Examination
'Over and over again, the cycle flows. Over and over again, we face our demons.
Death leads to life, which ultimately leads to death again. Everything within our world is a cycle. Nothing lasts forever, save the powers of death and life.'
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Vehicle Bay, Main Floor, B-Garden
Quistis stood atop a balcony which led from the main hall to the Vehicle Bay, and gazed down into the vast expanse of darkness below. It merely seemed dark to her however, due to the fact that she had entered from the brightly lit corridors above.
The Bay was vast, easily ten or more times the size of the former one. It covered a whole wing of Garden, and its depths went as far as the MD Level. In fact, the Airship Bay was built around the main energy core of Garden which produced all the energy needed to maintain functionality of the huge machine. The Ragnarok and several other light airships known as the Attack Wings resided in the Airship Bay, and could be launched within ten minutes of orders.
Right now, several SeeD vehicles and equipment crates were being loaded onto the SeeD train that waited two floors below. The engine itself was a huge thing, loaded with awesome power within the titanium frame that enabled it to survive the launch from Garden. Several extendable Rocket Engines were mounted into the locomotive, and it was able to descend from Garden's vehicle bay from a height of sixty metres.
Quistis turned to the only other High SeeD who would be assisting her in the mission, Irvine Kinneas. All of the SeeDs who were with Squall when Ultimecia fell were given the rank of High SeeD, and part of the Council that determined SeeD's actions.
"Irvine, I see you are well. Eager to assist in the mission?"
Irvine nodded in his usual lazy manner, and tossed Quistis a wink and a charming grin. Quistis sighed and headed to the lift that would bring them down to B2, or else known as the V1. All of the land vehicles were stored there, due to it being nearer to the ground versus the B1.
Today was the final SeeD Examination of the year, and all SeeD cadets taking the examination were headed to Timber, where monsters had encircled the city, trapping all its inhabitants. From recon pictures taken by SeeD copters, the situation was pretty bad. Even helicopters or VTOLs that tried to escape were taken down by a vicious combination of Thrustaveis and Zuus. Monsters from all corners of the world were congregating on Timber unlike any other conflagration ever seen before.
Gaylas were seen floating in the outer streets of Timber, and several Behemoth herds had set up a family there. The outermost parts of Timber, including the other half of the Train Station were now under monster control.
Quistis smiled at the stupidity of that statement, for she was linking the monsters with thinking beings, and that they were not. She tapped the control panel lightly, watched with some guarded amusement as Irvine scrambled onto the platform and straightened his hat to prevent it from falling into the abyss below. Quistis hated to look down. She herself was not fond of the forty metre drop to B1, and another fifty metres to V1.
At length, they stood before twenty-four SeeD, all of whom were to engage the monsters in the exams. An Instructor stood before each squad of three, and an additional twenty SeeD stood behind as backup. From the number of SeeD that were to be deployed, Squall certainly did not underestimate the monster threat.
Upon seeing her, the cadets snapped unanimously into a parade rest stance and all talking ceased. Smiling slightly, Quistis nodded once and began the briefing.
"Good morning. Two hours ago, a priority call for SeeD was made by the Timber Unification regarding the monster situation. Intelligence Minister Watts gave us these reports:"
"The monsters have overrun the following areas: The West Wing of the Train Station, Balamb-Timber Line, Main Gates, and outer farmlands. Our mission is to reclaim the outer lands and secure the city from the monsters. The Squad Assignments are as follows."
"Squad A, establish a data and information central at the Timber Square, which will remain as our base of operations for this mission due to its strategic location. Squad B will guard the data central and the Timber Central, where the Ministers are gathered. Squads C and D will assist the militia in recovering local areas. The remaining four squads will proceed to the outer regions and secure them. The monsters appear to breed in the north-western forest, and once their location is pinpointed, a SeeD bombing run shall begin."
Quistis glanced around. "Are there any questions? No? Very well. Proceed onto the Sleipnir, and we shall head to Timber. SeeD, attention! Dismissed!"
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Train Cabin B, Sleipnir
Cadet Shinken Zanarkand and Cadet Anzu Macalania walked into the cabin, following their team leader as Selphie and Zell had done so long ago with Squall. The only difference was that this was a new generation, and the train was highly superior to that of old.
"Alright team! We have what could be classified as the dumbest, most inane and annoying job in all of SeeD history: Guard duty. Yay, three cheers."
Zaon Bevelle, Squad B leader, did not appear to be happy at all. He was instead, slumped on a couch and looking aimlessly at his large, long katana that could have cleaved through a T-Rexaur without much trouble. Anzu looked rather worriedly at him. "Zaon, are you well? You appear to be slightly weary to me."
Zaon managed a smile. "Haha, nothing, just that we're stuck on guard duty! And we're probably way better than those dudes who got the real jobs!"
Zanarkand seated himself by the window, choosing instead to enjoy the launch sequence rather than listen to Anzu comforting Zaon.
