.= 09:30 Cafeteria, Balamb Garden =.

Xu and Xavier sat alone in the cafeteria. Most of the students were in their morning classes now, only the SeeDs and administrative staff and cadets who were in the advanced classes had this time in the morning free. Xu leaned against Xavier, resting her head on his shoulder and smiling to herself as she pushed away her plate. It had the remains of three slices of toast and an apple on it. She reached for her glass of water. Xavier looked out the corner of his eyes at her and smiled to himself again. She was beautiful, always had been but when she was being herself, it was a sight to behold. She wore her black jogging pants, a grey t-shirt and her blue tracksuit jacket. Her hair was held back by her golden hairpin which doubled up as a throwing weapon or concealed knife on the right side, exposing that side of her face more whilst her left side hung naturally. Her brown eyes glistened in the morning light as she looked up to him and smiled. If they were alone right now he probably would have pulled her into him and kissed her before trying to have his way with her again like they did last night on her couch but instead, in the presence of others, he simply kissed her on the forehead. It was starting to become common knowledge now that Xu had a boyfriend but many of her male admirers never usually hounded her or bothered her due to her reputation and her fiery temper, unlike the Trepies. Instead, the pair of them received a few curious glances as they shared their morning meal. Xu took a sip from her glass of water before pulling her PDA out of her pocket. She glanced at the screen and sighed. It was Friday, she had hoped to head to Balamb this weekend at some point so she could get some fresh air and to collect some items and parts she had ordered for her weapons re-modelling project but the visit of Esthar a day ahead of schedule had put any prior engagements on hold till at least Monday.

Xavier: "You ok?"

Xu: "Yeah, just thinking that's all"

Xavier: "That's kinda dangerous, especially in a room full of people"

Xu punched him in the arm. It was intended to be playful, but she actually put some force behind it. As Xavier held his arm and muffled out a slight shout of pain he shot her a glance which said more than he ever could with words. Xu shrank back slightly and mouthed 'Sorry!' at him before she fluttered her eyes at him. It seemed to do the trick as his slightly angry body language was quickly defused by her brown eyes.

Xavier: "Next time you plan to hit me, at least try not to deliberately hurt me. I do have a mission to prepare for remember!"

Xu: "I said sorry, what more can I do?"

Xavier laughed. He shook his head and brushed the incident off as he took a drink of his juice before he reached for his PDA - It was a message off Nida. He opened it and sighed.

Xavier: "Nida wants me to brief him on the plans for this mission tomorrow in the training center. He already has a copy of Emma's reports and she has filled him in on it whilst during their first training session... Why does he need me to tell him the exact same thing?"

Xu: "You know Nida, he is very thorough, and he likes to see everything in place before it plays out so he can react in the most appropriate way"

Xavier: "I guess so... But still, I could have done without a briefing today, I have better things to do"

Xavier flashed Xu a cheeky grin. Xu blushed a little before she leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.

Xu: "Don't get me wrong, I love you and I loved last night quite a lot but don't think that this is going to be a daily occurrence at the moment"

Xavier looked disheartened and confused as Xu looked into his eyes.

Xu: "I've got to take it easy remember, my stomach and my ribs are killing me at the moment! Do you want to be the one who has to tell the doctor why I've been rushed back into the infirmary?"

Xavier: "You do have a point"

Xu placed her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze.

Xu: "Let's take this slow for now ok? There's a lot going on right now and plenty of things we don't understand... Besides, if we get through to Monday with relatively few issues, we could be able to get a few days away in Balamb."

Xavier: "I'd like that"

Xu: "Then it's a deal - next week, we'll pick up where we left off last night?"

Xavier kissed Xu on the lips this time much to the surprise of several onlookers. They had seen the picture of them under the oak tree in the quad which Nida had snapped but those who were dedicated followers to the G-Goss section of the Garden forums had just assumed this was another short lived fling and another heart broken by Xu... Not the real deal. As Xu broke away from the kiss, she nodded at him.

Xu: "Go find Nida, get that out the way. We will more than likely be spending most of the afternoon and evening going over things with the Estharian team and then we'll be up at the crack of dawn to gear up and make the first pass at the center."

As Xavier left the table, Xu sighed. She scrolled through her e-mails on her PDA and found the one for her goods which she had ordered. She opened it up and read through it once more - Her order for two unmodified sai's, two inferno fangs and one adamantine ore had arrived but they needed collecting by Saturday lunch or a 500gil charge would be placed on top of the order and collection fee which stood at 2500gil already. She clicked reply and started to type:

"I am sorry to have to ask this, but due to work related issues, I cannot collect the delivery until Monday at the earliest opportunity. Would it be possible to send someone with the money to collect it for me?"

Xu waited for a reply. As she waited she saw Emma walk into the cafeteria. She waved to her. Emma quickly grabbed a bowl of cereal and headed over to Xu. Sitting down opposite her, Emma looked Xu up and down for a moment. She had only ever seen Xu in the infirmary or in her SeeD uniform, seeing her in her civilian clothes shown a whole new side to the impressionable cadet. She was like Quistis, naturally beautiful. She wore little make up and managed to turn the heads of near enough everyone in the room, but because she wasn't Quistis was probably why she didn't get as much attention. Xu had her fans, but they were more the foolish boys and men who believed they could 'tame' her or handle her, and there were those who admired her for being so strong - in battle, as a person and as a role model. Emma was in the latter of the two. She looked up to Xu - she was strong and attractive and the fact Xu was calling her over to her was a big deal. She tried to hide her smile as she sat down but Xu saw right through the facade.

Xu: "You can smile Emma; I know this is a big thing for you right now"

Xu winked at her before leaning back. Emma blushed slightly, smiled and then returned to her business as normal routine.

Emma: "Good morning Xu, how are you?"

