"I think this is almost where we need to be, to find out what happened." Ellone's voice floated through Tempest's mind.
Thirteen year old Tempest snuck out of the back of the SeeD truck onto the battle field. The SeeDs all around her were fighting for their life against the Sorceresses creatures. Wave after wave came charging down the hillside. For the first time that day Tempest began to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She steeled herself, she'd made it this far there was no turning back now. It was time to prove herself to everyone that she was good enough to be a SeeD, especially Zan. Training Saber in hand she ducked into the fighting going mostly for the smaller creatures like the bite bugs and caterpillars. Then she caught site of her parents fighting back to back up on the ridge. She made a mental note to avoid that area.
"Wait for me!" Gale came running after Tempest her face as white as a sheet.
Tempest glared down at the little girl "You should have stayed in the truck!"
"A grendal started attacking the truck!" Tears were starting to well up in her eyes she was terrified and unarmed. No matter how much Tempest hated her half sister she couldn't leave her to fend for herself like that.
"Stay close to me." she commanded gritting her teeth. Gale nodded and stood as close to Tempest as humanly possible without being physically attached.
Tempest made her way over to the cliffs where there was a slight overhang and a little cubby hole underneath.
"Crawl under!" Tempest commanded. "Hide down there until I come and get you. Just stay as far back as you can and the monsters shouldn't be able to reach you."
"Don't leave me!" Gale began sobbing grabbing Tempest's arm.
"Get down!" Tempest screamed as a bomb flew right over their heads. "Blizzaga!" the speel hit the creature killing it.
Gale was on the ground weeping. Why oh why did she have to follow me? Tempest knelt down beside her wrapping her arms around her shoulders trying hard not to look at her eyes, those hated eyes.
"Gale, hide under the rock, you'll be safe there. I'll come back for you I promise! Just stay put."
Finally still sobbing the little girl obeyed. Tempest got to her feet saber in hand. It was then that she saw him, standing up at the top of the ridge staring down at them with his keen blue eyes. That cocky smile plastered on his face, the man who hurt her mother, Gale's father. What was he doing here?
A cold hate filled her blocking out all other feelings, everything all the problems, hurts and troubles were all his fault. He disappeared over the ridge. With a cold determination Tempest climbed up the hill keeping low to avoid encounters. Before long she was at the top, looking over the edge she saw her father at the bottom fighting the blonde man. Tempest crouched down behind a boulder, surely her father would win. She had never seen him fighting so hard in all her life. The two gunblades crashed and flared repeatedly neither gaining, neither losing. The next moment seemed to go in slow motion, there was a loose rock, Squalls foot found it. He fell down on one knee the next moment the blue eyed mans gun blade ran him through. There was an expression of shocked horror that passed over his face as he slumped over.
"No!" Tempest screamed jumping to her feet. The blue eyed man looked up at her. He just smiled, he was smiling! He blew a kiss to her then turned and walked away.
Tempest ran down the hillside as fast as she could throwing herself to her knees beside her father.
"Tempest...what, what are you doing here?" Squall's voice came out in a rasp.
"Daddy please don't go." Tempest sobbed grabbing his hand.
"I love you baby." he touched her cheek gently. "I love you more than anything else in the world." He pulled off the necklace with her mothers ring that she had given him. "Please give this to Gale, as a remembrance. I will always think of her as my daughter."
"No please." the tears were hot on her cheeks. She held his hand as tightly as she could as if holding on to him could make him stay with her.
He stroked her cheek gently. "Be a good girl and look after your mother and your sister. You'll have to protect them while I'm gone."
His voice was so soft now it was almost inaudible. She rested her head on his chest and sobbed listening to his heartbeat slower, slower, slower...gone. Tempest screamed she didn't know how long she sat there weeping while the battle raged on the other side of the hill. Finally she sat up wiping away her tears. She had a duty now, she took of Squall's jacket and wrapped it around herself taking in the scent of him. She took the GF's he had junctioned and junctioned them to herself, finally she picked up the gunblade. It was rather large and heavy but she would manage.
She struggled over the rocks and craigs with the heavy gunblade in hand. Her mind set on only one thing, revenge. She kept going in the direction the blue eyed man had disappeared in. Finally she saw him standing there beside a tall dark woman dressed in black. He saw her as she approached and smiled cruelly.
"Did you come to join sorceress Selande?" he asked mockingly.
"I came to kill you." Tempest ground out.
"Really." he looked at her innocently. "What have I ever done to you?"
"You hurt my mother, you killed my father..."
"Your mother is dead now to." he smiled.
"You're lying." Tempest stared at him a cold fear rushing through her what if he wasn't?
"Come my Knight, we have more important business to attend to." Selande began to walk away and he began to follow.
"No!" Tempest hefted the gunblade, she charged at him. He turned around holding his hand up a huge flare spell hit her sending her flying backwards.
"Come find me again when you're ready." He followed the sorceress through a portal that she created and disappeared.
"Hyne, I call on you to wittness this oath. I will not stop training, I will not give up until that man is dead." Tempest whispered. "I can't go home until I've avenged him."
"...so that's what happened to him. I'm so sorry Tempest." Ellone's voice sounded like she was crying.
Tempests eyelids fluttered open, Ellone was sitting beside her tears running silently down her face. Zan sat beside her holding her hand, Zan her tormenter, the one she'd adored as a child always striving to impress. Ivy and Zio, her two best friends paced around the back of the room. As soon as they all saw she was awake they crowded around her again.
"Did it work?" Zio asked anxiously.
Tempest didn't answer, and her silence was answer enough for all of them. The blue eyed man, she still hadn't killed the blue eyed man. The man! Him, she'd seen him. She sat up straight.
"It was him! The person who killed that girl in the hallway! It was him, the blue eyed man, the one who killed my father!When I was talking to Zan, I saw him and then I chased him and I found her body." she clenched her fists angrily. "He's taunting me. He wants me to come after him, he made it so I can't go back to the Garden I have to go after him."
"Seifer." Ellone said leaning back sadly. "His name is Seifer." she stared out the window as if she could see something that wasn't there she smiled faintly. "He wasn't always that way. I don't know...what's happened to him."
Finally she stood up shaking her head. "No use crying over the past."
Suddenly the door creaked open.
"Aunt Elle I'm home."
Tempest looked back and froze. There she was standing in the doorway staring back at her with those bright blue eyes.