Squall leaned against the walls of the elevator with his arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular. Zell was in the lift with him, cracking his knuckles and whistling a random tune.

At least he's not punching anything.

Headmaster Cid had requested that they all meet in his office, but nobody really knew why. For Hyne's sake, it had only been three days since they returned, and they were all still woozy from time compression. Not to mention exhausted. Squall hadn't slept so much in his entire life. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen a clean, soft bed. Was it in Esthar?

The days in Garden had passed in a rush. So much to do, so little time. Laguna Loire in Esthar wanted to give them all medals and international recognition for eliminating the cause of what was now considered the Second Sorceress War. Reporters from Balamb constantly dropped by Garden, uninvited, to catch a glimpse of the SeeD "heroes." They were all busy rebuilding some of the damaged remnants of Garden's structure, and now that the Shumi were unceremoniously (and literally) kicked out, Cid and Xu were trying to set up alternative sources for monetary funding.

Another day in the life, Squall sighed.

There were already drastic changes, however. Matron was back, but remained hidden in Cid's quarters for the time being. Rinoa and Irvine were now extra members of Balamb and rooms had to be accommodated for them. They had all been promoted, save Rinoa, and were now the highest ranking SeeDs in Garden. Quistis had been offered a new instructing position and it was rumored that she'd start collaborating with Dr. Kadowaki on psychotherapy. Squall stole a glance at Zell, who was tapping his foot anxiously and biting his lip, crossing and un-crossing his arms.

He should be their first patient. I'd like to see how he'd react to decaf.

At Cid's request, they'd all undergo mental evaluations due to the time compression event. And the effects from being in outer space. Oh, and the Lunar Cry disaster. Civil war against Gardens. Fighting against Seifer and the only mother they ever had…

Squall shook the thoughts from his head. I can't believe we all made it out in one piece. He glanced at Zell again, who was now shifting back and forth from one foot to the other, clenching and unclenching his fists, and rocking his head back and forth to loosen up, as if he were getting ready for a boxing match.

Well…mostly in one piece.

The elevator doors chimed and they stepped out into the only hallway that led to Headmaster Cid's office. Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis were already waiting there for them.

"Slowpokes!" Selphie grinned.

"Sorry," Zell rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to grab a few snacks before heading up. Cafeteria's out of hot dogs, though. I ran all the way there for nothing."

"Any idea what this is about?" Squall glanced at Quistis.

Quistis shook her head. "My only guess is that Cid wants us to reconcile with Matron."

"I wonder how he's going to…reincorporate…her into Garden," Irvine shoved his hands into the pockets of his trench coat. "Talk about awkward."

"Yeah," Selphie sighed. "Oh well! It's not her fault! I'm sure the students will understand!"

Zell and Irvine exchanged glances and shrugged. Quistis stepped up to Cid's office door and knocked lightly.

"Come in," came a muffled reply.

Quistis opened the door and they all stepped through. They dutifully lined up, side by side, in front of Cid's desk and saluted him in unison. He was already seated with his hands folded, grinning up at them. Xu was standing at his side.

"At ease," he told them. The SeeDs complied. Cid took off his glasses and slowly stood up. "I'm going to get right to the point. It hardly needs to be said that the five of you are the most exemplary, elite mercenary forces the world has ever seen. More so, you must from here on out set an example towards others. I will expect you to conduct yourselves with poise and treat others with the utmost respect; none of this hero nonsense will go to your heads, understand?"

They all nodded.

I knew it, Squall thought. He wants to reintroduce Matron, and we're to treat her nicely. Either that, or we're going to get more chores. Why else would we be here?

"We all know that your mission had spiraled out of control after the mishap in Timber, especially since there was limited communication between you and the Balamb base," Cid reminded them painfully. "But I also want to remind you that there were other forces at work, forces that were out of your hands and not to your knowledge. Someone else helped you in succeeding your mission."

What the hell is he babbling about? We were there. We all knew what happened. Is he trying to put together some sort of posthumous SeeD accident report?

"Before I explain anything to you, perhaps it will be better for you all to see for yourself." Cid turned to Xu and murmured, "Let him in."

The SeeDs exchanged confused glances as Xu walked over and opened a side door attached to the office, most likely leading to a sitting room. Without saying anything, she cocked her head and motioned for the person to follow her, then resumed her position next to Cid. Nothing could have prepared them for what was next.

