Chapter Nine: Meetings
I headed to my dorm and studied. Actual studying. I could remember it all, which was a good sign. After a while I decided to swing over to the cafeteria and grab a snack. The tables had groups of students laughing, eating and a few studying. And of course Gaia is sitting there with an apple and a pile of her notes right when I'm here.
"Hey," I said and sat across from her. She looked up, as if the chatter from all the other students littered from table to table hadn't been disturbing her.
"Hello, Seifer," she gave an emotionless smile.
I nodded, got up and bought a sandwich before sitting back down again.
"So this Wyvern is from Galbadia..." Gaia probed me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. She's originally from Esthar," I gave her a titbit of information. Gaia bristled instantly.
"Esthar?" her voice became sub-zero and her cold eyes narrowed considerably.
"Yeah, so?" I replied, frowning slightly and slouching back against my chair offhandedly.
"Estharian's in Galbadia are spies," she stated matter-of-factly. I gave her a peculiar look.
"What? No they're not. What's wrong with you?" I couldn't believe her.
Her expression hardened, "Estharian's are untrustworthy. Everyone knows that."
I'm seriously not liking this side to Gaia – she never seems to get worked up or impassioned by anything, let alone a stranger from Esthar.
"Okay, let's drop that. Are you doing your usual training later?" I changed the topic swiftly, realising my slouch had changed to a tense stance, with me leaning forward.
"Of course," she returned to normal and took a bite out of her apple.
"Well, I better go and keep reviewing work. Uh, maybe I'll see you later in the Training Centre." I got up, taking the sandwich with me.
"Goodbye," she placidly replied and went back to her apple like nothing had happened.
I wonder what this whole psycho thing with Gaia and Estharian's is all about? On that thought, I thoughtfully headed back to my room and had a good shower – perhaps to look nice for Wyvern... when I came out I had ten minutes. This would be possibly the first time I've been on time for anything. Not early, not late – right on time. I like that.
Seven sharp I knocked on Wyvern's door.
The door opened to a beautiful Wyvern. She was standing to my surprise.
"That rest did me good. I feel good as new," she explained with a small smile.
"Let's go." I said and linked arms with her. "quite the gentleman," she complemented me and we left.
"Where shall we go?" she asked, looking to me. I ran a hand through my hair.
"Uh, how about..." I stalled for time, looking around. We began walking past the Training Centre. Not a good idea with Gaia prowling around.
My second synapse fired, "Hey, how about we go to Balamb?" I suggested.
"Great, I need to thank some people there anyway," she beamed as we strolled down out of Garden into the fading sun. We made it out of the front gate without too much hassle from resentful students, except one 'Lapdog'.
The cool evening air reminded me of the dream. We were comfortably silent for a while.
"... Why'd he call you 'lapdog'?" she asked quietly.
I bristled slightly, but relaxed. "... Well, I'll answer that if you answer me a question." I replied.
"Okay," she nodded and we continued.
"I'll answer first... I'm," I trailed off and felt awkward. I don't want to lose Wyvern already. She looked at me with those eyes.
"Remember the whole Sorceress Edea fiasco in Galbadia?" she nodded, "I was her Knight. I fought for her... it's complicated. She was possessed, but before when me and group of other people were brought up by her in an orphanage when we were young..." it was all pouring out. I stopped myself.
Wyvern gave a faint smile. "It's okay. We all have our pasts," she said mysteriously.
We continued on. We were almost there – the friendly soft blue and orange lighting of Balamb. Wyvern stopped at the entrance.
"Ask me your question," she said softly, her eyes clashing with mine.
"... How did you get your scars on your back?" I gently asked. Even gently, she still became rigid - her eyes widening. I felt bad.
"Don't worry about it – you're upset." I tried to patch up her fear as much as possible. I began to enter the town.
Wyvern looked shaken, but recomposed herself.
"I will answer you. At the dock," she whispered weakly.
I was amazed at her, I don't know, bravery maybe? Was it bravery? It must have been terrible event to provoke such a reaction.
We strolled to the docks. It was deserted, lit with the silvery moonbeams that reflected off the sea. I instinctively wandered to where I'd fished me a Wyvern.
She sat on the edge and peered into the water. I joined her. She glanced at me before returning her gaze to the shimmering water.
"... It was two years ago. I'd been sent on a small mission to get field experience early on. It was in Timber. Guards littered the place and security was really tight then. You needed ID all the time. I had Estharian ID of course. The guard checked me..." she trembled, but shook herself and straightened, "They called me 'Estharian spy' and got his friends to 'deal' with me... three on one – I couldn't defend myself well enough... I – I was knocked down and they each made their mark and left me for dead... a resistance member took me in and nursed me back to health and I left," she finished. The clothes she wore revealed her three deep blade marks. She caught me looking.
"You can touch them, go on," she nodded.
