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DOLLET


Word hard, study hard, play hard. -- Garden Precepts


The room was dark even though it was nearly midday. The window was covered with dark cloth and the dim light that penetrated it transformed the everyday objects that were strewn about into fantastic, terrifying shapes.

A still form lay on the bed, headless, and as silent as a corpse.

The door opened, spilling light into the room, but still the figure on the bed lay unmoving.

"Zell?"

"Go away," came a muffled voice from the vicinity of the bed.

"Why is it so dark in here? What are you doing?"

"Suffocating myself," came the gloomy reply. "Go away."

There was a pause. "Is that my blanket on your window?"

"Jones, mine won't work. You know it's yellow." The voice from the bed was exasperated now. "The light just comes right through."

Jones walked to the window, stumbling over a pair of sneakers, and ripped the blanket off the window. The room was flooded suddenly with light, and the sight of his roommate lying on a bed with a pillow over his face seemed to incense him.

"You lunatic!" he yelled. His face reddened but Zell took no notice as the pillow was still firmly mashed over his face. "I swear I've had enough! Two years of this! Spending every day wondering if you're going to-- I don't know-- eat my homework or something!" Jones sputtered to a halt. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"The SeeD exam," Zell moaned. "It's today."

+++++

Zell's sneakers squeaked on the smooth floor of the corridor. He trudged unwillingly from the barracks toward the Directory, hating his shoes.

Tonight he'd either be celebrating his promotion to SeeD status or deciding which courses he'd like to take for the next training session. Or dead, he reminded himself. SeeD field exams were conducted in real combat situations and cadets sometimes died.

He hadn't told his Ma what today was-- he didn't want to get her hopes up and then not actually pass. Letting his mother down was one of his biggest fears, even though she'd never once seemed even faintly disappointed in him.

Zell rounded the southern curve of the fountain and stopped, staring toward the Directory. Instructor Trepe was standing there, a pretty blonde woman, waiting for him.

She saw him and gave him a small smile. The realization came that he was actually going to attempt the SeeD exam, that the moment had come which would lead inevitably to success or failure or death, that there was no turning back now that Instructor Trepe had definitely seen him standing there.

Excitement exploded in the pit of his stomach and his weary dread vanished. He felt like a compressed spring, all potential energy. He took a few running steps and launched into a series of handsprings and flips that any acrobat would have been proud to pull off.

He landed with a screeching squeak right in front of the instructor. She gave him another smile that told him she understood how he felt, and then he saw that Squall Leonhart was standing there too.

"Whoa, I'm in your squad?" He extended a hand, but Squall ignored it. Everyone knew Leonhart was a bit of a cold fish.

"Heard Seifer whooped you pretty bad this morning," he grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet and cracking his knuckles.

"He didn't."

"Really? That's a nice cut you've got there on your head."

"Seifer's got one just like it," said Squall shortly, and turned away.

"Speaking of Seifer, where is he?" said Instructor Trepe. "He should be here by now."

"And here I am," a voice said, and he turned and saw Seifer Almasy approaching, his toadies Raijin and Fujin in tow. He did indeed have an angry red cut over the bridge of his nose, Zell saw. Seifer wasn't wearing the exam uniform, he noticed, but his own trademark calf-length trenchcoat. Zell wondered for a moment why Seifer hadn't worn the uniform, as he would be marked down for it, but then remembered that Seifer had taken the exam several times unsuccessfully. He must not care, Zell decided.

"Good," said Instructor Trepe. "It looks like we're almost ready. Cid should be here in a moment." She looked around. Scattered across the courtyard, other small groups of instructors and cadets milled nervously.

"Is everybody here?" called a voice from the center of the courtyard. Zell turned and saw the headmaster of Balamb Garden, Cid Kramer, looking around at everyone. "Good!" he exclaimed.

"This particular exam will involve twelve members from squads A through D. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield, where you will be assigned an objective to complete. Nine SeeD members will accompany you. If you fail, they will get the job done. If you succeed, you will join the ranks of SeeD, the most elite military force in the world! Remember your training, and good luck!"

Cid beamed at all of them, and around the courtyard the small groups broke up and headed toward the garage, talking and laughing loudly.

"Well then," said Instructor Trepe. "You three are assigned to Squad B. Squall, you're the squad leader." Zell spied a look of incredulity on Seifer's face, and could not bring himself to disagree. Had there been some kind of mistake? Squall was a good fighter, but when Zell tried to imagine him giving orders that took more than a few words to explain, he couldn't do it.

"We're taking off from the harbor at Balamb," said Instructor Trepe. "Let's get going." She turned and headed toward the garage, and they followed suit.

Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin passed him, heads bent together in whispered conversation, and he slowed. He didn't want to chitchat with the Disciplinary Committee, preferring at all times to avoid them if possible.

Squall was as silent as ever, and Zell's stomach was churning. He wouldn't be able to make conversation if he'd wanted to, and in any case Squall would probably just resent any attempt at small talk.

So he walked quietly and tried not to think too much about what lay ahead. But the thought that he might die today snuck into his head again. His stomach rumbled loudly. He wished he'd told his Ma about today's exam after all.

