The Makings Of A SeeD
By Bhamv
Chapter 6 – Starlit Destinies
Author's note: Boy, I'm really bad at updating regularly, aren't I? Sorry about that.
*****
A line of SeeDs stood on the white snowy plains of Trabia like a series of dots on a blank canvas. In the air above them hovered four transports and one crimson military jet, the Galbadians doing one final diagnostic check before setting off for Deling City with the survivors of the Trabia Garden massacre. None of the young warriors on the ground moved until the five aircraft disappeared over the horizon, the blue airships gradually blending into the clear sky while the Ragnarok stayed visible for a moment longer. The six standing ankle-deep in crisp snow then looked around, wondering where one of their number went.
"Where's Squall gone?" Rinoa asked, shielding her eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun reflecting on glossy snow.
"Dunno, he went that way a while ago and didn't say anything." Irvine replied, pointing his finger into the distance. Rinoa peered in the direction he pointed but found it looked exactly like every other location on the horizon. She sighed exasperatedly.
"Where could he have gone? It's going to be dark soon, I hope he doesn't end up staying out there alone." Selphie said, speaking up for the first time since the battle against the Estharian forces.
"I don't want to stay out here at all after dark. I've never slept on snow before and I don't want to try it now. It's cold, it's wet, and it's gonna give me pneumonia." Zell said. Despite complaining about the snow, Zell was busy patting a snowball in his hands, packing it nice and tight before hurling it at Irvine's tall cowboy hat. With a burst of white powder the hat was knocked off Irvine's head, but the tall SeeD was able to catch his headgear before it hit the ground. Putting it back on with a grin, Irvine scooped up a handful of snow and returned fire, and soon a full-fledged snowball fight broke out among the six young SeeDs.
Soft, rhythmic footsteps crunched on frosty ground as Squall made his way back to his team, completely unnoticed by his colleagues. Shaking his head and sighing at their antics, he drew his gunblade and plunged it into the snow-covered earth. Using the flat of the blade like a shovel, he scooped up a large pile of snow and hurled it over the SeeDs fooling around. Abruptly the team of elite mercenary soldiers were struck by an avalanche of icy flakes, knocking several of them to the ground and emphatically ending the snowball fight.
"I win." Squall stated.
"Now, was that really necessary, Squall?" Quistis said in mock exasperation as she wiped droplets of ice off her spectacles.
"I'd say it was. You guys were so busy throwing snow around you didn't even notice me arrive." Squall said, quietly changing the junction on his gunblade to fire. Magically the ice and snow on the blade melted into water, which then immediately boiled off into steam, leaving Lionheart as dry and pristine as before. "I could have been an enemy and you'd all be dead right now."
"Hmm, that's a good point. Anyway, what've you got?" Zell asked as he finished patting the last of the white powder off his clothes. In response, Squall lifted a small whistle to his lips and blew, the high- pitched sound travelling far away into the distance. A row of bright yellow shapes appeared on the hazy horizon, rapidly growing larger and more defined as they approached the SeeDs with great speed. Squall blew again, and in the first shape chirped in reply, the sharp sound cutting through the air crisply.
"Chocobos!" Rinoa squealed, her expression a mixture of delight and awe. In a neat single file seven of the huge birds ran towards the SeeDs, their footsteps fleet and sure on the icy ground. Each was a vivid shade of yellow, their plumage extremely visible against the white snowy background, and the birds were taller than each of the young mercenaries by at least a head. Short stubby wings waved ungracefully on either side of the runners, helping the Chocobos keep their balance, and the tall feathery tails billowed like flags in the brisk wind. Their wide avian feet never sank into the snow; instead the seven Chocobos lightfootedly walked across the top layer of the powder.
"We'll be riding these guys to the Shumi Village?" Irvine asked, staring at the nearest Chocobo doubtfully. The tall bird stared right back, seemingly fascinated by his cowboy hat and gun. "How did you manage to get them to follow you, anyway?"
Squall stroked the largest of the avians while he answered Irvine. "Once a Chocobo recognizes you as a friend, it'll help you whenever you ask it to. I helped rescue a few of their chicks a while back, and when I returned them the adults decided to obey me." He held up the small silver whistle in his hand, showing it to his teammates. "This is a Chocoziner, I call them and give orders with this."
