Sowing the SeeDs : Part 19 a fanfic by Greenbeans edited by Helen Fong based on the world of Final Fantasy 8 created by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. A hard tap on the terminal's keypad was the only outward sign of Cid's current mood. It was still early enough in the morning that the sun hadn't yet crested the mountains outside the large windows behind Cid's desk. Master Talasu lay stretched out along one of the couches that ran perpendicular to the desk. His eyes were closed, giving the false appearance that he was sleeping. "No word?" Talasu asked. "You know how unreliable HD is. The message could have been lost somewhere on the sea floor for all I know," the Headmaster replied, concern touching his tone. Talasu lifted his head up to give Cid a long look. They both knew what the lack of communication meant. "Want me to investigate...?" Cid shook his head. "It's not your place. You're only an observer, after all. I'll send one of my people." That answer sent Talasu sitting upright. "Are you certain? I don't mind and neither would my employer; not for this." "I'll send Kei." "...Not Xu?" "Not Xu," Cid agreed. "I won't pull Xu away from the drill team's tour." Talasu folded his legs under himself as he considered Cid's puzzling logic. "If not for this, then what..?" The Headmaster allowed himself a small, pensive smile. "It's not time yet. I won't use the full force of SeeD at this early stage. Kei can investigate and after she reports we'll plot our next move." "I think you're so focused on the game that you don't see the units that you're moving around the world. If the situation has taken a turn for the worse, then Kei will be in grave danger. I would feel better if I could have a word with her before she leaves..." "I'm sure she would appreciate any advice you have to offer," Cid replied. "You know it's not my intention to use the SeeDs as pawns, but, as a commander, sometimes that's what they are." "I know," Talasu conceded with a sigh. "That's why I would make a terrible commander. I wouldn't be satisfied unless every unit I sent out was able to return." Kei received her orders that afternoon. Talasu discreetly tracked her down once Cid was done briefing her. She'd never met the Master before, but Cid had warned her that a man dressed in green and black would be seeking her out. There was no mistaking the distrust she felt toward him, but she was still willing to listen to what he had to say. Especially since Cid had given the impression that he trusted the man. "You're going into a deceptively hazardous situation," he told the SeeD in all seriousness. "The physical weapon is your greatest ally, but in this battle you may need to fight fire with fire. Please, take this Guardian Spirit with you. Cerberus will allow you to cast spells in rapid succession. If nothing else, it may help you rally a stronger defense towards the forces moving against you." She accepted the rough stone that he placed in hand. "It's only a scouting mission. I'm more than familiar with the monsters that plague Centra." "If it were only monsters I wouldn't have cause for concern." Kei was taken aback. "Are you trying to creep me out or something?" "I'm warning you," Talasu said with a small bow. "There are countless dangers lurking in Centra; beware of them." SeeD Instructor Quistis Trepe brushed her long, blonde hair out of her face as she strode purposefully towards the training room for her next class. It was a private lesson with a student Weapons Master Pan asked her to take on. It wasn't a role Quistis would have cast herself in. She held no illusions that she could ever match Xu when it came to weapons instruction, but this was a special case. Quistis was the only one in the Garden who had any experience in mastering Blue Magic. Quistis knew distressingly little about the student she was teaching. The name she was given for her pupil was Rascal Jett, though Quistis doubted very much that it was her real name. She didn't even know what Rascal's face looked like because she always wore a scarf or mask that obscured her features. Instructing such an enigma was a dubious proposition in Quistis' opinion. That is, until Master Pan convinced her otherwise. Rascal was a student of the weapons art known as Mime. Mimes trained to be proficient in all arts, but master of none. They were mysterious in their identity, obscured their ability, and could mimic the actions of any person they chose. It required a lifetime of training to acquire such flexibility in technique. Pan told Quistis that the best Mimes were ones who could mimic even a SeeD; from magic, to summoning a GF, to performing their Limit. Copying a fighting technique was one thing, but to mimic a Limit? Quistis wouldn't have believed such a thing was possible if she hadn't seen it demonstrated with her own eyes. Rascal was still at an apprentice level in her training. She had no single Master to answer to. When she had learned all she could from one Master she would move along to the next. Pan was just another rung in the ladder for her. Not many in the Guild took the time to master the use of magic (it wasn't their forte), but Rascal took to it like a fish to water. Because of her ability to quickly master new techniques Pan made arrangements with Headmaster Martine for her to receive private lessons from SeeD Instructors. Quistis had no idea how he talked the grumpy Headmaster into that, but she wouldn't turn away the students he assigned to her and especially not a bright one! As far as Quistis could tell, Rascal had no true Limit of her own. The Instructor had originally hoped to trigger that and then use it as a launching pad into other lessons. Instead, when Quistis used the Blue Magic herself, Rascal studied her technique intently and was able to copy it with some success. Quistis was completely baffled by how Rascal managed it without the pre-requisite desperation, never mind doing it at all. When Quistis asked Pan about it, the Master's only answer was that Mimes use their own type of magic. Rascal must have it in abundance to be so proficient! "We'll arrange for you to study with Mistress Xu when she visits here next week," Pan told Rascal after their lesson. Quistis wanted to protest because Xu wasn't going to have much free time as it was (and what little she did have Quistis planned to monopolize). "Why? You are a master of the sai and you've already found me a SeeD Instructor," Rascal nodded in Quistis' direction. Pan slapped Rascal on the back affectionately. "Because she'll teach you something that only she can: Anshin magic!" "Master!" Quistis protested. She didn't like it when her friend was singled out because of her lineage. Xu's heritage wasn't the touchy subject that it once was, but Quistis was still sensitive to it. Pan continued without missing a beat. "Mistress Xu is one of the best Masters -- not only in terms of skill, but of character -- that you'll have the privilege of studying under. Isn't that right, Quistis?" "What you say is true," Quistis agreed with a mental sigh. Pan didn't usually practice tact and he apparently wasn't going to start any time soon. Unnoticed by the student she was observing, Xu studied how Squall handled his new gunblade. She'd commissioned Sean's family to construct the blades for both Squall and Seifer. Cid had ordered her to spare no expense when it came to the two gunblade specialists. Steven traveled all the way from Deling City to take the boys' measurements. The weapons were more than good enough for students who were just starting out. Aucifer was overjoyed when the gunblades first arrived. Xu wondered if she was going to have to order a gunblade for the Master so that he would release the other weapons to his students. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have an extra one in the weapons locker, but gunblades had to be crafted to the swordsman and his style. In Seifer's case, he liked to hold his weapon in his right hand and duel. Squall, on the other hand, maintained a guarded stance and preferred to swing away. For that reason, Squall's gunblade was heavier than Seifer's, so that he could take advantage of the blade's ability to cleave. Presently, Squall was practicing dueling with a fellow upperclassman under Aucifer's watchful eye. Xu doubted that Squall would ever have Seifer's speed and dexterity. It wasn't fair to compare the two students, even if they used the same class of weapon. They came from two very different schools of thought regarding sword technique. Not that she was half the swordsman that Aucifer was to begin with, or that they would be when the Master was finished with them. Standing on the sidelines Seifer was taunting Squall. To Xu's surprise, Aucifer didn't turn to silence the boy. She continued to watch Squall to see if he let Seifer's words get to him. The stoic student was unaffected by the barbs. 'He's refined his Seifer ignoring technique,' she mused. Why was it that the best students were also the ones who attracted the troublemakers? It would be easier to train Squall if Seifer wasn't a constant distraction. Well, she couldn't give up on the head of the disciplinary committee despite her dislike for him. Cid wanted Seifer to graduate as much as he wanted Squall to. It was Xu's job to make sure that happened. Wun touched her on the shoulder to pull her from her thoughts. She looked at the chronometer and realized it was time for her meeting with NORG. Her Shumi aide led the way through the training facilities. She took a deep breath and felt comforted by the flow of energies in the room. As far as the students could tell, the biggest difference to the training room after it was reopened was the center mat, which had SeeD's logo emblazoned on it. Even if they weren't aware of the magic around them, they still enjoyed its effects. The Garden's Master was always very polite during their weekly meetings; a facade that flew in the face of the feelings Xu got from the Shumi. She didn't pretend to know how to read a person's heart, but she wasn't about to ignore her gut instinct that she shouldn't turn her back. NORG hadn't performed any sort of revenge on Sierra for the injuries Tou suffered as a result of the training room fiasco. That seemed to be as out of character for NORG as its generous offer to buy the drill team new uniforms for their trip. Xu simply didn't trust NORG even if she couldn't give a reason why. She hadn't voiced her opinion of the Garden Master to Cid, though was certain that the Headmaster shared it. "As always it is a pleasure to see you, Xu," NORG said from its perch high above those who stood before it. That was another thing that bothered Xu. She couldn't figure out the purpose of the mechanical pods that NORG resided in. Was it some sort of life support system for its bulbous, blubbery body? Did the terminals that surround it hold an overriding sway on the systems that maintained the Garden? It was all too suspicious in Xu's opinion. "Master NORG," Xu replied with a salute. "I have the list of people I would like you to make contact with during the drill team tour," NORG said while gesturing for one of its aides to hand the printout to her. "These are the people you must impress. The Garden's financial future depends on it." Xu kept a neutral expression on her face as she studied the list. President Deling was near the top, as expected. There were also many Dollet officials and ranking members of the Galbadia military. By NORG's reasoning, it was humoring her desire to take the drill team on tour because they could be used as a means to demonstrate SeeD's skills to potential clients. Cid viewed this trip as an opportunity to entice potential students to enroll. She wanted this to be a reward for all the hard work the team had put in. There were so many different ambitions being put on the shoulders of less than a dozen students. When Xu returned to the sanctuary of her office she tossed the list NORG gave her onto her desk with a hiss of disgust. She didn't like kissing up and that's exactly what the Garden Master was ordering her to do. "Are the contents of that page really so distasteful?" The Headmaster's voice asked from behind her. She'd been so wrapped up on her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed him following her here. "Ah..." she motioned for him to come in and close the door. "I don't like this, not one bit. I know that SeeD isn't a charity, but we're beyond the simple, money-grubbing, immoral mercenary!" Cid's eyes lit up with ill-concealed amusement. "Now, now, Xu," he chided, and then those eyes that laughed her dismay turned hard. "As much as it pains me to admit it; we're going to need the money. NORG has given you a heads-up on which people to impress with SeeD's talents. Follow through on this and we'll have the means to continue SeeD's true mission." "As you say, sir," she frowned and gave him another sideways glance. His eyes resumed their playful glint and this time he did chuckle at her peevishness. "Welcome to the joys of administration." "What'cha doin'?" Zell plopped down on the cushioned bench next to Sierra, sending the stack of books beside her tumbling to the floor. She gave him a pointed glare before bending over to pick them up. "I'm studying for the written exam." She didn't voice the 'leave me alone' part, but it was there in her tone. "Ohhhhh," Zell nodded his head with understanding and scooted a little further down the bench to give her room. The cabin's other occupants hadn't noticed their exchange. Red was playing a game of cards at a small table by the window. Jordan had her nose buried in a textbook. If Zell was smart, he would be doing the same thing. The drill team was missing the last two weeks of the term because of the tour. They'd be back at Balamb Garden just in time to take their end of term exams. It was hard for him to sit still long enough to study. The swaying of the train made him want to sway as well. He wanted to be on his feet, bouncing around, and getting ready for the fight! Zell pushed up from the bench and started dancing around, throwing punches at an imagined opponent. Ha! He'd show those Galbadians what SeeD was made of! "KNOCK IT OFF, ZELL!" Sierra thundered. He stumbled back a half step before flopping himself back onto the bench. "You're so grumpy today," he grumbled. "You that worried about the written exam?" "Worried? Me? Why ever for? Every student should be pulled away from their studies to go show a bunch of lazy fat asses how well she can throw punches at her mates two weeks before The Most Important Test Of Her LIFE!" Sierra's voice reached booming levels by the end of her tirade. The Red and Jordan stared blankly at her before resuming their tasks. "I'm glad I'm not graduating this term," Red intoned. The door to the cabin slid open. Xu stood in the doorway looking for what was the cause of the uproar (the who part was never in question). Myn hovered behind Xu, a harried look on his face. The twins were assigned to act as chaperones on this trip. At least they were pretty cool or else Zell would have been bummed about them tagging along. "Sierra's studying," Zell supplied helpfully. Xu shook her head at Myn in dismissal. "And what subject requires yelling?" She asked mildly, closing the cabin door behind her. Sierra hmphed and put her books on Zell's lap so that Xu could have a place to sit. They started speaking softly about the upcoming test. Zell knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop on them so he started thumbing through the stack of books Sierra had given to him. Calculus, blech, he hated math homework. Advanced biology, fourth edition, bo-ring. Huh? What was this notebook? He turned it to the side and then around completely, literally trying to make heads or tails of it. Wah! He didn't even recognize what *language* this was in, and he was supposed to know it for the written exam?! "Gimme that!" Sierra snapped angry, taking the notebook from his hands. "I'm never going to graduate!" He whimpered. "You've been studying?" Xu asked. "Is it not one of my required classes?" Sierra replied snidely. "Of course I studied! And let me say that I think it's rather chicken shit of you to make me go on this tour when I have the written exam to prepare for." Everyone was mortified by Sierra taking the Instructor to task. Xu had long ago grown accustom to the Trabian's brash comments. Xu had come a long way towards curbing Sierra's more vocal outbursts, but there was still the occasional relapse. "The tour had to be moved up to accommodate President Deling's schedule. I would have preferred to do it during the break as I originally planned. Either way, you shouldn't complain. You're getting out of the Garden for two weeks and then you'll have a break afterwards," Xu reasoned. "Hmph, like things will turn out that ideally." Xu shrugged. "Consider the exhibitions as study breaks then. As we've discovered, it doesn't matter where you sit when you have reading to do." Sierra glowered at the reminder. She was use to studying in the training room, but she didn't have to like it. Xu tapped the notebook with a fingertip. "I'll quiz you on this later." "Fine," she said on the end of a sigh. The students remained respectfully silent until Xu left the cabin. After Jordan and Red had gone back to their individual tasks Zell nudged Sierra. "Hey, what class is that notebook for?" "Languages," Sierra grumbled before flipping it to the page she was working on and began softly reading the page aloud. Zell was unsuccessful in trying to pick it out. Sierra was ignoring him now. He looked out the window and tried not to distract her from her studies. Xu had developed two routines depending upon their audience: potential student or potential client. The student routine was the easier of the two. She encouraged the team members to be more open during their demonstrations, not as though they were being inspected for any flaw they might have. The drill team's first stop on the tour was an inner-city school in Dollet. It was a good place to start in Xu's opinion. Going to a school in the afternoon would allow the team to get over their jitters before they performed in front of Dollet's elite that evening. The student routine called for as much speaking as demonstration. She wanted to tell the students about how good the Garden's schooling was. She also allowed volunteers from the audience to come forward and take part in the demonstrations. Simple things like one of the cadets disarming a student and then Xu showing them how to cadet did it went a long way towards creating a lasting impression. When the time they were allotted was drawing to a close Xu allowed the students to ask the cadets questions. She had expected them to ask questions like "What's life like in the Garden?" not to test their knowledge of world politics. The Dollet students were a bright lot and determined to size up their foreign guests. Xu couldn't express the quiet pride she felt as each of the cadets fielding the students' questions and answered them to the students' satisfaction. Even Zell gave the impression of a well-trained intellect when the student who quizzed him happened to focus on the geography of the Timber region. Xu realized it was a happy coincidence that the student had chosen that topic. It was one that Sierra had drilled Zell on the most. There was a gleam in his eyes at meeting the challenge. He was a SeeD cadet and proud of it. "You weren't ready for that, were you?" Nym teased after they left the school. "SeeDs are ready for anything," Xu reminded. "I just wasn't expecting it." The performance for Dollet's political elite didn't involve a question and answer session for the cadets. Instead they demonstrated more advanced skills; up to having Red perform a weak summoning of Shiva against a watermelon. The frozen fruit was then shattered by a round Sierra shot into it from across the stage. Every technique was performed with a precision that would instill the utmost confidence in SeeD's ability to get the job done. There was a soiree afterwards that the cadets weren't invited to attend. (Since they weren't, Nym and Myn took them out for a tour of the city instead.) Xu would have liked for them to have the opportunity to mingle. Unfortunately the Duke's chief of security wouldn't allow such a thing. 