Zell looked around, wondering if he would ever return here again. It wasn't home, not the way his house in nearby Balamb was, but still he spent almost all of his time here. He was a student, an aspiring SeeD. He would rather have stayed at home and commuted, as he had done in earlier years, but regulations required SeeD cadets to reside in-Garden.

He stared around and found himself admiring the smooth, curved walls of the inner court as though he had never seen them before. The splashing of the fountain that ringed the administrative column of the campus was soothing, and the light that fell from the long windows at the top of the court was gentle.

Then they arrived at the garage, and Zell's brief moment of peace ended and left cold dread in its wake.

+++++

It was a perfect summer day in Balamb. Zell climbed out of the transport car and stretched in the hot sunlight, soaking up the familiar ocean breeze with its smell of salt and fish. He felt calmer at once. Glanced toward the hotel at the crest of the hill, he wished he could take ten minutes and go visit his Ma. Her house was on the other side of the hill-- he couldn't see it from the docks.

Reluctantly, he followed the others inside the black-skinned skimmer, passing the harassed Garden Faculty member quickly-- their weird outfits made him nervous. Plus they were always confiscating his things-- he'd lost several T-boards to them already. It was infuriating; T-boards weren't cheap.

Instructor Trepe, Zell, Squall and Seifer sat down two by two against the walls of the loading bay and waited for their briefing. No one spoke. Zell wasn't even sure where they were going-- mission details were kept secret until they were actually enroute.

After a few minutes Cid's assistant Xu joined them. She was a slender woman with short, dark hair and a reputation for having a no-nonsense attitude. It was also said that she had a temper, but Zell had never witnessed that. She looked nice enough to him.

She nodded at the cadets and smiled as she greeted Instructor Trepe. "Hi, Quistis."

The Instructor smiled back. "Well, this is Squad B."

"Nice to meet ya," Zell said.

Squall murmured, "Pleased to meet you," and Seifer said nothing.

"Seifer, how many times has it been now?" Xu gave him a smile, but Zell got the impression that it was not a friendly one.

Seifer displayed a feral grin. "Oh, I just love these exams."

"I'll explain the current situation and the mission," continued Xu, ignoring Seifer. "Be seated," she said to Zell who had stood to let her by. He flushed and dropped into his seat.

"Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament," Xu began. "A request for SeeD was made eighteen hours ago. Dollet has been under attack by the Galbadian Army for the last seventy-two hours. Forty-nine hours into the battle, Dollet was forced to abandon their position in the inner city. Currently, they have retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops." She looked at each of them in turn to make sure they understood.

"According to our reports, G-Army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region. We will make a landing at Lapin Beach. Our objective is to eliminate the remaining G-Army within the city and liberate it as soon as possible."

"Sounds important!" piped Zell.

Seifer gave him a disgusted look. "Sounds boring. So what you're saying is, we do all the dirty work, and Dollet just sits on their backsides in the mountains." He arched an eyebrow at Xu.

"That's how this works. You know that," Xu said shortly. Her wristwatch beeped.

"We're almost there. We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark, so be prepared. That's all. Any questions, talk to Quistis."

Zell stood again to let her out.

Squall stood as well. "I'm going to go see how it looks," he said. "Make sure you're ready to go when we land." He left, ignoring the sneer Seifer threw at him.

Zell glanced at Seifer, but he wasn't paying attention. Instead he inspected his gunblade, a great black thing that looked deadly in his gloved hands. Seifer's skin was slightly flushed under his tan and Zell wondered if he'd junctioned Ifrit. Probably. He'd felt the chill when Squall had walked by him, which meant he had Shiva.

Zell had chosen Quezacotl for the mission, but wished he hadn't. The hair on his arms kept standing up, making it look like he had goosebumps. He hoped nobody had noticed.

Squall appeared in the doorway.

"We'll be there in less than a minute."

"Hang onto those handrails. This will be bumpy," said Instructor Trepe. They all followed her advice.

Bumpy was an understatement, Zell decided. It was all he could do to hold on to the railing as the skimmer thudded its way over and through the sand, heaving its way onto the beach.

The docking bay door slid open. He gained his balance quickly and threw himself down the loading ramp after the others. As soon as his feet hit the ground bullets sprayed into the sand in front of him in a wide arc, spattering his legs with grains of sand. He stepped back a bit, eyes darting across the beach.

Nobody else seemed concerned about the bullets flying everywhere. Xu saluted to Instructor Trepe and moved off toward the city, ignoring the gunfire around her. He wondered if she had a protective spell. He wished he did.

"Squad B!" Quistis shouted over the din, pointing. "You're to secure the Central Square. Move out!"

Squall and Seifer headed toward a staircase flanked by SeeDs. Zell followed.

The stairs led to a long cobbled street. The din of the beach fell behind quickly and Zell found he could hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears. You're okay, he told himself. The beach was probably the worst-- everything from here on out will be easy.

He looked up at the arch spanning the street just as two Galbadian soldiers leapt down to meet them. Something like an electric shock went through his body and then the first soldier was in front of him, swinging a nasty looking sword. He ducked under the blade and delivered a solid punch to the man's throat. The soldier fell, choking, and did not move.

