╔The Limits of Choice╗
By: Ayame
╓Chapter Two╖
While most had the preference of training in gym clothing of sorts, or even their uniforms, Quistis just didn't feel in the mood to get that 'fancy.' She had changed from her Garden uniform and slipped into an outfit that she had felt more comfortable cleaning in, earlier that day, but it didn't really seem like one to train in. Yet, she went anyways, wearing a knee-high navy blue skirt and a ribbed, fitted scoop-neck sweater, cerulean in color.
It took only moments before she had reached the Training Center, the entrance located toward the East Block of Garden. Stepping through the double adamantium-paned doors, she entered a world that seemed so exotic, yet, it was as familiar as every other area in Garden. The Training Center, however was one area that she had yet to explore completely. It was far too vast, wrapping around Balamb Garden along the north and to the east. But Quistis didn't really mind not exploring the Garden's training center. She had, after all, better things to do than that. Readying her whip, she moved along the made dirt path, past debris left behind by some earlier wreckage of a battle. She could hear the sounds of the creatures within as she walked; the screeching and squawking of birds, the hum of insects, and an occasional growl or roar here or there.
It seemed to her that the training facilities were often used this way; to avert the mind to other things. It was an interesting resolution. The students of Garden seemed to get the best practice time in when they were perturbed about some particular thing, and needed a ventilation system. She couldn't blame them, though. After all, wasn't she doing that exact same thing? Her mind drifted as she made her way further into the facility, to the students she'd be leaving behind, and how she'd definitely miss them, troublesome and respectful alike. And it was with those thought that she suddenly found herself thinking about Balamb Garden's former Disciplinary Committee: Seifer Almasy and his devoted followers, Fujin and Raijin. It had been more than a year since she had last heard from them or even seen them. The last she remembered of them, was that they had been left in Fisherman's Horizon, no longer allowed to return to the shelter of Balamb Garden, which they had betrayed with their deadly antics and foolish decisions. She couldn't help but feel her anger sway from her friends' protestations earlier that morning to the trio that had caused so much mishap previously in their lives. But still, she also couldn't help but wonder how those three were doing.
"Quistis!" The sound of her name being called was enough to startle her out of her thoughts, making her jump slightly. Spinning on her heels toward the source of the sound, she caught sight of its owner only to find none other than Irvine approaching. The cowboy was dressed in his chaps, which he never seemed to take off, along with that coat of his, and his hat. If there was one way to identify Irvine Kinneas, it was those three articles of clothing. He wore jeans, of course, beneath those leg-coverings, and a vest, which was black. He was followed quickly by his usually bouncy and cheerful, chestnut-haired girlfriend, Selphie, who was clad in her SeeD uniform, which she hadn't been wearing earlier that morning. It was most likely that she'd just gotten out of a class. The usually happy-go-lucky girl, at this point in time, however, didn't look as energetic as she normally would have on a typical class day. And Irvine looked equally serious. Readying herself for a steely assault of reasons as to why she should stay here at Garden, which she was sure she was going to receive, she stood in her place, watching them approach. As Selphie came to a stop in front of Quistis, the tawny-haired, soon-to-be former instructor spoke with a light sigh.
"Look, Selphie, I know what you're going to s-" But the older woman was cut off when Selphie raised her hand for silence. She gave a brief smile, one that seemed anguished; a character trait that should have been far from the likes of SeeD cadet Selphie Tilmitt. She gave small bob of her head, russet locks dancing softly next to her pastel cheeks. Rolling her tongue over her thin lips, one corner of her mouth quirked at an upward angle slightly, she let her hand fall limply to her side. A small crease marred Quistis's brow as she watched the petite girl. It just felt… yes, felt, like all of the energy had drained from small brunette. And the feeling was catching.
"Quisty… I'm sorry. I have to apologize to you. I wasn't supportive of you earlier this morning, and it was wrong of me. I mean, I don't want you to go, of course…" the brunette glanced over at Irvine, who silently encouraged her to go on, before continuing. "None of us do. Not even Squall! He really went off, and that was surprising!" For a moment, some of that bounce returned to her, but it dissipated quickly as she got back on track with her apology. "But what I mean to say is that… I know that this is your decision, and if this is what you really want to do, I'm going to support you to the fullest. I shouldn't be the one to tell you what to do. And besides…" looking up at the instructor with glowing green eyes, that familiar grin returning to her lips, she clasped her hands together, beginning to hop on the tips of her toes. "This is a great opportunity for you! Irvine told me about how hard a position is like that to get in the Galbadian military! And Rinoa confirmed it, since her dad is a general. And I guess she would know! So, it's really a great privilege to get recommended for something like that!"
