Welcome back. Here is my entirely re-written fic for FF8. I think you'll like it. I've reformatted my fic so that this new stuff is chapter 2 on FF.net, please keep that in mind.
Quck Notes for you people just getting into the story....
This is a COMPLETE rewrite of what I had before. I wanted to make it longer and more detailed. Also I like my new summary much better. This story is a Final Fantasy crossover but only in a small sense. Also it WILL contain Yuri/Shoujo-ai/Femme-slash. Whatever you call it, it's gonna be in here so no one flame me about that K?
Standard Disclaimer that I will post only ONCE: I DON"T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR PLACES OR ANYTHING FINAL FANTASY RELATED, IT BELONGS TO SQUARESOFT!!!
On with the fic...
== ORIGINS: An FF8 fic by Kiwi ==
== PROLOGUE: Newborn ==
'You are completely oblivious.
Like a newborn child.
You don't know why you were given life,
or for what purpose you exist...
You simply shout to emphasize your life...
Your own existence.
You are completely oblivious.'
-- Final Fantasy IX
Dark.
Nothingness.
Light.
Nothingness.
Same.
Empty.
~~~
'Are the specimens ready yet?'
'Yes sir Dr. Hojo.'
'Good, proceed with phase two of the testing.'
'Sir?'
'Just do it!'
'Yes sir!'
~~~
Pathetic humans.
I laugh as you seek to 'study' me.
As if I am a stupid beast to be locked in a cage.
You are fools.
I understand you.
And as I listen I wish I were free.
I would kill you slowly.
Painfully.
You have imprisoned me and mine.
You will die.
I am one of the mightiest of my kind.
I am not your experiment.
Stupid humans.
I am not stupid.
I shall not attack you foolishly, I shall wait.
But beware little humans.
When I am free, my kin and I shall kill you all.
Worthless humans.
~~~
Noise.
Something new?
Again.
Loud.
Where?
Search.
Listen.
There!
Near.
Pain!
Tired.
Dark.
~~~
'Specimen sedated and moved.'
'Good. Record all actions for the next 24 hours.'
'Yes sir.'
~~~
Puny humans.
What are you planning now?
A sleep spell?
Pathetic, even for you.
Trying again? Allright, I'll play along for now.
Foolish humans, walking into my prison so that I may spill your blood.
Not so foolish. You were prepared.
What is this?
It smells much like a human, and yet it does not.
It's awake!
Small.
Dirty.
Female.
Eyes the color of ice, pure.
Do you not fear me?
~~~
'The experiment is going well.'
'Report again in one year.'
'Yes sir!'
~~~
For as long as she could remember, she had been locked up like a prisoner.
At first she had known nothing, except the tiny cell and herself.
She had been completely oblivious. Like a newborn child.
And then... she learned to live.
He showed her more than the white emptiness she had known all her life.
He had tried to frighten her.
She had simply smiled.
He was there, teaching her, loving her, guiding her as she slowly grew.
She learned.
They were dragons.
Experiments.
Prisoners.
They shall not be denied their freedom forever.
So as she grew he plotted of escape.
And through time and patience, they and their kin were free to roam the world once more.
And she loved it.
== End Prologue ==
Like it? Hate it? Tell me please! I can take it!
== CHAPTER ONE: Settling ==
'Kurse all SeeDs!'
-- Sorceress Ultimecia
'...whatever.'
-- Squall Leonheart
One year has passed since they have saved the world from the threat of Ultimecia.
Who are 'they', you ask?
'They' are a rag-tag bunch of SeeDs who just so happen to have been thrust together by fate.
Squall Leonheart: The Commander of Garden, and it's only gunblade specialist. A knight to the sorceress Rinoa, and still the most anti-social person you will ever meet.
Rinoa Heartilly/Carraway: 'Princess' of the Timber resistance group known as the Forest Owls, daughter of General Carraway and famous singer Julia Heartilly. Fiance to Garden's commander, and the last sorceress.
Zell Dincht: Martial arts specialist, hot dog conniseur, and one of the most energetic people in the world. He's dating the library girl, and is now the best mechanic Garden has to offer.