When Zell looked around, he saw that Squall had dispatched the other soldier and was wiping the blood from his gunblade. Seifer had paused and was watching them both impatiently. Zell looked down at the man by his feet and was alarmed to feel a lump rising in his throat. He wondered if the soldier was dead, if he had a family.

Stepping over the man's body, he followed Squall and Seifer down the street. It's just a job, he thought. That guy was doing his job, he knew what he was getting into, and so do I.

They kept a fast pace, trotting carefully along the uneven cobbled street, and soon found themselves in the Central Square. Squall stopped and sized up the area. Seifer took it upon himself to circle the perimeter of the square, looking for soldiers. He flushed two out and they were dead before Squall and Zell could get across the square to help him.

Squall checked the rest of the square and came back to them. "We're on standby until we get new orders," he said.

"How boring," Seifer announced.

They became aware of a distant roaring sound that grew louder and then fainter in turn, as though it was coming through a badly tuned radio. "Sounds like it's starting," said Squall.

"Bring it on," murmured Seifer. Zell could make out sounds of battle, people screaming. He tensed, and noticed that Squall and Seifer were both alert, looking in the direction of the noise. Zell scanned the square again to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them. There was only a yellow dog, sitting near the fountain at the center of the square.

Seifer turned suddenly toward the fighting and yelled, "Hey! Galbadian Soldiers! Come show me what you got!"

He's an idiot, thought Zell.

Thirty uneventful minutes later, he was seriously considering revising that opinion. The three of them stood in an alley between two shops, the whole of the empty square spread before them. Squall leaned against the cool brick wall, arms folded, staring toward the fountain.

Zell leaned too, but he stared at the opposite wall. To his surprise, he found that his eyelids were heavy.

"This exam is supposed to be major hard," he muttered. "But the only thing I'm battling is sleep."

Seifer snorted next to him.

"Quiet," said Squall. Zell looked at him in surprise and saw that Squall was no longer leaning. Now he stood pressed against the building, looking carefully around the corner.

Zell crouched and peered around Squall's leg. Six Galbadian soldiers were moving furtively into the square from an adjacent alley. The leading soldier waited until his comrades were all in the square, then gestured. Together, they took the north exit of the square.

"What are they doing?" wondered Zell.

"The battle's behind them. Where are they going?" Squall said.

"Our next destination," said Seifer.

Squall stared at him. "It's against orders," he said, but Zell could tell from the glint in his eye that he was seriously considering it.

"Look," said Zell. "This is an exam, we have to stay here, we'll all flunk. This is easy, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth."

Seifer's eyes remained fixed on Squall, but he asked, "Weren't you just saying how bored you were?"

"Squall!" Zell exclaimed in frustration.

But Squall wasn't paying attention, gray eyes fixed on the square's north exit. Seifer clapped a hand on Squall's shoulder and said, "You want to wreak some havoc, too, don't you?"

Squall shrugged him off and scowled. "It will be a good opportunity to test out my training." He paused. "Thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone. Even if they do fight dirty like you."

Seifer looked smug. "You'll thank me when the time comes."

Zell stared at them.

"What the hell?" he said. "I thought you guys didn't get along. You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen," he said. "This isn't a normal battle. We aren't from Dollet, we have no-- no investment or whatever. It's an exam, an important one. I'm telling you we have to stick to orders."

"Then you stay here," Seifer shrugged. "We don't need any boy scouts."

Zell felt his fists clench. "What was that?"

Squall threw him a look. "Don't take him seriously, Zell." His eyes flicked back to the north exit. "We're supposed to mop up any G-Army troops in the city. So let's get to it." He moved off toward the exit, Seifer right behind him.

"Tch. Fine." But the others were already gone, and he spoke only to himself.

+++++

They had hardly left the square behind then when they came to a long stone bridge. Before them, the ground fell away rapidly and a river churned far below. The land on the other side of the river was a tall green and gray hill. Squinting against the sun, Zell could see a tower-like structure at the top.

They crossed the bridge, the warm sun mild on their heads, and at the end of the bridge they set their feet on the first of many wide stone steps that climbed the hill. These were long, shallow blocks of stone that were cracked and overgrown with vines and other foliage.

Zell resolved to watch his feet carefully as he climbed, but the tower above them drew his eye again after a dozen steps.

"What do you think's up there?" he said.

Squall said nothing, but after a moment Seifer said, "It must be the Dollet Communication Tower."

Zell continued to look puzzled and Seifer elaborated. "It was a radio tower, back in the days when there was no interference signal. Around the time Sorceress Adel fell from power in Esthar the signal was introduced, and all the radio towers became defunct. This was the biggest, though, I think."

They continued their trek up the stairs and reached the summit without encountering anything. The Communication Tower was nestled in a depression at the top of the hill; they found themselves on a slight rise above it looking down on the entrance. From the east a path led down to the front doors, where two Galbadian soldiers stood guard on either side.

As they watched, the wide doors opened and third Galbadian soldier appeared and spoke to the others. Zell strained to make out their words.

