Final Fantasy VIII: The Fallen Six

[Zerobanshee]

Raziel looked up, still half asleep, when he noticed an odd faint glimmer of light pacing slowly towards him. Not fully comprehending, he flipped the clatch on his lance, but didn't draw it out. As he seen the glimpse of a dagger, he seen the face of the new girl, the one that couldn't talk very well. What is her name? Cutie? Nah...Cuvie? Yeah, that's it... After noticing it was her, he re-clapsed the lance, and hung his head back down.

"Sowwy for wakin' you up..." He heard, a soft, light voice. Had he not been paying attention, he would've missed it. He merely waved his hand, knowing that she meant no harm.

As the others arrived, Mar began to tell his story, all of which Raziel listened to, but understood only most. The phrase Fallen Six felt odd on his ears. Fallen Six? Haven't heard it...then again, I haven't heard most of the old stories anyways...

As the story finished, everyone began to walk in their daze towards the docking region. Before Raziel noticed where he was going, he suddenly noticed that he was close to Kiyuri, who seemed slightly put out. Changing his pace to match hers, he began to walk beside her.

"Kiyuri, you doing alright?" He asked, matching her stride. She slightly shook her head, and said nothing. Shrugging, Raziel decided to try to change the subject.

"So, how do you feel about this mission?" He asked, stuffing his hands behind his head, entertwining them together.

"I don't like the sound of Sajiira. She scares me..." Kiyuri responded, shaking her head. Raziel nodded, and the images came swirling back.

"Yeah..." He remembered the story, and shuddered. "Sounded pretty sick. No wonder Mar kept the story quiet. I would've, too."

"Yes, especially since they are all top-grade criminals. If word got out he was there, someone might think he would be one of them." Both fell into silence when they began to think of the high-class fighters they might have to face. Seeing as I am a newbie, and this is an assassination, this will be one long, exhaustable mission. Raziel thought, inwardly groaning in his ill fate.

Contiuing on the walk, Raziel decided to ask another question, remembering that Kiyuri knew Isken better than he did. "So, what do you think of Isken's father?" He asked, wondering what opinion she held for him.

"I never knew what kind of person raised Isken. I would've thought they would've been the same, if you ask me." Kiyuri responded, a look of faint disgust lining her eyes. "I am not suprised, though, that he saved Mar."

"Yeah, Mar seems grateful, too. As for me..." Raziel thumbed himself in the chest, "I'm just happy to be a SeeD. I didn't expect to be on a mission so early, but I'm glad to see someone I know here, as well." Waving his hand toward's Kiyuri, he smiled.

"Yeah, glad you made it, too." Kiyuri seemed almost suprised as she said this, and blushed a little. Raziel, looking in a different direction, didn't notice.

"So, know anything about Winhill?"

At this question, Kiyuri seemed to shut down. Her eyes casting downward, she folded her arms against herself, and slown her pace down, so Raziel had to slow down to stay in pace. "Yeah, I used to live there, with my mom."

"Do you talk to her much?" Raziel asked, truely interested. Having almost no recollections about his conversations with family, he was interested in what people said and spoken about with their family.

"No, not much. Everynow and then..."

"Why not?"

"Ever since dad died, we kinda drifted apart." Kiyuri shrunk even deeper into herself, her eyes now dark with a lack of interest.

Raziel got the hint. Leaning further back, too, he stretched his back out, and yawned.

"Raziel..." Kiyuri started, glancing toward's him. "What about you? Do you have any family...?"

It was Raziel's turn to grow dim. As he leaned back, he shook his head. "No, they all passed away. Both my parents..." He drew his hand across his chest, neck, face and left arm. "A fire took them away from me, when I was around seven..." Raziel began to remember the nightmares, and shuddered. Closing his hand around his face, he turned slightly away, trying not to lose his composure.

"Sorry..." She stated, lowering her eyes again.

"It's fine." Raziel shrugged. "I was sent to an orphanage, and from there I went to the Garden. I was raised in Timber, and that was also where the Orphanage was."

"Is that how you got your scars?" Kiyuri asked, tracing in mid-air the scars that Raziel bore.

"Oh, yeah. Seton, my phoenix, saved me from the fire." With a flick of his wrist, Raziel continued, "And we've been together ever since. They're ugly, aren't they?" Raziel looked downward, at the reasons why he was never adopted. The looks on adults' faces were always the same. They didn't come to orphanages to adopt broken children; they wanted healthy looking boys and girls.