Seifer Almasy entered the office, Hyperion sheathed at his side. He wasn't wearing his usual grey trench coat, but instead was surprisingly clothed in a black and gold SeeD uniform. Two small rows of different colored ribbons were pinned on his right chest, indicating his SeeD status. He took a spot next to Xu and glared forward at all of them, arms crossed.

"Wha-what the hell is he doing here?!" Zell cried and balled his fists. "Why is he dressed like that?!"

Selphie stepped back and let out a little squeak. Irvine tugged open the flap of his trench coat and revealed Exeter strapped at his side, and Squall automatically rested a palm on the hilt of his gunblade. Quistis remained absolutely rigid and kept her cold glare steady.

"Nice to see you too, Chicken-wuss," Seifer narrowed his eyes.

"I'LL FUCKIN' KILL YOU!" Zell screamed back. "TRAITOR!" He took a step forward but Irvine and Quistis grabbed his shoulders.

"Zell Dincht!" Cid barked, lunging forward and slamming a palm on his desk. "Refrain from using such language and violence in my office!"

Zell gritted his teeth and raised his fists. "But…but, Headmaster - "

"Seifer Almasy is no traitor," Cid interrupted him. "Although you were led to believe otherwise, he was in fact part of a covert operation to uncover the sorceress Edea's whereabouts and expose her plans in order for the Gardens to collect intelligence and act accordingly."

The five SeeDs stared back at Cid as if he'd gone completely insane.

"That's impossible," Squall narrowed his eyes.

"He attacked us!" Selphie yelped.

"He nearly killed us!" Zell growled.

"He imprisoned us and tortured Squall," Irvine pointed out.

Quistis remained silent. Seifer kept his arms crossed and glared at all of them, not amused, but stole a glance at her. She didn't meet his gaze, but kept her icy stare upon Cid, as if she were rigidly waiting for some sort of explanation.

At least Trepe isn't so quick to feed me to the dogs. For once.

"He set off the missiles that destroyed Trabia!" Selphie cried.

"He threatened to kill Rinoa and gave her to Adel," Irivine added.

"He took control of Galbadia garden and attacked Balamb," Zell spat.

Cid raised a hand and waved it, urging them to calm down. "I know what he's done…"

"He activated the Lunatic Pandora," Irvine snapped angrily.

Squall glanced at Seifer as everyone else was shouting. Seifer met his gaze and glared back, but offered no invitation for a fight.

"Enough!" Xu interrupted all of them. "The Headmaster says that Seifer is no traitor. I can also confirm this. His status as a SeeD was to be kept highly confidential until his mission was completed, which was to successfully detain Edea and collect information on the sorceress. Because of his efforts, Dr. Odine of Esthar was able to put together enough research on Ultimecia, whom you've successfully annhiliated as a result."

The five SeeDs stared at Xu in surprise. Even Seifer glanced at her with an eyebrow raised.

Hell has finally frozen over, he mused. Xu is actually sticking up for my ass.

"Xu's right," Cid spoke up. "Although the undercover mission didn't go exactly as planned, it still worked to our advantage in the long run. Seifer made great sacrifices for all of us."

I'm willing to bet a thousand-to-one he enjoyed electrocuting me in the D-district prison, though, Squall thought bitterly. Asshole.

"So…lemme get this straight," Zell shifted his feet. "You're sayin' that Seifer was faking it the whole time? All the stuff that happened…was supposed to happen? Like…he accidentally tossed Rinoa to Adel and accidentally caused time compression?"

"I'm right here, you know," Seifer curled a lip. "You can ask me."

"Not supposed to happen, Zell," Cid cut in and interrupted another predictable outburst from Zell, "but rather occurred much like a domino effect that even Seifer could not control. Since Ultimecia had control over Edea, he had to play along until she finally released her."

"None of this makes sense," Squall interrupted quietly.

No shit, Seifer agreed bitterly. His eyes darted to Quistis. She was staring at the floor and hadn't budged.

Cid nodded and sighed. "I know. It will be almost impossible to explain. I daresay it'll be easier hearing the story from Seifer himself."

Seifer glared at the Headmaster. If I have to give them a fucking history lesson on my little excursion with the psycho sorceress bitch, I'm out of here.

