The day of my SeeD exam dawned clear and bright, a beautiful, sunny April day. I woke up to the beeping of my alarm clock, a shrill meep meep meep that usually drives me crazy. On a normal day, I would've hit the snooze button and fallen back to sleep for another ten minutes. But today was different. Today was the day of my SeeD exam. I had been preparing for this day since I was ten years old and it was finally here. I had butterflies in my stomach as changed into my cadet uniform and then went to the room next to mind to wake up my best friend, Kayla.
In Garden, cadets are required to share a room until they become SeeDs. Kayla and I have shared a room since we were ten, when we were officially enrolled in the Garden. Of course, we've lived here our entire lives because this is where our parents live. Anyway, the cadet doors consist of a main room with two bedrooms and a bathroom off the back. Kayla lives in the left hand room and I occupy the right.
I walked into Kayla's bedroom and after maneuvering through her mess of magazines and clothes on the floor, shook her awake.
"Kayla," I called, "Kayla wake up!"
Kayla slowly opened her eyes, and looked up at me sleepily. "Kaisa, what?"
"Wake up," I insisted, "Today is our SeeD exam!"
Kayla's eyes opened a little wider and looked clearer. "What?"
"Today's our SeeD exam! Come on, get up so we can find Tal and get some breakfast. We're gonna need the extra energy."
Kayla sat up reluctantly and I left her alone to get dressed. A few minutes later, she emerged from her room, dressed in her cadet uniform, which was slightly wrinkled as always. Kayla's hygiene habits were a bit more laid back than mine. My uniform was crisp, clean and wrinkle-free as always. I inherited my mother's sense of professionalism I guess.
Kayla rubbed her green eyes, which were a shade brighter than mine, and yawned. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yep," I chirped. I was so excited I could barely contain myself. Kayla and I left our dorm room and headed down the hall to the boy's dorms. We stopped in front of room 379 and knocked on the door.
"Tal!" I yelled, "Are you awake?"
"Just a sec!"
A moment later the door opened and Tal Leonhart stepped out, also dressed in his cadet uniform. He looked so much like his father yet he had his mother's personality, which made for a strange mix. He smiled.
"So, today's the day huh?" he asked, "We're gonna be SeeDs!"
"We're taking our SeeD exam," I contradicted, "There is still a possibility that we might not pass." I also inherited my mother's level headedness.
"Ha!" Kayla laughed, her previous sleepiness having dissipated, "We're the children of the Legendary SeeDs! We won't have any problem passing a simple SeeD exam!"
"Kayla's right!" Tal backed, "Our older siblings did it, we can do it too!"
"You're right," I agreed, "Our parents our heroes, our siblings have done it, it's just a matter of time before we're SeeDs too."
"Yeah!" Kayla and Tal chorused and the three of us made our way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Just before we got there, we ran into my brother Luke, Kayla's brother Vaughn and Cale Dincht.
"Hey kiddies," Luke greeted, "Today's the big day. You think you're ready for your exam?"
"If you did it, we can definitely do it," I assured him with a superior smirk, which I inherited from my father.
"Ha ha," Luke sneered, "Very funny kid. Listen, in all seriousness, the SeeD exam is no pushover. I mean, I know you're all rough and tough sixteen year olds, but if you let it, this exam will chew you up and spit you out."
"We've been training for six years," Tal reminded, "We'll be fine."
"Okay," Luke said, "Just trying to help."
"What about you two?" Kayla asked, turning to her brother and Cale, "Any words of wisdom for us youngsters?"
"Yeah," Vaughn offered, "Don't die."
"Gee thanks," Kayla scoffed.
"Good luck guys," Cale called as we turned towards the cafeteria.
"Thank you," we replied in unison and then disappeared into the cafeteria.
Inside, the room was full of SeeDs and cadets getting or eating their breakfasts. Tal and I got in line while Kayla got us a place to sit. We got our breakfasts and then joined her at a table near the back of the room. My stomach was still fluttering and I had trouble eating. I could tell by the smiles on their faces that the others were excited as well. We could hardly wait to get going, but the SeeD exam participants wouldn't even leave until 1300 hours.
As we were eating, Kayla suddenly sighed dreamily and her gaze fixed onto a point across the room. I followed her eyes to a table where Raven Leonhart and Tristen Denko were just sitting down with their breakfasts. Kayla had a huge crush on Tristen, as did almost every girl in the Garden. I wasn't quite as smitten as Kayla, but Tristen was definitely a reason to get up in the morning. Tal saw what we were looking at and scoffed.