Xu: "To be honest, I'm looking for a favor. I can't get out of Garden till Monday and I need some stuff picking up from Balamb. If someone doesn't get it, I'll get charged even more than what they're charging me already"

Emma: "And here was me thinking you wanted some company?"

Emma's sarcasm almost came across as hurt feelings but Xu could read her face well.

Xu: "Well Xavier just left me, so I am lonely... and if you do it, I'll help with your training when possible in my current state..."

Emma: "I get your gear; you help train me for my field exam? I think that's fair"

Xu: "There's also 1000gil in it for you."

Emma was stunned. 1000gil was nothing to an A rank SeeD, but that 1000gil would be vital for her - she could buy new supplies and even re-model the basic staff Nida had gave her. Emma considered the offer as Xu checked her PDA.

Emma: "The initial briefing with the Estharians is at 14:00. Then the serious talking begins at 15:30... I can be out and back by noon."

Xu: "Good. The shop said you can collect my stuff, just present the invoice and tell them to call me when needed"

Emma nodded as Xu handed her an envelope out of her pocket - it was the delivery invoice and 4000gil.

Xu: "should be 2500gil for the order, take 1000 for yourself and then with that 500, buy a few cartons of red fangs for me, there's a shop near the junk shop which sells them, tell the owner you are here for Xu's order"

Emma nodded. She put the envelope in her pocket and looked back to Xu.

Emma: "Xu... Are you ok?"

Xu: "Yeah, just a little distracted"

Emma: "I don't know if it provides much comfort... but as someone who is part of the medical staff at Garden, if you need to talk, everything can be done in privacy and your confidence will be respected... It might seem a little therapy-like and I am only an apprentice of sorts, but just remember, I'm here if you need to talk"

Emma didn't wait for Xu to reply, she simply finished her cereal and left the table, leaving the Trabian more confused than she was before. As she walked away from Xu, the ginger cadet smiled. She got out of the cafeteria and ran straight to the vehicle bay. She couldn't let Xu down; she had to be back with her things by noon.

=...=...=

.= 11:30 Xu's Quarters, Balamb Garden=.

A loud knocking on the door startled Xu from hey daydreaming on the couch. She pulled herself from the piece of furniture and shook her head. The knocking on the door re-focused her attention enough for her to hit the pause button on her laptop which she was using as a music player. The repetitive droning distorted guitar sounds with chanted style vocals stopped as the Trabian stumbled towards her door. She opened it and didn't even look at Emma who stood on the other side of the door with the delivery she had picked up. Xu was in auto-pilot mode as she made her way back towards the couch and slumped back down.

Emma stepped through the doorway holding the box she collected for Xu. She looked around the SeeD's quarters briefly and the first thing which stood out to her was the level of organized chaos. She always thought Xu was perfect, much like Quistis - everything would be perfect and neat, but it wasn't. There were clothes across the floor, dirty dishes in the sink and even though her books and trophies seemed to have a place, there was no real order or presentation to them. The more she observed Xu and interacted with her, she actually started to see how she was far from perfect - she was just human like everyone else. Emma closed the door behind her and sat the parcel down on her table. Xu leaned forwards and lowered the volume on her laptop before hitting play again. Emma dismissed the music being played in the background and looked at Xu who was taking a drink of water from a bottle which seemed to have been there for at least a day or two.

Emma: "I got your things. Thought I'd bring them to you here instead of holding them for you till noon."

Xu: "Thanks, I owe you one... and please, ignore the mess... I haven't bothered to do much recently; it's been a rough week!"

Emma nodded, it had been a rough week for everyone, but given Xu's circumstances, she accepted some had indeed had it rougher than most. She sat on the couch next to the SeeD who reached for a cigarette. She lit it and took the first pull before she offered Emma one. The cadet respectfully declined the offer which was greeted with a simple shrug of Xu's shoulders. As Xu sank back into the couch again, blowing a ring of smoke from her mouth, Emma noticed her SeeD uniform scattered across the floor. The underwear and skirt lying underneath the table caught her attention the most.

Emma: "Busy night?"

Xu: "You could say that... "

Xu smirked as Emma blushed. She turned side on so she could see Emma, watch how she was reacting to this. Seeing that the poor girl was nearly in sensory overload, she hit pause on her music once again.

Xu: "Emma, do me a favor..."

Emma: "S...Sure?"

Xu: "RELAX!"

Emma was startled as Xu shouted at her before she burst out laughing at her. Emma didn't know where to look; she went bright red before she reached out and took the cigarette from Xu's hand. She had never smoked before, she didn't know why she was doing it now, but she took a deep pull on the cigarette and spluttered everywhere. Xu took the cigarette back off her and patted the young girl on the back.

Xu: "When I said relax, I meant just sit back and calm down, not copy me!"

Emma reached out for Xu's bottle of water. She took a big gulp from it before she finally cleared her throat.

Emma: "I'm sorry, it's just..."

Xu: "It's ok, I get it... I've seen this before with Quistis"

Emma: "How so?"

Xu: "Best friend, I watched the birth of the Trepies, I've seen how they react when in the same room as her."

Emma: "I'm not a Trepie..."

Xu: "But you look up to me, and right now this is freaking you out. First you see me unconscious in the infirmary, debunking the whole strong and invincible image people have of me... Now you've seen my room and are trying very hard not to notice the underwear right by your feet"

Emma glanced down as Xu brought her attention towards them yet again. Xu smirked as Emma looked away almost instantly.

Emma: "So what is the meaning of this?"

Xu: "You sound so much like Quistis sometimes you know... So prim, proper, efficient... You're the type of person I should aim to be"

Emma was startled by this revelation.

