Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ He is a She ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: He is a She

 

Being dressed in his usual trenchcoat and Hyperion's chest by his side, Seifer wasn't very surprised when everybody recognized him not only because of his factions.

 

The new cadets prefer to pretend they hadn't see him at all, it seemed, even the kids seemed to recognized the tall guy that had just entered the library. All of them were dress in casual clothes and most of them carry their own weapon, while the rest had already chosen the ones that Garden provided. Probably those cadets had arrived before the others and had the chance to choose. However, Seifer didn't notice any gunblade. It wasn't really surprising; it was a popular weapon but not in use.

 

“Did you heard about the soldier that will be training here?” he suddenly heard

“You mean Jenvian, the guy that escort Edea?”

“Yeah, I think is that one” said the first

“Rumors said that he save Edea from being killed by rebels. He jumped on her right before she was hit by a dagger” said a third “Even thought he had been hurt in his shoulder blade, he was able to defeat the rebel”

“Still, I don't like the fact that he is here. Is he something like another Sorceress's Knight?”

“Don't even say so! Just imagine what would happened if he goes mad like Seifer Almasy!”

 

Seifer only rolled his eyes, not exactly because of the commentary, but because of being compared. Still, he was somehow surprised there was someone else who had served Edea in a certain way he had.

 

Even thought she had apologized in public for her actions, there were still rebels that wanted her death, same as him. He had also apologized but there were still some people that show indifference towards him. Until now, however, nobody had tried to kill him as it had happened with Edea.

 

“Wonder if that Jenvian has a girlfriend” he heard some girls. Hmm, it seemed that the guy was more famous than he thought

“Ugh, forget it. Most soldiers turn out to be gays for sharing so much time among other men” said another girl

“Oh, you're exaggerating!”

“It's weird. Nobody knows how he looks like and he hasn't introduce himself”

 

He suddenly felt very curious about this Jenvian, in any other occasion he wouldn't give it a damn who they talked about. It seemed to be the subject of the moment. From what he remembered, new students usually talked among themselves what motivated them to apply for SeeDs, about the homes they left behind... now he could hear Jenvian here, Jenvian there and Jenvian over there. More than fascinated, people spoke with a certain fear even thought it was known that Edea was no longer a Sorceress; the idea of another Knight scared everybody. They had already experienced with Seifer.

 

Suddenly he spot her, making all his thought flew out of his mind and his eyes only concentrating in her. Short black hair tied in a small ponytail, some hairs on her face and dressed in black pants, white top, a denim vest, black boots and half-arm wrist holders of the same color. She was sitting in one of the tables with a pair of katanas placed on her lap, waiting for whoever was supposed to come to do it and say what he or she had to say.

 

Seifer sense something strange on her. He walked towards her and she didn't seem to notice him. Seifer stand near her and placed his gunblade's case abruptly on the table, achieving to make her look at him. But he froze when he stare at her eyes closely. They were crystal blue, like Shiva's ice. He felt petrified the moment he saw them and how they were piercing into his soul… he noticed he wasn't the only one who seemed to be surprised, it suddenly was as if she realized the way she was looking at him and she shifted her gaze away.

 

“You could at least have said hi, you know?” said Seifer, and he mentally kicked himself. The girl didn't know him, how was she supposed to react?! Throw herself into his arms as the princess that finally founded her prince charming?!

 

Before anything else could happen, Xu appeared and asked for attention. Seifer didn't put attention to what they were saying, since they started talking, he knew they were explaining the rules inside Garden. He knew them well, after he had been head of the Disciplinary Committee.

 

“Head know to the Training Center where you shall meet Instructor Treepe and wait for next indications” ordered Xu and the students did as they were told. Seifer saw that the girl got on her feet and walked towards the entrance. Before she left, she seemed to peek over her shoulder to where he was still standing, but then she walked out. Not really understanding this attitude of her and his need to speak with the girl, Seifer took Hyperion and went after her, but as soon as he stepped out of the Library, Irvine Kinneas stopped him.

