Zell was excited. And nervous. And full of sugar and caffeine. His roommate, who was not participating in this afternoon's field exam, had fled a half-hour before at the sight of Zell bounding into their room, laden with candy and soda.

"Right," said Jones, who at times dwelled exceedingly much in self-pity, "I'm going to the Library." He'd pointed sourly at the scatter of candy on Zell's bed. "You're gonna go nuts and I have to study." Gathering books in his arms, he'd shot one last annoyed look over his shoulder before escaping to the safety of the hallway. "Good luck today," he said mournfully. As he closed the door behind him, "Hyne, please pass him. Give him his own room so I can have a normal roommate," could be faintly heard from the hallway.

Jones wasn't a very cheerful guy.

But that didn't bother Zell. He was cheerful enough for the both of them. And now he wouldn't have to worry about his roommate's reaction when he accidentally punched his chemistry experiment or inadvertently knocked over his bookshelf or played music really, really loud. Zell firmly believed that loud music got the blood moving, helped get him ready to kick some ass. Jones firmly believed that Zell was an idiot.

So Zell punched the play button on his CD-player and twisted the volume all the way up. He sipped some soda and grabbed two candy bars- one for each hand. Then he shadowboxed in the middle of his room, punching, swiping, ducking, and inhaling candy to the beat of the music.

Today was the big day- the SeeD exam. By tonight he might be a SeeD. Or he might still be a lowly cadet. 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.

And he knew that these exams were hard. Some cadets even died. A greater number failed in a less deadly fashion. Zell wasn't even sure how many times that bastard Almasy had taken it- more than a few. Now he didn't even bother wearing the exam uniform. When asked why not, he'd said, "Why should I? I'm the best fighter in this damned place and they're too stupid to pass me. At least I can be comfortable." He wasn't too sure how Seifer could be comfortable in a calf-length trenchcoat in the middle of summer, but he wasn't about to argue- Seifer was a lot bigger than Zell.

Candy gone, he turned the music down a bit and changed into the exam uniform. He for one didn't want to lose any points on attitude.

Once he was changed he stretched carefully. It wouldn't do to pull a muscle later. Then he snuck into Jones' room and jumped on his bed for a few minutes. A week before, Jones had accused him of purposefully annoying him. It wasn't actually true, but Zell figured that Jones deserved to be annoyed a little extra just for that remark.

Smiling happily, he hopped down and checked the clock. Time to go.

Zell's sneakers made almost no noise at all on the smooth floor of the Garden hallway. As soon as he emerged from the dormitory section he spied a young cadet jogging toward him from the direction of the cafeteria.

He grinned as the boy passed him and bounced a little on the balls of his feet. He took off at a sprint toward the front gate, nearly knocking the kid over as he passed him. Then he jogged in place a little and waited for him to catch up.

"Hey, Zell! Got an exam today, right?"

"Yeah. On my way now, actually."

They ran toward the Directory amiably.

"I don't care what Seifer says," the boy said. "I bet you pass and he doesn't."

"Let's hope so."

"Well, I got ten more laps. Good luck, Zell!" And he continued running as they came upon the Directory. Zell waved the boy on and slowed. He could see Instructor Trepe and someone else standing in front of the directory.

Then the Instructor looked up and saw him.

"Over here, Zell!" she called.

He decided to make an entrance. He bounced a little on his heels and punched the air a few times just for kicks, and then his body took off down the steps in a series of back handsprings and flips that any acrobat would have been proud to pull off.

He landed right in front of them. Instructor Trepe smiled.

"Whoa! I'm with you?" Squall Leonhart in his squad? He held out a gloved hand for him to shake after wiping it on his pants. Squall just looked at him with a faint expression of disgust. Man, the guy was u-n-f-r-i-e-n-d-l-y. He definitely needed to loosen up a little. Zell took his hand back. Tch. He could at least shake my hand. Fine.

He decided to get a little of his own back.

"You don't get along with Seifer, do you? Heard he whooped you pretty bad this morning." Jones had told him that they had both been in the infirmary this morning before homeroom. They'd had some kind of a duel before dawn on the rocky seaside beach.

"We weren't fighting," said Squall. "We were training."

Zell rolled his eyes. "I bet Seifer doesn't think so. Look, Seifer's just being a pain in the ass. All you have to do is ignore him," he advised.

"That's-" began Squall, and Instructor Trepe chimed in.

"None of your business," they said, and Zell eyed them. What was going on? Instructor Trepe giggled and covered her mouth. Squall just stood there, looking even more annoyed- if that was possible.