Selphie Tilmitt: A native of Trabia Garden, she is a master of the Nunchuku, and one of the most obliviously happy and terrifyingly violent people you will ever meet. She is extremely outgoing and sweet, but underneath it all she is as tough as nails.
Irvine Kinneas: A sharpshooter hailing from Galbadia Garden, and a total womaniser. Lately though he only has eyes for Selphie and has just recently asked her to marry him. She said maybe someday, and they are now going steady.
Quistis Trepe: An ex-instructor with her own fanclub, oldest of the heroes by only a year, owner of the most powerful whip currently in existence, and user of the rare Blue Magic.
She is also currently trying to get as drunk as possible.
"There you are!"
'Crap! Rinoa and Selphie. Act casual, maybe they won't realize--' Quistis snorted to herself lightly as she thought that. 'Yeah, and maybe Squall will smile.'
Qustis Trepe, one of the 'Heroes of the World' sighed in defeat as she realized that despite being totally sloshed, she still felt... NORMAL.
'How utterly depressing.'
"We've been lookin' all over for you Quisty! What're you doin' over here by yourself?" Selphie asked her as she bounced lightly in place.
"I was hiding while you tried to see exactly how much caffeine you had to consume before litteraly bouncing off the walls like a superball."
Selphie gawked at her as Rinoa tried to stiffle her giggles.
"QUISTY!?" The little yellow SeeD shrieked, causing them to wince in pain.
"Oh calm down Selph. She was just making a joke, Right Quisty?"
Quistis couldn't understand their reactions too well, she was just telling the truth. And proceeded to do so again. "um... no?"
"Are you drunk?"
"I wish..." she mumbled quietly, and silently wondered at how she was still sober after almost three bottles of wine.
'Damn Xu and all those drinking games we used to play!'
"What was that?" Rinoa asked curiously.
"Nothing. Just thinking about when I was younger."
"Ok! Come on! We're all heading towards the party in the Quad!" Selphie yelped loudly while pulling on the ex-instructor's arm.
"Yeah! The one year celebratory bash of Ultimecia's defeat! Come on Quisty!" Rinoa gleefully shouted as she too endevoured to drag the reluctant woman away from the balcony.
They might have actually succeeded had the Garden not given a sharp jerk at that moment.
"AHHHHH!!!"
"Quistis!"
"Whoa!"
"Are you ok Quisty?"
"What does it LOOK like? PULL ME UP!" Quistis hung precariously over the edge of the balcony, her clothes trying their damndest to come off while she swung by her ankles.
Just then 'Help' arrived in the shape of a sharpshooter cowboy wannabe. Irvine took one look at the girls and what they were doing, before calmly walking over and giving a sharp tug on Quistis's ankle, pulling her back over the edge.
*Thud*
"OW!"
"Are you ok Quisty?" Selphie asked the dishelved woman.
"I think fates just laughing at me today. I'm fine, thanks you guys."
"Don't mention it Quisty. Rescuin' a pretty girl like you is what I do." Irvine drawled before he smirked wickedly. "By the way..."
"Yeah?"
"Black lace suits ya'!" He howled before running off full speed, an enraged group of girls fast on his heels.
"IRVINE!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
'I know, I just KNOW that Fate is sitting up there and dieing of laughter at my expense.'
~~~
== Cid's POV ==
Tonight has been rather amusing thus far.
Although I do believe little Quistis would say otherwise. Poor dear, falling over the edge of the balcony like that... but if looks could kill.
Actually that face she made reminds me of when she first came to Garden... ah now THOSE were some interesting times.
We couldn't drag her out of the Training Center unless we knocked her out, and even then she'd beat up on unsuspecting people more than monsters.
*chuckle*.
"Do you find something amusing dear?" Ah, Edea, my lovely wife.
You haven't really changed in years... though I suppose being possesed by an evil sorceress from the future will do that to you.
Oh your getting that look again...
"Nothing really dear. I was just thinking of the first time I met Quistis here at Garden. *chuckle* Ah those were some of the more 'adventurous' days this garden had..."
"Do tell." Curious my love? But of course...
"Let me just say that... 'wild' didn't quite cover it. Although multiple explosions and attacking random people in the Training Center can come awfully close." Oh dear if you could see the expresion on your face...
"Explosions!?" Ah yes, just in time.