 

“Hey, Seifer, good to see ya' around!” he greet him “How's it going?”

“Until now great, but if I don't get to the Training Center, Quistis is gonna have my head” he said, peeking over Irvine's shoulder, seeing the girl walking away. Irvine seemed to notice that the blond man wasn't really paying attention to him, so he turned around and realized what Seifer was looking at. Then he looked at the other man with a wide grin.

 

“You already saw her quite close, didn't you? Gotta admit she's such a beauty”

“Irvine, everything that has boobs and wears a skirt is a beauty for you” said Seifer

“Not everything, I've already made some mistakes when I trust in the first sights, trust me”

“I could have lived without that information”, which made the cowboy laugh. Seifer had started to walk to Training Center but Irvine caught up.

 

“By the way, have ya' already met this Jenvian guy?”

“Don't tell me you don't know who he is” went Seifer

“Nope. None of the Orphan Gang, not even Headmaster Cid, still he mentioned the world needs SeeDs like him”

“What makes him think that?”

“You should know this is not the first time rebels try to kill Edea. No matter how many times she apologizes, they want her death. Why, I don't know. It's said that Jenvian was her escort since before the second Sorceress War. But to our trip to Esthar, he had to be with the other soldiers”

“You talked with her?”

“Squall and the Headmaster did, yet she didn't tell them who he is. Nobody ever expected that he would risk his own life to save her. Edea didn't even noticed the guy that throw her the dagger, she was backwards when she suddenly saw herself in the floor and Jenvian above her”

“So, he risked his life to safe her when he could have used magic or just shoot at the bastard?”

“Headmaster Cid thinks this guy will be a great element for SeeD, thanks to his military training. I have my doubts, thought”

“Who wouldn't, I bet you that in the whole history of Garden, there had never been someone that has been on the army before. Still, there's something that doesn't make sense to me. You said the guy was her escort even since before the war, but I don't ever remember seeing or hearing about him”

“Both of you protected her; maybe this guy became second place with your arrival. And also remember there was a fight, he had to comply with his soldier's duties” conclude Irvine and he realized they had arrived the Training Center “Better get going or Quistis will also have my head” and he walked away

 

Seifer was just about to get inside when he heard Irvine from the other side of the hall saying “You have to tell later me how it went!”

 

The blond rolled his eyes thinking of the most logical thing that the cowboy thought. “How did this guy ever made it into SeeD?” he said to himself as he enter the place and realized they had divided in four groups.

 

Those who had choose Garden's weapons were receiving a lecture of each one, mainly to help them choose the best for their abilities, Seifer deduced that the group that had no weapons at all and was mainly formed by what would be the Junior Class had opted for martial arts.

 

//I want to see Chicken-wuss dealing with the bunch of brats// thought Seifer knowing the hyper blond would be in charge of giving such class. There was another group, smaller compared to the others and males in majority that carried guns with them. Irvine was certainly taking that group, being the excellent sniper he was.

 

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and realized it was Quistis.

 

“Glad to see you're back”

“Ok, am I going to die or something and that's why you are being so nice with me?” went Seifer, which made the blonde laugh

“Seifer, even when you did all those things, doesn't changes the matter you also grew up with us, you're part of our family”

“Well, now that you explain it that way, I understand I'm the black sheep”, and Quistis laughed again

“Come on, let's join the group”

 

The both walked to the remaining group, Seifer noticed there were no kids at all. He then understood why, those were the ones that had brought their own hand weapons. However, he didn't notice the different weapons that they had. He immediately spotted the girl he had seen in the library.

 

He did saw her katanas more closely. They seemed to be shorter than the regular katana he knew, and instead of each blade in once case separately, they were in a same one, one handle up and the other down. He was trying to figure out how she carried with such and fight when Quistis started to speak.