Xu: "I mean, I am professional, I like who I am and what I can do... but what makes me, who I am, it gets in the way of my work sometimes. How can I be assistant commander of Garden when my outspoken nature and inability to play nice around people who believe their titles or money offers them protection when all it would take was one well placed punch to make everything meaningless?"

Emma stayed silent as Xu continued to speak

Xu: "I wish sometimes I could be the perfect person you see me as in your mind, but I'm not, I'm just a normal person who is good at what she does"

Xu finished her cigarette. She put the butt in the ashtray in front of her and then looked to Emma.

Emma: "Why are you telling me this?"

Xu: "There will come a day when you might end up on mission with me, and I need you to have your head in the game, not up my ass trying to impress me like a Trepie... I'm not just nicknamed 'heartbreaker' for the trail of men I've left in my wake. I don't cope with the hero worship well and it's backfired before when I took a cadet out to the fire cavern. He was so hell bent on trying to impress me, Ifrit decided to give him an all expenses paid trip to the infirmary"

Emma: "I remember that happening"

Xu: "Believe me, it was even better being there to see it."

Emma: "So what are you saying, I shouldn't look up to you?"

Xu stood up; she walked over to her fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. She turned around and tossed one to Emma before she opened her own. She took a long drink from the bottle and then paused for a moment before she answered the cadet.

Xu: "No, if you see me as a role model or someone to look up to then that is great. All I am saying is I'm far from perfect and you need to learn that soon. Getting caught up in someone else can be dangerous... part of the reason why SeeDs usually don't marry or have relationships - you can get distracted and lose your edge"

Emma: "What about Xavier?"

Xu: "It's something we have both subconsciously wanted for some time and now that we are together after we finally realized it, we are trying to set some boundaries... as you can see, the physical ones pose no problems"

Xu flashed Emma a cheeky grin. Emma blushed again.

Xu: "But you saw it yourself - I'm distracted."

Emma: "Is that why you were hurt in the center?"

Xu shook her head

Xu: "When it comes to combat, I am focused on what I have to do. It's when I'm not out there, doing something, my mind starts to wander."

Emma: "So how are you going to handle this?"

Xu: "Sooner I can be given the green light to start physical training again, even light training; the sooner I can get my mind back on track. I can't just sit there and meditate to clear my thoughts; I have to be doing something which requires concentration"

Emma: "Would you mind if I joined you in some of your training? I'm nowhere near the level that you are physically, but it might be nice to have someone with you and it might help me 'get over you' as you might put it"

Xu nodded.

Xu: "Find out off the doctor when I can start then, it'd be great to be able to get back out there and at least run and exercise a little. I need to get out of my head and actually get outside and just be worry free for an hour or so... standing on my balcony watching the world might be calming, but it does nothing to stop you wondering how insignificant all your problems actually are compared to the rest of the world"

Emma smiled. She'd always dreamed of getting to know Xu and now, here she was sat in her quarters with her, having for lack of a better term - a heart to heart. She thought about what Xu had said. She looked up to her, she always would, but she was right too - she couldn't worry about impressing Xu or watching her because mistakes would be made, and in their line of work, mistakes are often fatal.

Emma: "Xu... Do you have a role model?"

Xu didn't answer. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her role models were dead, taken a long time ago by fire on a cold night in Trabia. She had only recently learned why they died, but it was still something she didn't talk about. Her family was a touchy issue and even if Emma assured full confidentiality, she couldn't talk about it with her; she hadn't even talked properly about it with Cid. She opened her eyes and looked at Emma with an expressionless face.

Xu: "My role models are dead. They died when I was young. I only know a little bit about them, but from what I have been told, they were great people."

Emma: "I see. I can see this is hard for you, so I won't press for further information."

Xu: "Thank you... Anyway... I see you got the package."

Emma nodded.

Emma: "If I may ask... What is it?"

Xu opened the package - she pulled out the two plain sai's and set them down on the table. She then pulled out two flameproof bags about twelve inches long and set them down before pulling out a large chunk of metal. It was a pale bluish gray colour which had silver striations running through it.

Emma: "Adamantine?"

Xu nodded.

Emma: "Is it really as tough as they say?"

Xu: "You ever saw someone try to take a chunk out of Squall's gunblade Lionheart?"

Emma: "I've seen the footage people filmed of him cleaving it through a G-cycle in Esthar during the Lunatic Pandora event there"

Xu: "There are two known things which can break an adamantine blade - Adamantine, and something on a god-like scale - a GF's summoned form, one of the legendary "Weapons"..."

Emma: "Weapons?"

Xu smiled.

Xu: "You don't know the story of 'weapon'?"

Emma shook her head. Xu reached for a cigarette. She lit it as Emma reached for her water.

Xu: "No one knows the origin of 'weapon'... all we know is that it is one seriously powerful, pissed off monster. There have been many rumoured sightings of it, but no one has ever actually encountered it as such."

Emma: "So it is all just a fable, a wild dream?"

Xu: "To me, No. I have some things which I believe to be proof of its existence or at least that it had existed at one point. Squall found Bahamut at the Deep Sea Research Facility. They explored lower into the ruins, into the deposit beneath, but because they were smart and actually found steam units in reserve, they managed to get all the way to the bottom with little fuss. Seeing nothing there, detecting nothing, they left the facility and headed back to the surface. They were apparently unaware of an extraction unit down at the bottom of the deposit they could have used to explore the excavation site further"

Emma: "And you think, because Bahamut was there, it was guarding something bigger?"

Xu: "Seems logical. I mean, why have one of the strongest guardian forces seeming to be guarding something which seems inconsequential?"

Emma nodded in agreement. She knew that there were some things which logic and reason could not explain and how some things would just be accepted without any evidence being provided for their existence or why they actually were, what they were. Weapon seemed to be one of those things.

Xu: "Maybe it's a guardian force which could be junctioned if it was defeated... or maybe it has its own guardian force? Which is why it is so strong?"

