Chapter 10
Vanyel Kinnease
Van stood watching his father coax a wild chocobo into the arena. Though it was his father's best male, he didn't have the time to train him properly. When Vanyel was about seven, his parents and him moved nearer to Trabia. It was his mother's idea; she wanted her boy to grow up where she was trained. At the age of ten he had mastered basic magic and found his first love, guns. By the time he was thirteen he had past the trial to train as a combatant there. Since then, he had developed a higher skill then expected. He was the hottest guy there, just from what he heard. He didn't pay attention to the girls since he enrolled because he thought that they would interfere with his work. That was until he met Maga. She wasn't the average ordinary girl, she was exotic, and Van liked her until she suddenly disappeared. He looked for her ever since.
"Van, get your ass over here." Irvine laughed out loud, "That is if you want Kai over there to start pecking ya!" Van turned around to see Kai the young and ruthless chocobo stampeding toward him. Quickly Van ran for the railing and jumped over it. He turned around to see Kai stop short of the balustrade and snort her little victory cry. Van shook his head and chuckled at the free spirited chocobo. Selphie came out running and scolded Van for not paying attention.
"You could have been hurt!"
"Nothing happened mom, Kai was just playing with me." Van quipped in reply. Selphie rolled her eyes and turned to her husband. "Did you just see that?! Are you still determined to train these chocobo's?" she asked.
"Seifie, nothing happened. The boy was just at the right time in the wrong place. Besides, if Kai did get to him, he would just get chased around." Irvine explained.
"Men." Selphie muttered, "Be careful from now on all right?"
"Don't worry mom, I can handle a bird."
"Hey they are not just birds, they are exquisite chocobo's." Irvine added. Vanyel shrugged and left his father and mother alone. His mind was on the beautiful girl, Maga. She had crimson hair and sea green eyes and her skin was soft as a feather. He was thirteen and she was twelve, they met in the Dijon Forest and they became close friends. Maybe more then friends and he smiled when they both tried to kiss each other; they kept bumping noses. Then she began to get very secretive and it bothered him to this very day. Then she vanished and she never came back. It left him heart broken but he vowed to find her someday. Lately, he hadn't been going to school because he was told not to until they found out what to do with him. It had been at least a weak and he was bored to death. There was a sharp cry from the sky and Van looked up to see a hawk flying in circles. It flew lower and lower until it finally swooped down and landed on a rock near him. In it's claws were the remains of a dead rodent. He scowled and tried to shoo the bird away and yelled at it, but it wouldn't budge. He gave up and looked away.
"Damn birds." he muttered. He then noticed that the bird sighed and then thrust itself back into the sky.
* * *
The next morning Van got up and went downstairs for breakfast. His parents were reading something and it wasn't good by the look of their faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked. When he got no reply he came up to them and started to read, but then Selphie folded it in half and turned around to face her son.
"Start packing. You're leaving today for Balamb Garden." She said.
"Why?!" Van exclaimed.
"Son, you are needed at that academy. No do as you are told and go pack. I'll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes." Irvine said and went outside. Van muttered angrily to himself and went upstairs to pack his things. He took out a large black bag and zipped it open. In went his clothes and small weapons, like the red bladed dagger he got for his birthday. He put on his aqua colored gloves and looked around to see if he had forgotten anything. Once he was done he lifted his bag over his shoulder and ran down the stairs.
"Did you pack everything up?" his mother called out from the kitchen.
"Yeah." He replied. Selphie came out and kissed her son on the cheek. "Your father will explain to you why Balamb needs you. I'll miss you and don't forget to write."
"O.k. mom." He kissed her back and left the house. Outside sat Irvine in their white truck. Van threw his stuff in the back and hopped in. They waved to Selphie and drove off.
"So? Why am I going to Balamb Garden?" Van asked. Irvine sighed, "You got transferred from Trabia."
"Why!?" he exclaimed.
"Because, you were beyond their level of teaching you and you needed a much more power in developing your skill."
"That's not all is it?"
"No.it's not. Your mother and I both went to that Garden and became the hero's we were those seventeen years ago. So I think that you should go there as well."
"Hero's?" Van questioned. Hero's ? His parents? Not possible.
"We were all hero's, your mother, the rest of the old gang and I. We defeated the evil sorceress Ultimecia." Irvine explained. Vanyel didn't ask any more questions from then on; his parents helped the mighty warrior Squall Leonhart defeat the sorceress? No way!
* * *
When they arrived at the train station that would take Vanyel to Balamb, Irvine bid his son goodbye and drove off back toward home. So much for staying dad! The train doesn't leave until three hours. What the hell am I going to do?
Van looked around and saw several people waiting for the trains to arrive. He sat down and waited for his.
"boring boring boring." Van muttered angrily. He got tired of sitting so he went inside to rent out a locker to put his things in. When he was done, Van went for a walk into a forest near the station. Half an hour later, there was an earthquake and he had to hold onto a tree from falling to the ground.