The whistle, despite being quite ordinary in appearance and sound, was indeed useful in commanding the herd of Chocobos. As soon as Squall blew it, the birds seemed to read his mind and acted accordingly. Soon all seven SeeDs were atop seven feathery mounts, and the column of scampering Chocobos raced northwards. At full speed, the flightless birds could cover an incredible distance, even with the weight of riders on their backs. They also seemed to have an endless supply of energy, never tiring or slowing. Their direction sense, too, was uncanny, surpassing the navigational skills of the SeeDs, who had received years of training in pathfinding. By the time the convoy of Chocobos reached the northern seaside of the Esthar continent barely two hours after departure, every SeeD had gained a newfound level of respect for the huge birds.
Squall dismounted and addressed his team. "We'll take a break here and spend the night, then cross the channel to the Shumi island in the morning. The Chocobos can take us over the water." The SeeDs slid from their avian steeds, who obediently stood still and waited for when they would be needed again. Camping gear was quickly produced and set up, and by the time the sun faded over the horizon two tents and a crackling campfire were prepared. Six of the SeeDs sat around the fire and dined quietly on a simple meal of travel rations, but Selphie had claimed she wasn't hungry and sat by herself by the water's edge.
Squall watched as Irvine joined her next to the shoreline, holding a biscuit ration out to the girl, but she refused it and pushed him away. Irvine said something, his lips breathing out a billow of steam in the cold air, and Selphie replied with her own cloudy breath. The distance was too far for any words to be heard, but from where Squall was sitting it appeared the couple were arguing. Irvine finally stood and shook his head in exasperation, stomping back to the SeeDs around the fireside.
"She won't eat. And she called me a stuck-up pig. And she said I love my hat more than I love her." Irvine said through clenched teeth. "I'm going to sleep now. Wake me when it's time to leave or when Selphie decides to be reasonable, whichever comes first." He pushed back the tent flap angrily and disappeared inside the canvas. Seifer, Quistis, Zell and Rinoa then turned their eyes to Squall, waiting for their leader to resolve the situation.
Squall sighed, deeply resenting his leading role at the moment. He heartily wished he could just pass his title onto the next person he laid eyes on; failing that, he wished his team would be slightly less troublesome. The teenage SeeD then stood and walked slowly down to the waterfront, where Selphie was sitting with her legs curled up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees.
"I suppose they sent you to talk some sense into me?" The girl asked in a small resentful voice without looking up at her captain.
Squall shook his head no, "I'm not here to talk sense into you, just to talk to you." He settled down beside Selphie on the sandy beach, looking out into the dark water. The clear skies twinkled with stars, and the shimmering reflections glittered like thousands of aquatic eyes. "Besides, we're grown up now. We should have sense without needing it talked into us."
"That's just the problem. I don't WANT to be grown up!" Selphie cried as tears burst from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to fight any more, I don't want to watch the people I care about die any more. Squall, I'm tired of fighting and being a SeeD... I just want to be a normal teenager for once." She buried her face in her knees, small sobs quivering through her body as she wept.
Squall sat silently for a while, pondering what Selphie just said. "Remember before we fought Ultimecia, we were in Trabia Garden, and Rinoa asked about the need to fight? Remember that?" In the dim firelight he thought he saw Selphie nod, so he continued. "We concluded that we needed to fight... because it was our destiny to fight the Sorceress. But what if it's not just our destiny to fight Sorceresses? What if it's in our destinies to be SeeDs?"
Selphie glanced at Squall, not understanding. "Our destinies are to be SeeDs?"
Squall shook his head to clear his thoughts, trying to make himself understand what he was trying to explain to Selphie. "I don't know much about fate, Selphie, but I do know that our orphanage gang all ended up in Balamb Garden, and we all became SeeDs, even Seifer. We don't have the easiest life, but maybe that's just how things have to be. Look at our mission this time... someone has to stop Esthar from taking over the world, if we don't do it, who will? We didn't ask for this burden but it's fallen upon us anyway." Squall picked up a stray pebble and hurled it into the lapping ocean. "So maybe we're just meant to be the ones who stop Esthar. Maybe this is just the way things need to be. Like when a rock drops into the water, ripples will appear... there's no real reason why, they just do."
Selphie considered this. "So you're saying we're stuck... I'm stuck as a SeeD? And I have to watch everyone around me die?"
"Is that what this is about, Selphie? You're afraid of seeing your loved ones disappear?" Squall asked.
Selphie's admission was a sob torn from her throat, "Yes! I'm afraid! It's like... like Rinoa said last time; will everyone be all right? Will everyone be there when everything's over? Squall, I'm so afraid of losing you, or Rinoa, or..."
"Or Irvine?"
Selphie nodded again in the dim light of the campfire, "Yes... or Irvine. I'm as scared as Rinoa was, I can understand how she felt now. Squall, it's terrifying... I'd rather die myself than watch Irvine disappear."
