Chapter XIX – Rough Divide
They struggle to find meaning…
In deceptive simplicity…
All because of one mission.
Her mind was reeling at a dizzying rate by the time her fingers slid off the receiver.
His choice of words hung in the forefront of her thoughts, eliciting the beginnings of contemplations she would rather forget.
"Admit it, you love me."
She hoped that he hadn't noticed the way his provocation had almost made her choke while they were on the line. How dare he suggest such a thing? What did he know about what (who?) she did or didn't love? It was certainly none of his—
Concern. Yes, given Seifer's track record with exams, anyone would have all the right in the world to be concerned about him going off to another one. She had only called because she was justifiably concerned, and not because she—Hyne-forbid—loves Seifer Almasy. What a ridiculous notion. She cared because this was his last chance. If he didn't pass this exam, he would never be a SeeD. He'd be forced out of Balamb Garden to Hyne-knows-where, and then what would she do if he weren't around?
His constant presence, taunts and messy way of handling life had become such a mainstay in her tidy world. As uncomfortable as she usually felt with the unexpected, not having Seifer around would be an even larger deviance from the norm. He had had her ears trained to crave the buzz of his diction at the end of the day, because he so often had one reason or another for darkening the doorways of her classroom and dorm at all hours of the day and night. So, making sure that her day concluded with hearing his voice was only part of her routine.
Besides, she had made other calls tonight as well. He was just another item on her list of duties—that was all. She felt herself resenting him a little. If only he had passed his exam the first time (or even the last time), maybe she wouldn't be in this situation. A situation where she was his Instructor (again) and at least somewhat responsible for his failure and success. A situation where her position required her to care about his wellbeing and progress. A situation where he had ample opportunity and (sometimes questionable) cause to stick his nose into her professional and personal spheres (she recalled now, one time last week when she accused him of doing just that, and he riled her up with: "Instructor, wouldn't you love for me to stick my nose into your lovely 'spheres'?").
A situation where—she partially, reluctantly, and finally admitted—she may actually need Seifer in her life.
Quistis wrote off this dawning of realization with a derisive cough that was half-laughter and half-sob. Her exhaustion must be thinking for her, pushing her drifting mind toward his last words as she wriggled into her nightgown.
"Off you go, Instructor. Or did you want to stay with me until morning? I have all night."
As much as he sounded like he was dismissing her, he did offer to keep her company. She was in an unpleasant and unfamiliar place, turning in at the end of a long, hard day. His offer had warmed her heart at the time, so much that she instinctively tried to douse the flame with frost in her own parting words.
Think nothing of it, she told herself. The proposition was just another one of his empty jests, because why in the world would Seifer Almasy want to spend all night with his mediocre Instructor?
Seifer thought he would be seeing Quistis once more before this (yet another) defining day in his life. Somehow, it wasn't the same without her. Quistis had always been here like clockwork. At his last exam, right before the drastic change in the trajectory of his life, she had been with him on the Transport, sitting quietly and looking longingly at Squall.
He remembered paying minimal attention to Xu's briefing, and much more attention to the way Quistis's long legs disappeared under that short SeeD skirt. In his daydream, her uniform eventually evaporated like the sizzling end of a Blizzard spell, and he saw that golden mass of hair magically wrench itself loose from the grip of her clip to try to reach her thighs…
Instead, in the present moment, he showed up to his morning appointment with his gaze trained on a polar opposite: short black hair that only went past broad shoulders, with dark bangs that swept over eyes sparkling with a dormant vehemence. She was talking to a man and a woman, both wearing civilian clothes. When none of them acknowledged his arrival, he of course felt the need to announce his presence loudly.
"You brought friends, Shoe? I knew this was an orgy. All we're missing is the Instruc—"
"Shut your trap, Almasy." Xu stopped her conversation abruptly to stab him with a pointed glare, her dam of patience bursting into a tirade. "Don't drag her into your sick fantasies. Do you have any idea how much prep work she had to do for this field exam, while you dawdle around Garden spouting perverted nonsense all over the place? You think I want to be here right now? Think again."
"Wow, someone's in a mood. Failed to get laid last night?" He crossed his bare arms; he was still wearing his tank top and hadn't bothered to change. "And I do not 'dawdle'."
"I'm surprised you even know what that word means."
"I don't always act all high and mighty and try to use every single word I know. You and Trepe probably read the dictionary together by candlelight at your thoroughly uninspiring slumber parties."
"Would you let up on Quistis already? You seem awfully obsessed with her, Almasy. She's in nearly every sentence that comes out of your dirty mouth. Do I need to start filing harassment complaints on her behalf?"
He swallowed a small lump in his throat despite his big ego. If even Xu noticed, then maybe he needed to care more about being too careless with his 'obsession'. "I was talking about both of you," he deflected. "I'll let up when you both stop badgering me about everything."
"Sit down." She poked the top of her pen into a round padded stool and gave it a small push. The cushion spun slowly and wearily. "We're doing Zell at the same time."
Um. What?
"That sounds highly unappetizing, Shoe. This whole setup"—he stretched his hand in front of the three and swept his palm in a few circles as he slowly sat down—"is barely decent as it is. Don't invite Chicken-wuss to this, too. Bad enough that you're all still here."
