Disclaimer: As the same with all the other chapters, I don't own anything I didn't come
up with. That belongs to Square. I do this for no profit. Blah, blah, blah.

Additional Notes: Yet again, I am giving mucho credit to Nightstalker for the help with dialogue,
instances, situations, ect., and everything the guy's come up with. I seriously would love to be
able to put the guy's name next to mine as the author because, hey, that's what he's turning out
to be. So let's give him another big hand! :D

Chapter 12: Changes

A solitary little girl sits beneath a tree in the back yard of a large brick building. A
bright warm sun above her bathes her in its rich happy light. But she doesn't notice it
especially. She's looking at the abnormally large necklace she wears around her neck. Something
she has had all her life, one of the only things she has ever had. In the brilliant light of the
summer day it glistens and shines. The girl doesn't understand why she has it, or where she got
it, but she loves it nonetheless. Something that is hers and hers alone.

The cheerful cries from the kids playing nearby cause the little girl to jerk her head up
to look at them. They all run and jump happily, making the little girl smile. She gets up to
join them. The grass under bare her feet is cool and springing, and the wind in her face is fresh
and warm. She stops in front one of the kids and smiles in a friendly manner.

"Can I play wif' yoo?" She asks, her large brown eyes widening.

All the children stop playing and stare at her, one larger boy pushing his way through
two other children. His frame is larger than the rest, his short golden hair glistening with
sweat from playing. The boy's beedy eyes scan up and down the girl and when he's done, he frowns
at her meanly.

"No," the boy proclaims. "Yoo can't play. Yoo're too weird an' stoopid."

The children around him nod in agreement, beginning to chant at the little girl. She
shuts her eyes, covering her ears with her small hands.

"Stop it! Stop it! I am not weird!" She yells.

And yet, the chanting becomes louder and louder, soon the children's voices turn to one
cold, sharp voice. A happy summer's day in the backround melts into blackness and the chant
becomes just one sentence, "You are just a mistake."

Vira jolted upward, a cold sweat beading on her forehead. Carefully she rubbed her eyes,
and tried to find out where she was. The room was not some place she had been to before, that
was for sure. She was lying in a large, soft, white bed. Tall windows streamed in the setting
sun's last light onto a slick marble patterned floor. Around her the walls were made of dark
wood, and magnificent carvings of dragons.

Taking it all in, Vira gathered she was still in Draconia. But what had happened? She
remembered what Xana told her, and then nothing. Nothing. Except the words from that song. Where
was everyone else? There were too many questions for Vira to even ask at the moment. She was
about to leap out of bed when she noticed two worried eyes staring at her from a chair across
the room.

It was Zell.

"Vira, it's great you're awake!" He exclaimed as he ran up to her. Zell nearly hugged her
out of relief, but Vira put up her hands in protest.

She glanced around the room and then back at Zell. "What the hell happened? Where are
we exactly?"

"Draconia," Zell explained. "This is Dorin's place. After what you did, Xana was
bleeding. And pretty mad. She disappeared into the Silver Siren, and then it disappeared with all
the other soldiers along with it. She's cut off all communications so the other countries don't
know about what happened here yet. And also...people from all Gardens, Galbadia especially, have
disappeared. Mostly the troublemaker types like Seifer."

Vira lept from the bed, grabbing her coat that was on the nightstand. "Then I have to get
back to Garden, now."

Zell ran after her, which wasn't too hard considering she was only able to go half her
normal speed. "Hold up, Vira. Lord Vachon wants to talk to us. Everyone else is waiting in the
study down the hall."

"Okay," she answered. "You go. I'm going back to Garden."

"Hey!" Zell stepped in front of the door, blocking Vira's only escape from the room. "Ya
can't just go back to Garden. They're expecting us. Both of us. Y'know how weird it'd look if I
just went back and said you'd taken a trip off to Garden? Besides, you're not strong enough."

Vira's eyebrows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes at Zell, looking right into his blue
eyes. "You can't stop me."

"The hell I can't," he answered. "Whatever happened to you has happened before. Seifer
said it was exactly like what you did to him while sparring. Only it was worse this time. I'm
bettin' on the fact that you aren't at your full strength. Don't try me. Please."

Vira relented, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just get it over
with."
Dorin ushered them into the guest room. "Wait here and I will return shortly," he said.
He shut the door and Squall had time to take in the view. Large windows that reached to the
ceiling twenty feet above overlooked what looked like stables and a lake in the distance.