 

“The purpose of this practice is to see your fighting abilities with your weapons. Besides evaluating the handling of it, speed and evading will be also tested. You'll be paired with another cadet for this, so prepare your weapons. We'll start evaluating since the very moment you take out your weapon and attack or defend, understand?”

 

Seifer took out Hyperion from its chest; it hadn't been very long since he last used it. At the same time, he wondered with who he would be paired up, since for obvious reasons, he was in a higher fighting level compared to them, even when they knew how to use their weapons, they probably hadn't experienced a real combat, even if this was just a practice. Also, he was taller and stronger too.

 

He tried to guess who Jenvian was, but none of the guys looked like they were on the army. The actually look more like citizens, especially ones that came from rich families, which actually was a very rare case to see such people in Garden. Most of the time it was to follow a family tradition, but now it seemed to be different.

 

Seifer's eyes once again caught the girl he had been seeing before. She had take off her vest and the case was now placed in her back and she seemed to be tying some thin straps in the front to a silver ring which was exactly where her ribs join. Another strap made its way up to then divide in two that will surround her neck, the other two came from the back and he deduced she had to adjusted them in a way that will make the case keep still but at the same time, she could move freely.

 

“All right, ready for the practice” suddenly interrupted Xu

 

Seifer didn't even paid attention to who they name, he actually begin to analyze each cadet. Quistis and Xu had to be nuts to have paired one of the guys with him. Hell, he just had to push them lightly to win.

 

He didn't put attention to any of the fights, he actually couldn't understand why he was doing this; it was ridiculous. These kids had never experienced the true feeling of fighting, what was to encounter a true enemy. He even felt more stupid for watching such spectacle when the first two girls had to fight. Well, if what they were doing could be call fighting.

 

Luckily time passed quickly. That or he was so concentrated in his thoughts that he didn't notice when the last fight had ended.

 

“Ok, we now have” read Quistis “Seifer and… Danielle?” thing that make her look at Xu confused “Are you serious?”

“Leftovers” she shrugged her shoulders

“Oh, great, because you didn't find a match for me you paired me up with a girl?”

“I'm taking the challenge” he suddenly heard. He was very surprised when he realized it was the girl of the katanas.

“I don't think it's a good idea” tried to warn her Quistis

“I used to practice with guys of similar anatomy, but do what you think best”

“Instructor, it's the first day, I'm not in the mood for a detention because I make her cry” tell Seifer to Quistis

“Means: I'm afraid she can win” added Danielle, commentary that earned her a menacing look from Seifer.

 

“Have you looked yourself in a mirror?” he went “Or they are too tall for you to see yourself in them?”

“You should never guide by first impressions, you know?”

“And you should never try to act brave when you know you can't handle the situation”

“I'm not acting brave; I know what I'm doing”

“Oh, so you know what you're doing” mocked the blond “Let me see if I understand: you, a girl, about 5' 1” of height, maybe even shorter, won't go to the weight subject `cause then you women get mad, armed with a pair of kitchen knifes wants to fight me, a 6' tall guy, a lot more heavier than you seem to be and armed with a powerful weapon. That's suicide”

“You wanna give me a motive to get you starting?”

“What? You're gonna start whining asking me to please fight you?”

“You know, Seifer” suddenly interrupted Quistis “I think you should fight her”

“Instructor, you can't be serious about it” went the blond

“Danielle seems to be very experienced; I don't think she's speaking just because” added Xu “Just give it a try”

 

Seifer sighed knowing he didn't have a way out. “If she ends in the infirmary, it will be her own fault” warned Seifer as he got ready.

“Seifer, you shall attack first to evaluate her speed drawing out her weapon” told him Xu and she then look at Danielle “Hands at your sides, your first move shall be evading the attack or stopping it”

“Oh, and Seifer” said Quistis “No scars this time, please?”