Xu grabbed a handful of his tank top and roughly shook him once. "I'll only say it one more time because I'll chalk it up to you having poor listening abilities: You think I want to be here? I knew from the start how much of a pain this was going to be for me."
"Pain? Oh, no. I'd promise to be gentle, but I'd actually really rather not do it—or any of you—at all."
"Thank you, Almasy, for reminding us once again that you have a one-track mind."
"At least I have a mind, unlike the mangy house pet that just dragged himself in."
Zell had appeared right on cue in his usual field getup and his trusty gauntlets. This was the first time that Seifer had really seen Zell since after Squall and Rinoa's extensively syrupy fairy tale wedding.
"You're late," Xu stated.
"Yeah, sorry!" Zell brought up a gloved hand to rub his scruff. "I was just headin' over here and ya know Ma, she gets long-winded. I mean, I ain't even technically supposed to be here, I was on vacation at Ma's but I got a bit fidgety, and Garden is literally just in the neighborhood, ya know, so—"
Seifer had to stop Zell before he drowned everyone in unnecessary details. "She probably got tired of your constant talking and your wussy kicks and punches while you attempt to become a professional flyswatter. Easier on her if you choose to leave of your own free will."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY MA!?" Zell readied his battle stance, his fists shaking with eager ire.
"Shoe, do you have authority to shut him up? He squawks more than an actual chicken."
"Puh-lease…I have authority over you, man! I'm your super, uh…superior!"
"Give the kid a gold star. His tiny brain managed to find the right word."
"That's enough, both of you!" Xu barked. "I'm impressed Quistis hasn't taken a bullet to her own brain because of you two. Zell, sit." She pointed to the other stool next to Seifer's. Zell shuffled quickly to his seat.
Naturally, Seifer had questions. "Explain why he's here. I thought you said this was exam prep."
Xu turned to the two people behind her and jerked her head at the boys. The couple began putting on smocks. "Quistis was supposed to oversee this exam, but she was sent on a last-minute mission."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Can't put two and two together, can you? Zell is her replacement."
No.
NO.
"I refuse to believe she picked him, of all people in Garden—"
"She didn't. Zell was on vacation. Quistis wouldn't be so inconsiderate as to infringe on anyone's vacation time." Xu watched the couple rummage through their toolboxes. "Cid eventually told her he would offer the post to Mr. Dincht here, who was already antsy enough to get back into action. Zell, can you stop bouncing on the balls of your feet? How are you even doing that when you're sitting down?"
"Please don't say his name and the words 'bouncing' and 'balls' in the same sentence."
"I don't need that imagery, Almasy."
"Neither do I."
"Yo, stop talkin' 'bout my balls!"
Seifer demanded a fuller answer from Xu. "What are we both doing here? Why him?" Deep down, Seifer knew he should have expected this. Fate did not have a good track record of being terribly kind to him.
"Cid has his reasons for choosing Zell. And thanks to your respective fame and infamy, you both have faces that are too recognizable for this mission."
If he was going to be sent somewhere where his identity will be a problem, then this did not bode well. Also, this meant that he would likely be spending some time among people. Seifer didn't do well with 'people'.
"Almasy, you're already going to stand out because of your height. Don't get me started on your ego and that stupid scar." Xu watched the artist pat on some silicone primer to fill in the indent of said scar. "Quistis managed to book the best aestheticians this side of the continent."
All he took from Xu's words was that Quistis either really cared that he passed the exam and wanted to do everything possible to ensure success, or she wanted to do everything possible to help because she had so little faith in him. The thought that the latter was more believable nestled bitterly in his chest.
He flinched when a makeup brush tickled his scowl. He looked over to see the martial artist's makeup artist blending a heavy layer of foundation on his tattoo. Seifer absentmindedly stared at Zell's cheek, letting the rotating motion of the stool shift his hips from side to side. A firm hand sternly moved his head back to the forward position.
"Can you stop moving?" the artist asked between brushstrokes. Seifer complied and saw Xu raise an eyebrow at his obedience.
See, Trepe, I can too follow orders.
"Loosen up, you're scrunching your forehead."
He took a deep breath and actively tried to untighten the muscles in his face. He needed to think about something comforting…a nice meal, maybe a hot shower after a long training session…water slowly running down his hair…water running down her hair…he recalled her hair disappearing into that bathrobe…that bathrobe falling from her shoulders—
There was an irritated grunt from the man in front of him. Seifer suddenly remembered where he was, and had to lace his fingers together on his own lap to hide the evidence of his escalating reverie.
Xu was wrong. He wasn't obsessed. The way his mind naturally drifted to Quistis (and so often) was something beyond obsession.
He truly snapped out of it when Xu yanked on his ear and led him to the nearest sink.
"We're doing your hair next," she narrated. "We're just going to darken it. There's no time to experiment with an even darker color. We'll be extra careful since your makeup is already on, but we'll need to touch it up later anyway. Zell, you're good to go once you get your colored contacts in."