Squall turned his attention to the room and took in the stately elegance of it. The room
was colored in a deep red. A large book shelf took up one wall on one end. The middle of the
room had several antique upholstered chairs with a matching couch. Several paintings lined the
wall, all of which had scenes of Draconian troops in battle. Several old swords in the same
style of Dorin's were hung on pegs on the wall in between the paintings. A large fire blazed in
the huge fireplace in the wall across from the bookcase, the Vachon family crest set into the
fine masonry. Small statues of dragons sat on either end of the mantle. Above the fireplace hung
the largest painting in the room.

It was a family portrait, and it was very well painted. An imposing man with dark brown
hair stood behind a lovely seated blonde woman, who held small baby in her arms, her red lips
turned up beautiful smile that accentuated her fair skin. She held the hand of a boy, who
looked to be twelve or thirteen, who had short hair that was the same color of the woman's, but
the same facial features of the man.

"Wow," Selphie said as she took in the room, and Squall couldn't think of anything to
add to it. The group walked towards the middle of the room. Selphie and Irvine went over to the
window, talking in soft tones to each other. Quistis started looking through the books, while
Seifer looked at the paintings. Rinoa pulled Squall towards the fireplace.

"Look at that," Rinoa said softly, gazing up at the family portrait. "He never said
anything about his family. I wonder where they all are."

Squall shrugged. "His title is Lord-Heir, so his father still has to be alive."

Rinoa nodded. "But what about his mother or his sibling?"

"Dunno. Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it." Squall wondered about it briefly, then
dropped the subject. Whatever happened, it was Dorin's business.


Dorin opened the door to his room and muttered the word that activated the lights. He
hung up his trench coat and changed out of his uniform. He put on his fatigues and his vest,
thinking about the recent developments. The Galbadians had retreated back across the ocean, and
nothing more had been heard. It was strange, considering the ferocity they had attacked.

Dorin shook his head as he pulled on his combat gloves and strapped on his blade. There
was no reason to anything anymore, it seemed like. He had known it was a bad idea to initiate
contact with the veruchii. Now all this seemed to confirm it.

-But what about Vira, hmm Lord-Heir? You seem to like her rather well.-

Well, she'd be more likable if she wasn't so damned moody. But he guessed that everyone
had their quirks. Dorin turned to walk out of the room, but his gaze settled on his holo box.
It had been his birthday present before his mother died. It was his most treasured possession
next to his honor blade.

He took it from his dresser and set on the floor in front of him as he sat on his bed.
After a moment, he opened it, and a holographic image of his mother flashed to life before him.
Her pretty form filled his gaze and the soft music of her favorite song filled the room. He
looked at her image and remembered when she had died. He was thirteen, and she had contracted
Black Fever a week before. All the doctors' efforts hadn't amounted to anything. He remembered
slipping out of bed late that night, intent on seeing his mother one more time, when he had seen
his father crying, something he had never done before. He had approached his father, and his
father told him that she had died. Dorin had sat in his father's arms, crying on his shoulder
for the longest time before he finally went to sleep, exhausted from the grief. And as he gazed
at her image, he felt the feeling again. He just sat there, staring off into space, the soft
music lulling him into another world, another time.

Everyone in the study turned to look at Vira and Zell as they entered. The room had the
same dark wood motif as the bedroom she had been in, but this room was lined with several shelves
of books, all looking in excellent condition. A few big leather covered chairs, colored in a
deep maroon, which now housed Squall, Rinoa, and Seifer. Quistis stood, staring out the window
while Irvine and Selphie were talking to each other quietly, giggling. The only one missing from
the room was Dorin.

"How are you feeling, Vira?" Squall asked.

"A little weak, but otherwise fine," she answered, walking in, in front of Zell. "Where's
Dorin?"

Quistis turned from the window to look at Vira. "He went to go change in his room."

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Selphie whined, pouting a bit.

Squall shrugged. "As long as it takes for them, I guess."

In protest, Selphie crossed her arms and began pouting. "Boooooooring," she stated.

Time felt like it was going by at a snail's pace. Silently, they all waited for either
Lord Pieter or Dorin to come into the study. At one point, Seifer began tapping his foot on the
polished floor in impatientence. All of them still waited, even Squall becoming a tad bored
looking.

