Set around two years after Ultemicia. Just a quick intro to a story I was considering, if people like, I'll continue it :-D
Obviously, characters, backstory and any other FF8 stuff are copyright of squaresoft. Any characters, story and ideas not from Final Fantasy is all mine.
If you like it, review it. If you don't like it, review it anyway! ;-)
I don't mind you telling me so if you think it's crap, so long as you tell me why :-P
Prologue - Up Early, 10 days beforehand
Zell walked across the gravel floor of the training centre, almost as though daring another grat to show itself from the bushes nearby. This morning he was practicing his magic without any GFs junctioned. In barely two hours he had to be teaching his class basic para-magic and it had been a long time since he had used para-magic himself, in fact he was quite unused to not having a Gaurdian juntioned at all, and it had left him with a sense of emptyness. He now begun to understand what all the GF critics meant when they claimed that "SeeD's dependence on Gaurdian Forces to fight would be their downfall", though he would not by any means go that far, as his connection to Siren and Cerebrus could hardly be classed as a dependence, or so he thought - Often most SeeD's didn't realize how much they did depend on their Gaurdians.
He caught a glimpse of something moving in the dense vegitation, a grat's stalk-arm wavering near a tree. He paused for a second, considering. He took a slow step forwards but his attemp at stealth was to no avail, as the grat, sensing that it had been detected, promptly released enough sleeping gas to down a T-Rexaur.
Fuck, thought Zell, I hate it when they do this.
"Firaga," He said, raising his arm to point in the direction of the grat.
The effect was immeadiate, the creature and the plants around were engulfed in the fireball as the sleeping gas filled the air, entering Zell's lungs and poisoning him with the noxious gas. Dizzyness overcame him, and he fell to his knees as he struggled to keep conscious. Focusing his eyes on the ground in front of his face, he concentrated, and put a leg out in front of him, and rose to his feet. His footing failed him, and his eyes slid closed even before his limp form hit the ground. With a surge of anger at his own weakness, he regained the concentration that he needed to act.
"Haste,"
The magic entered him, acting like a stimulant, both keeping him awake as well as greatly heightening his speed and reflexes.
Sure as hell beats coffee.
He stood back up, just before getting whipped across the face by another grat. Not wanting to waste any time with magic, he simply punched it; it was a fairly light blow in comparison with what he normally could hit, but the grat crumpled as if it were made of rice paper. It was dead. He could feel the blood drawn by it's attack as it ran down his face. An insubstantial amount, but he cast cure anyway, instantly sealing the cut. The rest of the blood was wiped from his cheek by the back of his hand.
Moving on through the training centre, he came to a point where he could feel an energy in the air, magical energy. He could feel it around him, but he was unable to draw it without having a Gaurdian Force junctioned. He tried several times, unsuccessfully, before giving up. Para-magic was one thing, but drawing without a junction was something only few were capable of. Rinoa came to mind.
A loud rumble from his stomach interuppeted his thoughts, and another thought that had been forming in his mind for the last half-hour finally took shape and took over his mental state. He started to head back to the entrance to the training centre, intending to head to the Cantine. Maybe he could blag himself some of last night's hotdogs, not that there would be any left anyway. Still, training himself up was important, but he really couldn't teach a class on an empty stomach.
He mentally went through his schedule for the day, first he had a couple of hours teaching basic para-magic to a group of fairly young cadets, then an hour or so free, lunch, then three whole hours of teaching SeeD candidates advanced battle tactics. He had a group of about five or six martial arts specialists, all taking the SeeD test in barely two week's time. They would need to be accompanied to the GF aquisition test soon as well. He wondered where it would be held this year, in the year when him, Squall, Selphie and Nida graduated it was the fire cavern, but this year the location had not yet been revealed. Zell supposed that Cid and the garden faculties wouldn't say so that students couldn't prepare for the specific location.
There were many more students taking the test this year than ever before, mainly due to the increased popularity SeeD had after the Ultimecia incident. Irvine and Rinoa were also taking the test this year, having fast-tracked their way through the training in account of their field duty beforehand.
