Disclaimer. None of the characters are mine, except Gem Darkheart. I wish they were, but alas, they are not.
I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed to me. Yay! I am luffed!
First day of lessons.
Waking up the next day, she groans, her sleep had been as bad as ever. Images of a past she didn't remember, of pain and suffering that she had seen and felt had filled her subconscious, and she awoke a number of times each time in a cold sweat, caught in the blankets and unable to quite remember her surroundings. It was five thirty in the morning when she finally gives up on sleep. Getting up, she replaces her delicate mind behind a mask, and her once soft gaze turns cold, as it always did after she had a nightmare.
Also, as always after a nightmare, she has a short shower and uses some cinnamon shampoo and body wash, and then she puts on the darkest clothes that she has. Meaning, she was wearing tight, low-cut black leather trousers with a black metal belt, a black sleeveless shirt and a black leather jacket. Even a pair of reflective black shades are donned.
Today, rather than have Magic first period, she had another homeroom lesson, but it was only short, simply making sure people knew where they were going, and also that everyone had finished their theory examinations. Heading to Quistis' second floor classroom, she takes her seat at the back and puts her feet up once again.
Once everyone has arrived, Quistis begins the register. Managing to do it in less than five minutes, people still to take their theories did so, whereas the others were given things to check and find out.
Annoyingly, Quistis draws Gem aside.
"Now, Gem..." Quistis begins.
"Yes Ms Trepe?" Her voice is intertwined with pure indifference and boredom.
"Are you sure that you don't wish to make any changes on your timetable?" She carries on, regardless of Gem's hostility.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"Not as such, it's just; don't you think that you should take off a few lessons? You aren't going to have much time to rest with the timetable you have, and we are concerned that that may cause problem for you in the future."
"I will be fine." She says coldly.
"Are you sure? It is a very heavy workload and"
"I will be fine." Gem cuts in coldly, much to her instructor's shock and surprise.
However, noting the dark rings around the girl's eyes, and other factors, she lets the matter drop and allows Gem to return to her seat, her eyes full of concern and worry over the girl's attitude.
Soon the lesson is ended, and the frozen red head leaves for a few blocks away, her magic lesson. Upon arrival, she sees the young woman who had let her into the headmaster's office on her first day. Taking a seat in a similar place to her homeroom, at the back left, she waits for the lesson to begin, but doesn't show any enthusiasm or emotion at all.
Nobody sits beside her, which was just how she wanted it.
"Hello class, my name is Xu. I'll be teaching you how to use basic and advanced magic. Today however, there will be no practical work. You have all already taken your theory exam, and many of you failed. So, before I try and teach you how to actually /use/ magic, will have to go through a lot of the theory. So, here we go."
The lesson consisted mainly of learning the basic principles of magic, and despite her memory loss, even she knew half of what was being taught to her. However, she listens half heartedly, never offering any answers or participating in any way, even so much as raising an arm. She doesn't even take her shades off. Xu doesn't attempt to get an answer from her during the lesson, although she could see the change that had occurred within the smaller female. But the girl worried her deeply. She seemed devoid of all emotion. Stoic, unreactive, as if she wasn't there at all.
At the end of the lesson, there was supposed to be a short break time, about half an hour. Gem, with nothing better to do, heads to her classroom early, and looks around. No one was about, which was to be expected. The room was fairly large, and it seemed that the chairs and desks could all be folded up and moved out of the way, making more space for practical work or demonstrations. Heading over to a nearby cupboard, she picks the lock with ease using a simple paperclip. It seemed as though the building really needed better locks. And that particular door would need a new one, seeing as she'd just broken that one. Eyeing the array of weapons, she leaves the dagger section, instead opting for a larger weapon. Wanting something challenging, but not too restricting, she picks up a sword/gun crossover. The weapon looked disturbingly similar to one she'd seen before, but couldn't remember. It annoyed her that she couldn't even remember the name of the weapon, despite the strange feeling that she'd actually wielded one before. It was quite heavy, but that doesn't deter her, as she walks into a small space in the corner. Raising the weapon above her head, she notes how her fingers do not fit in the gaps, and so she has a look to see if there is one that fits a little better.
A weapon not built for its user was a useless one.
Finding one that fit her fingers a little better, she moves back to the corner. Simply holding the weapon, at a right angle from her body, arms outstretched. Simply testing herself. After a few minutes, sweat begins to pour down her face, and her stance wavers. She was already low on energy, and the bell would be going soon.
Placing the weapon back in the cupboard, in a place where it was out of immediate sight. She knew where it was though, so she'd get it first.
As the bell goes, an arbitrary flow of people begin entering the room, shortly after Gem had seated herself at the back corner once again. Her feet were up on the desk, the chair beside her removed so she could be alone. She ignores the general chatter of the teenagers in the classroom. Even with her shades on, she still made people shiver when she glared at them.