That was enough. Vira couldn't stand the waiting any longer. Hell, she didn't even want
to be in the room right now. There was so much left unanswered and so much to think about that
she just felt like running off to get a moment's peace.

-Why not? No one's gonna care if you just go walking around for a few minutes. Don't go
too far and no one will care.-

Quistis seemed to be sharing the same sentiment as she made it out of the room before
Vira even started walking to the door. She had been right; none of the rest showed that much of
an interest in her departure. With that knowledge, Vira crossed over to the door and stepped out
into the hall.

Hollow clicking sounds made by Quistis' boots were heard becoming fainter as she walked
down the hall. As Vira wandered in the same direction, she couldn't help by marvel at how large
the manor was. Even the manor she had heard of in Winhill did not compare to this place. The
Draconian noble families seemed to live quite decadently. It would be quite easy to take one
wrong turn and be lost for weeks in this place.

-How does anyone live here? And never get lost walking around?-

Soft music floated into the empty hall from a room near by, guiding Quistis closer to in
unconciously. Before she knew it, Quistis was standing in front of a room, its door left
ajar.

The faint music floated through the empty hall. Vira saw the door half open and she
peeked inside, standing next to Quistis. There, sitting on the edge of his bed, was Dorin in a
sleeveless black vest, a red dragon tattoo covering his right arm. He was looking at a swirling
holographic image of a beautiful blond woman in an elegant dress, her back towards the door.
Dorin's eyes were far in thought as the sad little music played from the box that projected the
image.

Quistis leaned in close and whispered. "What's he doing?"

"Sitting on his bed, from what I can tell," Vira answered, sounding apathetic.

Quistis nudged her slightly. "I know that. But who's the woman?"

"How would I know?" Vira shrugged. "Mother, or sister or something, I guess."

Inside the room, Dorin ran his fingers through his short blond hair and sighed heavily.
At that moment, he looked directly at the door and saw the two women standing there. He quickly
shut the box, the image fading and the music stopping suddenly as the lid shut with a soft
thunk.

"Do you always look at people in their rooms?" he said indignantly as he rose and opened
the door.

Vira pointed to Quistis. "I was just seeing what she was looking at. I don't usually
look at people in anyone's room. What about you Quistis?"

Quistis gave Vira a pointed look. "You were the one that got bored and decided to go
wandering around."

"Actually, it was your idea too. You left before I did," Vira corrected, smirking
slightly. It then faded and she continued, "Well, I wasn't planning on coming in here. I was
just going to walk to think some things through. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Spoken just like Squall," Quistis retorted, folding her arms across her chest.

Dorin held up his hand and sighed. "Either way, it makes no difference. Let's go back to
the others." He led the way out, his boots clicking on the polished marble floor.

"I guess that means I don't get to take my walk..." Vira mumbled, following him.

Dorin didn't look back. "No. You can't wander the mansion just yet."

"Who was the woman? She was pretty," Quistis asked to break the tension.

Dorin took time in answering. "My mother," he said. "She died soon after Alexai was
born. Black Fever."

"I'm...sorry," whispered Vira, feeling a slight pang of sadness.

Dorin stopped in front of the study door. "Thank you," he said, and deep down, Vira knew
that he meant it. He opened the door for Vira and Quistis.

-His mother...at least he knew what it was like to have one. Hyne, and now I have one
too. And she's trying to destroy his country. How can she do that? Why? Why is she doing it?
When she looked at me...so much hatred in her eyes. How could she hate me that much? And...kill
my father...-

The moment Vira stood thinking, Quistis had already walked into the study and now Dorin
was staring at her, waiting for Vira to do the same. "Well?" He asked her.

"So...can I take a walk and be by myself now?" Vira asked quickly, to cover up for her
being lost in thought.

Dorin sighed. "Very well. But stay in the halls. Father has some rooms he'd rather not
have strangers in."

"Isn't there somewhere outside I could go? Garden? I promise not to trample on the
flowers," Vira inquired, thinking that walking outside would be better for Dorin's nerves.

Dorin was starting to get agitated. "No. Just stay in the halls."

Vira sighed, exasperated. "Fine. Whatever. I'm going then."

She turned to leave, letting Dorin walk into the study and slamming the door behind her.
As she did so, Dorin shook his head. "What in blazes is wrong with her, then?"

Zell arched an eyebrow, looking at Dorin. "She did just recover from that big white
light she shot at Xana and something that Xana said to her. I guess it's bothering her. Man, she
won't tell me about it, though."