Green eyes darted to Zell, who leapt off of his stool as if he had just had the best rollercoaster ride of his life. "Isn't someone gonna do something about his hair? It looks like a Hyne-damned hybrid of a chocobo and whatever climbs out of a chocobo's ass."
"He's fine." After Seifer's head was thoroughly rinsed, he was pulled back to his stool again as Xu continued. "We did our research. Turns out, in some regions of the world, his style has actually caught on."
Seifer blinked twice when he saw a brief flash of light in his periphery as Xu took a photo of Zell. He could barely hear her over the rustle of the artist's gloves around his ears, working in the dye solution. "Aren't you gonna finish your sentence?"
"What?"
"You said 'caught on'. You meant 'caught on fire', right?"
"No. Hero worship is alive and well in most places, and his hairstyle has become quite popular in some parts."
"You're not serious."
Xu ignored him. "Zell, what're you still doing here? I said you're good to go."
"Oh, I know, I know…I just wanna watch this, um…transformation. It'll be fun to see him disappear!"
Seifer made a fist. "Stick around, Chicken-wuss. You don't wanna miss the part where I transform your face by ripping it from your head." He feinted at Zell, who instinctively backed up a few steps.
"Uggghhh, Seifer, why you gotta be so gross!?" Zell held his stomach. "I'm gettin' queasy just thinkin' 'bout it."
"What kind of SeeD are you? If you can't even stand the idea of something getting skinned—"
"It's different if it's monsters or other people, man! I'm just picturing my own face just…just…coming off and eeeeewwww! Hyne, Hyne, Hyne…"
Seifer tried to make a point to Xu by cocking his head and raising his eyebrows toward Zell. "This, Shoe. Garden is sending this out into the field."
"I said: Cid has his reasons."
"Stay still, let it set," the artist instructed.
Zell shoved his nose right under Seifer's and inspected its bridge. Seifer used this opportunity to reciprocate the scrutiny. A brown-eyed Zell looked older, his complexion flawless without the markings of his tattoo. Seifer wasn't sure whether they had added the small scar above Zell's eyebrow or if he'd always had it.
Seifer also wondered why Zell was being so…normal. Especially since this is pretty much the first time they've interacted with each other since the War. Seifer expected some demented form of vitriol from, well, any of the so-called heroes, but it didn't seem to be happening at all with Zell.
A plastic shower cap snapped around Seifer's head. Zell slapped a knee before erupting into a giggling fit as Seifer glowered at him.
"Y-y-you—" Zell was trying and failing to catch his breath and talk at the same time. "You look like one of Ma's muffins! Like, if the cap was the muffin top, right? So your face is the stump that no one likes to eat!"
At this rate, Seifer was going to have a grand time controlling his temper. "No one likes to eat your little stump, you—"
"Eww, that's disgusting, man!" Zell stuck out his tongue and made a face, clearly repulsed by the insult.
"Yeah, for once, I agree. Your stump is pretty disgusting."
"How would you know!? Have you been looking at my stump!?"
"Maybe I would if I could find it."
"Awww, why you gotta be so mean!? All I did was call you a muffin—big deal!"
"One more word about muffins and I'll tear you apart and shove your scrawny limbs into an oven! I hope Ma Dincht likes Chicken-wuss pie!"
He wanted to say more (so much more), but Seifer's peripheral vision caught Xu watching them intently, and he briefly deliberated if this was all part of the test: Stick him with someone irritable to see if he would snap. Seifer knew he needed to change gears, and fast.
"Shouldn't Commander Puberty Boy be the one looking after these exams?" he blurted.
"Cid is still Headmaster, and Squall really hasn't been in his post that long," Xu explained. "For now, Cid still looks after internal and administrative matters while Squall handles the external – missions, clients, etcetera. However, when a mission is also an exam, there are elements of both involved, so Cid still takes care of these. Our operational structure isn't exactly a secret. You're a student here, you should know this."
As the artist worked on drying his hair, Seifer added a scoff to his eye-roll. "Cid trusts him to deal with people? Has our Headmaster gone senile?"
"Most of our clients know what they're getting with SeeD. They don't expect a lot of politesse."
He perked up at her statement. "Oh, is that so? I've been telling that to Trepe forever. Every single time she lectures me about my language or my—"
"Almasy, they don't expect a lot. But none, on the other hand, which is what you have, is a completely different story. You'd do well to listen to your Instructor for a change."
He didn't dignify her rebuke with any response. Xu studied the artist's handiwork, sufficiently satisfied.
"Put these in." Xu offered him a small container. He placed the contacts carefully onto his eyes. "Try to look at yourself often over the next few hours so you won't be caught off guard by your own reflection. You'll live with a new identity for the next twenty-four hours."
Zell gushed in his place between Seifer and the nearest mirror. "Yo, Seifer! They did a good job! I can only tell it's you if I concentrate really really really hard and if I know what I'm looking for. This is so cool!"
"Move out of the way, let me see." Seifer shoved Zell aside, unperturbed by the loud skid squeaks of Zell's shoes in the sterile locker room as he stared at his own reflection with more curiosity than compliance.
The change was startling.
