, crashed in. Glass debris flew everywhere. Zell and Seifer hit the ground and shielded their eyes. Quistis got off Rinoa after the mess settled and pulled her up. Before they could make to the Zell or Seifer, Rinoa was lifted off the ground and pulled towards the windowless side. Quistis spun around, but the ground beneath her shook and uplifted. She was thrown off balance into Zell and Seifer. Rinoa was pulled out the window and a young man with long grey hair wearing a white outfit and a grey cape flew into the room. He held Rinoa by the throat and arms.
"Shit. RINOA!" Seifer got up and drew his gunblade. He didn't know what to expect from the stranger. If he made a move now, Rinoa's life could be taken. All Seifer and the others could do was wait.
"LET HER GO!" Zell held his fists in the air.
He let go of her throat and took out two envelopes. He held them in the air with wind and blew them at Seifer and Zell. They caught the envelopes and when they looked back at the man, he and Rinoa were gone.
Meg squirmed but the collision into the computer and the wall had drained her endurance and strength. She was losing breath and the class was much too scared to help. Squall managed to stall the man in time to throw a dagger at the woman. The woman loosened her grip of Meg as she evaded the dagger which grazed her cheek. Meg kicked the woman in the chest with all her strenght and sent her flying into the opposite wall. Meg dropped to the ground gasping for air. Meg looked around for her staff, but she had dropped it near Squall. She wearily picked herself up and obtained some balance. The woman, too, stood up. Meg focused on her, but in an instant, the girl was gone. She reappeared in front of Meg and greeted her with a punch. Meg caught her punch and counterkicked. The woman stumbled back. Meg prepared for another attack, but the woman backed up. The woman and man disappeared. Meg looked at Squall who held up an envelope. Meg looked back at the ground and picked up one just like it.
Meg collapsed on her knees.