Dorin looked at the door one last time. "Well she should have a little bit of respect
when she's in another's house..."

Hollow. Everything felt hollow to Vira. The halls she was wandering felt hollow, the
sound her boots made on the shiny marbel floor, and even her soul. As she slowly decended the
staircase her thoughts only brought her the same way. For years she had wondered what it was
like to have a family, to have parents. It was the only thing she ever thought about that had
her dealing with other people. Sometimes she thought maybe if she had had parents, she wouldn't
be so anti-social all the time. Truthfully, it wasn't that Vira was unfriendly, it was that when
she was young, she had adopted a policy of coldness to others. So much so that it stuck with her
for years and by the time she noticed, it was too late to get out. This was what she knew, what
felt most comfortable to her. For fear of rejection, she had locked her feelings away inside,
only letting out ones like anger when needed. Why bother getting close to people? They only hurt
you. Or the leave, which hurts just as much. But now, things were different. There were people
who needed to talk to her on a regular basis. Balamb Garden's SeeDs were more a social bunch,
working together to achieve a goal. How would they feel if they knew that she was the daughter
of their new enemy? The one that had destroyed Drayden so mercilessly. Engrossed in these
thoughts, Vira neglected to notice she had wandered into a hall adorned with large suits of
armor. Each on stood proudly, shining from recent polishing. They gleamed silver-red in the
setting sun.

-How will everyone react to this? They could hate me for this. I'm the offspring of our
enemy. That makes it harder. For all they know, I could be in on it with her. They don't know me
well. It could happen. Then what would you do? You could be fired, suspended, sent out into the
world with nothing but hatred and the money you've made from your previous missions. And what
about Xana? Her hatred...she wanted to kill me before...didn't she? My nightmare...my scar...it
must've been her and my father in my nightmares. They...must be memories. What am I going to do?
What will I..-

Vira sensed that someone was watching her and turned around. Peeking from behind one of
the suits of armor was a small child, a boy that couldn't be over six years old. When he saw
that she had seen him, he stepped out shyly and bowed. "Are you one of the people who came with
Dory?" he asked.

Vira tried not to snicker slightly at hearing Dorin being called Dory. "Yes. Who are
you?"

The child straightened up and smiled. "I'm Alexai Vachon. What's your name?" He had the
same accent as Dorin, but the way he said everything in his innocent child's voice made
everything sound rather....cute. In appearance, he wore the same uniform as Dorin, although
without most of the decoration, and his hair was brown instead of blonde, probably taking after
his father. The eyes, however, were the same shade of ice blue.

"Vira Eronwil. I'm from Balamb Garden." It was hard to suppress laughing a little seeing
young Alexai wearing the same uniform as Dorin. At the same time, Vira remembered that kids at
Garden had their own uniforms to wear too. Except that none of them looked so...official on a
child.

Alexai looked at her curiously. "Are all the girls from Balamb pretty?"

This time Vira couldn't hold back laughing in spite of herself. "I wouldn't know. I've
only been there once. But it's very nice of you to imply that I'm pretty."

Alexai looked rather confused. "What does imply mean? Did I say something wrong?" He
looked around as if he were in trouble.

To calm him down, Vira smiled a little, although it was a little hard. "No. You didn't
say anything wrong. Imply means that you were almost saying that I'm pretty, but not in the
exact words. Don't worry about it."

"Oh. Okay." Alexai looked relieved. He smiled back up at her again. "Do you know where
Dory is? I know he's home but I cant find him."

Vira pointed back up the stairs. "He's up in the study with everyone else."

Alexai nodded and looked back at her. "How many of there are you?"

"Hmm..." She paused to mentally count everyone in her head. "About 8, including me, I
believe."

Alexai's eyes grew wide. "Are the girls as pretty as you, too?"

This time Vira stopped herself from laughing. "Much more pretty."

Alexai laughed and ran off up the stairs. "I don't believe yooooou!" he called over his
shoulder before he was gone.

"You should!" Vira called back to him.

After Alexai disappeared up the stairs, Vira turned and began aimlessly walking again.

Dorin was discussing the Galbadian's last attack when the door opened and in flew
Alexai.

"Doryyy!" the boy shouted with joy as he leapt into Dorin's arms. To the surprise of all
there, Dorin smiled and actually laughed as he picked up Alexai and tossed him into the air
before giving him a big hug.