'Brash' cadets with the ability to cause mayhem wouldn't be allowed near the Duke. He didn't say that in so many words, but when it came to the coy game Dollet referred to as 'etiquette' she knew better than to balk. NORG had done her a favor by giving her a list of the people it expected her to hobnob with. That encouraged her to research Dollet's peerage system so that she wouldn't inadvertently offend someone. In her opinion the system was a terrible mess of ranks and titles that made Galbadia's pompous air seem relaxed. The Duke was the head of state, but not really. The Prime Minister and Parliament controlled the government, and thus held the true power. People of noble rank were respected, but didn't seem to have much power behind them. The lands that they used to hold were seized when Galbadia pushed Dollet back to the eastern coast. The Barons were no longer obligated to raise an army for the Counts, nor were the Counts responsible to the Duke for the fall harvest. The police maintained the domestic defense of Dollet, but the country simply didn't have the resources to go on the offensive or to defend itself if it were attacked again. It was that latter possibility that NORG wanted Xu to remind them of. The world may be at peace today, but that could always change. Xu disliked the idea of feeding their fears, but any perceptive leader would have already saw their weakness and have options in mind should something happen. How peaceful Dollet was after the beating they'd taken at the hands of Galbadia was a testament to the country's leadership. Dollet had gone from having control of the entire northern half of the continent to being the smallest country in the world. They could have easily turned into another Timber (and would have every right to after what they suffered) but the Duke wisely turned them away from that path. He rebuilt his country with what he had and life went on. Xu couldn't imagine every person in Dollet being content with letting bygones be bygones. Those seeking revenge would have likely joined the Timber resistance by now. The Duke didn't tolerate warmongering in his country, but Timber actively sought out those who wished to menace Galbadia's army. It was probably for the best that the Duke rid himself of the rabble-rousers considering that Galbadia could easily eliminate Dollet if Deling set his sights on holding the entire eastern coast. The newslinks Xu had read while looking up Dollet's nobles had countless rumors about the Duke cutting a deal with Galbadia so that his dukedom wouldn't be crushed. There was no solid evidence that supported that theory, but it would seem to make sense. Galbadia hadn't given any quarter to the monarchs who once ruled Dollet. How could a Duke slip through Galbadia's fingers? Such rumors were intriguing, but really had nothing to do with the tour. What she learned she filed away for later consideration. Meeting the nobles and politicians in person helped to put their personalities in perspective. Some lived up to the personae that the newslinks gave them, and others were quite different. When she went to bed that night Xu felt satisfied with how the day had gone. She didn't know how many potential students she'd interested into looking at the Garden, but NORG should be pleased. 'Cid hasn't gone out of his way to make this mission any easier,' Kei reflected as she shifted in the saddle of the Chocobo she rode. "Go to Centra and investigate the Cape of Good Hope." That's all he told her. He didn't indicate what she was looking for, or do more than circle on a map where the Cape was. She wanted to arrange to have a ship take her there directly, but he staunchly refused, citing that it was a secret location that only a few people knew about. No, she'd have to take the weekly transport down to the Anshin lands, borrow a Chocobo, and *ride* there. Blech, she hadn't ridden a bird in years, not since she moved up north. Her butt hurt to say the least. It was her second day out and she still hadn't found any signs of what she might be looking for. *Any* structure in this dreary landscape would stick out like a sore thumb, she just had to keep searching. It was a long train ride from Dollet to Deling City. Xu used the time to tutor Sierra privately. They began with some practice in conversational Anshin before they moved along to working in their Puzzle Stones. A couple days ago Sierra noticed that some pools of color corresponded with where known magic draw points were. Though they were practiced in moving the streams of energy around, they hadn't found a way to tap it. They practiced tracing the streams to where other draw points may be. The results were mixed, but more often than not they found at least a shallow point where a couple castings could be drawn from. Xu proposed that it might be possible to relocate where a point was entirely. Every SeeD knew that Guardian Forces were tied in with magic use. It fascinated Xu to explore in greater depth how they were related. Junctioning with certain GFs allowed a person to 'see' the pools of magic that they usually weren't able to. And yet... This was nothing new to the elders of the Anshin. They've known how to read and manipulate the streams of magic for generations. Such knowledge would be revolutionary in the north, but they haven't come out and shared it! The thought of how much the two cultures could learn from each other caused Xu to feel a pang of guilt towards Sierra. There really was no way to make things right by her family. The most Xu could do was to encourage Sierra to grow and reach for her dreams, not dwell on her grandfather's. It was many of the cadets' first time in Deling City. For that reason Xu had left time in their schedule for them to explore the city. She trusted them to not get into trouble if they didn't go off by themselves and that they be back to the hotel by curfew. Most of the cadets decided to explore the shopping district. Xu tagged along since that's where Sean's family's home was. When Sierra dutifully followed her towards the weapons shop with Zell in tow she turned around and said, "You don't have to stick with me today. If you want to go off somewhere with Zell that's okay." "Thanks," Sierra said, "I'm going to the junk shop. The trigger of my shotaxe has been sticking lately and I hear this shop is one of the best in the city." "It is," Xu confirmed. "Hey, good thinkin', Sierra! I can have the stud that came off my glove replaced while we're there." Zell pulled his gloves out of his back pocket. Sean's father was at the counter when the three of them entered. "Xu! When I heard that the Balamb Garden drill squad was in town I wondered if you were going to stop by." He came from around the counter and gave her a hug in greeting. "Will you stay for dinner?" She nodded before backing away politely. "I believe these cadets have some business with you." "Ah, yes, yes, what can I do for you?" He peered down at them. Zell thrust his gloves forward and explained the problem. Sean's father took the gloves and scrutinized them while humming to himself. "Hmm, yes, this won't take long to repair. Wait here a moment," he went back behind the counter and set to work. Zell shuffled over to where Sierra and Xu were examining a display. "Man, you must know everyone, 'structor, bein' invited to have dinner with a famous Weapons Smith and all!" "You do seem to have connections," Sierra seconded. "Did he make some weapons for you?" "Yes. The finest sai in the world in my extremely biased opinion," Xu confirmed with a prideful glint in her eye. Sierra read the look and probed deeper. "And why is your opinion extremely biased?" "Because she's my daughter-in-law," he rumbled from behind them. Sean's father proved to be a very stealthy man when he had the mind to be. He handed the gloves back to Zell. "Since you're one of her students I'll only charge you 20 gil for the repair." "Right on! Thanks!" Zell dug into his pocket for his wallet. "And what can I do for you?" The Weapons Smith turned his large body towards Sierra. "Nothing, thanks. Let's go, Zell," she angled towards the door to leave. "Wait, what about the trigger of your shotaxe?" Xu reminded. "Didn't you say it was sticking?" "It's nothing," Sierra assured testily. "Let me take a look at it," the Master offered, putting his hand out to receive the weapon. Sierra shook her head and was nearly to the door when (in Anshin) Xu ordered her to halt and hand over her weapon for inspection. "I know you understood me," Xu growled when Sierra didn't immediately respond to orders. "I hate it when you do that," she complained bitterly, removing her weapon sling and handing it over. "I hate it! Just... stop it, okay!? We use standard in this country. *Standard*! Not some backwater language that only a handful of people speak!" Purposefully ignoring their 'discussion', Sean's father examined the shotaxe. When there was a lull in the outburst he coughed loudly enough to catch their attention. "The trigger needs to be replaced. Usually I'd ask to keep your weapon in the shop for a couple days... But I'll try to have it done by tonight and send it back with Xu. Is that acceptable?" Unabashed by the scene she'd created, Sierra brushed her bangs back and nodded. "Yeah, thank you." She gave him the 50 gil he asked for to cover the cost of the parts. Without further incident the pair of cadets left the shop. "Hmm, I see we'll have something to discuss at dinner tonight," the Master commented wryly while pulling out the parts needed for the shotaxe. Once they were outside the junk shop Zell's yammering began. "So you're studying the Anshin language, huh? That's pretty cool; learnin' a language no one else knows." "I'm only learning it because Xu's forcing me to. She'll flunk me if I don't keep up." "Whoa, that's harsh. Why's she so bent on you learning it?" "She thinks it'll be good for me," Sierra sneered at the thought before shaking it off. "What'll be good for me is getting the hell out of Balamb. As soon as I graduate I'm asking Cid to send me to the furthest posting from Balamb that he's got." Zell fell back a step and kicked a stone along the sidewalk. "Really? I hope he doesn't. I'll miss you if you leave the Garden." "Don't say such things," she scolded. "We'll all be SeeDs soon enough and when we are we'll be scattered around the world. It's best not to get attached to anyone, you know that." "Yeah, I know," he said on the end of the sigh. The truth was, he identified with Sierra and admired her. She inspired him to keep studying and to grow stronger. He didn't know how well he'd do once she was gone. A part of him feared that he'd begin failing his classes because she wasn't there to kick his ass into gear. It would probably be good for Sierra to leave. That'd force him to do it all on his own without someone riding him. Just like Sierra didn't like Xu forcing her to learn Anshin. He wasn't going to like Sierra being gone. Life was full things he wouldn't like, but they'd make him stronger if he overcame them. "Keep me company while I work, won't you?" Sean's father said as disassembled Sierra's shot axe on the bench. Xu smiled and pulled up a stool. "What have you been up to lately?" "We've been busy with an order the government placed for two hundred daggers to be delivered as soon as possible," he gestured for Xu to examine one of the daggers that he had in the weapons locker. Except for the design of the grip it was identical to any grunt's general issue weapon. "Doesn't look like a 2,000 gil dagger, does it?" "2,000 gil!" Xu breathed. "What on earth makes it that valuable?" "This," the Master retrieved a small slug of metal from a nearby work surface and tossed it to her. "The dagger's blade is plated in it. Tell me, have you ever heard of Doctor Odine of Esthar?" "I can't say that I have," Xu admitted while examining the slug. It looked like any other piece of metal to her. "He's the man who discovered Guardian Forces -- for those of us in the north, that is," he amended with a chuckle. The Anshin have known of their existence for generations. "He's also the man who developed the para-magic technique you make use of to cast magic." "He sounds like an important fellow. He invented this as well?" She held up the slug. Sean's father gave a faint nod before focusing on jimmying the shotaxe's firing mechanism out of the shaft. "He discovered that the metal you're holding, with some magical reinforcement, was capable of restraining a Sorceress's powers. What you have there is enough to restrain all but the most powerful of magics." "Amazing, though I wonder what the Galbadian military would need with two hundred daggers plated in this Odine metal?" "Ah, that's my girl," he motioned for her to toss the slug back over. "I am but a simple junk shop owner. The raw materials and daggers were delivered to my shop after I signed a contract to plate the weapons. I couldn't ask the courier how the government had managed to import in quantity some of the rarest and most expensive metal on the planet..." Xu took the hint. Galbadia was up to something and she needed to keep her eyes open. Sean's father got up from his stool and went over to another cabinet. He pulled out a small sack and a katana. "These are for you and Kei. The weapons' sheaths will protect you from their effects until they are drawn." Xu flushed with embarrassment as she accepted the gifts. "You give me new weapons every time I visit you." He returned to the bench he was working at before answering. "You're willing to be Steven's guinea pig but not mine? I had to test the plating process before I used it on the weapons I'm going to deliver to the client." He paused. "And if Galbadia has something up its sleeve I want you to have the same advantage." One of Sean's younger sisters, Sarah, came out to the shop to call them in for dinner. The Smith needed a few more minutes before he would be at a good stopping point on Sierra's weapon, so Xu went in with the girl. Xu asked what she had been up to lately. Sarah told her about a recent Guild workshop that she had attended. The training and weapons hadn't interested the blooming teen as much as a cute boy who was also in attendance. Xu asked for more details about the lad, but it was only a passing interest. All Sarah could tell her about the young man was his physical description and that he was currently studying at Galbadia Garden. Xu mentioned that the Garden was the drill team's next stop after Deling City. Sarah giggled and asked her co-conspirator to pass a message along to the boy that he admired. It was a silly thing to do, but the SeeD agree to pass the message along. Sarah wouldn't indulge in childlike crushes forever. And it would give Xu a chance to meet this boy and see if he was good enough for Sarah in her over-protective sisterly opinion. Besides the junk shop, the shopping district didn't hold much interest for Sierra or Zell. They tried keeping up with Jordan and Nym as they pulled poor Myn all over the place as a box boy, but it was a futile effort. Instead of returning to the hotel early they went to the Deling City Zoo. For whatever reason the monsters in captivity were a large enough draw to catch Zell's attention and hold it. Privately, Sierra thought it was a stupid idea to have a zoo full of monsters, especially when she could go beyond the city limits and be attacked. "Hey, they've got some Trabian monsters here!" Zell went up to the railing that seperated man from beast and began reading the placard. "It's just a Snow Lion," Sierra replied. She had to give the zoo credit for keeping one of Trabia's most powerful monsters in captivity. She wouldn't tangle with a Snow Lion unless her life depended on it. "Yo, check it out, it says here that SeeD helped capture the Snow Lions," Zell pointed to the placard excitedly. "Tch," Sierra spat with disgust. "We're monster ranchers as well?" "Yeah, ain't it cool? SeeD does all kinds of stuff!" He grinned and then returned to studying the monster. "Ya know, it doesn't look that happy, does it?" "Would you be happy in confinement?" Sierra retorted, giving the monster a closer examination for the first time. She wasn't any sort of expert on monsters, but this one really did look under the weather. Its head was drooping and Sierra doubted that it couldn't muster the energy use its Ice Breath against someone if it wanted to. "I wonder if they keep it sedated?" she mused aloud. "We don't sedate any of the monsters unless they become unruly. We provide them with an environment that is as close to their natural habitat as possible," a tour guide who was coming through with a group answered. Zell gave up his place by the rail so that some school children could get a better look at the creature. "Your Snow Lion looks sick," Zell added, trying to join in on their conversation. The woman frowned and glanced around to be sure that none of the children were listening. "We've consulted with a SeeD Blue Mage and she's confirmed that *something* isn't right with the monster, but we're not sure what. We've tried a variety of things and none of them see to lift the monster's spirits for long." "Is it cold enough in there?" Sierra motioned to the pen with her chin. "Have you tried recreating the wind chill of Bika?" The woman nodded with a curious expression on her face. "Yes... You're not cadets from Galbadia, are you? Your uniform are different, but similar..." "We're from Balamb, and Sierra here is a Trabia native," Zell explained. "She knows all about Trabia." Sierra sighed softly and went back to the rail to watch the Snow Lion. It really did look pitiful. Poor thing. It would almost be kinder to break through the glass and put the Snow Lion out of its misery. The pen was large with space for the Snow Lion to move away from the observation area, a ledge it could hide under near the back, plenty of food, and undoubtedly fridged temperatures. It was like the Snow Lion was caught sitting on a pile of dung and it couldn't get away from the stench... Sierra blinked as a sudden thought occured to her. Sitting on a pile of dung wouldn't bother a Snow Lion, but if there were any fire elemental draw points around here... She tried to focus on her Puzzle Stone. Using it, she could see what the magical layout of Snow Lion's cage was. Zell tapped her on the shoulder, curious to know what she was doing. "Do me a favor and let me concentrate. I have an idea," she muttered softly as she tried again to slip into the Stone. It had never been this hard before to slip into the Stone. Then again, she'd never tried to do it in a room full of noisy people. This was also the first time she'd gone in of her own choosing without having Xu or Kei there goading her along. The room she stepped into was out of focus, very fuzzy. She watched her feet as they sunk into the floor and were drawn back out again when she took a step. Despite the world of the Stone being so disjointed she found what she was looking for. There *was* a pool of magic in the pen with the Snow Lion. She stumbled forward as she went towards it to investigate what type of magic it was. Her fingertips brushed along the searing heat of the pool. This was probably Firaga or Flare, two of the most powerful fire magics. Sierra physically fell backwards when she pulled herself out of the Stone. It took several minutes for her eyes to regain the focus her perfect vision normally allowed. "I know why the monster's sick," she scrubbed her face with her hands. Damn, going in there by herself really messed with her head. "There's a magic draw point in the pen that's poisoning the Snow Lion. They're Ice monsters to an extreme. Fire magic of any strength will cause them discomfort." Zell helped steady her. "You can see invisible draw points? I can't wait until I'm a graduating cadet like you are! Let's catch up with the lady and let her know." Checking the monsters' cages for naturally occuring draw points hadn't even dawned on the zoo's management. Now that they were alerted to the problem they were going to contract SeeD to drain any magic that was adverse to the monsters. Sierra could tell that the manager was hoping she would offer to take care of the Snow Lion cage for now. "I can draw the magic that's there, but the pool will probably refill over time," she explained. She wondered if she should tell him that the pools could sometimes be moved. If Xu were here she would jump right in and try to move the pool so that it was at least out of the pen (if not sealed entirely). Considering how dazed she was from only investigating Sierra didn't trust herself to be able to move the pool without assistance. Maybe she would suggest to Xu that they stop by here if they have some free time tomorrow. By the time Xu made it back, most of the drill team had already returned to the hotel. Before she went to her room for the night she stopped by the one Sierra and Jordan were sharing to drop off Sierra's weapon. Xu was glad that Jordan was still out; it would give her a chance to speak with Sierra privately. The Weapons Master had made a number of repairs and upgrades. Besides replacing the trigger, he'd added another firing chamber (an upgrade he insisted had to be done because of the trigger he used). He also added another pouch to the shotaxe harness that contained some high-grade ammo he was hoping to raise the distribution of. ("Consider it a professional sample.") Including all these changes he had also taken it upon himself to give the weapon a name. 