Blue stared back at green from a two-dimensional surface of a familiar stranger. Dark blond locks were swept back to reveal a mostly flawless face; the silicone had seamlessly sealed up the rough divide between his eyes. While it was a refreshing break to not see the scar, he didn't much like this temporary mask. Seifer was a man who defined himself by his experiences and values. This new face was a clean slate, unmarred by hardship and failure. The last time he felt this uncomfortable in his own skin was during the War, when he was under the deadly thumb of a Sorceress.
Did she say twenty-four hours? This is gonna be a long twenty-four hours.
Before he could properly commiserate with himself, something grabbed the back of his tank top. His new face sneered. "Quit manhandling me, Shoe. I'm not afraid to rip into annoying Bite Bugs like you with my bare hands."
"Hmm. Is it really 'manhandling' if you're not a real man? And didn't anyone ever tell you that posturing is extremely unattractive?" Xu stepped behind him and pressed something small and cold to the back of his neck.
"What are yo—"
"Don't move."
He felt her other hand touch his shoulder then slide down the length of his arm. Seifer turned his head and looked at the tape with a guarded eye. "Now you're just trying to cop a feel, Shoe, because I know my Instructor already submitted my uniform measurements, which I clearly noted on my exam application forms."
Xu wrapped the tape around his throat, noting the number. She made eye contact now. "Don't make me strangle you right before you get another chance to screw up your life."
He didn't appreciate the lack of confidence. "If you're waiting for me to fail, you'll be disappointed."
"Wouldn't be the first time you disappointed someone."
Seifer heard Zell snicker from the sidelines and wondered if these were just their ways of psyching him out. Agitated as he was, he wasn't about to let Xu and Chicken-wuss throw him off his game.
Xu slid the tape from his waist and whipped him with it, earning her a low growl. "Looks like you actually measured yourself properly, so this should fit fine." She produced a garment bag from a nearby locker and handed the bag to him, along with a shoebox.
"I thought the measurements are for SeeD uniforms, for when we pass our exam. I am not wearing the Cadet uniform."
"This isn't the uniform. You better be wearing this the next time I see you."
The flash of light was right in Seifer's face this time.
"Hey! I wasn't ready," he grumbled.
"This isn't a photo shoot, dumbass. You couldn't even look good in it if you tried." Xu removed the camera from her face to examine her latest shot. Expert contouring had made his cheeks look more sunken than the reality. At first glance, she could hardly recognize the man in the picture. "We're finished here. Both of you, go to your rooms and pack your bags. You have thirty minutes. Then meet up with the rest of the group at the Front Gate. Got it?"
Zell's eyes managed to shine through their contact lenses. "Hell, yeah! I got all packed as soon as Cid told me yesterday!"
"We're staying somewhere overnight? For Hyne's sake, this is just an exam."
"It's one night out of your miserable existence, Almasy. I don't assign the exam missions so don't complain to me. You have a problem, take it up with the Headmaster." Xu waved the aestheticians goodbye with two crisp cheques. "And change into that thing carefully. Don't touch your face. If either of you mess it up, we can't patch you up until we get to our destination. Dismissed."
Twenty-eight minutes later, Seifer showed up at the Front Gate with one gunblade and one bag in tow, and two feet in a pair of corpse-stiff wingtips. He dropped his bag in a loud slump on the concrete pavement. One hand absently scratched the side of his thigh as he gave a cursory glance at his reflection on one of the larger Garden vehicles parked at the curb. His cheap suit itched and chaffed like a bad personality.
Admittedly, Seifer didn't try too hard to dodge the slap he felt on his back. He looked past his own shoulder to see an energetic blond with terrible hair flashing him a row of teeth. Who the hell did this guy think he w—
Oh, right. This is what Chicken-wuss looks like now.
"Yo, man! These don't look half bad on us, hey?" Zell puffed out his chest and proudly rubbed his gloved knuckles on a notched lapel.
"I guess you're someone who's used to hearing 'half bad' as a full compliment."
"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" His outburst made one of the Cadets stop talking to the others and eye them both suspiciously.
"Cadets, attention!" Xu's brassy command broke through and broke down the imminent altercation.
The three other Cadets shifted and froze into a salute in a semi-circle formation. Seifer slowly straightened himself into the proper form. It was undoubtedly a bizarre sight to see several teenagers in formal attire twisted into a precise military pose. The only girl in the group was also wearing a black suit and tie. Seifer inwardly rolled his eyes at Talman's perfect posture; the younger man's expression was unreadable through the glare of his glasses.
"SeeD Dincht, you're supposed to be on this side, unless you want to retake the exam." Zell made a face and hopped a few feet forward to join Xu and the other SeeD standing with her. "For those of you who don't know us, I'm SeeD Xu, one of three SeeDs who will accompany you. My colleagues here are SeeD Dincht—I'm sure you all know him—and SeeD Fowler. For the duration of this mission, I'll be your lead escort."
As Seifer pursed his lips together to keep himself from laughing out loud at 'lead escort', he noticed something else.
Wait…'SeeD Xu'?
Xu isn't her first name?
