Final Fantasy VIII
Whenever You Need Me
Disclaimer: insert twenty-five cents and a cheap disclaimer here…
Author's Notes: Okay! We're done with the introductory chapters! ::everyone anime falls and Bunny looks around at them, confused:: What? What'd I say?
Chapter 6: Seifer's Final Field Test
"You asked for me, Headmaster?"
"Yes…why don't you sit down, Seifer?" Headmaster Cid Kramer asked, gesturing to a seat. "I'd like to talk to you."
Seifer sat down quietly, arms crossed, looking very like Squall. Cid smiled slightly, but continued in a serious tone. "Now…when I accepted you back into the Garden, you said you would train to become a SeeD, yes?"
The boy nodded, his jade eyes flickering. "Yes, Headmaster."
Cid leaned back in his seat, nodding to himself. "Well, I've decided to give a last chance. But only one chance, Seifer…if you fail, you will be expelled from Garden…all three of them."
Seifer's eyes widened slightly, but he only nodded again. "…Yes, Headmaster."
Cid smiled at the young man. "Seifer, please, no shenanigans. I don't want you to be expelled…and I'm not the only one, you know."
Seifer nodded. Tch, he thought, who wouldn't want to see the former Sorceress' Knight disgraced and broken, all his dreams shattered?
There was a knock on the door. "Headmaster?" asked a feminine voice that Seifer knew well.
"Yes, Quistis, do come in," Cid called.
"Thank you." The door opened and Quistis walked in, standing beside Seifer's chair. "You called for me?"
"Yes. Seifer, Miss Trepe shall be the SeeD that is in charge of your squad."
Seifer and Quistis looked at each other, neither betraying any emotion on their faces. Quistis looked at the Headmaster of Balamb Garden. "Headmaster, you DO know that I'm not qualified to be an instructor--"
Cid waved a hand. "No, don't even say it, Quistis. You're one of our top SeeDs. I don't want you to instruct Seifer, I want you to watch over the entire field test…and Seifer especially."
Seifer began to rise to his feet. "I don't need a caretaker--" he began.
Cid shot his a look, and Seifer started. Never had he seen the usually-kind Headmaster look so serious before. "Sit down," the Headmaster said quietly, and for once, Seifer obeyed orders.
Cid folded his arms onto his table and peered at the two teenagers intently. "Seifer, Miss Trepe is in no way your caretaker," he continued in the same soft tone. "She will not be tagging along with your squad to hold your hand, IF that is what you thought I assigned her to do. I do believe she has never done anything of the sort in all the times you have failed your earlier SeeD tests."
Seifer stared at the Headmaster. "Headmaster--"
Cid's intense brown gaze stopped him cold. "Seifer, you are an exceptional student," he said quietly, "and you need exceptional watching over. Quistis is the one I've assigned for that job. Now, I am sick and tired of watching you fail over and over because you refuse to follow orders."
"…Headmaster, what are you saying, then?"
Both men turned to the young woman. Quistis watched the Headmaster quietly, looking impeccable, as usual, in her neatly-pressed SeeD uniform, her hair pinned up, and her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her piercing blue gaze was trained on the Headmaster.
Cid sighed softly. "What I am saying, Quistis, is that since Seifer here is so stubborn that I have decided to make this a special field mission. There are no rules, only an objective. However his squad goes about doing it is not my concern. However any other squad goes about meeting the objective will not be my concern, but theirs. Do you understand, Seifer?"
Seifer gazed at the Headmaster, then nodded slowly.
"Very good. You two know that the field test will be in three days. I suggest, Mr. Almasy, that you get all that rebellion out of your system before it costs you. You're both dismissed."
Obediently, the two left quietly; as soon as they were in the elevator, Seifer let out a soft breath. "…Instructor?"
Quistis was leaning against the elevator, hands behind her back, staring at the doors. "Yes?"
Seifer looked back at her. "…I've never seen Cid like that before."
The girl shifted her pale blue gaze to him. "Neither have I," she said quietly, "but he's hoping you'll pass the field test. Seifer, this IS your last chance…don't screw it up like before." She looked straight ahead again, her features expressionless. "You may not think that the others want you to stay, but they do. Yes, even Squall and Zell."
Seifer smirked. "How'd you know what I was gonna say? Are you some mind reader now, Instructor?"
"I know you better than you think I do, Seifer." Quistis stood up straight as the elevator let out a soft ding, and the doors parted. They were on the first floor of the Garden. "We grew up together, didn't we?"