[*FLASH*]
"Here you go headmaster. A picture of you and Mrs. Kramer to help comemerate this evening."
"Thank you Jeffery. Have a good evening..."
Uh-oh! I think it would be best if I run screaming at this moment.
I know that look... I think every man knows and instinctivly fears THAT look.
Maybe I can hide near Zell...
"OoH CiiD..."
From that moment on Headmaster Cid Kramer of Balamb Garden could be seen running from a highly angered Edea.
Needless to say many men sympathised with their leader on this day...
== End Chapter One ==
I couldn't help it! I just loved the whole Cid POV thing I had written before. What can I say? The thought of an enraged Edea chasing portly Headmaster Cid during a party just tickles my funny bone!
== CHAPTER TWO: Lonely Dreamers ==
'Darling so there you are,
with that look on your face,
as if you're never hurt,
as if you're never down.
Shall I be the one for you,
who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I would know that you are no dreamer...'
-- Eyes on Me
It lay... a figure trapped in a dream once reality.
Images shifting like sand through fingers, running and bleeding together.
A sound, akin to millions of people screaming in horror, wail silently in deaf ears.
Blood covered vision making it impossible to find the way...
'The way to where?'
(Home)
A voice.
'Wha'? Who...?'
The screams have softend to mere whispers with the intrusion of the voice. A voice that is soft and sweet, yet harsh and grating at the same time.
'Where am I?'
(Inbetween)
'Why?'
(Duty)
'Duty? What duty?'
(To protect)
'What? To protect what?'
An image appears, a familiar image, one that can not be grasped completely.
'How!?'
Suddenly the screams returned, a thousand times worse.
Shattering the body, and causing excruciating pain.
White flashes behind closed eyes, as blood runs thickly down a face.
Tears of pain flow freely as a new scream joins the chorus.
(Knight)
~~~
Quistis sighed as she walked slowly along Balamb's small beach.
It was well after curfew and she knew that no matter her rank she would still get in trouble for having left the Garden without permission.
After catching and then thouroughly pummeling Irvine for his remark, she had left to brood by herself for a while. And sporting a pair of loose black jeans and a red top the same as her peach one, as well as her normal battle accessories, she had found her way out here.
The full moon, and crashing of the waves lulled her into a sort of peaceful trance. Memories long buried flitting through her head as the familiararity of it all soothed her.
A flash of icy blue, feelings of warmth and love.
A sudden cry brought her to attention as she readied her Save the Queen whip for battle. Several Fastifalcon's had spotted her and were moving in for the kill.
*Snap! Crack!*
The weak monsters hadn't stood a chance against her. Ever since they had come back from Time Compression, Quistis had been training as much as possible without guardians.
She wanted to remember.
The only guardian she had junctured since had been Shiva, and only in life or death emergencies.
The stronger she became, the less she had to.
Scanning the corpses for any items she could use, Quistis let her mind wander to what had occured in Time Compression.
+++
An eternal white void.
It was frightening.
And oddly familiar.
A voice in the distance... Zell maybe?
"Don't fall into a time hole!"
A warning to all her loved ones. 'Be Careful'.
Hours pass and no response.
And so she walked.
Endlessly she walked.
'How long?'
'Too long...'
She was lost... and no one could guide her home.
Sinking to her knees, she crys silently.
There is no more hope.
+++
She couldn't remember anything that had happened after that point.
They had found her in the middle of the Centran desert.
Near death.
Comatose.
She had woken up two weeks later screaming like she was being tortured.
They never spoke of it, and she liked it that way.
A sudden scream of pain pierced her thoughts, and spurred her to action.
Carefully equiping Shiva and her best magics just in case, she set out to find the owner.
'Please be ok...'
~~~
A quiet groan.
'What happened?'
Gentle movement.
White hot pain.
A scream.
The taste of blood.
A voice... calling gently.
A cool, healing touch.
Blue ice.
Gold and silver.
A single word.
"(Knight)"
Darkness.
== End Chapter Two ==
Well did ya like it? Did ya? I must say *I* think that this is MUCH better than it was before. Hopefully you agree.
Any ways Read and Review! I love hearing your ideas, even if they are flames for being a total ass by leaving you hanging.
But I promise that I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.