Zell had no doubt that they would both smoke the field test without any trouble whatsoever, and the GF aquisition would be no problem for them, as they had prior experience with Gaurdians. Zell's only worry was that Irvine would fail the written test, on account of his cool, cocky "I don't need to revise it," attitude. Not Rinoa though - she was a hell of a good student.
Zell's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a rather tired-looking Xu rushing through the garden lobby, a mass of reports and briefing papers in her hands, and her hair a whole lot more untidy than would be expected for a woman with such a high ranking administrative position within garden. Not that this was unusual, she was overworked, now more so than ever with all the paperwork of the impending field exam. He called her over.
"Hey Zell, what is it that brings you out this early in the morning?" She said with her normal buisinesslike, but friendly tone.
"Oh, you know, just fitting in some training before my work as an instructor takes over for the day." He smiled and eyed the mass of paper she was carrying, "And yourself? Looks as though you've had a busy night."
"Just taking these to the headmaster." She indicated the papers in her hands "Was there something you wanted?"
Zell sighed. "What's the word on the SeeD tests? Location fixed yet, or do we not get to know until the morning of the exams? Not that that has ever happened before..." He rolled his eyes.
"Not for the final field exam, we will simply have to see what kind of missions are on offer."
"And the others?"
"Well, the location for the Gaurdian Force test has been chosen - a cave in the mountains north of Balamb. The headmaster was quite adamant that it be used. It's likely to make for a more difficult time than in previous years, but we have many more candidates this year..." She trailed off, pausing for a moment, then continued. "Honestly, I think it's going to be far too hard on the students but... Cid seems to think that we need to weed out all of the weaker ones, so we are just left with the best of the best. Apparently only the strongest people are fit to be SeeDs."
"I'll take that as a complement then." He flashed her a grin, but the expression on her face caused his smile to dissapear almost instantly. "I wouldn't worry, she'll make it Xu. She's one of the strongest fighters I've ever seen, and that's no exaggeration." He gave her shoulder a reassuring sqeeze and walked off in the direction of the cafeteria.
"...I sure hope your right, Zell."
Irvine was vaguely aware of a harsh ringing in his ears, he let out a low moan and rolled over. A small yelp was heard from under him. He moved back.
"Sorry, Selph. Hyne, what time is it?"
"Time for you to get up and start studying for that written test of yours." Selphie grinned and poked him playfully.
"Awwwwww, why do they have to make me suffer. I came through the whole Ultemicia mission with you guys, I mean, can't they make me an honerary SeeD or something?"
"Nope, no test, no SeeD. You've supposedly been a student here for the last year and I've yet to see you take a single one of your classes seriously. You really need to revise to pass this written exam, especially since you probably never learnt most of the stuff you need to know in the first place. I've been through this Irvy, I know." She paused, almost as if she were surprised at the seriousness of her own words, "Besides which, Rinoa is taking the test too, and she's been through as much, if not more than you have, Mr Irvine Kinneas."
Never really thought of Selphie as the type for study, Irvine mused, but she's right - she has been through this before. Now I come to thisnk of it, almost everyone I know has. I wonder what they would all say if I actually failed this. What if I never become a SeeD? Would they let me stay at Garden? What if I got kicked out, what would I do then...?
Selphie was looking at him, wondering what kind of an impact her words had made. The alarm clock still rang incessantly.
"All right, you win." He muttered, standing up and shutting off the alarm with his hand.
"Enough of your half-assed excuses, this isn't the first time I've caught you at this! It is an invasion of privacy, and it is going to stop, one way or another! We are going to see the headmaster, and either this is the last time that you try something like this, or I'll see to it that you are thrown out of Garden!"
The three girls who had been listening at the door of Squall and Rinoa's dorm room were exposed to the full extent of the rage of Quistis Trepe. Two of them, blondes, evidently twins, stood rooted to the spot, torn between fear and anger as Quistis continued roaring at the top of her voice. The other, a tall thirteen year-old with short brown hair burst into tears.
Quistis was unfazed as she marched them along through the first floor lobby.
"In all my time, I have never witnessed anything so pathetic, and so... sick as you three's interest in that couple's private life. I don't even understand why you do it, don't you have lives of your own to be getting on with rather than prying into theirs?"
She shoved them into the elevator that would take them up to the headmaster's office.
