Chapter 2: Resourceful if Nothing Else

In the infirmary everyone except Zell is gathered. After retrieving the elite warriors of Balamb Garden the resident doctor is trying to figure out a solution to all this. They've been in the health office for the majority of the remainder of the morning and afternoon is fast approaching now and still basically at a loss.

"So what do we do now?" Selphie asks. "I'm sorry about-"

"Stop." Squall commands in a tired voice. "Please."

"Right now what is important is a cure." Quistis says coughing. "We'll need something special."

"That's right." Dr. Kadowaki agrees. "Your illnesses don't come up on any scan I've tried. According to what I've seen these would be your natural states."

"We know that." Squall says impatiently. "You've said it already. More than three times as a matter of fact. What can we do?"

Rinoa raises her hand. Everyone save Squall turns to look at her. "What if we gathered fresh magic from draw points all over the world?" She signs in the language of a deaf person. "If we could combine those powers maybe we could reverse the effect."

"Great idea Rinoa!" The doctor enthuses. "I'll get some people on it right away!"

"What? What did she say?" Squall asks clueless.

"She suggested we gather fresh magic from all over the world and combine its power." Quistis repeats aloud.

"That could fix what that spell did to us. What did you call it?"

"Cataclysm." Selphie says guiltily. "Sorry."

"Give it a rest. Can someone lead me to my office?" Squall asks. Rinoa takes his hand. "Who is that?"

"It's Rinoa. Maybe you should take off the gloves?" Quistis suggests hacking a bit. "Since you're blind and all."

"…" Squall appears embarrassed but complies. "I should've brushed up on my Braille…" He thinks to himself.

"Where's Seifer?" Selphie asks. "I haven't seen him since…so what should we do?"

"Organize a Garden-wide search, right?" Quistis proposes.

"No." Squall says firmly. "Seifer can take care of himself. He wouldn't want a search done."

"Are you certain? Anything could've happened to him." Rinoa communicates and Quistis vocalizes.

"Yes. Odds are he's stumbling around under confusion or zombie status. He'll be fine." Rinoa leads him away.

"He is still the Headmaster." Quistis says walking out. Selphie shrugs and leaves as well.

X

In the Training Center Xu has just got finished listening to Seifer's explanation. .She's not as surprised as he thought she'd be after hearing it.

"So that's all I know." Seifer finishes.

"It makes sense." Xu replies. "You were present when Cataclysm was cast."

"Cataclysm?"

"Yes. Selphie Tilmitt cast a spell we're calling Cataclysm." Xu looks at her watch. "About two hours ago. It inflicted irreversible status effects on everyone."

"I guess I was out for a little while." He reflects, noting the large time gap. "Status effects?"

"Not so much status effects as a change in the base value of the self. Medical equipment can't detect anything wrong and medicine doesn't work. But that's understandable…"

"Why?" Seifer demands. "Now you aren't making any sense."

"A good way to explain it would be that eye drops fix darkness, the temporary blindness. They cannot put pupils in the eyes though. The spell has changed the optic nerves base composition."

"How do you know that?"

"I was there when they all arrived in the medical center. I heard the doctor's explanation."

"So everybody's blind?"

"No, Rinoa has no vocal cords, Zell, has the mind of a reptile, Quistis is having an unexplainable continual allergic reaction to nothing, and Irvine is a rock."

"Silenced, berserk, poison, and petrified. And none of this can be reversed?"

"No. The odds are you can't be restored either with the evidence I've seen."

"Great, just great." Seifer says sarcastically. "I'm stuck like this." He looks up at her. "So what are you doing here?"

"Perfecting my sword skill." She sighs but shakes it off, refocusing herself. "There is always room for improvement."

"Looks damn good from here." Seifer mentions. "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"It isn't good enough, he still beats me." Xu says angrily.

"Who?"

"Squall." She hisses.

"Crybaby gives you trouble too?"

"He is a very powerful fighter. My skills-" Suddenly there is movement from behind. Xu draws and slices the beast cleanly in equal halves before Seifer can blink. She replaces the sword in its sheathe and pays the slain monster no further attention. "Pale in comparison to his."

"You can't be serious!" Seifer says in disbelief. "You did that without even looking!"