"Ahem," she said. "Excuse me, but...that Seifer you're talking about? He's in your squad."

"Say what!?" exclaimed Zell, and even Squall gave the Instructor a sharp look.

"It can't be changed," shrugged the Instructor. "Seifer, are you here?" she called.

And Seifer was. He strolled in from the direction of the front gate like he owned the place. His flunkies, Raijin and Fujin, followed a few paces behind. Great. We got the whole Disciplinary Committee here. Seifer was in charge of the DC, which was in charge of terrorizing the cadets into following the rules. Zell had been busted quite a few times for running in the halls.

"Squall, you're the squad leader. Good luck, all of you." Zell was a little surprised- Squall was the captain? What the heck? As far as he could tell, the guy was not interested at all in a leadership position. He was practically asocial- how could anyone expect him to be capable of leading a team? Zell decided not to worry about it- not his problem, really. He'd just follow orders and do his best to pass.

The look on Seifer's face was priceless- first incredulity appeared there, followed closely by disgust. Then he smirked.

"Instructor. I hate it when people wish me luck. Save those words for a bad student who needs them, eh?"

Instructor Trepe gave him a cool look. "Okay then. Good luck, Seifer."

Seifer scowled in annoyance and waved a hand at his posse. "Add Instructor Trepe to the list." Zell had heard 'the list' mentioned before, but nobody he asked seemed to know what it was. Probably a 'we don't like these people, so bother them a lot' list.

The Instructor smiled as if he had given her a compliment. "Well then. You're all assigned to Squad B. Teamwork is of the utmost importance, so let's get through this exam, everyone!"

"Listen up!" said Seifer. "Teamwork means staying out of my way." Zell rolled his eyes. What a moron.

The Instructor gestured and the Headmaster approached, beaming. He looked around. "Everyone here? It's been awhile, everyone. How's everyone doing?" When no one seemed inclined to answer, he continued. "This exam will involve twelve members from squads A through D. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are for real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace- each of these go hand in hand. There's only one way or the other. How 'bout it? Are you still up for it?" He looked again at them. Zell thought, What kind of idiot would back out after all the training we've been through? "You will be accompanied by nine SeeD members. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do." He laughed a little. Man, the Headmaster is kinda...weird. "Well, that's one less worry on your mind. The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD!" Okay, okay, can we go now? Sheesh. "Learn from them, obey their commands, and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of SeeD. Best of luck."

Seifer and his cronies turned and headed for the garage. Zell shrugged and followed a safe distance behind. He didn't really want to chit-chat with the DC.

The thought that he had had earlier- that he might actually die today- snuck back into his mind and he wished he had mentioned something to his mother after all. He blinked a little, wondering why his eyes were stinging, and called himself a crybaby. Under his breath, of course.

He took a breath and looked at the smooth curved walls of the Garden that he lived in. It wasn't home, not the way his house in nearby Balamb was, but he spent almost all of his time here- his career was seated here.

He wondered all at once why it was called Garden. After all, it was really a huge building, a colossal, eccentrically shaped campus. Gardens were simply places where flowers or vegetables grew, organic, completely different from pale hallways of indeterminate material and classrooms. It was beautiful, ancient, completely unlike the buildings in Balamb. He figured the name was just some sort of attempt at poetry, especially considering that SeeDs inhabited the place. He didn't need to understand it to appreciate it, he supposed.

The garage was probably the ugliest part of Balamb Garden. It seemed a mundane, normal part of a highly esoteric structure. But then again, a garage was necessary and there wasn't really much anyone could do to make it match the quiet splendor of the rest of the place.

Zell climbed into the vehicle that would take the squad to the Balamb dock where a skimmer waited to transport them to Dollet. Seifer was already seated inside, and Zell had no sooner sat down then Quistis and Squall entered.

As the engine revved and the driver took off, he checked his gloves to make sure the straps were all tight enough. He sighed. He hated being a passenger in a car, especially when he couldn't see where they were going. He'd much rather drive.

He sighed again, and looked at the others. They seemed sunk in their own thoughts. He noticed a carving on Squall's gunblade, but couldn't make out what it was. He leaned toward Squall.

"Yo, Squall. Show me your gunblade, will ya?"

Squall didn't reply.

"C'mon, man!" What the heck was that? A lion?

Still no answer from the squad leader.

"Just a peek!" he begged. He really wanted to see it- the gunblade looked really neat.

