When I was young, I did everything I could to please him, but nothing ever did. By the age of thirteen, I decided to do whatever pleased myself, because nothing would ever change my father.
So many recollections of the beatings blurred into one; my life.
Abruptly, I stopped crying and sat up on my bed. I've come to a conclusion. I had to leave this place, even if it meant leaving my mother, who was powerless against my father.
Not pausing to dry off my tear soaked face, I quickly threw on a pair of shorts, and an oversized t-shirt. Off in the adjacent bedroom, I could faintly hear the deep breathing of my parents.
Stealthily I packed a duffel bag with my clothes. The duffel bag was small and tattered, but with the few clothes I had, I had plenty more room to spare.
As an afterthought, I crossed the room to the side that served as the living room and kitchen. Reaching into the gun cabinet, I pulled out my father's best gun. I could name all of his guns by heart, and could recite what their firing range, caliber, and specialties were. I had learned them all at an early age, seeking my father's approval.
This gun, known as Unicorn, had its mystical, scientifically undefinable qualities. It was only surpassed in power by one other gun created on this world; Exeter.
Quickly, I concealed the powerful Unicorn in my duffel bag, along with any ammo I could find.
Tiptoeing into the other room, I leaned over to kiss my mother's cheek. "Good-bye, momma" I choked on the words, tears streaming down my face. She stirred in her sleep. I retreated from the room, feeling as though I had just hurt the only person that I had ever known and loved.
Wrenching my duffel bag from its place on my broken down bed, I took one more look around the place that signified my tortured past.
I left the three-room shack at a run. As I reached the hill outside my home, I looked back upon the sites of the Great city of Balamb. I had made up my mind, and there was no turning back. I was going to help the world.
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She slowly sat up, the bed sheets falling to her waist. Looking out her bedroom window, she could see the bright lights of Balamb. Her old sorceress powers still remained with her, and being as far off as Balamb Garden, Edea could see the silhouette of a young teenage girl standing on a distant hill. Looking beside her, she noticed that her husband, the headmaster of Balamb Garden was still sleeping.
"We're going to have a new recruit tomorrow, Cid" she whispered, glancing back out the window of the third floor bedroom. The girl's silhoutte had descended the hill. Edea made up her mind to talk to the girl personally in the morning.
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Looking out at the ocean, I enjoyed the cool breeze. The crescent moon above reflected upon the water. Here on the beach closest to the Garden, the water was calm. Only a scarce ripple or two broke the glass-like surface. If I turned my head, I could see Balamb Garden in all its splendor.
Most of the students, SeeDs, and faculty would be asleep, so I stretched out on the beach. I took Unicorn out of my duffel bag, and placed it alongside me. My duffel bag I propped underneath my head to use as a pillow.
Tracing the contours of the large gun, I felt the cold hard steel. Loving and loathing that feel at the same time, I fell asleep, hoping that the Fasticolan-F's would leave me alone.
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Walking down the quad hallway, he reveled in the fact that it was so quiet. He loved the night patrol of Garden. He stayed up the whole night, watching over the facilities. Never had Garden been attacked by night, so his job was mainly an excuse to stay away from someone.
Having decided to transfer from Galbadia to make Balamb his permanent home, Irvine had requested that Cid and Edea allow him to work on Night shift. The quietness allowed him some privacy, which was hard to find after the defeat of Ultimecia. The quietness was also a change from the incessant noise of Selphie, someone he chose willingly to avoid.
Looking at his watch, he realized that he only had two more hours before he would be nestled in his bed. He would sleep till a little after noon, giving him five hours of sleep, and a total of thirteen hours away from Selphie.
Now walking down the cafeteria hallway, he stopped to ponder. He and Sefie had been good friends, and still were, but Selph wanted to push it further, a bigger step forward than what he wanted to take. Irvine was also beginning to be a little more than annoyed by her always cheerful mood.
He had tried to explain it to her more than once, but she had refused to hear of it. She instead accused him of not wanting to be tied down to one girl. That of course had some truth to the matter.
Coming out of his reverie, Irvine realized that he had continued walking, and was now near the entrance. Chiding himself for spacing out while on shift, he headed outside. As he walked around the vast grounds of Balamb Garden, he allowed his mind to clear itself of all thought. His eyes gazed over the horizon, looking toward the nearby beach. Eight Fasticolan-F's had gathered upon the beach, which was irregular of their nature to hide unless trampled upon. He shrugged it off, figuring it to be drift wood that the monsters were so interested in.
As an afterthought, he let his sniper instinct take control. Pulling out his handguns that he kept holstered at his hip, he took careful aim. Briefly he double checked that they were equipped with silencers. Gently squeezing the triggers, he delighted in the sight of the Fasticolan_F's falling two at a time.
Holstering his guns, he turned to walk back inside.
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