Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 8 > Thy Forsaken Soul: Disturbance it the Peaceful Era
Disturbance in the Peaceful Era:
Disclaimer:
I don't own Final Fantasy VIII. Original characters and names belong to me. All names and characters relating to Final fantasy belong to Square-Enix.
Chapter V – Rivalry:
Peaceful Era 17, July 6th, 0900
One month had past and all students exams had been completed, marked and returned. All students that scored lower than fifty percent had been dismissed from Garden's register and all cadets over fifteen years of age with average test scores of seventy five percent or more had been accepted for SeeD candidateship.
Any students still classed as cadets were released from Garden either into the civilian world or through an exchange to a military organization, quite often the Galbadian army. This gives students five years to attain the rank of rookie SeeD, the second lowest rank in SeeD, the lowest being WeeD – a probationary SeeD.
Since Rookies and WeeDs were the lowest ranking SeeDs, they received the second lowest salaries in Garden, the lowest going to Faculty and other staff, the highest went to officers and administrators.
Like all military forces, the most money went to those with desk jobs, they took it from those who really earned it, those who fight on the front lines, those who handle the missions and generate Garden's real source of income. This was mostly true however, most of Garden's income disappeared and slipped strait through into the deep pockets of the Garden Master.
Raijin once again, had managed a fifty percent test score average. This allowed him to stay at Garden, but didn't give him the right to take the SeeD exam. This of course was nothing new. In fact, Raijin had scored a test average of fifty percent every year since he first arrived. It was not laziness however, that kept him behind but his inability to think the right thoughts at the right moment. That was his problem, that is why he would always be a part of a posse, never a leader, never a SeeD.
Zell and Seifer however, passed with flying colours. Even Squall managed to scrape by, only just getting over the bar. His unusually high sense of optimism, it seemed had paid off. As for Seifer's other tag-along friend, Fujin as usual passed with no less than perfection. She received a one hundred percent average. She was, after all the brains of Seifer's posse; the disciplinary committee. She rarely scored less than ninety five percent and quite often got the full ten out of ten perfect score. Needless to say, she was always top of the class but never let it bloat her head with illusions of greatness. She had talents but knew her place, for a student in Garden; this was the perfect combination.
The semester had run long a week. Today was Friday the sixth and it was the last day of the semester. That made it registration day for next semester. All students had to pick their preferred classes and instructors.
As usual, most students checked the box for Instructor Trepe wherever it was applicable and Squall felt sure he was the only student to actually read the description for each class. He didn't give a damn what instructor he got, as long as he passed.
For the most part, Squall picked the same classes that he already took, but one level up. Advanced Physics split into various sub-courses such as Nuclear Physics – a long since dead science, Para Physics – the study of the science behind magic, monsters and other abnormal phenomenon. Squall chose General Physics. He also dropped History and Garden Study for Advanced Battle tactics and Advanced swordsmanship.
Squall finished checking the boxes on his terminal. He touched his finger to the touchpad and moved it around. As he did so, the on screen cursor moved about, mimicking the movement of his finger on the pressure-sensitive touchpad. This was the next best thing to touch screens. Everyone knew that Headmaster Cid wanted to upgrade to touch screens, but the Garden Master had refused time and time again, saying "I'm not made of money, Kramer. Although you'd think I was judging how you toss it about."
Squall placed the cursor over an on-screen push-button labeled 'Done' and pushed the 'select' key. A dialogue box appeared with the message 'are you sure? Y/N" Squall pressed the 'y' key and the registration form was sent to the instructor's terminal.
"...Okay, I think that's everyone." The instructor finally said after about half an hour of waiting. "Anyone who did not get accepted for SeeD candidateship, we'll see you after your two month holiday break. As for everyone else, you'll have to wait. The next month will be the hardest you have ever faced. Seifer," she addressed the arrogant blonde sitting at the back of the class. "You took the SeeD exam last year. It was difficult, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was hard all right. I wudda passed too, but everyone got in the way."
"Well, take it from him. After the final exam, you will have next month for your holiday. Those of you who pass will have an extra month of holiday as a congratulatory gift. those who fail will come back the same time as all other Cadets. This ends the current semester... dismissed."
"YO hacer no beleive ella." Grumbled Balamb Garden's Master in his own language. "Cómo lata esto ser? Racha Leonheart es un fracaso!"
"Err; can I have that in Balambese?" Headmaster Cid asked.
The Master let out a roar. "The Master says that Leonheart is a failure." One of the faculties translated.
"You Interfered, Didn't you Kramer! Don't you deny it, I know you did it!" the headmaster challenged.
"No sir, I did not. I did nothing of the kind. Leonheart just managed to qualify on his own."
"Nonsense!" the Master's bark-like retort rumbled through the dungeon-like throne room. "No one manages to qualify the first time they try."
