Hi everyone! As promised here's the new chapter and on the correct day as well. Told you I could do it. Even after spending the week sick. I was right. It's always on holidays. Oh well, forgetting that…I finally got a review! (Reyavie jumps around in glee stopping when brother gives her a weird look). What? I'm happy. Disclaimer time: Don't own anything in here. Ariadne's mine though and any OCs that appear around here so back off.
Angel Of Apocolypse – Thank you for your kind review. I was beginning to be sad that no one would spare some time to say what they were thinking of the story so I was very glad when I read. Happy to know that you think it's good. About the space problem that you commented about I tried in this chapter to give more paragraphs to the lines so that it may be easier to read. I hope it works. Give me your opinion if you can. Enjoy the chapie!
Welcome to the tenth chapter of Second life (Hey, I hit the ten barrier! Congrats to me!)
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3rd Person POV
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- "Quistis! Ariadne!" – The two friends stopped their somewhat surreal conversation about the different forms of destroying Enoyles while eating a bowl of ice cream each and looked at Rinoa that had arrived at the cafeteria.
Ariadne was using now clothes very similar to her old ones, black pants and boots and a grey tank top. A long black jacket was placed on the chair next to her and her weapons were strapped to her back as always. Her hair was again braided back leaving only a few strands to fall on her eyes.
Quistis was also armed and still dressed in her usual peach top and skirt. They looked calm and rested. Amused if the smiles on her faces said anything.
– "Good morning oh-friend-of-ours" – Greeted Ariadne taking another mouthful of the sweet.
– "Sugar is bad for your sanity Aria" – Commented Quistis helping herself. The brown haired girl raised an eyebrow
– "I never thought I still had one of those" – She said continuing to eat – "We are always learning."
Rinoa looked from one to another obviously freaked out. Ariadne sighed inaudibly to the ice cream and raised her eyes to meet hers – "What's wrong?" – The girl swallowed – "Have you seen Squall?" – Ariadne exchanged a quick look with Quistis that shook her head
– "Nope." – The galbadian answered calmly – "But he must be resting or something like that…at least that's what he should be doing." – Rinoa smiled brightly
– "Oh…okay then. I'll see ya later" – And she fled as if the sorceress herself was behind her
– "Never thought I was that ugly" – Commented Ariadne taking another spoon of the sweet
– "Give her a little break Aria. She is head over heels over Squall" – Declared Quistis. The other girl winced slightly – "There are tastes for everything I guess" – "Squall isn't that bad" – Ariadne smirked – "I was talking about Rinoa" – Quistis hid a laugh in her hand – "That's not nice."
– "News flash sis. It wasn't supposed to be" – She continued – "And Squall…well…he is plain infuriating." – Quistis smiled
– "Yes, he has that effect on people. But you seem angry with him" – Ariadne glared at her chocolate ice cream and attacked with a vengeance – "I guess I am a bit." – She answered after finishing mutilating the small ball – "It was after we escaped the prison, remember?" – She placed the spoon on the bowl in a careless movement – "That fight? He simply says that he doesn't trust me and walks away. Not one of my favourite things to hear" – Quistis shook her head
– "He was worried with you. All of us were." – She too put the bowl away – "You had been injured and just got up and hid everything. He wanted you to get better" – Ariadne snorted
– "I doubt it" – A frown overtook her features – "That is not the way to show worry about someone. I have the right to be angry." – Quistis sighed choosing not to discuss with herself who was the more stubborn of the two. It was beginning to seem a stalemate.
The headmaster's voice broke their conversation with the announcement of the repairs but what really put them in alert was the shaking that crossed the entire Garden – "What was that?" – Asked the former instructor standing up. Ariadne did the same
– "Probably land" – "Squall, Quistis, Ariadne and Rinoa join me in my office" – The two looked at each other
– "Oh well…it was bound to end sooner or later" – Commented the galbadian swallowing the rest of the ice cream – "I preferred later" – Said Quistis with a barely contained sigh – "Let's go then before everyone comes looking for us" – Ariadne rolled her eyes and followed her friend – "Oh yes…Hyne forbid that that happens."
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- "Right now I wish I could kick that idiot's ass" – Ariadne mumbled looking at one member of the "Welcoming" party. – "I'm close to it as well Aria" – The statement seemed too strange coming from the normally controlled instructor but being nearly called assassins for hire wasn't one of their favourite hobbies.
