Final Fantasy VIII
Whenever You Need Me
Author's Notes: Just one thing--the members of Seiftis Forever are wonderful poets. And…the childhood chapters will lessen starting from now on. Don't hurt me!
In the darkness, you are the light
Glittering, gleaming, showing me the sight
And though you may not know it
I let you love me too
But then there is the worry,
The anxiousness of yesterday
But, I will be there for you
The way you smile
The smile you've always had
It lights up the darkness in my life.
I'll always be there for you
You're the only angel I've ever known
Whenever you need me, I'll carry you home.
~Quis
Chapter 17: Here Comes the Seiftis Cliché!!! (a.k.a. Operation Seiftis)
"You what?!" Quistis asked, outraged, slamming her hands on Headmaster Cid's desk.
"Please, Quistis, you're going to ruin that desk…" Cid Kramer said calmly. "And what exactly do you mean, 'you what'?"
"What do you mean, you failed Seifer?!" Quistis raged, her pale blue eyes fiery. "What went wrong?"
"He disregarded your orders when you told him to return to the beach, as Miss Tamara Yien told me."
"Just for that?!!!"
Cid blinked. "SeeD officers know that an order is an order, Quistis."
Quistis retorted, "Good SeeD officers will do what they believe is right. I would've bled to death if Seifer hadn't rescued me." She shot the headmaster a chilling look. "Headmaster, you cannot fail Seifer. It's his final field test!!"
Cid crossed his arms. "Exactly what are you going to do about my decision, Quistis?" he asked.
The young woman took a calming breath and straightened. "Please change your mind, Headmaster," she said quietly, her voice with a deadly edge. "If you don't, I might be forced to do something to help you change it."
"…And what would that be?" Cid queried.
"Headmaster, Seifer did the right thing. You know that." Quistis was very close to losing control of her temper. "He made one mistake. He shouldn't be penalized for something that small. In fact, not only should he have passed, he should have had a high SeeD rank. He saved my life."
Cid stared at Quistis for a few moments, then took a seat. "…I'll make you a deal, Quistis," he said, looking thoughtful. "I'll give Seifer a last chance. His very last chance. He'll be taking the SeeD written test. If he passes it, he'll be a SeeD. The only things I ask of you…is to take a break from being a SeeD and tutor him."
Quistis felt her jaw drop. "W…what?"
Cid shrugged. "Well?"
"Me…tutor Seifer? And take a break from SeeD duties? Why?!"
"Well, for one thing, you've been seriously injured, and you need to take some time off to recover. Why not do something helpful and tutor your ailing student--?"
"Former student."
Cid nodded. "So? Is it a deal, Quistis?"
Quistis stared, open-mouthed, at the headmaster. She had no idea what was going on in his head, and why, exactly, he had failed Seifer, but he was giving Seifer another chance. "…Fine," she said finally, the guilt of costing Seifer his dream pushing her. "I'll tutor him. And I'll take a vacation from SeeD duties."
"Very good. Now, that means you won't be allowed to be Junctioning GFs…" Cid raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir." Quistis nodded.
"Very well. You're dismissed, Miss Trepe."
Silently, Quistis turned around and left the office. Cid waited for a few moments, then pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number, and after a few rings, a cheery voice answered.
"Hello, Headmaster Cid!" greeted Selphie Tilmitt. "Did it work?"
"Like a charm, Selphie. But may I ask, what is the point of this?" Cid asked, quite bewildered at the favor Selphie had asked of him--to fail Seifer although he should've passed and make Quistis his tutor. "I'm quite confused."
"Ummm…well, that's top-secret info, sir…" Selphie trailed off, then cheered up again, "but thanks for your help! I owe you! Thanks!"
"A-alright…goodbye, Selphie." Blinking, Cid hung up.
On the other end of the line, Selphie hung up as well.
"What did Headmaster Cid call you about, Sefie?" Irvine asked, leaning forward. The two were in the Garden cafeteria, seated in a corner and playing Triple Triad. "Anything important?"
"Hm? Oh…no!" Selphie shook her head and smiled charmingly at Irvine. "Nothing, Irvy!"
"…Then why do I get the feeling it's something?" Irvine questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Top-secret, Irvine." Selphie grinned. "My little secret!"
"It's related to Quistis and Seifer, isn't it?"
"Shoot. How'd you know?"
Irvine shrugged. "Someone had to fix them up. And it sure as heck isn't Rinoa, she's out of town visiting her dad. Which leaves us guys and you." Irvine shot Selphie a look. "Zell and Squall don't seem to interested in the deepening intrigue that is Quistis Trepe and Seifer Almasy's friendship. And me…well, I never was the kind to interfere with Seifer's life. But you…are the fearless Sefie." Irvine winked. "Well, if you need help, you know my dorm room."