My curiosity won and very gently I reached to her back and, with a feather light touch, ran a finger down the gash from her right shoulder down across her back to the bottom left. They were deep and cold. I was scared I'd hurt her.
She turned slightly. "It doesn't hurt. All scar tissue now. The only pain is here," she pointed to her head and gave a wry smile.
I folded my legs under me and ran my fingers down each scar.
"... All because you were Estharian..." I said in a horrified awe.
"Yes...This is what made me the Fell Angel," she said softly, still fixated on the rippling moonlight waves.
"Wyvern, is your Fell Angel like my Sorceress Knight?" I tentatively asked.
Wyvern pulled away from the dock edge and sat on the stone with me.
"Maybe so. You and I don't know what we were like," her turquoise eyes watched me.
I didn't know what to say or do – I just wanted to talk to her without dredging up all these bad memories we have.
"Your blades are really nice. They look kind of old," I lamely tried to hold a conversation and distract her from the bad memories. Wyvern smiled softly as if she knew what I was trying to do and pulled out the two daggers. She lovingly sat them on her lap and ran her hands over the feather shapes.
"They've been in my family for quite a while. They used to be my mother's. They have names, you know – Corona and Laudare, my halo and blessing," she gave a quiet chuckle and I felt glad that I'd cheered her up a little, "halo and blessing... sometimes I wonder if Hyne really does bless these weapons. I've never lost while I've fought with them... in Timber I only had what Garden issued me – I had to train with a Nunchaku. I was rubbish," she finished and looked out to sea – as if she was looking at Timber from all the way over here and reliving the events again.
I had to try and snap her out of it – it was my fault she was even thinking about this.
So I got up. "Let's go to the hotel and eat," I decided. Wyvern blinked and looked up to me before smiling and got up. She linked her arm with mine and made eye contact. "Lead on."
I led us round the corner to the hotel and entered. The hotel owner smiled and approached Wyvern.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" he enthused.
"Thank you for all you've done for me." Wyvern thanked him profusely.
I sat on a comfy entrance sofa while the Balamb people gathered around her. She seemed a little embarrassed by the whole thing after a minute or so, began to pull away and turned to see me watching her. She thanked all the people and joined me.
"So you want to eat?" she asked. I glanced outside and saw how dark it was becoming.
"It's getting dark," I pointed out.
"So, we can get a room, right?"
I considered this. "Well, if you want to."
"Great!" she got up and booked us in before heading to the small dining area. We got comfortable on a table for two.
"Wyvern, why did you go to Galbadia Garden? Isn't the education in Esthar supposed to be excellent?" I probed when we'd settled down.
"Esthar education is very good – President Loire does an excellent job, but my parents wanted me to have worldly knowledge as well as academic. I grew up with that and wanted it too. They were interested in me also being able to defend myself and then saw Galbadia Garden's scheme as being far enough away so I'd have to travel and get military and academic training they believed would make me a better person," she explained.
"Wow, you must have travelled quite a bit then, but, why didn't you go back to Esthar when the 'Esthar spy' commotion started?" I pressed on.
Wyvern gave me a slightly upset look. "I didn't want to enforce my parent's views that outsiders are violent and negative people. They knew the risk of sending me out, but I wanted to go so they let me. I thought I could deal with on my own but... look what happened..."
I felt compelled to make a point, "Yeah, but, look what happened... I met you." I smiled. Wyvern got embarrassed.
"I'm nothing special to have met!" she exclaimed.
We quietened down. Wyvern leaned forward.
"Tell me about the Sorceress Knight," she whispered. I looked around warily.
"Not here... I'll tell you in the hotel room." I shied away from Sorceress Knight Business with Balamb hotel staff.
Wyvern nodded, "Okay, then ask me another question instead."
I sat in silence, thinking for a moment. "Hmm... what's it like in Esthar?" I settled on a nice broad topic.
Wyvern smiled, "Ah, the good old vague question. Alright, let's see... it's big. A really big city full of life, but also... empty. Machines make the requirement of manual labour pretty low, so if you're not rich or an inventor you've had it in Esthar... I was in the rich inventor's family, so I guess I was doubly lucky."
She picked up the menu and quickly picked something as the waiter sauntered over. I grabbed the remaining one and settled on some pasta dish. Yeah, pasta sounds a little wussy but its good for you and delicious, so don't knock it.
"Orders?" he asked us in that strange polite waiter's voice. I nodded to Wyvern, who gave a start.
"Oh, uh I'd like today's pasta special." I gawped for a bit at her identical choice to mine before croaking, "Same here."
"Drinks?" he enquired. I hastily rejected any drink and Wyvern delicately ordered water. This night seemed to move quite slowly.
Wyvern watched me for a bit. "I think I might know Gaia," she stated quietly.
My eyes widened, "Really? How?" This was interesting. Wyvern shook her head and turned her head away as if she wanted to hide herself.
"I'm... not sure... I might not," her eyes became wide in a suddenly occurred fear.