Emma: "There is that distinct possibility. Squall and the others found Eden inside Tiamat, the fallen dragon after all... And Tiamat is a Guardian Force if I am not mistaken"

Xu: "Anyway, That is adamantine. When refined it is one of the strongest materials you can make a weapon out of which isn't too unwieldy. You can hold a weapon made from it without any junctions or physical augmentation; it is why all the best weapon smiths recommend it and why most SeeDs who have mastered their weapon tend to use it. In a no-magic situation, it is essential to be able to still fight"

Emma: "How many of your weapons are made from that material?"

Xu: "Just the one - my Sai's"

Emma nodded. She picked up one of the Sai's and was taken aback by its weight. She held it in both her hands, admiring the detailing and the construction of it. It was solid stainless steel and it had no visible joints or marks.

Xu: "I have a contact that forges weapons, he batch produces simplistic base weapons in moulds so they are easier to modify. Like my Sai's. I have the core structure here, all I need to do is forge it myself in the workshop - cut down the inferno fangs to the size and shapes which I want them to be, then I can get the right ratio of Adamantine to Steel and smelt it all down and re-forge it myself - cast the main spike first, then the prongs and then join it together."

Emma: "Is it hard making your own weapons?"

Xu: "It takes time, patience and a willingness to learn. I'm a ninja, we have to be resourceful. Some of my past weapons and modifications which took weeks to make have been discarded after one initial use or sold to a weapons dealer because they weren't suitable for me in the end"

Emma: "Could you teach me how to forge weapons?"

Xu: "You'd have to speak to the Garden Master about it first, and then speak to the smith in Balamb. He trains you. He's tough, expects nothing but the best from everyone. I still have to send him samples of my work for him to judge. If he feels they are lacking in overall quality, he would prevent me getting the supplies I needed to remodel things myself"

Emma: "What are you going to make then?"

Xu: "The Sai's are for spare parts in case I have to remodel anything or repair anything. The materials though are for a weapon idea which I have been working on. Instead of junctioning elemental or status magic to the weapon, I am trying to imbue the weapon with the magic so it is always active - a fire-based weapon which will always deal fire elemental damage as well as the usual physical damage and so on"

Emma: "It would work under anti-magic field conditions then?"

Xu: "That is the intended plan. I now have enough base materials to make four basic knives from it, that way if it is successful, I can produce a better quality one and show the smith who can see if it is a good idea. If it is, he can roll out production of them and make them readily available to SeeDs"

Emma: "But what if you come across someone already junctioned to fire as their elemental defense, surely the weapon would be ineffective?"

Xu: "That is the problem I am trying to work round... Anyway, enough of me, what about you? Did you get the other order and find anything for yourself?"

Emma nodded. She pulled a bag out from the side of the couch they sat on and passed it to Xu. The SeeD opened it up and smiled, the five 200-pack cigarette cartons were neatly arranged.

Emma: "Do you seriously smoke 1000 cigarettes a month?"

Xu shook her head.

Xu: "No, more like 10-15 a day, but I give 200 to Quistis, so the other 800 are mine, I usually smoke 300-400 a month on average, not healthy I know, but everyone has a vice. If they don't, it's because they haven't found it yet"

Emma: "I also found this"

Emma pulled out the schematics for an upgrade on her bow - "Inahime". Xu looked at the name and sighed. It was the same name as her mother who was once a respected bow maiden herself, though her specialty was the sai. She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts and focused on the schematics for the longbow. It was the same length as her current bow but it seemed to be more futuristic in its design - It was carbon-fibre with adamantine weave, re-enforcing its structure and giving it more flexibility without compromising its strength and durability. It was strung with malboro tentacle strands to increase both durability and elasticity and the blades on the ends of the bows were made of the similar carbon-fibre/adamantine weave the rest of the bow was.

Xu: "Looks interesting, I assume you ordered it?"

Emma: "Yes, It cost 1750gil to order, I put the first 1000 down today out of the money you gave me, and the rest I have in my savings. It was going to be used to buy a new wakizashi, but since I have switched from sword to staff as a secondary weapon, upgrading the bow is now my priority. It should be ready by next week; it will be handed over to me once I pay the remainder."

As the two girls continued to talk, getting to know each other, Xavier casually walked into Xu's quarters. Neither girl paid him much attention as he waved to them and announced his presence. Seeing that as a sign that the pair seemed to be getting along better than he thought they would, he sat down in his SeeD uniform opposite Xu and Emma.

Xavier: "Just a heads up, its 13:20... Briefing is in 40 minutes. We are all expected to be there for the full duration, 14:00-22:00"

Xu: "Ah shit! I hate these long meetings. Why did I volunteer to be visual image handler again?"

Xavier: "Because you'd rather do that than sit here listening to doom-metal music and thinking?"

Xu: "You have a point there... You guys go on ahead, meet you in twenty minutes by the elevator"

=...=...=

.= 17:00 Briefing Room, 2F Balamb Garden=.

Xu covered her mouth as she yawned. She hated how long winded mission briefings could be, especially when they were co-hosted by two parties. Usually SeeD tried to keep their briefings short, her preference was under twenty minutes - more information would be supplied when contacts were met or if anyone wanted to find out more they would ask their handler or commanding officer. This wasn't the case sadly, Esthar seemed to be engrossed in every little detail and they seemed to be probing the Garden Master for every single byte of information they could garner out of him.

"If only they would just read the damn report, they would get all the information they needed"

Xu looked across the room to Emma. Her findings were now being dissected by Piet and his team. Piet was impressed by the presentation of the data and the very neutral and open to interpretation results and findings but his desire to question everything was starting to grate on Xu's nerves. It was more like he was critiquing the girl's work instead of asking her what this could mean and how they could help her with the findings. Xu flashed Emma a smile and nodded in support of her as Cid shot down yet another unnecessary question from the scientist.