"The generator's up and running. No problem with the boosters," announced the new arrival.

"What the hell are they doing?" muttered Seifer.

"Cable disconnection confirmed. Beginning exchange process."

"Roger," said one of the guards, and all three disappeared into the depths of the tower.

"Repairs?" said Squall.

"Who cares?" said Seifer. Then to Squall, "This must be your first real battle. Scared?" He gave the other young man an odd glittering look.

"I don't know," said Squall. "I wasn't thinking about it."

Seifer spoke but he was watching the Communication Tower. "I love battles. I fear nothing. The way I look at it, as long as you make it out of battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."

Squall looked suspicious. "What? Your dream?"

Seifer gave him a snide smile. "You have one too, don't you?"

Squall shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm going to pass on that subject."

My dream is for them to shut up already so we can get on with it, thought Zell.

"We're wasting time," he said.

The other cadets looked at him.

"Then let's go," said Squall.

They followed a crumbling, rocky path down the east side of the cliff and found themselves before the bronze double doors of the Communication Tower.

"Ready?" asked Squall, and at their nods, pushed the door open.

They stepped inside, weapons at the ready, and startled four Galbadian soldiers standing at ease by a lift.

"Hey! Who the hell are--" began the first soldier, but stopped as Squall and Seifer strode toward him. Zell slid the wall, covering them.

The soldiers backed up against the central column of the tower and looked sideways at each other.

"Break!" barked the leader, and the four soldiers scattered, darting around and between the SeeD cadets and out the door.

Zell looked after them in surprise.

"Cowards," snorted Seifer.

Squall turned his gunblade, watching the play of light on the blade's edge. "We'll take the lift-- see who's at the top."

They trooped onto the lift. Squall stabbed the topmost button with a finger and Zell's stomach plummeted as the lift rose swiftly up the massive center column of the tower.

Near the top of the tower, the lift slowed and stopped. They stepped out and Zell only had time to notice the red uniform of Galbadian officers before tremors shook the tower.

He crouched on the grating, gripping it with his fingers, and looked around. There was a loud humming sound, and lights were blinking between his fingers from below. Looking more closely, he saw that the center column of the tower was lit with many small green and red lights.

There was a more violent tremor, and Zell renewed his grasp on the grating. Then there was a loud rushing sound, and something shot past him very fast from below. Looking up, he watched whatever it was reach the top of the tower, where it unfolded like a flower and settled itself into a satellite dish. It began to emit a great beam of light, and finally, the tower seemed to reach stasis.

Is that thing broadcasting? I thought there was an interference signal, thought Zell.

"What do you think you're doing?" Squall said, and Zell's head whipped around. The Galbadian officer he had seen a few moments ago stared at them in surprise and dismay.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," he said, eyeing them. "What happened to my troops down below?"

Seifer smirked.

Angrily, the officer called out, "Wedge! Take care of these twerps!"

Zell looked around, but no Wedge appeared to deliver them to their doom.

"Wedge?"

Zell rocked on his heels, hands clasped behind his back. Squall took the opportunity to examine his gunblade, and Seifer's smirk had turned into that feral grin.

As Wedge's absence finally dawned on him, the officer hefted his machine gun and edged toward the lift. "I, ah, seem to be done here, so I'll just be on my-- move it! Move! Move! Move!"

He brandished his machine gun at them, sidling steadily toward the elevator shaft. Just as he reached it, the lift rose up to their level carrying another SeeD candidate. She was short and skinny, and her brown hair flipped out dramatically. Zell didn't recognize her.

"Hey, now!" she said, a cheerful smile upon her face, and began to twirl her nunchaku. "Where do you think you're going?"

Realizing there was no escape, the officer raised his machine gun.

"Come and get it," he shouted, and let loose a wild spray of bullets. Something stung Zell's cheek and he clapped a hand there. I just got shot in the face, he thought. Not cool. There didn't seem to be any damage, but even so the hair on his arms was standing, and this time he knew he couldn't blame Quezacotl.

Before he could do anything in retaliation though, another officer appeared from around the main column and scurried over to the first officer.

"Major Biggs," he panted. "Have you finished the repairs, sir? What are these doing here?"

Biggs glared at his companion. "Where the hell were you, Wedge? These SeeDs almost skewered me while you were off goofing around."

"We did not!" called the girl indignantly, and she advanced menacingly off the lift.

"Should've stayed home," muttered Wedge. He raised his gun and aimed at Squall.

But before he could shoot, Seifer's gunblade tracked crimson down his arm and he dropped the gun, clutching at the wound.

"Hey, Squad B!" shouted the girl. Squall, Seifer and Zell all looked around at her. She was hopping up and down impatiently. "Never mind these guys, you have new orders! I'm Selphie, and I'm supposed to tell you that everyone's got to be on the beach at 1900 hours!"

"We're withdrawing?" said Seifer. "But there are still enemies around!"

"I know," she said. "But I'm just a messenger."

"An order to withdraw takes priority," Squall said. "How long do we have?"

"We've only got fifteen minutes," Seifer grimaced, staring at his watch.