'Raging Dream' was etched faintly into the axe's pivotal head. Xu had no idea what inspired the name, though she doubted that Sierra would be pleased that it was written in Anshin. "The Master will help you if you open up to him," Xu tried to advise as Sierra examined her weapon. "Why should I? I doubt I'll ever see him again." Xu sat herself down on the bed across from Sierra's. "You shouldn't cut your nose off to spite your face. He understands the ways of the clan and is experienced in what it's like to be a foreigner among them." "So is that how you met him? I didn't think you'd been married." "I am an adopted daughter. His generosity extends beyond his blood family and reaches out to those he feels kinship with. He's a good ally to have." Sierra snorted, any feelings of goodwill she felt this afternoon towards Xu and working together to help the zoo had dissolved. "I don't need allies, I just need to be out from under you." "Haven't you learned the importance of friends yet?" Xu chided. "No one can make it on their own, not even a Sorceress. Draw strength from your friends and allow them to make you into a better person." Sierra turned away from Xu and examined her weapon intently. Several minutes passed before she spoke again. "Would you consider yourself my friend?" Without hesitation Xu answered, "I'd like to." The cadet was saved from having to respond when Jordan slipped into the room with a bag in each hand. She and Nym had hit the shopping district hard and were finally returning with their spoils. "Oh, hey, I'm sorry. Were you studying?" Jordan asked as she placed the bags onto a small writing table. Xu shook her head and stood up. "No, I was just about to leave. Rest well, both of you. Tomorrow's demonstration promises to be exciting." This was Xu's first time back to the auditorium of the Presidential Residence since she was a Journeywoman. Recalling how small the dressing room was, she told everyone to get dressed at the hotel and that they'd do warm-ups along the way. As they prepared Xu warned them of what they were likely to encounter. "The Galbadians want to see a demonstration of prowess and strength. Near the end we will be doing a five-on-five endurance battle against a team of Galbadian soldiers. The cadets who will participate will be selected at random right before the challenge, so be ready for it!" Xu was pleased by the crispness of the cadets' exercises during the demonstration. It was important that they made no mistakes because there wasn't an officer below the rank of lieutenant in attendance. The few glances she snuck of President Deling reassured her that he was impressed with what he saw. Vinzer Deling wasn't the only one who leaned forward in his seat when it came time for the endurance battle. The rules were simple enough. Each team consisted of five members. When one member had yielded to their opponent another team member would step forward to continue the match. Whoever exhausted their five champions first lost. Xu opted for the fights to be unarmed, which should make the matches more exciting. (After recalling how poorly Biggs wielded a sword, she didn't want her cadets to finish off the soldiers too quickly). A drawing of names resulted in Jordan taking the first slot, Sierra the fourth, and Zell would be the team's anchor. Xu would have preferred if Red had been drawn instead of Zell or if Sierra was the anchor, but that's how the lot came out. This would be Zell's chance to be a hero if the match went long enough to get to him. The first three bouts on each side were one-for-one eliminations. By the time Sierra came up she was pitted against Galbadia's fourth challenger. The match was bloody right from the start. Xu winced as the pair exchanged blows that they would both be feeling in the morning. The match could have gone either way when Sierra got in a lucky hit that robbed the Galbadian of his breath. He collapsed to his knees and yielded. Sierra only had a moment to wipe her face before the next bout began. The determination in her eyes plainly said that she intended to finish this match herself. From the sidelines Zell cheered her on. The final soldier had Zell beat in every physical attribute from weight and height to strength. Sierra had to take a sizeable chunk out of the soldier's stamina or Zell wouldn't stand a chance. A hard punch to the shoulder sent Sierra falling back onto the stage. She weakly picked herself up and resumed a guarded stance. The soldier gave her a small nod of respect for her willingness to carry on before he resumed pounding on her. In a moment that most people didn't realize was significant, Xu saw the gathering of Limit energy. Her mouth hadn't even opened to call for Sierra to pull back when the student had disengaged from the soldier. She bowed her head for a moment and then collapsed to the ground without her opponent laying a hand on her. Zell was the first one to Sierra's side, a defensive reaction to protect his friend from the person who had hurt her. "She's asleep," he called back to Xu. Nym and Myn went out onto the stage to carry the fallen cadet to the sidelines. "It's just you and me, runt," the soldier chuckled before putting his fists up. "You're the luckiest man alive," Zell growled, brushing his thumb across his nose, egging the Galbadian on. "You got that right," he swung at Zell, who skillfully dodged the punch. Their match was by far the most entertaining of the five. Most of the spectators had given the win to the Galbadian as soon as they saw how small Zell was, but they underestimated how much Sierra had taken out of the soldier. It didn't hurt that Zell had the endurance of a Chocobo and could outlast just about anyone. He made the soldier work for every hit he landed. Zell didn't remain still for long during their high-energy match. The auditorium erupted into cheers when the underdog managed to pull through with a head butt that took the Galbadian by surprise. The soldier wasn't able to quickly recover from the daze. Zell could have taken advantage of the soldier's state, but didn't. It was that small act of mercy that brought the challenge to a close. Zell was the winner. "Yo, is Sierra awake?" Zell asked after swallowing down a gulp of water. Victory didn't matter as much as making sure that his team members had pulled through the battle. "Yeah, and I see that you've started to use your head," Sierra drawled, removing the compact that she had against her swelling eye. "Damn that guy hit hard. I'd rather cut them down with my shotaxe or use magic. I don't know how you can stand fighting unarmed." He crouched down beside her to get a better look at the lumps she'd suffered. All five of the cadets required the liberal use of Cure magic to get them back on their feet. Regrettably, magic couldn't relieve all of the aches that would plague them for the next couple days. "I'm a simple kind of guy. Learning the sort of weapon techniques you use is too complicated for me." "Says he who has taken up gymnastics as a hobby," Sierra retorted lightly. "You fought well. Thanks for covering me." That evening there was a reception that, unlike Dollet's elite, President Deling insisted the cadets attended. He wanted the opportunity to speak with the students who had performed so superbly. Xu could understand why Deling was such a powerful man. He was good at making those around him feel important. He recalled every cadet's name without needing to be reminded. He also asked thoughtful questions that demonstrated just how intently he was studying their performance. "Miss de Ling, I had a question for you if I may?" He smiled charmingly at those who were also in the small group he joined so that he could speak with her. "Yes, sir?" Sierra asked politely. Xu was glad that Sierra realized now was the time to be on her best behavior. "At the end of your bout you collapsed. I was curious to know what the cause was. The soldier you fought wasn't near you when it happened. Had the fatigue of the battle taken its toll?" Ah, Xu was wondering if the observant President had caught that or not. Most people probably wrote it off as Sierra running out of steam and fainting, but Xu knew better. The cadet glanced over at Xu for permission to speak freely. Xu gave her a small nod and Sierra explained. "I was about to Limit. To prevent that I cast a sleep spell on myself." An expression of mild surprise crossed Deling's face. "I've witnessed the might of SeeD Xu's Limit. Is yours just as powerful?" "Even more so," Xu answered with all sincerity. "Miss de Ling did us a favor when she took herself out of the match. If she had Limited she could have brought the auditorium down on us." Deling's eyebrows had migrated up to his thinning hairline. "Is that so?" "I wish it weren't. I doubt you would ever invite us back if I destroyed part of your house," Sierra responded with chagrin. Kei finally arrived the decrepit lighthouse that stood guardian over the Cape of Good Hope. She had spotted it from a distance and had a hunch that the lighthouse was her final destination. A row of crumbling pillars led up to a modest stone cottage set near the coast. To the left of the pillars was an endless field of wild flowers. Kei had never seen anything like it in Centra. Seeing acres of beautiful flowers left Kei feeling unsettled when considering the arid wasteland she crossed to get here. It didn't appear that anyone had been here for a while judging by how the outside look. Weeds were starting to poke up through the flagstones that led to the front door. She went up and knocked. When she received no response she tested the door handle and found that it was unlocked. A thin cloud of dust kicked up when Kei swung the door wide open. Something foul smelling tainted the air. Further investigation turned up a half eaten meal that was rotting on a table by the window. One of the two dining chairs was knocked to the floor. The other was backed away from the table as though its last occupant had gotten to their feet in a hurry. Kei followed a disheveled trail through the house, past a plant that was knocked over and through a door that was ajar. The couple that was sharing a meal had raced through the house for some reason. The ruckus led to the back porch door, which was still wide open after they'd gone through it. Judging by the signs she'd seen up to this point Kei was expecting the worst, but that didn't prepare her for the pair of decomposing bodies she found in the sand. The smell forced her to push her tunic sleeve up to her face as she went closer to investigate. The deceased were two adults -- one male, one female -- both dressed in white uniforms. It wasn't difficult to determine how they died. Shredded tunics and long lacerations to the torso indicated that they'd been run through with an edged weapon. Kei felt a twinge of relief when she returned to her Chocobo for her camera. There was no doubt in her mind that this was what Cid had sent her to Centra to investigate. But who were those people and who or what killed them? Alexander made his presence known in the back of her mind. Taking a few minutes to speak with the GF would give her a chance to shake this feeling of dread. "You summoned me?" Kei quipped as Alexander separated himself from the darkness surrounding them. There was no humor in the Guardian's expression. "A grave injustice has transpired here. You must report the SeeDs' deaths. Don't delay for even a moment. As soon as you've performed their final rites make haste to Balamb." He bowed respectfully and dissipated back into the darkness. "Wait, those two were SeeDs...?" Kei came out of her meditations with her thoughts even more troubled. She'd have to bury the bodies after she was done documenting the scene. Then she could hurry back to the Anshin compound. If she hauled ass she should be able to catch the transport that will arrive in three days. With how sluggish the repairs of the HD lines tended to be she couldn't count on them to be available by the time she got back to the compound. She located a shovel in the shed and quickly dug a shallow grave for the SeeDs. When she was finished with her grisly task, she knelt to one knee and said a brief prayer for their spirits to be guided to the Path. "I promise that when SeeD returns here you will be given a proper burial." She moved to the head of the gravesite and plunged her katana into the ground to serve as a marker. After another respectful moment she walked out front where her Chocobo was tethered. It nosed her hand with its beak before she mounted. "Come on, Little One, we need to hurry back." It wasn't until she could no longer see the lighthouse that the memory tickling her recollection came to surface. She'd heard of the Cape of Good Hope before, but couldn't remember from where. The SeeD was sadly certain that the abandoned residence was Quistis' Centra orphanage. "Would it pain Martine *that much* to send a car?" Xu muttered darkly as she led the group down the road towards Galbadia Garden. The Headmaster knew there was going to be a group of them arriving and that they had two weeks worth of luggage with them. It was enough to make her want to run ahead, steal a car from the Garden, and drive back to pick up the cadets. Sierra nodded every time Zell pointed out something that caught his eye. Before long the outline of Galbadia Garden was in the distance. As they approached Sierra become less enchanted with it. It lacked the billowing curves, flowing water, and surrounding plant life of Balamb. On the other hand, this Garden did seem to be a product of its environment with the facade of the building complex done in shades of dusty red. A none-too-inviting serpentine head rose above the main gates. Sierra found herself already missing the calming blues that decorated Balamb's compound. "Kinda ugly, ain't it?" Zell remarked. Sierra's interest went from the Garden to a small group of monsters that were on an intercept course with them. She couldn't even fathom the oddity of one of them. It was like a flat pendulum swinging back and forth in the air. Her hand subconsciously sought out her weapon. No matter the nature of the monster, she was ready to defend herself. And just as she had herself psyched up for a fight one of the monsters fell to the ground inexplicably. A moment later another one fell. Sierra (along with everyone else) was at a loss to explain what was happening. It wasn't until they were at the perimeter gate that it finally made sense. A jerry-rigged crow's net was set atop the wall with a marksman sitting within. They couldn't see more of the sniper than the cowboy hat that he wore on his head. Sierra would have stopped to question the sniper further, but the group kept her moving into the Garden proper. "*This* is Galbadia Garden?" Zell asked, twisting around so that he could take in the grandeur of the facility around him. He was the most dazzled of the visiting cadets. Everyone else was anxious to get settled into their rooms and rest after their tour of Deling City. Xu wasn't opposed to the idea of resting herself. She could easily spend the evening with a book or, more likely, chatting with Quistis. But before that, she wanted to take the cadets down to the training room so that they could familiarize themselves with the facilities. Master Pan was waiting for her and her gaggle with a demonstration of his own. He wanted to match his latest Journeywoman against Xu's drill team. "I've never seen anything quite like it," Xu admitted while watching Rascal Jett perfectly mimic the kata Zell had just performed. It was a routine that no one outside of the drill team would know since it was developed especially for them. "Hmph," Sierra was less than impressed and left the group that was watching Rascal. Jordan just shook her head, and soon the entire team had dispersed to explore the Garden on their own. Pan asked Xu to take Rascal on as a student, but the SeeD wasn't sure what she had to offer the Journeywoman. Her skills were already on par with that of a graduating SeeD cadet. "Let me think on it," Xu replied. "You are my Master. In theory you've taught your student all that you've taught me. What else is there?" "There is what he did not teach you," Rascal answered, her intense eyes could be seen from behind her mask. It was hard for Xu to even establish with certainty what sort of build Rascal had because of all the obstructive clothing she wore. The costume was so... gaudy... the scarves, and beads, and whirling colors. Half of Xu's amazement came from Rascal being able to fight in such an outfit at all! Pan lowered his voice, "You know the Puzzle Stone and you know Anshin magic." "You can teach her the Stone," Xu replied. "In fact, it may be better to learn it that way. I've come to understand that the Anshin method is restrictive of the holder's creativity." "I would like to study under you," Rascal said in a tone that was almost pleading. "My hands are already full..." Xu gestured to where the members of the drill team had been. "She may not be convinced until she knows..." Pan said in an aside to Rascal. The young Mime nodded her head in agreement and the three of them went to Pan's office to discuss the matter in private. Once the door was closed and the blinds pulled, Pan began. "Mimes are a special case within the Guild. When a person chooses the life of a Mime they give up their old life -- friends, family, identity -- to devote themselves to the study of Guild arts. They often take up foolish names that are clearly not their own. Everything you see is a facade to disguise the true Weapons Master within." "So it is not without hesitation that I remove my mask," Rascal continued. "I must know, on your word as a Master, that you will not tie the past back to me -- that you will tell no one of who I was." "You have my word," Xu agreed after giving the request due consideration. She