Chapter 5
The garden's community hall looked as spectacular as ever. Sifan wasn't the only one surprised, Avatar's jaw also dropped as both of them walked into the gold-lighted palatial ball. The ceiling, made of glass, visibly showed millions of glittery and bright stars. From it's center hung a huge crystal chandelier, which was reflected clearly on the sparkling marbled floor. All in all, the place looked like heaven.
Sifan slowly tried to inch away to a shadowy corner when Avatar caught his arm with an iron grip.
"Hey, ouch! Don't do your ninja grips on me Avatar, you're killing me!" Sifan hissed.
"Well, don't try running away kid. YOU are the spotlight tonight!" Avatar said, "I mean just look at you. Prince handsome is finally real and you have no idea how many girls out there have their eyes on you..."
Sifan sighed when his eye caught something, "Hey look Avatar! It's...er...what's her name...?"
"Tania..."
"Yeah, well, she's looking great and it seems like she's waiting for you..." Sifan said trying to loosen himself from Avatar's grip.
"No, drumhead. She's talking to her friend..."
"Uh...well...she's probably telling her about you, maybe you should go introduce yourself. C'mon pal! You can do it. Let 'er rip."
"Hmmm...well...now that you mention it..." Avatar grinned, his eyes on Tania.
[Hee hee... gets him every time...]
"I'll see you around, pretty boy..." Avatar said and walked away to the place where the brunette and her friend were standing.
Sifan heaved a sigh of relief and walked away to the side where the lights were a little dim. He leaned against a pillar lethargically, after picking up a glass of champagne from the waitress. As he stood sipping from the cold glass, Quistis and Vallhallan walked into the ball, hand in hand.
"Romantic, ain't it, Leonhart?" came a familiar voice from behind the support Sifan was leaning on.
"Oh hello, mighty leader." Sifan said after glancing at Relafen Almasy. Both of them were leaning on either side of the beautifully decorated pillar.
"How come precious Leonhart aint got a pretty face to dance with?" Relafen asked bluntly, "I mean, daddy's the famous hero who punched Ultimecia's ticket to hell..."
"..................."
"Almost punched my dad's ticket too, eh?" Relafen said, thinking of his father.
"Is Seifer coming tonight, Relafen?" Sifan asked, looking at a shooting star bolt across the sky.
"Nah, why should the General of Galbadia care about some frickin' graduation party...?" Relafen replied, a considerable amount of pride in his voice.
"General!?" Sifan asked surprised. All he knew was Seifer, Raijin and Fujin moved to Galbadia after the Ultimecia incident.
Relafen laughed, "Nobody told ya, huh? I aint surprised, Leonhart. Who'd give a rat's ass about some outcast and what he made out of his life? Especially, an outcast who would lift his gunblade against the mighty Squall Leonhart."
"..................."
"Yeah, he became general a week ago. Care to hear how, Leonhart?"
"I don't have anything better to do" Sifan said as Ex-headmaster Cid and Edea Kramer walked in to the hall. The music slowly began to play as a few SeeDs accompanied their partners to middle of the ballroom for a dance.
"It all happened 20 years ago, a couple of years after the Ultimecia incident. One fine day, Raijin got drunk in a bar in Dollet and slapped a Galbadian soldier with a fish. Another soldier there called backup and they belted Raijin's brains out. Well, dad and Fujin walked in to find Mr.Ya-know lying on the ground. Dad and Fujin flattened all the twenty soldiers in a minute. The general arrived on the spot soon. Instead of slaughtering dad for destroying the best of his soldiers, he made dad the commander of those troops. He didn't have anything ta do anyway. So he agreed. Ah well, then he worked his way up the ladder being a good leader and all that, fell in love with the general's daughter, my mom. He married her and...."
"Goof ball was born..." Sifan said emptying his glass of sparkling wine.
"Very funny, Leonhart. Anyway, last week, the general croaked. But he got the president to appoint dad general before that. I wanted to go to the investiture ceremony but noo.... these garden bastards wouldn't allow it. Even one day leave would cancel my eligibility for SeeD."