"Come on," said Squall, his eyes on Biggs and Wedge, who just stood and watched them. He gestured behind him, his gunblade at the ready, and the four SeeD candidates piled onto the lift, Squall last. Selphie hit the button for the ground floor and before it even stopped they had all leapt off and were dashing for the entrance.

They threw the doors open hurriedly and raced into the sunlight. But as they started up the rocky path to the stairs they head a tremendous crash behind them. Squall whipped around, raising his gunblade.

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Zell. Just outside the doors of the Communication Tower squatted what looked like an enormous mechanical spider, its bronze legs ending in cruel pincers.

"X-ATM092," said Squall and Seifer simultaneously.

"Not good," continued Squall. "They're really tough to kill, and once they have a target they never stop chasing it."

"And we're the target?" asked Selphie.

Squall didn't answer her. "We have to disable it somehow."

The solution came to Zell and he murmured, "Quezacotl."

Almost immediately he lost consciousness, and when the world snapped back into focus the X-ATM092 had collapsed on its legs, blinking.

"Let's get the hell out of here," suggested Zell, skin still prickling with the residue of Quezacotl's attack.

Halfway up the path to the stairs they heard the first clanking sounds of pursuit. It repaired itself, Zell thought, and put on an extra burst of speed.

They ran as fast as they could, but it still caught them before they reached the stairs. Zell cursed and called Quezacotl again, and again the spider monster fell.

They ran.

It caught them three more times as they attempted to reach the beach-- once on the stairs, once in the square, and once in the cobbled street that led to the beach; each encounter wasted precious minutes, and after the last, Zell knew Quezacotl was too tired to come again.

Finally they stumbled down the short staircase leading to the beach, the whirring of the X-ATM092 repairing itself once more behind them sounding ominously in their ears.

Zell sprinted across the sand toward the skimmer, and for the first time he appreciated the long miles Garden made them run in training. He climbed in the cargo bay right behind Seifer and collapsed on the floor, panting.

"Squall," said Seifer tensely. "Look at Squall."

He looked up the beach and saw Selphie standing just outside the skimmer, perfectly safe. She gazed up the beach as well, and Zell's heart leapt into his mouth as he realized that Squall had fallen onto the soft sand.

Zell watched as the metal spider crouched on the platform above the beach, looking for its target, watched as Squall picked himself up off the sand and began to sprint toward them.

The monster launched itself after him, and Zell saw Selphie cover her mouth in horror.

"He's not gonna make it!" she said, her voice muffled by her hand.

The monster grew closer and closer to Squall and Zell thought for sure that it would pounce on him and crush him at any moment. A vision the metal spider impaling his squad leader with one spiked leg crossed his mind, and he dragged himself off the floor of the loading bay quickly.

Just then, they heard the sound of the skimmer powering up, and Selphie, still looking over her shoulder, climbed into the cargo bay.

"Run, Squall!" she screamed.

Squall was less than ten feet away from the cargo bay now and gaining, the monster right on his heels.

It's gonna crash right into us, Zell thought as the skimmer began to pull away from the beach. "Squall!" he yelled, extending his hand.

Squall leapt, and Zell caught him as the sound of bullets punching into the metal armor of the monster reached his ears. It collapsed, and as the cargo bay doors slid shut he saw it explode.

"Holy shit," he said as he helped Squall stand.

+++++

"So basically, G-Army agreed to withdraw as long as the Communication Tower was kept operational and running. Weird, right?" Raijin finished.

Seifer tossed his fork down on the cafeteria table and leaned back in his chair.

"So Galbadia was just after the Communication Tower," he mused. "We would have been heroes if not for that withdraw order."

Raijin and Fujin nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what they want with it though," he said. "Everybody knows about the interference signal."

"Does sound fishy," Raijin agreed.

"But they won't be able to use it, so who cares?" Seifer concluded.

Raijin shrugged. "Not me. Hey, didja hear? Squall got reamed for leaving the designated area. There's no way he'll pass."

"That's too bad," said Seifer, giving his posse a dirty smile.

Fujin scowled and nudged his leg with her boot.

"You?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "I thought it went better than the others, but you know these clowns. They'll probably decide they didn't like the way I shaved this morning and flunk me."

"Squall," she said darkly, and Seifer had to agree. If he flunked, it would be entirely Squall's fault. But he knew that Squall, as captain, would have to take all the responsibility for leaving the square. If the grading was anything like fair, he wouldn't have to worry about that.

The intercom chimed. "All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the second floor hallway. I repeat. All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the second floor hallway."

He let his chair legs hit the floor with a thud, and stood. "Well, I guess we'll see. Catch you later."

Fujin stood too. "Coming," she announced.

"Yeah," said Raijin. "If you don't pass I wanna be there to kick Squall's ass."

+++++

The second floor hallway was much more crowded than usual after an exam. It had been a big class to begin with, and most candidates seemed to have friends with them.

He leaned against the wall, Raijin and Fujin on either side. He didn't see Leonhart anywhere, which surprised him. Sure, he probably already knew that he'd flunked the exam, but it wasn't like him not to at least show up. Of course, as far as Seifer knew, Squall had never failed at anything in his life and maybe he didn't know how to deal with it. The thought made him smile.