"Put your tongues back in your mouths," he insisted disgustedly.
"What?" Kayla asked.
"I saw you drooling over Tristen," Tal told her.
"I wasn't drooling," Kayla huffed.
"You practically were." Like most guys in the Garden, Tal was jealous of Tristen and the attention the girls gave him. It also didn't help that he was dating Tal's older sister.
I ignored Tal's remark and slowly let my eyes drift around the room. When I first looked, every female eye was on Tristen but suddenly, a few of them turned towards the entrance to the cafeteria. Without even looking, I knew who had to have entered. There were only two other males in the Garden who could take a female's attention away from Tristen Denko, and only then for a short period of time. Sure enough, as I looked to the entrance, I saw Luke and Vaughn enter with Cale.
Vaughn Kinneas was a lady's man; just like his father and it didn't hurt that he was good looking too. He wasn't gorgeous like Tristen, but he had a down home look that the girls really liked. He wore his brown hair down past his chin and never tied it back unless he was going into battle. He also wore a cowboy hat like his father, which he tipped at every girl he came across. Likewise, my brother was not ugly by anyone's standards. As hard as it is for me to say, my brother is a hottie. His hair is the same shade of blonde as my mom's, while mine is the lighter shade of my dad's, and he has blue eyes and no scar, but other than that, he looks almost exactly like my father.
As the three of them got in line for their breakfast, I turned back to the conversation at the table. Tal and Kayla were still snipping at each other about Tristen. Tal was saying that he didn't know what the girls saw in him and Kayla was trying to explain it. I sighed and interrupted them.
"Guys, this conversation is entirely pointless. Unless Tal miraculously turns into a girl, he's not gonna understand what we see in Tristen and explaining it to him isn't going to do any good."
They reluctantly agreed and we got back to our meal. We began to talk about what we expected the SeeD exam was going to be like when Vaughn, Cale and Luke joined us at our table.
"Hey kiddies," Luke said, "mind if we join you?"
"You wanna stop calling us kiddies?" Kayla asked.
"Not really," he stated as he sat next to Tal. Sometimes he could be a stubborn ass just like our father.
"Ease up on 'em Luke," Vaughn insisted as he sat next to me, across from Luke. "Tomorrow, they'll be SeeDs just like us."
"I know," Luke told him, "that's why I have to get all my teasing in before then."
Cale sat down next to Luke and they dug into their breakfasts. After a few minutes of mundane chatter and a few visits by some giggly girls, Luke looked down at his watch, then at me.
"Hey, don't you have to go to Mom's class this morning?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because it's 8:56."
My eyes went wide and I dropped what was left of my breakfast burrito onto my tray. "Are you serious?"
"Wouldn't lie to ya sis," Luke swore.
"Oh Hyne, we're gonna be late!" I wailed and jumped up. Kayla and Tal did the same and we dashed away from the table.
"Throw our stuff away!" I called over my shoulder. I heard them groan as we hurried through the crowds and out the door. We raced to the elevator and I pushed the call button impatiently. Finally, the elevator car arrived and we crowded in. Tal had barely cleared the door before I pushed the 2F button that would take us to the second floor, where my mother's classroom was. The ascent seemed to go on forever and when the elevator finally stopped, it was 8:58. We sprang out of the elevator, almost knocking down a few SeeDs who were waiting to board the cab and ran down the corridor until we came to the classroom. They door whooshed open and we made it to our seats just as the bell rang. Thank Hyne, because my mother would've killed me if I were late to class, especially on a day like this.
"Good morning class," Quistis Almasy spoke from the front of the class. She glanced briefly at me, letting me know that she knew how close I was to being late. Even though she is forty years old, my mother is still the most beautiful woman in Garden, and she can still evoke the façade that earned her the nickname "Ice Queen". "As you know, today is the day of your first SeeD exam. While some of you will pass this test, some of you will not and there is nothing wrong with that. You will just have to try harder and take it again next time. No matter whether you pass or fail this time, I am proud of all of you for the hard work you have shown me so far and for the hard work I know you will do in the future. Because today is the exam, there will be no class today." The students remained silent and not one of them smiled or cheered at the prospect of not having to sit through my mother's class. She really is an excellent instructor. She continued. "All of you are dismissed until 1300 hours, at which time you will be required to gather at the main gate, where you will be divided into teams and assigned to a SeeD as your superior. I will be going on the SeeD exam with you, so I'll see you then." She paused, then added, "One more thing, is there anyone here who hasn't completed their pre-requisite?"