Cid glanced over at Seifer. "But, seeing as how we've all endured – and inflicted – enough damage to last a lifetime, I'll give you all some space." He sat back down in his chair and examined them all. "Time to think it over, time to cope, and time to heal – you've only just come back, and I'm giving you a reprieve for now."

The SeeDs simply stared at him, their gazes darting back and forth from Cid to Xu to Seifer.

"There's no way he's one of us," Zell hissed.

"Please," an additional voice rung out and startled them all. She had entered the room from the other doorway, on the opposite side, that must have led to a bedroom. "Cid and Xu speak the truth. Seifer is no traitor to Garden."

The SeeDs all quieted in her presence. The gentle Matron walked up to Cid's left side and faced them, lacing her fingers together in a small plea. She wore a simple black skirt that hung to her ankles and a black sweater. Her plain, dark hair fell to her waist and she wore no makeup. She looked drastically different than the Edea they had fought only months ago.

"Seifer stayed with me, even when…when I wasn't myself," she added softly. "He helped me from drowning in my own despair. Please don't think ill of him. After all this time, he was just doing his duty."

Seifer averted Matron's gaze and stared at the floor instead, jawbones protruding from his cheeks. Even now, her presence gave him the creeps. Quistis finally glanced at him and noticed that he was truly bothered by it.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Nobody knew what to say. Seifer's actions had all been condoned by Cid, Edea, and even Xu. How could they possibly refute that? But it was still hard, almost impossible, to believe. Especially since they had all been on the receiving end of Seifer's gunblade and had to listen to his crazy rhetoric about being a "knight." Then again, Matron had attacked them as well, and she wasn't even in her right mind at the time.

They were all confused and on edge. Cid noticed.

"That is all for now," he sighed. "I just wanted to let you know about the current situation. Seifer Almasy is welcome in this Garden and he has been given a SeeD dormitory, as he had been promoted to SeeD status the same day of your SeeD field exam last summer."

Squall narrowed his eyes and examined Seifer's SeeD rank pinned to his coat more closely.

Level 26?

Seifer returned his stony glare with the tiniest smirk.

That's right, Leonhart. What do you think about that?

Even Zell was too confounded to speak. He opened and closed his mouth in silent protest like a fish out of water.

"Treat him with respect, as your equal," Cid warned them in a serious tone. "You are all SeeDs, therefore, you are all brothers and sisters. If I hear about you disturbing this peace by fighting one another, I will have no choice but to demote your SeeD rank. Do I make myself clear?"

They all straightened and replied in unison.

"Yes, sir."

"That includes you, Seifer," Cid turned his head towards him.

Seifer grinned but straightened his posture and stared straight ahead.

"Yes, Headmaster."

The five SeeDs stared at Seifer in shock. Did he just obey an order?

"Toto, we ain't in Kansas anymore," Irvine mumbled.

"You're all dismissed," Cid sat back in his chair and removed his glasses, pinching his nose. "Now, please be civil to each other and refrain from any immature behavior. I'd like this Garden to get back to normal as soon as possible."

With Seifer back, it'll be far from normal, Squall thought.

They all turned around and shuffled out. Xu and Seifer remained put, and Matron slowly retreated back into the bedroom to be alone.

"I'd say that went well," Seifer grumbled.

"Extremely. I'm surprised they didn't kill you on the spot," Xu replied.

"Disappointed?"

"A little."

"Both of you," Cid sighed, "are dismissed as well. I wish to speak with Miss Trepe alone."

Quistis, who had been the last to retreat out of the doorway, stopped short and turned around at the sound of her name.

"Sir?"

"Quistis, a word, if you please."

Quistis moved back to the front of the room, staring at a random spot on Cid's desk and avoiding eye contact with Seifer, who had kept his eyes on her the entire time as he passed her and followed Xu out the door. When it closed shut, she took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if she finally had room to breathe. Her eyes darted up to Cid, who was watching her.

"You hadn't said a word of protest about Seifer's return," he pointed out quietly.

"I wanted to hear all sides of the argument, sir," she replied.

"And…?"

"And…what, sir?"

"I would like to know your opinion on the matter."

"Sir, my opinion is irrelevant - "

"Despite appearances, Quistis, I believe that you were closer to Seifer than anyone else since the orphanage. Of course, you had your share of quarrels, but nobody really bothered to care to know him more than you did."