"Hey, it's not all that bad! At lest we get to pass without much difficulty and all!"
"Yeah, but look at the waste of our talents! I mean, GUARD duty??"
Zanarkand spoke softly and slowly, as though he doubted himself. "The Commander and his friends were on guard duty before they gained their ranks."
Zaon rounded on Zanarkand. "Hey, you! I didn't ask for YOUR opinion, so do me a damned favour and shut the hell up!" Zanarkand made no move save to turn his face back to the window. He did not blame Zaon for hating him; it was a family thing.
Two generation ago, in the town of Dollet, a Bevelle and Zanarkand met for the first time. They were originally business partners, but somehow, the investments that the Bevelle family placed within the Zanarkand Company went broke, and they lost everything. A generation later, the Bevelle family recovered from the extensive damages, but their fury was rekindled when Jonouchi Bevelle fell in love with Shizuka Zanarkand. They married and eloped against their family's orders, and were never seen again, save by travellers passing by the small town of Balamb.
Zanarkand smiled bitterly. It was like a modern Romeo and Juliet, and he could not help but think that eth former generations were nothing more than imbeciles. He was an orphan due to a Bevelle-funded hit squad that killed his entire family, and Zaon's parents were gone as well, slain by Jack Zanarkand's vengeful cousins, who owned a massive financial empire, a zaibatsu, somewhere in Esthar. They did not give a damn about him, however.
Zaon returned to his moody grumbling, and Zanarkand drew his light sword to prepare it for battle. He took several Gems from his belt pouch to slide them into the hilt, increasing the attack and defense of his weapon. The sword he used was named Caladbolg, and found in the Centran Ruins long ago. It was a Zanarkand heirloom, as Zaon's Masamune was, forged five millennia ago by the master sword smith Masamune for the Bevelle clan.
Anzu, giving up at changing Zaon's mind, seated herself beside Zanarkand; perhaps due to the fact that Zaon's sword was too big for her to sit next to him. She tried to speak with Zanarkand, but he seemed lost in a world of his own. It was only when she playfully raised his chin to her face did he wake up.
"Ah! Anzu, please don't do that!"
Anzu giggled girlishly, and smiled. "Why, are you afraid I'm gonna bite you?"
Humour was not lost on Zanarkand, however serious he could be. "I'm more afraid of you kissing me."
"Hmph! As if I would ever kiss you!"
Zanarkand might have taken the comment as offensive, if not for the sweet grin on Anzu's cute face. "Well…who knows?"
Anzu was about to answer when Zaon's cold, stern voice cut in.
"Why would she? You're nothing more than a useless goon. I would think that a Behemoth possesses a higher intelligence quotient than you do."
Zanarkand instantly bit his lip and returned to gazing out of the window, somehow feeling really glad that Anzu was sticking up for him as she reprimanded Zaon, who took no notice except to plant a huge kiss on Anzu, which shut her up for a long time.
As the train began to move, Zanarkand wondered how it would feel to have someone really love you. He had never known anyone's love, not even his uncles or aunts, for he was but a month old, in the large Zanarkand estate when his parents were killed. Someone then brought him to a Centran orphanage, but it was full, leaving him only to live with his uncle.
The old man had despised him, making him do all the hard work everyday, and even whipping him. He still had the scars where the razor whip had slashed into his skin, carving grooves four inch deep. That was probably the reason why pain didn't really bother him. The last time he was training with the others, a monster had cast Pain on all of them, but he was surprised to find himself hardly affected.
At the age of seven, he was sent off to Garden, where he trained with the other SeeD. At ten, he heard of the SeeDs who saved the world, and was humbled by the fact that he had once spoken to the leader, now his Commander, Squall, and asked him to do some magic for him. The leader had obliged by a Blizzara, and he had been stunned by the beautiful ice.
The train increased speed as the launch ramp lowered. The ramp had a flat road for normal vehicles, and a rail track for the train, named after Odin's horse Sleipnir. Garden decreased it's altitude until the bottom of the ramp was forty metres-still a significant drop-from the rail below. At Nida's go ahead, the Rocket Engines kicked in and Zanarkand felt the G-force pushing him back into his seat as Sleipnir lifted off Garden and plummeted down in a controlled descent. The driver had to align the train perfectly with the tracks or face derailment, and Zanarkand felt the usual rush of adrenaline as the train landed with a thump on the rail.
Sparks flew everywhere as rapid brakes were engaged and the Rocket Engines were deactivated. Behind them, the monolithic Garden rose majestically back into the heavens, and the train sped towards Timber.
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A/N: Well, here's the next one! I'd really LOVE to thank all of you who reviewed: you made me feel like continuing!!
I'm sure the symbolism is just so obvious, and let me say one thing: The world of Squaresoft is always related.
Always.
Zanarkand is the future founder of Zanarkand, and Zaon Bevelle. His name will be familiar to any FFX player (Yunalesca's husband), and well, I won't ruin it any more!
Enjoy!