Reluctantly, I raised my hand and I noticed that Kayla did too. We were the only ones. We looked over at Tal questioningly but he just shrugged his shoulders apologetically. My mother gave us another stern look and then addressed the class.
"All right, everyone except Cadet Almasy and Cadet Kinneas are dismissed. Good luck to all of you and make sure you eat something before the exam."
The rest of the class stood up and left the room, including Tal, who didn't want to stay around and risk getting lectured by my mom as we were almost certain to get. A few students hung around to talk to my mother before they left. Even after all these years, she still has Trepies. After everyone had vacated, she turned to us.
"Kaisa, perhaps you would like to explain to me why you haven't completed your pre-requisite yet?"
"I was going to," I insisted, "but I got so busy studying for the written exam and you were so busy with grading the tests and I didn't want to bother you…" I trailed off as she scowled at me.
"You could've asked your father to go with you," my mother said, "Or your brother, or any of your aunts and uncles or Vaughn, or Cale or any other SeeD in the Garden. My being busy is not an excuse." She turned to Kayla. "And what is your excuse?"
"Me and Kaisa were going to go together," Kayla answered lamely.
My mother sighed. "Well, as both of you know, if you don't you don't complete the pre-requisite, you can't take the SeeD exam."
"We still have time to take it don't we?" I asked, afraid that I had already blown my shot at being a SeeD and Kayla's as well.
"Yes," my mother replied and I let out a sigh of relief. "However, you have to find a SeeD to take you to the Fire Caverns. I would take you but I have to get ready for the exam."
I turned to Kayla. "Who're we gonna get to take us?"
"Why don't you ask your brother?" my mom suggested.
I groaned. "Oh Mom, come on! He'll just make fun of us the whole time and then probably screw it up for us once we get there."
"What about Vaughn?" Kayla offered, "he could come too."
"I guess," I agreed reluctantly, "but we better ask Cale to come along too to keep them in line."
"Okay," Kayla nodded.
"Good," my mother praised, "the two of you go and find them and then report back to me once you've completed the mission. Remember to stock up on Blizzard spells and be careful."
"We will," I promised as we stood up.
"Wait," she called and walked over to her desk. She opened one of the drawers and took something out of it. "You're going to need this." She walked back over to us and handed me a pale blue stone. I recognized it instantly as one of the stones that Guardian Forces, or GFs are kept in when not junctioned. This particular stone housed the GF Shiva, the goddess of Ice.
I took the stone that my mother offered and ran my fingers along the smooth surface. "Thanks Mom."
"I want it back after you come back from the Fire Cavern," she told me, then turned to Kayla. "I'm sure your mother will let you use one of hers as well."
"I'll find her and ask her before we go," Kayla stated.
"I guess you're set then," my mom commented, "I'll see you two when you get back."
I nodded. "See ya later mom!"
"Goodbye Aunt Quisty!" Kayla called as we walked out. We walked back to the elevator and waited for it to return to the second floor.
"We totally screwed ourselves," I said as we waited, "You know that right?"
"How so?" Kayla questioned.
"We have to go to the Fire Cavern," I started, "and fight all the way through. Then, after that, we have to take the SeeD exam. We're gonna be exhausted. I don't know why I kept putting this off." I groaned in frustration.
"Don't worry about it," Kayla assured with a smile, "It'll be fine."
"I wish my dad was here," I grumbled as the elevator doors opened and a few cadets stepped off. "He'd take us to the Fire Cavern and not give us any crap." My dad was currently on a SeeD mission in Centra.
Kayla and I boarded the elevator and rode it back down to the first floor. We stepped off and I was only mildly surprised to see Tal waiting for us.
"Hey guys," he greeted, somewhat timidly.
We both frowned at him with narrowed eyes.
"When exactly were you going to tell us that you had already completed your pre-req?" I inquired.
"Yeah," Kayla supported, "we were all supposed to go together."
"I wanted to wait and go with you guys," Tal explained, "but my dad found out that I hadn't done it yet and he made me go with him to Dollet so I could get it out of the way. I didn't tell you because I knew you'd be mad." He smiled sheepishly. "I got a pretty cool GF though."