"I am serious. The gunblade gives him an advantage. The option to fire leaves holes in my technique that don't exist that he can capitalize on, not to mention he is still a more than capable swordsman."

He looks at Xu's face. He can see she's all but boiling. "So him beating you has got you flipping out like this?" He asks.

"I am indeed quite incensed. By him I have been done great injustice time and time again!"

"Like what?"

"It is not important."

"Come on, it's not often I meet someone who hates his guts as much as me. Tell me!"

"I would rather not." Xu stands. "As it is I should take you directly to him."

"No. Don't do that. I don't-" But he is cut short as her elfin hands encircle him and he is lifted from his feet.

"Procedure to report strange occurrences to the Headmaster immediately." Xu explains placing Seifer in a blouse pocket. "Sorry."

"Sorry." Seifer mimics as he is thrust into a pocket meant only for pens. "Sorry my ass!" Barely able to move he manages to get one arm free. The ornamental flap of cloth constricts him quite tightly to his captor so getting his other arm free was quite a task. "I ain't going to see him like this!" He draws the Hyperion and fires. Placing the tip in the hole created he slices the non-functional compartment open and slips out into some underbrush at the entrance to the training center.

Xu doesn't notice or pay attention to the sound of the bush. She continues onward without Seifer unbeknownst to her. He watches the attractive SeeD's exit more than a little relieved, finding his way to the ground from the hedge.

"Not something I want to deal with right now." Seifer says as Xu disappears in the distance. "Where's Fujin? She could help me. If I could just remember her room number..."

X

Xu is right outside Squall's office. She's on a mission right now and has something of note to tell him or so she thinks, anyway.

"I request to see the Headmaster." She says to the guard at the door.

"You may pass."

"Thank you." She notes the guy give her shirt a second look. "Pig…" She thinks to herself walking in.

"Who has come to see me?" Squall asks with his chair turned backwards as Xu enters.

"Xu, sir. I bring a matter of great importance."

Squall turns around. As is the wont of blind people he has donned all black shades. Rinoa straightens his chair and one would not even know he is blind except for the slightly clumsy fumbling about on the desk. "What is it, Xu?"

"I bring an urgent issue before you." She says reaching into her shirt pocket. "Just a moment." She digs into her pocket a bit deeper. "I know it's here…"

Rinoa finds Xu digging in her pocket quite funny and her face shows it. However her laughter changes to disapproval as Xu takes off her blouse and searches through the green garment more thoroughly. Rinoa glances at Squall angrily expecting him to be gawking but he stares straight ahead slightly to Xu's left.

"What is she doing?" Squall asks turning to where he remembers Rinoa was.

The young Sorceress's suspicions are confirmed. Squall is quite blind. So unable to answer his question given she is quite dumb she poses it to Xu using Galbadian Sign Language. "What the heck are you doing?" She asks snapping her fingers to get the SeeD's attention. "You have to be kidding me!"

"Ah, so that's what happened…" Xu mumbles finding the slashed pocket not paying Rinoa any attention.

"What happened?" Squall demands jumping up Lionheart drawn facing a wall.

As both Xu and Rinoa turn to the seeing impaired principal the inappropriateness of what she is doing has finally hit her. The mean looks Rinoa gives her remind her that this is never the place. "I had a hole in my pocket…" She says weakly putting her shirt back on. "I'll explain later I promise!" She signs to the miffed mute magic caster while making an exit to hastily to look for Seifer.

X

In the circular atrium that is the central part of Garden Seifer has finally made it to the dorms. After avoiding the hazards of being stepped on in the busy hallway he's ready to take a breather. But he's got a ways to go yet.

"That was a long walk, Fujin had better be here." Seifer gripes as he reaches the threshold to the girl's dormitory. "Crap, how do I open this door? My key won't work even if I could reach up there…"

His problem is solved as a girl walks out of the apartment section. She doesn't notice him at all. He stares up at her as she walks past awed at her height and apparent obliviousness of his proximity. He can hardly tear his eyes away in time to scurry in the door that shuts behind him with a slam.

"Which one is it?" Seifer wonders walking down the corridor. "This hallway goes on a good ways down…" He notices a girl at the other end of it. He pays her no mind. "Can I fit under the doors? Looks painful but I can't stay out here." He finagles his way under the door with some trouble.