Squall pondered this. How would he feel if he had to endure Rinoa vanishing from his side? He'd already gone into space, invaded Esthar, and fought a Sorceress from the future to keep her. Involuntarily he shuddered, a shiver that had nothing to do with the nippy air. "Yeah, I see what you mean. But Selphie... you're willing to die for your companions. You're ready to sacrifice yourself to save your friends. We all are. And that's all we can offer each other in ways of protection."
"Will that be enough?"
"Destiny will tell us, Selphie." Squall answered calmly.
Selphie sighed softly, then sat in silence briefly. "I suppose Irvine's a bit ticked at me, huh?"
Squall gave her a sideways glance, "Yeah, a bit."
Selphie managed a small grin. "I guess I should go talk to him." She gathered herself and lifted her small frame from the sand. Before going back to the campsite she turned to Squall and said, "You know, you're getting better at talking. I would never have guessed you were capable of carrying this long a conversation before now." Then she stuck her tongue out cheekily before hurrying up the beach.
Squall sat for a moment longer, contemplating Selphie's parting words. It was true, he decided, he really was getting better at talking and listening. He no longer felt that sharp pang of distaste at the prospect of social interaction. Allowing himself a small smile, he stood and returned to his teammates. Selphie had joined Irvine inside the tent and they'd ignited a small electric lamp. Their silhouettes were clearly visible against the canvas wall. From what Squall could see from their shadows, Irvine was sitting up in his sleeping bag while Selphie was kneeling next to him, and they were talking. Slowly they leaned towards each other until the heads of their shadows overlapped in a kiss.
"Awwwww..." Chorused Rinoa, Quistis, and Zell. The kiss inside the tent was abruptly broken as Irvine realized he and his girl were visible from outside. Although his features weren't visible, everyone could picture his cheeky grin as the outline of his hand went down to the lamp, turning it off and ending the romantic shadow puppet show.
"Hey, wait a minute..." Seifer exclaimed, "She's not supposed to be in there, that's the boy's tent! SELPHIE!! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE IN THERE WHEN I GO IN TO SLEEP!"
*****
This chapter is sort of a "linker" one... it doesn't have much happening, but don't worry. The next chapter will have LOTS more action. Oh, and of course, please review... I absolutely adore feedback. –Bhamv
By Bhamv
Chapter 6 – Starlit Destinies
Author's note: Boy, I'm really bad at updating regularly, aren't I? Sorry about that.
*****
A line of SeeDs stood on the white snowy plains of Trabia like a series of dots on a blank canvas. In the air above them hovered four transports and one crimson military jet, the Galbadians doing one final diagnostic check before setting off for Deling City with the survivors of the Trabia Garden massacre. None of the young warriors on the ground moved until the five aircraft disappeared over the horizon, the blue airships gradually blending into the clear sky while the Ragnarok stayed visible for a moment longer. The six standing ankle-deep in crisp snow then looked around, wondering where one of their number went.
"Where's Squall gone?" Rinoa asked, shielding her eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun reflecting on glossy snow.
"Dunno, he went that way a while ago and didn't say anything." Irvine replied, pointing his finger into the distance. Rinoa peered in the direction he pointed but found it looked exactly like every other location on the horizon. She sighed exasperatedly.
"Where could he have gone? It's going to be dark soon, I hope he doesn't end up staying out there alone." Selphie said, speaking up for the first time since the battle against the Estharian forces.
"I don't want to stay out here at all after dark. I've never slept on snow before and I don't want to try it now. It's cold, it's wet, and it's gonna give me pneumonia." Zell said. Despite complaining about the snow, Zell was busy patting a snowball in his hands, packing it nice and tight before hurling it at Irvine's tall cowboy hat. With a burst of white powder the hat was knocked off Irvine's head, but the tall SeeD was able to catch his headgear before it hit the ground. Putting it back on with a grin, Irvine scooped up a handful of snow and returned fire, and soon a full-fledged snowball fight broke out among the six young SeeDs.
Soft, rhythmic footsteps crunched on frosty ground as Squall made his way back to his team, completely unnoticed by his colleagues. Shaking his head and sighing at their antics, he drew his gunblade and plunged it into the snow-covered earth. Using the flat of the blade like a shovel, he scooped up a large pile of snow and hurled it over the SeeDs fooling around. Abruptly the team of elite mercenary soldiers were struck by an avalanche of icy flakes, knocking several of them to the ground and emphatically ending the snowball fight.
"I win." Squall stated.
"Now, was that really necessary, Squall?" Quistis said in mock exasperation as she wiped droplets of ice off her spectacles.