"This ends, now. You can all explain your selves to Headmaster Cid, and we can see if he thinks that it is 'just a bit of fun', Miss Marcey Hunter!" One of the blonde girls flinched at the sound of her name, then retorted angrily:
"That couple, Rinoa and Squall, woke up the entire east wing of the dorms with their shouting early this morning, they were having a massive row over something. Are you going to try to get us punished for going to see what all the fuss was about?"
"You were not just going to see what the fuss was about! You were spying on them! I have caught you before and I have caught you at it again! Do not lie to me, girl!"
The girl's twin spoke up, "Just because you failed as an instructor, and you lost your job, you still have to act like you have power around here, don't you?" She spat, livid. "You just try to exercise your authority on us because you lost your teaching position!"
Quistis turned to the girl, her voice quiet, but every syllable trembling with fury.
"What did you just say to me?" The look in her eyes was frightening.
The door of the lift pinged open. They strode out into Headmaster Cid's office, the taller girl lagging behind, now sobbing uncontrollably.
Cid and Xu were there, their expressions turned to shock as they saw the four who had just walked into the office.
The three teenage children awaited their doom.
Selphie walked into the cafeteria, her arm around a tearful Rinoa. They made their way over to the table where Zell and Irvine were seated and sat down themselves. Zell stopped talking to Irvine mid-sentence. Irvine looked at Selphie and made a meaningful gesture over to Rinoa.
"Squall" She mouthed silently. Irvine made a half-nod, and Quistis walked in.
"Those damn kids..." She started, but she trailed off at the sight of Rinoa.
Quistis figured that she knew why she was so upset. She froze for a moment, turned and walked out of the cafeteria. Breakfast would have to wait this morning.
The high-pitched shriek of a Granaldo cut through the air of the Training Centre as the luminous blue blade of the Lionheart cut through the side of its abdomen. The blade was withdrawn and then mercilessly stabbed directly into the middle of the insect creature. A finger squeezed the trigger of the weapon and a shot of pulse ammo hit the creature, vaporising the flesh around the point of it's impact and blasting the remaining pieces of the Granaldo across the dirt that formed the floor.
Why the hell can't she just accept the way I feel, she knows I didn't want her to try for SeeD. She knows that all of the past year I allowed her to do it even though I didn't agree with it. Why is it such a big deal now. Because the exam's coming up? I've supported her because it's what she wants, and I've accepted that, but now she expects me to actually like the idea?
An attempt by a Raldo to stop the vicious assailant was cut short by a boot and another shot of pulse ammo. A grat was sheared in two by the blue blade. The remaining two Raldos hesitated, their limited intelligence telling them that their odds of winning this battle were very low. A hand was raised in their direction, and a single word shouted:
"Flare!"
The mass of non-elemental energy engulfed them, tearing them apart at a molecular level. The sheer amount of energy great enough to break the bond that held together their individual atoms, reducing the two Raldos to something less than vapour.
Squall could feel the heat from his magic from over twenty feet away. The intensity of the attack reduced the ground around it to a parched, burnt mess. He drove his gunblade into the dirt and went down onto one knee.
I just don't understand. I know she's stressed out because of the exam, but I've helped her with what she needs to know. I've helped her to train, what more does she want from me?
The voice of Ifrit manifest itself in his head.
It is not always the best thing to dwell too long on such problems as this, Leonheart
Shut up, Ifrit. If I wanted your input on my personal problems I would have asked for it He retored, speaking not out loud but only to Ifrit using his thoughts.
One of the drawbacks to having GFs junctioned was that you could never be truly alone. Ifrit spoke again.
Very well then, but my advice should not be taken lightly. Dwelling on your problems will only make them seem much greater than they actually are, and you will accomplish nothing
Squall unjunctioned Ifrit, Doomtrain and Eden, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Well that's it, not the greatest of introductions I know but if anyone likes it then I'll continue with some more chapters. I've actuallly got a lot more planned for this fic than might be apparent from the nature of my first chapter, but I figured I'd start with some life around Garden, and leave the exciting sections till later...
And no, you're not supposed to know who "she" that Zell mentioned to Xu actually is yet, but if you want to guess, feel free :-D. It will be revealed with time, and possibly the next chapter :-P
