Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
Aki-Shi-Kitsune's: My only reviewer! Hey, check out "Descendent of Trouble" please! OK - unless I specifically mention it, they're wearing SeeD uniforms, NOT the clothes from the series. I'll describe the clothes at the end for everyone.
Please reveiwif you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism is welcome.
"You certainly enjoyed Yuna's class," Miroku commented dryly, as they headed back for dinner a few hours later.
"Of course," she nodded, "Yojimbo behaved himself better – he appeared sooner than I expected this time."
"Humph."
"Poor Miroku," Alex laughed, as they entered the cafeteria, "Ixion looked like he wasn't acting up as much, though. You've got remember – they're not pets, they're partners."
"I'm just not that cut out for Summoning," he said glumly, "But like Yuna said – we're capable of Summoning every Aeon that exists. Just some of us have more potential than others."
"And that's why some people can summon more than one Aeon, while others can barely handle one," she finished. Looking around, they grabbed an empty table and waited for their friends to arrive.
"Hey, all!" Shippo grinned, sliding into a seat. The Fox demon excelled in Communication techniques, Status magic, and defense Combat – which was primarily casting support magic or offering back-up.
"Where's everyone else?" Alex asked, as their trays arrived.
"Sango and Inuyasha have another class left, and Kagome's taking a shower before dinner," Shippo told them, "I dunno where Koga is, though."
"Probably because he's right there," Miroku pointed out, as the nineteen year-old smirked at them good-naturedly and sat down. Older by a year than Miroku, Koga was four years older than Shippo. Sango, Alex, and Inuyasha were seventeen, with Kagome a year younger.
"How'd classes go?" Shippo asked the Wolf, who shrugged as he began to eat.
"Not bad," he mumbled through food, "I could've done better with Lulu, though. But I prefer regular Combat to magic, anyways."
"I think I'm more suited for magic and Summoning," Alex thought, "I'm decent at Combat, but I don't like it as much."
"I'm spending tomorrow getting in some extra practice time with Sesshomaru," Koga told her.
"Yeah, Miroku told me earlier," she nodded.
"You can come, if ya want. Maybe you can help me practice Summoning Cindy, and I can help you practice Combat," he offered, and she paused.
"Sure," Alex agreed, "I could use some help – and so could you, Koga, so don't get all high-and-mighty on us."
He shrugged casually, and continued to eat.
"Shippo, want to come with us to the Calm Lands district?" Miroku asked, "We're using Chocobos. Or do you need practice Summoning Anima as well?"
"Nah, I'm fine," he shook his head, "I've got an extra group session with Headmistress Leonheart with a few other people tomorrow, to polish up our Communication stuff."
"Rinoa's pretty nice," Alex nodded, "Tough, but fair." As she yawned, she leaned back – and almost fell over, if she hadn't had leaned into someone's leg.
Craning her neck, she flushed when she realized the leg belonged to Sesshomaru, and sat up straight with a 'thump'.
"I'd appreciate it if you stopped bumping into me," he said coolly, and continued walking.
"Asshole," Koga muttered, and Alex shrugged.
"Well, I did knock into him," she grinned, and then yawned again. "Damn, I'm beat. All that magic-casting really knocked me through a loop. I'll catch you tomorrow morning, 'kay, Koga?"
"Ten, in the Combat practice arena," he nodded in agreement, as she stood up.
"Night, Miroku – Shippo," she said, giving them each a peck on the cheek. Miroku she viewed as a good friend, and Shippo as a younger sibling. Koga, however, she wasn't sure how she felt about him yet.
"Get some sleep!" Shippo called, and she waved in acknowledgement as she strode to her dorm.
"Mm…" Alex rolled over, and glanced at her clock as she heard someone moving around. "Sango? What time is it…? I can't read when I'm still asleep."
"Oh, Alex!" Sango stage-whispered, trying to keep from grinning, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you!"
"Bullshit," Alex muttered, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Glaring at her friend, she waited until her eyes adjusted to the near-darkness before she tried reading her clock again. "It's not even six in the morning!" she hissed, "I can see when we've got a class – but it's break!"
"We wanted to get to the Calm Lands early to get a full day in," Sango continued to whisper, as Alex stretched her tanned limbs. "I really didn't mean to wake you up, though. I guess I was too excited to be real quiet."
"I can't go back to sleep," Alex mumbled grumpily, "Even though I could've gotten more'n three hours in. Oh well…"
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Sango asked again, but Alex shook her head, her hair mussed.
"No, I'm going to help Koga Summoning later," she answered, "And then he's going to help me in Combat. I've got plenty to keep busy with, believe me."
"We'll, I'll be going, then," Sango said, slinging a bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"
"Sure thing," Alex nodded. Wincing as Sango flicked the light on before she left, Alex stumbled to their bathroom, and prepared for a steaming shower.