She made eye contact with each of them as she performed the roll call. "Talman Aki, Katya Pence, Sterling Walter, Seifer Almasy." When Talman failed to hide his surprise when Xu called Seifer's name, she gave up a rare smile. Seifer deduced that it must be because the disguise seemed to be working. "You're all the SeeD candidates we have for this round and the only squad we have on this mission. If you're having second thoughts, now is your chance to turn back."
Seifer's ears picked up some uneven breathing from one of the Cadets.
"Our first stop is Balamb, where we'll take the Transport."
"Where are we going?" Seifer asked. At the mention of the Transport, he felt a sense of—
"We're going to Dollet."
Déjà vu.
"Then we take the train to Deling City."
Oh, that's better.
No, wait, that's not much better.
"All the way to Deling. That's a long trip." He could still feel Talman studying him as he spoke.
"You don't say. Why did you think I told you all to pack a bag? We'll stay there overnight after the mission then take the train back in the morning. I'll explain the rest once we're in the SeeD cabin on the train. It's more secure there." Xu gestured mechanically to a plain metal bin that gleamed dully at SeeD Fowler's feet. "Everyone, throw your weapons in here and get in the cars."
As some of the others lined up to gingerly place their weapons into the bin, Seifer tightened his hold on Hyperion. "What's all this about?"
"Where we're going, we can't use our weapons. But we'll ship them there to be close to us, just in case."
…What!?
"You're not serious."
All he got out of Xu was a shrug devoid of sympathy. "Not my fault if you can't let go of your security blanket, Almasy. So either man up or withdraw from the exam."
Well, he wasn't going to man down. Who did she take him for?
Quistis had almost forgotten how much she relied on Magic. It took several lengthy battles before she began to regret the ban she imposed on her team.
Seven Gayla and four Glacial Eye. All together. The monsters were appearing in abnormally large groups the further north they travelled. While Junctioning Fire spells to attacks was helpful, a simple Firaga could have ended this battle twenty minutes ago. She had been very tempted, but she wasn't about to break her own rule. There was still too much at risk due to the unpredictability of magic potency in these Dead Zones. If a Fire spell fizzled out on the opponent, it would have been a waste. If it backfired and caused an explosion, the caster and anything nearby would be seriously hurt. Friendly fire was not something they could afford to withstand, especially while they were far from civilization with their supplies already dwindling in the midday sun.
A final crack of her whip brought the last Gayla smashing down to the dry soil. As she waited a requisite amount of time to ensure that it wasn't getting back up, she used this pause as a chance to catch her breath. Three full minutes later, she turned to check on the condition of her team. All Quistis could see stretched out around them were the depressingly endless expanse of the Mordred Plains, and the weak puffs of her breath floating through the autumn chill in the air.
She slowly hobbled over and knelt next to them. "Any luck, Corbin?"
Corbin was still shaking Luella gently, his features stiff from the dried blood on his face. Their supplies lay in a bag close by, but too far for him to reach to patch himself up after his close shave with one of the Glacial Eye. "Nothing. But I checked for a pulse and she's still alive. Must've been a really strong Sleep spell. They had her cornered so she couldn't really dodge it. I…I'm sorry I couldn't help you out more with the—"
Quistis shook her head. "It's fine. We needed someone to stay close to her to fend them off."
"We were too outnumbered this time…it wasn't fair to leave you to take on the majority."
"Protecting a defenseless teammate is just as important." For a moment, they watched the sleeping girl, who was oblivious to the scent of life and death around her. Quistis caught the glint of guilt in his eyes. "You did well, Corbin. You kept her safe."
He gave a perfunctory nod in response, still unconvinced that this was not his fault. "Captain, she'll wake up…right?"
The way he asked the question twisted her gut, kick-started her coping mechanisms and made her lapse into Instructor mode. "A normal Sleep spell should only last around thirty minutes—fewer if the victim sustains severe physical damage."
They both knew it was already well past thirty minutes, but neither had the heart to hit the poor girl just to wake her up. It would have been futile anyway—not long into her slumber, the monsters had indeed attacked her physically, but she had not stirred.
"Captain!"
The warning almost came too late. She instinctively cast Protect on Luella (bans be damned now), but both Corbin and Quistis soon found themselves covered with small splotches of liquid. Luella also managed to receive a smattering of the stuff, evidence that the Protect spell was only partially effective.
Tired and with their attention divided, they hadn't seen one of the Glacial Eye Quistis defeated earlier resurface and advance on them during their preoccupation with Luella. It wasn't until Quistis briskly stood to face the offender that she noticed something was amiss.
Years of teaching and practice allowed her to tap into her mental bestiary with ease, only to recall that a Glacial Eye doesn't produce that kind of spit-up. The monster didn't seem too keen on continuing its attack. It was now writhing about in a manner both familiar and strange, as if possessed. What she realized she was seeing terrified some rational part of her.
These were the movements of a Gayla, but in the body of a Glacial Eye.
Of course. That was the only logical reason for why the fluid attack had no effect: because it was a Gayla tactic. A Glacial Eye couldn't possibly create the same damaging mucus that a Gayla could. They were two biologically different creatures.
This explanation, while simple, defied everything she knew of the natural world—on Gaia, anyway. Monsters did come from the moon, after all. There must still be so many unknowns, and the possibilities fascinated her.