Cid: "If anyone has anything actually relevant to the content of the report or our initial findings and hypothesis, please feel free to ask or contribute before we take a 60 minute recess."

Cid scanned the room, ignoring the Estharian's hand rising yet again. Xu looked over at him and simply shook her head. She could fix the problem of him raising his hand right now if she wished to - all she had to do was pull out one of her hair pins and throw it at just the right moment and it would pin his fancy sleeve to the arm of his chair or the wall... or at the right angle and she could impale his hand, pinning it to the wall. She reached up for one of the pins but Xavier's hand squeezing her thigh snapped her back to reality. He gave her a look which clearly expressed his disdain for the childishness she was showing. Xu responded by pulling tongues at him and watching Cid.

Cid: "Ok, it is settled, we resume the discussion at 18:00 hours. If you wish to get some fresh air, I have authorised access to the balcony deck for the next hour, just head out this room and head left. It is just past the classroom."

Xu watched as the Estharian team filed out the room, only Piet stayed behind. He stood up and walked towards Cid who watched the SeeDs leave the room, with the exception of Emma and Doctor Kadowaki. Xu stayed in her seat for a moment, wanting to watch the discussion in front of her unfold.

Cid: "I do appreciate your assistance with this matter Piet, but I have to ask, why do you critique the presentation and the style of the report? The girl who wrote it, Miss Emma De-Rossi is only a Cadet, one of our brightest prospects, but still just a cadet."

Piet ran his fingers through his hair, he looked Emma up and down before he turned his attention back to Cid.

Piet: "It is of a low standard, even an eight year old in Esthar could present this"

Emma kept her face expressionless as she stood by the Garden Master but everyone could see Piet's over the top criticisms were wearing her down bit by bit. Xu clenched her fists as she watched his arrogance. He was a brilliant scientist, but his dislike of garden was famous, especially given how the last visitors to the lunar facility were SeeDs and that resulted in the destruction of his hi-tech laboratory orbiting the earth.

Cid: "Need I remind you, that we here at Garden are not scientists, nor are we researchers, we are an elite fighting unit who happen to have found a strange phenomenon for you to explore and study. Would you rather we offered this to Doctor Odine and insisted he came?"

Piet: "Please, that odious little man wouldn't come out here to investigate monsters gone insane"

Cid: "But I am sure he would have a lot to say about how you were overly critical of a military cadet's work which presented all the data you insisted on asking about. What is that old saying... There are no stupid questions..."

Xu shouted from the back of the room

Xu: "Only stupid people... and for a scientist, you are pretty stupid. I thought all of you lab coats could read"

Cid shook his head as Xu walked down from her seat and stood in front of Piet. He was taller than her by at least six inches and his look of disgust at her was extremely obvious.

Piet: "So you're the one who was set upon by these beasts which suddenly got smarter... or are SeeDs getting stupider?"

Xu pulled out one of her hairpins, letting the right side of her hair which had been neatly held up fall down into place. She brushed it behind her ear and looked at Xavier, Cid, Emma and the doctor and nodded at them. They all took a step back and started to talk amongst themselves, mostly focusing on Emma and re-assuring her that there was nothing wrong with her report. Piet noticed this and smiled to himself. The same arrogant smile he pulled the last time he met Xu.

Piet: "I remember you now... the one who took some of our optical camouflage to help her on missions... Why didn't you wear it when you were chased by the dinosaurs?"

Xu: "Now you are really being stupid. You are the one who reminded me that in a high-magic environment or an area where there is a large spike in the magnetic field of sorts, the cloaking mechanism would fail to work... Would an area where SeeD cadets and SeeDs themselves train, using GF and magic be classed as an area of high magic or a large magnetic field spike?"

Piet: "I see you paid some attention, but why do you come down here now to run your mouth? Upset your friend did I?"

Xu twirled the hairpin in her fingers, taking care to conceal the hidden point and blade in it with subtle movements of her fingers.

Xu: "All I see is some middle-aged scientist who is pissed because his lab got trashed in a freak natural phenomenon. You only hate us here because you associate us with the Lunar Cry. Something which we had nothing to do with whatsoever. Your station was headed into its path all along, even if we hadn't have gone to space with you, it still would have been destroyed."

Piet: "But that lovesick teenager and his witch girlfriend didn't help matters"

Xu: "You mean Squall Leonhart, commander of SeeD and the son of Laguna, President of Esthar?"

Piet was shocked by this revelation. He had heard rumors and talk of Laguna having a child but he dismissed them as he felt that he was above such trivial things.

Xu: "Silence? Wow, something the super smart researcher didn't know or couldn't figure out!"

Piet shook his head, he was starting to lose his cool. How dare this mercenary talk down to him, a world renowned scientist, like this.

Piet: "Do you actually have anything else to offer, something which might be relevant to this expedition? Or are you just going to try and insult me with trivial information?"

Xu turned her back on Piet. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cigarettes. She put one in her mouth before she looked over her shoulder at him. He was getting angrier and angrier by the second. Xu smiled to herself and thought:

"Any minute now..."

Piet: "Turn around and face me woman! I am the leader of this expedition and research team, I will be treated with respect, not contempt by some un-informed mercenary from the backwoods like you"

Xu, without warning turned around and removed her other hairpin, with both of them in hand, she threw them both at Piet, both pins snagging the arms of his robes and pinning them to the wall. Before he even realized he had been restrained by ornamental jewellery, Xu had her left hand around his throat, and in her right she held a Kunai which she held less than an inch away from his jugular.

Xu: "In Esthar, you might be the big shot, but here, you play by our rules. This altercation and your attitude have already been reported to Presidential Aide Kiros who had already warned us about your attitude problems. Have you noticed why none of your escorts have come to help you? They were told to let you dig a hole and to let you fall in it of your own accord."