After drying her hair, Alex looped it up in a small braid, and dressed in black boots, navy-blue boot-cut jeans, and adark-crimson T-shirt over ayellow turtleneck, due to the chilly weather. Grabbing her daggers, she headed toward the cafeteria for an early breakfast before she went to the library.
"I was under the impression that young women slept until the last possible moment," Sesshomaru commented, slightly amused, as Alex dozed over her food.
Snapping awake, she shot a glare at him as he sat down across from her, before she yawned again.
"That's what I was going to do, except my friend woke me up," she admitted, closing her mouth again.
"I thought so," he nodded, and began to eat. Alex took a few bites, glancing at the demon suspiciously every few minutes, until he sighed.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"I'm not staring!" she retorted, "I'm just trying to figure out why you're sitting here. I was under the impression that you couldn't stand me."
"Koga informed me last night that you were joining our training session," he revealed, "And I saw how you interacted with your Aeons – especially Valeflor – yesterday. I was actually impressed."
"I'm so honored," she muttered, still looking at him skeptically. "So, why're you here?"
"Koga is still asleep," he told her, "I was wondering – would you like some one-on-one training before he arrives? We have almost three hours. It's not even seven."
"I know what time it is," she snapped, and then shrugged. "Sorry, I'm cranky when I'm tired. But sure, why not?"
"I won't go easy on you," he warned her, as they dropped their trays off.
"I hope not," Alex retorted, "I don't need someone taking pity on me."
"Push-ups?" she asked, surprised, as they got to the gym. They had both changed their outfits to training uniforms – snug black pants under high-cut boots and a snug shirt, giving the fighters every possible freedom of movement.
"I always exercise before I train," Sesshomaru told her, "It loosens the muscles up, so you don't harm yourself."
"Fine," Alex huffed. She dropped to the ground as he did the same, and they began their routine.
"I'm not surprised you're cheating," Sesshomaru said mildly, a few minutes later, one hand behind his back.
"What're you talking about now?" she grumbled, both hands on the ground.
"Using both hands. It would figure that a woman would use them both."
"Oh, yeah?" she snapped, and switched one hand behind her back as well, "I don't see a lot of men supporting C's as well!"
Sesshomaru ignored her statement as they continued in silence. Using only one hand was harder on Alex, but she was determined to prove her arrogant partner wrong.
After almost thirty minutes, Sesshomaru abruptly stopping, sensing that Alex was giving out.
"Finally…" she panted, but ignored his glance. "Training now?"
"If you're ready," he agreed, unsheathing his sword. Seeing Alex glance at the blazing-white blade, engraved with a symbol, he smiled slightly. "It's name is Rozen."
"Famous warrior?" she asked.
"It was my father's," Sesshomaru said shortly, "Inuyasha's is Parsifal – fire warrior, for his magic and Aeon."
"Good names," she nodded, and patted her two blades. "This one is Toshiro – talented," she added, pulling out a long curved blade that glowed with a pale-green light. Unsheathing the second one, that was exactly the same except that it shone a pale-gold, she grinned. "And this is Ezri – helper."
"Interesting choice of names," Sesshomaru commented, and she eyed him.
"So's yours," she pointed out.
"Point taken," he inclined his head. Looking at her, he paused. "Those don't appear to be normal daggers. They don't appear to be daggers at all – they're longer than their sheaths."
"You're the first to notice," Alex nodded, "They and their sheaths are magically enhanced." She pointed the blades at him, and he noticed that her weapons were also engraved with odd symbols. "They're actually closer to scimitars, but much lighter. Using the deception, and making it appear like I have extremely short-range weapons, gives me the advantage in battle."
"You shouldn't have told me," he said calmly.
"If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn't," she shrugged, "But how can you help me properly if you don't know what weapons I wield?"
"You appear to think much more than the average human woman," Sesshomaru said, and she wasn't sure if it was a compliment to her, or an insult for her race. She settled on both. "However, that doesn't mean you think all that much."
"Asshole," she muttered, shifting into a battle stance.
"Barriers have been erected around the room, so we can use magic and Combat without having to worry about repercussions," Sesshomaru told her. Alex grinned slightly, but didn't allow herself to be sidetracked.
Nodding approvingly at her concentration, Sesshomaru also readied for battle. Within a few seconds, Alex shot off a blinding flash of light, temporarily stunning him into blindness. Using his other senses, however, he managed to avoid her attack, and she flew by him.
"You move very fast," he said, and she nodded. Without another word, he lunged at her, and she blocked Rozen with both of her weapons. Using Aeroga, Alex jumped high into the air, and forced Sesshomaru back.
Sesshomaru eyed her as she levitated in the air, and then rolled aside as she shot toward him. To his chagrin, he noticed her spell had nicked his shoulder.