"They'll do anything to make us fail, huh?" Sifan said sick of how the garden committee was actually doing things.
"Well, that's how my dad came from feeling your father's blade to where he is today."
Sifan was tired of Relafen prattling about Seifer being victimized by Squall, "Look, Seifer stood in dad's way. That's all, ok? He doesn't have anything against him."
"Oh sure. If someone puts an inch-long scar on your face, you still wouldn't hold anything against him?" Relafen asked slyly.
"Hmm, nah, not if I gave him one too." Sifan replied with a smile.
Relafen laughed, "You're smart, Leonhart. But don't gimme that bull crap about Squall not holding anything against my father...Squall destroyed his life..."
"Okay." Sifan said turning around to Relafen, "When someone pushes the woman you love into the hands of a sorcerer to die, would you still hold nothing against that someone!?"
Relafen was quiet.
"Answer me, dammit!!" Sifan said a bit loudly.
Sifan had forced Ellone to show everything to him through her powers. He had seen the last moments of his father's struggle with Ultimecia as if he himself was present there. Sifan still remembered clearly...Seifer had held Rinoa in lunatic Pandora ready to push her into Adel. Despite her cries, the tears in her eyes, he had just grinned his usual cocky grin and pushed her into Adel. She would have died if it hadn't been for Squall. It dawned on him; Seifer had almost murdered his mother.
Sifan's fist was tightening but he let his anger go.
"Enjoy the evening, Relafen." he said and proceeded to the exit.
[Relafen didn't see any of it. But I saw it all through Ellone. If he had seen it, then he'd know. I guess I can't blame him. What he knows is only what Seifer, Raijin and Fujin told him.]
Seifer had changed for the better, he was happier. But Relafen, being in garden, had keenly observed Squall's lifestyle. He had seen him using the Ragnarok like his own private transportation, being offered the presidency of Esthar; being offered the garden committee leader position. He turned both down. Relafen noticed Squall was the role model for almost every garden cadet and SeeD. Squall's life seemed to look like a bed of roses ever since the Ultimecia event. But Seifer's had been the opposite. He had to work and fight for every piece of bread he ate.
[.... And Relafen blamed it all on dad. ]
Sifan inadvertently found himself standing on the deserted pathway leading out of the garden community hall. He had been so busy with his thoughts that he didn't even see where he had come.
[Who the hell needs to go back in there anyway? Inside almost every faculty member, was a demon that wanted to sell the garden on which they were dancing and waltzing.]
Sifan walked over to the desolate stairway and sat there with another glass of champagne he had picked up on his way out of the community hall. He ran his hand through his dark brown hair that Avatar had made for him. The music in the hall got louder and he could hear the cellos and the jazzy saxophones echo down the passageway. Frequently, sounds of laughter were also heard and he could have sworn he heard even Avatar's fake laughing in front of the girls. He shook his head and looked at the sky. He lifted his glass to the pale white moon, "Cheers..."
The wine was going to his head a little bit, "Ha ha.... No Rinoa's gonna walk into my life alright. I escaped. Hee hee. No girl pointing to stupid shooting stars either. Ha ha ha ha."
He took another gulp and emptied the glass. Just then, a blonde-haired female SeeD came down the passageway.
[Damn. I must be drinking too much.]
"Uh...hello..." she said. She was a good-looking girl and wore a shiny dark blue color, with of course, the SeeD blazer.
".................."
"Um, you're Sifan Leonhart, right?" she asked in a sweet voice.
"No, I am a ruby dragon. Roar. Now get lost."
"Hee hee, you're cute..."
"You want to die from my fire breath attack?"
"Giggle...He told me to expect something like this from you..."
"Huh, who?"
"Uh...nobody."
"Who...Avatar?"
"NO! ... I mean...no..."
"Can you come nearer please? You look so beautiful."
"Yes?" she said eagerly and came forward.
"Please get me another glass," he said stretching his glass, "They give more servings to beautiful people."
She got upset much to Sifan's content and stormed out of the passageway, cursing Sifan Leonhart under her breath.
Sifan smiled and turned back to the moon, "Now where were we, pal? ..."
