disclaimer: i don't own FF8
Chapter 1
Blue gray eyes stared into the cold night as the rain water whipped at their owner's injured form. The river water lashed at the young man as he lay on the bank where it had spat him out earlier. His head pounded and he could feel the crimson liquid that kept him alive seeping from his injuries. He had not the strength to move and no energy left to cast any Cura spells. The storm winds made the rain rip into the wounds on his face. His body felt numb as the temperature continued to drop. He had no idea how he was able to stay conscious through the beating that the river and gifted him with.
As warm liquid dripped into his eyes he saw a faint orange glow stepping towards him slowly. The rain continued its assault on his already battered body as his eyes watched the glow come closer. Slowly, the faint outline of a cloaked figure began to form. It was draped in black and the glow did nothing to pierce the shadows around it. The figure came ever closer and the rain parted with its passing. It appeared to be a sort of phantom and the silvery glint of steel caught his eye. The glow grew into a flame and the phantom knelt beside him. He prayed that the figure would just end his pitiful excuse of a life and release him from the storm's punishment. The rain stopped beating him as did the river's raging waters.
The phantom held him closely, careful of his injuries, and a green light swept over his vision. He could feel soft cloth under his cheek and tried to curl closer to the warmth that this phantom provided. The rain no longer bothered him as slowly a warm feeling began to creep into his chest. His eyes felt heavy and his head only ached more. The phantom pulled him closer and the light swept over him again. The warmth spread to include his entire being in its embrace as the phantom picked him up carefully. Slowly, it walked on and kept him close to its warmth. He fell asleep before he could even see who the phantom was.
Balamb Garden was alive with activity as the Ragnarock landed. Medical cadets scurried around and tended to the wounded. Cura and Curaga spells were flying all over the place as more and more of the wounded were brought off the ship. It was chaos. Quistis Trepe sighed tiredly as a medical cadet wrapped her arm in new bandages. She looked over to Selphie as she yelled for someone to help the cadets who were starting to bleed heavily again. Thanking the cadet, she turned to Irvine and Zell who were both being tended to by the medical personnel. Irvine settled his hat back on his head once the cadet finished with bandaging the cut on his forehead.
Zell stood shakily and tried to leave the ship. Irvine stood and helped him. Selphie chewed on her lip and followed Quistis out. Dread was like a thick blanket that shrouded the group as they walked into Garden. The place was frantic as more and more SeeDs and cadets were brought into the medical unit.
"Trepe!" Quistis looked up at the sound of her name being called. Head Master Cid was heading to them while speaking with some of the medical personnel.
"I'm going to take Zell to his room, Quistis," Irvine whispered to her and Cid came closer. Quistis nodded and watched as Irvine supported a very unenthusiastic Zell to his room.
"So, how did it go?" Cid asked once he got to them. Selphie slipped away and ran after Irvine and Zell. Quistis chewed on her lip as she tried to sum up what had happened on the mission in her mind.
"Unfortunately… he got away. We took out a good bit of the army that he was building to bring the sorceress back and we suffered heavy casualties as you can see," Her voice didn't shake as she gave Cid her report. He was silent a moment as his gaze swept over the injured.
"I see," was all he said for a moment. "Where is Commander Lionheart?" he asked. Quistis looked away from him and chewed her lip again.
"M.I.A," she said. She could feel Cid's eyes bore into her as she said it.
"How did he become missing?" Cid asked after a long moment of silence.
"The explosives on the bridge went off as he was trying to make his way across. He fell into the river and was swept away. I highly doubt that… we would be able to find him." She finished. Her green eyes stared at the floor sadly. Cid gripped her shoulder lightly.
"Once we have some people available who are willing to search for him we will try and find him," Quistis smiled slightly as she looked up at the Head Master. He nodded and smiled in reassurance.
"For now though, find out where the target might have gone," Quistis nodded and started for her room. She could feel the cold tendrils of death start to snake their way into the cadets. She moved quickly to try and get away from the iciness that filled the air. She rubbed her arms fiercely as one of the medical personnel cried out for assistance with one of the cadets who was bleeding profusely. She could see faint shadows start to appear over those who were bleeding their lives out on the floor. Someone gripped her shoulder tightly and she struggled to get away. The hands wouldn't let go and slowly, the person's voice registered in her terrified mind.