They waited, and he suppressed a surge of annoyance. He'd been here more than once, waiting in this hallway for the results of the field exam. Each time the administration had let the them cool their heels long enough before announcing the results for everyone to get edgy. It annoyed him.

Finally, one of the Garden Master's representatives stalked from the elevator to stand in the junction between the two hallways.

"Zell Dincht," he announced.

"Nida Faircloth. Selphie Tilmitt. Seifer Almasy." Seifer fought down a surge of surprise. "That is all," said the Garden Faculty member. "SeeDs, report to the headmaster's office. Dismissed."

Raijin clapped a huge hand on his shoulder and shook him, grinning like a maniac.

"Way to go, boss!"

Seifer blinked, still more surprised than he cared to admit, and finally when Fujin gave him her own small rare smile, he was able to return it.

"Never had any doubt," he lied, grinning. "I'll see you guys tomorrow; tonight's going to be busy."

They nodded, looking pleased, and he gathered at the elevator with the other new SeeDs. The Garden Faculty member who'd announced the results escorted them up to Cid's office and entered without knocking.

"Here are the four students who passed today's exam," he said. They lined up in front of Cid's desk and saluted.

The Headmaster stood and smiled at them.

"First of all, congratulations. As a member of SeeD you will be dispatched all over the world. As you know, SeeD soldiers are combat specialists. But, that is only one aspect of SeeD. When the time comes--" But before he could continue the Garden Faculty member interrupted, and Headmaster Kramer's smile faltered.

"Headmaster. It's almost time for the meeting. Please make this short." The faculty member turned toward the new SeeDs. "SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependant on each one of you. Handle your missions with care." He turned toward the Headmaster. "Is that what you wanted to say, sir?"

Seifer stared. If he were Headmaster, he wouldn't have allowed that sort of insubordination. The Garden Faculty had given him the position leading the Disciplinary Committee, but he didn't like them much. And what had Cid been talking about when he'd said, 'when the time comes'?

"Your grade reports," said the faculty member, gesturing at Cid.

Cid walked to Selphie and whispered a few words in her ear as he handed her a piece of paper. He made his way through the short line as they stood at attention, saying a few words to each new SeeD.

To Seifer, who was the last in the line, he whispered, "Finally. A gunblade specialist."

"This ends the SeeD inauguration," announced the Garden Faculty member. "Dismissed!"

They saluted once more, and Seifer gave the Garden Master's representative one last thoughtful look before he left and went to his quarters.

He took a very hot shower, washing his hair and removing the sweat and dirt from the day's trials from his body. The inauguration ball would start soon and his fastidious side rebelled at the thought of putting a brand new uniform on over dirt.

Seifer looked forward to getting private quarters. As he walked down the hall back to his room, he supposed that the bathrooms would still be communal. Just as long as I don't have to deal with a roommate, he thought. And high rank SeeDs get suites. I'll have to get on those online tests.

He opened the unlocked door to the common room he shared with his roommate and glared at the girl leaning against the wall by his open door.

"What do you want?" he said shortly, toweling his hair. "And don't you know how to knock?"

"Hey," Selphie protested. "Your roommate let me in. Anyway, check this out!" She whirled in place, showing off her new SeeD uniform.

He frowned at her.

"Sheesh! All right already. You're supposed to change into your SeeD uniform and go down the ballroom. I was sent to tell you. Now hurry up!" She hopped up and down in place.

Seifer entered his room and locked the door behind him-- he didn't trust her not to barge in while he was changing.

He tossed his towels on the floor and dressed, noting irritably that the uniform was stiff and scratchy.

When he was ready, he unbolted his door and found Selphie waiting for him.

"Still here?" he said.

"Wow, not bad! You look pretty good!" If he hadn't been so annoyed he would have smirked at her wide-eyed expression.

"Let's hit that PARRR-TAY!" Selphie exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door.

+++++

He didn't manage to get rid of her until they were actually inside the ballroom. She'd chattered about the Garden Festival the entire way-- he'd spent the time trying to tune her out. He found it incredible that she managed to be so obnoxious and wondered if she did it on purpose to set people off their guard.

Fortunately, as soon as they walked in the room she let go of him and tore off after Zell Dincht. Seifer could hear her warbling about the Garden Festival ten feet away.

He grimaced and headed toward a deserted pillar, snagging a drink off a waitress's tray.

Leaning against the pillar, he watched his formally clad classmates dance their way across the marble floor. He looked at his drink. Champagne.

This was not what he thought of as a party. Not that he attended them frequently-- almost all of that had been last summer in Deling City. But the contrast was sharp-- this champagne was neither beer not hard liquor, the sweet sounds of the orchestra were definitely far removed from the wild rock concerts held in Deling City's Central Park, and the shining ballroom was not at all like any of the smoky bars they had frequented.

Thinking of Deling City made his mind turn inevitably to Rinoa Heartilly.