We stared at him a moment longer before I spoke. "All right. Let's see what you've got."
Tal smiled from ear to ear and pulled a blue stone from his pocket. It was almost identical to the one my mom had given me. "My dad heard a rumor about a new GF wandering around the old Dollet Communications Tower, so we went there to check it out."
Kayla and I peered down at the stone, which was only semi-transparent. Inside, a small shadow darted quickly from one side to the other.
"What's it called?" Kayla asked.
"Aquarius," Tal informed proudly, "He's a water elemental."
"Pretty cool," I acknowledged as he slipped the stone back into his pocket. "So, have you tried him out yet?"
"Only against Grats in the Training Center," Tal said, "I'm hoping to give him a real workout during the SeeD exam today."
"Speaking of which," Kayla reminded, "We'd better find our brothers and get going to the Fire Cavern or there isn't going to be a SeeD exam for us."
"She's right," I agreed, "We'll see you later Tal."
"Okay," he nodded, "Good luck at the Fire Caverns."
"Thanks."
Kayla and I left Tal by the elevator and went towards the dorms. We went back to the room we shared and got our weapons, then headed back to the main hall. On the way, we ran into Raine Leonhart and the Dincht twins, Gavin and Morgan.
"Hey," Morgan and Gavin greeted cheerfully. Raine, who was in her teenage "I hate everything" phase, merely nodded.
"Hi guys," Kayla smiled, "Have you seen Luke, Cale or Vaughn?"
"We saw them heading towards the library a few minutes ago," Morgan told us.
"The library?" I repeated, "Our brothers and Cale were heading towards the library?"
Gavin nodded and Raine cleared up the situation. "They're stalking the new librarian."
"Oh yeah." I remembered that the new librarian was a petite brunette with piercing blue eyes who had just transferred from Trabia Garden.
"Thanks," Kayla waved and we headed over to the library. When we entered, we saw Vaughn, Cale and Luke leaning on the check-out counter at the front of the library. I could tell by the way they were standing and the way they were looking at her that they were flirting. I decided it was my sacred duty as a little sister to help her out.
"Lucian!" I called as we entered. Luke pretended not to hear me. He hates to be called Lucian.
Kayla grinned mischievously and called to Vaughn. "Vannie! Oh Vannie!"
Vaughn twitched a little and glanced in our direction, but didn't turn his head or indicate that he saw us.
"Lucian!" I shouted and we walked over to the group of boys. They still ignored us. "Lucian, I'm talking to you."
Luke smiled at the librarian. "Just a second." The brunette nodded and he turned to me. The smile instantly faded from his face and he hissed, "go away!"
"Is that anyway to treat your little sister Lucian?" I asked innocently.
The librarian, who was probably only a year older than us, grinned. "Oh, is this your little sister?"
"Unfortunately," Luke said through clenched teeth.
"She's so cute!" the brunette exclaimed.
I looked over at Kayla and rolled my eyes. Luke should be thanking me for saving him from a girl like her. Of course, I knew he wouldn't see it that way so I turned back to him. "Lucian, Mommy said that you have to take us to the Fire Cavern so we can complete our pre-requisite."
"You too Vannie," Kayla added.
Luke stared down at me. "You're joking right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"No way," he told me and turned back to the girl, hoping to regain conversation before Vaughn took his place.
"I'm serious Lucian," I continued, loving every minute of this deserving torture, "You don't want me to call Mommy and have her come down here and talk to you, do you?"
He turned back to me and glared. "You wouldn't dare."
I smirked, the same smirk that had made my father infamous in Garden. "Try me."
Luke grabbed my arm and looked at the librarian. "Would you excuse me for a moment? My sister and I have something to take care of."
"Sure," the airhead giggled.
Luke squeezed my arm and began dragging me out of the library. Behind us, I heard Kayla tell the librarian that Vaughn still sleeps with a teddy bear. I had a feeling they would be joining us in the hall any minute.
Luke shoved me roughly through the door and then pulled me to a halt in the hallway.
"Ow!" I shouted and yanked my arm away from him. "That hurt jackass."
"Good," he whispered fiercely. He was keeping his voice down because we had already been in trouble several times with the Disciplinary Committee for sibling spats in the halls. "What the Hell do you think you're doing?"
"Me and Kayla have to complete our pre-requisite before we can take the SeeD exam."
"And why is that my problem?"
"Because Mom told me to get you and Vaughn to take us," I said.