– "He is just defending what he believes in" – Defended Rinoa. Quistis tried not to glare but Ariadne did it gladly
– "So are we." – She bit back – "Do you see us insulting him and his honour?" – Her emerald eyes turned to the way and she refused to say anymore choosing to send a chilling glare to the cause of the argument. To her pleasure he looked away.
– "You are not supposed to scare them" – Stated Squall in his unnatural emotionless voice. She snorted – "Look at my face and see if I care" – She didn't. – "I may have to behave in front of the ruler of the city but I won't bow down to an idiot that most probably will get his ass saved by us. It is almost as of the bloody idiots think that we are the cause of this war." – The strangest thing was that the entire tirade had been said in an extremely calm tone of voice.
– "They will have to understand that some day war will beat at their door whether they like it or not" – After that she remained silent, a smile gracing her lips as she walked and watched the sun lightening the sea.
The city wasn't the most beautiful she had seen before remembering her of those small shore cities inhabited most by poor fishermen and people connected to the sea that she had seen on TV so long before. Both lead a too hard life. Quistis walked beside her but her blue eyes were narrowed in analysis of the city instead of the things that were taking Ariadne's concentration.
– "There's the mayor's house" – Both of them snapped to attention when they heard that. The small house could be seen in the middle of a satellite dish – "Now that's an interesting place to build something" – Commented Aria with a raised eyebrow – "So let's go and listen to more bullshit so I can get something to put in my room." – Squall visibly stilled before letting out a shuddering breath in forced control
– "He is not going to survive you much longer Aria" – Whispered Quistis with a smirk. An equal met hers – "He's too stubborn for that sis. Besides it is fun…how many people can say that they can make perfect soldier nearly blow up in exasperation?" – And calmly they joined the their companions and simply listened as the mayor drowned in something about peace and what not
– "And that's all fine and dandy" – Ariadne thought as she forced herself to remain silent – "But does he really think that he can just jump into the middle of a battle, say stop and hope to be listened?" – A sigh was heard in her mind – "It is a wish of a common man Aria" – Said Sacred in a kind voice – "Even if he is an idiot" – Deadpanned Minotaur. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. – "You're both right, I'm afraid"
She gave them a mental equivalent of a smile and concentrated in listening to what they had to say. When they shut up however and the group had already left she halted and looked at the pair. The old man seemed surprised as she hadn't said a word throughout the entire conversation. Good thing he wasn't telepathic.
– "I understand why you wish so much for peace" – She started – "Hyne knows that I would like as well to live in a world without war. But we do not do this because we want to. We are trying to help where we can, as we can. All of us are…you are just doing it in a different way. Do not despise us for it. Do not hate us…we cannot all follow the same path" – And Ariadne walked to the stairs where she had already been preceded without seeing the reaction she had achieved
– "What were you doing?" – Asked Rinoa when she noticed the somewhat sad expression of the Seed. Said Seed barely held the comment that was fighting to leave her lips. She opted for the stupidest of them all
– "Just asking about good places to shop" – She said dismissively – "Now can we go? I had enough of this place" – "Good places to shop?" – Sacred seemed quite on the verge of laughing with that – "It was that or saying that it was none of her fucking business what, when and where I was doing whatever I was doing." – She sent back, a tinge of annoyance in her tone.
– "Good places to shop?" – Muttered Squall with a raised eyebrow. She chose not to give him the same answer that she had given to her beloved GF
– "I am not from around here in case you haven't noticed Squall" – "Wonderful tact Aria" – Commented Minotaur – "Galbadian soldiers!" – The screams cut the talking thankfully short as they ran outside to find the invaders – "Don't you just love when people actually do something right?" – And also thankfully no one heard Aria's grumbles as she thanked mentally to the poor soldiers for their sense of opportunity.
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- "Squall, I know the guys is an asshole but watching him as he gets smacked into submission is not one of the things that Seeds should be doing" – Ariadne's voice carried a distinct tone of annoyance as she watched the proceedings. Not that she was very concerned about Ellone as she knew exactly were the girl was. And not that she was very concerned about her considering everything she had said the last time the two had met and how she presently felt about the past viewer.