Rinoa was the daughter of G-Army's General Caraway, and a spoiled brat. Gorgeous, rich, and wanting out from under the yoke of her father. She had dragged Seifer to numerous concerts and wild parties over the summer in an attempt to infuriate her father. Seifer hadn't minded; he had been bored in Deling City and her antics had filled the time.

He took a sip of champagne, looking out over the crowd, and noticed that the girl in the yellow dress watching the sky through the glass ceiling looked a lot like her.

Must have Rinoa on the brain, he thought, and watched the girl.

She turned toward him and her eyes lit up as she spotted him. He realized that it actually was Rinoa, and nodded to her, wondering what in the world she was doing here.

She weaved her way through the dancers toward him.

"Hello, Rinoa," he said, and gave her his best devil's grin.

"Hey yourself," she laughed. "Heard you passed the exam-- how does it feel to be a SeeD?"

He glanced down at the glass in his hand. "The champagne sucks."

Rinoa laughed and clapped her hands. "It's good to see you, Seifer. And now you have to dance with me."

Seifer shrugged and took her hand as the next waltz started. He led her to the middle of the floor and as they began the first steps of the dance, asked her why she was at Garden.

"Actually, I came to see you," she said, eyes glittering with mischief.

Seifer arched an eyebrow and smiled at her. "That so?"

She giggled and he spun her around. "Well, I kind of need to speak to Cid Kramer," she admitted. "I thought maybe you could introduce me to him, since we're friends."

Seifer smiled, finding himself strangely relieved that she hadn't actually come because of him. Rinoa was sometimes fun to be with, but he didn't really relish the idea of being used further as a weapon in her battle with her father.

"I would be delighted to," he said, and when their dance was finished he did exactly that.


+++++

Seifer left the party not long after he introduced Rinoa and Cid. The one glass of champagne he had drunk had inflamed the mild headache he'd sported since Dollet. His head pounded.

He let himself in to his new quarters and shut the door, glad that SeeDs got private rooms-- he didn't really feel like being around anyone else at the moment.

He kicked off his dress shoes and made a beeline to Hyperion's case. If the people who had moved his stuff had even marred the polish on his gunblade there would be hell to pay.

But Hyperion was fine, and he made a cursory check on the rest of his possessions before stripping off the dress uniform and hanging it up.

He sat on his bed, clad only in his shorts, and stared off into space.

It had been a long day. He knew that he would be ecstatic tomorrow at having made SeeD, but for now he was just too tired to think about it.

Too tired and far too wound up. His mind was restless and couldn't seem to concentrate on any one subject. And he felt twitchy, could feel his body wanting to fidget.

Seifer thought about taking another hot shower but then there was a knock on the door and he had to decide whether he wanted to answer it. For some reason, he was immediately convinced that it was Squall, wanting to have it out. Maybe a fight was what he needed to calm down.

He plucked Hyperion from her case and opened the door.

But it wasn't Squall-- it was Rinoa, and she raised her eyebrows at the naked blade in his hand.

He blinked and waved at her to come in. He followed her in and strapped Hyperion back in her case before sitting back down on the bed.

"So did you get what you wanted from Cid?" he asked.

Her eyes sparkled. "Yes. I just wanted to thank you for that."

"No problem," he said, and then frowned. "What did you ask him, anyway?"

"I'm part of a resistance faction in Timber. We're trying to free Timber from Galbadian rule," she said, sitting down at his desk. She frowned and examined her shoes. "It's kind of a mess. There are soldiers everywhere, taxes are sky high, trade's practically non-existent. The economy is falling apart and Galbadia doesn't care enough to do anything. Nobody really knows why they bothered to take Timber in the first place."

Was it cynical to wonder if this was just another personal battle between father and daughter?

Her gaze had moved from her shoes to his face, and something of his thoughts must have shown there, for she said, "This isn't about that man. Seifer, these people are suffering and they have been for years. They want to be free, and I can't just sit back and watch. I have to help them if I can."

She sighed. "I don't have access to his funds any more. I took what I could, but we're still scrimping. We need SeeD, and we can't pay very much. That's why I had to talk to Cid." She smiled. "He's such a nice man-- he agreed straight away to help us as soon as I explained our situation."

She peered at her hands. "That's why I wanted to thank you. And," she paused, "I want to congratulate you. For passing your exam."

They looked at each other for a moment. She uncrossed her legs, stood, and walked over to him. Then she bent and placed her hands on his bare shoulders, her dark hair falling over her shoulder to brush his face. He froze, and she breathed into his ear, "Thank you, Seifer."

Rinoa's hands trailed down his neck, his chest.

He caught her wrists in his hands. "Rinoa, don't," he said wearily, amazed that she would even want to touch him after the unpleasant way things had ended last summer.

"Just don't." He released her wrists, but she did not leave. Instead she stooped again and pressed her lips softly to his cheek. Her perfume was sweet, and he was suddenly annoyed with her.

"Go home, Rinoa." He glared at her, but she only smiled.

"Sleep well, Seifer."

She left, closing the door behind her, and Seifer got up and locked the door at once. He returned to his bed, still irritated with her, and lay down.

Seifer closed his eyes, exhausted. Through the open window the singing of crickets sounded, and faint laughter from the ballroom wafted in with the mild breeze.