"I've never thought them ugly." Kiyuri again blushed at her honesty, and looked away. "I always knew everyone wasn't perfect. For you, it is more obvious than others."

Raziel smiled, laughing inside at this. He couldn't help but wonder why she was one of the few who wasn't intimidated by his scars. The one on his face, and chest were usually the ones that drew most attention. Running a hand through his hair, a habit of his when he thought, he tried to bounce reasons inside his mind as to why she would say something like that.

"So, why were you quiet earlier?" Kiyuri asked. "Before Mar visited, and told us of the mission. You were sitting, alone and quiet. Why?"

In responce, Raziel pulled out the letter from his pocket, handing it over. "Here," He said. "It's a note from Timber. It seems like another person close to me has left..." Raziel again began to feel alone, and struggled with his thoughts. Fighting his worries, he was still hurt by the contents, and was still bouncing ideas. Above all, he wondered why he was able to open up so easily to Kiyuri, and wondered why it was so easy to talk with her.

Slowly, the ship came into view, dispersing from the mist. Everyone grew silent, cautiousness and anxiety weighting down upon their shoulders. Raziel again ran a hand through his hair, goosebumps running down his spine.

Slowly, Raziel entered the ship, followed closely by Kiyuri. As they made their way into the ship, the Captain pointed them into a Waiting Room. "Squad, you will wait here. You are allowed to talk amongst each other, at least until dawn. Once that time period strikes, you will be briefed, and then your mission will begin. Good luck." With that in mind, Raziel crashed into a couch, Kiyuri landing softly next to him.

[Sato Arashi]

Calverd sat at a bench, half listening, half not to Mar’s story. Anyone’s personal story wasn’t within Calverd’s interests, only the mission. Calverd laid his feet on his sword, which is protruding on the ground, blade down, and interprets what was important out of the story. After Mar finished his story, Calverd broke his trance of thought and got up, taking his sword out of the ground. He starts to walk on his way to the docks as he lays his sword on his back. Calverd glances around at his teammates, to see Raziel among them. Calverd knew that Raziel wanted to talk to him but it didn’t seem the time to do so now, but more pressing concerns took in priority. It was about his dream he had a while ago.

Calverd found himself somewhere else. It felt like he was in a realm of darkness and everything was black. He felt like he was suspending in the air, though there was something beneath him to stand on. Calverd looks around at his surroundings, nothing, nothing but blackness. He took a step forward when a fireball came at him; he dodges to the left immediately when he saw it coming. After he recovered, he got back up and looks at the direction that the fireball came from. Calverd grabs his sword from his back and held it to the side, holding the hilt between his fingers, supporting the cross hilt with his palm. Another object came at him, this time, a ball of ice. Calverd spun around with his sword, raised it above him, and slams down, cutting it in half. In the general direction, a silhouette appeared. The silhouette raised its arms up and lightning crackled. Calverd looks up and backflips at the moment lightning shot down. He looks up at the silhouette with confusion. He no doubt, is facing a sorcerer, a potential threat too. Calverd began to run at the sorcerer with his sword ready. A fireball began to form in its hand and shot at Calverd. Calverd jumps up to dodge the fireball, and prepares to slam down at the sorcerer with his sword, though it dodged the strike. Calverd immediately swings to the side, and to its surprise, the sorcerer disappeared.

“Hey Calverd, wake up!” A voice shouted. Calverd snapped out and turns to person that woke him up. It was Raziel. “You alright?” Raziel asked. Calverd calmed down, it seemed adrenaline was rushing in his blood. He shakes his head.

“Yes, it’s nothing.” Calverd replied back. Raziel patted on Calverd’s shoulder.

“Alright then...um, sorry for falling asleep on our meeting.” Raziel gave a smile, and shrugged.

“No, it’s alright, I understand that we needed our sleep after the field exams.” Calverd closed his eyes and nodded. Raziel ran a hand through his hair.

“You’re here for the mission Mar gave us right?” Raziel asked. Calverd opened his eyes and looks at Raziel with an obvious expression.

“If I wasn’t in for the mission, I wouldn’t be here at all.” Calverd spoke in a worried tone. Raziel shrugged.

“True, anyways, glad to see you aboard.” Raziel grinned and waved as he ran back to a girl, Kiyuri.