wouldn't make such a promise lightly. Xu's eyes widened, and she nodded quickly to acknowledge that she recognized the former West Hills student, Anya. "Why did you... switch to this type of training?" If Xu recalled correctly, Anya was close to becoming a Master. Another year of study under Mistress Niethe and she would have had it. Why give that up and essentially start over? "I was approached by the Master of the Mimes, which is a great honor. Only those whom he considers to be the very best are selected. When I am finished, I will be one of the greatest Weapons Mistresses in the world. Such an opportunity is more than I could have ever hoped for," Rascal explained. The Master of the Mimes, a Master no one knows except for those he recruits to join him. He is the only one who can determine when his Journeymen have completed their training. Since they spent most of their time studying under other Masters, they didn't see him all that often. "I can respect wanting to be the best," Xu replied with a touch of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'm still not sure what I can teach you. This Anshin magic Pan keeps speaking of is an enigma I have yet to unravel entirely. I can, however, show you some interesting things I've learned while working within my Puzzle Stone. I've discovered that they are a more useful tool than I once thought." With Rascal's thanks Xu left the training room to find Quistis. After a bit more discussion, Rascal left Pan's domain as well. Pan left his office and went to the main floor to observe the students who were currently sparring. Five minutes passed... Then ten... And finally... "How long are you going to sulk in that damn corner," Pan taunted without directly addressing his shadow. The student came forward. He was in his mid-teens and his body had yet to fully make the transition from boy to man. A cowboy hat sat on his head of roguishly curly hair. A simple band tried to keep the mane in place trailing down his back. Already Irvine Kinneas fancied himself as a lady's man. The thought made Pan laugh, though his assertion couldn't be entirely discounted. He did have his group of admirers. "I got thirteen monsters with 30 bullets," he reported with a touch of pride. Pan shook his head. "You call that the work of a marksman? You should be one for one." Irvine scowled. "Belhelmels take at least two shots. One to make them stop swinging and another to finish the job." "That's a weak excuse. I'm surprised that you would even offer it. You'll go out there again tomorrow with 15 bullets. I expect the same number of kills." Pan gave Irvine a disapproving look and left to correct the stance of some other students. Even though Quistis had seen Xu not long ago, Xu hadn't been in a very social mood then. (Having one's most prized training facility turned to rubble tends to do that). Now Xu was determined to make up for the lost opportunty and insisted that Quistis show her around. One of the first places they went was to Quistis' classroom. Sure, it didn't look any different than any other Instructor's, but this realm of learning was hers to control. "Are there any promising SeeD cadets in your class?" Xu inquired as they meandered towards the Cafeteria for dinner. "A few, yes," Quistis confirmed. Near the end of the term it was easy to tell who was likely to pass the written exam and who wasn't. "One of my best students isn't a SeeD cadet through. He's an officer cadet named Wedge. I tried to convince him to change allegance, but he wouldn't go for it." A slight disapproving scowl crossed Xu's features. "A SeeD Instructor is training Galbadia cadets...?" "Wedge is the exception to the rule, I assure you," Quistis explained quickly. "He outstripped his Galbadian teachers a couple years ago. He's smart, observant, thoughtful in his questions. Heh, I'm the only Instructor on staff that is able to challenge him. "And.." she continued more softly, "it's kind of nice to have someone to speak with who understands what I'm saying..." "Yes, I'm sure it is," the senior SeeD allowed with modest sympathy. Quistis would always be in search of an intellectual equal. Xu wouldn't scold her if she managed to find one in the uniform of a Galbadian officer. Kei didn't let up from the gallop her Chocobo ran at until she was nearly to the Anshin compound. She amused herself with the thought of setting a land speed records with how quickly she raced from one end of Centra to the other. Monsters weren't known to attack Chocobos to begin with, but if any had gotten the idea in their heads they would have been hard pressed to catch up the bird and its rider. The SeeD was hot, sticky, and had a single pressing thought on her mind. "Is the HD back up?" Kei called to the first person she saw after she passed through the Chocobo gate. The stableman shook his head. "Has the weekly transport left yet?" "They just arrived and are currently unloading cargo." Kei led her mount towards the stables and handed him over to the waiting keeper. "You've served me well," she stroked the Chocobo's head before setting out to find the transport captain. He would likely be with the elders going over the ship's manifest. Her guess was on the mark and she approached the captain after he and the head elder were finished with their business. "Would it be possible for you to divert to Balamb before you go to Dollet? SeeD will pay whatever fee you require." The captain was caught off guard by such a request. No one had ever asked him to divert his route before. His was a cargo ship that occasionally carried passengers. "Normally I'd be open to the idea, but you aren't the only person seeking passage this trip. I can't change our route for a single person." "Captain," the head elder had overheard Kei's request and came over to smooth the way. "If the Spirit requests to go to Balamb, then your Anshin passengers will go to Balamb." The captain seemed dubious that people would be so forgiving about a change in their travel plans. "I wouldn't make this request if the HD wasn't still down, but I must return to Balamb as soon as possible!" Kei insisted. The elder studied her intently. "Did you discover a dangerous monster during your travels?" "You could say that," Kei hedged, unwilling to disclose what little she knew of her discovery. "Captain, if you require payment before taking the Spirit to Balamb, we will provide it. Please depart as soon as possible." The captain scratched the back of his head while shaking it. "No payment's required, elder. If everyone agrees to a detour then we'll go to Balamb as fast as my ship will take us." Sierra wouldn't have imagined herself in such a situation if it weren't for Xu dragging her along wherever she went. Currently she was seated on the floor of Galbadia's training room with its Master, the Mime, Xu, and herself in a circle. She'd gotten used to sitting on the floor when having these little "stone" sessions, but why did Xu have to drag so many people into it? The fact that Sierra was even taking part of this exercise embarrassed her greatly. "I'd like you to help lead Rascal," Xu directed. "Your training has been unorthodox from the start. Your prompting may open the way for Rascal to experience greater variety in how she uses the Stone." Sierra rolled her eyes. She didn't want to have anything to do with this and the fact that Xu was going to pull her in one way or another annoyed her. "Just do what they say and it'll work out," Sierra advised Rascal after being poked in the side by Xu. The place where the four of them met within the realm of the Stone was a mockup of Balamb's training room (since Xu was the focus during this session). Pan took a moment to study his surroundings before giving his approval. When it came to Guild matters, he would always examine everything Xu did with keen interest. With Sierra's help Xu demonstrated how to find pools of color and what could be done with them. The Mime was extremely interested in this. She absorbed every word that came from their lips like a sponge to water. Pan was intrigued as well since it was an application of the Stone that he had never seen before. "Is this Anshin magic?" the Mime asked. Xu shrugged. "Is it exclusive to them? Probably not, but they do actively practice it from what I understand. The elders have always emphasized that having a balance in ones surroundings created a balance in life. I never understood how it worked until I saw the pools of magic that are all around us naturally." Once Rascal and Pan were comfortable with influencing the colors around them, Xu released her control of their mutual reality and let Sierra influence it. The change in setting was a surprise to them all. Sierra had meant to take them somewhere noncommittal; like Balamb Garden's Quad. But when one was within the Stone even a fleeting thought was enough to radically change the surroundings. Nothing could match the vista Summit enjoyed. The endless snow spread out like a blanket across the valley below and made the Garden complex stick out like a button. The cold that usually reigned didn't hold sway here and any shivering was purely psychological. Rascal gave a low, appreciative whistle. "The view is remarkable." "I must admit that I've never seen anything like it," Pan concurred. "Where are we?" "Trabia," Xu answered when it became obvious that Sierra was lost in her thoughts. Wordlessly, Sierra knelt down and could *feel* the snow beneath her fingertips. Even if this was a conjecture of her mind and magic, she very much wished it were real. When would be the next time she could visit home and hike up here? She closed her eyes ruefully when she realized that the next opportunity could be *years* from now. When she graduated (she had no doubt that she would) she would be deployed and that was that. 'This is the place that is closest to my heart,' Sierra thought wistfully as she looked out over the horizon. There was no other place on the planet that she would rather be. Xu crouched down next to her and whispered, "Homesick?" Sierra's eyes darted over to the SeeD. She stood up and smoothed her skirt out before taking firm control of their mutual reality. "Sorry," she said simply before changing things back to a definitionless void that was often the starting point within the Stone. At Xu's prompting Rascal took a turn at controlling their surroundings. The rest of the session was lost on Sierra. Her thoughts still lingered on Trabia even though her body was thousands of kilometers away. After their session Xu gave the cadet leave for the rest of the evening. Obviously Sierra wanted to be alone right now. Xu meandered in the direction of the dormitory. It was early enough in the evening that cadets would still be out of their rooms chatting and working on projects in the study lounge. She hadn't expected to find anyone she recognized, but was glad to see that Quistis was making the rounds to offer unsolicited help. The young Instructor had never once asked Xu for advice when it came to handling problem students or difficult situations. Xu wondered if Quistis made use of the same resources she had when she was earning her teaching credentials. Even though Quistis was the same age (if not a year or two younger) than her students, Xu could see the respect that the held for her. Quistis had done well for herself, better than Xu realistically expected. It's never easy to gain the respect of those who may not give it because of rank alone. The problem was one Quistis had encountered when she first entered Balamb Garden as a student and her classmates resented her for her sharp mind. Xu had feared a repeat with Quistis' students resenting her for her rank. Having defeated the demon of jealousy once before undoubtedly helped her with this situation. Xu sincerely believed that Quistis would be one of Balamb Garden's greatest Instructors. The informal demonstration Martine wanted was child's play when compared to the more difficult exhibitions the team had given up to this point. That's not to say that Martine wasn't as harsh of a judge, simply that the team had gone through the routine so many times that they could perform it in their sleep. It was an open exhibition in the large auditorium that anyone who wished to attend was invited to. Afterwards, under Pan and Xu's watchful eyes, the Balamb and Galbadia cadets sparred with a sizable crowd staying behind to watch the action. To Martine, this was the most interesting part of the demonstration. If one were keeping score (which Martine most certainly was) the Balamb cadets had just taken a two-to-one win advantage over their Galbadia brothren. "Once again Balamb Garden humiliates me with the quality of their personnel," Martine drawled. "Master Pan, can't you do something about this?" The Headmaster waved his hand at the students who were sparring. "It I only had a dozen students to train who were potential Journeyman to begin with and could drill to the point Xu has, then yes, you'd also have cadets like these ones," Pan explained without any resentment or bitterness in his tone. Both trainers knew that the students Xu had brought with her were the cream of the Balamb crop. If Pan had the resources he could create a team like hers and then it would be a true competition to see whose cadets were better. Martine made a disgruntled noise deep in the back of his throat. "Fine, Balamb has the better cadets as well as Instructors. When you return, tell Cid to throw me a bone and let me keep Trepe permanently as one of my staff. It's the least he can do to allow me the chance to catch up!" "I'll pass that along," Xu agreed diplomatically. She wasn't sure if she'd be flattered or filled with dread if she were Quistis and faced with the prospect of being stationed at Galbadia. No matter what Martine wanted, the chance of Quistis remaining beyond her contracted time was a remote one at best. No, Quistis was a Balamb SeeD through and through. Martine retreated from the auditorium with a rain cloud over his head. Once the dour man was gone the two Masters were free to discuss training techniques as much as wanted without interruption. Pan had attented a Guild confrence recently and she was curious to know the lastest buzz within the Guild. Her discussion with Pan reminded Xu that she meant to seek out Sarah's crush while she was here. It turned out that Pan had one other Guild student training under him currently besides Rascal Jett. With the Master's permission, she decided to find the lad and see just what sort of man he was. The next morning Xu went to the crow's nest Irvine was practicing from. She didn't have much time to talk with him before the team caught the train that would take them back to Balamb. Xu was nearly to the top of the rickety ladder when she came to a halt. Irvine and a SeeD cadet were enjoying each other's company instead of shooting down monsters. Xu sighed inwardly. It wasn't her intention to interrupt them -- she now had the answer she'd come for -- but the ladder creaked as she went down. "Irvy!" The female gasped at discovering that they'd been caught. "Oh no! She might go tell Instructor Sakachi!" "Don't worry!" Irvine resettled the hat on his head and then slid down the ladder to catch up with Xu. "Hey!" he called when he hit the ground. Xu glanced over her shoulder but didn't stop walking. His longer legs and quicker pace carried him over to her before she could enter the Garden proper. "Yes?" Xu asked with a touch of annoyance in her tone when he stopped her. "Please don't tell Instructor Sakachi. It was my fault for distracting her," he launched into his explanation. Xu cut him off with a sharp gesture. "It's not my place to reprimand either of you. I just hope you realize that by neglecting your post people's lives could be at risk. Not everyone is capable of defending themselves from monsters." Irvine bowed his head and laughed softly. "It's not the focus of my training to defend others. I shoot at monsters because they're ranged moving targets, nothing more." "It's dangerous to detach yourself from the problems of others like that," Xu warned, her eyebrows knitted together in vexation. "As a sniper I'm already detached from everyone else. I have to be able to concentrate on a level few can achieve. I can't allow anything to hold me back from putting all of my will behind a single bullet." "Is that so?" Xu scoffed. "Then don't let your friend distract you!" With that Xu turned on her heel and continued into the Garden. Irvine was left with more to say and no one to say it to. He scratched the back of his head and then shrugged. "Everyone's got to have an outlet... Geez, and I thought she said she wasn't going to reprimand me." Irvine gave up on the disagreeable SeeD and returned to his post where he sniped monsters for the rest of the morning. The door was opened to Cid's office for Xu before she stepped inside. She walked up to his desk, saluted, and glanced about at the room's other occupants. Kei was seated on the couch to the right. Kadowaki was seated to the left. A pair of displays gave presence at this meeting to Martine and Rebecca. Xu hadn't expected such a gathering when she came up to the Headmaster's office to report on the drill team's tour. If she had, she wouldn't have brought the Odine weapons that she held at her side with her. She wanted the Headmaster's opinion on them since he was more knowledgeable in the ways of the Sorceresses than she was. In fact, she had expected Cid to delay her verbal report until tomorrow since there was no urgency to it. Her assumption wasn't the case, for he'd sent SeeDs to the station to pick up the team and shuttle them to the Garden as quickly as possible. She wasn't given the chance to return her bags to her room. The SeeDs assured that it would be taken care of for her. "Welcome back, SeeD Xu, I trust that your trip was a safe and successful one," Cid greeted formally. "It was, sir," she responded. "Very good, please sit," he motioned to the couch Kei was on. "Now that we're all here, we need to make some decisions. SeeD Kei has recently returned from an investigative mission to the Cape of Good Hope. She discovered that the orphanage has been abandoned and, even more troubling, she found the bodies of Edea's two aides." The news hit Xu like a punch to the stomach. Dead..? She shot a glance over at her cousin. Kei's face was a mask, even to Xu. The pit in her stomach grew. "Were you able to determine the cause or time of death, SeeD Kei?" Rebecca asked, a thoughtful expression on her face that could easily turn to concern depending upon Kei's answers. "I'm not a coroner, but I would say that they had been there for a couple weeks. The corpses had deep gashes in the body. They were impaled." "Did you find the weapon?" Rebecca pressed. "I didn't. There weren't any tracks either, though they could have been removed by environmental factors." "Sorceresses aren't known for leaving tracks," Martine said. The visual pick up did little to dampen the grumpy look of the Galbadia Headmaster. "Edea's always been a fan of ice lances. In Centra's heat the murder weapon would be melted long before anyone got there to investigate." 