"After that little stunt you just pulled in there?" Luke asked incredulously, "I don't think so."
"Come on," I pleaded, "You have to! If you don't, we can't take the exam."
"Not my problem."
Behind us, the library door burst open and Vaughn came out dragging Kayla. Cale was following behind, a grin on his face.
"Why did I have to have a sister?" Vaughn asked rhetorically.
"You know you love me," Kayla smiled.
"Loved," Vaughn insisted, "in the past tense because when I get done with you, that's what you're going to be, past tense."
"Ooh, I'm scared," Kayla laughed.
"Why are you here?" Vaughn asked us.
"We need you and Luke to take us to the Fire Caverns for our pre-requisite," Kayla stated.
"Oh yeah, after what you just did, I'll get right on it," Vaughn said sarcastically.
"Look at it this way guys," I started, "You can either take us to the Fire Cavern and be good big brothers in the eyes of the library bimbo, or, you can not take us and all of your deep dark secrets will end up as a new book in the library. It's your choice."
"Nice try," Luke acknowledged, "but you don't have anything on us."
"We'll make stuff up," Kayla assured. When it comes to stuff like this, she is the more ruthless of the two of us.
Vaughn and Luke looked at each other, then back at us. Behind them, Cale chuckled.
"They've got you."
Luke glared at him, then at me and Kayla, who were standing side by side. "How do we know you won't make up things anyway?"
"Why would we?" I inquired.
"Yeah," Kayla agreed, "I mean come on, we're conniving but we're your sisters. We wouldn't embarrass you unless it was absolutely necessary."
"You will pay for this some day," Luke swore.
"Does that mean you'll take us?" I asked hopefully.
"And it won't be pretty," Luke continued.
"Thank you!" Kayla and I exclaimed, then hugged our brothers.
"Let's go and get this over with," Vaughn commented, "I don't want to keep the ladies waiting too long."
Kayla and I rolled our eyes then started down the hallway. Luke turned to Cale and pushed him towards us.
"Hey, what are you doing?" the shorter man demanded.
"You're coming too," Luke ordered.
"Why?"
"Because," Vaughn smiled, "we can't leave you here alone with the ladies."
"Not that it would matter," Luke chuckled.
"Shut up," Cale snapped.
The three of them followed us out of the library corridor and into the main hallway. Kayla stopped when we got there.
"I still have to get a GF from my mom," she reminded.
"Where do you think she is?" I questioned.
"She, dad and Aunt Rinoa are decorating for the SeeD ball in the Quad," Vaughn informed.
"Let's go!" Kayla chirped and led the way to the Quad. When we stepped in, I was surprised to see that most of the room was still undecorated. A few ladders were set up inside the room and various people were at the top of them, trying to hand crepe paper or other decorations. Various decorations and drop cloths were strew out on the floor as people darted back and forth, desperately trying to get their share of the work done. Amidst all this chaos, Aunt Selphie was shouting instructions through a bullhorn.
"You on the ladders!" she shouted, "hang that crepe paper higher! And you at the table! Sprinkle the confetti, don't toss it!" She looked up when she saw the five of us approaching. "Hi guys! Come to help me with the decorations?"
"Actually, we're on our way to the Fire Cavern to complete our pre-requisite," Kayla informed. She sounded somewhat disappointed that she couldn't help while the rest of us sighed with relief that we had an excuse to get out of it.
"Kayla," Selphie frowned, "You should have done that weeks ago."
"I know Mom," Kayla agreed, "I've just been so busy…"
"I know," Selphie sympathized, "SeeD exam time is hectic. So what did you come to see me for?"
"I wanted to know if I could borrow one of your GFs."
"Sure," Selphie nodded, "Siren is in my dorm room in the first drawer of my nightstand."
"Thanks."
We were just starting to leave when Irvine Kinneas, master of the ladies, walked up. He draped an arm around his petite wife and smiled. "Hi pumpkin. What brings you here?"
"I was just asking Mom if I could borrow a GF for my pre-req at the Fire Caverns," Kayla explained.
"Oh." Irvine nodded, then jerked a thumb towards the three guys behind us. "Why'd you bring them?"
"They have to come with us," I answered.
Irvine smiled. "Taking time out from the ladies, huh son?"
Vaughn grinned arrogantly. "Can't let them get too much of me, I might cause a riot."
"Oh please," Kayla gagged.
Irvine turned back to me and Kayla. "Well, you two, be careful."