"Tch! Fine," he said, sitting back and crossing his arms. Man, the guy was pretty rude. He wouldn't hurt the damned gunblade, he just wanted to see it. "Yeah, yeah. Why you bein' so selfish? Scroooge!"

Squall ignored him yet again, and Zell thought that if he didn't get some reaction- at least a single word- out of this self-possessed young man he'd go out of his head. "Say somethin', will ya!? W-What's on your mind?"

Instructor Trepe smirked and said, "Nothing," at the same moment Squall did. She giggled and covered her mouth as Squall pinched the bridge of his nose, and Zell eyed her again. What a strange person. Oh well, at least he'd gotten something out of the squad leader.

He sighed, bored again, and stood up. He shadowboxed a little, practicing in his head moves he would probably have to use later that day.

Seifer stirred from where he lounged like a sleeping snake. "Stop that. It's annoying." Thoughtfully, he added, "Chicken-wuss."

Zell felt his mouth drop open. "What did you call me!?"

Seifer snickered and Instructor Trepe commanded sharply, "Knock it off!"

Zell punched his fist into his open palm and sat down.

A little while passed in silence. Then Squall turned his head toward the Instructor.

"Instructor. Who was that girl in the infirmary this morning?" Zell gaped at him- it was the longest speech he'd ever heard Leonhart make.

"Was someone there? I didn't notice anyone," said Instructor Trepe. "Is there a problem?" She smiled at Squall.

"No. Not really," said Squall before lapsing back into his thoughts.

"This is great," announced Seifer. "I have a chicken-wuss and a guy who just reached puberty in my squad."

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, the smell of salt and fish. He glanced toward the hotel, wishing 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 staff member quickly- those weird outfits made him nervous. Plus they were always confiscating his things- CDs, especially. He was angry, of course, but it was still funny to imagine the straight-laced Garden staff listening to his music.

They sat down two by two against the walls of the loading bay and waited for their briefing quietly. Zell wasn't even sure where they were going- missions were always well-kept secrets, especially those that also served as exams. For all he knew they could be going to play bouncers at a concert in Deling City. He liked the idea of that but knew that there were twelve cadets going on this mission- a rather large number for a concert. No, this would be something bigger.

Presently, Cid's assistant Xu joined them. She was a slender, dark-haired woman with a reputation for coolness. It was also said that she had a temper- but Zell had never witnessed that. She seemed competent enough to him.

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

The Instructor smiled back and gestured. "Well, these are the members of Squad B."

"Nice to meet ya," Zell said warmly.

Squall murmured, "Pleased to meet you," while Seifer ignored everyone impartially.

Xu smiled sweetly at him. "Seifer, how many times has it been now?"

"Oh, I just love these exams," he chirped while displaying an alarmingly feral grin.

Zell blinked. Seemed like Xu and Seifer really hated each other. Or more likely, Xu hated him and he just liked to get on her nerves.

"I'll explain the current situation and the mission," continued Xu. "Be seated," she said to Zell who had stood to let her by. He flushed and dropped into his seat. Already yelled at, this was looking good.

"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 G-Army since about seventy-two hours ago. Forty-nine hours into the battle, Dollet abandoned their position in the inner city. Currently, they have retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops. That's the current status." She looked at each of them to make sure they understood.

"Now onto the mission objective. According to our reports, the G-Army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region. We're to make a landing at Lapin Beach. We're to eliminate the remaining G-Army within the city and liberate it ASAP. Afterwards, SeeD members will intercept any G-Army forces trying to make their way into the city from the mountain region."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Seifer asked sharply.

"SeeD candidates are to eliminate the G-Army inside the city," Xu said mildly.

"Sounds important!" piped Zell.

Seifer gave him a disgusted look. "Sounds boring. So what you're saying is, we do all the dirty work..." He arched an eyebrow at Xu.

"Oh, it hardly needs to be said," Xu shrugged. Zell was confused. Actually, I'd kind of like it if someone did say. What the hell are they talking about?

Xu continued. "The order to withdraw takes priority. Do not forget." Her wristwatch beeped.

"We're almost there. We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark. Just 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. "Get these settled and be ready to go when we land." He left, ignoring the sneer Seifer threw at him.

Zell closed his eyes obediently as he felt Squall pass him a Guardian Force. The hair on his arms stood for a moment and he thought he heard a far-off rumble of thunder. This is Quezacotl. He took a deep breath and shook himself- he felt galvanized with energy. He opened his eyes to find Instructor Trepe smiling at him.

"Quezacotl?" He nodded. "Well, keep her for long enough and you won't need all that gel." She covered her mouth and giggled. Zell blushed- everyone made fun of his hair, it wasn't fair at all.