'How could...? How could Edea...? No!' Xu's mind cut off the thought before it finished forming. She didn't want to believe that the diminutive woman she'd met not so long ago had murdered her closest confidants. As much as she didn't want to believe it, that didn't mean it wasn't true... She felt a pang of guilt deep within herself. She'd questioned Jerrick's loyalty to the Sorceress... He and Jessica stood by her even though they knew it would cost them their lives. "This all confirms what we suspected. Edea has finally gone mad," Martine leaned closer to the display. "What are you going to do about it, Cid?" The Balamb Headmaster held up a hand to belay Martine's upcoming outburst. "We knew that this would happen and planned accordingly. Edea has mentioned on several occasions how fractured the powers of the Sorceress are. Lacking rational thought, I would assume that the desire to consolidate that power would be a driving force in her actions. "Edea confirmed this possibility before losing herself. We drafted a list of people we know contain at least some power. It's not a complete list, but it gives us a place to start. I propose that we deploy SeeDs to protect these potential targets." "How many people are we looking at?" Rebecca asked. "More than two dozen," Cid tapped a few keys on his terminal and sent the list of identified targets to the two Headmasters. Rebecca pursed her lips, not liking the potential deployments that her mind was producing. "Things are going to be tight if we wanted to guard them all for an unspecified amount of time on the possibility that Edea might attack them. If we sent our usual squads of three we couldn't cover them all and maintain our other obligations. And you say that there are more out there that you haven't identified yet? I'd feel better having some SeeDs in reserve if that's the case..." "As usual, you're quick to assess the situation," Cid gave an approving smile before becoming serious again. "A majority of the these people are Galbadia nationals. I would like to ask for help from the Galbadian government in protecting its citizens." "Sir," Xu politely interrupted the Headmaster. Her voice was hollow, she was still feeling shaken because of the deaths of the White SeeDs. "I believe that Galbadia is already gearing up for a conflict against the Sorceress." She pulled out the sword she brought with her, removed it from its scabbard, and displayed it to those assembled. "Galbadia has commissioned the creation of two hundred daggers plated in the metal Doctor Odine created to contain the Sorceresses. This sword was one of the prototype weapons the Smith created to test the process," she explained. "The name for the new class of weapon is 'Mage Masher'." Cid silently digested this news while examining the sword in her hands. "Very well. Thank you, Xu," he said after a long pause. "For those who are under possible threat and are willing, we can temporarily relocate them to the Gardens." "And have civilians running around our Gardens?!" Martine protested. "Martine, every preventative action that could have been taken has been. This is the next step. If you won't welcome Galbadians into your Garden, then the citizens of Balamb will!" Kadowaki retorted, speaking for the first time since the meeting began. "It might be safer for them at Balamb or Trabia any way," Rebecca added. "Trabia is the Garden of magic, we have the defenses to give a Sorceress a run for her money. Balamb has more SeeDs on hand at any time, even after all of the deployable ones are sent out. Do you have any recommendations on specific assignments?" "Hum..." Cid leaned back in his chair to consider the question. "First, do either of you need reinforcements from Balamb? Protecting the Gardens has to be our top priority." "Trabia can take care of herself," Rebecca assured. "We're fine," Martine seconded. Cid scanned the list looking for assignments that he could give out now. "Two of the people are residents of Balamb town. Doctor Kadowaki, would you please act as the Garden's envoy and convince them that here is a safer place to be for the time being?" The Doctor accepted her assignment with a nod. "Kei, you're returning to Centra," the Headmaster looked up from the list to meet her eyes. "Your father is the one you'll be protecting. I'm certain that the rest of the elders would make attractive targets as well. Charter a vessel and leave as soon as possible. "The rest of these I'll have to think on. I also need to contact President Deling. I'll send a message to you both as soon as I have something more solid." "We await your directions, Cid," Rebecca spoke for both her and Martine before the link was cut. "I'll go to Balamb now and invite our guests here," Kadowaki said after accepting a print out from Cid. "I'm going as well," Kei stood up and gave Xu a quick hug. "Sorry I didn't get to see you longer before running off." Xu didn't need to tell Kei to protect their families and clansmen. The look on Kei's face told her that nothing short of Kei's death would allow harm to come to them. "Be well." She pressed the sheathed sword into Kei's hands and her cousin bowed her head solemnly. Cid and Xu remained in the Headmaster's office to figure out how to best use SeeD's resources. President Deling was more than co-operative when it came to releasing supplemental forces for SeeD to deploy. His prompt willingness left Xu feeling ill at ease. Deling wasn't so generous if there wasn't something in it for him. It was a concern Xu shared after Cid had closed the com link. "I agree," he said, reflecting upon his conversation with the President. "If I had to hazard a guess I would say that he's hoping to make contact with Edea before we do." "Why would he want to?" By her reasoning, it wasn't a good idea to seek out a person whose sanity was highly in doubt. The Headmaster shrugged. "I can only speculate. Maybe he thinks that Edea can help him increase his holdings as Adel once did." "But Adel didn't actively help him," Xu protested. Even if half the world saw Vinzer Deling as an evil man, he still held some small measure of respect with most people. Respect that would dissolve quickly if they believed that he was on the side of a woman who *was* evil to the core. "They didn't have a signed alliance, no, though it was because of the opportunities she created that he was able to make the most of the situation. Who knows for sure? We will be keeping a close eye on him." It was well past dinner by the time Cid was satisfied with the assignments. During that time Kadowaki had returned to report her progress. Both of the Balamb women would be moved into the Garden in the morning. The Doctor then chided them for not eating and had meals sent up from the Cafeteria. Cid placed a hand over Xu's and gave it a firm squeeze. "You're the SeeD I place in charge of Balamb Garden's protection. I have the utmost confidence in your ability to assure our safety." Xu silently bowed her head in acknowledgement. She didn't need to (nor could she, if she had to) put into words the stirring in her soul at the responsibility Cid had given her. Carbuncle made its presence known, agreeing that together they would protect the Garden. "The written exam is in a couple days. As soon as Sierra de Ling has graduated I want her sent to Winhill." Xu didn't correct the Headmaster in assuming that Sierra would graduate. The cadet was as much of a shoe-in as Xu herself had been. "There aren't any targets in Winhill. Why send Sierra there when she could join the party going to Timber?" "Winhill has suffered greatly at the whims of the Sorceresses. I want the people there to know that SeeD has not forgotten about them -- especially if this turns into another Sorceress War." [Question 1.12] A man is found laying face down on the ground. What do you do? A. Go to him and see if he is still alive. B. Search the immediate surroundings. C. Ignore him and continue on your way. 'Hmm, a trick question,' Sierra thought as she considered her answer. They were testing to see what her priorities were. All three answers were technically correct for different reasons. The humanitarian in her should go help the man if he's injured. The cautious part of her would want to search the surroundings to see if whatever caused the man to fall was still around to do the same to her. And, strictly speaking, if she were to adhere to the letter of SeeD's contract she would ignore the man since it made no mention of assisting others along the way. Compassion, prudence, or strict adherence. Which was the attribute that would score her the most points on this question..? The correct answer was B, she decided. Cid was a compassionate man, he would be disappointed if she turned her back entirely on a bad situation when she could have easily made a difference. Though, she should make sure the area was secure (in case of traps or monsters), then see if the man was alive. She hit the submit key and the next question popped up. She'd been in the test for under an hour and already it felt like an eternity. Rascal Jett stood on the platform of the Far East Station waiting for the train to Deling City to arrive. A few travelers from the Garden milled around as they also waited. The peacefulness of the morning invited her to lull herself into quietly reflecting upon what she had learned at Galbadia Garden. Master Pan was truly an exceptional teacher. She was extremely grateful that he had been willing to take her on as a student, but now it was time for her to move on. Her next stop was a little village along Mandy beach called Paradise. She had never been there before, but already the name had set her standards high for the place. Even if Paradise didn't live up to its name she would be happy if the throwing darts Mistress who lived there consented to training her. The train pulled into the station and settled to a halt. Arriving passengers streamed out before the departing ones were allowed to board. Rascal found herself sitting alone in a passenger car when the train was ready to disembark. She expected the conductor to soon come through and nudge her to join her fellow passengers in another car, so she savored the privacy she had now before that happened. The door between cars behind her slid open and shut again. Rascal bowed her head and hoped the conductor would let her be if he thought she was asleep. "Anya..." A woman's voice said from beside her seat. The Mime ignored the woman by refusing to look up at her. Anya wasn't a name she answered to any longer. "Do you know why you are a Mime?" The woman persisted. A chill drove down Rascal's spine and her eyes flicked over at the woman standing in the aisle. She was a slender wisp in a long gown that followed the curves of her body. The headgear she wore was just as outlandish as any Mime's. "Who are-?" The woman put a grotesquely long finger up to her purple colored lips to silence her. "Did you know that Mimes are chosen because they hold within themselves a fragment of a Sorceress's powers? That wonderful ability of yours to effortlessly mimic anyone's skills does not belong to you, my dear." The woman reached out her frightful hand to stroke along Rascal's cheek. "It belongs to me!" The woman's eyes lit up with the finality of her intentions as a shard of ice pierced Rascal's chest. The stunned Mime's eyes went wide as the deathblow securely fastened her to her seat. A faint aura was released from the still warm body. Sorceress Edea held her hand out to draw the power to her. This was one of the more powerful Mimes she had located thus far, but still barely worth the effort. No matter. Purging the world of the false Sorceresses with only a tenuous claim to her proud heritage was the important part. Once the power had been consolidated, then she could carry out the next part of her plan. Edea turned away from the dead Mime and walked down the aisle into a portal of her own creation. When the conductor came through 15 minutes later to collect tickets he had a grisly surprise in store. [Question 6.15] Which of the following magic / items can be used to refine Curaga magic? Sierra worked through the test with little thought going into her answers. The correct responses were drilled into her to the point of reflex. Question. Answer. Cause. Effect. It was so systematic. She could be out of her mind and still know what to do. It was like it was a part of her, hard wired into her brain. [Question 7.4] What factors contribute towards speeding up the time it takes for a Guardian Force to reply to a summons? Why was she here? To answer questions? [Question 7.7] What magics are available for drawing from the monsters that populate Mandy Beach? Didn't she enter the SeeD program so that she could see the world? How could she do that if she died fighting a monster on Mandy Beach? [Question 7.10] Which monsters would you seek out if you were looking for Magic Stones? She'd never meant to cross paths with an Anshin, but she had, and the meeting allowed her the chance to air the injustice her family suffered. Wasn't that enough? [Question 7.13] Why would you not cast a Reflect spell while battling a Ruby Dragon? So why was she still here..? Both Xu and the Headmaster said that they wouldn't let her leave until she had decided what to do with her life. She still didn't know for sure, but she had a fairly good idea of what she *didn't* want to do with it. [Question 8.3] Which spell and Guardian Force combination is most effective if you want to make yourself immune to Bio, Darkness, and Silence? She tapped the answers in without even seeing them. Instinctively knowing what she was expected to say. This was ridiculous. She put her hands on the edge of the terminal and pushed herself up. The other cadets taking the exam didn't even notice her as she walked towards the front of the room. The Shumi proctor shook its robes in a disapproving manner. She hadn't signaled that she was finished with her test, thus she shouldn't have left her seat. Without pausing to explain herself she brushed past it and out the door. The junior classmen outside tried to stop her to ask what her score was, but she shoved by them as well. They looked around, confused as to what they should mark her down as. Zell ran up to her. He wanted to hear that Sierra had passed, but was prepared to offer condolences if she hadn't. What a silly game they all played. "Sierra? What's wrong?" Zell kept pace with her as she strode towards the lift. "Xu's the Assistant Headmaster, right?" Zell paused, caught off guard by the question. "Well, yeah, but she's just Xu, right?" "Right," Sierra pressed the close door button before Zell could get in. Never before had things felt so right. There was almost a spring in her step as she made her way to Xu's office. Finally... Finally she understood what her grandfather wanted for. It was a type of freedom she couldn't appreciate until she found it within herself. The door to Xu's office was open with the Instructor studying her terminal's display. Sierra knocked on the doorframe to announce her arrival. Xu glanced up and waved her in before she put the finishing touches on her handiwork. "What can I do for you?" "Assistant Headmaster," she snapped a textbook salute before releasing it. That caught Xu's attention. She motioned for Sierra to close the door behind her before continuing. "I've come to tender my resignation from the SeeD program." Sierra never took her eyes away from the ones that matched her own. Both of Xu's eyebrows arched up as surprise registered across her features. "You took your written exam today, didn't you?" Xu turned to her terminal and pulled up the real time results from the test. "Even if you did fail, we can work out a tutoring program that will cover the areas that you're weak..." Her voice trailed off when she saw Sierra's scored test. "You didn't finish, but you still passed." "Yes, I know." "Then why..?" "While taking the test I realized how blind I've been. I joined the SeeD program in Trabia because it seemed to be the next step. That's what all the junior classmen were doing. And when I transferred here, it's because that was where the SeeD program led. The entire time I've let the current carry me without putting any efforts into setting my own course. "This isn't what I want. Sure, I can make it as a SeeD, but that doesn't mean that I should be one. There are other things I want to do with my life that I may not be able to if I go as I have been. Being killed or disabled could bring a quick end to many of my dreams. "So, I quit. I resign. I'll go pack my bags and get out of your hair. You've put up with me for far longer and with more patience than any person should." Xu rubbed the bridge of her nose briefly. "I'm sorry to hear you say that. Not only would you have made a fine SeeD; I'm going to miss your company." Sierra's expression didn't change at that admission. After all the fighting and yelling, they shared a bond that would be missed by both. "You'll need to speak with the Headmaster before your resignation is official," Xu continued. "Can't you make it official? You're the next in line after all." Sierra didn't want to face the Headmaster with this. Telling Xu was hard enough. Xu nodded her head slowly. "I can, but I don't want to accept it." "You have to step on my tail one more time, eh?" Sierra's mouth quirked into a half-smile. "I want you to have the chance to think about this before going through with it. I think you should take the field exam before you reach a decision. You've come a long way to give up when you're so close to the finish line." "Fine, I'll take the field exam, but I'm not going to change my mind," Sierra folded her arms across her chest in defiance. Xu chuckled at Sierra's resolve. "Far be it from me to change a stubborn Anshin's mind," she teased. Sierra's expression twisted, but remained silent. Not so long ago she would have replied tartly to such ribbing. The subtle change in Sierra's language and actions hadn't been lost on Xu. She smiled inwardly. She doubted that Sierra's brusque manner would ever be completely softened, but definite progress had been made. No longer did Xu look on with dread when Sierra was taking part in a social gathering. She had learned when to curb her tongue. The drill team's evening with President Deling was the test that proved it. "Since you're leaving I don't need to watch over you any more. Go find your friends and let them know of your decision," Xu waved her off. "Xu..?" "Go on, I have other work to do," Xu smiled to take any sting there may have been out of her words. "If you need anything you know where to find me." "Yeah, see ya," Sierra left the office. On the way out she paused to watch the other students as they practiced their kata. Aucifer marched along the sides of the mats, barking instructions to his students as they went along. What was she *doing*? She felt relieved that she would soon be leaving the Garden and at the same time was sad. She wanted to get angry at the part of her that would miss this place, but couldn't. Sure, she'd had a rough time of it, especially with regards to Xu, but she could let it be. At some point she'd grown attached to this place and she was going to miss it. "Hey, why'd you run off like that?" Zell placed a hand on her shoulder and huffed. "The Faculty said you passed the test. Let's go celebrate!" Sierra's lips tightened. "I going to withdraw from the Garden. I don't want to be a SeeD." "The field exam's got ya that nervous already?" Zell gave her another slap on the shoulder and laughed, mistaking what she said. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm sure you'll do fine! C'mon, let's see if 'structor Xu's ready for dinner." Sierra winced, but not because of the thumping Zell was giving her shoulder. "She's released me from her charge. I don't have to be underfoot anymore." "Really? That's great! I knew it wouldn't take her long to see what a great person ya are!" He bounced towards the door. "Today is definitely a day to celebrate!" "Yeah..." Sierra drawled with a final backwards glance at Xu's office. Aucifer frowned as the pair of cadets left the training room. He'd overheard their conversation and was curious. He mulled the possibilities until he had a chance to speak with Xu about them. "Yes, Sierra submitted her resignation this afternoon. It hasn't been accepted yet," Xu confirmed without looking up from the display she was studying. "Dammit," Aucifer slammed the palm of his hand against the doorframe to her office. Xu gave him a quizzical look. "How can you just let her leave after everything you've done for her? She's gotten one of the finest educations in the world from this Garden. She owes SeeD at least a couple years of service if she's qualified!" Xu laughed and shook her head. "No... She's from Trabia. That Garden *is* their educational system, they're not required to apply for the SeeD program if they don't want to. Besides, military service is not compulsory. We won't force anyone into battle if they won't go willingly." "But!" Aucifer was at a loss to express the frustration he felt. "You fought so hard for her to remain a student here. Doesn't it disappoint you that she'll just leave? You've given her every opportunity to make something of herself and she's throwing it back in your face." The SeeD shook her head again. "The only obligation I held myself to was to try to right a wrong committed two generations ago. If all she wants out of the deal is an education then I've gotten off easy." It was Aucifer's turn to be confused. "It's a private matter, but I'm content if Sierra decides to leave. The only thing I asked was that she takes the field exam. After that, she's free to make her own way through life." "I honestly don't understand you. Every time I think I finally have you figured out you go and do something that's completely contradictory. Is that an Anshin trait or what?" Aucifer asked ruefully. "No, it's called being a woman." Aucifer's face screwed up, unsure if she was joking or not. He left her office still confused on the matter, but not willing to pursue the issue. Alone once again, Xu turned to her Stone so that she could speak with Carbuncle. She's felt an overwhelming sense of dread earlier in the day. At the time, Xu had firmly swallowed the feeling down despite her knuckles whitening due to the grip she had on her desk. Something horrible had happened. Maybe Carbuncle could provide some insight... It was nearly midnight when the call came in from Pan. Rascal Jett was murdered on the train going to Deling City. There were no suspects in the case and the conditions of the crime were baffling. Baffling, but not unfamiliar. She didn't tell the Master that. As much as she would have liked to return to Deling City for Rascal's funeral, she knew that it wouldn't be possible. The field exam was soon in coming and there was a Sorceress on the loose... The field exam was everything Sierra expected it to be. The mission was real with SeeD to cover them if they failed. The adrenaline that rushed through her veins was like a drug, pushing her to new, spectacular heights. During the test she kept asking herself if she could give this up. Failing the test was easy -- over three quarters of the Garden's students did it every term. A few minor mistakes and there would be no more dilemma. She wouldn't be a SeeD and could resign with a clear conscience. Except that it was against her nature to shirk any task given to her. Like... Xu's stupid story journals. Once she knew that Xu was serious about it, she studied them faithfully every night even though they pissed her off. It was with that sort of persistent dedication that she approached the test. She wouldn't shame herself by failing because she hadn't tried her best to succeed. All of the testing cadets waited for the announcement of those who passed. When her name was read off she shook her head ruefully and entered the lift to the Headmaster's office. Two of her classmates were already standing at attention before him. She stepped into place at the end of the line and waited. No other cadets followed her up. He moved down the line, shaking the first graduate's hand and offering him his diploma. The second cadet's induction into SeeD went the same as the first. Finally it was her turn. The Headmaster offered her his hand after she saluted him. With his other hand he offered her a diploma, but she did not take it from his hand. As he did with all graduates, he leaned over to whisper a few words into her ear. "I don't want this, sir," she whispered before he could speak. "You've earned it, it's yours," he offered the sleeve to her again. "I don't want to be a SeeD, sir." "I know," his breath tickled her ear as he pushed the diploma into her hand. He stood back from her and addressed the three graduates. "This Garden only graduates the very best and you three have met that lofty goal. To celebrate your achievements there will be a ball in your honor tonight. Enjoy yourselves and get acquainted with your peers. Tomorrow I will be issuing your assignments. Dismissed." The other two SeeDs exited the Headmaster's office. Sierra remained where she was. "Sir..." "You're dismissed," Cid repeated kindly. "But I want to talk with you." "You'll have your chance tomorrow when I give out assignments." Mentally, Sierra's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Yes, sir." Zell was waiting at the bottom of the lift for her to come out. He was whooping and cheering like the fool that he was. Were she in better spirits she would have been flattered by his antics, but now wasn't the time. "C'mon Sierra, I want to see you in your uniform!" Zell took hold of her hand and dragged her towards the dorms. "I really don't feel like it, Zell..." "But, ya gotta! You've got the ball to go to right? Why not change into it early?" She scowled and gave him a disapproving look. She'd already answered why she didn't want to change right now. "The drill team wants to congratulate you," Jaylee said from behind them. She'd also come out to greet the newest SeeD. "They're waiting for you in the training room and sent Zell to go get you." Sierra was dubious. She glanced from the still-too-wound-up Zell and to the more stoic Jaylee. "Fine, if it'll make you feel better." The transformation from cadet into SeeD was a near magical one. With the change of uniform came a change in persona. She was above the petty conflicts she and Seifer engaged in not so long ago. No longer was she on the receiving end of everyone's scorn. The SeeDs who had once seemed unreachable were now her peers. With a slight smirk she tugged on the red tie around her neck before leaving her room to present herself to Zell and Jaylee. Zell took in her new look from head to toe without saying a word, then stuffed his hands into his pockets and flushed. Jaylee noticed this and gave him a gentle ribbing. "Whatcha think, Zell?" He shuffled a bit more and kicked at an imaginary rock. "She's really hot," he muttered, the tips of his ears turning red from his blush. "Well, there you have it," Jaylee grinned, enjoying Zell's discomfort. "And all it took was a change of uniform." By now Sierra was flushing as well. "I'll go change back then." "Don't!" Zell put out a hand to stop her and then realized that Sierra was joking about changing. He already felt an inch tall, there was no way he could feel any smaller. An awkward moment passed before Sierra shook off her discomfort. "You said everyone was waiting, right?" "Uh, yeah, let's go!" Zell latched onto the out Sierra threw him like a drowning man to a life preserver. He skip-bounced the entire way to the Training Center, careful not to steal too many sideways glances at Sierra as they went. As soon as they were in the door Zell cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. "Hey, everyone! Let me introduce to you the drill team's first SeeD graduate, Sierra de Ling!" Everyone in the training room stopped their exercises. All eyes snapped to Sierra. For the second time in less than five minutes she felt herself turning flush with embarrassment. "Give us a speech," Aucifer called from the sideline. "You've got to have some advice since you've made it!" "Advice..?" Sierra scratched the back of her head and looked around the room. The drill team members were grinning at her like fools. They were all proud of her achievements. Seifer and Squall were there. Seifer had a belittling smirk on his face that she'd love to wipe off. Squall was ignoring him. As she looked around the room she met all of their eyes. In them she found their hopes and dreams. All of them aspired to be a SeeD. She didn't deserve the uniform she wore now. And even if she told them how she felt, they wouldn't take the uniform from her. They wanted her to be one of them. Xu entered from the weight room while everyone gave their attention to Sierra. The young SeeD's eyes fell upon her Instructor and nemesis, and she finally knew what advice she could give her fellow classmates. "My advice to you would be; don't let the bastards get you down. They're going to do everything they can to make your life hell, and it's going to hurt like hell. After it's over, you'll find that all their pecking has made you into a stronger person. Master Aucifer may kick your ass today... But you'll be thanking him for it tomorrow." That earned laughs from around the room. The drill team gave Sierra their kudos for a job well done. This was her time to soak in the praises of her teammates. Perhaps she even smiled a time or two as they joked about what the future held for them. Sierra didn't have any desire to go to the ball tonight, but Jaylee wouldn't allow one of the guests of honor to skip out. While the occasion was a festive one, there was a tension in the air as the revelers forced themselves to forget their concerns for the evening and enjoy the party. Even still, there were quiet whispers of mass deployments and Sorceresses. The Headmaster didn't call for SeeD Sierra de Ling until early afternoon the next day. She was beginning to wonder if he'd forgotten about her, but knew he hadn't. She stood before his desk and saluted before he invited her to sit. Explaining to him why she didn't want to be a SeeD was the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. Meeting his eyes was difficult enough, and then to see the concerned understanding in them. It was enough to make her want to crawl back to her room and tell him to forget that she'd ever come up here. But she couldn't do that and remain true to herself. She could run away from Cid, but she couldn't run away from her conscience. It was her conscience that told her this was the right thing to do. "If that is how you feel, then I won't stop you from leaving," Cid replied after hearing her out. "Know that you will always have a place within SeeD should you choose to return." "Thank you, sir." "If I may ask, what are you going to do now?" The Headmaster gave her a disarming smile as he typed some things into his terminal, likely noting her discharge. "I want to explore the world," she answered immediately. Cid's eyebrow arched at the speed of her response, prompting her explain her plans further. "I want to see the world like my grandfather did. It may be a silly dream, but I hope to climb every mountain on the planet." He folded his arms across his chest and bowed his head before smiling to himself. "I remember when I was young enough to believe that nothing could hold me back... I don't mean to discourage you, but you can't earn much money while climbing mountains for a living," he shrugged slightly. Sierra acknowledged his point. "I've thought on that. I can get a lot of what I need to survive from off the land. What money I need I should be able to earn from farmers who want their land cleared of monsters. Where ever there's a monster, there's someone willing to pay to be rid of it, after all." "You have thought on this," Cid gave her a fond look because of her cleverness; as if he wouldn't have expected any less of her. "Then, as an... ah... freelance agent, would you accept an easy job that pays well?" Sierra's eyes narrowed. "You still want me to do the assignment you had in mind for me as a SeeD, don't you?" "You've called my bluff," he admitted. "I want to send someone who I can trust to Winhill to protect them from any potential Sorceress attacks. We're not anticipating the Sorceress to go to such a secluded community, but the villagers are understandably nervous after Adel attacked them relentlessly. Your presence alone should be enough to lay their fears to rest." Her lips pursed together, considering whether she wanted to do this one thing on his behalf or not. "The Winhill Heights are nearby. You could start your mountaineering adventures there." "All right," she agreed. What he wanted wouldn't inconvenience her that much and he would persist until she gave in to his request. "But as soon as I'm finished at Winhill I'm going on my way." "Of course," the Headmaster agreed. With a considerable weight off her shoulders Sierra went down to the training room to tell Xu that she would be leaving tonight. There was no way she could leave the Garden without saying good-bye to the Instructor who had been her mentor. "I wish the best for you in your life, whatever you decide to do with it," Xu said. Sierra snerked. "No reprimands for giving up?" "No reprimands," Xu confirmed. "You learned everything I hoped you would; including the Stone and our language." "My grandfather would thank you if he were still alive..." she admitted. "And I thank you as well." Xu bowed politely. "Go now, explore the world. Let me know if you find anything interesting. A tropical hideaway with few monsters and plenty of sunshine would be nice." "You've redecorated..." The man complimented his host. Recent events had prompted them to meet under unusual circumstances. Privately, the man had doubted that such a meeting would even be possible, but his companion had assured him that it would work if he put enough effort into getting here. The woman he had traveled so far to see shook her head in dismissal. He recognized the stiffness of her posture. Now wasn't the time to be fooling around. "What is it that you need?" he asked, abruptly turning to business. "I wanted to warn you, and to ask your help," she replied. He attentively listened to the woman. Only a fool wouldn't give her their undivided attention if she went to this much trouble to speak with them. She wasn't one to lend herself to fanatical prophesies about the end of the world, but recent events had left him wondering... He was reluctant to get mixed up in such affairs again. He would have outright refused her request if it weren't for the running commentary of his silent companion. There was no way he could ignore the pain he felt when... "I'm too close to evening up an old score to drop it now," he said softly, hoping that she would accept the regret he felt at having to deny her plea for help at this time. "When I'm finished with this, maybe then..." She bowed her head. "I understand that you have your own affairs to attend to. Look me up when you're between jobs." Quistis' dark thoughts wouldn't leave her despite her best efforts to stifle them. The field exam had come and gone, and the results still rankled in her mind. No one, not one single cadet under her tutelage had met the challenge SeeD presented. She tried to mollify her stun pride by telling herself that what SeeD asked was no easy task. That was true, but her cadets had managed to fail in spectacular fashion. In fact, one of them was up for court-martial because he knowingly attacked an innocent during the field exam. Their lackluster performance would have embarrassed even the most flamboyant of Instructors. Martine rightfully expressed his extreme displeasure at their antics. It was no small surprise to Quistis when the Headmaster gave her even *more* students to teach this term. What she would have usually taken as a vote of confidence only served to weigh heavier upon her. 'There is an influx of new students signing up for the Academy; both for SeeD and the Army. We need to expedite the training of the ones we already have and take on more new recruits,' Martine told Galbadia's staff. And there were so many new faces this term. The already bustling Garden was near unbearable with all people that occupied the hallways nowadays. She didn't receive any of the fresh-faced students when Martine shifted their classloads around; she was a finishing Instructor, one who put the polish on a cadet before sending them off. She instead picked up two of Jennifer's students and three Galbadian cadets that transferred to the SeeD program. That was unusual in and of itself; cadets tended to go into the officer program if they couldn't cut it as a SeeD. Quistis knew the reason for the abnormality: Xu had done her job all too well. When the army cadets saw what SeeD could do they concluded that their future careers would be filled with mundane postings. It was an assumption Quistis couldn't debunk. SeeD wasn't an army, it was a special operations force. They filled a different niche that probably was more exciting than the life of the average army grunt. Then there were the rumors of a Sorceress on the loose, which were blown out of proportion by the over-zealous rumormill. Galbadia's government controlled press carefully avoided the issue. The underground newslinks were abuzz with supposed sightings and ways to avoid the Sorceress's notice. The Sorceress threat explained the influx of new people coming to the Garden. They were prompted by their own desire to stave off another Sorceress War or sent by their families for training. All this should have pleased Quistis at least a little bit. She now had more candidates for SeeD, and increased her own chances of graduating. But it was hard to shake off the misery that was the last field exam. There was plenty of time left to reach the goal Martine set out for her when she came to Galbadia Garden. At least, that's what she was going to keep telling herself. Sierra watched the scenery flow by as the road she traveled on jostled her and her companion along. Winhill wasn't the most accessible of places. A train from Balamb to Timber carried her through the first leg of her trip, a truck took her the rest of the way. The SeeD who drove the vehicle had precious little to say, a quality Sierra was thankful for. She had a lot on her mind and didn't want to have her musings interrupted by chitchat. When she left the Garden it was with a single hiker's backpack and the contents within; a couple changes of clothing, camping supplies, rope, the best compact sleeping bag money could buy, and a pop tent. Cid insisted on sending her out with everything she needed to be a first class adventurer. When she politely declined he said it was part of the Garden's obligation to the Trabian people. Headmaster Rebecca would be furious with him if he didn't take care of one of her charges and he didn't want that. Most of her things had been boxed up and would be sent to her father back home. The only maps she brought with her were in the world atlas that had led her true many times previous. As a parting gift she gave Zell the maps that she had drilled him with when she was tutoring him in geography. Maybe it was a stupid gift, but nothing else seemed appropriate. Even though she didn't want to think about Zell her mind insisted on dwelling there. It was a bit belated to be feeling guilty for being as mean to him as she was at times. She tried to apologize to him for that but he wouldn't hear it. They were pals after all. Some pal she was. "We're almost there," the SeeD said. Sierra shifted in her seat and tried to look livelier than she was feeling. She was uncomfortable with the idea of a SeeD taking her into town and then introducing her to the mayor. He might get the wrong impression that she was really a SeeD representative even though she didn't wear the uniform. When she expressed those concerns to Brandon he told her not to worry. The mayor had previously hired non-graduate SeeD cadets to keep down the monster population. She then asked how he knew so much about Winhill's interactions with SeeDs and non-SeeDs and he admitted to having family in the remote village. No wonder he volunteered for the long and boring job of driving her out here. The drive, including stops at hole-in-the-wall villages to get fuel for both themselves and the truck, had taken roughly eight hours. From the first