"Hey, Bugger. Where have you been?" Dorin asked.

"Looking for you. The pretty lady in black told me where you were." Alexai smiled and
looked pleased with himself.

Seifer chuckled. "Do we know a pretty lady in black?"

Zell gave him a sharp glance. "Just because she kicked your butt, you don't have to talk
bad about her."

Dorin shook his head. "And where'd you see her at?", turning his attention back to his
little brother.

"Down the stairs in the armor hall. She said that you were in here with the rest of the
veruchii." He looked at the girls in the room. "She was right about the girls from Balamb being
pretty too."

Dorin looked at him in surprise. "Alexai!"

"Well it's true!" Alexai pouted. This brought giggles from Selphie and Rinoa, while
Quistis turned a shade red.

Irvine started laughing at this, giving Selphie a hug. "Y'hear that? I told ya that
people think you're pretty. It's not just me."

Selphie's face turned more red, and she elbowed him slightly in the ribs."Oh, shut up,
Irvy."

Dorin smiled again. "Well, Lexy, where are you supposed to be now?"

Alexai frowned. "Do I have to?"

Dorin nodded. "Yes you do. Uncle Dravere will be waiting for you, and you don't want him
to wait too long, do you?"

Alexai nodded and sighed as Dorin put him down. He began to leave the study but turned
at the doorway. "Dory, will you take me out to the stables after dinner tonight?"

Dorin smiled. "I'll see what I can do. Now run along, Bugger."

Alexai smiled with glee and ran out of the room.

"Your brother is very cute, Dorin." Rinoa smiled pleasantly at him.

Dorin grinned. "Yes, well, he takes after his mother in that respect." He loked back at
the now empty doorway, his face falling into the emotionless mask he wore, while his eyes
focused on something in the distance. He shook himself and turned his attention back to the
group.

"I think father wanted to speak with you all before dinner. Shall we?"

"Right," Squall replied, getting up from his seat.

* * * *

Vira leaned one arm against the wall nearby, an ocean of feelings flowing inside her
head. All of this was too overwhelming for her. How could Xana be her mother? How could she have
killed her father? For the first time, Vira felt completely confused and lost.

A small cough broke her concentration, Vira turned to look at where the sound was coming
from. In front of her stood a woman in what looked to be a servants uniform. She was standing
quite stiffly, as if she wanted something from Vira.

"What?" Vira asked, gruffly.

"The Lord wished to see you in his study before dinner, milady," the maid said.

"Now?" She returned.

The maid nodded impassively. "Yes milady, now."

Vira sighed, knowing she wasn't in the right mind set to deal with people like lords.
But, she relented and asked, "Where is this?"

The maid turned and pointed down the hall. "Straight down the hall, on the third door on
your right, milady. I can show you if you wish."

"No, no," Vira waved her hand dismissively. "I can find it. Thanks."

The maid nodded and walked away.

"Damn," Vira whispered under her breath as she walked down the hall to the room.

Vira took a deep breath and stepped into the room. The group was already there, Squall
and Qusitis were seated while the others stood around. Dorin stood near the large desk, behind
which stood a large man with dark brown hair, almost to the point of black. Grey streaked his
temples, and he had an aura of authority about him. As he looked up at her, Vira was slightly
shocked to see that his right eye was replaced with a large red bionic implant, the skin
surrounding the implant skewed with scar tissue. The implant twisted and zoomed in slightly as
he looked at Vira.

"Vira Eronwil, is it not?", the man said.

Reluctantly, Vira replied. "Yes..."

The man nodded at her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Pieter Vachon. Dorin has
told me much about all of you." He spoke to everyone, his eye whirring as it zoomed out to
encompass the entire group. Vira found the motion rather unnerving.

"Oh? Really? I hope it was in our favor then," Vira tried not to sound odd, but she
wasn't doing a good job of covering up how awkward she felt.

Squall gave Vira a glance that told her maybe she shouldn't say anything else, so she
moved to the back of the room, standing very still. "What is it that you wanted to talk to us
about, sir?" Squall asked.

"I wanted to know what the Galbadians could possibly want from us. According to all of
our intelligence, they have all they could possibly want as it comes to rescrouces, men, and
material. No one makes war for no reason, so there must be some reason behind their invasions
upon us." Lord Pieter turned and looked out one of the windows that was behind his desk.