Quistis nearly snorted aloud. Only because he went out of his way to royally piss me off at every point and turn.

"Therefore," Cid continued softly, "I value your opinion a great deal. I simply want to gauge your reaction according to the news that, in fact, Seifer Almasy was doing his job all along."

Quistis licked her lips and hesitated. What could she possibly say? Her mind had been whirring the moment Seifer stepped into the room.

"He hurt so many innocent people, Headmaster," she finally replied, "including us. How can we possibly believe that he was doing his job? He targeted those missiles at Balamb and Trabia - "

"He didn't set the targets," Cid reminded her. "The Sorceress did."

"Even so, why didn't he stop it?"

"His cover would have been blown, and we would have lost our lead on Ultimecia."

"But…but…" Quistis shook her head. "Hundreds died!"

"Don't you think that weighs on Seifer's conscience every waking moment of his life?" Cid asked her gently. "Don't you think that if he would have gone against his orders to stop the sorceress's onslaught, hundreds more would have died? He couldn't take her down by himself. Seifer knew this. He knew that if you couldn't do it, neither could he, and so he had to keep up the visage in order to put an end to her tyranny. If anyone should be blamed, it should be me. I'm the one who put Seifer up to all of it. I put you all in danger as well."

It was skewed logic, but logic nonetheless. The Headmaster knew Quistis always listened to logic. When put into perspective, in fact, Quistis began to understand Cid's point. Nobody had really considered what Seifer had to say about the whole thing. He had gone through hell and back to save all their asses. Did anyone even care? She stared at the floor, suddenly reminded of Rinoa's screams and Squall's blood.

"Take them," Edea had said.

"Squall! Squall!" Zell was yelling out loud, in a frenzy, punching off Galbadian soldiers and rushing to his friend's aid. "Hyne, he's bleeding all over the place! GET OFF ME! LET GO!"

Rinoa screamed again and cried as two Galbadian soldiers dragged her away.

"Hang in there, buddy!" Irvine shouted. "Squall! Squall, can you hear us?"

"Squall! Noooo!" Selphie's screams echoed out along with Rinoa's, until everything melded together into one bloodcurdling noise that didn't make any sense. She reached out to try to heal him, but Galbadian soldiers snatched her wrists and bound them into anti-magic cuffs.

It was as if everything was in slow motion. Everyone's screams and yells echoed out into the dark night and the world had started to sway. Quistis stared at her fallen comrade in horror and was about to step forward when heavy, gloved hands clapped on her shoulder to pull her away. She looked up at Edea, who was still standing on the parade float, smiling evilly, and then at Seifer, who looked sick to his stomach.

Seifer…

He was still on the ground, battered and bruised from their fight. Blood dripped from a cut across his cheek and there were burn marks and black soot on his face and grey trench coat. He was propped up on his elbows, staring out at the scene in front of them, but he hadn't been pleased to see them in such a state as Edea had. Instead, his eyes were wide and his mouth was turned down into an angry frown. Quistis pulled away from the guards and took a step forward.

Seifer…!

He glared up at Edea's backside, pure hatred flashing into his green eyes. He gripped Hyperion with renewed strength and slowly stood up, grimacing in pain.

Edea started to laugh at them, the echoing, hideous cackle rising up into the air and filling their heads with an overwhelming sense of fear and dread. Quistis was inclined to cover her ears, but Galbadian soldiers had yanked her arms behind her to cuff them.

Quistis gasped out loud and finally managed to cry out his name.

"Seifer!"

He glanced at her and his hatred melted away into something else. She couldn't place it. They locked eyes as she was forcefully pulled away. Instead of loathing him like she thought she would, and instead of screaming out an angry threat, the words didn't come and she simply pleaded with him instead. Pleaded with her eyes.

Save us.

Seifer blinked, and his expression suddenly turned neutral. He held out a palm and Squall's body started to glow. Immediately, Edea swirled around and struck him.

"Imbecile!" she screamed. "What are you doing? You foolish, foolish boy!"

"I want him alive," Seifer growled back. "I want him alive so I can torture him myself!"

Edea's snarl curled into a sadistic smile. "Very well then, my knight. Do as you please with him. Find out the true purpose of SeeD. Torture them all."