"What about Almassy? Seifer has been taking the exam every year since he was fifteen. Trepe actually passed it at the age of sixteen."
"Very well then, I'll wager you five hundred Gil that Leonheart fails... and I'll tell you one thing. If he does somehow manage to pass, it's because the examination process is too easy."
A member of the faculty approached Cid and said "Thus concludes today's meeting."
"Rechazar" the Garden Master's reply rumbled throughout the immediate area.
"You can go." The Faculty assured Cid. He departed toward the elevator back up to his office. The opportunity to leave this dark depressing place could never arrive too soon.
In the classroom, squall was about to leave until he heard his own name being called by the last voice he wanted to hear. He turned and met the green eyes of Seifer. He had a very smug look carved onto his face. His upper lip curled into a smirk. "Well, what do you know? Me and Fujin passed once again."
"You haven't passed yet" Squall informed him.
"At least we qualified" was the smart reply. "Sounds like Zell did as well, or does he always run around like that?" Zell had been running laps around garden, a big smile on his face. The thing about this however, was the annoyingly large strides that he took. For three days now, Zell had been doing what was commonly referred to by Seifer as the 'dick walk.'
"I... qualified as well." Squall informed him.
"No you didn't" Seifer argued, his arrogance blinding him from the facts. He raised his fist. There was no one around to stop this fight. He forced his fist forward, tightening it just before impact.
Squall knew what was coming and his instincts took over. Before he realised it, he had blocked Seifer's punch with his unclenched arm. He looked up and saw anger and surprise in Seifer's eyes. "How dare you fight back, you think you can take me on?" He let out a small laugh. "Well then, let's see what you've got."
He threw a couple of jabs Squall's way, both of which were blocked. "What's the point in fighting? Needless combat... it's pointless."
"Just because you know there's no way to beat me."
"Whatever." Squall said as he turned his back on Seifer and began to walk away.
"Don't you turn your back on me," Seifer took a cheap shot and hit Squall from behind. He kneed him in the back, and then seized the opportunity to land a blow to Squalls abdomen.
The blow was enough to distract Squall from any thought. He couldn't think, he couldn't even see. He could feel nothing but the pain from the aggressive attack.
"Squall" Seifer leered down from above, feeling so superior. "We're both taking the SeeD exam now. That makes us rivals. When a rival challenges you, you can't just ignore him. He then walked away, leaving Squall to recover alone in the classroom.
Disclaimer:
I don't own Final Fantasy VIII. Original characters and names belong to me. All names and characters relating to Final fantasy belong to Square-Enix.
Chapter V – Rivalry:
Peaceful Era 17, July 6th, 0900
One month had past and all students exams had been completed, marked and returned. All students that scored lower than fifty percent had been dismissed from Garden's register and all cadets over fifteen years of age with average test scores of seventy five percent or more had been accepted for SeeD candidateship.
Any students still classed as cadets were released from Garden either into the civilian world or through an exchange to a military organization, quite often the Galbadian army. This gives students five years to attain the rank of rookie SeeD, the second lowest rank in SeeD, the lowest being WeeD – a probationary SeeD.
Since Rookies and WeeDs were the lowest ranking SeeDs, they received the second lowest salaries in Garden, the lowest going to Faculty and other staff, the highest went to officers and administrators.
Like all military forces, the most money went to those with desk jobs, they took it from those who really earned it, those who fight on the front lines, those who handle the missions and generate Garden's real source of income. This was mostly true however, most of Garden's income disappeared and slipped strait through into the deep pockets of the Garden Master.
Raijin once again, had managed a fifty percent test score average. This allowed him to stay at Garden, but didn't give him the right to take the SeeD exam. This of course was nothing new. In fact, Raijin had scored a test average of fifty percent every year since he first arrived. It was not laziness however, that kept him behind but his inability to think the right thoughts at the right moment. That was his problem, that is why he would always be a part of a posse, never a leader, never a SeeD.
Zell and Seifer however, passed with flying colours. Even Squall managed to scrape by, only just getting over the bar. His unusually high sense of optimism, it seemed had paid off. As for Seifer's other tag-along friend, Fujin as usual passed with no less than perfection. She received a one hundred percent average. She was, after all the brains of Seifer's posse; the disciplinary committee. She rarely scored less than ninety five percent and quite often got the full ten out of ten perfect score. Needless to say, she was always top of the class but never let it bloat her head with illusions of greatness. She had talents but knew her place, for a student in Garden; this was the perfect combination.
The semester had run long a week. Today was Friday the sixth and it was the last day of the semester. That made it registration day for next semester. All students had to pick their preferred classes and instructors.