 

//They can't be serious// thought the blond rolling his eyes. She looked so decided to fight against him. //Well, then I'll give her what she's asking for//

 

“Start”

 

Seifer jumped with Hyperion raised high. Danielle waited for the exact moment and quickly drew out her katanas and stopped the blow. Not really noticing the surprised expressions of those who were around them, they continue to fight.

 

He was surprised the way she could moved the blades as if she was moving a coin between her fingers. They didn't even notice their battle arena had increased. They were so concentrated on the battle that the students had to jump into their feet to get out of their way.

 

Danielle suddenly crouched and sweep Seifer's feet making him fall. The blond jumped back on his feet and attack before Danielle could.

 

“I think we should stop them” said Xu to Quistis

“Once he starts, there's no way you can stop Seifer” replied the blond “This girl seems to be with the same idea, so I'm all ears if you have a plan”

 

Seifer cast Firaga and Danielle realized it too late. The spell threw her a good distance away from her adversary, in the way she lost one of her katanas. She opened her eyes ready to get on her feet, but she realized there was a blade placed in her throat.

 

“Its over and I win”

“You haven't won because it's not over” she smiled. She kicked Seifer's leg making him bend at the pain; this will give her time to reincorporate. However, Seifer seemed to notice this and tried to stop her by thrusting Hyperion in the ground to stop her. However, she was able to roll before the gunblade could stop her, but the tip of the weapon reached her shoulder anyways.

 

Thinking this as the true victory, Seifer was ready to give the final blow, but she was still going to fight. She kicked Seifer in his stomach and she then jumped back to her feet. Before Seifer could even think of attacking her, she decided to use her best trick.

 

She traced some patterns in the air and a dragon appeared behind her. The creature formed an energy ball and fired it towards the blond, who did his best to protect himself from the blow. Once it was gone, Danielle once again charged towards him and Seifer did the same. However, Seifer suddenly felt a hit in his hands that made him release Hyperion and the same thing happened with Danielle, both weapons fell near one from another thrusting in the ground. Both of them look to where the blow had come from, it was Squall with his Lionheart.

 

He had arrived to the Training Center along with Zell looking for Quistis and Xu. He found them watching what seemed to be an intense battle between Seifer and a new student. The other groups had even already joined the public watching the spectacle. Quistis gave him the details of what happened when they suddenly saw Danielle casting a GF. Since they were now taking it very seriously, he decided to stop them.

 

“I think its enough already”

“No it isn't, so let us finish this”

“I said is enough, Seifer” insisted Squall “I know how much you hate to leave things undone, but I don't want any students killing between them”

 

The commander looked at Quistis and Xu. “Take the other students to the second floor, I shall send these two later”. Both SeeDs guided the cadets out of the Training Center, leaving only Seifer and Danielle at the mercy of Squall. First thing the brunet did was check the bleeding shoulder of the girl. “Doesn't seems that bad, but I prefer you make a visit to the Infirmary” Then he looked at Seifer and just cast Curaga on him, he didn't seem to be as bad as her.

 

“You should already know that the use of attack Magic is forbidden, Seifer. As for you,” and he look at Danielle “the same goes for the use of GFs. If this happens again, you shall be disciplined by such actions. Understand?” and Danielle nodded.

 

“Seifer?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know”

 

Squall just rolled his eyes and then he looked at Zell “Take her to the infirmary and then escort them to the second floor” and he walked out.

 

He waited for them to gather their stuff and they walked out of Training Center and into the infirmary.

 

“Zell, it's good to see you” greet him Kadowaki “What can I do for you?”

“She needs medical attention. Got hurt during battle” replied the short blond and Kadowaki looked at the two youth that were behind him

“Seifer, it has been a while” smiled the doctor and she then went with the girl “But yours is a face I haven't seen before”

“I'm new here” replied the girl as she took off the case of her back, flinching a bit when she moved her shoulder

“Well, I never had a new student in the very first day” laughed the older woman as she checked the injury “How did this happen?”

