A Knight's Dream

A Knight’s Dream

Prologue

The summer had come to an end and now we faced the hardest mission of our lives. We were ordered to infiltrate the prestigious Balamb Garden. Working for King Laguna had not always been a difficult job, but once he found his son and daughter, things changed. Our orders were to keep our eyes on Squall Loire, although he still called himself Squall Leonhart. A weird way to use the top two agents in Esthar, but we were the only qualified people that our King could trust. Our other mission was to keep our eyes on Squall’s fiancee, the sorceress, Rinoa Heartily. My personal mission, was however, different. I was to evaluate Seifer Almasy, but that was something that I thought would come much later. Now, my twin brother and I were on our way to catch up to the countless students headed towards Balamb Garden. Commanders Hope and Shadow Lockhart; students, how humiliating.


Chapter One

“First Impressions”


As we walked up to the front gate of Balamb Garden, Shadow fidgeted, uncomfortable in our surroundings, but I knew it was something else that plagued his mind. ”Um, sis, promise me that being a SeeD won’t change you…” He said, his voice showing an amount of concern that I hadn’t heard in years.

I actually laughed. “Shadow, I am, first and foremost, Laguna’s Commander. Being a SeeD under his son will not change me.” I said, calmly blowing off his concern. It scared me, and that is something that I would not admit, even to my twin.

“Yeah, but what if we get stationed separately…and they put you with Commander Seifer Almasy?” He said, getting to the root of my suspicions.

I ignored him and concentrated on the road at my feet, it showed cracks from the many years that it had been tread upon.

“Hope?” he asked as we reached the front gate entrance.

The security guard in charge was processing nearly three hundred new students aged from five to eighteen. We were around the middle of the line and we had a little while before the man would reach us. I thought about how many of the oldest people in this very line would be turned down as SeeDs.

“Seifer was nineteen when he became a SeeD.” my brother said, in-tune with my very thoughts thanks to Dr. Odine. I put up a mental wall to keep him out and continued to think.

‘A lot of these eighteen year olds won’t make it through the semester, And even more won’t be made SeeDs…I understand why they try, but it seems crude to accept them as adults when you normally have to be five to begin your studies. Thank god that we already qualify as SeeDs, all that awaits Shad and me is the written exam.’ I thought quietly, stepping forward mechanically. All that time I spent thinking had brought us to the front of the line.

“Name, age, place of origin, and entry or transfer.” the guard said in a monotone voice.

“Hope Lockhart, seventeen, Esthar, and Transfer.” I said softly but still loud enough for those around me to take notice and send ripples of talk through the remaining line. The guard looked shocked for a moment, but then he regained his composure and waved me through.

“Miss, a moment, is this boy with you as well?” he asked when he noticed Shadow. I turned around and smiled.

“He’s Shadow Lockhart, seventeen, and my twin, so yes, he’s with me.” I said, again causing the crowd to murmur in disbelief. I saw countless entries whispering to their friends. I saw many but only heard one, a girl around my own age. She was standing right behind Shadow and she made sure that I was able to hear her.

“WOW!! We even have to deal with the Bitches from Esthar. As if we don’t have enough to deal with already.”

It took all my military training to hold me back, if I hadn’t been in Laguna’s army for seven years, I would have broken her jaw. As it was, the Front Gate guard motioned for someone standing in the shadows behind him.

From those shadows stepped Seifer Almasy, Lieutenant Commander of SeeD. The crowd hushed as he approached the girl. “Miss, we do not accept prejudice here. Miss Lockhart may be from Esthar, but unlike you, she at least knows how to be friendly to people from different backgrounds and places.”

As he finished speaking, the two other members of the Disciplinary Committee walked to stand behind him. Raijin and Fujin; Seifer’s best friends and confidants.

“Raijin, Fujin, escort this little girl to Headmaster Cid’s office,” Seifer began and waited as they took a hold of the girl and led her past Shadow and myself and into Garden, “Miss Lockhart, if I may have a word?” he said and turned to face me.