Seifer glanced back at Quistis, who was now horrified upon hearing the conversation.

"Yes, Sorceress."

But he didn't. He didn't torture any of us. We found Squall passed out cold in the prison, but a Moomba had taken care of him. Why would Seifer leave a Moomba, of all creatures, hanging around Squall if he really wanted him dead? And we managed to escape relatively easily. I doubt Seifer would have left that to chance, either, if he was truly against us.

Quistis glanced at Cid and knew he was right. Seifer wasn't a traitor. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Yes, Quistis," he nodded at her as he watched the realization sink in.

"Why didn't you tell us, Headmaster?"

"If you would have known, you would have gone easy on him. The Sorceress surely would have figured it out. That, and we couldn't risk any of you blowing his cover. Zell had already revealed enough at the Timber broadcasting station, unfortunately. Luckily, Seifer has an uncanny knack for molding things to his advantage."

An understatement, Quistis thought. "But we all hated him! The students of Balamb Garden still hate him! Half the world still thinks he's a traitor!"

"Then we must defend him, mustn't we?" Cid replied with a small smile.

Quistis remained silent.

"In due time, their opinions of him will change," Cid reassured her. "Everyone is still recovering from the shock of the Second Sorceress War, Quistis. I'm already having a rough time convincing Trabia and Galbadia Gardens that Edea is no longer a threat. President Loire is doing everything he can on his end. For now, however, we'll have to lay low for awhile. I'm going to rely on you, Xu, and Squall to keep the situation under control. When the students see Seifer roaming about Garden, I'm sure the rumors will start flying."

Quistis swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Headmaster."

"I wanted to speak to you about something else," Cid opened up an agenda and flipped through the pages. "Since you've been promoted to instruct the students in their SeeD preparation courses, you've also agreed to assist Dr. Kadowaki in mental evaluations?"

Quistis nodded.

Cid smiled. "I trust nobody else could do a more perfect job."

"Dr. Kadowaki has to psychoanalyze me first," Quistis pointed out. "We've all been through…um…a lot."

"Of course," Cid replied. "But there's one student in particular I want you to work with. I think this will go a lot smoother than if Dr. Kadowaki tried to take him on herself."

Quistis's stomach immediately dropped and she was filled with utter dread.

Don't say who I think you're going to say.

"I'd like you to analyze Seifer Almasy."

Fuck. Shit. No. Anyone but him. He's a grab-bag of fubar.

"Forgive me, Headmaster," she replied with a calm, steady voice, "but after everything Seifer's been through, wouldn't it be better for Dr. Kadowaki to do it?"

"I don't think Seifer would respond to her, quite honestly," Cid replied nonchalantly. "He needs to talk to someone who was there. He needs to relate to someone else that went through the same situation he did."

"With all due respect, sir, we were on opposite ends of the situation." He tried to run a gunblade through my body, Quistis thought resentfully. I slapped him with thundaga and blizzaga spells. Oh, sure. He'll be thrilled to speak to me. Especially since we were the ones who were actually attacking him. At least he was faking it.

"Don't be silly. You were on the same side, Quistis; you just didn't realize it until now."

Quistis refrained from rolling her eyes at him.

"Don't look so apprehensive," Cid chuckled. "Consider this a challenge."

Give me Ultimecia, Quistis gritted her teeth. Give me Griever. Don't give me Seifer. At least I got to kill the former two.

"Once you finish your own evaluation with Dr. Kadowaki, get yourself situated, relax a little bit, and then you can evaluate Seifer," Cid said as he scribbled on a page in the agenda. "I'm assuming it'll take a couple weeks for your visit with Kadowaki?"

"Probably," admitted Quistis. "Could be more, could be less."

Depends on how screwed up I am from this whole ordeal.

"I'll give you a month," Cid nodded. "That way, Seifer will be able to get settled as well. He needs time to adjust, I'm sure. Afterwards, however, you are to report to me each week on his condition. If you find time to evaluate other students between visits, you may. Don't forget to check in with the doctor every now and then."

Quistis nodded again. "Yes, sir."

Cid nodded. "Very well, Quistis. I have faith in you. Now, make sure you get some much deserved rest. You've earned it."

Quistis nodded and turned to leave the room, wondering if she finally bit off more than she could chew.