He glanced at Seifer surreptitiously, but Seifer wasn't paying attention. He was inspecting his gunblade, a great black thing that somehow looked oddly graceful in his gloved hands. Of course, it looked deadly more than anything. Seifer's skin was slightly flushed under his tan and Zell wondered if he'd gotten Ifrit. Probably. He'd felt the chill when Squall had walked by him, which meant he had kept Shiva.

Squall appeared in the doorway.

"We'll be there in less than a minute." They all stood and waited.

"Get your hands on those handrails. This will be bumpy," advised Instructor Trepe. Everyone did so, including Seifer, Zell noted.

It was more than bumpy, Zell decided as the skimmer beached itself on the sand and the docking bay door slid open. He got his balance somehow, and just as he stepped out of the skimmer he saw bullets spray into the sand in front of him in a wide arc. He stepped back a bit, eyes darting around nervously. Nobody else seemed to notice. He saw Xu salute to Instructor Trepe and move off steadily, ignoring the gunfire around her. He wondered briefly if she had a Protect spell or something. He wished he had one.

"All right!" Quistis shouted over the din. "You're to secure the Central Square. Move out!"

Squall and Seifer moved 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 is probably the worst- everything here on out will be easy.

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

Zell saw that Squall had dispatched the other soldier and was wiping his gunblade off with no discernable expression. The guy sure knows how to keep his cool. Zell looked down at the man by his feet and was alarmed to feel tears stinging his eyes. I never killed anyone before. This guy had a family and now they'll never see him again, because of me.

He stepped over the body and followed Squall and Seifer down the street. But he got into this all by himself. He knew the risks, just like I do. He was doing his job and I have to do mine. It won't be me on that pavement, not if I can help it. I'll see Ma again, I swear it.

After making sure that neither of the other candidates were looking at him, he hastily scrubbed his eyes.

In no time they had made it to the Central Square. Squall stopped and sized up the area. In the meantime, Seifer had taken 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. One thing's for sure- Seifer is a vicious fighter, thought Zell.

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. Zell agreed with him, but didn't say anything.

They heard a great roar come from close by. "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. He saw a yellow dog wandering the square, but he seriously doubted it was a threat.

The dog approached Seifer and began to tug on his jacket. Uh-oh, thought Zell as Seifer kicked at it.

"Get outta here! Scram!" He scowled and made a feint at it. It backed off a bit and sat on its haunches, watching them. Seifer turned toward the fighting and yelled, "Hey! Galbadian Soldiers! Come show me what you got!"

He's an idiot, thought Zell. But he's right. This is hella boring.

He voiced his opinion. "The hell! Man. Now this is what I call boring. This ain't right, man!" He took a few disgusted swipes at thin air.

The dog sidled closer to Seifer and then back as Seifer whipped his gunblade through the air furiously. "That's it! I can't take it anymore! What is this, some kind of dog training!?"

The dog turned and ran across the square, as if it was as outraged as Seifer. It threw its head up and began to howl mournfully. Then its ears pricked and it looked off down the alley.

Squall motioned to Zell and pressed himself against the nearest building. Zell crouched, and noticed that Seifer had already faded into the shadowy depths of a shop doorway.

They all watched as six Galbadian soldiers moved furtively into the square from the alley.

"It's the enemy," murmured Squall. Duh, thought Zell.

The leading soldier gestured and the others followed him as he exited the square on the north side.

"Where the hell they going?" wondered Zell. He strained to see the top of the hill, and thought he could make out some sort of structure. Maybe some sort of tower? "Hey, what's that up there?" Zell wondered aloud, then turned as the silence behind him became extremely loud.

"Our next destination," said Seifer, looking at Squall. Squall stared back at him evenly. The quality of his stillness was such that Zell knew he was making a decision.

Damned if Zell would get in trouble because of Seifer! He wanted to pass this exam. "But that's against orders," he protested.

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, silver-blue eyes fixed on the tower atop the hill. Seifer clapped a brotherly hand on Squall's shoulder and said, "You want to wreak some havoc, too, don't you?"

Squall shrugged him off, disgusted, 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."

"You'll thank me when the time comes," said Seifer smugly. Zell stared.

"What the hell?" he said indignantly. "I thought you guys didn't get along. You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen," he said earnestly. "This ain't no ordinary battle. 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. Squad B will secure the summit. Let's go." He moved off toward the stairs, Seifer right behind him.

"Tch. Fine." Zell followed them reluctantly.