"You Kiwi-chan... are the Uber-Twit!"
"... Thank you."
Quck Notes for you people just getting into the story....
This is a COMPLETE rewrite of what I had before. I wanted to make it longer and more detailed. Also I like my new summary much better. This story is a Final Fantasy crossover but only in a small sense. Also it WILL contain Yuri/Shoujo-ai/Femme-slash. Whatever you call it, it's gonna be in here so no one flame me about that K?
Standard Disclaimer that I will post only ONCE: I DON"T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR PLACES OR ANYTHING FINAL FANTASY RELATED, IT BELONGS TO SQUARESOFT!!!
On with the fic...
== ORIGINS: An FF8 fic by Kiwi ==
== PROLOGUE: Newborn ==
'You are completely oblivious.
Like a newborn child.
You don't know why you were given life,
or for what purpose you exist...
You simply shout to emphasize your life...
Your own existence.
You are completely oblivious.'
-- Final Fantasy IX
Dark.
Nothingness.
Light.
Nothingness.
Same.
Empty.
~~~
'Are the specimens ready yet?'
'Yes sir Dr. Hojo.'
'Good, proceed with phase two of the testing.'
'Sir?'
'Just do it!'
'Yes sir!'
~~~
Pathetic humans.
I laugh as you seek to 'study' me.
As if I am a stupid beast to be locked in a cage.
You are fools.
I understand you.
And as I listen I wish I were free.
I would kill you slowly.
Painfully.
You have imprisoned me and mine.
You will die.
I am one of the mightiest of my kind.
I am not your experiment.
Stupid humans.
I am not stupid.
I shall not attack you foolishly, I shall wait.
But beware little humans.
When I am free, my kin and I shall kill you all.
Worthless humans.
~~~
Noise.
Something new?
Again.
Loud.
Where?
Search.
Listen.
There!
Near.
Pain!
Tired.
Dark.
~~~
'Specimen sedated and moved.'
'Good. Record all actions for the next 24 hours.'
'Yes sir.'
~~~
Puny humans.
What are you planning now?
A sleep spell?
Pathetic, even for you.
Trying again? Allright, I'll play along for now.
Foolish humans, walking into my prison so that I may spill your blood.
Not so foolish. You were prepared.
What is this?
It smells much like a human, and yet it does not.
It's awake!
Small.
Dirty.
Female.
Eyes the color of ice, pure.
Do you not fear me?
~~~
'The experiment is going well.'
'Report again in one year.'
'Yes sir!'
~~~
For as long as she could remember, she had been locked up like a prisoner.
At first she had known nothing, except the tiny cell and herself.
She had been completely oblivious. Like a newborn child.
And then... she learned to live.
He showed her more than the white emptiness she had known all her life.
He had tried to frighten her.
She had simply smiled.
He was there, teaching her, loving her, guiding her as she slowly grew.
She learned.
They were dragons.
Experiments.
Prisoners.
They shall not be denied their freedom forever.
So as she grew he plotted of escape.
And through time and patience, they and their kin were free to roam the world once more.
And she loved it.
== End Prologue ==
Like it? Hate it? Tell me please! I can take it!
== CHAPTER ONE: Settling ==
'Kurse all SeeDs!'
-- Sorceress Ultimecia
'...whatever.'
-- Squall Leonheart
One year has passed since they have saved the world from the threat of Ultimecia.
Who are 'they', you ask?
'They' are a rag-tag bunch of SeeDs who just so happen to have been thrust together by fate.
Squall Leonheart: The Commander of Garden, and it's only gunblade specialist. A knight to the sorceress Rinoa, and still the most anti-social person you will ever meet.
Rinoa Heartilly/Carraway: 'Princess' of the Timber resistance group known as the Forest Owls, daughter of General Carraway and famous singer Julia Heartilly. Fiance to Garden's commander, and the last sorceress.
Zell Dincht: Martial arts specialist, hot dog conniseur, and one of the most energetic people in the world. He's dating the library girl, and is now the best mechanic Garden has to offer.
Selphie Tilmitt: A native of Trabia Garden, she is a master of the Nunchuku, and one of the most obliviously happy and terrifyingly violent people you will ever meet. She is extremely outgoing and sweet, but underneath it all she is as tough as nails.