structure he pointed out to her as a general store to the village's main plaza it was a couple of kilometers. The fields along either side of the road were pocked with intermittent structures, most of those barns and farmhouses. She thought she even spotted a wild Chocobo though it was gone too quickly for her to be sure. The mayor's residence was near the plaza and was one of the better looking places in town. He surprised her by declaring that she was the closest thing the village had to a sheriff. While he was the judge and executioner, she was the one responsible for keeping the peace. He also laid out his expectations for her keeping the monster population to a minimum. This wasn't a "loaf around and climb mountains" assignment at all. Wordlessly she cursed Cid, but not too harshly. Winhill would make for an interesting beginning to her adventures. Brandon offered to drive her back down the road to the inn she would be staying at. The outwardly battered building was a deceptive facade to the polished wood surfaces and classical beauty contained within. It was as though this interior had been caught in time, it's decor harkening back to a time when no one worried about more than the occasional monster. Brandon stayed in Winhill for a few days visiting his family. During that time he offered to go on Sierra's monster patrols with her. It turns out that it wasn't her imagination playing tricks on her, she really had spotted a Chocobo. They were common enough that some mindful villager had posted a Chocobo crossing sign along the road to warn unsuspecting motorists. The area was populated by the Caterchipillers and Bite Bugs that every Balamb resident was familiar with. Clearing these weakling monsters was an easy task for someone of Sierra's skill. After Brandon left she made a conscientious effort to go around and get to know the neighbors. She spoke with the mayor on a near daily basis because he always wanted to know how many monsters she had gotten rid of the previous day. The other residents were a mixed bag. There was an old woman with all these flowers. She was more than a bit batty in Sierra's opinion; it was best to avoid her. Down a trail from the batty old woman's house was a middle-aged woman who lived alone on her coastal property. Sierra had no idea what she did for a living since she rarely left her residence. The day that she followed the Chocobo tracks she nearly had her head shot off by an overzealous farmer who mistook her for a monster. Except for almost killing her, he was a pretty nice fellow. He had three children ranging in age from seven to thirteen and his wife was a real fine cook. Sierra was at a loss for words the afternoon that she returned from her rounds and the lady who ran the inn told her that the farmer had dropped off a plate of baked goodies that his wife had prepared. That was when Sierra realized that the villagers had accepted her as a member of their community. Her feelings regarding that were torn. She was grateful that they had welcomed her into their lives, but she also didn't want to stay here forever. Well, she didn't think any of them expected her to. From speaking with the innkeeper she got the impression that their 'sheriffs' tended to last a year or two before moving along. When they did the mayor would contact Cid to see if he had anyone else who could fill the role. Sierra mentally snorted at calling herself a sheriff, even if the people did on occasion. The most authoritative thing she had done thus far was to tell some kids not to throw rocks at the passing Chocobos. If that was the worst of Winhill's problems then they were a fortunate community indeed. Though... One thing still bothered her and she hadn't figured out a polite way to ask about it yet. Off on the western end of the plaza stood two buildings that were abandoned. When she approached them to investigate a passing man told her to stay away. She wanted very much to enter them and see what was within, but felt that she would somehow be violating an unspoken taboo if she did. "Are you ready?" "Xu, please, I've been ready for months now," Seifer stroked back his short crop blonde hair and gave her that arrogant sneer that had angered more than one person. "I'd recommend keeping your hubris in check, cadet. This is the Fire Cavern test and if you screw up you'll get burned." 'Literally,' she added silently. Seifer waved off her warning. In his mind he was more than ready to march into the cave and challenge Ifrit. Were Xu fairly assessing his ability, she would have to agree. Though Squall and Seifer had started gunblade training at the same time, Seifer had excelled beyond his mate. Cid made it clear that she was to push both of them through the program as quickly as possible. At this point, Seifer was nearly ready to be a SeeD based on his skill, but Xu didn't agree with his attitude at all. It took more to be a SeeD than the ability to fight and wield para-magic. There was a certain temperament to it as well. Xu sighed inwardly. Yes, Seifer was a powerful teenager, but he had yet to mature beyond his years. He hadn't learned tact! The only people in the Garden who actually *got along* with him were Fujin and Raijin, and Xu wasn't sure why. She suspected that they followed him because they were people of the 'follower' mentality, though, that didn't add up either. During drills in which they were put in charge they'd always carried out their assignments to satisfaction. Especially Fujin. She had the makings of a natural born leader and the cunning to devise clever strategies. (Which was one of the reasons Xu encouraged Fujin's advisor to get her enrolled in more a strategy-based curriculum. Good thinkers shouldn't be wasted!) And then there was Squall. She felt bad for him most of all. He was often the focus of Seifer's aggressions. No matter how many times Aucifer assured her that it was just 'male bonding' she wouldn't stop seeing Seifer's treatment of Squall as bullying. To add insult to injury, Seifer had shot past Squall in terms of height and physical build. Squall looked like a runt compared to his fellow gunblade user. It was Aucifer's opinion that Squall would catch up; Seifer just had an early run. Xu wasn't so sure. She didn't think Squall would ever match Seifer's stature, but she could hope that she was wrong. They were at the entrance of the Fire Cavern and the pair of Shumi guards challenged them. Xu let Seifer select his time. Of course he went for the 10 minutes limit. Drawing his blade he gave her another cocky smirk and dashed into the cavern. He may have been larger, but Xu had no problem keeping up with the pace he set. Instead of engaging every monster they came across he rushed passed them. A good idea if he was going to beat the time limit. "Come on out! I, Seifer Almasy, challenge you!" Seifer announced as soon as he stepped foot into Ifrit's sanctum. The only response he received was the burbling of the molten rock at the center of the room. "You demon coward! Show yourself!" Ifrit rose from the pool. Its corkscrewed head was bent, its fiery orange eyes locked on the boy standing before it. Xu wasn't privy to Ifrit's thoughts as she was to Carbuncle's, but she could make an educated guess as to what the Guardian Force was thinking. And none of those thoughts were very charitable. It was probably the first time in the Garden's history that the Instructor was cheering the Guardian Force on. "Ifrit isn't a demon," Xu belatedly corrected. Its appearance was frightening, but it wasn't a demon like Diablos was. The Guardian Force made no motion to engage Seifer in battle, instead staring the cadet down. Seifer glanced at his watch with annoyance. "Would you mind hurrying this up? I have less than three minutes left." Xu would have strangled Seifer and tossed his body into the lava if Ifrit's voice hadn't rattled both of them. "You call me a coward, boy..?" Its eyes narrowed and it purposefully flicked its talon-like claws. "You have no right to challenge me. Return when you have learned your place!" A mighty gust of wind blew through the cavern. Xu knelt to the ground, trying to maintain her position. It was a futile effort. The winds persisted until they were both expelled from Ifrit's chamber. Seifer was quick to regain his footing and try to re-enter the chamber but a magical barrier held him at bay. "This is just *great*. You chicken shit coward!" He yelled at Ifrit through the barrier. "Won't you fight me or are you afraid?" "Enough, Seifer, we're returning to the Garden," Xu got to her feet, brushing dirt off her skirt as she stood. "Do you always give up so easily, Instructor?" He sneered the title to make it into an insult. "When rebuked by a Guardian Force, yes. Ifrit will only battle those who are ready. Obviously you aren't." Xu reached within herself and changed her junctions so that Diablos would repel any monsters that might attack them. Working off some of her frustration would be nice, but not right now. She wanted to get Seifer back to the Garden and then figure out what to do. She'd never heard of Ifrit pushing someone out of its chamber. This was an unprecedented action and she wasn't sure how to respond. There was a soft echo in her mind. It felt much like the pulse of emotions that Carbuncle expressed itself with. She couldn't make out words from the echo, but she still understood the message. If the boastful Seifer was as strong as he thought he was, he didn't need Ifrit's assistance. Let Seifer learn to ask for help and then Ifrit would reconsider its position. Xu endured listening to Seifer bad mouth the Guardian Force the entire way back to the Garden. On the steps of the main gate she told him to come to her office in the morning. Hopefully by then she would have an idea of what to do next. Some people flat out had rotten compatibilities with certain GFs (like Kei and Diablos), but Seifer *needed* Ifrit on his side or he wouldn't graduate. 'Damn Seifer and his ego,' she thought darkly as she made her way into the Garden proper. It was the buzz of the village when a visitor checked into the inn. Without saying so outright, the villagers expected Sierra to get the scoop on the mysterious man so that they could properly gossip about him. He was a tall man with a solid, but wiry, build and coppery hair that was tied back into a neat tail that trailed between his shoulder blades. Even when indoors he always wore a pair of small round sunglasses over his visibly baby-blue eyes. The man was only a few years her senior and judging by his manner of dress he was a city slicker that decided to vacation in the boonies. He was in the habit of waking up at an insanely early hour. Sierra really had to motivate herself to get up and follow him (on the pretense that she was doing an early morning monster sweep). When he entered the plaza he ducked into a shack by the small dock. It was tough to find enough monsters in the immediate area for her to justify not moving along on her route. Finally he came out with a tackle box in his left hand and a fishing pole resting against his right shoulder. Sierra groaned. He came all this way just to *fish*? She followed him down the short flight of steps to the rickety dock where an equally questionable rowboat was moored. "Good morning," she greeted, taking the initiative. "Ah, good morning to you as well," he replied before leaning over to place his tackle box and pole in the boat. There was no way he couldn't have noticed her following him. She would cut the crap and get to the point then. "Well, this explains why you get up so early. You came all this way just to fish?" She placed her hands on her hips and awaited his answer. The man flashed her a broad grin and tilted his head to let his shades slid down his nose slightly. "I hear it's good fishing off of the southern coast. I could have gone to one of the resort towns, but I doubt it would have been as relaxing. Is there a problem with me relieving the inlet here of a few fish?" Sierra snorted and crossed her arms. "That wouldn't be wise." "Oh?" His eyebrows rose. "Yeah, you didn't bring a cooler with you to carry the fish back in. I see that there's a net and stringer in the boat, so you're not completely unprepared. You won't want to walk all the way to the inn with the fish hanging off of the stringer, not with the heat we've had." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'm embarrassed that I hadn't thought of that." "I'll find a cooler for you and leave it here on the dock. You can keep your fish on the stringer in the water until then, but don't expect me to help you carry the cooler back," she waggled a finger at him. "I'm sure I'll find a way to manage," he gave her another one of his smiles. Sierra remained on the dock, watching him until he was a speck in the distance. She still didn't feel as ease with him, but didn't have more than a gut feeling to work from. She stepped back up to the road and went to fulfill her promise of a cooler on the dock. When the man lazily rowed back to the dock in the early evening Sierra was sitting on the cooler waiting for him. She rose from her seat and caught the rope he tossed her to secure the boat. "I'm honored that you were waiting for me," he commented lightly. "I'm hoping that you haven't wasted my time," she nodded her head towards the cooler. "Did you catch anything? The innkeeper says we're having baked fish for dinner..." The man grinned and pulled the stringer out of the water. Four modest sized fish were on it. "We'll be eating tonight if that's your question." "Good man," she held the cooler open for him to deposit the fish in. She helped him carry his gear to the fisherman's shack, then they returned to the inn. The innkeeper accepted his catch and set to work on preparing dinner. While she did that he excused himself to go to his room and clean up. This was the first meal the three of them shared together. Sierra had eaten with the innkeeper plenty of times, but the man's schedule was so unusual that he was gone by the time breakfast was prepared. "If I had known that you were going out to fish I would have packed you a lunch to take on the boat with you," the innkeeper said. "Let me know if you go out again." "That I will," he smiled. Sierra tore her eyes from that grin and poked at the fish on her plate with her fork. There was something about this guy that just wasn't right... "I'm sorry if I missed it, but I still don't know your name. I'm Sierra de Ling," she introduced. That charming smile of his grew larger and he put his hand out to her. "My apologies, I'm Arjun Detanna." Sierra reluctantly accepted it. He noticed her hesitation and gave her a questioning look. "You smile an awful lot, Mr. Detanna." He laughed. "Yes, I suppose I do! It's a hard habit to get out of when you're so used to it. As my agent says, 'No matter what angle the paparazzi picture is at, I need to be smiling in it!'" "You're famous?" "Hard to believe, isn't it?" "Smells fishy to me." The innkeeper couldn't contain her giggles any longer and burst out laughing at Sierra and Arjun's verbal jousting. And that's how many of their conversations went during the days that followed. Sierra just couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't turn her back on this man. Outwardly he was pleasant enough, infallibly polite, and well groomed. He dressed in a style Sierra would call simplistically chic; long sleeved turtle necks and khakis, casual without being too informal. It stuck out like a sore thumb around here. It annoyed her when he decided that he wanted to walk with her as she cleared monsters. This wasn't some afternoon stroll! He somehow managed to always keep out of harm's way as she went about her business. When she was finished with the messy work he would resume walking. "Are you ready?" "I was ready the last time," Seifer reminded Xu testilly. There wasn't much left to be said that hadn't been already. Cid invited Seifer up to his office for a talk about the reasons the cadet could have failed the Fire Cavern test (even if it wasn't scored against him as a failure). In his student file the test was recorded as Pending. It was a distinction usually reserved for students who had something extraordinary happen during the test; like the cadet who had broken his arm after slipping on some loose rocks. However Cid wished to record it, Xu knew the truth. The GF had found a flaw (the same one Xu had?) in Seifer and wouldn't budge until something was done about it. Xu doubted that an intervention by Cid would correct the fundamental problem. Seifer didn't respect others until they had proven themselves to him. Within a military organization an attitude like that didn't cut it. There was a chain of command and he had to adhere to it without challenging everyone he met who was of higher rank. She knew that he sometimes portrayed himself as the misunderstood student. The one they wanted to hammer down because he had the gall to point out their weaknesses. It infuriated Xu the way he played himself as the victim of their bias while attacking others because they were weaker. She had long ago come to the conclusion that they had an irreconcilable difference in outlook. From his point of view she was an overbearing matriarch (or so Nym the rumormonger had informed her). He was arrogant, she was a hard ass, they weren't going to like each other. But if he wanted to actually pass this test he needed to do things her way. That was the message Cid was going to try to impress upon Seifer during their meeting. How successful the Headmaster was would be proven shortly. The student and teacher once again stood before the Shumi guards. This time around Seifer selected 20 minutes for his test time. That was a good sign. There really was no reason to rush. The time limit was there for the students to challenge themselves. It didn't affect their score unless they dawdled, though, the Instructors didn't tell the students that. Seifer's pace was more relaxed than the run he went at during his first time through. When he entered Ifrit's chamber he said nothing. Xu prepared herself to back Seifer up. This shouldn't be a difficult battle, not with the skills Aucifer had taught him. The burbling lava gave way to the fiery Ifrit. It watched Seifer carefully, waiting for the cadet to do anything that might anger it and give it cause to expel him again. When Seifer did nothing but raise his gunblade into a waiting stance, Ifrit was satisfied and roared its battlecry. During past battles Xu had noticed that Ifrit usually tempered its attacks to some degree, but today it was no holds bar against Seifer. If Seifer expected the Guardian Force to answer his summons he was going to have to earn the privilege. Wordlessly the cadet met the challenge. He really was an amazing swordsman for his youth, Xu had to admit. Aucifer had done fine work when it came to crafting Seifer into the gunblade specialist Cid was hoping for. It was just as well that Seifer had the situation under control. Xu was limited in what manner of support she could offer. She couldn't summon any GFs that Seifer didn't already have in his possession. The same went for magic and items. This battle was to test Seifer's mettle with Xu there to pull him out if he was in over his head. The battle was over before Xu realized it. Ifrit conceded to Seifer and gave the cadet his reward. Seifer pocketed the stone without a second glance. Xu politely offered her congratulations. "Save it," he interrupted. "I don't need the praises of someone like you to know that I'm the future of SeeD." He balanced his gunblade on his shoulder and sauntered out of the cavern, leaving Xu behind. There was a town meeting in the main plaza tonight. Sierra took extra care to be sure that there were no monsters around to interrupt. Someone had set out long tables beforehand and by the time the meeting was underway the surfaces were covered in a wide array of dishes. Apparently this was as much a town meeting as a potluck. Nearly everyone was in attendance, from crying babies to the reclusive middle-aged woman who didn't leave her house. Even Arjun came because it was the only way he was getting dinner. So it was in front of a hundred witnesses that a Sorceress appeared out of nowhere and approached the reclusive woman. The woman screamed with terror as the villagers scattered. She turned and ran between two buildings, hoping to escape the Sorceress that was stalking her. Sierra foolishly hadn't brought her weapon with her. Who would have expected a Sorceress to show up for dinner? The only weapons she had available were a butter knife and the magic she always kept within herself. Without any further thought going towards her actions Sierra charged at the Sorceress with the dull knife in one hand and the gathering of a magical attack occurring in the other. She threw the Fira spell she had gathered first, only to have it bounce off the Sorceress's Reflect spell and knock Sierra to the ground. While she was down she caught a brief glimpse of Arjun helping the mayor guide the villagers to safety. 