Disclaimer : I don't own PRNS or FF8 or the script I am following.
Note : Special thanks to JuseaPeterson for helping with the characters.
Merrick - General Caraway, Taylor - Fujin, Eric - Rajin, Xander - Nida
And for those who might be confused...the voice speaking in Kapri's dream in the last chapter, was NOT Blake. Blake was mentioned, but it wasn't him speaking. I just wanted to clear that up, because I realize it might have seemed confusing.
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(Balamb Garden)
(Normal POV)
Knocked back, a young man fell to the ground and shook his head to clear it. Short, dark, curly hair, with deep chocolate eyes glared at his opponent as he slowly stood back up, brushing off his black leather pants with his black leather gloved hands, before pulling down his red t-shirt and adjusting his black leather jacket with the white fur trim.
His opponent was about an inch shorter than himself, with short, spikey black hair, black eyes and asian features. He wore a long navy blue trench coat, with a black t-shirt on under it and black jeans.
Blake. You think you're so tough, but I'll show you. the curly haired man thought angrily as he raced forward and grabbed his gunblade out of the ground, spinning as he swung at the other man.
With a raise of his hand, Blake jumped back and smirked as he counterattacked, only to have the ring of metal on metal meet his ears and winced the tiniest bit. Pushing his blade back, he managed to knock his opponent away and aimed the blade at him before firing a round, which was deflected with a set of complicated moves.
Dodging the last shot, the curly haired young man, fixed the ring of a hawk on his hand before pushing a necklace of the same design out his fis face, and running forward with a tighter grip on his blade.
Suddenly, Blake raised his hand and a glowing orange orb formed at the end of it. It flew towards his opponent and knocked him down. As he tried to get up, Blake sneered once again and walked forward, raising his gunblade and slashing it fown, between the eyes of the other guy, cutting him deep enough to draw a lot of blood.
You son of a- Getting back up, his opponent counterattacked too fast for Blake to dodge, and a low swing from the other gunblade imbedded itself between his eyes, leaving the exact same gash, but in a different direction.
That's when everything went black, and both boys collapsed.
(???'s POV)
When I finally woke up, the pounding in my head becoming too much for me to ignore, I had to fight to get my eyes open, and then let them fall closed with a pained grunt as bright light filtered in.
Raising a hand to my forehead, I felt the bandages there and frowned, remembering what happened. That dirty bastard! We were supposed to spar not try to really kill each other!
Then a brief image from a dream hit me and my frown deeped. A woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes was pointing to the sky with a smile, staring right at me. Dressed in a short, red dress, she stood in the center of the Garden Dancefloor, where a lot of graduated SeeDs were dancing.
Who was she? I questioned myself as a knock came to my door. Blinking absently, I remained quiet, like I always do and watched silently as Dr Shayla entered with a small frown.
"How are you feeling?" she asked carefully, examining my eyes with a light.
Does she have to do that? Staring at her, I shrugged. It wasn't that I was mute. I just didn't like to talk often. Still, from the look she was giving me, it was obvious she was expecting a verbal answer, so I sighed. "...ok."
That seemed to satisfy her and she nodded. "Take it easy next time, you hear?" she scolded lightly. "Looks like your eyes are focusing. Say your name for me."
Biting back the urge to roll me eyes, I sighed again and laid back down. "Shane."
Nodding again, she folded her arms over her chest. "Why don't you take it easy in training?" she asked with exasperation. "Next time you might not be so lucky."
"Tell that to Blake." I grumbled out loud, absently.
"That Blake..." she groaned, shaking her head. "Won't listen to anyone. Why don't you just ignore him?"
As if it was really that easy, huh? "I can't just run away." I replied quietly.
"You wanna be cool, huh? Well just don't get hurt in the process." she said with a sigh, and I bit my lip to hide my frown.
That's not it at all.
"Let's see, your instructor is..." She trailed off a moment before snapping her fingers. "Tori! I'll call her now. Just wait here a moment."
With that she left, and I relaxed a little, enjoying my peace while I could. Closing my eyes, I rested one of my gloved hands over my upper forehead, carefully avoiding the bandages, and zoned out. Despite the fact that she was in another room, I could still faintly hear her.
"Tori? Come get your student... Yes, yes... His injury's not serious. It'll probably leave a scar. ...Right, now please come by."
Everything went silent and I zoned out again. Senseing a presence though, I opened my eyes and stared at the roof a moment. That couldn't be Tori already.
"Shane... So we meet again." came a soft feminine voice.
Turning my head, I noticed a woman in the next room, giving me a warm smile. She had shoulder length red hair and blue eyes, and wore a knee length crimson skirt with a light blue top and a red wrap over her shoulders. Waving to me quickly, she turned and left the room, and I frowned.
For some reason, my mind flashed back to a small girl, maybe 10 years old, but then it faded again.
The door opened, and I turned to find the long blonde hair of my instructor, Tori Hanson. Most of her hair was up in a clip, with a long lock framing each side of her face and she wore the traditional navy uniform.