They followed the alley and came to a long stone bridge that covered the distance to the hill. At the end, they found a set of wide stone steps that were cracked and overgrown. Zell watched his step carefully as he climbed- he didn't really want to break any limbs on this mission.

Squall and Seifer were several steps ahead of him, and he was so intent on watching his feet that he nearly bumped into them. They both stood warily, watching the bushes at the side of the stone staircase intently.

They must have heard something, thought Zell.

Sure enough, a Dollet soldier crawled out of the bushes. When he saw them he let out a started yelp. "Ahh! Who are you?"

"Don't worry. We're SeeD candidates. We've been dispatched by Garden," replied Squall.

"So what's going on up there?" asked Seifer, gesturing to the top of the hill.

"Galbadian soldiers have entered the Communication Tower," said the soldier. "On top of that, the place has always been a nesting ground for monsters. If you guys are going up there be caref-" the soldier yelped again as he was dragged back into the bushes. "Help!" he cried.

All three of them immediately plunged into the bushes, where a huge anacondaur awaited them. Squall hesitated not at all in plunging his gunblade into the snake's side. Zell heard the muffled sound of the revolver firing. Before he could make his own attack, Seifer had pushed his way through to the snake and sliced it viciously, also letting loose a spray of bullets as he struck. Zell glanced at his hands, shrugged, and stepped up to have his turn. He punched the anacondaur in the face, just once, and watched as it wailed and fell to the ground. Grinning, he turned to his teammates and spread his hands as if to say, who knew?

But they weren't paying attention. Squall was cleaning his gunblade, and Seifer was watching in amusement as the Dollet soldier took to his heels down the stairs.

Squall finished and stepped back onto the stairs. "Monsters, huh?" he murmured, sounding faintly amused.

"That sucks," added Zell in the same sardonic tone.   

"More fun for us," said Seifer, not catching the joke at all. "Can we go?"

They continued their weary trek up the stairs and after just a few encounters with monsters reached the summit. The Communication Tower was nestled in a depression at the top of the hill. They found themselves on a slight rise above it, separated from it by a cliff. To the side a path could be seen leading down to the front doors, by which two Galbadian soldiers stood. They crouched on the ground to avoid being seen.

Presently the wide doors opened and another Galbadian soldier appeared. Zell strained to make out their words.

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

"What the hell they doing," muttered Seifer to himself.

"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 decisively. 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 quietly. "I try not to think 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 as surprised as Zell felt. "What? Your dream?"

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

Squall shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm gonna 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 meaningfully.

The other cadets looked at him.

"Then let's go," said Squall, standing and brushing himself off.

They followed the path down the side of the cliff with no mishaps and found themselves before the wide double doors of the Communication Tower within minutes.

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

They stepped inside quickly, startling 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 purposefully. Zell covered 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 idly. "We'll take the lift- see who's at the top."

They gathered onto the lift and Zell's stomach plummeted as it rose swiftly up the massive center column of the tower.

The lift halted after a few moments and they stepped out onto metal grating that served as a floor. Zell only had time to notice a Galbadian officer in a red uniform at a control panel before the tower began to shake.

He planted his feet as firmly as possible on the grating and looked around. He could hear a loud humming sound, and saw that lights were beginning to blink all up the center column of the tower and at the edges of the platform. There was a more violent shake, and all three cadets staggered. At the same time, the humming sound grew closer, and Zell jumped back as a

(shuttle)

capsule shot up the hollow column, startling him. He watched it 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.

Whoa, thought Zell.

"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked the Galbadian soldier. Red uniform, Zell thought. Major.

The officer looked at them in surprise, just then realizing he wasn't alone. "Likewise, mister! What do you think you're doing?"

He looked at them, noticing their uniforms, and said, "Hey, what happened to all the soldiers below?"

Seifer smirked.

Angry, the major called for his assistant. "Wedge! Take care of these twerps!"

Zell readied himself for battle quickly, but no Wedge appeared to take them to their doom.

The officer noticed this also, and began, "Wedge?" Zell rocked on his heels and grinned, hands clasped behind his back. Squall took the opportunity to examine his gunblade, and Seifer smirked harder than ever. As Wedge's absence finally dawned on him, he 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 ferociously, moving all the while toward the lift. Just as he got to it, it rose up to their level and deposited another SeeD candidate. Zell didn't recognize her.

"Heeeey!" she said cheerfully, and began to twirl her nunchakus. "Where do you think you're going?"

Realizing there was no escape, the major faced off in preparation for battle. Finally, thought Zell.