There would be time to deliberate the science later—safety was the top priority. First things first, she needed to put this thing out of its misery (again). Save the Queen wrapped around one of the monster's appendages, and Quistis gathered enough momentum to swing the Glacial Eye to the ground. Disoriented, it tried to right itself, but Quistis whipped it several times more until it resigned itself to being an off-white, motionless heap.
From where she stood guard, Quistis could tell that Corbin was trembling.
"I…I…I thought it was down! I was so sure it was dead! It just happened so fast! Captain, I'm so sorry…"
"You've done nothing to warrant an apology. Sometimes things spring back up at the last second. We couldn't have predicted that."
"Okay…okay…"
She watched as he slowly slipped into a state of shell shock. As she made up her mind about how to address this issue, Ragnarok came into view over the horizon. Quistis had intended to continue dividing and conquering, and had asked Selphie and Irvine to form a team of four with the other remaining SeeDs. The foursome was to keep busy in the cliffs of the Nortes Mountains, the area southeast of the Mordred Plains. Per Quistis's instruction, they had now come to pick up her team of three to regroup and rest at noon.
"Corbin, can I have your help getting her onto the ship? We'll take her to the clinic at the Lab, and you can watch over her and the others for a while."
"B-but…I can still fight. I want to be useful. I can—"
"It will be very useful to the team if we can have someone we trust monitoring their condition. Would you please do that for us?"
Quistis saw that he was secretly grateful for his new set of orders. "Yes, Captain."
She needed him to stay somewhere safe to recuperate, both physically and mentally. Quistis knew it was only a matter of time before he broke under the weight of his bundle of nerves. She needed to take him off the front line. A wavering will often did more harm than good on the battlefield.
Quistis thought this was going to be a simple mission: get in, clean up, get out, report. She underestimated the effect that Time Compression could still have on her life, still figuratively (and how long until it wouldn't be figurative anymore?) turning her world upside down.
And so, her team was down to five.
"Is this train wreck even moving? How much longer?"
"Almasy, this is already the fastest, most modern train on the continent."
"I don't trust it." He lifted a head of dark champagne hair to survey the streamlined SeeD cabin they occupied, and frowned at his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirrors lining the walls. "This was all built too quickly after the War, if you ask me."
"No one asked you. If you think you can get there sooner by running, then jump off already. No one will stop you," Xu said as she scribbled into a notepad.
"No, thanks. I'm saving my energy for the exam." Seifer slouched down in his seat and crossed his ankles atop the small coffee table that stood its ground in the middle of the cabin. When he tried to put his hands behind his head and found that he couldn't do so easily with his suit jacket on, he went about removing the offending garment.
"Keep the complaints coming and you might not make it to your exam."
"Is that a threat, Shoe? Are you allowed to threaten Cadets?"
"You won't be a Cadet anymore if I get you expelled."
"You don't have that kind of power."
"Try me." Xu stopped scribbling into her notepad. "Now, are you going to shut up and let me brief everyone on the mission?"
"I wasn't the one making secretive chitchat on the phone this entire time. But I get it, if you didn't want us to overhear your boyfriend breaking up with you or something."
Xu turned her head and ignored him. "Listen up!" she shouted for everyone's attention. "I'll explain the current situation and the mission."
Finally. He had been waiting for this part all day. If he was going to be stuck in this wretched suit, there had better be good reason. The Cadets moved to the edge of their seats along the long sofa as Seifer shifted to a more comfortable position. SeeD Fowler stood beside Xu as Zell kept quietly shifting his weight from one side to the other.
"Our client for this mission is the Deling City Administration. A request for SeeD was made four days ago. That morning, current Galbadian President Fury Caraway had received a death threat in the mail. Tonight, Deling City is hosting a fundraising gala at Caraway's Mansion, where the Administration has sound reason to believe there will be an attempt on the President's life. Our mission objective is simple: SeeD candidates are to support the security detail. If you see or hear or sense anything out of place, you must report it immediately."
SeeD Fowler continued, "We'll need people on the outside and inside of the venue. We're technically being contracted as a third-party security add-on, but some of us will be assigned to surveillance as part of the wait staff. You'll each be issued a handgun in place of your weapons. It's crucial that we do not show any signs of being anything but ordinary bodyguards-for-hire."
"That means no Junctioning and no Magic," Xu emphasized. "Any questions so far?"
As Seifer gradually became more engaged in the briefing, he had taken his feet off of the coffee table and leaned forward with a chin in his hand. He failed to keep the irritation out of his voice, "They're asking Garden Cadets to prevent an assassination at some fancy dinner party?"
"Like I said: We're not the main line of defense. Deling City will already have full-scale security on site. We're there as backup—an extra precaution."
Xu's emphasis on their plainer-than-plain objective began to make his blood boil. "So we're doing even less than I thought. Why are we even going? We're basically glorified bouncers!"
His comment must have struck a chord with Xu, judging from the annoyance in her sigh. "President Caraway is the one who made the request, and Headmaster Cid accepted. Cid thought this mission was low-key enough for Cadets to handle. There's some political value to be gained from at least sending someone just to please the President. Lately, Caraway has been trying to get friendly with Balamb Garden whenever possible. It's an understandable course of action considering his estranged daughter is now married to our Commander. But none of that is any of our business. Treat this as a learning opportunity, if nothing else."