************
The garden's community hall looked as spectacular as ever. Sifan wasn't the only one surprised, Avatar's jaw also dropped as both of them walked into the gold-lighted palatial ball. The ceiling, made of glass, visibly showed millions of glittery and bright stars. From it's center hung a huge crystal chandelier, which was reflected clearly on the sparkling marbled floor. All in all, the place looked like heaven.
Sifan slowly tried to inch away to a shadowy corner when Avatar caught his arm with an iron grip.
"Hey, ouch! Don't do your ninja grips on me Avatar, you're killing me!" Sifan hissed.
"Well, don't try running away kid. YOU are the spotlight tonight!" Avatar said, "I mean just look at you. Prince handsome is finally real and you have no idea how many girls out there have their eyes on you..."
Sifan sighed when his eye caught something, "Hey look Avatar! It's...er...what's her name...?"
"Tania..."
"Yeah, well, she's looking great and it seems like she's waiting for you..." Sifan said trying to loosen himself from Avatar's grip.
"No, drumhead. She's talking to her friend..."
"Uh...well...she's probably telling her about you, maybe you should go introduce yourself. C'mon pal! You can do it. Let 'er rip."
"Hmmm...well...now that you mention it..." Avatar grinned, his eyes on Tania.
[Hee hee... gets him every time...]
"I'll see you around, pretty boy..." Avatar said and walked away to the place where the brunette and her friend were standing.
Sifan heaved a sigh of relief and walked away to the side where the lights were a little dim. He leaned against a pillar lethargically, after picking up a glass of champagne from the waitress. As he stood sipping from the cold glass, Quistis and Vallhallan walked into the ball, hand in hand.
"Romantic, ain't it, Leonhart?" came a familiar voice from behind the support Sifan was leaning on.
"Oh hello, mighty leader." Sifan said after glancing at Relafen Almasy. Both of them were leaning on either side of the beautifully decorated pillar.
"How come precious Leonhart aint got a pretty face to dance with?" Relafen asked bluntly, "I mean, daddy's the famous hero who punched Ultimecia's ticket to hell..."
"..................."
"Almost punched my dad's ticket too, eh?" Relafen said, thinking of his father.
"Is Seifer coming tonight, Relafen?" Sifan asked, looking at a shooting star bolt across the sky.
"Nah, why should the General of Galbadia care about some frickin' graduation party...?" Relafen replied, a considerable amount of pride in his voice.
"General!?" Sifan asked surprised. All he knew was Seifer, Raijin and Fujin moved to Galbadia after the Ultimecia incident.
Relafen laughed, "Nobody told ya, huh? I aint surprised, Leonhart. Who'd give a rat's ass about some outcast and what he made out of his life? Especially, an outcast who would lift his gunblade against the mighty Squall Leonhart."
"..................."
"Yeah, he became general a week ago. Care to hear how, Leonhart?"
"I don't have anything better to do" Sifan said as Ex-headmaster Cid and Edea Kramer walked in to the hall. The music slowly began to play as a few SeeDs accompanied their partners to middle of the ballroom for a dance.
"It all happened 20 years ago, a couple of years after the Ultimecia incident. One fine day, Raijin got drunk in a bar in Dollet and slapped a Galbadian soldier with a fish. Another soldier there called backup and they belted Raijin's brains out. Well, dad and Fujin walked in to find Mr.Ya-know lying on the ground. Dad and Fujin flattened all the twenty soldiers in a minute. The general arrived on the spot soon. Instead of slaughtering dad for destroying the best of his soldiers, he made dad the commander of those troops. He didn't have anything ta do anyway. So he agreed. Ah well, then he worked his way up the ladder being a good leader and all that, fell in love with the general's daughter, my mom. He married her and...."
"Goof ball was born..." Sifan said emptying his glass of sparkling wine.
"Very funny, Leonhart. Anyway, last week, the general croaked. But he got the president to appoint dad general before that. I wanted to go to the investiture ceremony but noo.... these garden bastards wouldn't allow it. Even one day leave would cancel my eligibility for SeeD."