"What the hell?!?" No sooner were his words spoken when the earth beneath his feet cracked. Steams rose from the chasm and Van barely scrambled out of the hot fiery sprays. When the shaking stopped, Vanyel slowly set his feet on the scorched earth. He wanted to run off toward the station but his curiosity got the better of his fears. He started to walk parallel from the cracks that varied in width. Then he stopped at one part of the rift to peer down at what looked like steps. Vanyel looked around and slowly descended the deformed stairs.
At last, he reached the bottom. He found himself in an underground cavern lit by the magma that flowed in streams. There was a curved path that probably led to the other end of the grotto. He scrambled through several boulders and loose rock until he came to a steep hill. His urge to go up there grew strong and he found himself climbing the slope. A few minutes later his hands caught the smooth surface. He pushed himself onto it, trying to catch his breath. Yet the acrid smell of fire and lava gave little air.
:It's been a long time waiting for you, young master.:
Vanyel snapped his head to look at a great beast that sat before him. "Wh.who are you?" Van asked trembling with fear.
: I am Ifrit, the Guardian Force of Hell. I have been waiting for you.:
"Ifrit? What do you want with me?" Van whispered.
:To help you save the world from devastation. Now, we must leave, time is precious.: Vanyel held his breath as the GF changed into a small glowing flame. Then the flame flew straight at Van's chest and disappeared. The pain lasted for seconds and then Vanyel felt nothing. He opened his eyes but he only saw darkness, his head began to spin in nausea and then he fell asleep.
* * *
When Vanyel awoke he was at the train station with his bag at his side. He looked up at the clock and saw that in fifteen minutes, his train would leave. He got up and almost stumbled. His legs were shaking and a man near him asked him if he was all right, Van nodded and got onto the train. As he sat down, he told himself over and over again that it was all a dream, that he must have fallen asleep and dreamt it all. When he sat down, he rested his head against the velvet seat and listened to people all around him until something caught his attention.
"Did you feel that earthquake, Gabriel?" one woman asked. Vanyel's head shot up and he listened attentively.
"Yes, I was in the restroom when it all happened. I thought the world was coming to an end." The woman called Gabriel said.
"It only lasted for no more then a minute and the officials say that that was the first earthquake to hit Trabia grounds in over five hundred centuries!"
"Really?"
"Yes, and they say." Vanyel heard everything he wanted to know. His visit with the Guardian Force wasn't a dream at all. Ifrit was his to wield.
Vanyel Kinnease
Van stood watching his father coax a wild chocobo into the arena. Though it was his father's best male, he didn't have the time to train him properly. When Vanyel was about seven, his parents and him moved nearer to Trabia. It was his mother's idea; she wanted her boy to grow up where she was trained. At the age of ten he had mastered basic magic and found his first love, guns. By the time he was thirteen he had past the trial to train as a combatant there. Since then, he had developed a higher skill then expected. He was the hottest guy there, just from what he heard. He didn't pay attention to the girls since he enrolled because he thought that they would interfere with his work. That was until he met Maga. She wasn't the average ordinary girl, she was exotic, and Van liked her until she suddenly disappeared. He looked for her ever since.
"Van, get your ass over here." Irvine laughed out loud, "That is if you want Kai over there to start pecking ya!" Van turned around to see Kai the young and ruthless chocobo stampeding toward him. Quickly Van ran for the railing and jumped over it. He turned around to see Kai stop short of the balustrade and snort her little victory cry. Van shook his head and chuckled at the free spirited chocobo. Selphie came out running and scolded Van for not paying attention.
"You could have been hurt!"
"Nothing happened mom, Kai was just playing with me." Van quipped in reply. Selphie rolled her eyes and turned to her husband. "Did you just see that?! Are you still determined to train these chocobo's?" she asked.
"Seifie, nothing happened. The boy was just at the right time in the wrong place. Besides, if Kai did get to him, he would just get chased around." Irvine explained.
"Men." Selphie muttered, "Be careful from now on all right?"
"Don't worry mom, I can handle a bird."
"Hey they are not just birds, they are exquisite chocobo's." Irvine added. Vanyel shrugged and left his father and mother alone. His mind was on the beautiful girl, Maga. She had crimson hair and sea green eyes and her skin was soft as a feather. He was thirteen and she was twelve, they met in the Dijon Forest and they became close friends. Maybe more then friends and he smiled when they both tried to kiss each other; they kept bumping noses. Then she began to get very secretive and it bothered him to this very day. Then she vanished and she never came back. It left him heart broken but he vowed to find her someday. Lately, he hadn't been going to school because he was told not to until they found out what to do with him. It had been at least a weak and he was bored to death. There was a sharp cry from the sky and Van looked up to see a hawk flying in circles. It flew lower and lower until it finally swooped down and landed on a rock near him. In it's claws were the remains of a dead rodent. He scowled and tried to shoo the bird away and yelled at it, but it wouldn't budge. He gave up and looked away.