"Before you left, we were pretty close," Seifer agreed quietly.
Quistis stepped out of the elevator and turned to him. "I remember," she told him. "…Seify."
Seifer stared at her for a few moments, then grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "Quistis," he said quietly, looking down at her, "stay out of my way."
"W, what are you talking about…?" Quistis began.
"I mean it," Seifer said. "On the field test…stay out of my way, alright?"
"Seif--"
"Please." The request stopped her and she looked at him with wide eyes. She'd never heard Seifer be polite to anyone before. Not even Matron. He had just BEGGED her to stay away from him. "Just…keep out of my way, please."
He released her, walking past the stunned SeeD and ignoring the stares of the SeeD cadets as he stalked by. Quistis stared after him, rubbing her arm.
And then she gave a start. Her arm didn't even hurt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Seify, the gweatest warrior in the whole wide world, I hereby pwonounce yoo as MY knight!"
A young Quistis' words rang in his head. Seifer lay on his bed, ignoring the stirring of the student in the other room as he recounted the memories that had been surfacing in his muddled mind. Some of fights between him and Squall, or the Chicken-wuss. Some sitting on Matron's lap, hearing her soft voice sing a song. But mostly, time spent with Quisty. Those memories were the clearest, hearing her voice, her screams, mainly her whining. Seifer smiled slightly. Should've known someone that bossy would end up as a Garden instructor, he thought.
No…ex-Instructor.
Why?
Because of him.
His rebellion and pride had cost him something, but it had also cost someone else something, too. It would've been fine had it been someone else, but instead, it was the Instructor. Of course, bitter Fate had decided that he hurt the one he was closest to as a young child. Seifer scoffed. Figures, he thought. Life's gonna keep screwing with me.
I probably scared her, he mused, just grabbing her like that. She probably thinks I'm freaking out again, just like with Ultimecia…
He sighed softly. He was Quistis' knight, even if she never remembered making him so. And as her knight, he would protect her from everything. It was his duty.
Seifer suddenly smirked up to the ceiling. It seemed as if his romantic dream was coming true after all.
~Bunny's Corner~
Bunny: I have only but one request…please review this chapter! Thank you so much! ^-^
Whenever You Need Me
Disclaimer: insert twenty-five cents and a cheap disclaimer here…
Author's Notes: Okay! We're done with the introductory chapters! ::everyone anime falls and Bunny looks around at them, confused:: What? What'd I say?
Chapter 6: Seifer's Final Field Test
"You asked for me, Headmaster?"
"Yes…why don't you sit down, Seifer?" Headmaster Cid Kramer asked, gesturing to a seat. "I'd like to talk to you."
Seifer sat down quietly, arms crossed, looking very like Squall. Cid smiled slightly, but continued in a serious tone. "Now…when I accepted you back into the Garden, you said you would train to become a SeeD, yes?"
The boy nodded, his jade eyes flickering. "Yes, Headmaster."
Cid leaned back in his seat, nodding to himself. "Well, I've decided to give a last chance. But only one chance, Seifer…if you fail, you will be expelled from Garden…all three of them."
Seifer's eyes widened slightly, but he only nodded again. "…Yes, Headmaster."
Cid smiled at the young man. "Seifer, please, no shenanigans. I don't want you to be expelled…and I'm not the only one, you know."
Seifer nodded. Tch, he thought, who wouldn't want to see the former Sorceress' Knight disgraced and broken, all his dreams shattered?
There was a knock on the door. "Headmaster?" asked a feminine voice that Seifer knew well.
"Yes, Quistis, do come in," Cid called.
"Thank you." The door opened and Quistis walked in, standing beside Seifer's chair. "You called for me?"
"Yes. Seifer, Miss Trepe shall be the SeeD that is in charge of your squad."
Seifer and Quistis looked at each other, neither betraying any emotion on their faces. Quistis looked at the Headmaster of Balamb Garden. "Headmaster, you DO know that I'm not qualified to be an instructor--"
Cid waved a hand. "No, don't even say it, Quistis. You're one of our top SeeDs. I don't want you to instruct Seifer, I want you to watch over the entire field test…and Seifer especially."
Seifer began to rise to his feet. "I don't need a caretaker--" he began.
Cid shot his a look, and Seifer started. Never had he seen the usually-kind Headmaster look so serious before. "Sit down," the Headmaster said quietly, and for once, Seifer obeyed orders.