"We will Daddy!" Kayla promised and we headed towards the entrance of the Quad.
"If you guys get back in time, come and help us decorate!" Selphie called as we exited.
"We will!" Kayla agreed, but I knew she would be the only one who would.
After we left the Quad, we made a pit stop at the dorms so Kayla could get Siren, then headed towards the main entrance. Kayla and I waved at the gatekeeper, Mr. Hino, and the five of us exited the Garden. Outside, the April sun was warm and the sky clear. Once we were all outside, Luke stopped us.
"Okay, listen up kiddies," he began. Kayla and I glared. "We are going to the Fire Cavern which means that we need to stock magic that will counter fire. Can anyone tell me which element is the opposite of fire?" Still we glared. "That's right, ice. So, do you guys have any ice magic?"
"We have some," I admitted, "but we could always use some more."
"Okay," Luke agreed, "we'll take a detour to the beach and stock up on some Blizzard spells."
We made our way across the plains towards the beach, fighting Bite Bugs and the occasional Caterchipiller in the forests. Like my mom, my Limit Break is Blue Magic, so after fighting a few Caterchipillers, I acquired a Spider Web, which allows me to learn a new Blue Magic called "Ultra Waves." It's a pretty weak spell, but it's a start.
After about a billion Bite Bugs lay dead behind us, we finally made it to the beach. By this time, Kayla and I were pumped up and ready to fight something a little more deadly than stupid giant bugs. We stepped into the soft sand of the beach and once again, Luke stopped us.
"Okay, here, we're going to find a little fishy monster called a Fastitocalon-F," he informed, as if we didn't already know.
Kayla leaned over to me and whispered, "He's like a bad tour guide."
I smiled and fought hard to keep from laughing as he continued.
"Now, these little fishies are nothing to mess with. They are serious monsters and can hurt you pretty bad if you let them."
"For Hyne's sake Luke," I interrupted, frustrated, "We know all about Fastitocalon-Fs. We're not first year cadets you know."
"I'm just trying to warn you." Luke held up his hands defensively as if warding off a blow. "If you think you can handle them, be my guest." He swept his hand towards the expanse of beach in an inviting manor.
"Let's do this," I said to Kayla and she nodded with a grin. We walked past the three men and ventured farther down the beach. I was the first to spot the telltale orange fin of the Fastitocalon-Fs.
"There." I pointed to wear the fiery appendage was poking out of the sand. "Are you ready?"
"Maybe we should junction our GFs," she suggested. We did and then advanced on the little critter. Kayla struck first, smacking the fin with her nunchaku. An eerie wail emitted from the sand and then the fish creature sprang up into the air and hovered as a real fish might do in water. I wasted no time in rushing forward and slashing it with my Sais. The monster wailed again and dive-bombed Kayla, cutting her arm a little. She drew a cure from it to heal the wound and we continued our attack. After we had weakened it a little, we decided to take turns attacking and drawing magic until the little creature was dead.
We continued this process with a few more fishies until we had stocked up on all the magic we needed. Once we were finished, we rejoined the guys at the edge of the sand, sweating but nonetheless feeling good about ourselves.
"Not bad," Vaughn complimented as we joined them, "You can handle yourselves pretty well."
"Whad'ya think?" I asked, pushing my light blonde hair back from my face, "That we're amateurs?"
"Now that we're all stocked up on spells, let's get to the Fire Caverns," Luke said. We agreed and started off across the plains again towards our destination. We were careful to avoid the forests nearer to the Cavern because none of us wanted to risk running into a hungry T-Rexaur. As tough as my brother pretends to be, those dinosaurs scare the Hell out of him.
It wasn't too long before we reached the Fire Cavern. We walked up the path to the entrance and stopped outside.
"Alright," Luke began, "Me and Vaughn will go in with you two. Cale can stay out here and time you. How long do you think you'll need?"
"Why do we even have to do this?" Kayla asked, "I mean, I know it's a pre-requisite but it's pointless. Ifrit isn't in there anymore so there's no chance of getting a GF."
"Apparently you haven't heard the new rumors, have you?" Cale inquired.
"What rumors?" Kayla and I questioned in unison.
"I heard a few SeeDs talking about a few new GFs that have taken up residence in the Cavern," Cale told us, "They say they're Fire sisters and so far, no one has been able to beat them."
Kayla and I looked at each other. "Looks like we'll just have to be the ones to do."