Selphie blinked and shook her head. "Uh, no I don't, Irvy."
"Huh? Oh…never mind that statement, then." Irvine placed his own Character card onto the Triad board and grinned when multiple cards were turned over. "Well, that's my last card! What's yours, Sefie?"
"Hm." Selphie frowned and placed her final card down onto the grid. All but one of the cards on the grid turned blue. "There we go. I think I win!"
"Awww…" Irvine's shoulders slumped as Selphie took his Character card. "That's one of my strongest."
"It's okay, Irvy!" Selphie chirped, patting his hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some serious planning to do…"
"Seiftis-related?"
"Wha?"
"Er, uh…just a word," Irvine said hastily. "You know, put their names together and you get Seiftis…or Quiefer, but that sounds funny. So Seiftis--"
Selphie giggled. "That's so cute! Operation Seiftis! Hmm, has a nice ring to it…" And she walked off.
In his seat, Irvine sighed. If he knew Selphie, whatever plan she had to get two people together, it would be big. And when dealing with two extremely stubborn people like Quistis and Seifer, the plan would be bigger. Meaning that if something went wrong, there would be a lot of explosions. If everything went right, the fireworks would be bigger.
Irvine suddenly grinned. "THIS I gotta see."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alonia Everclear walked out of her dorm and suddenly bumped into something. "What the hell--?" she began, stepping back a few steps. She looked at the obstacle before her. "Excuse me, do I know you?"
She had bumped into a slim, tall young woman with jet-black hair and dark eyes who carried a shining silver Exeter. The mysterious raven-haired girl frowned at her for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I…I was looking for someone," she said in a soft voice. "But I think I got lost…"
Alonia nodded, throwing her white-blonde hair over her shoulder. "These are the dormitories," she said.
"Oh…I was trying to find the classrooms."
"Those are on the second floor," Alonia said with a laugh. "You're a long way, Miss--"
"Ugh, don't call me Miss, it makes me feel old. My name's Wrav--uh, Kat. Kat Skye."
"Kat. That short for something?"
"Yeah, Katherine."
"Sounds girly," Alonia commented.
Kat grinned. "I know. Just strikes fear into your heart, doesn't it? Men cower before me, but it just might be because of this…" She motioned to the Exeter in her hand. "So, the classrooms are on the second floor, ma'am?"
Alonia made a face. "Ma'am? Where the hell did that come from?"
Kat blinked. "Um, well…"
"You'll call me Alonia. That's my name, not ma'am. Ma'am is for little blue ladies who carry purses." Alonia's eyes gleamed. "That's not me."
"And what do you carry, Alonia?" Kat asked, eyebrow raised.
"Katals," replied the fair-haired woman calmly.
Kat's eyes flickered. "Wow," she remarked. "That's an interesting weapon of choice, Al."
Alonia grinned. "Thanks. Well, anyways, shouldn't you be going up to the second floor? Who are you looking for, anyway?"
"Uh, well, her name is Quistis Trepe. You know her?"
"Quis?" Alonia crossed her arms across her chest. "Yeah, she was injured during our SeeD field test, and she's in the infirmary. Why?"
"Oh…I see."
"How do you know Quis?" Alonia asked, frowning. "You don't look like a student around here. Come to think of it, I've never seen you before. Are you from another Garden or something? Quistis isn't the Balamb Garden ambassador anymore."
Wravyn had no idea what the hell this woman was talking about, but she tried to keep a straight face. "No, it's not that. Quistis…I guess I'm kind of from her past." That's not exactly a lie, Wravyn thought. I shot her a couple of days ago. "She probably doesn't remember me. I heard about her getting shot, and I was wondering if she was okay." Because if she is, I'll shoot her again.
Alonia shrugged. "Well, you can check out the infirmary. I'll come with you."
Kat shook her head. "Uh, no, no thanks. I'll just come by later. Thanks, Alonia." She pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled. "She might still be kinda out of it, you know."
The blonde woman laughed. "You obviously don't know Quis that well…"
Kat smiled slightly. "Probably. My memory's just the pits. So I'll come back another time."
Alonia nodded, then held out a slim hand. "It was nice meeting you, Kat," she said, smiling. "Next time you come, maybe you'll find Quis."
Kat shook the hand. "I hope so."
"See ya, then." With a casual wave, Alonia turned and walked off in the direction of the Training Center.
"Bye." Kat smiled and waved back until Alonia was gone. Then she let out a heavy sigh.
"Now, why the hell did I have to make friends with someone?"