Squall sat thoughtfully for a moment, pondering everything about what had happened.
Eventually, he answered, "Yes, usually the Galbadians have an alterior motive, but most of us
don't know what Xana wanted. Seemed more like a vengence fueled war than anything else. She must
have been here once before."

Instinctively, Vira put a hand over her necklace to hide its symbol that also adorned
the Silver Siren.

Lord Pieter shook his head. "Impossible. You are the first veruchii that have been here.
But we're still trying to find out how the Galbadians got here the first time. They had to have
known where Draconia was from someone." He looked at Vira. "Is there something wrong
Ms. Eronwil?"

Her eyes widened at hearing her name and she slowly put her hand back to her side. "No,
nothing."

Lord Pieter kept his gaze on her a little longer then turned his attention back to the
group. Well, in this case, I've been authorized by the Grand Magistrate to hire you to find out
why Galbadia has taken the trouble of invading us twice. Find out what they are planning, and
who exactly is this Xana. If she has been here, we must find out how and why she came to know
the location of our country."

Squall rose from his seat, Quistis following suit. He saluted Lord Pieter and said,
"Yes, sir."

Behind him, Vira stood silent, her face not its usual mask of emotionlessness. It was
contorted into confusion, a hint of sadness glazing over her eyes. Without realizing it, she put
her hand over her necklace again.

As the group left, Dorin walked up to Vira. "Vira, what's wrong? This isn't like you at
all." His face mirrored her confusion, he eyes searching into hers.

She immediately turned her gaze out the door, now staring at it blankly. "I...don't want
to talk about it..." Vira trailed off, already deep in thought.

Dorin acted like he wanted to say more, but he stopped. He put a hand on her shoulder
and walked out with the rest of the group.

Out of nowhere, Vira said, "I'm going to ask if I can be assigned to something else.
There must be other places in the world SeeDs are needed."

Dorin stopped suddenly and turned. "Why? What do you mean?"

Lord Pieter now stepped up beside her. "That necklace is rather...unusual. Where did you
get it from, my dear?" His voice betrayed no hint of accusation, but from the way he looked at
her, she could tell that he was very interested.

Having to ignore Dorin's question for the moment, she answered, "I've had it as long as
I can remember. It was a gift from my...parents. I think. The people at the orphanage just said
they found it on me."

Lord Pieter nodded. He then looked at Dorin. Close the door, please." Dorin, confused,
did as he was told. As soon as the door shut, Lord Pieter looked at her. "We're not accusing you
of anything, Ms. Eronwil," he said in a soft but ernest voice. "But I would like to ask you a
few questions. First, you do know that that symbol was on Xana's personal ship, the Silver
Siren, correct?"

"Yes..." She slowly answered, her nervousness gnawing at her stomach. "I had heard about
that."

Dorin finally caught on. "Father you can't-"

Lord Pieter held up a hand. "I'm merely curious is all, Dorin. If there's something to
know, we need to know." He looked back at Vira intently. "Is there something that we should
know, Ms. Eronwil? Is there something that all of us should know? With holding anything could be
dangerous to us in this mission."

There wasn't any way out of it. She had to tell them what Xana had said, whether it was
really true or not. Vira pursed her lips for a second, but then slowly admitted, "She...told me
she is my mother and that she killed my father."

Dorin looked totally shocked. "Gods," he said softly.

Lord Pieter nodded. "Do the others know yet?" he asked, his expression softening.

"No," Vira stated simply.

Lord Pieter nodded again and looked at both Dorin and Vira. "Very well. Nothing more
will be said about this to anyone. It will be your decision if this is known to anyone else.
Understood?" He delivered the last line looking at Dorin.

Dorin nodded. "Understood."

"Understood," Vira agreed and turned to leave. Talking about hadn't made her really feel
any better about it. At this point, all she wanted to do was go sleep everything off...if she
didn't have another one of those nightmares.

Dorin walked with her after the group through the hall. He glanced at her and he could
tell that her nerves were in shambles. "Are you going to be alright?"

She shook her head and shrugged at the same time. "I have no idea."

Dorin nodded and looked at her. "You know I'll be with you to back you up, right?"

"Sure," she answered absently. "I should go talk to Squall..."

"I think you should." Dorin stopped and sighed. "The Vorhal says 'He who tries to take
on an army alone is doomed to die, but he who takes on an army even with just one man at his
side has a chance of succeeding.' It means you don't have to face your burdens alone. It's just
something to think about."