"Booyaka!" Kayla exclaimed, using the phrase she had stolen from her mother.
"What are we waiting for?" I asked, "Let's go." I turned to Cale. "Give us ten minutes, although I doubt we'll need the whole time."
"Remember, the closer to the end of your time that you defeat these sisters, the better your SeeD rank will be," Vaughn reminded.
"I know," I assured, "We're gonna be top ranking SeeDs before we even go on our first mission." I turned to Kayla. "Ready?"
"Ready!" she agreed, holding her nunchaku in front of her eagerly.
I pulled my Sais out of their sheaths and twirled them around. "Then let's kick some GF butt!"
"Time starts…NOW!" Cale announced and the four of us hurried into the Cavern.
Just inside the entrance, we were hit with a wave of heat so intense that it made it difficult to draw breath. We were all instantly covered in sweat.
"It's hot in here!" Kayla complained as we made our way towards the back.
"That's why it's called the Fire Cavern," Vaughn quipped. Kayla glared but didn't want to waste the energy to hit him. We continued on through the Cavern, fighting our way through Buels and Bombs. We hesitated with each monster just long enough to draw some Fire spells we could use to boost our stats, then continued forward. We past by the fork in the road and a branch that led to a Fire draw point. We knew not to stop and draw, as it would eat up precious seconds that might mean the difference between passing and failing our pre-requisite. Finally, we reached the back of the Cavern.
At the back of the caves was a large peninsula of land completely surrounded by lava. The heat was almost unbearable here and we were constantly wiping the sweat out of our eyes. We stopped at the foot of the peninsula so we could check our junctions and squeeze any last minute advice from our brothers.
"This is it," Luke told us as we junctioned the Fire magic we had just obtained. "You guys have about six minutes to initiate battle and defeat the GFs. Remember, me and Vaughn are here for support only, so you two have to do this by yourselves. We'll periodically call out the time to you and if things get too bad, we'll finish the battle for you."
"You won't have to do that," I assured. "We're gonna be fine."
"Okay," Luke agreed, "are you guys ready?" We nodded. "You have about five and a half minutes to go. Good luck."
Kayla and I nodded at each other and ran out onto the peninsula, keeping our senses heightened for a surprise attack. This proved to be unnecessary as a second later, an amorphous figure emerged from the lava and joined us on the peninsula. As it walked toward us, it quickly changed into the form of a woman. She was wearing a bright red bikini top, a matching skirt that was slit up to mid thigh and no shoes. Her skin was a pale red and her hair appeared to made from flames. Her eyes were dark brown but fire leapt up in the irises. She glared and pointed a pointed, red fingernail at us.
"Who are you?" she demanded in a voice that was chilling but also evoked the thought of fire, as did the rest of her.
"We're the ones who're gonna finally beat you," Kayla replied defiantly.
The fire GF's face melted into a sinister grin. "You think so huh? Well then, bring it on little girls." She turned back to the lava. "Ember! Come on! Some more foolish mortals have come to challenge us!"
As we watched, another shapeless figure emerged from the lava. This one stopped next to it's companion and changed into a girl as well. She was very similar in appearance to the first GF, except her clothes were a bit more conservative and she seemed to be a little more laid back than the first. She looked at me and Kayla, then back to her companion.
"Really Blayze, you need to stop getting so worked up about them," the one called Ember insisted, "You know how this is going to end, why get excited?"
"Because I love the fight," Blayze smiled. "Now come on sister, let's show these mortals the meaning of pain!"
Kayla and I tensed as the one called Blayze turned her attention from her sister to us. The sinister grin still played upon her lips. "Let's start out easy, shall we?" Her grin widened and she pointed her finger at Kayla. "Fira!"
The second level Fire spell hit Kayla and engulfed her body for a few seconds. Luckily, we had junctioned our Fire magic to elemental defense so the spell only did half the damage it should have. Kayla recovered quickly and smiled, almost a evilly as the GF.
"Now it's my turn," she announced, "Blizzard!"
The ice spell connected with Blayze and she hissed in pain as the ice seared her flesh. "You think a weak ice spell will defeat me? Think again."
"I got this one," Kayla insisted, "You take her sister."
"Got'cha." For the first time during the battle, I struck. I ran forward and sliced Ember with my Sais. The more peaceful of the two was caught of guard by my bold and vicious attack and she gaped at me wide-eyed as my Ice junctioned Sais cut into her fiery skin.