A feeling of relief washed through Quistis as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. With a soft smile, she reached out to hug Selphie, whispering a thank you to both her and to Irvine, whom she took the initiative to hug next. Straightening, she arched a brow at Irvine before speaking. "Was this your idea?"
The sharp-shooter only shrugged. "I just helped her to understand a little better." He commented before wrapping an arm around Selphie's waist. The small girl reached up to brush some strands of hair away from her eyes as she looked from Irvine to Quistis before holding up that hand and wagging a finger at her, that stoic expression crossing her features once again.
"But, Quisty, you have to promise. Since you're moving away from Balamb, you have to let us visit you anytime we want! AND! You have to let us help you hook up with a cute Galbadian soldier! Got it!!" She beamed. Quistis chuckled.
"Well… I don't know about the latter, Selphie. I've seen your taste in Galbadian soldiers. I don't think I'd be up for whom you call 'dreamy'." The tawny haired woman winked as Selphie threw up her arms.
"Hey!! I'll have you know! Sir Laguna is very dreamy!! You should check out my page on the Garden resource panels!!" At this comment, Irvine released his hold on Selphie and stared at her.
"Excuse me! I'm still standing here. You two are not allowed to talk about other 'dreamy' men in my presence!" He smiled playfully before making a gun with his hands and mock-shooting at Selphie. The girl only rolled her eyes.
"Oh, puh-lease! You are always flirting with other girls! Remember the time I was recording everyone at the celebration just after we got out of Time Compression?" The petite girls fists went to her hips as she turned her attention fully on her boyfriend and stamped her little foot against the worn dirt path. Dust floated up lightly around her boot as she did so. "As soon as you had control of the camcorder, you filmed all of the girls you could spot! I had to yell at you for that!"
"Ah! C'mon, Seph! It was just a joke…" came the reply. Quistis couldn't help but try and contain the beginnings of a grin. She had always thought it was adorable how Irvine used one of Selphie's pet name to try and get himself out of trouble. It never worked, of course, but it was funny to listen to. Oh, how she'd definitely miss these two. Their arguments were cute, and never serious, which was a refreshing change from some of the couples that she'd encountered within Garden walls. And, because Irvine was such a sucker for his lady love, Selphie often won out most of the battles. It was sweet. Selphie had now gone into a series of poking Irvine while reminding him of all the times he'd flirted with other women in her presence, and Quistis could tell that he was about to make a come-back – most likely a kiss, since that usually took Selphie's mind off of whatever she was raving about – when they were interrupted by several screeching sounds. The tone was a pitch high enough to make the three of them cringe and cover their ears. Immediately at attention, the trio's awareness was drawn toward the easterly direction, where the source of the sound had been emanate. Several Grats came charging in their direction, tentacles flailing, maws agape, releasing dire shrieks. But their ascent toward the trio was far from threatening; it was as though they sought to get away from something.
Curiosity making the three SeeD cadets ready their weapons, Irvine pulling his shotgun from over his shoulder, on which it had been slung, Quistis's grip tightening on her whip, and Selphie hopping back and forth on the balls of her feet, producing her nunchaku from a place that neither Quistis nor Irvine could distinguish, the three braced themselves as the several of the Grats raced past them. Their assumption of the creatures running from something was correct. As the minor stampede of the Grats scrambled past them on unsteady legs, the ground becoming an unstable place for standing, the undersized quake was increased by something with heavier foot falls. From within the trees, well hidden by the dense greenery, but in no means disquieted, came the T-Rexuars. Three of them drew near, tyrannosaur looking beasts, teeth gnashing as one reached down to scoop up a retreating Grat, and bring the beast's life to an end with a single bite. The reptilian animal tilted its head to allow its meal to slip further between its jaws. The other two that accompanied it produced similar actions to their withdrawing prey. But that caught their attention only momentarily before they noticed the three humans standing in the midst of the now thinning group of Grats. Quistis felt her grip on her whip tighten. Irvine, who had been aiming his sniper rifle at the oncoming foe, now had it lowered slightly, and gazed dubiously at the T-Rexuars. Selphie had stopped hopping on her toes, and had now gone into a state of disbelief.