"Yeah..." Vira started, "It is something to think about, but right now I have way more
to think about than I need. Too many questions with no answers."

Dorin nodded, understanding her dilema. "I take it we won't see you at dinner tonight,
then?"

"I guess not," she answered. "I don't know..." She felt a million miles away from
herself, Dorin, and where she was standing. Vira spotted Squall at the end of the long hallway.
Not saying anything else to Dorin, she ran to catch up to him and said, "We need to talk. Right
now."

Squall was a little taken aback by her approach. "Er, sure Vira. What's the matter?"

Rinoa looked concern as well, hey deep brown eyes edged with worry. "Did something
happen, Vira?"

Vira looked at Rinoa nervously. "You mind if I talk to Squall alone for a minute?"

Rinoa looked more worried than ever, but consented. "I'll be waiting for you," she said
as she kissed Squall on the cheek before she left.

Squall turned to Vira. "So what's the matter?"

"Is there anyway I could be assigned to some other mission somewhere else? Anyway at
all?" she asked, trying to keep herself under control.

"I could put in a request to Headmaster Cid." Squall arched a brown eyebrow. "Why? Why
the change all of a sudden?"

Vira began to look around the hall nervously, but then tried to settle herself. "I don't
think I can face Xana again."

Squall seemed to want more, and Vira realized she'd have to do better. "It'll have to be
a better reason, Vira. Headmaster Cid won't let me release you with a very good reason, and even
that's up for debate."

-What the hell could be the problem? Nervous that she could pull the same thing she did
on her last time? Maybe it's what Zell had said earlier...something Xana said scared her...
whatever it is, it certainly has gotten to her.-

Vira sighed, a long and heavy sigh. "Well...I have reason to believe that she's my
mother, and that she killed my father. Is that reason enough?"

-Hyne, how can that be? Her mother?!-

Squall stayed silent for a moment, looking at her. "Are you sure? That she's your mother,
I mean."

"I don't even know. I think so. I mean, I have this necklace which matches that symbol
she has on the Silver Siren. Not to mention all the nightmares I've had with her in them...."
Vira paused, still trying to come to terms with it. "Yes, I think she is."

Squall sighed. He didn't know what to make of the situation. He knew that if he told Cid
that Vira might be Xana's daughter, she would suspended pending an investigation. If he didn't,
then she'd be forced on the mission.

He considered his options carefully. "Does anyone else know about this?"

She nodded. "Lord Vachon and Dorin. Lord Vachon recognized the necklace." Vira pointed
to her necklace, and suddenly decided to take it off. "I don't think I'll even be able to wear
this anymore."

Squall nodded. He tried to think of something that he could do to help Vira and not
compromise the mission. There didn't seem like there was anything he could do. Unless....

"Do you think that you could go to Esthar and talk to Laguna about anything he's learned
about Xana?"

Apprehensively, she answered, "I guess so. It's just that right now I'm not sure I'd
even be able to handle learning anything more...this is all very confusing. I want to have my
questions answered, but I don't know if I really want to know..."

Squall smiled and chuckled lightly. "I've been there. Believe me, I've been there.
Besides, you'll be going with Dorin. He'll back you up if you feel uncomfortable. Besides, I
think it'd be...interesting to see how he and Laguna interact with each other."

Again, she sighed. All Vira really wanted was some time to herself to try to think
things through, while at the same time she didn't want to be totally alone. None of this made
any sense to her at all. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable, it's just that I don't know what the
hell I'm supposed to think about all this." She stopped to think of Squall's last sentence. "Can
you even imagine Dorin talking to President Laguna? That's like a some sort of cruel joke."

Squall smiled again. "Either way, he said that he was to experience the rest of the
world. At any rate, you two work well together."

Vira frowned. "Yeah, when we're not arguing about something."

"But you still do work together. And I can't send you somewhere alone in case Xana finds
you somehow. And it'd look better to Headmaster Cid if you did go with backup."

"Yeah..." Vira relented, but still shook her head in disagreement. "But what about the
rest of you? What are you going to do?"

"We'll be alright. We'll go to Deling and see why Xana was so eager on destroying
Draconia." Squall placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be alright. Nobody will know."