He slept.

+++++

Quistis knocked on the door and tilted her head, listening for the sounds of footsteps inside.

After a few moments it opened and she was presented with a bare-chested Squall Leonhart carrying a gunblade.

She raised her eyebrows. "Who were you expecting?"

He frowned at her and she noticed that his hair was sticking up far more than usual. It was funny, and she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

He didn't speak, just stood and watched her laughing at him. Finally she was done and smiled at him, bemused.

"What do you want?" he said, and she snapped back to herself, knowing that she would blush in a moment.

"I've come to give you an order," she said. "You and I are to go to the Secret Area. It's where students secretly meet up and talk after curfew," she explained, certain that he had never been there in his life.

"What do you want to do there?" he said, suspicion coloring his voice. "Are we going there to tell everyone they're violating curfew? If that's the case, forget it."

She laughed. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you here."

He stood there for a few moments more, frowning, and then closed the door.

She crossed her arms and waited. She probably shouldn't have come here, but she didn't care much at the moment. And she really needed to talk to someone, and she was hoping that he needed to talk too. That thought had spurred her out of her quarters, even though it was the last night she would be enjoying them.

After a few moments he joined her in the hall, looking baleful, and she wanted to laugh again. She led the way to the Training Centre and did not speak. She was used to his silence, and she had nothing to say until they arrived.

Finally they were there, and she stretched in the humid warmth of the training center, at home under the fluorescent lights.

"This way," she said, and headed toward the farthest pathway of the Training Centre.

The monsters in the Centre seemed to be sleeping, and they met nothing on their way to the farthest reaches of the jungle-like arena.

After a few minutes they ducked under the low door to the Secret Area, pausing while their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. Several couples occupied space along the long stone balcony, talking in muted voices, and Quistis avoided them as she found a good place to lean on the balustrade. Garden's main complex was clearly visible from this vantage point, lit up beautifully under the dark night sky. She sighed, sensing the romance of this place, and imagined for a moment that she and Squall were there as lovers, not as teacher and student.

She glanced over at him. He looked deep in thought, staring out not at the glorious vision of B-Garden, but at the ground.

"I haven't been here for a while," she said. "What time is it?"

Squall sighed and checked his watch. "It's after midnight."

"Oh well," she sighed, and turned to him. "I, Quistis Trepe, and no longer an instructor as of now."

Squall shifted beside her but did not speak.

She waited for a few moments, but still he said nothing. "They told me that I failed as an instructor. Basically, that I lacked leadership qualities." She leaned against the balcony railing, watching him. He did not look at her. "I was a SeeD at fifteen, got my instructor's license at seventeen. It's only been a year. I wonder where I went wrong-- I did my best." He was frowning. "Squall?"

He turned to her. "Why do you care?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you care what they think?"

"Of course I care," Quistis responded, surprised. "I've lived here as long as I can remember. I don't have a family, I'm an orphan-- this is my home. Garden is my family."

Squall looked at her like she was mad. "Weren't you listening to what the Garden Faculty member said this afternoon?"

"Of course I was." She blushed, remembering that Squall had received one of harshest reprimands she had ever heard. How stupid of her, blathering on about her own problems while Squall was probably upset about not passing the field exam. "I'm sorry," she began. "I shouldn't have--"

He interrupted her with an annoyed gesture. "That's not what I'm talking about. Did you hear what he said? 'SeeD shall not act beyond the exact wording of a contract. We are not a non-profit organization. This incident will be a hard-learned lesson for the Dollet Dukedom. They'll now know to be more generous when hiring SeeD.'"

He stared at her, and his gaze was so angry she almost flinched. "You're not stupid, Quistis. Think about it. Garden cares about money-- not about you. You said you're an orphan. Well, I'm an orphan too. You aren't the only one who's lived here as long as they can remember. And I can only think or three or four students who actually have parents.

"Put it together. Garden adopts children orphaned by past wars. It raises them to be elite soldiers and sends them to make more war." His voice became soft, almost a hiss.

"It's a self-perpetuating machine," he said bluntly. "It's simple, brilliant, and it works. And we're grateful for that. Grateful to have a home, to not be living in the streets. Instead we're killing in the streets, killing for causes we don't even care about. Why do you think they flunked me? What I did was in Dollet's best interest and everyone knows it. Now Galbadia has that Communication Tower, which is what it wanted, and I'll bet you Garden is counting on them stirring up more trouble. Garden trains us to follow orders exactly, and then it gives orders that will lead to more war." He paused for breath, still staring at her. "And the money's rolling in. SeeD works for the highest bidder, doesn't it?"

She stared at him in shock; she'd never heard him talk so much, and what he was saying… "But surely," she began, and he cut her off again.

"No buts. You know I'm right." His voice was sharp, brutal. "No one here cares about you. Accept it-- there's no point in grieving over something that doesn't care about you, never has, and never will."

"But you--" she began, hating the tremor in her voice, and he gave her such a disgusted look she did flinch.

"Don't assume you know anything about me. I was thinking out loud-- it had nothing to do with you."

She stood there with her mouth open, and by the time she thought of something to say, he was gone.