After a few minutes of disorganisation, the classroom suddenly falls silent and everyone scrambles to their seats.
Not knowing what the sudden change of attitude was, but not really caring, she doesn't move her feet from the desk, nor does she take her shades off.
A young male walks into the room, and immediately girls swoon and boys watch awed. Gem doesn't react. Chocolate brown tresses cover icy grey eyes, similar to her own. The room was utterly silent, and the dark haired stranger stands at the front, glaring around the room. His eyes rest on her, a frown deepening his handsome features.
And handsome he was, not that Gem was one to swoon, or acknowledge when in the after state of terrible and vivid images.
A scar ran over his face, from above his left eye to beneath his left, running over the bridge of his nose. It gave him character.
Obviously her outright defiance had caught his attention, as his eyes bore into her glasses. She doesn't flinch under his gaze.
If he thought she was just doing this for attention, he soon realises that she wasn't.
Not that she was in the mood to care.
Clearing his throat, the handsome instructor folds his arms over his chest.
"Class." He addresses everyone, with a melodic, if a little cold and bored voice.
"My name is Squall Leonhart, as I'm sure you know. You will address me as 'sir' or 'Mr Leonhart.' Understood?"
A murmer of acknowledgement and sighs of admiration are given in response.
"Good. First off, are you all in the correct classroom? The Sets are simple. Everyone who has a letter between A-L as the first letter in their last names stays here. Everyone else, next door."
A hand is raised, but Squall dismisses it. "No exceptions."
He waits silently as the all leave, the frown still etched into his face.
Once everyone is in their correct classrooms, he starts speaking.
"Now glass, let me just get this straight. I do not want to be here. I am here only because procedure demands that I am. So don't mess around, don't flirt, or hit on me, Got it?"
He sighs, rubbing his scar.
"To ensure the safety of everyone in this class, I would please refrain from getting in my way. So shut up and let me get on with this as quickly as possible."
He picks up the register and runs it through, luckily everyone who was supposed to be there, were all there.
"Alright. Let me explain. Everyone will come here for my lessons. You will spend your lessons on Monday and Friday with me, the other lesson on Wednesday will be with someone else, you will be told during homeroom. Has everyone here got lessons 1-4 on Monday, and 3-6 on Friday?"
Several people shake their heads.
"Okay. Whatever." He sighs almost inaudibly.
"Everyone get yourself a weapon. Any injuries earned will be no fault of mine." He says nonchalantly, stepping away from the weapons locker that he had noticed was broken.
Using her agile and lithe form, Gem flips over three desks and lands in the crowd, quickly retrieving her hidden weapon before skulking back to her seat, placing her feet up on the death. She easily ignores the death glare that Squall shoots at her.
Squall watches the bickering kids; barely restraining himself from rolling his eyes.
Squall was mildly disturbed. Only a few days ago Gem had been more energetic, she seemed more human. At the moment, she seemed like Shiva. Like him. He could feel her empty eyes beneath the concealing glasses. This wasn't the girl from a few days ago.
She had a gunblade, but he felt it wasn't because she knew he had one. As a matter of fact, she didn't show any sign of recognising him at all. That was disturbing. He shrugs it off. He had a class to teach.
Once everyone has their weapons, and are reseated, Squall silences everyone and orders the tables to be moved apart, and the room seems larger, more spacious.
People are spaced along, paired with people with the same or similar weapons. Most people had made a good choice of weapon, especially considering that a lot of people didn't know what weapon they had wanted.
Gem was staring out of the window, absorbed in her own world, although still listening to what he was saying.
"All those with a long distance weapon, go outside and form line against the wall, another instructor will be taking you. Also, people without some kind of blade, please go outside and stand in a line against the other wall." Squall's calm voice cuts through the room, and obediently, many people leave.
The once large class is replaced by a class of about fifteen.
"Okay, has everyone got everything right?" He mutters, unfolding his arms.
Finally, another instructor comes out to take away all those with weapons like daggers.
It seemed like everyone was in the right place.
Gem was one of the gunbladers, and the only one who was not in the small group that was in the centre of the room. Instead, she was a few feet away from them, leaning against a wall and looking undeniably cool. Her arms are folded over her chest, gunblade clasped in one hand.
Left in the room was two gunbladers and three people with swords. Gem was the only female gunblader; another girl had a sword. The rest of the class was male.
"Let me see your timetables please." He says, walking over to his desk to see them. People move over to their consoles and send him the information.
"Okay. On Wednesday, everyone will wait outside the training centre at the beginning of this lesson."
Everybody nods, and a few people say 'yes sir.' Gem does neither.