“Battle with him” replied the youth signaling Seifer

“Should have known. It's not that bad really, but I prefer it heals in the traditional way than with magic. It will be few days” replied the doctor as she took out from a drawer some cotton and gauze.

 

After cleaning the injury and bandaging, Kadowaki said “By the way, want to tell your name for me?”

“Danielle”

“Well, Danielle, I'm Dr. Kadowaki. I'm not here only as a doctor but also as a counselor, so don't doubt in coming if you ever need some advice or you want to talk, ok?”

“I'll have it in mind, thank you”

 

The three youths left the infirmary and made their way to the elevator. As soon as they got inside, Danielle rested her back in one of the walls and sat down, closing her eyes for some brief moments and the elevator started to go up.

 

“Hey, are you ok?” asked Zell concerned

“I'm just a bit tired”

“Be gentle with her, Chickie, I just beat her some moments ago” said Seifer, Zell send him a menacing glare

“Wait a second” went Danielle as she got on her feet “I was the one beating your pitiful ass when the commander arrived and stopped us”

“Uh, guys...” said Zell

“You were beating my ass? You only have luck because you summoned that GF”

“Really, are you sure about it? And who was the bastard that used Firaga on me, huh?!”

“Who are you calling bastard, you excuse of teenager?!”

“Guys”

“At least people don't pity me for almost destroy the world!!”

“Why you little...!”

 

She hit his weak spot. Seifer hated when people remind him of what happened in Ultimecia. Eventually, he had been the one to do all those bad things, but he wasn't even acting on his own free will. And he wasn't going to tolerate it from her.

 

Seifer was about to grab from her neck when Zell got in the middle separating them. “This is not the time and the place” he said as he pushed them apart, however, there suddenly was a blow in his face that threw him to the floor.

 

The elevator had come to a stop and the doors open. “Ow” went Zell as he got on his feet and he looked at Danielle “Why you did that?”

“Why do you think?” she replied, a deep blush tinting her cheeks, arms crossed over her chest

 

Zell had only stopped them from fighting. What he did wrong? He just got in the middle and pushed them-wait, he had felt something quite soft… Oops.

 

“Oh, fuck! I'm sorry” he tried to apologize as he got redder than her. Danielle didn't even want to hear him; she just turned around and walked out of the elevator.

 

“Oh great” sighed Zell looking at the floor. He then heard Seifer chuckled.

 

“Well, I knew there had to be something dark in you but I never thought it was to grope girls in public”

“Fuck off”

“Come on, you don't kiss your mom with that mouth, do you?”

“Seifer, none of this would have happen if you had keep your mouth shut”

“Hey, there's no need to get mad” replied the taller youth as he walked out of the elevator “It's getting late and I better go and see were should I be sleeping. See you later, Chicken-groper”

“Fuck you, shit head!” exclaimed Zell totally pissed

“Now that was the reaction I wanted! Thanks for making my day!” he chuckled and then walked away.

 

He entered the classroom the moment Xu, Quistis and Squall had just arrived. “Your luggage has been taken to your assigned room. Only under certain circumstances, room and roommates can't be changed. You're not allowed to have pets and you're not allowed to be in other's dorms after passed hours, in which only the Training Center is open. Nocturne training is by your own risk, understand?” and everybody make clear they had understand.

 

“Report to the Headmaster, omit the incident at the Training Center, I shall be the one to tell him about such” tell her Squall

“I need the written report later of the arrangement, ok?” and then she left.

 

“Tomorrow you shall be given your uniforms and schedules, and the next day classes will begin” continued Quistis “You may leave as soon as you hear you're call”

 

She looked at the list she was carrying and started to name the students. “Dovan a Telven” Two boys walked to the front of the classroom. “Mariko and Haley” Two girls repeat the same action and the naming continued.

-Some time later…-

 

“Almasy and Jenvian” Everybody seemed to hold their breaths. Finally, they were going to meet the guy. However, nobody expected to hear a female voice asking “Why have I been paired with a guy?”