Irvine Kinneas: A sharpshooter hailing from Galbadia Garden, and a total womaniser. Lately though he only has eyes for Selphie and has just recently asked her to marry him. She said maybe someday, and they are now going steady.
Quistis Trepe: An ex-instructor with her own fanclub, oldest of the heroes by only a year, owner of the most powerful whip currently in existence, and user of the rare Blue Magic.
She is also currently trying to get as drunk as possible.
"There you are!"
'Crap! Rinoa and Selphie. Act casual, maybe they won't realize--' Quistis snorted to herself lightly as she thought that. 'Yeah, and maybe Squall will smile.'
Qustis Trepe, one of the 'Heroes of the World' sighed in defeat as she realized that despite being totally sloshed, she still felt... NORMAL.
'How utterly depressing.'
"We've been lookin' all over for you Quisty! What're you doin' over here by yourself?" Selphie asked her as she bounced lightly in place.
"I was hiding while you tried to see exactly how much caffeine you had to consume before litteraly bouncing off the walls like a superball."
Selphie gawked at her as Rinoa tried to stiffle her giggles.
"QUISTY!?" The little yellow SeeD shrieked, causing them to wince in pain.
"Oh calm down Selph. She was just making a joke, Right Quisty?"
Quistis couldn't understand their reactions too well, she was just telling the truth. And proceeded to do so again. "um... no?"
"Are you drunk?"
"I wish..." she mumbled quietly, and silently wondered at how she was still sober after almost three bottles of wine.
'Damn Xu and all those drinking games we used to play!'
"What was that?" Rinoa asked curiously.
"Nothing. Just thinking about when I was younger."
"Ok! Come on! We're all heading towards the party in the Quad!" Selphie yelped loudly while pulling on the ex-instructor's arm.
"Yeah! The one year celebratory bash of Ultimecia's defeat! Come on Quisty!" Rinoa gleefully shouted as she too endevoured to drag the reluctant woman away from the balcony.
They might have actually succeeded had the Garden not given a sharp jerk at that moment.
"AHHHHH!!!"
"Quistis!"
"Whoa!"
"Are you ok Quisty?"
"What does it LOOK like? PULL ME UP!" Quistis hung precariously over the edge of the balcony, her clothes trying their damndest to come off while she swung by her ankles.
Just then 'Help' arrived in the shape of a sharpshooter cowboy wannabe. Irvine took one look at the girls and what they were doing, before calmly walking over and giving a sharp tug on Quistis's ankle, pulling her back over the edge.
*Thud*
"OW!"
"Are you ok Quisty?" Selphie asked the dishelved woman.
"I think fates just laughing at me today. I'm fine, thanks you guys."
"Don't mention it Quisty. Rescuin' a pretty girl like you is what I do." Irvine drawled before he smirked wickedly. "By the way..."
"Yeah?"
"Black lace suits ya'!" He howled before running off full speed, an enraged group of girls fast on his heels.
"IRVINE!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"
'I know, I just KNOW that Fate is sitting up there and dieing of laughter at my expense.'
~~~
== Cid's POV ==
Tonight has been rather amusing thus far.
Although I do believe little Quistis would say otherwise. Poor dear, falling over the edge of the balcony like that... but if looks could kill.
Actually that face she made reminds me of when she first came to Garden... ah now THOSE were some interesting times.
We couldn't drag her out of the Training Center unless we knocked her out, and even then she'd beat up on unsuspecting people more than monsters.
*chuckle*.
"Do you find something amusing dear?" Ah, Edea, my lovely wife.
You haven't really changed in years... though I suppose being possesed by an evil sorceress from the future will do that to you.
Oh your getting that look again...
"Nothing really dear. I was just thinking of the first time I met Quistis here at Garden. *chuckle* Ah those were some of the more 'adventurous' days this garden had..."
"Do tell." Curious my love? But of course...
"Let me just say that... 'wild' didn't quite cover it. Although multiple explosions and attacking random people in the Training Center can come awfully close." Oh dear if you could see the expresion on your face...
"Explosions!?" Ah yes, just in time.
[*FLASH*]
"Here you go headmaster. A picture of you and Mrs. Kramer to help comemerate this evening."