"Everyone get into pairs and familiarise yourselves with your weapons." Squall says. "Gem. Here."
Gem sighs, walking over to the older man, not looking impressed at all. Not looking...well, she showed absolutely no emotion.
She tilts her head a tiny fraction. "What?" Her cold, yet oddly melancholy voice was sharper than razor blade.
"You have Tuesday weapons practise." Squall states, barely looking at her.
"Hn." She doesn't even dignify it with a proper answer. Squall frowns.
"You're the only one with that lesson."
"And?" She says; her voice hollow.
"You will be up here with me, alone. Are you sure you want to keep it?"
"Hn."
"I won't go easy on you."
"Duelling?" It was barely a question, more like a statement, as it didn't have the questioning tone.
"Yes."
"Hn."
"It's hard. You'll be exhausted."
Why was Squall trying to discourage her? Not that it was much difference to her.
"Better than not having the training; being dead."
'Wow.' Squall muses. 'More than one word at a time. Now we're getting somewhere.' A voice chuckles in his head.
"Good." He says, not mentioning her sudden burst in communication, temporary as it was. "Why'd you pick the gunblade?" he asks, distracted as he glances up quickly to check on the class.
"Think I've used before. Thought I'd try it. Problem?" She sounded disturbingly like Fujin on a good day, although without the loudness. She was misguidingly quiet.
"You think you've used one before?"
All he got was a nod.
"You sure that's it?"
Another nod. "Why?" Her apathetic voice is devoid of interest.
"I have one. Most people know it."
"I am not most people, Mr Leonheart" She says scathingly. Some form of emotion at least, even if it wasn't positive.
"So I see." He replies smoothly. "But still..."
She just ignores him, looking off into the distance.
He sighs, raising a hand to his scar like he always did when he was feeling exasperated or annoyed or something.
"So you're going to keep it?"
"Hn."
"No skipping class. Got it?"
"Hn."
"Duel with me." It was not a question, and Gem obeys boredly, wandering into a larger space and raising her weapon. Squall draws the incredible Lionheart and gets into a battling position. He half smiles, but it is hidden.
"Let's seem if you have really used one of these before." He mutters; audible only to her ears.
She frowns and dodges as he swings at her, catching her breath as he lunges again. She retaliates with a low thrust which he dodges but she freezes as his brilliant blue blade stops inches from her nose. Sighing, she doesn't move as he picks up her shades with the tip of his blade. Letting them hang just within her reach, he waits, one eyebrow raised. He was startled by the coldness of her eyes, which looked so similar to his, until a while ago. The pure ice that coated each word was reflected in those emotionless oculates, and he could feel the cold tension permeate the air. However, he is unperturbed, and smirks at her when she doesn't try to retrieve the black sunglasses.
It was unethical and stupid. Those were the thoughts that crossed her mind on the subject of getting her shades back. If she reached out to get them, she may as well have simply asked for him to chop her arm straight off.
Nodding when she doesn't react, he tosses them back to her and she dons them once again.
By now, they had and audience, all of which were not really giving the two enough space to actually fight. Nevertheless, they continue in the restricted space.
Being the only ones in the room actually able to wield a weapon without chopping some random body part off, or squealing and running away, the pair were understandably the centre of attention.
The two continue to spar for a few more minutes, before Squall disarms her by knocking her hand with the flat of his blade so she dropped her weapon. She nods in acknowledgment of her defeat and he turns to walk away.
"Does everyone have this next period?" He asks.
There is a round of nodding and shaking heads, and Squall waves those who must leave away. Remaining are, including Gem, two gunbladers, and one sword wielder. Gem had fazed out in the corner that she had retreated to, staring into space, at something that no one else could see. Squall walks over to her, to see if she was okay. When she doesn't respond to him, he waves a hand in front of her face. Still no reaction. Removing her shades, he watches her eyes dart about, watching something that he couldn't see. Thoroughly concerned, he makes the others raise their blades for as long as possible without having to stop. Returning his attention to the red head before him.
"Gem? Gem, are you okay? What's the matter?" Squall asks, shaking her.
He leads her out of the classroom, but she is like a mindless drone, only moving at all because he tugged her along. He is about to lead her to doctor Kadowaki's place, but she suddenly snaps out of it and pulls her hand back sharply.
Her eyes return to their original haunted grey, and she frowns. "What's going on?" She asks angrily. She had no idea why he was seething inside, but she was.
"You zoned out. Are you okay?" His eyes were sincere, but she was not in the mood.
"I am fine." She says emotionlessly.
"..." He is unconvinced. However, she pulls away and re enters the classroom, and he simply trails in after her.
Squall concentrates on the others, who had less, or rather, no experience or talent at all. This left Gem to ponder and stare out of the window as Squall taught.
When night arrives, she returns to her room to rest.