"You… have got to be kidding…" were the slightly hoarse words that left the lips of the sharp-shooter. And then, as though on cue, one of the Rexuars roared as the other two charged. With a shriek of dismay, Selphie dove to one side, loosing hold of her weapon, as one of the beasts went after her. Irvine hopped in the opposite direction, eyes on his girlfriend, as he shouted for her safety. Quistis, thinking quickly, distracted the second, first with a Blizzaga spell, then again, using a Sleep spell. The creature, as though lulled, fell right into submission, its massive weight crashing to the ground, causing a minor unsteady wave to sweep across the area. She had downed one, but that still left two to deal with. The first T-Rexuar seemed to be intent on making Selphie his meal, even though the petite girl complained to it about how she would hardly make an appetizer. Still, the beast lacking the knowledge to comprehend human words, continued its assault. Scrambling to get to her feet, having fallen as a result of the Sleep spell cast upon one of their enemies, the brunette had to keep up evasive moves to get away from the ever-present teeth. It was an action much more difficult than desired from not having her weapon handy; a weapon that she seemed to be moving further and further from her in the process. Irvine had been able to stay on his feet at the impact of one Rexuar hitting the ground, and took to steadying his aim on the one going after Selphie. Finger on the trigger, he pulled, but his aim wasn't as true as it would have been. Interrupted by the swinging tail of the third dinosaur, which had started after Quistis, the shot ricocheted through the trees. Flying to the side, his weapon now at a loss as well, he crashed into the nearby brush. Painfully aware of his placement, he tried as best he could to get to his feet, wincing at the stabbing feeling of branches digging into his flesh, through his clothing. His hat had slipped from his head, and hung around his neck by the thin leather ties that kept it bound.
"Irvine!" Selphie screamed when she looked in his direction, her attention averting back to her attacker for only a moment before she darted away, taking a chance on getting caught, and scrambling to where the cowboy had fallen. Helping him to his feet, she glanced over her shoulder, to find the creature swiftly following her. "You alright?" she blurted out, but didn't have time to say much else before grabbing his hand and running back toward the Rexuar. "C'mon!" she shouted as she darted forward. As she moved, she could see Quistis just to the side, using her weapon to keep the monster at bay. It worked miracles, in her opinion, seeing as how the dinosaur had yet to get too close to the blonde woman.
"Selphie! What are you doing!" Irvine started to protest, but before he could even question her further, they were perfectly positioned to get a beating. The Rexuar reached for them, jaw agape, teeth exposed, saliva glistening off of those razor like eating devices. Shoving Irvine to one side, Selphie took a diving leap forward, her tiny form allowing her to slide neatly between the creatures legs, and beneath its tail, then come up trimly. The placement was near faultless. Not only was she extremely close to Irvine's gun, but she was also in a position where she could use a spell. Snatching up the rifle, she placed her fingers in her mouth to whistle sharply, catching not only Irvine's attention, but also the attention of the dinosaur that had assaulted them… as well as its remaining partner, who seemed to think that attacking Selphie would have been easier than its current prey. Tossing the rifle to Irvine, Selphie concentrated on a particular spell after tapping into her Slot magick.
"Hurry, Irvine!" She shouted before gathering her concentration to cast spells of ice on her foe. But her concentration was broken, however, at Quistis's shout of warning. Spinning on her heels, the elfin brunette found that she was being hounded from behind as well from as in front. With a gasp, she started off in one direction, wincing involuntarily as the T-Rexuar that had been after Quistis lunged at her. A shot rang out, accompanied by an angered roar that seemed all too close to Selphie. She could feel the breath of the reptilian-monster as it shuddered and rose from its lunging position, passing her over and seeking out the sharp-shooter. Looking in his direction, she could see a fine line of smoke rising from the barrel of his shot gun. Eye's widening, she ran toward him, as the attention of both dinosaurs went there as well. About to shout for him, her vision was suddenly consumed by an icy pallor.