What could he possibly learn from such a ridiculous mission?
"Does anyone else have questions about other aspects of the mission?" Xu clearly wanted to stop talking about how this assignment came to be in the first place.
Seifer's small outburst somehow broke the ice and made the other Cadets feel more comfortable in Xu's presence. Talman made a polite inquiry: "SeeD Xu, what are they raising money for?"
"Good question, Aki. The President is seeking infrastructure investment from private donors. Deling City—Galbadia, really—has been trying to repair its ties with Dollet since after the War."
Not to be shown up by Talman, Seifer jumped in. "Let me guess: That's why this train exists. And because it's here, we had to take the Transport to Dollet first, instead of taking the Balamb train straight to Timber's train hub." Seifer knew the train systems well, having wandered around aimlessly for a time after the War ended. He had by now (and by necessity) familiarized himself with any new developments.
His seemingly unconnected statement puzzled every other head in the room but, thankfully, Xu understood.
"Yes. After the War, General Caraway was quickly sworn into office because Galbadia desperately needed a leader. President Deling's alliance with the Sorceress displeased the public, who accepted Caraway easily after the details of his plot to kill the Sorceress came to light. One of the first things he did as President was build this train line to facilitate travel between Deling and Dollet. Not only has this arrangement made moving around more convenient, it also created jobs, making a lot of people very happy."
"Hah!" Seifer started. "This is Caraway we're talking about. Ingratiating himself to the public is just a bonus. He's after access."
Xu nearly smiled when she realized that the strategy was not lost on him. "You're not as dumb as you look, Almasy."
His lips curled up into a victorious smirk. A statement like that coming from Xu was something Seifer could count as a big win. He wasn't above using some insider information about Caraway's personality and values to earn points. His time spent (half-)listening to Rinoa complain about the then-General was perhaps finally paying off in a somewhat meaningful way.
"Access to what?" Katya asked with a wrinkle of her forehead.
"Galbadia wants Dollet's broadcasting technology. Some of us here have firsthand experience with that tech." For a moment, her eyes locked on Seifer and waited for a reaction. He kept his gaze steady, unwilling to indulge her. "The War turned out to be an excellent—though unintentional—promotional platform for it. But Dollet is reluctant to give up everything about the tech, so they share only what they want to share. All broadcasting research and development in the world is now done in Dollet, nowhere else."
Sterling wasn't quite following. "Why does Galbadia want that?"
SeeD Fowler answered, "Since the War, a lot of people have felt it's too dangerous to be so isolated and not know what everyone else is doing. We needed better and wider communication, which can be achieved with the broadcasting technology. The hope is that anyone can tune in to any station in any city that has the capabilities—installed by Dollet, for a price. The economic boost has turned Dollet into a celebrity and technological hub. So, to accommodate the new streams of traffic, Caraway built this train line for faster and more frequent service."
"Speaking of celebrity," Xu noted, "two of you are too famous for your own good, so we needed to change your looks and names." Fowler reached deep into a manila envelope then handed a few badges to Xu. She distributed them one by one. "Only Almasy and SeeD Dincht will be operating under aliases. To keep things less confusing, we've kept their initials intact. SeeD Dincht is Zack Danson. Seifer Almasy will be Soren Anchor."
Seifer cringed as he adjusted the badge clip on his lapel. His vanity wasn't pleased with the photo either. "'Soren Anchor'? What the hell kind of name is that? Who chose these?"
"Does it matter? You can't change it anyway—it's already printed on your ID card."
"You could've changed out Dincht though. Could've just picked someone less famous. That wouldn't have been hard at all."
"Gee, Seifer! I'm starting to think you don't want me here!" Zell sounded slightly offended through the sarcasm.
"Oh, so you're starting to think now? I was wondering when your brain was gonna switch on—"
"Enough!" Xu interrupted with a brisk snap of her fingers. "If you two are going to keep this up, at least start practicing with your new names. None of us can use your real names either once we step off this train. We'll run through the logistics with the President's security team when we arrive. They refuse to disclose any more details until we're there in person—they're rightfully afraid of leaks."
"So…" Sterling began, "do we listen to them or do we listen to you?"
"You will take direction from your squad leader, who will report to the Deling City team. That brings me to my next announcement. Your squad leader is…"
It'd better be—
"Talman Aki."
Seifer wanted to pummel his squad leader's smug expression into the plush loops of the floor carpet. Even better if his glasses shatter into tiny pieces to cut through those comically high cheekbones. But Seifer knew sadistic fervor would get him nowhere in this situation, and especially not with Xu. Instead, he suggested sternly, "Shouldn't someone with a lot more field experience be leading the team? This is a presidential assassination we're talking about here."
"Prevention of a presidential assassination," she corrected, "which is the opposite of what you have experience in. The squad leader was already chosen in advance."
"By whom!?"
"If you're going to continue questioning Garden's authority, I will start docking points."