"How dare you!" she cried. "You will pay for your insolence!"
The Fire GF began to gather fire in her hands and her hair stood up on end. I knew something bad was coming and to be honest, I was a little worried. Ember's eyes had been closed the entire time she gathered the energy but suddenly they opened and I was surprised to see that the brown part was gone and was replaced by flames.
"Fire Storm!" she shouted and several balls of fire leapt from her body and shot towards me. I was able to dodge some, but not all. Luckily I had my elemental defense against Fire or I probably would've been hurt a lot worse than I was. After the onslaught of the fire, I cast a Cure spell on myself, looked over to see how Kayla was doing then launched a Blizzard spell at Ember.
I won't bore you with all the details of the fight, but I will tell you that it was a pretty difficult battle. The sisters' were tough and it didn't help that practically ever two seconds Vaughn or Luke were telling us how much time we had left. Finally, as we were down to a two and a half minutes, the sisters got tired of us and decided they were going to finish us with their most devastating attack.
"I grow bored of this battle," Blayze told her sister. In fact, she was probably afraid that they were going to lose. She was losing blood (which for them was actually something like lava) in several places where Kayla's nunchaku and Ice spells had hit her.
"I agree," Ember nodded. She was doing about as good as Blayze, except one of her eyes was swollen shut after I sliced her with my Sais.
"Then let's show them what real power is!" Blayze suggested. In front of us, the sisters floated up into the air, their hair and clothes waving and fluttering in some unfelt wind.
"Crimson Volcano!" the sisters cried and almost instantly, the ground under our feet began to shake. Before we even had time to react, geysers of flaming rock and molten lava erupted under us, scalding us and slamming rocks into us at the same time. I couldn't hear anything over the roar of the fire, but I could almost feel Kayla screaming as she was engulfed.
Just when I thought I could take no more, the fire ebbed and disappeared. Before I could stop myself, I fell to the ground on my hands and knees. My body hurt everywhere, not just from the fire, which I was partially protected from, but also from the rocks that had mercilessly pounded me in the inferno. I managed to look over at Kayla and saw she was on the ground, not moving. I could hear footsteps running towards us and I figured Luke and Vaughn were coming to the rescue.
"Don't!" I called hoarsely to them, "We aren't finished yet." I turned my head and saw them stop at the place where the peninsula emerged from the solid land. They looked at each other as if they weren't sure they should back off, then remained where they were. I managed to ease back onto my knees and threw a Phoenix Down on Kayla. She groaned and sat up, although she still looked dazed.
"We're not done yet, are we Kay?" I called to her.
She looked over at me and a small smile emerged on her soot-covered face. "No way, we're just getting started."
We cast a few more Cure spells on ourselves until we were able to stand, then looked back at the sisters.
"We've still got a little fight left in us," I assured them, "so get ready to be defeated."
"Foolish girls," Blayze cackled. "You are no match for us."
"Maybe we're not," I agreed, "But I know someone who is." I grinned and then yelled, "SHIVA!"
The fire sisters' eyes went wide as the Goddess of Ice appeared in front of me. Her icy gaze fixed on the Fire GFs and she cast Diamond Dust on them. After freezing them in a river of ice, a casual snap of her fingers shattered it and heavily wounded the sisters. By the time Shiva had disappeared, the sisters were on their knees, gasping for breath.
"Sh…Shiva!" Blayze exclaimed breathlessly, "How did they get Shiva!"
"Perhaps we should've opted out of this fight," Ember offered, a little too late.
Kayla and I smiled at each other and I nodded.
"And just for your information, you aren't the only ones who have a combined attack," Kayla informed. She looked at me. "Ready Kai?"
"Ready Kay."
"Prepare to swear allegiance to us, girls," Kayla boasted, "'Cause it's all over."
"Demon Pinscher!" we shouted together.
I tossed one of my Sai to Kayla and she tossed one end of her nunchaku to me, keeping the other end for herself. We ran towards the Fire GFs, who had barely gotten to their feet. They stared wide-eyed as the two of us ran behind and around them, successfully tying them up with the nunchaku. When the two of us came back around the front of the GFs, on the opposite side, we each plunged a Sai into the sister who was in front of us. They two GFs screamed as one and fell to the ground, still wrapped up in the nunchaku. Kayla and I stepped back as the sisters wheezed and gagged on the ground.
"All right," Ember whispered with some difficulty, "We admit defeat. We will join you."