But she was concerned about the naïve old man that was getting chocked by one of the idiots she had to stand while in Galbadia – "Let us go" – Squall's sentence almost made her roll her eyes but she ignored the urge as she followed Quistis into the fray. The two of them had found a very good in battling together especially when they had to fight alone against the T-Rex, which she still didn't know who had the great idea to free in a school with kids inside, and now they were using it at full gear.
– "Left" – The soft word made her give her place to her now surrogate sister as she slashed yet another soldier. Ariadne barely thought as she followed with a Fira. – "This is being too easy. They are up to something" - She winced slightly as a blade nicked her arm. The idiot that had done that realized too late that that had not been a very smart thing to do. Especially when she noticed that he had hit with enough strength to draw blood.
Aria jumped to the side to evade the new attack and before he could understand what she was doing he had received the blunt hit of the hilt of her katana on his temple. But then she knelt looking at his face and for a moment she wanted to curse herself. And him. – "Aria? What…?" – Quistis came closer evading the attacks that were raining down on her and leaving Squall to take her place – "I know him Quis" – She said standing up and ignoring the way the man's eyes were closed in pain. Pain that would pretty much double when he woke up and realized that he had a bump of the size of a small apple on his forehead.
– "I know who he is, where he lives, where he is stationed. I know him." – Quistis opened her mouth to speak but had to stop as Aria had already attacked once more. But now there was something different in the way she did it. It was almost in despair as she barely looked at their faces as she did so.
She didn't want to see anyone else that she had met before in the wrong side of her swords…but she couldn't stop… - "So this is really war, huh?" – She whispered as she saw the robot come forth. The extremely battered tank began attacking immediately as soon as it had locked them as targets. – "Guys…I need your help" – Anxiety flared through the connection that she carried with the two brothers but said nothing before they appeared in front of her to help. They made a fast job out of the walking pile of steel considering the damage that Quezacotl was able to do. Aria fleetingly thought about the wonders of overkill while she watched the tank, for some unknown reason, start going backwards and fall to the sea. And then three very familiar figures approached slowly, taking the dust of their clothes and hair as they got up
– "Squall…?" – They had returned. That alone stole a smile to the Galbadian as she watched the reunion and delegated her problems to later. Besides Selphie didn't give her a lot of choice
– "Aria!" – In merely thirty seconds she was being nearly suffocated by a girl that was almost twenty cm smaller than her – "Sorry! Sorry!" – Selphie said so quickly that the only reason to any of them understand what she was saying was that she was repeating it a lot. On Ariadne's ears. Very loudly.
– "For what Selph?" – Said the other girl attempting to regain ear use – And please speak a little quieter will you?" – The Trabian let go allowing her to see the amused smile that was appearing in most of the faces. Most. She wasn't expecting to see Squall amused any time soon.
– "I forgot about the salute" – Selphie confessed with a slightly sheepish expression – One of the officers got us. Sorry." – Ariadne smiled. What else could she do?
– "Forget that Selph. You guys are okay and that's all that matters. Right?" – Zell gave her a boyish grin as he saw her still in Selphie's crutches and in one swift move got the two of them on his arms – "Group hug" – The three of them fell to the floor in a jumble ignoring completely the dust and rubble from the fights.
– "Oy! Get of me. I still need air." – Came Aria's voice underneath the pile – "Damn it Zell! You are bloody heavy!"
– "Am not" – Was the very elaborated answer – "It's Selphie's fault" – The brown haired girl got up, grabbed her nunchaku and glared with all her might
– "Are you calling me fat, Zelly?" – Ariadne wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the way the 1.50m girl was standing up to the wrestler. Maybe it was the way he was backing away extremely slowly as if she was some kind of dangerous animal. But it was probably Quistis shaking her head in exasperation, Squall seeming as if was trying to stop himself of using his gunblade, Irvine hiding the smirk as he sat to watch the Trabian kick the wrestler's ass and Rinoa, staring as she, herself, was doing at the moment.
The two looked at one another and did the only sensible thing that could be done at the moment.
They laughed.
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My POV
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I finally understood what war really is. Sometimes it is not about the defence of ideals that you deem that are the correct ones to live by. Sometimes it is the defence of things that are much more precious than that. I finally realized that. When I saw that guy's face on the floor as he fell from my attack my heart nearly stopped. I thought to myself: What the hell am I doing?