"Wrong room, Fujin's room is spotless." He squeezes under the doorway again. "I can't go through all these rooms, it'd take too long and it hurts." Another female has joined the girl he saw before and they are walking in his direction. "Maybe they know which room Fujin is. They'd better help." Seifer tries to signal them.

X

In the dorms a SeeD is banging on a door. As a student of the school she's in uniform but right now should be in class. Hence the rapping upon the door and the damage to her attendance record.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" The SeeD yells.

"Alright, alright!" Comes from the other side of the door. "I'm coming!"

"Hurry will you?" The impatient blond insists.

"Be quiet!" The door opens to reveal a brown-haired girl. "Instructor Trepe is cool about tardies."

"That doesn't mean we're not late! Let's go already!" The ladies proceed down the hall. The brunette stops suddenly. "What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that, Carol?"

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like a muffled gunshot…there it is again." She draws two knives from her belt. "Listen…"

"Are you sure?" The blond asks impatiently holding a pistol. "We're going to be late Jessie!"

"Shh! Listen!" Jessie turns her head. "From…there." She looks at Seifer who is trying to yell from a few yards away. "What is that?" She puts away her knives.

"Does it matter? We have a class to get to!"

"What's wrong?" Jessie picks Seifer up. "Aren't you precious?"

"Hey isn't that the jerk who runs the disciplinary committee?" Carol asks holstering her gun.

"Yeah you're right. It does look a lot like him." Jessie agrees examining him.

"I need-" Seifer begins.

"He's such a downer."

"What should I do with him?"

Carol shrugs. "Throw him in your purse. We're in a hurry."

"Right." She drops Seifer in her shoulder bag and they walk off.

X

Xu is busy retracing her steps. She's lost something or rather someone and is more than a little worried right now. This is something new and the frantic fashion in which her mind is racing is making it hard to think.

"When could he have slipped out?" Xu wonders. "Where could he be?" She arrives at the training facility where she was practicing. "I started here and walked this way." She walks slowly scanning the ground. "Where…?"

Something shiny catches her eye. "What's this?" Xu moves to pick it up. "…"

Though only about the size of a grain of sand its definitive color and gleam reveals what it is. Upon closer inspection she can see it relatively clearly. It's a clue to begin with, regardless how small.

"A shell casing…" She says to herself. "This must be where we parted ways. He used his gunblade to get away from me. Now where would he go?" She wanders out into the common area. The midget mercenary is nearly run over by two girls in her scrutiny of the floor, which is the least of her worries.

"Watch where you're going short stuff!"

"Get out of the way!"

"There is no running in Garden." Xu reminds them regaining her balance. "Be careful!"

"Whatever!" They both continue running.

"Novices…" Xu remarks watching them hurry off. "Must focus." She reminds herself. "Where would I go if I were in an awkward situation like this? Likely somewhere familiar and quiet…what would that be?" She walks around head down, still searching.

"Xu are you all right?" Comes a voice.

"Just fine Nida." Xu replies eyes still glued to the floor.

"You look tired. You might need a rest."

"No, I'm alright. Thanks."

"You're walking with your head bowed, do you have a headache?"

"No, I'm just thinking."

"Well maybe you need a nap. Sleep on it. It'll come to you."

"Sleep!" Xu realizes. "That's it!"

"Yeah…" Nida says unsure how to respond. "That's right…you may want a nap?" He looks clueless.

"Thanks a lot, great idea!" Xu runs off.

"Okay…you're welcome."

X

In the darkness of a handbag Seifer ruminates on his predicament. It happened really quickly and his mind is catching up with the events of the last minute and a half. None of his conclusions are happy ones but that is to be expected since he's doing a good prisoner impression.

"#$$!" Seifer swears being jostled about. "It figures I'd find crazy Trepie broads when I need some help. Normally could see em a mile off but here I am. Guess I wasn't paying attention." He chides himself considering the situation.

"But that's okay; this experience is blowing my mind. Crybaby must've cracked my dome wide open and left me in the infirmary in a coma. I ain't been this messed up in the head since the mind control, damn! I'm feeling pain though, that door and this sack ain't a gentle ride. Am I dreaming?" He can hear his abductors talking and he's having a hard time convincing himself that it isn't real.

