Chapter 2 – Seifer?
The infirmary on the first floor was enhanced, equipped with Esthar's gear and expanded since the war. There were many injured during the Galbadian attack and therefore, dr. Kadowaki has gotten more help – a cute girl named Shay and Nigel, who was quite a serious fellow for his age. Shay reminded Nea on Selphie, who also worked as an instructor despite her childish behavior and her silliness. The girl with the shot black hair that was so straight one would wonder if that was real hear, always had a warm smile on her face which usually relaxed the patients. Nigel, on the other hand, was so scary that he made them nervous and dr. Kadowaki had troubles with taking care of them afterwards.
"Oh, hello!" Shay said with a smile. She was shorter than Nea and much more thinner. But, then again, she never held a gunblade in her hands, "Ifrit got you, didn't he?" She said with a smile and pointed her big green eyes at Nea. In them, Nea made out compassion and some kind of a strange fortitude that brought her strength back. Shay would always refresh her and drive the thoughts of invincibility into her mind.
"And then I got him." Nea replied dully. Shay giggled and called Nigel, which, of course, made Nea edgy.
"Our soldier has a dislocated shoulder. Help me out, please." She said to the blond fellow in a white robe, who appeared behind the curtain.
"If it hurts, you'll be the one on this bed with bandages all over you." Nea threatened him worriedly. She wasn't usually into threats. She would just use her skills and her fists when it came to the real deal. Talking leads nowhere, after all.
Nigel put his hands around her waist and Shay placed herself in front of her, taking the hold of her hurt arm.
"This is going to hurt just a little bit. Stand out, ok?" Shay said to her quietly and with a calming smile, "Three, two…" She started and, suddenly, pulled her arm before she reached "one".
She felt Ifrit's jump attack all over again. As if she fell asleep on the sharp edge of her gunblade.
"Madness!" Nea shouted and pushed Nigel roughly away from her. He almost stumbled onto the floor, but managed to gain the control of the gravity in the end.
The shoulder didn't hurt so much, now. It was swollen, but at least it was on its place again.
"There, all done." Shay said and cast Curaga on her. The swollen shoulder started healing quickly, till Nea's HP on the monitor arose, "He he." Shay added thereafter, "Nine hundred?" She read the monitor with confusion and then looked at Zell, who bounced with his shoulders and shook his head uncertainly.
"Whatever. Thank you, goodbye." Nea said and headed toward the door.
"Oh, Nea!" Zell stopped her, suddenly, "There will be an announcement for all those that took the final exam today so… hang around."
She said nothing to that, simply turned around and left the infirmary.
"Rather quiet girl, isn't she?" Dr. Kadowaki threw a comment to the crowd.
"Yeah, and angry." Zell added, scratching his head with a smile.
Nea went to the dormitory to rest shortly, but before she managed to enter her room, the announcement was heard:
"ALL STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE FINAL EXAM, REPORT TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS!"
"But I just left him at the… Aargh…" Nea thought and headed back to the infirmary. Zell was waiting with Shay and another candidate, who looked more like a man than a boy. His blond hair was neatly combed backwards, while a couple of fringes hanged in front of his forehead. His thin, yet intelligent eyes met hers when she approached them. Her long, curly hair was falling across her right shoulder and her chest, whilst her long fringes were covering her right eye completely.
"Hi again, Nea!" Zell said with a smile and looked at Shay, "You all ready know Shay Flawn. This is Seifer Almasy. We go way back." He looked at the man in the long, gray coat. "Seifer… Yeah, I remember him. He was the one who always used to pick on me back at the orphanage." She thought to herself. Neither Seifer, nor she reached their hands to shake. Seifer, simply put the tips of his fingers on the side of his forehead and gave her a short, what seemed to be something in-between a salute and a wave.
"Guys, this is Nea… erm... I never seem to remember your family name." Zell said and looked at her, wrinkling his forehead a bit.
"That's because I don't have one." She said and looked at him, crossing her arms and rising her eyebrow that was half covered with her fringes. She was too little to remember her surname. All she remembered was her father's name – Kail.
"Oh, right. You're an orphan, aren't you?" Zell put in, taking her back into the past that made her so angry.
"Good thinking, Einstein." She replied, on which Seifer chuckled with delight. His coat opened up a bit, revealing his masculine chest.
"Another nickname of yours, Dintch?" He asked him. His voice was rather deep and wild, associating him to Nea in a way.
"Knock it off, Seifer!" Zell shouted and crossed his arms, "Now are you going to listen to what I have to tell you or are we going to mess around?"
"We're listening." Shay said with a smile and put her hands together.
"I'm up for the second option." Seifer said and glanced at Nea, "How about you?"
"Second is fine with me." She replied, knowing it would irritate Zell. Zell made an angry twitch and squeezed his fists the way he usually did when he'd get angry. Seifer smiled again, but Nea tried to hide her hazy smile from everyone.
"These are my orders and I'm going to tell you. Don't care if you listen or not so here goes!" Zell interrupted them, trying to calm down and explain their first mission, "You're going to Timber to handle a group of rebels. From what we know, they're leftovers of the Galbadian army and are very dangerous. They've taken an important relic from the Witch Museum which might start another war. Your mission is to bring that relic to Balamb Garden, taking any means necessary to complete your mission. That includes the elimination of the rebels."
