I'm trying to write the story I had originally intended.
I don't own any of the Final Fantasy 8 characters, but the newbies are mine.
~
Chapter 13
"Dammit!" Aura stormed away from the hallway full of other cadets. She got as far as the central section of the Garden before the fury gave way to despair, "Now I'll Never be a SeeD!"
As she reached her dorm room, her silent shadow turned away and headed for the Headmaster's office.
Of course, he timed his arrival to occur just after all of the new SeeDs had left. Not to mention the Headmaster. Max had a feeling he'd find the reason for the Headmaster's failing Aura yet again. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know it for this particular test.
Since all of the decisions as to who passed and who had to try again was based on a report of the events, Max knew he could find the report somewhere in the office. He wasn't in the least surprised to see it still on the desk.
After he read the stack of reports, Max left the office, and headed for the dorms to speak with Aura.
~
Hearing a knock on her door, Aura paused in her packing, "Who is it?"
Even though it was muffled, Aura recognized Max's voice, and allowed him in.
"Aura," he leaned against the doorjamb, "Things will work out. Just give it time."
"I don't have any time," Aura flailed a hand around, "I leave in three days."
"I checked out the other three attempts," Max shrugged, "There were no reasons for him to have failed you. Aside from arbitrary decisions."
Aura snorted, "It sure explains why some of the more recent inductees are only in SeeD because they invested in kneepads."
"I did not need to hear that," Max flinched, "I really did not want to hear that tidbit of private information."
Aura giggled slightly, "Thank you for cheering me up," she fiddled with a small crystal around her neck.
"What is that?" Max blinked as the crystal reflected even the low light of the room.
"I found it during the mission," Aura turned is a little more, "It was stuck in the middle of a rock chunk, and when the chunk shattered from a gunshot, I found it."
Max looked closely at the stone. It emanated a power from within. As far as he could tell, it wasn't dangerous, but something about it made him uneasy. When he glanced back at Aura's face, he realized why. Something about the way she looked at it made him think of spell bound soldiers he had fought before.
"Aura," Max tried to regain her attention, "Are you sure that stone is safe?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" she looked up at him, blinking, "It's just a rock."
Max shifted, "I have to go check on that last mission."
"Don't just take their word for it," Aura suddenly leveled a glare at Max, "They've always hated me."
Max shrugged, "You ought to know by now that I will try to learn everything before making a decision."
"They'll want you to read that report," Aura muttered, "And that will just turn anyone against me."
"I read the reports. They say you killed your squad captain," Max blinked as the crystal flared, even though Aura didn't seem to notice.
"So you're going to side with them?" she growled.
"I'm not siding with anyone yet," Max shook his head, "I'm trying to get all of the details first. I want to know why you did it."
"Why don't you ask them?" Aura snorted, "You're already leaning towards believing them over me."
"I already told you I'm reserving judgment," Max rolled his eyes, "But I will have to ask around all the same. I came over here to try and talk to you, but since you seem to be in a confrontational mood, I think I'll leave."
He turned to leave, and the crystal flared again. Aura quietly drew a pistol from her side holster, and aimed it at the back of his left shoulder. All the same, Max heard it, and turned, which forced the shot to strike his other shoulder instead.
Upon impact, Max's eyes widened as he fell backwards, "Why?"
~
It is starting to move around in a weird way, so I can't even hope to tell you what the intent is...
~I can't quite figure out if that argument went quite the way it was meant to...~
I don't own any of the Final Fantasy 8 characters, but the newbies are mine.
~
Chapter 13
"Dammit!" Aura stormed away from the hallway full of other cadets. She got as far as the central section of the Garden before the fury gave way to despair, "Now I'll Never be a SeeD!"
As she reached her dorm room, her silent shadow turned away and headed for the Headmaster's office.
Of course, he timed his arrival to occur just after all of the new SeeDs had left. Not to mention the Headmaster. Max had a feeling he'd find the reason for the Headmaster's failing Aura yet again. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to know it for this particular test.
Since all of the decisions as to who passed and who had to try again was based on a report of the events, Max knew he could find the report somewhere in the office. He wasn't in the least surprised to see it still on the desk.
After he read the stack of reports, Max left the office, and headed for the dorms to speak with Aura.
~
Hearing a knock on her door, Aura paused in her packing, "Who is it?"
Even though it was muffled, Aura recognized Max's voice, and allowed him in.
"Aura," he leaned against the doorjamb, "Things will work out. Just give it time."
"I don't have any time," Aura flailed a hand around, "I leave in three days."
"I checked out the other three attempts," Max shrugged, "There were no reasons for him to have failed you. Aside from arbitrary decisions."
Aura snorted, "It sure explains why some of the more recent inductees are only in SeeD because they invested in kneepads."
"I did not need to hear that," Max flinched, "I really did not want to hear that tidbit of private information."
Aura giggled slightly, "Thank you for cheering me up," she fiddled with a small crystal around her neck.
"What is that?" Max blinked as the crystal reflected even the low light of the room.
"I found it during the mission," Aura turned is a little more, "It was stuck in the middle of a rock chunk, and when the chunk shattered from a gunshot, I found it."
Max looked closely at the stone. It emanated a power from within. As far as he could tell, it wasn't dangerous, but something about it made him uneasy. When he glanced back at Aura's face, he realized why. Something about the way she looked at it made him think of spell bound soldiers he had fought before.
"Aura," Max tried to regain her attention, "Are you sure that stone is safe?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" she looked up at him, blinking, "It's just a rock."
Max shifted, "I have to go check on that last mission."
"Don't just take their word for it," Aura suddenly leveled a glare at Max, "They've always hated me."
Max shrugged, "You ought to know by now that I will try to learn everything before making a decision."
"They'll want you to read that report," Aura muttered, "And that will just turn anyone against me."
"I read the reports. They say you killed your squad captain," Max blinked as the crystal flared, even though Aura didn't seem to notice.
"So you're going to side with them?" she growled.
"I'm not siding with anyone yet," Max shook his head, "I'm trying to get all of the details first. I want to know why you did it."
"Why don't you ask them?" Aura snorted, "You're already leaning towards believing them over me."
"I already told you I'm reserving judgment," Max rolled his eyes, "But I will have to ask around all the same. I came over here to try and talk to you, but since you seem to be in a confrontational mood, I think I'll leave."
He turned to leave, and the crystal flared again. Aura quietly drew a pistol from her side holster, and aimed it at the back of his left shoulder. All the same, Max heard it, and turned, which forced the shot to strike his other shoulder instead.
Upon impact, Max's eyes widened as he fell backwards, "Why?"
~
It is starting to move around in a weird way, so I can't even hope to tell you what the intent is...
~I can't quite figure out if that argument went quite the way it was meant to...~