It's Our Different Standpoints That Separate Us (Final Fantasy VIII)

Prologue?

My first day at Balamb Garden, and I've been left in the hands of a student named Seifer Almasy. He was tall with short blonde hair and stunning blue-green eyes. He wore a long grey coat over a blue vest and black pants.

"Don't fall behind." He spared me a glance as the elevator opened and he hurried out, jogging down the stairs. I was a bit confused, nevertheless I followed him at a similar pace.

It wasn't much of a tour, seeing as he merely told me what was where and whatnot. However, when we approached a hall with green trimming, we stopped.

"This is the Training Center." His grin sent shivers down my spine. Without even asking, he led me down the hall and into the said place. It appeared to be similar to a jungle, with trees, vines, and plants all around us. However, it was also easy to tell that it was artificial -- a part of the Garden.

"Show me your weapon." He demanded, looking at me with a curious glint in his eyes. Doing as I was told, I pulled out my two piece pole and showed it to him.

A smirk appeared on his face and he began to laugh, which bewildered me. Was there a problem with my weapon?

I never found out why Seifer had laughed that day. Although, I learned a lot about him. He was very skilled at fighting with his gunblade; however, his cockiness in battle was his weakness. Determination was by far his best quality.

I remember him saying, "The way I see it, as long as you make it out of a battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."

~~~~~

Not long after I enrolled at Balamb Garden I was recruited for the Disciplinary Committee. Seifer was set on me joining, to the point that I didn't really have a say in it. The four of us - Seifer, Raijin, Fujin, and I - were soon good friends, and I noticed how inseparable they were from Seifer. Just by the way they acted around him, I was able to tell how much they looked up to him and respected him.

It wasn't long before I was the same way.

~~~~~

Thia