Whenever You Need Me
Author's Notes: Just one thing--the members of Seiftis Forever are wonderful poets. And…the childhood chapters will lessen starting from now on. Don't hurt me!
In the darkness, you are the light
Glittering, gleaming, showing me the sight
And though you may not know it
I let you love me too
But then there is the worry,
The anxiousness of yesterday
But, I will be there for you
The way you smile
The smile you've always had
It lights up the darkness in my life.
I'll always be there for you
You're the only angel I've ever known
Whenever you need me, I'll carry you home.
~Quis
Chapter 17: Here Comes the Seiftis Cliché!!! (a.k.a. Operation Seiftis)
"You what?!" Quistis asked, outraged, slamming her hands on Headmaster Cid's desk.
"Please, Quistis, you're going to ruin that desk…" Cid Kramer said calmly. "And what exactly do you mean, 'you what'?"
"What do you mean, you failed Seifer?!" Quistis raged, her pale blue eyes fiery. "What went wrong?"
"He disregarded your orders when you told him to return to the beach, as Miss Tamara Yien told me."
"Just for that?!!!"
Cid blinked. "SeeD officers know that an order is an order, Quistis."
Quistis retorted, "Good SeeD officers will do what they believe is right. I would've bled to death if Seifer hadn't rescued me." She shot the headmaster a chilling look. "Headmaster, you cannot fail Seifer. It's his final field test!!"
Cid crossed his arms. "Exactly what are you going to do about my decision, Quistis?" he asked.
The young woman took a calming breath and straightened. "Please change your mind, Headmaster," she said quietly, her voice with a deadly edge. "If you don't, I might be forced to do something to help you change it."
"…And what would that be?" Cid queried.
"Headmaster, Seifer did the right thing. You know that." Quistis was very close to losing control of her temper. "He made one mistake. He shouldn't be penalized for something that small. In fact, not only should he have passed, he should have had a high SeeD rank. He saved my life."
Cid stared at Quistis for a few moments, then took a seat. "…I'll make you a deal, Quistis," he said, looking thoughtful. "I'll give Seifer a last chance. His very last chance. He'll be taking the SeeD written test. If he passes it, he'll be a SeeD. The only things I ask of you…is to take a break from being a SeeD and tutor him."
Quistis felt her jaw drop. "W…what?"
Cid shrugged. "Well?"
"Me…tutor Seifer? And take a break from SeeD duties? Why?!"
"Well, for one thing, you've been seriously injured, and you need to take some time off to recover. Why not do something helpful and tutor your ailing student--?"
"Former student."
Cid nodded. "So? Is it a deal, Quistis?"
Quistis stared, open-mouthed, at the headmaster. She had no idea what was going on in his head, and why, exactly, he had failed Seifer, but he was giving Seifer another chance. "…Fine," she said finally, the guilt of costing Seifer his dream pushing her. "I'll tutor him. And I'll take a vacation from SeeD duties."
"Very good. Now, that means you won't be allowed to be Junctioning GFs…" Cid raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir." Quistis nodded.
"Very well. You're dismissed, Miss Trepe."
Silently, Quistis turned around and left the office. Cid waited for a few moments, then pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number, and after a few rings, a cheery voice answered.
"Hello, Headmaster Cid!" greeted Selphie Tilmitt. "Did it work?"
"Like a charm, Selphie. But may I ask, what is the point of this?" Cid asked, quite bewildered at the favor Selphie had asked of him--to fail Seifer although he should've passed and make Quistis his tutor. "I'm quite confused."
"Ummm…well, that's top-secret info, sir…" Selphie trailed off, then cheered up again, "but thanks for your help! I owe you! Thanks!"
"A-alright…goodbye, Selphie." Blinking, Cid hung up.
On the other end of the line, Selphie hung up as well.
"What did Headmaster Cid call you about, Sefie?" Irvine asked, leaning forward. The two were in the Garden cafeteria, seated in a corner and playing Triple Triad. "Anything important?"
"Hm? Oh…no!" Selphie shook her head and smiled charmingly at Irvine. "Nothing, Irvy!"
"…Then why do I get the feeling it's something?" Irvine questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Top-secret, Irvine." Selphie grinned. "My little secret!"
"It's related to Quistis and Seifer, isn't it?"
"Shoot. How'd you know?"
Irvine shrugged. "Someone had to fix them up. And it sure as heck isn't Rinoa, she's out of town visiting her dad. Which leaves us guys and you." Irvine shot Selphie a look. "Zell and Squall don't seem to interested in the deepening intrigue that is Quistis Trepe and Seifer Almasy's friendship. And me…well, I never was the kind to interfere with Seifer's life. But you…are the fearless Sefie." Irvine winked. "Well, if you need help, you know my dorm room."