Watching her, she rolled her eyes a little and took a deep breath before smiling. "I knew it'd either be you or Blake!" she said in a teasing tone as she stood at the door. "Come on, let's go. Today's the field exam." she ordered firmly.
Standing up, I followed her out of the infirmary and down a long corridoor that led to the main building of th Garden.
After a few moments of silence, Tori turned to me curiously. "Is something on your mind?"
"...Not really." I answered, a bit surprised when she repeated me at the exact same time and began laughing. Staring at her, I watched as she raised and shook her hand, still laughing. "What's so funny?" I demanded, not liking being laughed at.
"Funny?" Stopping her laughing, she wiped a tear from her eye before shaking her head. "No, no. It's not that. It's just, I'm so happy! I finally feel like I'm beginning to understand my student a little, that's all."
I frowned and walked past her. "I'm more complex than you think." I muttered quietly.
"Then tell me. Tell me more about yourself." she stated firmly, her eyes twinkling.
"It's none of your-"
"Business!" she finished before laughing again.
Raising my eyebrow, I turned and walked away, heading towards the entrance of the main building to take the elevator up to the second floor. Ignoring Tori's prods, I remained silent as we left the elevator and took the small hallway down to the main one and walked into class.
Blake was there, smirking and glaring at me with a bandaged forehead of his own, but for once, I ignored him as I walked past and went to my seat, logging into my computer to confirm the two GFs we were always given at this point.
GFs are summon creatures we can use in battle, known as Guardian Forces. Many are wild and must be beaten in battle to obtain their abilities, some are hidden and only the use of magical items can lead you to them, and some you need to steal from enemies in battle.
Making sure Quezacotl and Shiva were ready to go, I closed down my computer and relaxed for a bit.
Shiva, an ice elemental GF, with the ultimate attack of Diamond Dust. And Quezacotl, the Lightning GF, in the form of a Thunder Bird, with the ultimate attack of Thunder Storm.
Since part of the field Exam meant going to the fire cavern just beside Garden, Shiva would be my best bet, but I'd have to be careful, because she only lasts for one attack. I have to prepare myself for the cavern, if I'm going to get Ifrit.
"All right, class." Tori called out, silencing everyone as she stood. "Let's start with today's schedule. There seems to have been some rumors flying around about yesterday... Yes, the field exam for SeeD candidates will begin later this afternoon. Those not participating, and those who failed last week's written test, are to remain here in study hall. Field exam participants will have free time until the exam. Just make sure you're in top condition. Meet in the front hall at 1600 hours and I'll announce the team assigments from there. Any questions?"
She looked around and no one raised their hands, but her eyes landed on Blake who was acting too 'cool' to be in the class. "Oh, and Blake? Do not injure your partner during practice. Be careful from now on." she scolded.
He turned and glared at me, but I refused to return the look. Slamming his hand down on the consol, he got up and left the room.
Keeping my gaze on my computer, I sighed. It's not like he did it by accident. 'Be careful next time'? I doubt he's worried about it.
"Field exam participants, I'll see you all later, and Shane, I need to speak with you." she finished, coming around from behind her desk as most of the students left the room.
With a sigh, I took one last look at my console, prepping myself a little better.
About Magic:
'Magic', when used by ordinary people and not sorceresses, is actually called 'para-magic'. In essence, it involves controlling eneries. The ability to use magic, without relying on 'draw points', takes many years to learn and master.
Rolling my eyes, I turned to the next tutorial.
GF (Guardian Force):
A GF is an independant energy force. By combining it with 'para-magic', it is possible to control tremendous energy. Memory loss is a possible side effect, but this has not been proven as of yet.
Sorceress:
Always a woman who has inherited the power of a sorceress, which has been passed down through generations, all the way back to the time of Hyne's rule.
What is a SeeD?:
Balamb Garden's mercenaries. Commanding the GFs, they operate in small forces and are deployed all over the world. They're tasks range from providing military support to protecting civilians. SeeDs are paid according to rank.
Shaking my head, I turned off the console and stood up, making my way over to Tori, who was being watched by a bunch of her fanclub. As I passed by then, they just had to say something to me.
"You better show some courtesy to Intructor Hanson." the firls girl warned.
The only guy there, nodded. "It's an honor to be called over my Instructor Hanson."
"Try to smile a little when talking to Instructor Hanson." the second girl recommended with her own smile before walking off with the others.
Ignoring them, I waited as Tori walked over and smiled at me. "You haven't been to the fire cavern yet, have you? You won't be able to take part in today's SeeD exam if you don't pass the prerequiset."
Smacking my forehead lightly with my hand, I hissed in pain and looked away. ...I was gonna go this morning, but Blake...
"Well? Do you have a good excuse?"
I shook my head. "Not really." Might as well not even bother to deny it.
She nodded and stood straight. "Well, then let's get going. I'll be waiting by the front gate when you're ready to go." Turning, she left the room, and I followed after her, ignoring the stares of the fanclub in the hallwy as I passed.
Heading straight towards the eleavtor, I stopped when I heard a voice.
"I'm late, I'm late, I'm LATE!!!"