"Please don't tell Gaia," she hurriedly whispered. And she said no more. I felt bad – like I had something to do with it.
Our meals came and we ate in silence. Not a horribly uncomfortable silence I'd endure with Gaia, just a lack of a need for talking – we'd already used that all up earlier.
After, I paid like the gentleman should, making Wyvern become all embarrassed again. I smiled at her and we trudged upstairs. It was one room, two beds. I didn't know what Wyvern would make of it. She looked about and smiled, "Pretty place." And she took the far bed in a bounce, surveying the rest of the room. I lumbered over, sitting down heavily making Wyvern give a little giggle, before settling down expectantly. Oh yeah, the story.
I lay on my back, arms stretched behind my heads to stare at the ceiling.
"The Sorceress Knight is a lot of things. It was proving he wasn't a child and protecting his childhood as well... sometimes I don't know whether to refer the Knight as me or not... he – I – was a mess. I wanted to be powerful and the position allowed me to be just that. But later... I don't think that was me anymore. I mean, if it was I hope someone finishes me now. At one point I shoved my ex girlfriend into Sorceress Adel so they melded into one. It was horrible – the last straw. I broke free and became a wreck in Fisherman's Horizon. There I recovered and realised my only hope of becoming the good person I overall wanted to be was only going to happen if I became a SeeD. And here I am. In the beginning... I was with the same idea as the 'good' side, but a little warped. I wanted to protect our Matron – Sorceress Edea – and the others realised it wasn't her no more and the real Matron would've wanted us to fight. Whether it resulted in her death or not. It was all messed up and complicated. You're probably bored already," I concluded.
Wyvern had been attentive – she was sitting poker straight on her bed watching me as I spoke, "No, that was really good. The Fell Angel is a story not so different." Wyvern fell silent and rolled to her side, no longer facing me. Was she going to tell me about this Fell Angel?
Wyvern gave a little shiver, got up and shut the glass door to the balcony, avoiding my face.
"I was dark, twisted – ugly. I was... a monster. I hated everything and everyone. I trained relentlessly with my two blades – Corona and Laudare – my halo and blessing. Some hope and blessing they gave me. I became violent – picking fights with whoever I felt would be game. Got me into trouble, but I didn't care. At night... I would cry. Wished I wasn't who I was. I had a choice the day I got my scars – become scared of everyone and everything and live scared, or become tough and defend myself. So I became as tough as I could be and that was the Fell Angel. It all left me though... the day someone who used to be a friend of mine told me I was a bullying monster. That made me realise I had become what gave me the scars... it shook me up so badly... I couldn't take it and broke down. I got better and became my old self, but no-one forgave me and made my life hell. That's when I wanted to leave," she told me in a soft voice.
We remained silent, each considering our alter-egos. Angry, picking fights... that's me alright. Still me, on occasions... I've changed a little since then, I've mellowed out, I hate to admit.
Wyvern sat with her eyes glazed over, hands clasped tightly so her knuckles were whitening. I felt the need to return the blood supply to her hands before they fell off, so I reached over and gently pulled them apart, and she jumped.
Her stance relaxed and I let go, but still watched her. I was latched onto her eyes again, those soft turquoise eyes I could lose myself in.
Wyvern was meeting my gaze, but her eyes were wide and innocent.
"I think we've changed – we're different people now. I certainly hope I'm reformed," she whispered.
I smiled. "Wyvern, I don't believe there is anything left of the Fell Angel in you," I told her and she silently nodded, but didn't appear to believe it.
With a shrug, she ran a hand through her hair and got up, "I'm going to go to sleep – it's been a long day, don't you think?" she said nervously and I nodded.
"Yeah... you going to be alright?"
She twisted nervously and headed to the bathroom, "Yes, I'll be fine... I just need to think all this over, Seifer," she said quietly and shut the door.
I sighed heavily and fell back onto my bed, frowning slightly. I felt like she'd got a lot more from this conversation than I had. I think she came away with more questions than I did – as far as I'm concerned once we were terrible people and we found a way out and are reforming, in her case reformed. The door opened and Wyvern came out and went straight to her bed, only giving me a momentary look as she passed by.
She climbed into bed and eyed the lamp and then me.
"Do you mind?" she asked softly and I motioned vaguely her way.
"Feel free. Goodnight, Wyvern," I said a little sharply and Wyvern paused on my face for a while, reading my expression before reaching over and switching the light off.
"'Night, Seifer," she said softly and I listened in silence as she shuffled around to get comfortable. I hung on to every sound until she settled down and I was left to my own thoughts.
Why did she still think she was like the Fell Angel? And if she thought that about herself, then what did she think about me?
I frowned and flipped onto my side grouchily, tugging my pillow close to my head and forcing my brain to stop thinking and let me sleep. Of course minds aren't very co-operative and I spent the next several hours fighting my mind to go to sleep.