"Prepare for the worst!" shouted the major, and the fight began.

Four against one wasn't too taxing, and Zell waited his turn impatiently. Just as he rushed up to knock the wind out of the major, the missing Wedge scurried up and joined his superior.

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

Biggs glared and rubbed his stomach where Zell's fist had landed. "Where were you? No pay for you this month!"

"Should've stayed home," muttered Wedge, and aimed at Squall.

But before he could shoot, Seifer's gunblade traced crimson down his arm and he faltered.

Suddenly a wind rose up, knocking the Galbadian soldiers to the ground. Zell's eyes widened as a winged monster with a strange looking snout descended gently to hover in front of them.

The female cadet wasted no time whacking it across the snout. Squall looked at it for a moment.

"It's got a GF," he said quietly. "Zell, see if you can draw it."

Zell nodded, and stepped forward, concentrating as he'd been taught. He heard a mesmerizing burst of harp music, and a feminine hum. The world blacked out for a moment, and when he came to a few seconds later, he was thinking of the ocean at sunset.

He felt sluggish and dazed, so he crouched for a moment, fingers twined in the metal grating.

The monster screamed its last moments later as Squall drove his blade into its middle and fired the revolver.

Squall offered a hand for Zell, and he took it, feeling a bit more normal.

"What was it?"

Zell frowned, and posed the question to the new entity in his head.

"Siren," he said eventually. "She's..." he began, and faltered. "Status attack," he said finally.

Squall nodded. "You keep her. Junction sleep."

Zell shook his head one last time and noticed the female cadet hopping in place, impatient.

"Squad B captain?" Squall nodded. "I'm Selphie. I have new orders. All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 1900 hours. Assemble at the shore."

"Withdraw?" 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 stated. "How long do we have?" he asked Seifer.

"We've only got thirty minutes," Seifer grimaced.

They piled onto the lift and before it touched the bottom floor they all leapt off and began to run.

Just as they got outside they heard the sound of air rushing and a huge metal monster crashed down in front of them.

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Zell. It looks like a spider.

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

"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 or we'll never make it."

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

Almost immediately he felt his body fade, and when he rematerialized 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, and they began to run again.

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

As fast as they ran, 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 themselves, once in Central Square, and once in the street that led to the beach; each encounter wasted precious minutes.

Finally they stumbled down the short staircase leading to the beach, and could hear the X-ATM092 getting up once more behind them.

Zell ran across the sand toward the skimmer, never so glad for the long miles Garden made them run in training. He climbed in the cargo bay right behind Seifer, and suddenly noticed that Squall and Selphie were not with them.

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.

The monster grew closer and closer to Squall and Zell thought for sure that it would pounce on him, crushing him.

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

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, reaching out 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 slumped, and as the cargo bay doors slid shut he saw it explode.

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

********

Seifer stepped out of the cool murky depths of the skimmer into bright Balamb sunlight. He blinked, and saw his posse walking up the dock to meet him.

He strode by Squall, Zell, and Selphie without acknowledging them. Fujin and Raijin fell in beside him and they strolled toward the ground car.

"How'd it go?" asked Raijin.

He grinned. "No problems."

"Safe?" Fujin inquired, tilting her silver head toward him.

He spread his arms and smiled. "Not a scratch."

Fujin nodded in satisfaction, seeing that the exam apparently had gone very well.

"Let's get back to Garden," he decided. "I'm starving." He didn't even pause as he remembered that Squall and the others had ridden with him. They can walk, he shrugged mentally.

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

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

"So Galbadia was 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 thought out loud. "Everybody knows about the worldwide interference signal."

"Does sound fishy," Raijin agreed.

"But they won't be able to use it, so it really doesn't matter," Seifer concluded. "Who cares?"

Raijin shrugged. "Not me. Hey, didja hear? Squall got reamed for leaving the designated area. I bet he doesn't pass."

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

Fujin scowled and nudged his leg with her boot.

"Pass?" 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.

Just then the intercom blared, "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 ya later."

"Come," announced Fujin as she stood.

"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, he thought. It had been a big class.

He leaned against the wall, Raijin and Fujin flanking him. 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.

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. They always let the cadets cool their heels long enough for everyone to get edgy before announcing the results and it annoyed him perhaps more than it should have.

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

"Zell Dincht," he announced bluntly.

"Nida Zeromus. Selphie Tilmitt. Seifer Almasy." Seifer indignantly fought down a surge of surprise. "That is all," continued the representative. "Dismissed."

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

"Way to go Seifer! I always knew you'd do it!"