Quistis inhaled sharply as she watched the procession taking place between the sharp-shooter, his girlfriend, and the two T-Rexuars. She had to do something, and fast. They wouldn't last against the creatures if this kept up; especially if the third one woke up. Glancing in its direction, she thought that the use of more spells wouldn't be sufficient enough. These monsters were not only tough, but fast and numerous. Tongue rolling across her lips, she stepped back and prepared the use of a Guardian Force. The attention had been taken off of her, which allowed her sufficient time to summon one. Within a matter of moments, she could feel the icy presence of Raksha. The newest summon creature found and added to her collection, Raksha's attacks were not as powerful as Shiva's, but they did a good amount of damage. Sound rumbling resonated through the atmosphere in an almost oppressive manner as the terrain began to crack and split. Tendrils of ice snaked their way across the surface of the earth, from the chasm created, moving at a swift speed. Accompanied by the growing ice storm came the Guardian; a figure consolidating from the flecks of sleet and snow like that of a feral before taking a humanoid form. He emerged quickly, pulling his foe onto a plane where damage would have been dealt only to them, spreading a white squall of devastation over his immediate enemies, protecting the humans, and namely, his mistress. The sound that the T-Rexuars made was something more like that of a howl, rather than a roar, as they turned their attention to Quistis and her Guardian Force, obviously angered by the appearance of an elemental which could best them. They stumbled toward her, teeth gnashing and head thrashing, at least hoping to take out this guardian creature before they met their demise.
Energy spent for the time of this summon, Quistis called Raksha back to a restful state, and prepared for the call of Shiva, should she be needed. And it seemed for a moment that it just might have. The icy exterior that had formed across the land seemed to evaporate as Raksha was making his retreat. But, for a instant, time seemed to slow. Rather than retreating, as his mistress had commanded, and as time was meant for him to do, he remained in motion for a bit longer, becoming a visual entity, as Quistis, Irvine, and Selphie returned to this plane of existence. Crystalline eyes widening at this revelation, something in the blonde instructor's mind clicked. Something that she'd read before about the faultiness in this situation. One of the Rexuars never reached its goal, collapsing to the ground as it tried. The second, however, seemed to have an immense amount of strength… and determination.
"No…" was the single syllable that passed from Quistis's lips as she started to one side, trying to beckon another summon creature to do her will. But it failed. Raksha remained stationary before starting to dissipate into the air. Then, without warning, as though the Guardian Force had attacked again, the area grew chilled, snow and ice overlapping almost every area within the defined radius before an explosion occurred. The roar of the final T-Rexuar filled the range hearing as it finally met the ice-littered ground with a crash, throwing the bystanders into another unbalanced state. But that was neither the sound nor the sight that caught the onlooker's attention. As Selphie and Irvine managed to steady themselves, they noticed the Guardian Force that Quistis had called upon. He seemed to be in a retroactive state… in reverse to his attack. Snow fell and winds cut through the atmosphere… and Raksha began to meld with these elements, fading into nothing more than a passing gust, dissipating into tiny crystal-like fractures. The scream that followed was one of sheer terror… making the living cringe and squeeze their eyes shut.
The area remained in that wintry state, snow drifting in small flurries through the air. The fallen creatures remained unmoving, inert. Irvine held onto Selphie as he gripped the handle of his shotgun, breathing heavily. Both stared with wide eyes, mutely shocked by the events that had just taken place. Feeling a light tug on his jacket, and Selphie saying his name before darting away from him, he, too, came to his senses. A chill had come over them both, and it hadn't been caused by the remnants of the uncanny snow storm. They made their way toward Quistis, trudging through the snow more quickly than either could have though plausible. Selphie dropped to her knees by the tawny haired young woman, hand immediately clutching her shoulder to pull her into a sitting position.
"Quistis!" she practically shrieked in despair. Irvine, dropping next to Selphie, pulled her back lightly. Tears streamed down the small girl's face as she reached for the instructor once again. Letting his weapon fall to the snow, he pulled Selphie to her feet and made her face him.
"Selphie! Calm down! Go to the infirmary. Hurry." He didn't need to say any more before she was on her way. Rubbing his hands together, the cowboy tried to remain calm himself as he prepared several curing and medicinal spells, but none seemed to have any effect.
She lie in the snow in what appeared to be a semi-conscious state; the warm vapors that would have shown when breathing in such icy atmosphere not even evident from her lips or nose. Eyes half closed, she didn't react at all when Irvine tried healing her. Still, that chill remained in the air, and still, it wasn't due to the snowfall. Against the white background of snow that she lie on, the crimson liquid that bled from her eyes, sliding from the half-closed slits like tears, stood out harshly. The scream that had occurred as the Rexuars fell and as the Guardian Force disappeared had belonged to Quistis Trepe.