Cid folded his arms onto his table and peered at the two teenagers intently. "Seifer, Miss Trepe is in no way your caretaker," he continued in the same soft tone. "She will not be tagging along with your squad to hold your hand, IF that is what you thought I assigned her to do. I do believe she has never done anything of the sort in all the times you have failed your earlier SeeD tests."
Seifer stared at the Headmaster. "Headmaster--"
Cid's intense brown gaze stopped him cold. "Seifer, you are an exceptional student," he said quietly, "and you need exceptional watching over. Quistis is the one I've assigned for that job. Now, I am sick and tired of watching you fail over and over because you refuse to follow orders."
"…Headmaster, what are you saying, then?"
Both men turned to the young woman. Quistis watched the Headmaster quietly, looking impeccable, as usual, in her neatly-pressed SeeD uniform, her hair pinned up, and her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her piercing blue gaze was trained on the Headmaster.
Cid sighed softly. "What I am saying, Quistis, is that since Seifer here is so stubborn that I have decided to make this a special field mission. There are no rules, only an objective. However his squad goes about doing it is not my concern. However any other squad goes about meeting the objective will not be my concern, but theirs. Do you understand, Seifer?"
Seifer gazed at the Headmaster, then nodded slowly.
"Very good. You two know that the field test will be in three days. I suggest, Mr. Almasy, that you get all that rebellion out of your system before it costs you. You're both dismissed."
Obediently, the two left quietly; as soon as they were in the elevator, Seifer let out a soft breath. "…Instructor?"
Quistis was leaning against the elevator, hands behind her back, staring at the doors. "Yes?"
Seifer looked back at her. "…I've never seen Cid like that before."
The girl shifted her pale blue gaze to him. "Neither have I," she said quietly, "but he's hoping you'll pass the field test. Seifer, this IS your last chance…don't screw it up like before." She looked straight ahead again, her features expressionless. "You may not think that the others want you to stay, but they do. Yes, even Squall and Zell."
Seifer smirked. "How'd you know what I was gonna say? Are you some mind reader now, Instructor?"
"I know you better than you think I do, Seifer." Quistis stood up straight as the elevator let out a soft ding, and the doors parted. They were on the first floor of the Garden. "We grew up together, didn't we?"
"Before you left, we were pretty close," Seifer agreed quietly.
Quistis stepped out of the elevator and turned to him. "I remember," she told him. "…Seify."
Seifer stared at her for a few moments, then grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "Quistis," he said quietly, looking down at her, "stay out of my way."
"W, what are you talking about…?" Quistis began.
"I mean it," Seifer said. "On the field test…stay out of my way, alright?"
"Seif--"
"Please." The request stopped her and she looked at him with wide eyes. She'd never heard Seifer be polite to anyone before. Not even Matron. He had just BEGGED her to stay away from him. "Just…keep out of my way, please."
He released her, walking past the stunned SeeD and ignoring the stares of the SeeD cadets as he stalked by. Quistis stared after him, rubbing her arm.
And then she gave a start. Her arm didn't even hurt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Seify, the gweatest warrior in the whole wide world, I hereby pwonounce yoo as MY knight!"
A young Quistis' words rang in his head. Seifer lay on his bed, ignoring the stirring of the student in the other room as he recounted the memories that had been surfacing in his muddled mind. Some of fights between him and Squall, or the Chicken-wuss. Some sitting on Matron's lap, hearing her soft voice sing a song. But mostly, time spent with Quisty. Those memories were the clearest, hearing her voice, her screams, mainly her whining. Seifer smiled slightly. Should've known someone that bossy would end up as a Garden instructor, he thought.
No…ex-Instructor.
Why?
Because of him.
His rebellion and pride had cost him something, but it had also cost someone else something, too. It would've been fine had it been someone else, but instead, it was the Instructor. Of course, bitter Fate had decided that he hurt the one he was closest to as a young child. Seifer scoffed. Figures, he thought. Life's gonna keep screwing with me.
I probably scared her, he mused, just grabbing her like that. She probably thinks I'm freaking out again, just like with Ultimecia…
He sighed softly. He was Quistis' knight, even if she never remembered making him so. And as her knight, he would protect her from everything. It was his duty.
Seifer suddenly smirked up to the ceiling. It seemed as if his romantic dream was coming true after all.
~Bunny's Corner~
Bunny: I have only but one request…please review this chapter! Thank you so much! ^-^