"Did you see her?" Carol asks.

"Little miss high and mighty?" Jessie replies. "Almost stepped on her!" She laughs and shakes her head. "It'd kill me if I actually tripped over her."

"Sure is a pushy little twerp isn't she? 'There is no running in Garden.'" Carol mimics in a low falsetto.

"I'd like to have done more than push her…"

"Careful Jessie or she'll take her 'sword' to you!" The blonde laughs.

"That relic? Puh-leeze!"

"She'll go medieval on you I'm telling you!"

"She'd do better to go get some real steel like a gunblade or something and get with the times. That thing's a fossil!"

"She's A-rank!"

"So what? She passed some stupid tests." Jessie snorts and rolls her eyes. "I'll still put these edges to the little nerd."

"That's why I like Instructor Trepe; she's smart but not uppity about it."

"Seriously. If I ran into her I'd apologize."

"Mm hm!" They go on about the greatness of Instructor Trepe and Seifer stops paying attention. He's nearly fallen asleep when he feels a jab in the side.

"…wha?" Seifer says sleepily. "Aaah!" He grimaces as light finds its way into the recesses of the purse. Then there is an abrupt scenery change as he is grabbed roughly and dropped on a desk. "Ow!"

"Answer the question!" Jessie whispers urgently.

"Huh?" Seifer turns to the video screen on the workstation. "Oh, this has been a while, hmm…" He actually ponders it a second then remembers something. "Hey what do I look like?" He snaps standing up. "Do it yourself!"

"What's the answer?" Jessie insists.

"Screw off!" He retorts while looking for a way off the table.

Carol, the next seat over, is laughing fit to split with one hand over her mouth. Being able to hear the conversation is not helping her concentrate either. It pushes her closer to hysteria with each passing second.

"You can't talk to me like that!" Jessica hisses.

"Shut it!"

"Why you!" She pokes Seifer and pushes him down.

"You'd better stop." He says getting back up. "I'm out of here!"

"Oh no you're not!" Jessie reaches for him. He anticipates this and lashes out quickly with the Hyperion leaving a gash in a finger with a bullet in the wound.

"Warned you." Seifer says teasingly.

Jessie looks at him with narrowed eyes and reaches for him again. He counters opening her palm and leaving more microscopic lead. "You're going to get it…" She balls up her fist and cocks it back.

Carol is having a hard time staying in her chair. It's all too funny to her and she's very close to bursting out and disrupting class. "Must be calm…"

"This was not smart." Seifer realizes all too late preparing to be paste on the monitor. "I shouldn't have done that…"

"You won't mind if I ask what you are doing, Jessica?" Quistis inquires standing over the desk. "Or exactly what this is?"

"Instructor! I-" Jessie begins.

"I'll be confiscating this." Quistis picks up Seifer.

"You don't understand!"

"It is illegal to play with toys during class or have you read the Garden Charter?"

"But-"

Seifer appears to be laughing from Quistis's palm. This is all Carol can take and she guffaws so mightily that all the students give her strange looks. She doesn't care and continues to laugh.

"Caroline, may I ask what is so funny? Perhaps you could share it with us?" Carol doesn't respond she can't stop laughing. "Disruptive behavior is also not tolerated as I'm sure you know. I believe both of you could benefit from a trip to the Headmaster's office."

"Instructor!" Jessie pleads.

"Maybe you could discuss your attendance records as well, they aren't spotless. Now go." Quistis commands.

"I thought you were cool…" Jessie mumbles leading Carol out of class.

With the student's attention on the rule breakers Quistis walks back up to her desk with Seifer concealed in her hands. "You'll have to explain some of this to me." She whispers putting him on her desk behind some books. He nods and she goes back to facilitating class.

X

Xu is acting on a hunch heading towards the dormitories. The process of elimination is a great thing but time consuming if you have to go through it all one square foot at a time.

"I guess he'd try to go home." She thinks. "Some quiet time where he won't be bothered, no better place. I shouldn't have tried to take him to Squall, he couldn't have been too happy about that. How could I forget he hates Squall more than me? Procedure smrocedure, I suppose I'd feel the same way in his position." She realizes. "I just want to apologize and make sure he's alright."