As usual, most students checked the box for Instructor Trepe wherever it was applicable and Squall felt sure he was the only student to actually read the description for each class. He didn't give a damn what instructor he got, as long as he passed.
For the most part, Squall picked the same classes that he already took, but one level up. Advanced Physics split into various sub-courses such as Nuclear Physics – a long since dead science, Para Physics – the study of the science behind magic, monsters and other abnormal phenomenon. Squall chose General Physics. He also dropped History and Garden Study for Advanced Battle tactics and Advanced swordsmanship.
Squall finished checking the boxes on his terminal. He touched his finger to the touchpad and moved it around. As he did so, the on screen cursor moved about, mimicking the movement of his finger on the pressure-sensitive touchpad. This was the next best thing to touch screens. Everyone knew that Headmaster Cid wanted to upgrade to touch screens, but the Garden Master had refused time and time again, saying "I'm not made of money, Kramer. Although you'd think I was judging how you toss it about."
Squall placed the cursor over an on-screen push-button labeled 'Done' and pushed the 'select' key. A dialogue box appeared with the message 'are you sure? Y/N" Squall pressed the 'y' key and the registration form was sent to the instructor's terminal.
"...Okay, I think that's everyone." The instructor finally said after about half an hour of waiting. "Anyone who did not get accepted for SeeD candidateship, we'll see you after your two month holiday break. As for everyone else, you'll have to wait. The next month will be the hardest you have ever faced. Seifer," she addressed the arrogant blonde sitting at the back of the class. "You took the SeeD exam last year. It was difficult, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was hard all right. I wudda passed too, but everyone got in the way."
"Well, take it from him. After the final exam, you will have next month for your holiday. Those of you who pass will have an extra month of holiday as a congratulatory gift. those who fail will come back the same time as all other Cadets. This ends the current semester... dismissed."
"YO hacer no beleive ella." Grumbled Balamb Garden's Master in his own language. "Cómo lata esto ser? Racha Leonheart es un fracaso!"
"Err; can I have that in Balambese?" Headmaster Cid asked.
The Master let out a roar. "The Master says that Leonheart is a failure." One of the faculties translated.
"You Interfered, Didn't you Kramer! Don't you deny it, I know you did it!" the headmaster challenged.
"No sir, I did not. I did nothing of the kind. Leonheart just managed to qualify on his own."
"Nonsense!" the Master's bark-like retort rumbled through the dungeon-like throne room. "No one manages to qualify the first time they try."
"What about Almassy? Seifer has been taking the exam every year since he was fifteen. Trepe actually passed it at the age of sixteen."
"Very well then, I'll wager you five hundred Gil that Leonheart fails... and I'll tell you one thing. If he does somehow manage to pass, it's because the examination process is too easy."
A member of the faculty approached Cid and said "Thus concludes today's meeting."
"Rechazar" the Garden Master's reply rumbled throughout the immediate area.
"You can go." The Faculty assured Cid. He departed toward the elevator back up to his office. The opportunity to leave this dark depressing place could never arrive too soon.
In the classroom, squall was about to leave until he heard his own name being called by the last voice he wanted to hear. He turned and met the green eyes of Seifer. He had a very smug look carved onto his face. His upper lip curled into a smirk. "Well, what do you know? Me and Fujin passed once again."
"You haven't passed yet" Squall informed him.
"At least we qualified" was the smart reply. "Sounds like Zell did as well, or does he always run around like that?" Zell had been running laps around garden, a big smile on his face. The thing about this however, was the annoyingly large strides that he took. For three days now, Zell had been doing what was commonly referred to by Seifer as the 'dick walk.'
"I... qualified as well." Squall informed him.
"No you didn't" Seifer argued, his arrogance blinding him from the facts. He raised his fist. There was no one around to stop this fight. He forced his fist forward, tightening it just before impact.
Squall knew what was coming and his instincts took over. Before he realised it, he had blocked Seifer's punch with his unclenched arm. He looked up and saw anger and surprise in Seifer's eyes. "How dare you fight back, you think you can take me on?" He let out a small laugh. "Well then, let's see what you've got."
He threw a couple of jabs Squall's way, both of which were blocked. "What's the point in fighting? Needless combat... it's pointless."
"Just because you know there's no way to beat me."
"Whatever." Squall said as he turned his back on Seifer and began to walk away.
"Don't you turn your back on me," Seifer took a cheap shot and hit Squall from behind. He kneed him in the back, and then seized the opportunity to land a blow to Squalls abdomen.
The blow was enough to distract Squall from any thought. He couldn't think, he couldn't even see. He could feel nothing but the pain from the aggressive attack.
"Squall" Seifer leered down from above, feeling so superior. "We're both taking the SeeD exam now. That makes us rivals. When a rival challenges you, you can't just ignore him. He then walked away, leaving Squall to recover alone in the classroom.
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