"Quistis!" she looked up sharply and the sound of her name and met worried jade green eyes. The eyes of the former sorceress' knight stared down at her as she tried to regain control of her breathing.
"Are you ok?" he asked. Finally, her breathing steadied and she could speak without shrieking.
"I'm fine just… tired is all," Seifer nodded a bit and let her go. Dimly she realized that the former knight was being incredibly gentle for what his previous crimes were. Thankfully he didn't comment on the state of the cadets and followed her silently as she went to her room. She punched in the access code and walked in leaving the door open for the former knight. Seifer took the invitation and looked around silently.
"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked. He shook his head and continued his explorations.
"I'm assuming that the mission didn't go according to plan?" he asked as she took a seat on the couch. She shook her head a bit and rubbed her hands together. She still felt horribly cold.
"Chick- Zell," he corrected himself, "didn't look so good when I passed him and Irvine in the hall." Quistis smiled a bit as Seifer picked up one of the many pictures she had scattered around the room and at him using Zell's actual name this time instead of the infuriating nickname.
"No, he isn't. His injuries gradually increased in severity over time as he continued to push himself," she explained. Seifer nodded a bit and glanced at her.
"Irvine will be ok eventually and so will Selphie," she was touched deeply by his new concern for the rest of the orphanage group. He really had changed after the final fight with Ultamecia. He had returned to Balamb Garden a year after the final confrontation and had asked to be let back. After many negotiations he was finally let into the Garden. In less then a year he had taken the final exam and had become a SeeD. He wasn't allowed on missions though.
"Squall is missing," she murmured. He didn't say anything for a long while. She glanced up at him and saw that his normal smirk was painted on his face again.
"We have a score to settle. He'll come back alive." She stared at him and shook her head.
"Your optimism is good to have around, Seifer." She said.
"I know," when she glared up at him he was smirking.
Chapter 1
Blue gray eyes stared into the cold night as the rain water whipped at their owner's injured form. The river water lashed at the young man as he lay on the bank where it had spat him out earlier. His head pounded and he could feel the crimson liquid that kept him alive seeping from his injuries. He had not the strength to move and no energy left to cast any Cura spells. The storm winds made the rain rip into the wounds on his face. His body felt numb as the temperature continued to drop. He had no idea how he was able to stay conscious through the beating that the river and gifted him with.
As warm liquid dripped into his eyes he saw a faint orange glow stepping towards him slowly. The rain continued its assault on his already battered body as his eyes watched the glow come closer. Slowly, the faint outline of a cloaked figure began to form. It was draped in black and the glow did nothing to pierce the shadows around it. The figure came ever closer and the rain parted with its passing. It appeared to be a sort of phantom and the silvery glint of steel caught his eye. The glow grew into a flame and the phantom knelt beside him. He prayed that the figure would just end his pitiful excuse of a life and release him from the storm's punishment. The rain stopped beating him as did the river's raging waters.
The phantom held him closely, careful of his injuries, and a green light swept over his vision. He could feel soft cloth under his cheek and tried to curl closer to the warmth that this phantom provided. The rain no longer bothered him as slowly a warm feeling began to creep into his chest. His eyes felt heavy and his head only ached more. The phantom pulled him closer and the light swept over him again. The warmth spread to include his entire being in its embrace as the phantom picked him up carefully. Slowly, it walked on and kept him close to its warmth. He fell asleep before he could even see who the phantom was.
Balamb Garden was alive with activity as the Ragnarock landed. Medical cadets scurried around and tended to the wounded. Cura and Curaga spells were flying all over the place as more and more of the wounded were brought off the ship. It was chaos. Quistis Trepe sighed tiredly as a medical cadet wrapped her arm in new bandages. She looked over to Selphie as she yelled for someone to help the cadets who were starting to bleed heavily again. Thanking the cadet, she turned to Irvine and Zell who were both being tended to by the medical personnel. Irvine settled his hat back on his head once the cadet finished with bandaging the cut on his forehead.