Piet swallowed the lump forming in his throat as Xu carefully pressed the tip of the Kunai against his flesh.

Xu: "If you even dare speak to me like that again, or belittle anyone else, I will make sure the next thing which is thrown at you is not just a warning shot"

Xu let go of Piet's neck and pulled her hairpieces out of his robes and the wall. He slumped back against the wall and down into his chair. As he sat there, visibly shaken, Xu put the hairpieces in her pockets and picked up the cigarette she dropped on the floor. She looked at Cid who shook his head at her before she left the room. Emma followed her out almost instantly. Waiting for the woman to leave the room, Piet stood up and approached Cid.

Piet: "I want that woman away from me at all times. If I have to work with her, I walk"

Cid: "I can assure you she will not be anywhere near the expedition. Might I remind you however, conduct like what you have displayed since you arrived will not be tolerated. I am more diplomatic than some of the operatives here, but if word reaches me you have offended any of my agents, or made similar statements like the ones you made to Miss Xu just then, I will not go out of my way to ensure your safety."

Piet begrudgingly acknowledged the Master's warning.

Cid: "I also suggest before the mission tomorrow, you best apologize to SeeD Xu and Cadet De-Rossi. Kiros is already aware of your outburst just then, I feel any further misconduct might result in your lab losing all funding and you being forced back under Dr Odine again"

Piet shook his head before he headed out towards the balcony.

=...=...=

Emma stood there, her eyes were red and her cheeks tear stained. She had held it in so long but now she was outside, out of sight of her peers apart from Xu she had lost it. Her calm, composed exterior had been shattered showing how vulnerable she actually was. She reminded her of Quistis in some ways, professional but when it came to criticism and things directed her way, she couldn't easily deflect it or brush it off. Xu put her arm round the cadet and let her bury her head into her shoulder.

Xu: "He's an ass hun, he always has been. He's just pissed Squall destroyed his lab and now he hates SeeD and everything to do with it"

Emma: "But my report..."

Xu: "Did you see anyone else questioning it? Everyone else followed the report, found the information they needed and were in praise of it. It was only that ass who wasn't. He is just one person. He might be smart, but he's also terrified of me now... and he's hopefully learned to behave round us otherwise Esthar might end up missing a scientist at the end of this"

Emma smiled as Xu lit her cigarette and pushed the girl away from her so she didn't blow smoke in her face. They only had around half an hour left of the recess before they had to be back for the proposed plan of action talk from Nida and Xavier. Xu leaned on the railing and took another pull of her cigarette. As she slowly exhaled she heard another set of footsteps. Without even needing to look behind her, she flicked out the Kunai she had just threatened Piet with earlier and spoke.

Xu: "I trust you are here to be civil scientist..."

Piet glared at the back of Xu. He wished he was like the SeeDs - able to kill without hesitation. Right now he knew exactly what he would do. Shaking the murderous thoughts from his mind, Piet finally spoke.

Piet: "I have come to apologize to Cadet De-Rossi for my inappropriate behavior. I understand you are not a research organization, however I do feel that some extra steps should have been taken to tailor the information to the standards Esthar expects"

Xu turned around, she held the Kunai in her hand and looked at Piet.

Xu: "We submitted the report to you before you came. You had time to familiarize yourself with it. It is also laid out in the internationally agreed format which the last time I checked, Esthar adhered to. Do you have any more of our time to waste or should I just kill you now?"

Piet remembered Cid's warning and realized it was actually about Xu.

Piet: "No... I have no more time to waste, I apologize if I have wasted your time Miss De-Rossi"

Emma was about to accept his apology but Xu shook her head.

Emma: "I do not believe that what you propose is actually sincere or even half-meant. Please do not waste my time or Garden's time. Please head back to the briefing room now. If you wish to not be a burden on this assignment, or end up being shipped back to Esthar in a body bag, you will leave your fragile ego at the door and conduct your work with some small amount of dignity and listen to the people who are more knowledgeable than you are"

Emma walked right past Piet without even letting him reply to her. As she walked through the door back into the hallway, Xu finished her cigarette. She walked towards Piet who was visibly shaken from his earlier encounter with Xu and then his run in with Emma. He looked at Xu and shook his head.

Piet: "I have no time for any more of your pointless games"

Xu took his hand, she placed the Kunai in it and wrapped his fingers around it.

Xu: "This isn't a pointless game Piet. This is reality. It isn't your lab, or your space station. It isn't an experiment where you control the variables. This is reality, and it's harsh. You either learn the rules and how to play by them or manipulate them, or you die... and right now, it's looking like someone might die. If these monsters can get the drop on one of the best agents in SeeD, ones kept in captivity and carefully monitored... who is to say what those running round your city can do if they suddenly snap and get worse than they are already?"

Xu walked back into the room, leaving Piet holding the Kunai in his hand. He looked down at it and shuddered. Maybe he had been out of order with his behaviour. His pride would never allow him to admit that, but this wasn't Esthar, and these people were mercenaries, they solve problems, they don't do diplomacy. He put the kunai in his robe and turned back round to head in for the briefing once again.

=...=...=

.= 21:00 Briefing Room, 2F Balamb Garden=.

Nida: "And so, as a final summary of what we have discussed, Tomorrows mission will proceed as planned"

Nida pointed to the display behind him, it was an overhead view of the Training Center with two arrows, one red and one yellow overlapping on each other. Xu yawned again, she had helped devise the plan but she had to be present as she was key to the operation - she would be over watch.

Nida: "Both units will proceed as planned to the specified location - Point Alpha. Once at Point Alpha, Red team which will consist of the scientists and the SeeD detail led by myself will secure the area so Piet and his associates can gather all the required data they need."