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. "And I gotta book it to the Headmaster's office now. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Tonight's gonna be busy."

They nodded, 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 shortly, and they lined up in front of Cid's desk and saluted.

The Headmaster stood and smiled at them.

"First of all, congratulations. However, from now on, as a member of SeeD, you will be dispatched all over the world. We are proud to introduce SeeD, Balamb Garden's mercenary soldiers. SeeD soldiers are combat specialists. But, that is only one aspect of SeeD. When the time comes..." and before he could continue the Garden Faculty member interrupted.

"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 mission with care." He turned toward the Headmaster. "Is that what you wanted to say, sir?"

The Headmaster smiled weakly and Seifer was instantly suspicious. Was Cid afraid of the Garden Faculty? What was he talking about when he said, when the time comes?

"Here are your grade reports," said the faculty member, gesturing at Cid.

Cid made his way down to Selphie and whispered a few words in her ear as he handed her the grade report. 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 representative one last thoughtful look before he left and went to his quarters.

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

Gotta remember to lock up- crazy Trabia chicks just walk right into your rooms, apparently.

"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 impatiently.

Seifer entered his room and made sure to lock the door behind him- he didn't trust her not to barge in while he was trying to change.

He flung his towels on the floor and dressed, noting irritably that the uniform was far more itchy than was strictly necessary.

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

"Still here?" he said snidely.

"Wow, not bad! You look pretty good!" If he hadn't been so annoyed he would have smirked- of course he looked good. He made it a point to look absolutely devastating whenever possible.

"Let's hit that PARRRTAY!" Selphie exclaimed, dragging him out the door by his arm.

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- he wondered if she did it on purpose to set people off.

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 nice deserted pillar, snagging a drink off of a waitress' tray.

Leaning against the sturdy pillar, he watched the brightly-clad dancers float serenely across the marble floor. He looked at his drink. Champagne.

He thought to himself that this was unlike any other kind of party he'd been to. Not that he partied 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. Not that he particularly avoided thinking about her, but he was the type of person who tended to concentrate on what was right in front of him.

Rinoa was probably one of the sweetest girls he'd ever met. Drop dead gorgeous, too, but that was a given. Seifer wouldn't let himself get involved with anyone who wasn't. She was funny, too, although he knew she didn't mean to be. She'd had this thing about her father- she hated his guts and wanted to piss him off in any way possible. She was the one who dragged him to all of the concerts and wild parties, in the hopes of making her father as irate as possible. Seifer had found it incredibly amusing and somehow endearing. And he didn't mind- he was bored in Deling City and it filled the time.

He took a sip of champagne, looking out over the crowd, and thought to himself that the girl in the yellow dress watching the sky through the huge glass skylight that served as a ceiling to the ballroom looked a lot like Rinoa.

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

She turned toward him and her eyes lit up as she spotted him. That is Rinoa. What's she doing here?

He smiled instantly, not missing a beat even though he was quite surprised to see her. She weaved her way through the dancers and ended up in front of him.

"Hey Rin," 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 on cue, 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 leered at her. "Oh yeah?" he countered.

She giggled and he spun her around gallantly. "Well, I kind of need to speak to Cid Kramer," she admitted. "I thought you might introduce me to him."

Seifer put on a hurt expression, but was aware that he was actually faintly relieved that she hadn't come because of him. He liked Rinoa- but he didn't really relish being used by her 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 too long after he introduced Rinoa to the Headmaster. The one glass of champagne he had drunk had inflamed the mild headache he'd sported since finding out he was a SeeD. His head pounded and he felt wound up. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while, and thought that maybe he should have had a few more drinks. But then again, maybe not. Drunk Seifer was fine at a wild party, but not at a posh affair like tonight's.

Zell Dincht stood in the hallway to the dorms, and Seifer sincerely hoped he was waiting for someone else. But no- as soon as the martial artist saw him, he strode up to him and exclaimed, "Finally! There you are. Where the hell were you? I was looking all over the place." Seifer blinked; he thought he'd been gone for no more than an hour, but maybe he'd lost track of time.

Zell continued without waiting for an answer. "We're both now members of SeeD, right? Well, guess what? We got our own rooms, baby! Your new room's right across the hall from your old one. That's what I was asked to tell you. Man, it took me forever!"

Seifer wondered why Zell hadn't just told him this at the party, but decided he really didn't care. Zell wasn't a very logical person.

He nodded at the younger man and continued making his way down the hallway. He was glad that SeeDs got private rooms- he didn't really feel like being around anyone else at the moment.