Talman had been watching this exchange with an amused light in his eyes. He pushed his glasses up his nose and said proudly, "SeeD Xu, what else do I need to know and do as squad leader?" Seifer knew Talman repeated his newly christened title on purpose and out of spite.
"You'll control where your teammates will be assigned, and your teammates include SeeDs Danson and Fowler. It's up to you how you manage your team."
He gets to be squad leader and order other SeeDs around!?
"Remember," Xu looked at each of them in turn, "from this point on, you should conduct yourselves under the assumption that Garden can see and hear everything you say and do. Every decision you make has the potential to affect your grade. As usual, you will be scored on conduct, judgment, attack, spirit and attitude. However, unlike in years past, we have added one more step to the grading process: After the mission, you will appear individually before the Executive Committee panel, give your report on the mission, and be asked a few questions about your actions."
Seifer did not like the implications. "So, you're saying we're gonna be tried? We're not criminals."
"Not all of us, no."
He threw a hard glare at her but held his tongue.
Katya tried to wrap her head around the reason for the panel. "Does that mean Garden is trying to make it harder to pass? To weed out the weaker candidates?"
"Not necessarily. If you do everything right and follow orders"—she looked at Seifer intentionally—"it's highly unlikely you would fail."
"That's right," Fowler agreed as he clipped matching tie bars onto each candidate. "The panel makes it both harder and easier to pass. Harder because the standards are higher. Easier because, well…if you've made a few missteps, you at least have a chance to justify your actions—or inactions."
"You won't be in there long. Forty-five minutes at most. No one has taken more than half an hour with the panel. Play by the rules and there shouldn't be much for you to rationalize."
"We still have about three hours before we arrive," Fowler announced after consulting his wristwatch. "Feel free to do what you want until then. You may leave this cabin but don't leave the train car. If you think it'd be a good use of your time, you can take a look at some info related to the mission." Fowler pulled out a file folder from the envelope and plopped it on the coffee table.
"What's in there?" Seifer asked as he assessed the one-inch-thick folder.
"Profiles of known suspects. Probably useful to know. We only have one copy for security reasons, so you'll all have to take turns. Make sure it doesn't leave this cabin." As soon as Fowler finished his sentence, Talman's hand made a beeline for the folder.
Fine, you little keener. I'll get to it eventually. You can't hog it forever.
There was a quiet knock on the door, and Xu opened it for a young man struggling to carry a food platter and a bulging plastic bag.
"Umm, catering for…cabin five?"
"That's us, thanks." Xu took the platter and bag and handed them to Zell, then tipped the young man with two Gil to send him on his way. "Here's your lunch." She gestured to the assortment of sandwiches and bottled water. "Go ahead and eat, or don't. Either way, you won't be eating again until we arrive, so I suggest you eat something. Last but not least: As always, the order to withdraw takes priority."
That familiar statement was the last straw for Seifer. He stood up and rolled his stiff shoulders to work out some kinks, then walked toward the cabin door.
"Where do you think you're going, Almasy?"
"Oh, I thought you were done, SeeD Shoe. I was just going to get some air with my free time now. I'm suffocating in here." He stepped out into the hall with seven pairs of eyes on his back and a thorn in his heart.
As the door slid shut behind him, Seifer caught his unfamiliar reflection in the train window. He absently watched the trees and terrain outside blur past Soren's face. His mind and his pride toiled through everything he heard in the last hour.
Was this what Trepe meant when she said this mission was 'unusual'?
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
The fate of my SeeDship can't hinge on something so easy. There has to be a catch somewhere…
Author's Note: My apologies for the long wait (though, nowhere near as long as that three-year hiatus?). I hope this chapter did not disappoint. If you spot any typos or plot holes, please let me know. I always appreciate constructive criticism. If you've been reading this and haven't yet left a review, don't be shy! I'd love to hear from you, and would love to know what you think of this story/chapter.
My scenes are getting much lengthier compared to those in chapters past, and I like to think that it's because they're more well-thought-out and detailed. Finally, I'm getting to the parts that I've pictured and refined in my head for years. I know it's been a slow burn and our protagonists haven't 'gotten together' yet, but all in due time. Thank you always for taking the time to read this story. :)
To those of you who left reviews last time: Thank you immensely! Your words are a great encouragement, and definitely helps keep me writing. To reference one reviewer: I promise I won't wait until you've all had two kids before I make my next update! :P
P.S. Check out my new Seiftis "Lessons Learned" - just experimenting with a slightly different way of storytelling.
P.P.S. In response to one reviewer who mentioned that there's a bit of a plot hole regarding how it's only been two months, yet these supposed Cadets (Seifer and Talman, at least), are exam-ready: Seifer technically already has the prerequisite course credits from his previous time in Garden, so he can take an exam technically any time there's one being administered. Talman's past is intentionally somewhat unclear. Quistis knows he's a latecomer in terms of his age, but there's also a lot that she and Seifer doesn't know about him - some of this will be addressed later on, such as how it's possible that he can currently have enough credits to challenge an early exam as well. One hint is that he's only in three classes with Seifer and Quistis - we don't know what he's doing outside of that. ;)
BELIEVE IT OR NOT - I updated...hit "Next chapter". :)