Nida motioned to the display as the Red arrow turned into a red outline of the area where Xu had fought the T-rexaurs and where Emma and Xavier had been ambushed.

Nida: "Yellow team - Xavier's squad will proceed into the vegetation at points Beta, Gamma and Delta. They will sweep out to see if there is any further signs of disturbance or unusual activity which could have caused the incidents to have occurred"

The yellow arrow split into three smaller arrows and fanned out in the area which had been outlined in blue.

Nida: "If at any point there is an attack, a red distress flare will be set off and Over-watch will co-ordinate the defense response. Red flares take priority, everyone falls back to the open spaces and works as a unit. A blue flare is a discovery of sorts which requires attention. If this cannot be investigated immediately, the finder will tag the location so it can be investigated later."

Xu stood up from her seat and walked towards the front of the room. Nida handed the podium over to her. She scanned the room, her eyes met everyone else's in there, even including Piet who avoided looking too long.

Xu: "It has been stated several times before, but teamwork is paramount. No one is to play the hero tomorrow - the mission is to get in, get samples, and get more insight and to get out alive. I took out at least five single handedly, look what that did to me... I will be the role of Over-watch, I will be watching all of your backs"

Xu paused, she looked to Xavier, then Nida and then finally Cid. All of them nodded - they had nothing left to add.

Xu: "Red and Yellow teams rendezvous at 09:00 in the entrance to the facility. Over-watch, data analysts and MC will meet in the rooms we have set up on this floor near the training centre - the offices X-3,X-4 and X-5 at 08:00."

Xu saluted the room

Xu: "Rest up, we have a big day tomorrow, all of us need to be fresh to make this happen"

With the end of the briefing, everyone slowly filtered out the room except for Xu, Xavier, Emma and Cid. The Garden Master slowly approached Xu with a disproving look on his face. Emma and Xavier both stepped back to give them some room. They knew what was coming, as did Xu but instead of trying to pry in on another Xu against a figure of authority clash, the two spoke.

Xavier: "You feel better for seeing Piet humiliated like that?"

Emma: "It was satisfying, but it didn't bring any relief as such"

Xavier: "It's alright, Xu has never liked him anyway, Piet is a gifted scientist, he has an incredible mind, but as a human, he is worthless - his attitude and beliefs completely contradict the whole approach Esthar is trying to take - spread out into the world. I think they sent him because he would get the job done, and they know someone here would put the fear of Hyne into him"

Emma: "Xu gave him a Kunai you know... the same one she threatened him with, I saw him toying with it during the briefing"

Xavier smiled

Xavier: "Xu always was one for the dramatics and symbolism, guess it comes with being a Ninja. I'm surprised she didn't tie it round his neck"

Emma laughed, she looked across to Xu who stood there as Cid scolded her. She didn't even react.

Emma: "Why did she give him that Kunai though"

Xavier: "You'd probably have to ask her that... I might have known her for years, but I don't know how she thinks. Not even Quistis understands Xu that way."

Emma slowly walked towards Xu and Cid where she caught the tail end of what was being said.

Cid: "I understand you are acting in Garden's best interests and I do agree with you, he is a nasty piece of work, but unfortunately we need his help. You can't threaten the people sent to help us Xu, no matter how obnoxious they are or what their history is with you."

Xu: "I understand sir, but I still defend my actions - He needed to be put in place in front of his team so they understand that we are running this and they have been sent to us and instructed to support us in every way possible. If Kiros is unhappy with my conduct towards his employees, I will personally apologise myself"

Cid: "Ensure that you do anyway. We need to maintain good relations with Esthar now. The next few months are a worrying time and I fear sooner or later, someone might move against Garden again. Just because the sorceress has been defeated, it doesn't mean the threat has been dealt with, there is still someone or something just as evil waiting out there to strike"

Xu: "There wouldn't be if I wasn't always in an office..."

Cid rolled his eyes. He waved his hand to dismiss Xu who saluted him before she turned round and left the room. Emma followed her out but Cid's voice calling to her stopped him in her tracks.

Cid: "I see you are feeling a bit better after the incidents earlier?"

Emma: "A little, I am still hurt by his words and his attitude towards us, but I understand not everyone likes SeeD. I am thankful for what Xu did for me."

Cid: "Yes. Although it was unorthodox, much like Xu's approach to diplomacy amongst other things, she does know how to get her point across and how to resolve a situation."

Emma: "Will she be in trouble because of this? Will it be because of me?"

Cid shook his head

Cid: "No child, Xu will be reminded to act more professional when matters are not solely Garden's. I do feel her approach has worked though, Piet should be less hostile to us now that he has Xu watching his every move."

Emma looked out the hallway, she could see Piet walking away with the Estharian contingent and then looked back to Xu who was talking to Xavier and the doctor.

Cid: "It isn't a bad thing to strive to be like someone strong Emma. But never lose sight of who you are as you aspire to better yourself. You are one of the brightest cadets we have, please stay true to who you are and learn from people instead of trying to be other people"

=...=...=

.=23:45, Dormitory wing, Balamb Garden=.

Xavier: "You know you didn't have to threaten to kill him"

Xavier walked Xu towards her quarters. It was approaching midnight by the time they had finished up after the briefing and went over any final plans they had to. Further ahead of them were Nida and Emma who seemed to be getting along well too.

Xu: "Sometimes, the very real threat of death usually gets the best responses out of people"

Xavier shook his head. He knew there was little point in trying to reason with Xu and her methods. Despite how outlandish or extreme they could be, she got the results she desired from them. She stopped near the corridor which lead to her quarter's and looked at Xavier.

Xavier: "So, tomorrow..."