I let a lock of my silvery-black hair fall across my face as I looked down. I glanced to Shadow and questioned his mind but I got no information. So, I walked to where Seifer was standing. He firmly grasped my shoulder and towed me half-way across the Garden Entrance, to the Snow field. When we reached a certain distance, he turned me to face him.

“That display of discipline was feeble at best, you almost took her head off, but that is not why I asked to speak with you.” He said and awaited my interjection. But, I wasn’t going to interrupt him so I kept my silence, after all, he was right. I nodded so that he knew I followed him. He was unshaken by my silence, so he went on.

“I really pulled you apart because I was told to inform you that were to be set apart from your twin in processing. Your brother is to be put into the political strategy classes, and you are to become a teacher as soon as you pass your written exam.” He said, his voice taking on the annoyed tone of someone who didn’t like his orders.

“Why me?” I asked quietly. He seemed surprised that I had questioned my orders.

“I don’t know, I’m not Squall.” he said with unhidden disgust in his voice.

I smiled and looked up at him. “Okay then, I’ll re-phrase my question. Where am I to be assigned to as a teacher?” I said boldly, making him laugh.

“I think we’re going to be close friends. You’re being assigned to Galbadia Garden. Your brother is going to remain here with Squall.” He said with a half smile/ half smirk on his face.

I laughed and smiled at him. “Well we should be, I’m also a gunblade specialist.” I told him smiling, that one statement made his clear jade eyes light up. He threw an arm around me and we walked back to the long line at the front gate.

When we got there, we found that a fight had broken out, one that not even Raijin and Fujin could handle.

He locked eyes with me and grinned. “Lets see how you do with civilians.”

I grinned and pulled out my .33 caliber trainer. He pulled out his Hyperion and we waded into the fight. I pulled at least twelve kids apart in the first five minutes. When I reached the center of the fight, I saw Seifer locked hilt to hilt with a gunblader that had yet to be processed. I approached the new girl from behind and locked her arms to her sides by wrapping my arms around hers. She struggled as her gunblade dropped to the ground with a clang, but when she saw Seifer pick it up, she stopped. While I held her still, Seifer appraised the crowd. Half of them had stayed apart from the fighting, but the half that had been involved was in shambles.

They were laid out on every piece of grass and every available bed that Dr. Kadowaki could find. At the moment, the good doctor was going through the injured ones and bandaging them up.

“This is unacceptable!” Seifer’s voice thundered through the crowd. “Anyone who knows, speak up, what started this?” He thundered again.

The girl that I still held squeaked something. He turned to face her and motioned for me to loosen my hold. I relaxed my grip and she relaxed.

“The boys, some of them decided to try and push the girls to the back of the line. One even said that women had no place in Garden, That we were a distraction. We girls decided to show them that they were wrong. The one that is laying unconscious at your feet, he is the ringleader of the boys.” She said softly but loud enough for all to hear.

“We asked the boys about their feelings on Lady Rinoa, Lieutenant Hope, Instructor Trepe, and Instructor Kinneas,” She looked around at the carnage, “They said that they had no place in the military, with the exception of Lieutenant Hope, but they only mentioned her because Lieutenant Shadow was standing there waiting for her return.”

I released her and looked at the many wounded students. “That is Not what being A SeeD is about!!! Being A SeeD is about being able to help others and if you cannot work with a particular group of people, well, Then you have Absolutely no business here. If you cannot abide by the rules of Garden and work with others, then after you‘re seen by the good doctor, GET OUT!” I thundered, my voice echoing the entire length of the front gate.

I met Seifer’s gaze, tense and awaiting discipline, and relaxed when I saw his approval.

He smiled. “What’s your fist impression on Garden?” He asked smiling.

I laughed. “I’m beginning to miss home, but I‘m glad that I won‘t be stationed here.” I admitted laughing. He smiled and we began the long walk into Garden, picking up Shadow as we walked past him, talking.

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A/N: This is my first ff fanfic. Review??? *cookies to first reviewer*.. I know, I know. Im begging......

A/N: Updated June 29th 2009, added small details, fixed some wording and grammar errors and added second chapter.