Disclaimer – All characters and other erroneous information from the FF
series belong to Square.
For Squall, all was dark. His spirit drifted about the impalpable darkness of death, almost in a state of nirvana with the universe. He could not think nor move; he barely existed at all. Then, all of a sudden, a tiny shaft of light pierced the dark curtain, slicing through Squall's lingering being. Golden sparks flew out from the shaft of light, each one falling onto Squall's spirit. With each spark, Squall's senses began to return to him; first, he could feel, then think, then move about the nether realm. Squall noticed the light increasing in intensity and size, and before he could realize it, he was bathed in light. His vision was completely drowned out by the light, and he felt warmth surge through him. Then, abrupt darkness fell on him like an immense weight.
-------------------------------------
Mind-shattering pain racked Squall's body as it forced itself to work. A burning sensation flew through every cell of his body as blood began to pump again, restoring the once-dead tissues of the SeeD's body. As his mind rebuilt itself, he felt his limbs jolt. Squall felt his hearing return, and his eyes sprang open. Out of pain, he screamed and sprang up in his bed. The soft fluorescent light seemed like the sun to him. He covered his eyes and continued to scream. The pain around him subsided, and he felt a small prick in his leg, followed by the soothing voice of Dr. Kadowaki.
"It's going to be alright, settle down..."
Squall's mind barely recognized the words; it was too busy educating the rest of the body to move. All of a sudden, the constant activity ceased, and Squall felt like he had run face-first into a brick wall. The young warrior fell back into his bed, and felt normal life coming back to him. He could see the doctor throwing a syringe away, and he looked to his side as he felt one of her aides untie a small poultice of shimmering feathers from his arm. The young blonde aide looked back at him, and gave him a professional smile as she finished her task. Squall turned his head around again to see the doctor grinning at him.
"You usually don't revive like that... I thought something was wrong," Kadowaki said, with a wry smile.
Squall tried to will his mouth into forming words, but all that came out was a mixed bag of mashed sounds. The aide at his side giggled, but he refused to acknowledge it. His eyes darted to his left, and he saw someone through the frosted glass that separated his room from the main lobby of the infirmary. He remembered the traditional salmon-colored garb the young woman was wearing, and he deduced that it was Quistis. Kadowaki left the room and poked her head into the lobby, inviting the young instructor in. Squall watched their distorted forms through the glass, and saw Quistis enter. She stared right at him, and for a second, he thought he saw a tear well in her eye, betraying her otherwise cold and professional appearance.
"Sorry that waking up was a bit... uncomfortable for you," she said as her normal personality began to take hold again.
- Uncomfortable... that's it. –
Squall made a solid attempt to speak, and he succeeded, despite the slurring of most words.
"It's alright... I'm pretty used to this," Squall said, working hard to repair his speech. His statement incited a smile from the instructor. A loud tone rang in the room, and Quistis was startled.
"Class change... have to get out of here," Quistis smiled and ran out of the infirmary. The aide returned from the back room of the infirmary with another syringe. The aide handed the needle off to Kadowaki, who prepared to andminister the drug to her patient.
- Doesn't this woman do anything else beside stab me with these? –
Before Squall could object, he felt the needle prick him, and he fell into a deep sleep.
--------------------------------------------
Rinoa walked in the outer ring of the Quad after her meeting with the other leaders of Garden. She stopped by the infirmary to see Squall, but he was heavily sedated, as per Dr. Kadowaki's orders. After that, she made her usual rounds about the classes, stopping in to oversee the newer teachers and look at the more promising students. In one of the classes, the students were undergoing an armed combat training; each student was handed a worn training quarterstaff and was matched with another classmate. She looked in to the class, watching the older children put on an impressive display of combat skill, flipping over and reversing each other's strikes. Finally, after acknowledging the instructor in the room, she snatched up a staff and decided to join in.