"They'll do anything to make us fail, huh?" Sifan said sick of how the garden committee was actually doing things.
"Well, that's how my dad came from feeling your father's blade to where he is today."
Sifan was tired of Relafen prattling about Seifer being victimized by Squall, "Look, Seifer stood in dad's way. That's all, ok? He doesn't have anything against him."
"Oh sure. If someone puts an inch-long scar on your face, you still wouldn't hold anything against him?" Relafen asked slyly.
"Hmm, nah, not if I gave him one too." Sifan replied with a smile.
Relafen laughed, "You're smart, Leonhart. But don't gimme that bull crap about Squall not holding anything against my father...Squall destroyed his life..."
"Okay." Sifan said turning around to Relafen, "When someone pushes the woman you love into the hands of a sorcerer to die, would you still hold nothing against that someone!?"
Relafen was quiet.
"Answer me, dammit!!" Sifan said a bit loudly.
Sifan had forced Ellone to show everything to him through her powers. He had seen the last moments of his father's struggle with Ultimecia as if he himself was present there. Sifan still remembered clearly...Seifer had held Rinoa in lunatic Pandora ready to push her into Adel. Despite her cries, the tears in her eyes, he had just grinned his usual cocky grin and pushed her into Adel. She would have died if it hadn't been for Squall. It dawned on him; Seifer had almost murdered his mother.
Sifan's fist was tightening but he let his anger go.
"Enjoy the evening, Relafen." he said and proceeded to the exit.
[Relafen didn't see any of it. But I saw it all through Ellone. If he had seen it, then he'd know. I guess I can't blame him. What he knows is only what Seifer, Raijin and Fujin told him.]
Seifer had changed for the better, he was happier. But Relafen, being in garden, had keenly observed Squall's lifestyle. He had seen him using the Ragnarok like his own private transportation, being offered the presidency of Esthar; being offered the garden committee leader position. He turned both down. Relafen noticed Squall was the role model for almost every garden cadet and SeeD. Squall's life seemed to look like a bed of roses ever since the Ultimecia event. But Seifer's had been the opposite. He had to work and fight for every piece of bread he ate.
[.... And Relafen blamed it all on dad. ]
Sifan inadvertently found himself standing on the deserted pathway leading out of the garden community hall. He had been so busy with his thoughts that he didn't even see where he had come.
[Who the hell needs to go back in there anyway? Inside almost every faculty member, was a demon that wanted to sell the garden on which they were dancing and waltzing.]
Sifan walked over to the desolate stairway and sat there with another glass of champagne he had picked up on his way out of the community hall. He ran his hand through his dark brown hair that Avatar had made for him. The music in the hall got louder and he could hear the cellos and the jazzy saxophones echo down the passageway. Frequently, sounds of laughter were also heard and he could have sworn he heard even Avatar's fake laughing in front of the girls. He shook his head and looked at the sky. He lifted his glass to the pale white moon, "Cheers..."
The wine was going to his head a little bit, "Ha ha.... No Rinoa's gonna walk into my life alright. I escaped. Hee hee. No girl pointing to stupid shooting stars either. Ha ha ha ha."
He took another gulp and emptied the glass. Just then, a blonde-haired female SeeD came down the passageway.
[Damn. I must be drinking too much.]
"Uh...hello..." she said. She was a good-looking girl and wore a shiny dark blue color, with of course, the SeeD blazer.
".................."
"Um, you're Sifan Leonhart, right?" she asked in a sweet voice.
"No, I am a ruby dragon. Roar. Now get lost."
"Hee hee, you're cute..."
"You want to die from my fire breath attack?"
"Giggle...He told me to expect something like this from you..."
"Huh, who?"
"Uh...nobody."
"Who...Avatar?"
"NO! ... I mean...no..."
"Can you come nearer please? You look so beautiful."
"Yes?" she said eagerly and came forward.
"Please get me another glass," he said stretching his glass, "They give more servings to beautiful people."
She got upset much to Sifan's content and stormed out of the passageway, cursing Sifan Leonhart under her breath.
Sifan smiled and turned back to the moon, "Now where were we, pal? ..."
************