Frowning, I looked up at the sound, just as a young woman with long brown hair ran down the hallway and bumped right into me, with such force, I staggered back a bit and she fell back on her butt. I managed to get my balance back, and looked at her as she rubbed her head and pouted before standing.
"Waah!" she whined before seeing me and smiling brightly.
Sighing, I decided to be nice, for once. "You all right?" I asked gruffly, wishing to just go to the fire cavern and get it over with.
Brushing off the short skirt of her student uniform, she nodded. "There!" Giggling nervously, she put her hands on her hips. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I was kinda in a hurry." she apologized, her sincerity showing clearly in her light blue eyes. "Oh yeah! Hey, did you just come from that class?" she asked, pointing to the room I'd just exited. I nodded and her face fell. "Is...registration over?" she asked hesitantly.
I nodded silently, folding my arms over my chest.
"Woo...oh, noooo..." she whined again, stamping her feet. "This place is soo much bigger than my last Garden! Oh, hey, hey! I just transferred here. Do you think you could give me a quick tour of this Garden?" she pleaded, giving me the puppydog eyes.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and counted to ten before opening them again. "Sure." I said reluctantly, watching as her face broke out into a huge grin again.
"Woo-hoo! Alrighty. Let's go!"
Rolling my eyes, I passed by her and headed for the elevator. "We'll take the lift to the 1F lobby and I'll show you the Directory."
Taking the elevator down, we walked down the small flight of stairs, to an electronic directory in the main hall, and I began to explain. "This is the Directory. Balamb Garden is pretty big. It's a good idea to check where you want to go, and select it here."
"I have a question." the girls said thoughtfully. When I nodded to her, she turned back to the screen. "How do you use this?"
"Just press one of the locations with your hand to bring up information. I'll give a quick explanation of the various facilities." Why did I agree to this again?
"Yes sir!" she giggled with a salute and I rolled my eyes at her.
"You'll find the Dormitory to the north." I said, pointing to it. "The majority of the students live in the dorms. You won't find too many that commute."
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm in the dorms, too!"
"You can rest and change in there. West of the North Block, is the Cafeteria. There's always a big rush for the hot dogs. You better get used to waiting in line."
The girl pouted but nodded. "Got it."
"East of the North Block is the Car Park. We usually take the Garden car when a mission comes up." Next. "The Front Gate is located to the south of us, now." Feeling my eyes narrow, I frowned. That's right... I'm supposed to meet Instructor Hanson at the front gate. I remembered.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" the girl asked cluelessly.
"Nothing..." I said, closing up again before sighing. "Next we have the Quad, located in the West Block. There's a big event being planned there..."
"I know! I know!" she interrupted cheerfully, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "It's the Garden Festival! It's going to be great! I'm going to be on the commitee! You wanna help out, too?!" she asked with wide eyes.
Turning away from her, I ignored her. "Let's continue. South of the West Block is the Infirmary. This is where you get treated for your injuries, but a lot of students come here for advice."
"What's the doctor's name?"
"Dr. Shayla. Now the East Block. This is the Training Center. It's the only facility open all night. It's used for training..." Obviously. "And they have real monsters running lose there." Turning to her, I gave her a dead serious look. "If you don't take it seriously, you may end up dead. Just be careful."
Her eyes widened and her face paled as she nodded slowly and swallowed heavily. "Um...ok..." she said meekly.
I was beginning to get bored of this, but forged on. "South of the East Block is the Library. There's a lot of material you can look up there, but the terminals in the classroom are a lot more efficient. And you already know about the classroom on 2F, right?"
She nodded. "Yep, I remember that one."
"By the way, the Headmaster's office is on 3F but you need permission to enter."
Frowning a little at this, she nodded again. "Question. What's the Headmaster's name?"
"Headmaster Kanoi." Looking through the directory, I nodded. "That's about it? Anything else?"
"Got it." she said cheerily. "Hey...um, are you taking today's SeeD exam?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Then maybe I'll see you there." she jumped a little, excited. "I already finished my training at my previous Garden. I'm taking the exam today, too! Good luck to us both, huh? Thanks a lot!"
Turning, she made her way to the elevator and I sighed as I went to my dorm room. Reaching into my gunblade case, I grabbed my sword and strapped it to one of my three belts hanging from my waist, as I strapped some extra ammunition rounds to the red belt, and tied my item pouch to my last belt.
Looking around my tiny room, I left again and headed to the front gate, not at all surprised to find Tori already standing there, waiting.
She was dressed in tight, blue pants and a light blue and white, wave patterned halter with elbow length black bloves, black boots and a chain whip wrapped around her waist.
"Before we go, remember that we can use a technique to draw magic from most enemies. It'll come in handy if we can find and draw ice magic from a monster." she reminded me.
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Ok, there's chapter 2. You might notice that Kapri won't be mentioned or seen (other than a short appearance) for a while, but be assured, this IS a Shane/Kapri fic.
Hope you like it.
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"To obtain a low-level GF, a SeeD member must support. Are you ready?
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R+R please.
Thank you everyone.
Tenshi