Shay made a sad and scared look on her face.
"We're supposed to… kill them?" She asked quietly.
"I don't think we'll do that cause you'll, probably, talk them to death." Nea mumbled sarcastically and made Seifer laugh again. Somehow he was amused by every word that came out of her mouth. That was encouraging, but then again…
"Sarcasm won't get you anywhere, Nea." Shay replied, to what Nea, simply replied with:
"Whatever." Seifer, suddenly made a serious face, as though he were punched by Nea. He glanced at her, remembering Squall and his former attitude and he suddenly became colder.
"You're leaving in an hour, which means that you still have time to rest a bit. How's the shoulder, Nea?" Zell looked at her. But, as always, she replied with a look, "Good. Then I'll see you beside the panel. Bye!" He added and turned around, heading to the cafeteria.
"That about wraps it!" Shay said with a smile and looked at Nea, "Hey, you want to grab a cup of coffee or something?" Nea lifted her brow again and shook her head.
"Don't have time for that." She said and headed toward the panel, where she thought she could be safe from people's questions.
"Don't have time… hmph…" Shay said and left Seifer alone, trying to reach the infirmary.
Seifer was rather intrigued by Nea and her personality. In fact, he found her so funny when it came to mocking other people. He crossed her arms and watched her leave, her tight red pants forming the perfect shape of her waist and her thing legs. He found her black boots, that were wrapped with a couple of belts rather cool.
"SEIFER!" Fujin's voice reached him. She and Raijin showed up from his behind, wondering about his first mission.
"We've been looking all over for you, ya' know." Raijin explained shortly, "Where are you going on your first mission?"
"Timber." Seifer replied, "Follow me." He said, distanced in a way, and started walking toward the panel, hoping to catch up with Nea.
Fujin and Raijin looked a themselves confusedly and lifted their shoulders, while they followed Seifer along the hallway.
"ASK!" Fujin punched Raijin, who dropped a question like a broken soda machine:
"Seifer, um… What are we looking for?"
"Not what. Who, Raijin. Who…" Seifer corrected him and scratched himself behind the head. There was no sign of Nea anywhere, as if she was swallowed by the ground, "Doesn't matter." He said after a short while of thinking about Nea's whereabouts. He turned around and looked at the ground, still having the image of that girl in front of his eyes. Her eyes reminded him so much on Rinoa, who he had lost to Squall. But, then again, she was happy with him and Squall was even a better leader with her by his side.
"Leave me alone for a while. I need to clear my head before the mission." He said to the two of them and proceeded toward the secret place in the Training Center. It was strange to be alone and go to that place, since one was surrounded by couples caressing each other and saying mild things to each other. But, at least they were quiet, which made it easier to think.
He didn't bump into any of the monsters, which was quite strange since usually he would fight two or three before reaching the Secret place. He crossed the wooden path that lead to the entrance and then noticed the night fall upon the two couples that were laying each on their own corner, unaware of the world around them. The moonlight was hiding them from the eyes of the shadows, as they kept whispering to each other something nobody else but them could hear.
In a way, Seifer yearned to have something like that. And then, just when he started thinking how, actually, miserable being single is, he made out a silhouette of a blond girl standing at the fence and gazing at the moon. Her curls were all around her back, driving him to take them into his hands and feel their leanness, but when she turned around with a sad look on her face, he couldn't turn around and leave.
Nea lifted her head and noticed the tall man approach her. He moved like a lion – proud, strong and stubborn, of course.
"One would think you're stalking me." Nea said and turned around again, placing her hands on the fence and feeling its coldness through her black gloves.
"One would be wrong." He replied and tilted his back against the fence, just beside her. He glanced at her shortly, trying to catch a glimpse of her uncovered eye, but failed since she kept lowering her head and hiding her face with her hair, "Have we met before?" He asked thereafter.
"You've got no idea…" She thought, lifting her head again, the moon contouring her perfectly shaped nose and tiny chin that seemed so fragile to Seifer, "You'll pay for what you once did." She kept thinking.
"I don't know… You just seem so familiar from somewhere." He added and turned to her, tilting his elbow against the edge of the fence.
"You can't possibly remember me cause you left three months after I came to the orphanage." She said and looked at him, stabbing her red eyes into his and digging through his conscience. He felt as though she was digging through his personality, finding all the secrets and memories. He couldn't help to look away. "Still, it was enough for you to make me feel like I was the most worthless creature in the world." She thought.
"How long have you been in the Balamb Garden?" He asked her. She leaned on one leg and crossed her arms, gazing at the moon.
"What do you care?" She replied, to what Seifer chuckled again.
"I see. You don't want to talk to me. See you in an hour." He threw to her and headed to the exit.
"Seifer!" Suddenly, she threw behind her shoulder, "What is Timber like?"
He smiled, carefully choosing the words.
"What do you care?" He said and walked out, leaving her worried and defeated.
"I don't. But, you should." She said to herself.