Selphie blinked and shook her head. "Uh, no I don't, Irvy."
"Huh? Oh…never mind that statement, then." Irvine placed his own Character card onto the Triad board and grinned when multiple cards were turned over. "Well, that's my last card! What's yours, Sefie?"
"Hm." Selphie frowned and placed her final card down onto the grid. All but one of the cards on the grid turned blue. "There we go. I think I win!"
"Awww…" Irvine's shoulders slumped as Selphie took his Character card. "That's one of my strongest."
"It's okay, Irvy!" Selphie chirped, patting his hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some serious planning to do…"
"Seiftis-related?"
"Wha?"
"Er, uh…just a word," Irvine said hastily. "You know, put their names together and you get Seiftis…or Quiefer, but that sounds funny. So Seiftis--"
Selphie giggled. "That's so cute! Operation Seiftis! Hmm, has a nice ring to it…" And she walked off.
In his seat, Irvine sighed. If he knew Selphie, whatever plan she had to get two people together, it would be big. And when dealing with two extremely stubborn people like Quistis and Seifer, the plan would be bigger. Meaning that if something went wrong, there would be a lot of explosions. If everything went right, the fireworks would be bigger.
Irvine suddenly grinned. "THIS I gotta see."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alonia Everclear walked out of her dorm and suddenly bumped into something. "What the hell--?" she began, stepping back a few steps. She looked at the obstacle before her. "Excuse me, do I know you?"
She had bumped into a slim, tall young woman with jet-black hair and dark eyes who carried a shining silver Exeter. The mysterious raven-haired girl frowned at her for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I…I was looking for someone," she said in a soft voice. "But I think I got lost…"
Alonia nodded, throwing her white-blonde hair over her shoulder. "These are the dormitories," she said.
"Oh…I was trying to find the classrooms."
"Those are on the second floor," Alonia said with a laugh. "You're a long way, Miss--"
"Ugh, don't call me Miss, it makes me feel old. My name's Wrav--uh, Kat. Kat Skye."
"Kat. That short for something?"
"Yeah, Katherine."
"Sounds girly," Alonia commented.
Kat grinned. "I know. Just strikes fear into your heart, doesn't it? Men cower before me, but it just might be because of this…" She motioned to the Exeter in her hand. "So, the classrooms are on the second floor, ma'am?"
Alonia made a face. "Ma'am? Where the hell did that come from?"
Kat blinked. "Um, well…"
"You'll call me Alonia. That's my name, not ma'am. Ma'am is for little blue ladies who carry purses." Alonia's eyes gleamed. "That's not me."
"And what do you carry, Alonia?" Kat asked, eyebrow raised.
"Katals," replied the fair-haired woman calmly.
Kat's eyes flickered. "Wow," she remarked. "That's an interesting weapon of choice, Al."
Alonia grinned. "Thanks. Well, anyways, shouldn't you be going up to the second floor? Who are you looking for, anyway?"
"Uh, well, her name is Quistis Trepe. You know her?"
"Quis?" Alonia crossed her arms across her chest. "Yeah, she was injured during our SeeD field test, and she's in the infirmary. Why?"
"Oh…I see."
"How do you know Quis?" Alonia asked, frowning. "You don't look like a student around here. Come to think of it, I've never seen you before. Are you from another Garden or something? Quistis isn't the Balamb Garden ambassador anymore."
Wravyn had no idea what the hell this woman was talking about, but she tried to keep a straight face. "No, it's not that. Quistis…I guess I'm kind of from her past." That's not exactly a lie, Wravyn thought. I shot her a couple of days ago. "She probably doesn't remember me. I heard about her getting shot, and I was wondering if she was okay." Because if she is, I'll shoot her again.
Alonia shrugged. "Well, you can check out the infirmary. I'll come with you."
Kat shook her head. "Uh, no, no thanks. I'll just come by later. Thanks, Alonia." She pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled. "She might still be kinda out of it, you know."
The blonde woman laughed. "You obviously don't know Quis that well…"
Kat smiled slightly. "Probably. My memory's just the pits. So I'll come back another time."
Alonia nodded, then held out a slim hand. "It was nice meeting you, Kat," she said, smiling. "Next time you come, maybe you'll find Quis."
Kat shook the hand. "I hope so."
"See ya, then." With a casual wave, Alonia turned and walked off in the direction of the Training Center.
"Bye." Kat smiled and waved back until Alonia was gone. Then she let out a heavy sigh.
"Now, why the hell did I have to make friends with someone?"