Zell stood shakily and tried to leave the ship. Irvine stood and helped him. Selphie chewed on her lip and followed Quistis out. Dread was like a thick blanket that shrouded the group as they walked into Garden. The place was frantic as more and more SeeDs and cadets were brought into the medical unit.
"Trepe!" Quistis looked up at the sound of her name being called. Head Master Cid was heading to them while speaking with some of the medical personnel.
"I'm going to take Zell to his room, Quistis," Irvine whispered to her and Cid came closer. Quistis nodded and watched as Irvine supported a very unenthusiastic Zell to his room.
"So, how did it go?" Cid asked once he got to them. Selphie slipped away and ran after Irvine and Zell. Quistis chewed on her lip as she tried to sum up what had happened on the mission in her mind.
"Unfortunately… he got away. We took out a good bit of the army that he was building to bring the sorceress back and we suffered heavy casualties as you can see," Her voice didn't shake as she gave Cid her report. He was silent a moment as his gaze swept over the injured.
"I see," was all he said for a moment. "Where is Commander Lionheart?" he asked. Quistis looked away from him and chewed her lip again.
"M.I.A," she said. She could feel Cid's eyes bore into her as she said it.
"How did he become missing?" Cid asked after a long moment of silence.
"The explosives on the bridge went off as he was trying to make his way across. He fell into the river and was swept away. I highly doubt that… we would be able to find him." She finished. Her green eyes stared at the floor sadly. Cid gripped her shoulder lightly.
"Once we have some people available who are willing to search for him we will try and find him," Quistis smiled slightly as she looked up at the Head Master. He nodded and smiled in reassurance.
"For now though, find out where the target might have gone," Quistis nodded and started for her room. She could feel the cold tendrils of death start to snake their way into the cadets. She moved quickly to try and get away from the iciness that filled the air. She rubbed her arms fiercely as one of the medical personnel cried out for assistance with one of the cadets who was bleeding profusely. She could see faint shadows start to appear over those who were bleeding their lives out on the floor. Someone gripped her shoulder tightly and she struggled to get away. The hands wouldn't let go and slowly, the person's voice registered in her terrified mind.
"Quistis!" she looked up sharply and the sound of her name and met worried jade green eyes. The eyes of the former sorceress' knight stared down at her as she tried to regain control of her breathing.
"Are you ok?" he asked. Finally, her breathing steadied and she could speak without shrieking.
"I'm fine just… tired is all," Seifer nodded a bit and let her go. Dimly she realized that the former knight was being incredibly gentle for what his previous crimes were. Thankfully he didn't comment on the state of the cadets and followed her silently as she went to her room. She punched in the access code and walked in leaving the door open for the former knight. Seifer took the invitation and looked around silently.
"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked. He shook his head and continued his explorations.
"I'm assuming that the mission didn't go according to plan?" he asked as she took a seat on the couch. She shook her head a bit and rubbed her hands together. She still felt horribly cold.
"Chick- Zell," he corrected himself, "didn't look so good when I passed him and Irvine in the hall." Quistis smiled a bit as Seifer picked up one of the many pictures she had scattered around the room and at him using Zell's actual name this time instead of the infuriating nickname.
"No, he isn't. His injuries gradually increased in severity over time as he continued to push himself," she explained. Seifer nodded a bit and glanced at her.
"Irvine will be ok eventually and so will Selphie," she was touched deeply by his new concern for the rest of the orphanage group. He really had changed after the final fight with Ultamecia. He had returned to Balamb Garden a year after the final confrontation and had asked to be let back. After many negotiations he was finally let into the Garden. In less then a year he had taken the final exam and had become a SeeD. He wasn't allowed on missions though.
"Squall is missing," she murmured. He didn't say anything for a long while. She glanced up at him and saw that his normal smirk was painted on his face again.
"We have a score to settle. He'll come back alive." She stared at him and shook her head.
"Your optimism is good to have around, Seifer." She said.
"I know," when she glared up at him he was smirking.