'Damn Reflect spells!' she silently cursed. 'Whoever invented them needs to die,' she continued while arranging for her next casting to be a Reflect spell of her own. She could then bounce the magic off of herself and onto the Sorceress. She lunged after the Sorceress with the knife this time. The edge didn't matter if she put enough force behind the blow. The Sorceress tossed her back with a gesture. Satisfied that Sierra was nothing more than a pest, the Sorceress returned her focus on the woman. She raised her right hand above her head, where several shards of ice formed. With a flick the projectiles were sent rocketing towards the woman. They perforated her body in a way that no Life spell could remedy. Outraged, Sierra resumed beating against the spells that kept her at bay. She wouldn't let anyone get away with murder when it was her job to the keep peace. The Sorceress's lips twisted into a smile that was somewhere between sinister and pleased before she created another portal and slipped away. Sierra sank to her knees in defeat and hit the cobble stoned ground repeatedly with her balled up fists. She failed in her mission and she'd never felt more ashamed in her life. If she could have curled up and died right there she would have. At least then she wouldn't have to answer for the dishonor she brought on the Garden as a product of their training. Arjun put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She angrily batted it away. The plaza was empty except for the two of them and the woman's mutilated body. She stalked around, the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. The battle couldn't end like this! "Why don't you go on a sweep?" He suggested mildly. "I'm sure we can take care of this," he vaguely gestured towards the corpse. A growl came from deep within her throat and realized that he was right. She needed to work off her anger before she could think clearly again. She gave him a brisk nod and then ran down the road while berating herself for being too thorough this afternoon. The first monster she encountered she threw herself at. There was no way she's let another fight end unless she had the final blow. That had to be the Sorceress Cid warned her about, but how did a Sorceress appear out of nowhere? And didn't Cid say that there wasn't anyone of interest in Winhill? He sure as hell was wrong on that point! Sierra kicked the Caterchipillar she was fighting with all her might. It let out a satisfying wheeze as blood began to flow from its large mouth. Three more punches and the monster went limp. She kept moving along the road, though no longer at the full run that she had started out in. She winced when she punched a Bite Bug, slamming it against a tree and watching it die. That's how she felt when the Sorceress was completely undeterred by Sierra's efforts to stop her. She was nothing more than a Bite Bug buzzing around her head, begging to be swatted down. "Like fucking hell!" She yelled. She *turned down* a career with SeeD, but that didn't mean she wasn't qualified for it. In theory she was one of the best special forces operatives in the world and it meant *nothing* against a Sorceress. NOTHING! What the fuck?! It occurred to her that she'd never knowingly encountered a Sorceress before. How exactly would one go about picking a Sorceress out of a crowd. Were they all as oddly dressed and disgustingly deformed as the woman who attacked tonight? A couple hours worth of venting released her pent up frustration and anger. But before she could return to the inn she needed to clean up. Few things would aggravate the innkeeper more than tracking monster blood onto the floor. Still fully clothed, she dove into the cove behind the inn. A swim would loosen her muscles and wash off the worst of the mess from fighting the unfortunate monsters who had mistakenly crossed her path. She didn't like going on rampages like tonight, but damn it felt good to work off some steam. Her eyes glanced up at the moon; the mother of monsters. There hadn't been a Lunar Cry in nearly a century. Most of the monsters that roamed the planet nowadays were native, but that didn't make them any better. As she floated on her back her mind played with the idea that if there was never another Lunar Cry, would it be possible to rid the world of monsters? In a fluid motion she flipped over and dove back under the water. When she surfaced near the dock she saw a silhouetted person sitting there. The figure gave off an eerie glow that made Sierra wonder if it was a ghost (not that she believed in such things, but still...) "There was no way you could have saved Deana Frost," Arjun's voice said somberly as she pulled herself out of the water. He tossed her a towel that he had the foresight to bring with him. The naked skin of his forearms reflected the moonlight and gave off a silvery shimmer. "This was her night to die." "And why do you say that?" Sierra asked, no longer caring *who* this man was. "Do remember the Dollet child smuggling ring that was broken up a couple years ago? The woman who was responsible for leading the Balamb arm of the operation had slipped through SeeD's fingers during the crackdown. That woman was Deana Frost. The Dukedom of Dollet is offering a 100,000 gil bounty to anyone who brings her in dead or alive. I doubt the Sorceress will claim it, and by the looks of it this town could use a few paved roads... "If the Sorceress hadn't arrived tonight I would have done the deed myself. I've been tracking her ever since I left Balamb and I owed it to Cid to see this one through." Sierra snorted. "I noticed that her house was on coastal property. Is that what you were doing the day you were supposedly fishing, casing her place?" "Ah... how did you know?" "I spoke with the lad who sold you the fish. He said you offered him 300 gil for the stringer he had." "And I gave him another 100 gil on top of that to keep his mouth shut. Little brat. I think I want my money back," he grumbled good-naturedly. He had no intention of tracking down the boy for his gil. They sat on the dock and talked as the moon slowly crept by on its nightly rounds. They shared some things in common, but not a lot. He'd had his life turned on its ear by Xu, just as she had. Both of them held Puzzle Stones because of her. Sierra jokingly suggested that they start a club for those who were 'influenced' by the Balamb Instructor. She couldn't answer many of his questions about the legendary Quistis Trepe. She'd only briefly met the woman that the Trepies adored, but there were plenty of other stories to tell about the Trepies' antics. He was glad to hear that Myn was still in charge of the club. "I'd heard through the grapevine that the Sorceress was hunting down people that had the power of the Sorceress within them. I'm pretty sure Frost doesn't fit that category..." Arjun commented thoughtfully. Sierra shrugged and voiced the question she asked herself earlier. "How would we be able to tell who has the power of a Sorceress?" "Trust me, I know every time she gets one of them," he said with a grimace. It felt like being stabbed with a knife when one of them died. For some reason Diablos had made him attuned to their deaths. Perhaps it was the GF's cruel way to motivate him to quickly put an end to her actions. "Then why go after Frost?" "I don't know for sure, and only a fool would cross a Sorceress," he said. He rocked back and forth slightly as he thought about his next words. "That *monster* is out there. We can't just sit around here while she runs free to do as she pleases." "SeeD is already deployed to protect the people who are most likely to be attacked." 'Well, except for this one,' she amended silently. She didn't know how much she should tell Arjun about SeeD's deployments as she knew them before leaving. Was it betraying their secrets? She suspected that when it came to secrets the man sitting next to her was the master. Arjun rubbed his chin. "Give me a night to think on this. We'll meet out here tomorrow and come to a decision." Sierra stood up and briskly folded the borrowed towel before handing it back to him. "You make it sound like we're allies or something." "Of course we are!" And this time the broad smile that he gave her was genuine. "We're both pseudo-SeeDs who work outside of the organization." "Yeah, whatever," Sierra waved it off and started down the flagstone path that led to the inn's back door. Her pillow was the only thing she was interested in speaking with right now. She didn't know how she was going to handle tomorrow and facing the villagers after her failure. In the world of his own creation the man stood with his silent companion at his side. Now that his ends had been met he was prepared to accept the woman's proposal, but not without some answers first. The most pressing question was why. Why did a Sorceress kill a fellow monster? Revenge, the woman explained, was a powerful emotion; one that was often the harbinger of insanity. But in this case the murder was not the result of insanity, but of cold, rational pre-meditation. And that frightened the woman more than any of the other acts of violence. The pattern was broken and no longer could they assume that they knew what was going through the Sorceress's mind. The man shared the woman's sense of panic, but didn't understand that sadness in her eyes. She refused to explain why the Sorceress was so riveted upon the fate of the children, though it was a horrific enough crime to outrage anyone. It wasn't unheard of in prisons for inmates to kill off the worst of their lot. Let the monsters turn on each other, just so long as they didn't take any innocents with them. The woman provided the man with the information he needed to plan his next moves. They no longer could be certain of the Sorceress's actions, but some things were still safe bets. That's where they would pool their resources. It was deceptively quiet when Sierra came down from her room the following morning. The innkeeper had set out a basket of freshly baked bread on the table, but was no where to be found. Arjun had also taken off before she got up. With a sigh she strapped on her shotaxe harness. Never again would she be caught unarmed unless a weapon was within reaching distance. The road was deserted when she stepped outside to begin her rounds. She encountered too few monsters to get her blood pumping by the time she entered the main plaza. It was cleaned up as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place the previous evening; be it a town meeting, potluck, or a Sorceress attack. Sierra knocked lightly on the door to the mayor's residence and was quickly ushered in by his wife. The mayor himself was out attending to some other business and would return shortly. Waiting for him to return with only his wife as company was enough to put Sierra on edge. The woman was trying too hard to be polite. It didn't come naturally anymore. Sierra rose to her feet when the mayor stepped into the small office where she had been waiting for him. His eyes wouldn't meet hers. "I'm sorry Miss de Ling, your services up to last night had been spectacular, but I'm still going to have to dismiss you. Your presence here would only serve as a reminder to the villagers of the recent Sorceress attack." "I understand," Sierra accepted. And she did to some degree. These people lived in the middle of nowhere. The violence of last night was shocking and the mayor wished to sweep the matter under the rug as quickly as possible. He was clearly thankful that this was going easier than he envisioned. From a drawer he withdrew two envelopes and handed both to her. One contained 3,000 gil in severance pay and the other was a letter of recommendation. "The mayor of Vaylar is always looking for good people to keep the peace between the Galbadian army and the Timber ruffians. You passed through Vaylar on your way here so you should have no trouble finding it." After leaving the mayor's home Sierra found herself wandering towards the dock behind the inn where she met Arjun late night. She didn't know what he had in mind, but it wouldn't hurt to listen. It's not like she had anywhere pressing to be at the moment. He was already there waiting for her. "Told you to leave, didn't he?" Arjun said by way of greeting. "What are you going to do now?" She shrugged. "I dunno, what did you have in mind?" He smiled and patted the ground next to him in invitation for her to sit. "I consulted with my sources last night and they informed me that SeeD can't handle what they've gotten into by themselves." "Is that so..?" She asked dryly. He nodded, ignoring the note of sarcasm in her voice. "We're in the unique position of being able to back them up. There are countless places where we could help, so I've narrowed it down to where we would be able to make the most difference. For myself, I'll go north to Galbadia Garden and meet up with Quistis to-" Sierra stood up abruptly and gathered her things to leave. "Hey, what are you doing?" "You've got to be kidding me," Sierra chided, putting her hands on her hips. "It's damn obvious that you have a crush on her and you're going to deploy yourself to protect her? What a load of shit! This isn't some bad Sorceress movie in which her Knight shows up at the climax of the battle to defend her!" Arjun's easy-going persona quickly changed to completely serious, "I'll have you know that I'm her boyfriend." "Oh really? Then what the hell are you doing out here?" "I told you already," he nearly growled, "I was doing Cid a favor." "A favor? What kind of favor could *YOU* do for Cid? I doubt that SeeD has many uses for actors or whatever the hell you're passing yourself off to be!" Arjun stood up, seething because of Sierra's waspish comments. "Don't *even* start with me," he growled darkly. "Or what are you going to do? You say you need me, so it's not like you can just kill me if I don't agree with you!" "I haven't killed anyone for three and a half months. Don't tempt me," he said. There was enough ice in his tone to warn the Trabian to back off. Instead she laughed at his threat. "You haven't got it in you!" His eyebrows creased together tightly. "Not now," he whispered harshly, only half-paying attention to Sierra. "I can handle this myself." "Are you sure?" Sierra mistakenly took the comment as being directed at her. "C'mon boy, show me what you've got!" She eased back into a ready stance and waited for him to take up her challenge. He smirked, a downright evil look clouding his baby-blue eyes. It was much too late when it occurred to Sierra that fighting was what this man lived for. Arjun advanced with a feint and then followed up with a punch. Likewise Sierra smirked. He may not have realized it, but fighting was what she lived for as well. They sparred on the dock that suddenly seemed to be too narrow for the activity they had elected to perform on it. During their bout they had nearly driven the each other off the edge and into the water. "You were definitely trained by Mistress Xu," he commented after Sierra performed a series of moves that was stolen straight out Xu's playbook. "I'd say you were as well," she replied after ducking away from a punch. He wasn't as heavily influenced as she was, but Xu's touch was there. They continued exchanging jabs -- both verbal and physical -- until Arjun put his hands up to call an end to their bout. "Although I'm thoroughly enjoying myself, we're wasting time by doing this." "Fine," Sierra agreed and plopped back down onto the dock. "So what did you have in mind for me to do while you're playing the role of overprotective boyfriend?" "My source is adament that the Sorceress will attack the Anshin clan in Centra in the near future. Having visited there once myself, I can assure you that the Sorceress attacking them is a certainty. There is a lot of magical energy around their compound that would be like a beacon to a Sorceress bent on gathering power. I've learned that Cid has sent only one SeeD to protect them; Kei. While she is one of the few people on this planet who could kick my ass I don't think she's up to the task of battling a Sorceress on her own." Sierra shook her head slowly. "Can't we trade assignments? I'll protect your girl and you protect *them*." "Perhaps you missed the 'kicked my ass' part? Kei and I don't exactly get along. She'd be too distracted by me to properly protect the Anshin from the Sorceress." With that admission he picked up a stone and cast it into the water. He wouldn't mind going there and protecting them, but he really would be a distraction. Sierra returned to her feet and sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't do it. So the world will be less a few Anshin, it's no loss." "I remember thinking that exact same thing once," he murmured to himself. "Besides, I had my ass handed to me in strips last night. I doubt I could help Kei when I couldn't even touch the Sorceress." Arjun's head tilted slightly as though he were straining to listen to the waters lapping against the nearby shore. "You're not as powerless as you lead yourself to believe," his baby-blue eyes locked onto hers. "You have an outrageously powerful Limit, don't you? When the Sorceress arrives unleash it on her and let someone else pick up the pieces after you're done having your way with her." "How did you know-?" "I have good sources," Arjun grinned, fishing a few magic beads from a shirt pocket. "I don't have much use for magic myself, but I have it on good authority that these babies will push you right into your Limit." He deposited four beads into her hand. Glancing down she identified them as the rare Aura spell. They were hard to come by even for the most seasoned of SeeD. (Mainly because acquiring them involved fighting very dangerous monsters to draw them or exploring areas that were home to the aforementioned monsters). How the hell did he get some to begin with? "I still don't want to go," she said firmly, offering the beads back to him. "I can't force you and I don't have enough money to bribe you so let me appeal to your sense of revenge. Don't you think it'd be nice to shove a rock where the Sorceress would never find it again?" he paused for a moment before continuing. "Hmm... You have some outstanding issues with the Anshin... Well, who doesn't? Wouldn't it feel good to prove them wrong if *you* were the one to save them from the Sorceress!" "How the fuck do you know that?!" She exclaimed angrily. A crypt smile touched his lips. "As I said, I have good sources. I hate evasive answers, but I don't know of a way to explain. When you get there tell them that Silence sent you. That should get you in the door at least." ----- Please visit our website at http://www.centragarden.net