"I'd say it was. You guys were so busy throwing snow around you didn't even notice me arrive." Squall said, quietly changing the junction on his gunblade to fire. Magically the ice and snow on the blade melted into water, which then immediately boiled off into steam, leaving Lionheart as dry and pristine as before. "I could have been an enemy and you'd all be dead right now."
"Hmm, that's a good point. Anyway, what've you got?" Zell asked as he finished patting the last of the white powder off his clothes. In response, Squall lifted a small whistle to his lips and blew, the high- pitched sound travelling far away into the distance. A row of bright yellow shapes appeared on the hazy horizon, rapidly growing larger and more defined as they approached the SeeDs with great speed. Squall blew again, and in the first shape chirped in reply, the sharp sound cutting through the air crisply.
"Chocobos!" Rinoa squealed, her expression a mixture of delight and awe. In a neat single file seven of the huge birds ran towards the SeeDs, their footsteps fleet and sure on the icy ground. Each was a vivid shade of yellow, their plumage extremely visible against the white snowy background, and the birds were taller than each of the young mercenaries by at least a head. Short stubby wings waved ungracefully on either side of the runners, helping the Chocobos keep their balance, and the tall feathery tails billowed like flags in the brisk wind. Their wide avian feet never sank into the snow; instead the seven Chocobos lightfootedly walked across the top layer of the powder.
"We'll be riding these guys to the Shumi Village?" Irvine asked, staring at the nearest Chocobo doubtfully. The tall bird stared right back, seemingly fascinated by his cowboy hat and gun. "How did you manage to get them to follow you, anyway?"
Squall stroked the largest of the avians while he answered Irvine. "Once a Chocobo recognizes you as a friend, it'll help you whenever you ask it to. I helped rescue a few of their chicks a while back, and when I returned them the adults decided to obey me." He held up the small silver whistle in his hand, showing it to his teammates. "This is a Chocoziner, I call them and give orders with this."
The whistle, despite being quite ordinary in appearance and sound, was indeed useful in commanding the herd of Chocobos. As soon as Squall blew it, the birds seemed to read his mind and acted accordingly. Soon all seven SeeDs were atop seven feathery mounts, and the column of scampering Chocobos raced northwards. At full speed, the flightless birds could cover an incredible distance, even with the weight of riders on their backs. They also seemed to have an endless supply of energy, never tiring or slowing. Their direction sense, too, was uncanny, surpassing the navigational skills of the SeeDs, who had received years of training in pathfinding. By the time the convoy of Chocobos reached the northern seaside of the Esthar continent barely two hours after departure, every SeeD had gained a newfound level of respect for the huge birds.
Squall dismounted and addressed his team. "We'll take a break here and spend the night, then cross the channel to the Shumi island in the morning. The Chocobos can take us over the water." The SeeDs slid from their avian steeds, who obediently stood still and waited for when they would be needed again. Camping gear was quickly produced and set up, and by the time the sun faded over the horizon two tents and a crackling campfire were prepared. Six of the SeeDs sat around the fire and dined quietly on a simple meal of travel rations, but Selphie had claimed she wasn't hungry and sat by herself by the water's edge.
Squall watched as Irvine joined her next to the shoreline, holding a biscuit ration out to the girl, but she refused it and pushed him away. Irvine said something, his lips breathing out a billow of steam in the cold air, and Selphie replied with her own cloudy breath. The distance was too far for any words to be heard, but from where Squall was sitting it appeared the couple were arguing. Irvine finally stood and shook his head in exasperation, stomping back to the SeeDs around the fireside.
"She won't eat. And she called me a stuck-up pig. And she said I love my hat more than I love her." Irvine said through clenched teeth. "I'm going to sleep now. Wake me when it's time to leave or when Selphie decides to be reasonable, whichever comes first." He pushed back the tent flap angrily and disappeared inside the canvas. Seifer, Quistis, Zell and Rinoa then turned their eyes to Squall, waiting for their leader to resolve the situation.
Squall sighed, deeply resenting his leading role at the moment. He heartily wished he could just pass his title onto the next person he laid eyes on; failing that, he wished his team would be slightly less troublesome. The teenage SeeD then stood and walked slowly down to the waterfront, where Selphie was sitting with her legs curled up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees.
"I suppose they sent you to talk some sense into me?" The girl asked in a small resentful voice without looking up at her captain.
Squall shook his head no, "I'm not here to talk sense into you, just to talk to you." He settled down beside Selphie on the sandy beach, looking out into the dark water. The clear skies twinkled with stars, and the shimmering reflections glittered like thousands of aquatic eyes. "Besides, we're grown up now. We should have sense without needing it talked into us."