"Thank you Jeffery. Have a good evening..."
Uh-oh! I think it would be best if I run screaming at this moment.
I know that look... I think every man knows and instinctivly fears THAT look.
Maybe I can hide near Zell...
"OoH CiiD..."
From that moment on Headmaster Cid Kramer of Balamb Garden could be seen running from a highly angered Edea.
Needless to say many men sympathised with their leader on this day...
== End Chapter One ==
I couldn't help it! I just loved the whole Cid POV thing I had written before. What can I say? The thought of an enraged Edea chasing portly Headmaster Cid during a party just tickles my funny bone!
== CHAPTER TWO: Lonely Dreamers ==
'Darling so there you are,
with that look on your face,
as if you're never hurt,
as if you're never down.
Shall I be the one for you,
who pinches you softly but sure?
If frown is shown then,
I would know that you are no dreamer...'
-- Eyes on Me
It lay... a figure trapped in a dream once reality.
Images shifting like sand through fingers, running and bleeding together.
A sound, akin to millions of people screaming in horror, wail silently in deaf ears.
Blood covered vision making it impossible to find the way...
'The way to where?'
(Home)
A voice.
'Wha'? Who...?'
The screams have softend to mere whispers with the intrusion of the voice. A voice that is soft and sweet, yet harsh and grating at the same time.
'Where am I?'
(Inbetween)
'Why?'
(Duty)
'Duty? What duty?'
(To protect)
'What? To protect what?'
An image appears, a familiar image, one that can not be grasped completely.
'How!?'
Suddenly the screams returned, a thousand times worse.
Shattering the body, and causing excruciating pain.
White flashes behind closed eyes, as blood runs thickly down a face.
Tears of pain flow freely as a new scream joins the chorus.
(Knight)
~~~
Quistis sighed as she walked slowly along Balamb's small beach.
It was well after curfew and she knew that no matter her rank she would still get in trouble for having left the Garden without permission.
After catching and then thouroughly pummeling Irvine for his remark, she had left to brood by herself for a while. And sporting a pair of loose black jeans and a red top the same as her peach one, as well as her normal battle accessories, she had found her way out here.
The full moon, and crashing of the waves lulled her into a sort of peaceful trance. Memories long buried flitting through her head as the familiararity of it all soothed her.
A flash of icy blue, feelings of warmth and love.
A sudden cry brought her to attention as she readied her Save the Queen whip for battle. Several Fastifalcon's had spotted her and were moving in for the kill.
*Snap! Crack!*
The weak monsters hadn't stood a chance against her. Ever since they had come back from Time Compression, Quistis had been training as much as possible without guardians.
She wanted to remember.
The only guardian she had junctured since had been Shiva, and only in life or death emergencies.
The stronger she became, the less she had to.
Scanning the corpses for any items she could use, Quistis let her mind wander to what had occured in Time Compression.
+++
An eternal white void.
It was frightening.
And oddly familiar.
A voice in the distance... Zell maybe?
"Don't fall into a time hole!"
A warning to all her loved ones. 'Be Careful'.
Hours pass and no response.
And so she walked.
Endlessly she walked.
'How long?'
'Too long...'
She was lost... and no one could guide her home.
Sinking to her knees, she crys silently.
There is no more hope.
+++
She couldn't remember anything that had happened after that point.
They had found her in the middle of the Centran desert.
Near death.
Comatose.
She had woken up two weeks later screaming like she was being tortured.
They never spoke of it, and she liked it that way.
A sudden scream of pain pierced her thoughts, and spurred her to action.
Carefully equiping Shiva and her best magics just in case, she set out to find the owner.
'Please be ok...'
~~~
A quiet groan.
'What happened?'
Gentle movement.
White hot pain.
A scream.
The taste of blood.
A voice... calling gently.
A cool, healing touch.
Blue ice.
Gold and silver.
A single word.
"(Knight)"
Darkness.
== End Chapter Two ==
Well did ya like it? Did ya? I must say *I* think that this is MUCH better than it was before. Hopefully you agree.
Any ways Read and Review! I love hearing your ideas, even if they are flames for being a total ass by leaving you hanging.
But I promise that I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.
"You Kiwi-chan... are the Uber-Twit!"
"... Thank you."