Xu arrives at her destination. She walks over to the boy's side of the dorms and slides her card. No entry. She smacks herself lightly for being silly and smiles a small smile at her dopiness.

"How could I expect my key card to open the boy's dorm?" She says to herself. "That isn't what it does. My key only works on the girl's dorm like it's supposed to." She opens the female apartments and walks in. "But he couldn't be in here, how would he have gotten in?" Xu reflects on this impossibility as she walks.

"There's no way I can find him." She realizes. "I'm looking for a needle in a haystack in the wrong barn. Nida's right, I am a little tired." She walks towards her room. "I will take a –hold on…" She sees familiar brass.

"How did he- what happened?" Xu stops and picks up the cases. "Why would he fire?" She starts to think. "To attract attention! Who would find him? In this last hour where would someone go? Who teaches class this late in the day?" Xu runs through a roster of instructors in her head. "Quistis!"

She turns around and heads toward the classrooms. It isn't long until she arrives at Quistis's room number. The facilitator is still in there but Xu pays her no mind. She's focused on something else and still putting things together trying to triangulate a small object.

"Hello Xu." Quistis says by way of greeting. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No, just looking for something." Xu scans the floor diligently and the desks as well. She finds two more tell tale shells on a desk along with what looks like fresh blood. She recoils a bit as her imagination is not being kind enough to be optimistic and shudders. "Could you tell me who sits here?" She asks unsteadily.

"Jessica." Quistis replies.

"What does she look like?"

"My height, brown hair…"

"Kind of rude?"

Quistis nods. "Do you need her for something?"

"Where is she now?"

"I sent her to the Headmaster's office, she was being disruptive."

"Right…disruptive…" Xu glances back at the desk and gets a sinking feeling as she sees the blood again. "Thank you." She walks out, heading to the Headmaster's office now. She is disquieted but focused on the task at hand.

"I should have been paying attention." She berates herself. "He should not have gotten away from me. It was that girl that bumped me in the atrium. If I had known…" She hears something and stops immediately, alert on the spot.

"I had to get stitches, do you believe it?" A voice says.

"It was so funny I was about to die laughing! No I can't believe it!" A second voice replies.

"What the heck is so funny?" The first voice says. "That little jerk's dead th-" The ladies round the corner and stop speaking. Xu is blocking the way and all three of them are frozen and in the process of recognizing each other.

"Seifer, dead?" Xu considers the teen's words. "No can't be…"

"You want something, squirt?" Jessie says scornfully.

"Y-yeah." Xu replies still shaken by what she heard. "I'm looking for Seifer."

"Haven't seen him." Jessie lies coolly.

"I know you had him. There is no point in lying. Where is he?"

"Gone. He got-" Carol begins.

"Killed." Jessie cracks her knuckles. "Squashed him."

"What?" Xu is taken aback again, still refusing to believe that. "No…"

"You see what he did to my hands? He deserved what he got."

"…" The Garden First Lieutenant's mouth is open in shock.

"Jessie!" Carol begins. "That's not-"

Jessica pushes her friend aside. "What are you going to do about it?" She draws her knives.

"You monster…" Xu draws her sword.

"I've wanted to put you in your place for a long time."

"You'll pay."

They circle each other warily weapons drawn. Jessie's long knives matched to Xu's stiletto. The air is alive with electricity, both fighters on edge waiting. Carol doesn't know what to do and shuffles to one side for her own safety. The shorter master SeeD glances at her as a possible attacker and that's when Jessie makes her move. Gliding forward stealthily she aims to perforate the shorter SeeD. Imagine her surprise when Xu isn't where she was an instant before. She had second-guessed Jessie's first move and evaded without even looking.

"Lucky…" Jessie thinks not deterred. She continues to attack, swinging furiously at the Garden official. All of her attacks seem to have no effect. None hit or even come close. Xu's sword gives the impression that it is omnipotent, constantly clanging with her blades like a forcefield is around the short warrior.

"I can't believe he's really dead…" Xu thinks distractedly deflecting maneuver after maneuver. "I was too late…if only I had…" She stops and refocuses her mind. "The task at hand."

