Shukuen

Authors Notes & Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and its associated labels, games, chars etc are the intellectual property of Squaresoft and I in no way own or have anything to do with that company which turns out such awesome games (though I wish I did). I would also like to stress that this work is completely fictional and is not meant to be compared to the games in any way. Rhia and Cene are my characters however and if you steal them I will have no choice to hunt you down and dig out your spleen with a butter-knife. Shadow and Shade belong to Rob and so if you steal them off him the same threat applies. Thanks for your consideration.

Rating: M – Contains violence, implied sexual content and maybe even a bit of swearing (ok, a LOT of swearing).

Dedication: This one is for Rob. My partner in crime who's guided me through some of the most awesome and emotional roleplays that I have ever had the privilege of being in. Thank you Rob, remember, even if the rest of the world doesn't think so, I believe you are a wonderful person and the world would be a poorer place without you in it. Don't ever change. I hope you stay exactly as you are, my muse, my inspiration…my friend.

And, now let's get on with the show.

Chapter One:

It was early afternoon at Balamb Garden, the military academy devoted to training some of the best fighters-for-hire the world had ever known. The sunlight streamed in through the open quad where students sat in small groups, exchanging idle banter or playing games of triple triad as they passed time away before the big field exam. The annual field event where hopeful candidates could prove that they have what it takes to join the illustrious ranks of the elite Seed mercenaries.

However one student wasn't part of the groups, in fact, he was wondering just what the hell he'd gotten himself into as he listened to the babbling of the girl who'd attached herself to him up on the second floor. Well, slammed into him was more like. He'd just left class with instructions to meet Instructor Trepe by the front gate and had been heading for the elevator when the girl had run into him, obviously in a hurry. Upon learning that she had missed class the girl had slumped dejectedly and asked him if he would show her around so that she wouldn't get lost.

He had taken her to the first floor with the intent of showing her the directory of Garden – the simplest means of finding one's way around the academy – and then leaving her to find her way from there, but had somehow managed to get roped into talking about the various areas of gardens and the staff members in charge. Squall Leonhart sighed to himself as he listened to the girl spout back everything he'd said and then nodded an affirmative.

"Oh thank you ever so much!" The girl told him in a genuinely appreciative voice. "I transferred here from Trabia Garden in order to sit the field exam and this place is just sooooo much bigger than that. Oh! My name's Selphie by the way. Selphie Tilmitt. Are you sitting the field exam too?" Squall just nodded, unwilling to engage in a conversation that could potentially delay him any more than Selphie already had.

"Oh well, I guess I'll see you there then." She told him with a bright smile. Just as she turned to leave, a commotion started up by the fountain not far from the directory and several students surged past Squall and Selphie, eager to see what was happening.

"What's going on?" Selphie asked curiously, grabbing the arm of a passing cadet and they grinned knowingly as they replied, "the 'disciplinary committee' has another victim." Before running off to get closer to the action. Selphie turned back to Squall.

"Disciplinary committee?" Squall nodded, his blue eyes blazing slightly.

"They're students, charged with making sure people follow the Garden rules. Didn't you have a disciplinary committee at Trabia?" Selphie shook her head.

"No, I think because it was such a small garden that we never needed one. So…who's on the committee here?"

"Seifer Almasy," Squall's eyes went flat with anger as he spat the name out, "And Fujin and Raijin. They're a three-man band who're rarely seen apart and tend to make up rules as they go along. If I were you, I'd steer clear of them if at all possible."

"But if they make up rules, why doesn't anyone complain?"

"Would you complain about someone who has the potential to put you in detention every day for a year?" Selphie gulped and shook her head.

"But surely the staff know they make up rules, it's an abuse of power so why don't the staff step in and do anything?" Squall shrugged.

"For all that they may abuse the power…they do keep order here."

"I see." Selphie stood up on tiptoes and craned her neck in order to see just who it was the disciplinary committee had captured.

"God DAMN it Seifer! Let me go! I'm supposed to be on duty in the infirmary!" A tall girl with long auburn hair and light violet eyes was struggling against the grips of a strange looking pair whom Selphie could only assume were Fujin and Raijin.

"SILENCE!" Fujin yelled, giving the girl's arm a vicious twist, causing the well-built Raijin to chortle nastily. "Ya may want ta listen to Fujin, ya know? She has quite a nasty temper, ya know?" However the girl wasn't listening to either of them, she was staring intently at the person heading the strange procession, glaring as though she was trying to bore holes into the back of his head.

"Seifer! Damn it! Surely all that fucking peroxide you use hasn't shorted out your hearing!"

Eyes wide, Seifer whirled to face his victim, the outrage on his face quickly giving way to an amused leer. Selphie glanced at Squall to see that his eyes were narrowed into angry slits and she absently wondered if he was going to get involved and go to the girl's rescue. However he showed no interest in moving, so Selphie turned her attention back to the action, wondering if this sort of thing was a daily occurrence in this Garden.

Still smirking, Seifer approached the furiously struggling girl, his long white coat swirling around his calves with every step. "It's our job to punish rule-breakers." He all-but purred. "You know that."

"I haven't done anything!" She protested, looking decidedly angry about this injustice.

"You were running in the halls, ya know." The man known as Raijin answered with a chuckle. "That's against the rules ya know."

"Like hell it is! You dipshits made that up this morning." Selphie found herself blinking in surprise. Would she really get away with speaking to the trio like that?

"Yes, and that makes it law." Seifer told her, still smirking, seemingly unfazed by her insult. "So, you're just going to have to apologise to the good doctor because you're going to be…late." The girl sighed then as she finally wrenched her arms free and looked at Seifer pityingly. "Then I guess I have no choice."

"Oh? Why is that?" He asked.

The girl then pulled an elegant metal quarterstaff forward from where it had been slung across her back and snapped it into place, holding it at arms-length, her hands finding the centre of gravity as she prepared herself for battle. "Well, seeing as you guys seem determined to give me detention, then I guess I'd better make sure it's for a good reason – like kicking your asses." Seifer gestured for the other two to stand down as he pulled out his gunblade and pointed it so it was level with her chest. "Are you sure? If you stand down now I promise we'll go easy on you. Do you really think you're prepared to face me?"

"I don't know, are you prepared to lose? Or are you scared of being beaten by a girl?"

"Bring it on." He growled and she smirked.

"Don't say I didn't warn you Blondie." The girl shifted her weight as she readied herself to charge, but just as she began to move, a member of the Garden Faculty interrupted, yelling at them to stand down before they were suspended for inappropriate behaviour. The girl put her weapon away with a shrug, "I was just leaving for infirmary duty anyway." She told the staff member calmly before walking off, making sure to 'bump into' Seifer in such a way that he fell onto Raijin and Fujin causing the trio to topple unceremoniously into the fountain.

"Oops." She said insincerely before she headed off, whistling a smug little tune to herself.

Squall knew it was wrong for him to admire what she'd done, and part of him hoped the Garden Faculty would chase after her and haul her into detention for her insubordination to the disciplinary committee. But another part of him piped up in a rather malicious voice, reminding him that Seifer had not only put him in the infirmary that morning, Seifer had also given him a rather impressive scar as well as a massive headache.

Using that as its reasoning, the voice told him that there was absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the sight of a pissed-off, thoroughly soaked Seifer spluttering and swearing in the middle of the fountain. After seeing that the Faculty Member had been diverted by someone making a mad dash to the cafeteria for the hot dogs, and a moment's deliberation, Squall decided to agree with the little voice and moved off to meet Instructor Trepe and complete the Fire Cavern prerequisite for the field exam.

Suddenly his day didn't seem quite so bad after all.