"Class," the instructor began, "we have the privilege of having the Headmistress with us today, and for such an occasion, I will go against my usual morals and offer extra credit." The students chattered amongst themselves; extra credit was extremely sparing in most classes. "I will award a substantial amount of points to anyone who can best our Headmistress in combat." The chatter stopped. Many students frowned, refusing the offer. Others waited with baited breath to see who would seize the challenge. Rinoa looked about, and she heard a voice from behind the crowd.
"I accept this offer, Instructor Langston." Timshel said.
The crowd gasped, and a bit of ooh-ing ensued. Unbeknownst to the two adults in the room, bets flew about amongst the students.
Rinoa nodded at the young boy and stepped into the ring. Rinoa focused inward and began to draw her Guardian to her. She set the bait for her target, waited, then struck, sealing Pandemona within her mind.
- What is this? Fighting small children? You should be ashamed! -
Rinoa ignored the nagging voice that now inhabited her head, and prepared to fight.
"Tell me when you are ready," Rinoa said, with a wry grin or her face. Timshel nodded at her, then gave his staff a quick spin, putting him into the ready position. Rinoa nodded back. The young cadet yelled 'Hut!', and the fight was underway. Rinoa rushed forward, and brought an overhead strike down. Timshel blocked, and then overturned the strike, flipping Rinoa sideways. Rinoa gracefully landed the flip, and then fired a second strike, catching Timshel in the head.
Timshel's ears rang for a second, and he clenched his fists. He felt his Guardian take control of his reflexes, and he readied himself once again. Rinoa, noticing an opportunity, grunted and heaved a mighty strike towards the cadet. Timshel felt Quezacotl move his limbs, and he watched himself execute a backflip to avoid the strike. Rinoa, still coping with the recoil of her attack, watched Timshel jump towards her and deliver a hard blow to her shins, knocking her to the ground. The cadet brought down a strike that made a slap on the mat as Rinoa rolled out of the way. Rinoa raised her hand and created a surge of energy that threw her assailant back. The cadet recovered from the blast and began to feel adrenaline surge through his veins. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Timshel watched Rinoa flip back to her feet and charge at him.
Ten feet. Rinoa raised her worn staff high into the air and began to yell. Seven feet. The Headmistress began her strike. Timshel could see her arm muscles contract as the woman forced the staff through the air. Five feet. The world was almost in slow motion for the cadet; he could hear the weapon slicing through the space in front of him. Two feet. Rinoa's yell echoed in his ears, and he felt his body prepare for action. One foot. The staff was inches from his head. A bead of sweat fell from his face. He watched the tiny drop fall to the ground at an excruciatingly slow pace. The droplet hit the ground and made a tiny splash. He could feel the staff pass through his unkempt hair. One inch. The world sped back up and Timshel felt every part of his body scream out. In an instant, his body threw itself out of the way of the powerful blow. Rinoa 's strike hit the ground, shattering the wooden floor and breaking the staff. The crowd cheered. Timshel's heart beat at a blazing pace. The Headmistress was recovering from her missed attack. The cadet ordered his body to move, but no result occurred. His vision blurred. He felt control of his body slipping away.
- What is going on? Why can't I move? -
The usual snide response from his Guardian did not echo back to him. He watched the enraged Rinoa make a powerful slash at him with her staff, and he blacked out.
Silence. He felt a cool breeze fall on him. The next thing he heard was the faint sound of breathing around him. He felt something in his hands. His mind began to catch up, and he remembered he was holding a weapon. The cadet opened his eyes. He saw the Headmistress in front of him, with his quarterstaff pressed against her neck. Rinoa looked down in utter disbelief. She was breathing heavily as she stared into the student's face. Timshel lowered the staff, and began to shake with fear. He bowed to his superior, and walked out of the classroom.
-- END NOTE -- Well... back to the old project. I apologize for the two-month hiatus I was on. For some reason, I stopped working on this project a while back, and I hope I am still able to continue it. From now on, I will to try and update more regularly and possibly have double-chapter updates (sure...)