I was attacking people that had helped me when I needed, that had sheltered me, taught me, gave me some kind of home. And I wanted no more than fall to the floor and help him. Tell him that I was sorry.
But then I saw my friends around me. I couldn't leave them. Not like that. It was in that moment that I understood. They chose a side, a way to live, and like I said to the mayor not everyone can follow the same path. And even as I stood in the middle of the battle I asked myself if my path, the one I had chosen four years before, had been the right one.
After all I didn't belong there. I don't belong here…I don't even know what here is. This is no longer a fantasy that crossed my hands a long time ago. This is my reality. My life. And another realization made itself known in my mind.
Yes, I know. My mind is seeming a power plant with the quantity of ideas that have been crossing it. I'm quite sure it will break down soon and the only thing that will leave my mouth will be monosyllabic words. Huh and Ah will be most indispensable at that time.
Well anyways…when the others appeared…when they looked at me, talked to me…it made me fell wanted, like they...would feel my absence if I wasn't there. Like I was important to them. It didn't matter if they knew me for barely a month. It didn't matter. Because I belonged with them. And that was it.
I wasn't looking for a place to belong all along…but someone to tell me that I belonged. That is why I care so much for Aunt Chris or Stef and the others. That is why I care so much for this new family I've found. And that is my reason to fight now. I have chosen my side. I have chosen my way. And I have to cross it. It may not be the right one but…it is the truer one, the only one for me. Even if my enemies will be former friends or relations. It doesn't matter anymore. Because they made their choices as well. It is just how it is and there is now wishing that will make it change.
So one of the things I had been trying not to do ever since I was born happened. I grew up. And it actually didn't hurt as much as I thought it would…but I am a pessimistic so that can't be taken into account. So that's that.
Oh…and finally changing to the important stuff I found things for my room. Damn, I can actually stay inside the four walls and feel as if I'm not on a school even if Selphie says it is too solemn. She actually wanted to put pink walls.
I said that if she got near my room with pink paint, that was not frilly but hell it was one of my worst nightmares, I was going to lock her in a broom closet with a Grat. She shut up in time for me not to hear what she wanted to do with the yellow paint she had been talking about. Quistis, unfortunately, didn't.
I was wrong. She is bloody worse than Lugh. I got a flimsy scratch and she dragged me to the infirmary. Or infernory as I dubbed it. The Doc said something about staying for observation and I did the only thing possible. Bribed Selphie.
So now I am Ariadne Beckerman, Seed from Galbadia Garden and member of the Garden Committee of Balamb.
In short and understandable words…I'm fucking doomed.
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3rd Person POV
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- "You are well from what I can see, Commander" – Informed the Doctor with a kind smile – "You just take it easy for a while so that your body doesn't start getting strained with all the magic it has been forced to use. We will just do a couple more examinations and then you can go." – She ignored his frown and made him sit in front of her desk as she walked around the office in search of Hyne-knew-what.
– "Doctor Kadowaki?" – A girl's head appeared through the barely opened door in concern – "Sorry Doctor, Commander" – She said to both – "But we need your help outside Doctor. One of the younger ones got injured while in the training center. I'm not sure if anything is wrong besides the obvious." – Kadowaki sighed – "One day can't pass without that happening. Wait for me a moment Squall, while I go see what's wrong" – He didn't say anything.
Most of his thoughts were on the announcement the headmaster had made earlier to the whole Garden. The one were he was made Commander without a question, without a word of request…his knuckles closed and only his gloves stopped any damage. With a barely contained sigh he grabbed distractedly a folder that was in front of him. Under a name he knew well. Ariadne Beckerman.
His frown got deeper as he read the words that had been written probably recently by the Doctor. Until he had to stand up and leave the room in a mood that very few had ever seen on him. – "Squall?" – He ignored the soft voice of Kadowaki as she tried to stop him from leaving. But he did. In his hand was the folder that he had taken from the Doctor.
And here it ends this chapter. More next week my readers so if you really want to read it why don't you let me a message? Advices and opinions are welcome so REEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! (Translation: Review (in begging tones))
Next chapter: Another kind of snooping comes into play in Aria's life…her reaction?...what happens when you join Potassium with water?