Xu: "Yeah, I think we both need to get some sleep... As much fun as last night was, and believe me, it was fun... I think we need to clear our heads. Tomorrow is a big day, we can't screw up our first mission together"

Xavier nodded. He stepped closer to Xu and placed his hand on her cheek. He gently ran his fingers across her soft pale skin before he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. Xu smiled, she slipped both her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

Xu: "Please be careful out there tomorrow... "

Xavier brought his hand up, he ran his fingers through her hair.

Xavier: "I'm always careful, especially now that I have a reason to be"

Xu: "And what would that reason be?"

Xavier: "About five foot five with black hair and a perfect body"

Xu smiled as she looked up at Xavier and kissed him on the cheek.

Xavier: "I promise, I will be careful. I will also be ok. We have some of the SeeD candidates with us too, as a training exercise, to see if they're cut out for this stuff. Along with the Estharians and the SeeDs, we can easily get through this, even if there is a massive attack... there will be more than enough GF's present and more than enough trained fighters to hold off whatever happens"

Xu: "I just wish I could be down there with you tomorrow"

Xavier: "Me too. Everyone would feel safer with you around... Well apart from Piet, but that's another story"

Xu: "If there is an attack, save his life by all means, but I don't know... maybe just remind him who saved his ass and that we're not all bad"

Xavier: "I'll try... Get yourself to sleep anyway. Your job tomorrow is just as tough as mine is.."

Xu: "Emma and the doc are there to help me though"

Xavier: "But you need to watch closely, you're the eyes in the back of our head, we need you on your game Xu"

Xu kissed Xavier on the cheek and pushed herself away from him. As they let go of each other, Xu turned her back and headed down the hall towards her room. She reached her door and swiped her card granting herself access. As she flicked on her light, she took off her SeeD jacket and put it over the back of her chair.

"God that thing is clingy sometimes... eight hours in a briefing room... eurgh! It's a good job Xavier didn't come back here, I'm disgusting"

Xu slipped out of her boots and skirt leaving herself in just her underwear and a black vest. She sat down on her couch and picked up the bottle of water she had left on the table. Unscrewing the top, she leaned back and took a gulp from it before placing it back down. Reaching for her cigarettes and lighter once again, she lit up and took the first pull again,

"I hate being stuck away from the action... But at least Cid has let me take part in this mission... I'll still take a weapon with me in case things go south and we need an all hands on deck extraction. If I mess up, I should be the one to fix it"

Xu finished her cigarette and looked at the clock, it was nearly "00:20". She had six hours before she had to get up and prepared for her mission. She shook her head and picked up her uniform. She shook it out and hung the jacket up on the back of her door before putting the skirt in her laundry basket. Retiring to her bedroom, she removed her vest and slipped off her bra. She dropped the piece of underwear on the floor and then put the vest back on. She hadn't done much all day and the lack of effort expended had taken its toll on her. As she slipped under the duvet, she set the alarm on her PDA for "06:30" before laying her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax herself. As she felt herself drift off to sleep the hairs on her neck tingled.

=...=...=

"Where am I?"

Xu stood in the middle of a darkened area. It was almost like the recurring dream she had which involved the death of her parents and the destruction of her home. She looked down at herself - she was clad in her SeeD uniform. Her hands were covered in blood, her skirt was ripped and her boots were scuffed. She looked up, the darkness started to recede and she saw the familiar tropical styled over-growth which filled the Training Center. She heard shouting in the distance but couldn't quite make out who it was. She coughed - there was a thick black smoke hanging just over the tree-line and it was slowly sinking towards the ground. She ducked down and looked ahead and was shocked at what she saw - dead Estharian soldiers and dead cadets.

"What is this... a nightmare?"

Xu shook her head as she crawled forwards along the ground, trying to stay below the smoke. She eventually reached the body of the cadet - their face was mangled, their uniform torn to shreds, but the ginger hair and small stature of the cadet told her everything she needed to know - it was Emma, lying there dead.

"Please be a nightmare, please"

Xu shook her head and pounded her fist against the floor. She felt nothing.

"Ok, it's just a dream... I can wake up can't I?"

Xu wished she could, but for some reason, the dream had her locked in her mind. It was almost like her subconscious wanted to be heard, like it wanted what it was feeling and what it had suspected to be let out into the open so she could confront it and deal with it. As she moved away from Emma's body, she saw the glimmer of gold ahead of her - Megitsune. She pushed herself to her feet and walked forwards to follow the fox. As she eventually caught up to her, they stood in a clearing about 100 yards away from the area where the research team were meant to be stationed. As she looked around, the Fox sat there and watched her.

Xu: "Is this a vision then Megitsune, or are you showing me something you might think we need to look at?"

Megitsune lowered her head.

Megitsune: "I cannot see the future Xu, Princess of the Hitsaguya clan. I can only help you unlock what is buried in your mind."

Xu: "So, I think something bad is going to happen tomorrow?"

Megitsune: "You are always prepared for the worst..."

Xu: "So, why bring me here?"

Megitsune: "You were obsessing about this place during the briefing when the arrows moved out... this clearing. It is special to you isn't it?"

Xu looked around. She couldn't place it at first, but her eyes were drawn towards a tree trunk. There was an old, rusted kunai sticking out of the wood. She approached it and smiled as she ran her hands across it's handle.

Xu: "I... I used to train here... I always felt safe here... but at the same time, like someone or something was watching me"

Megitsune: "Maybe you need to watch instead of being watched Princess..."

=...=...=

The alarm went off. Xu bolted upright out of bed, covered in sweat. She hadn't slept comfortably. Her mind was racing, especially with the last part of the nightmare. She shuddered at the memory of seeing Emma's mangled corpse in the Training Center. She pushed the thoughts out of her head as she picked out her clothes for the day and set them out on the bed. She had half an hour to get washed, dressed, geared up and food in her before the mission.

"I hope to Hyne that today is uneventful"