Alex surveyed her opponent, knowing that the great Sesshomaru was capable of more – much more than this. Bracing herself for defense, she prepared another White Burst attack if he lunged.
Sesshomaru paused in his attack, and realized that she was waiting for him to attack.
"Two can play at that game," he thought wryly, "Let's see how much patience this human has – and how soon she can use it up."
Alex furrowed her brow several minutes later, realizing his scheme. Relaxing her muscles, she turned her concentration inward, sharpening her sense and relaxing her body at the same time. This technique gave her instant reactions, often blind attacks.
Sesshomaru observed her, and growled softly when he saw that she had no intention of breaking their wait. He suddenly feinted, and Alex jumped backward, unfooled.
Keeping her mind in the same state, she dodged several more blows, ignoring a sudden pain in her side. Casting Gravity Cast, she used Aeroga the next instant, flying up as a well of darkness surrounded Sesshomaru.
He nulled the effect with Dispel, and she was hardly surprised. No matter what their strengths or weaknesses, all students were required to study Healing and Support magic.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" Koga demanded. Glancing at the clock, they realized that their match had gone on longer than they had realized.
"Sesshomaru was teaching me some moves," Alex replied smoothly, sheathing Toshiro and Ezri quickly.
"You're bleeding!" Koga glared at Sesshomaru, who met his gaze unflinchingly. Alex looked down, and realized that Rozen had left a rather-large gash in her side. Glancing at the two men, she sighed.
"I'll go fix it and shower," she told them, beginning to walk out of the arena, "I guess you guys can pound on each other while I'm gone."
"I also need to shower," Sesshomaru broke in, not mentioning that his shoulder was caked in blood.
"I guess I can work alone for a while," Koga sighed, and glanced toward Alex. "Hurry up though, all right?"
"Sure," she grinned back, and rushed into the women's locker room. Sesshomaru strode into the other lockers, and Koga sighed again.
"Ah…" Alex sighed in relief as the water ran off her, cleaning the blood off her wound. Concentrating on the gash, she placed her hand over it, and a white light flashed in her palm. Moving her hand away, nothing remained except a long scar.
"It figures he'd scar me," she muttered, and then froze when she heard the alarm going off through the Garden.
"Damn it!" she swore a frenzy as she rushed to dress in the nearest things, which were her earlier street clothes, and rushed out into the arena. Sesshomaru had beaten her there, and he glared at her as she ran into him.
"Took you long enough," he remarked, and she shot him a dirty look.
"Someone's attacking the Garden!" Koga told her, "I wasn't going to leave you behind, though."
"Thanks," she nodded, and the trio rushed into the main halls. To their shock, fiends were scattered throughout, and several students already lay dead or dying.
"What is this?" Sesshomaru demanded to a passing student, but she ran by without pausing.
"Come on," Koga grabbed Alex's hand, and pulled her towards the main hall. A huge fiend, resembling a plant, blocked their way.
"Great," Alex muttered, and cast Air Cast the creature. To her surprise, it hardly seemed affected.
"Let me try," Koga grunted, as Sesshomaru unsheathed Rozen. Casting a Third-Level Earth spell called Contained Mountain, the wolf watched in satisfaction as the monster was crushed by a summoned avalanche of boulders.
"I knew you were good in Earth for a reason," Alex joked, sprinting ahead. They reached the outside of the Garden, but the situation was even worse. Soldiers dressed in black and crimson attire fought the SeeDs and other students, methodically slaughtering them.
"Something tells me we're in trouble," Koga muttered, as they ducked behind a statue. "Who are these guys?"
"Easily-disposed of," Sesshomaru growled, and the next moment Atom appeared, sucking in almost all of the soldiers.
"We've got to get down to the Calm Lands!" Alex protested, as the other two headed toward the hangers.
"No time," Sesshomaru said shortly, "We'll get them later. Right now we have to get out of here, while we're still alive to."
"He's right," Koga admitted, "Being dead isn't gonna help anyone, Alex. Come on, before more soldiers arrive."
Nodding, she rushed after them, and they quickly hijacked one of the Garden's smaller airships. Taking one last look at their Garden, the place where they had spent the majority of their lives and which was now going up in flames, the group shot off into the clouds, and was relieved when no one followed.
Yes, some of the magic and spell classes I made up myself, thanks. Now, for the clothing:
Male SeeDs: black-blue pants over black boots, a black-blue jacket over a white shirt, a black belt, and gold trim.
Female SeeDs: black-blue skirt (in this story, whatever length, not miniskirts like in the game), black boots, black-blue jacket over a white shirt, a black belt, and gold trim.
That's the basic. I think if you Google/image SeeD uniforms you could find pictures. Better now, Kitsune's? If anyone wants me to explain the spells and classes, I'll list them next chapter.