"That's just the problem. I don't WANT to be grown up!" Selphie cried as tears burst from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to fight any more, I don't want to watch the people I care about die any more. Squall, I'm tired of fighting and being a SeeD... I just want to be a normal teenager for once." She buried her face in her knees, small sobs quivering through her body as she wept.
Squall sat silently for a while, pondering what Selphie just said. "Remember before we fought Ultimecia, we were in Trabia Garden, and Rinoa asked about the need to fight? Remember that?" In the dim firelight he thought he saw Selphie nod, so he continued. "We concluded that we needed to fight... because it was our destiny to fight the Sorceress. But what if it's not just our destiny to fight Sorceresses? What if it's in our destinies to be SeeDs?"
Selphie glanced at Squall, not understanding. "Our destinies are to be SeeDs?"
Squall shook his head to clear his thoughts, trying to make himself understand what he was trying to explain to Selphie. "I don't know much about fate, Selphie, but I do know that our orphanage gang all ended up in Balamb Garden, and we all became SeeDs, even Seifer. We don't have the easiest life, but maybe that's just how things have to be. Look at our mission this time... someone has to stop Esthar from taking over the world, if we don't do it, who will? We didn't ask for this burden but it's fallen upon us anyway." Squall picked up a stray pebble and hurled it into the lapping ocean. "So maybe we're just meant to be the ones who stop Esthar. Maybe this is just the way things need to be. Like when a rock drops into the water, ripples will appear... there's no real reason why, they just do."
Selphie considered this. "So you're saying we're stuck... I'm stuck as a SeeD? And I have to watch everyone around me die?"
"Is that what this is about, Selphie? You're afraid of seeing your loved ones disappear?" Squall asked.
Selphie's admission was a sob torn from her throat, "Yes! I'm afraid! It's like... like Rinoa said last time; will everyone be all right? Will everyone be there when everything's over? Squall, I'm so afraid of losing you, or Rinoa, or..."
"Or Irvine?"
Selphie nodded again in the dim light of the campfire, "Yes... or Irvine. I'm as scared as Rinoa was, I can understand how she felt now. Squall, it's terrifying... I'd rather die myself than watch Irvine disappear."
Squall pondered this. How would he feel if he had to endure Rinoa vanishing from his side? He'd already gone into space, invaded Esthar, and fought a Sorceress from the future to keep her. Involuntarily he shuddered, a shiver that had nothing to do with the nippy air. "Yeah, I see what you mean. But Selphie... you're willing to die for your companions. You're ready to sacrifice yourself to save your friends. We all are. And that's all we can offer each other in ways of protection."
"Will that be enough?"
"Destiny will tell us, Selphie." Squall answered calmly.
Selphie sighed softly, then sat in silence briefly. "I suppose Irvine's a bit ticked at me, huh?"
Squall gave her a sideways glance, "Yeah, a bit."
Selphie managed a small grin. "I guess I should go talk to him." She gathered herself and lifted her small frame from the sand. Before going back to the campsite she turned to Squall and said, "You know, you're getting better at talking. I would never have guessed you were capable of carrying this long a conversation before now." Then she stuck her tongue out cheekily before hurrying up the beach.
Squall sat for a moment longer, contemplating Selphie's parting words. It was true, he decided, he really was getting better at talking and listening. He no longer felt that sharp pang of distaste at the prospect of social interaction. Allowing himself a small smile, he stood and returned to his teammates. Selphie had joined Irvine inside the tent and they'd ignited a small electric lamp. Their silhouettes were clearly visible against the canvas wall. From what Squall could see from their shadows, Irvine was sitting up in his sleeping bag while Selphie was kneeling next to him, and they were talking. Slowly they leaned towards each other until the heads of their shadows overlapped in a kiss.
"Awwwww..." Chorused Rinoa, Quistis, and Zell. The kiss inside the tent was abruptly broken as Irvine realized he and his girl were visible from outside. Although his features weren't visible, everyone could picture his cheeky grin as the outline of his hand went down to the lamp, turning it off and ending the romantic shadow puppet show.
"Hey, wait a minute..." Seifer exclaimed, "She's not supposed to be in there, that's the boy's tent! SELPHIE!! YOU'D BETTER NOT BE IN THERE WHEN I GO IN TO SLEEP!"
*****
This chapter is sort of a "linker" one... it doesn't have much happening, but don't worry. The next chapter will have LOTS more action. Oh, and of course, please review... I absolutely adore feedback. –Bhamv