"You're real lucky but now I'm mad!" Jessie slides toward her opponent even lower than before. "Blood Pain!" She goes for the double-edged frenzy quickly.

Xu doesn't flinch. Matter of fact she doesn't move at all. With two waves of her sword she leaves one knife on the floor and the other sticking out of a wall. Jessie nearly impales herself on the classical weapon finding nothing to parry it with. She stands slowly Xu's sword imminently close to her neck, the duel over before it really began.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now." Xu says icily. "Tell me right now." Jessie says nothing. "I thought so." She is just about to finish the student off when she hears the unmistakable sound of a gun cocking.

"She didn't kill Seifer." Carol says shakily not happy with the turn of events. "She lied, he's still alive."

"Where?" Xu demands voice level sword point not wavering.

"I have him." Says a voice.

"Quistis!" Carol says turning her head.

"Weapons drawn in Garden." Quistis says relieving Carol of the firearm with her whip. "On a Garden employee no less. These are grounds for immediate dismissal."

Carol and Jessie are silent. When Xu removes her weapon from Jessie's proximity the chastised girls walk away, leaving their own arms on the ground.

"But how?" Xu asks, sheathing the stiletto.

"I can explain." Quistis replies. "It may be better done in my office don't you think?"

X

In the infirmary Selphie sits staring at the statue that is Irvine. It's a guilt thing to be sure; like that makes it any better.

"Selphie, we don't have a cure yet." Dr. Kadowaki reminds her. "He won't suddenly return to normal because you're watching him."

"I know…" Selphie replies sadly.

"You're still watching him."

"I'm so sorry."

"That won't change his condition."

"I didn't mean to do this-"

"We know." The doctor tries to console her. "We'll find a way to fix everyone. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so." Selphie continues to gaze at Irvine who is frozen, as any marksman would be, eye along the gun sight taking aim.

X

In the instructor's office Xu sits talking with Quistis while Seifer leans on a book and doesn't seem to care. Even when he's the subject at hand you'd have to find a way to amuse the blonde gunbladier to get a reaction out of him.

"Seifer explained it to me." Quistis begins. "He told me he had been taken by Jessie and when you came looking for her I assumed he had something to do with it. I wanted to tell you I had found him so I came looking for you but you had already got into it with her."

"She lied and told me she had…killed him just to get a fight out of me." Xu explains. "I knew she had Seifer at some point but I couldn't be sure if he…"

"Like I would let that happen!" Seifer scoffs from his position on the desk between them.

"It could've if I hadn't stepped in." Quistis reminds him.

"I had it under control." He says dismissively.

"How do you know about Seifer?" Quistis asks coughing. "I'm still in the dark." She takes a potion from her desk and administers it to herself.

"He didn't tell you?" She shakes her head while drinking. "I found him in the Training Center the way he is now. Cataclysm-"

"That explains why we couldn't find him."

"Had shrunk him. I picked him up and was going to take him to Squall but he escaped."

"Escaped?" Quistis is puzzled. "How?" Seifer chuckles to himself.

"He cut a hole in the pocket I placed him in. It made for a very embarrassing moment in the Headmaster's office. He's resourceful if nothing else."

"Really? Why did he ditch you?"

"Didn't feel like dealing with Crybaby and his crap." Seifer says looking down. "No way was I gonna go see him like this."

"For that I am sorry." Xu apologizes. "I should've remembered you and Squall have never gotten along well."

"Hopefully you won't have to deal with this much longer." Quistis mentions. "We're working on a cure right now." Seifer looks up at the instructor at that remark. "Soon you should be back to normal."

"That is good to hear but what do we do with him at present? Someone should look after him."

"You are the obvious choice." The instructor replies logically. "You've been looking for him all day. I've got another class to teach anyway."

"And I don't want to sit through more of that!" Seifer pipes in. "There's reason I flunked out of here!"

"You find my teaching boring?"

"I find all teaching boring." He says as though it is self-evident. "Unlike bookworm there me and academics don't mix." He points at Xu.

"Are you certain?" The shorter mercenary asks.

"He just said that he does not find me stimulating enough to be around. I don't think there is much question."

"As long as you aren't hauling me off to the 'Headmaster' we should be cool." Seifer says scathingly. Xu nods and they depart.