Finally he palmed his door, relieved to be home. 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 tossing it to the floor.

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 fished Hyperion out of her case and opened his 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 playfully.

She smiled at him. "Yes. I just wanted to thank you for that."

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

She sighed, and her eyes seemed to become darker with emotion. "I'm part of a resistance faction in Timber. We're trying to free Timber from Galbadian rule." She frowned and examined her shoes. "It's...a mess. Galbadia is not kind to its vassal states. Especially ones who fought so hard not to become vassal states. There are soldiers everywhere, taxes are sky high, trade is not good. The economy is falling apart and Galbadia doesn't care enough to control it. Nobody really knows why they bothered to conquer Timber at all."

Seifer realized suddenly that her father was a powerful general in the Galbadian army. He had 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 on his face, for she said, "This isn't about that man. Seifer, there are people disappearing from Timber. People who've said a little too loudly what they thought of Galbadia. There are women," and her eyes lit with rage, "who never wanted to be mothers- but didn't have a choice. I have to stop it if I can."

He nodded, thoughtful and a bit embarrassed. Maybe Rinoa was growing up.

She sighed. "I don't have access to that man's 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 ruefully. "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 shyly, "I want to congratulate you. For passing your exam."

They looked at each other for a moment. And 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. I don't know if you know what this means to me: it means everything."

Rinoa's hands trailed down his neck, his chest, and her mouth followed.

Seifer couldn't seem to move. He was surprised, to say the least. After what had happened at the end of last summer, he wouldn't have blamed her if she'd never spoken to him again.

And again, he felt extreme reluctance to have anything to do with her. The scene that had taken place in her bedroom the last time they'd seen each other had not been a pleasant one.

On the other hand, his body was wired and demanding, and he would more than likely be able to able to sleep, after.

His indecision had cost him his chance to stop this, though. She had him in her hands one moment and her mouth the next, and then no force on the planet could have made him try to stop what was happening.

He wanted to hiss, but did not. His eyes fluttered closed and he unconsciously clutched the sheets with his fingers as she showed him she knew exactly what she was doing- her mouth was hot and wet and insistent, and he knew he wouldn't be able to resist it for very long.

And he wasn't able to. Just a few minutes later he felt the familiar shudder, and immediately exhaustion dropped onto him like a heavy rock. He half flopped, half fell back onto the bed and threw his arm over his eyes.

The last thing Seifer heard before sleep claimed him was Rinoa's whispered, "Sleep well," and the sound of the door closing behind her.

********

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 felt her eyebrows rising. "Who were you expecting?" she asked, amused.

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

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 eventually, 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 suspiciously. "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 eventually closed the door.

She crossed her arms and waited. Maybe she shouldn't have come here. Surely he had enough problems. But then again, most students failed the SeeD exam once or twice. It wasn't that big of a deal. And she really needed to talk to someone.

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 center and they did not speak. She was used to his silence, though, and it didn't bother her as much as it might have.

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 center.

Once or twice they were stopped by Grats, but they were both proficient fighters and these battles were not particularly exciting.

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 quietly, and Quistis avoided them as she found a good place to lean on the balcony. Garden was clearly visible from this vantage point, lit up splendidly under the dark night sky. She sighed, feeling 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 over the balcony 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 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 and said, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Still he said nothing, and she continued. "They told me that I failed as an instructor. Basically, that I lacked leadership qualities. I was a SeeD by the age of fifteen, got my instructor's license at seventeen. It's only been a year since I got it. I wonder where I went wrong- I did my best," and she trailed off. She glanced at Squall. "Are you listening?"

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

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you care what they think?" he clarified.

"Of course I care," Quists 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 from another planet. "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 intent she almost flinched. "You're not stupid, Quistis. Think about it. Garden only 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 warriors and sends them on missions- they work for the highest bidder." His voice became soft, almost a hiss. "They ensure that there will always be war- that there will always be orphans to make money for them. 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 a cause we don't even care about. Do you think there would still be a war if we had prevented Galbadia from getting access to the Communication Tower? No. They would have been ousted, they would have failed, and Garden would have had no future wars to make money in. Instead Galbadia has what it wanted, and we both know they'll stir up more trouble, even if we don't know how. Garden trains us to follow orders exactly, and then it carefully gives orders that will lead to more war."

She stared at him in shock. "But surely," she began, and he cut her off again.

"No buts. You know I'm right." He continued brutally. "No one here cares about you. Accept it- there's no point in grieving over something that doesn't care about you and never has."

"But you-" she said shakily, 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 long gone.