For Squall, all was dark. His spirit drifted about the impalpable darkness of death, almost in a state of nirvana with the universe. He could not think nor move; he barely existed at all. Then, all of a sudden, a tiny shaft of light pierced the dark curtain, slicing through Squall's lingering being. Golden sparks flew out from the shaft of light, each one falling onto Squall's spirit. With each spark, Squall's senses began to return to him; first, he could feel, then think, then move about the nether realm. Squall noticed the light increasing in intensity and size, and before he could realize it, he was bathed in light. His vision was completely drowned out by the light, and he felt warmth surge through him. Then, abrupt darkness fell on him like an immense weight.
-------------------------------------
Mind-shattering pain racked Squall's body as it forced itself to work. A burning sensation flew through every cell of his body as blood began to pump again, restoring the once-dead tissues of the SeeD's body. As his mind rebuilt itself, he felt his limbs jolt. Squall felt his hearing return, and his eyes sprang open. Out of pain, he screamed and sprang up in his bed. The soft fluorescent light seemed like the sun to him. He covered his eyes and continued to scream. The pain around him subsided, and he felt a small prick in his leg, followed by the soothing voice of Dr. Kadowaki.
"It's going to be alright, settle down..."
Squall's mind barely recognized the words; it was too busy educating the rest of the body to move. All of a sudden, the constant activity ceased, and Squall felt like he had run face-first into a brick wall. The young warrior fell back into his bed, and felt normal life coming back to him. He could see the doctor throwing a syringe away, and he looked to his side as he felt one of her aides untie a small poultice of shimmering feathers from his arm. The young blonde aide looked back at him, and gave him a professional smile as she finished her task. Squall turned his head around again to see the doctor grinning at him.
"You usually don't revive like that... I thought something was wrong," Kadowaki said, with a wry smile.
Squall tried to will his mouth into forming words, but all that came out was a mixed bag of mashed sounds. The aide at his side giggled, but he refused to acknowledge it. His eyes darted to his left, and he saw someone through the frosted glass that separated his room from the main lobby of the infirmary. He remembered the traditional salmon-colored garb the young woman was wearing, and he deduced that it was Quistis. Kadowaki left the room and poked her head into the lobby, inviting the young instructor in. Squall watched their distorted forms through the glass, and saw Quistis enter. She stared right at him, and for a second, he thought he saw a tear well in her eye, betraying her otherwise cold and professional appearance.
"Sorry that waking up was a bit... uncomfortable for you," she said as her normal personality began to take hold again.
- Uncomfortable... that's it. –
Squall made a solid attempt to speak, and he succeeded, despite the slurring of most words.
"It's alright... I'm pretty used to this," Squall said, working hard to repair his speech. His statement incited a smile from the instructor. A loud tone rang in the room, and Quistis was startled.
"Class change... have to get out of here," Quistis smiled and ran out of the infirmary. The aide returned from the back room of the infirmary with another syringe. The aide handed the needle off to Kadowaki, who prepared to andminister the drug to her patient.
- Doesn't this woman do anything else beside stab me with these? –
Before Squall could object, he felt the needle prick him, and he fell into a deep sleep.
--------------------------------------------
Rinoa walked in the outer ring of the Quad after her meeting with the other leaders of Garden. She stopped by the infirmary to see Squall, but he was heavily sedated, as per Dr. Kadowaki's orders. After that, she made her usual rounds about the classes, stopping in to oversee the newer teachers and look at the more promising students. In one of the classes, the students were undergoing an armed combat training; each student was handed a worn training quarterstaff and was matched with another classmate. She looked in to the class, watching the older children put on an impressive display of combat skill, flipping over and reversing each other's strikes. Finally, after acknowledging the instructor in the room, she snatched up a staff and decided to join in.