"Damn birds." he muttered. He then noticed that the bird sighed and then thrust itself back into the sky.
* * *
The next morning Van got up and went downstairs for breakfast. His parents were reading something and it wasn't good by the look of their faces.
"What's wrong?" he asked. When he got no reply he came up to them and started to read, but then Selphie folded it in half and turned around to face her son.
"Start packing. You're leaving today for Balamb Garden." She said.
"Why?!" Van exclaimed.
"Son, you are needed at that academy. No do as you are told and go pack. I'll meet you downstairs in twenty minutes." Irvine said and went outside. Van muttered angrily to himself and went upstairs to pack his things. He took out a large black bag and zipped it open. In went his clothes and small weapons, like the red bladed dagger he got for his birthday. He put on his aqua colored gloves and looked around to see if he had forgotten anything. Once he was done he lifted his bag over his shoulder and ran down the stairs.
"Did you pack everything up?" his mother called out from the kitchen.
"Yeah." He replied. Selphie came out and kissed her son on the cheek. "Your father will explain to you why Balamb needs you. I'll miss you and don't forget to write."
"O.k. mom." He kissed her back and left the house. Outside sat Irvine in their white truck. Van threw his stuff in the back and hopped in. They waved to Selphie and drove off.
"So? Why am I going to Balamb Garden?" Van asked. Irvine sighed, "You got transferred from Trabia."
"Why!?" he exclaimed.
"Because, you were beyond their level of teaching you and you needed a much more power in developing your skill."
"That's not all is it?"
"No.it's not. Your mother and I both went to that Garden and became the hero's we were those seventeen years ago. So I think that you should go there as well."
"Hero's?" Van questioned. Hero's ? His parents? Not possible.
"We were all hero's, your mother, the rest of the old gang and I. We defeated the evil sorceress Ultimecia." Irvine explained. Vanyel didn't ask any more questions from then on; his parents helped the mighty warrior Squall Leonhart defeat the sorceress? No way!
* * *
When they arrived at the train station that would take Vanyel to Balamb, Irvine bid his son goodbye and drove off back toward home. So much for staying dad! The train doesn't leave until three hours. What the hell am I going to do?
Van looked around and saw several people waiting for the trains to arrive. He sat down and waited for his.
"boring boring boring." Van muttered angrily. He got tired of sitting so he went inside to rent out a locker to put his things in. When he was done, Van went for a walk into a forest near the station. Half an hour later, there was an earthquake and he had to hold onto a tree from falling to the ground.
"What the hell?!?" No sooner were his words spoken when the earth beneath his feet cracked. Steams rose from the chasm and Van barely scrambled out of the hot fiery sprays. When the shaking stopped, Vanyel slowly set his feet on the scorched earth. He wanted to run off toward the station but his curiosity got the better of his fears. He started to walk parallel from the cracks that varied in width. Then he stopped at one part of the rift to peer down at what looked like steps. Vanyel looked around and slowly descended the deformed stairs.
At last, he reached the bottom. He found himself in an underground cavern lit by the magma that flowed in streams. There was a curved path that probably led to the other end of the grotto. He scrambled through several boulders and loose rock until he came to a steep hill. His urge to go up there grew strong and he found himself climbing the slope. A few minutes later his hands caught the smooth surface. He pushed himself onto it, trying to catch his breath. Yet the acrid smell of fire and lava gave little air.
:It's been a long time waiting for you, young master.:
Vanyel snapped his head to look at a great beast that sat before him. "Wh.who are you?" Van asked trembling with fear.
: I am Ifrit, the Guardian Force of Hell. I have been waiting for you.:
"Ifrit? What do you want with me?" Van whispered.
:To help you save the world from devastation. Now, we must leave, time is precious.: Vanyel held his breath as the GF changed into a small glowing flame. Then the flame flew straight at Van's chest and disappeared. The pain lasted for seconds and then Vanyel felt nothing. He opened his eyes but he only saw darkness, his head began to spin in nausea and then he fell asleep.
* * *
When Vanyel awoke he was at the train station with his bag at his side. He looked up at the clock and saw that in fifteen minutes, his train would leave. He got up and almost stumbled. His legs were shaking and a man near him asked him if he was all right, Van nodded and got onto the train. As he sat down, he told himself over and over again that it was all a dream, that he must have fallen asleep and dreamt it all. When he sat down, he rested his head against the velvet seat and listened to people all around him until something caught his attention.
"Did you feel that earthquake, Gabriel?" one woman asked. Vanyel's head shot up and he listened attentively.
"Yes, I was in the restroom when it all happened. I thought the world was coming to an end." The woman called Gabriel said.
"It only lasted for no more then a minute and the officials say that that was the first earthquake to hit Trabia grounds in over five hundred centuries!"
"Really?"
"Yes, and they say." Vanyel heard everything he wanted to know. His visit with the Guardian Force wasn't a dream at all. Ifrit was his to wield.