"Class," the instructor began, "we have the privilege of having the Headmistress with us today, and for such an occasion, I will go against my usual morals and offer extra credit." The students chattered amongst themselves; extra credit was extremely sparing in most classes. "I will award a substantial amount of points to anyone who can best our Headmistress in combat." The chatter stopped. Many students frowned, refusing the offer. Others waited with baited breath to see who would seize the challenge. Rinoa looked about, and she heard a voice from behind the crowd.
"I accept this offer, Instructor Langston." Timshel said.
The crowd gasped, and a bit of ooh-ing ensued. Unbeknownst to the two adults in the room, bets flew about amongst the students.
Rinoa nodded at the young boy and stepped into the ring. Rinoa focused inward and began to draw her Guardian to her. She set the bait for her target, waited, then struck, sealing Pandemona within her mind.
- What is this? Fighting small children? You should be ashamed! -
Rinoa ignored the nagging voice that now inhabited her head, and prepared to fight.
"Tell me when you are ready," Rinoa said, with a wry grin or her face. Timshel nodded at her, then gave his staff a quick spin, putting him into the ready position. Rinoa nodded back. The young cadet yelled 'Hut!', and the fight was underway. Rinoa rushed forward, and brought an overhead strike down. Timshel blocked, and then overturned the strike, flipping Rinoa sideways. Rinoa gracefully landed the flip, and then fired a second strike, catching Timshel in the head.
Timshel's ears rang for a second, and he clenched his fists. He felt his Guardian take control of his reflexes, and he readied himself once again. Rinoa, noticing an opportunity, grunted and heaved a mighty strike towards the cadet. Timshel felt Quezacotl move his limbs, and he watched himself execute a backflip to avoid the strike. Rinoa, still coping with the recoil of her attack, watched Timshel jump towards her and deliver a hard blow to her shins, knocking her to the ground. The cadet brought down a strike that made a slap on the mat as Rinoa rolled out of the way. Rinoa raised her hand and created a surge of energy that threw her assailant back. The cadet recovered from the blast and began to feel adrenaline surge through his veins. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Timshel watched Rinoa flip back to her feet and charge at him.
Ten feet. Rinoa raised her worn staff high into the air and began to yell. Seven feet. The Headmistress began her strike. Timshel could see her arm muscles contract as the woman forced the staff through the air. Five feet. The world was almost in slow motion for the cadet; he could hear the weapon slicing through the space in front of him. Two feet. Rinoa's yell echoed in his ears, and he felt his body prepare for action. One foot. The staff was inches from his head. A bead of sweat fell from his face. He watched the tiny drop fall to the ground at an excruciatingly slow pace. The droplet hit the ground and made a tiny splash. He could feel the staff pass through his unkempt hair. One inch. The world sped back up and Timshel felt every part of his body scream out. In an instant, his body threw itself out of the way of the powerful blow. Rinoa 's strike hit the ground, shattering the wooden floor and breaking the staff. The crowd cheered. Timshel's heart beat at a blazing pace. The Headmistress was recovering from her missed attack. The cadet ordered his body to move, but no result occurred. His vision blurred. He felt control of his body slipping away.
- What is going on? Why can't I move? -
The usual snide response from his Guardian did not echo back to him. He watched the enraged Rinoa make a powerful slash at him with her staff, and he blacked out.
Silence. He felt a cool breeze fall on him. The next thing he heard was the faint sound of breathing around him. He felt something in his hands. His mind began to catch up, and he remembered he was holding a weapon. The cadet opened his eyes. He saw the Headmistress in front of him, with his quarterstaff pressed against her neck. Rinoa looked down in utter disbelief. She was breathing heavily as she stared into the student's face. Timshel lowered the staff, and began to shake with fear. He bowed to his superior, and walked out of the classroom.
-- END NOTE -- Well... back to the old project. I apologize for the two-month hiatus I was on. For some reason, I stopped working on this project a while back, and I hope I am still able to continue it. From now on, I will to try and update more regularly and possibly have double-chapter updates (sure...)