"But she knows, and there's still a lot left that I don't know. And I thought I had my
life figured out and the this comes along and just makes my life one big puzzle. One that I'm
missing half the pieces of." Something inside Vira made her just say that. An urge inside of her
to make him understand where she was coming from. Although, she wasn't sure it would work.

Squall nodded. "And you feel like you're just a puppet in a larger play. That there
isn't anything you can do to cut the strings."

Vira tilted her head to the side and stared at Squall. "Not exactly. Just...so many
fragments of my life I don't even know about. Look," She picked up the necklace, holding it out
to Squall. "I've had this my entire life, but I don't even know where it came from. But Xana
knows." Vira threw the necklace to the ground, the metal clinking on the polished floor. "I
don't know who I am at all anymore. That's how I feel. Not a puppet, but a blank slate."

Squall looked down thoughtfully. "Do you think it's because of the GFs, or something
Xana did?"

"I think the nightmares are because of her, but I guess I forgot some of it beacuase of
the GF," she answered.

Squall nodded. "What Selphie's come up with is a diary so we don't forget." He turned
and looked out a window. "But if there's a link from Xana to the nightmares..." He turned back
to Vira. "You might want to talk to Dr. Odine while in Esthar. He helped to suppress Matron's
powers, he could probably help you."

Vira squinted. "But what do I have to suppress?"

Squall sighed and motioned her to follow him. "He's an expert at everything that's
magical in nature. If Xana's sending you these nightmares, he can probably find a way to help
you suppress them."

Vira walked next to Squall, trying to make sense of what he said. "I guess...but I don't
think she was causing them intentionally. She seemed surprised to see me, she's thought I've
been dead the whole time."

Squall thought for a second. "Then do you think some of this might be your own memories?"

"Yeah, it very well might be." Vira looked down at the small scar on her arm. "I've had
this for a while, but I couldn't remember why..." She paused. "She said something to me that
was just like the nightmare...and the same eyes..."

Squall glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"I've been seeing this woman in my nightmares who keeps saying I'm a mistake. Xana said
the same thing to me. And her eyes are the exact same eyes at the ones the woman has in my
dream. I..." Vira didn't even know what she was saying at this point. It was all just flowing,
like at least something was trying to make some sense. "I think my nightmares are of Xana and my
father when I was young. She...stabbed my arm in my nightmare." Vira offered her right arm up.
"The same place as this."

Squall looked rather disturbed at this. "Then maybe Dr. Odine can bring the memories to
the surface, maybe giving us something to work on." He looked at Vira. "Or mabye Sis could help
you..."

Vira arched an eyebrow. "Sis?"

Squall turned a shade pink. "Er, I mean Ellone. She's Laguna's niece, and she has the
power to take people back into the past to experience past events." He paused. "That's how I was
able to save Rinoa."

"Oh," Vira answered. She then stopped to think for a moment. One question bothering her
to no end. It finally won and she asked, "Do you think bringing the memories up is a good idea?"

Squall sighed. "Only if you want to. I can't order you to. Only you can make that call."

Vira sighed as well and looked upward towards the ceiling. "I have no idea what I want."

"Well, you'll have some time to think about it. Here, let's go." Squall motioned to the
rest of the group waiting at the end of the hall.

Vira immediately shut up, still too many questions on her mind. If everyone found out
about it, what would they think? She felt outside everything already without being pointed out
by people, everyone knowing who she was already.

Zell waved at Squall and Vira. "Yo! S'up, Squall? What's goin' on?"

"Nothing," Squall replied. "Just getting things figured out for the mission. C'mon,
let's go eat."

"I hear ya. Hey Dorin, I hope you serve hot dogs." Zell grinned, already thinking about
the meal.

Dorin arched an eyebrow. "We don't eat dogs here."

"No not dogs, hot dogs! They're...ah forget it." Zell's shoulders sagged a little while
Rinoa rolled her eyes and held Squall's hand.

"Him and his hot dogs..."

Vira shook her head. "You should try something else sometime, Zell. Hot dogs aren't the
only thing in the world to eat."

"No," Zell started, but then grinned widely. "But they are the best!"

Seifer rolled his eyes and then shook his head. "You're bordering obsessive, Zell."

"Maybe, but it's a good obsession, right?" Zell said still grinning.

Dorin had no idea what they were talking about. "I will have to catch up on your
culinary dishes one of these days," he said to Vira.

"You keep thinkin' that, Chickenwuss." Seifer retorted.

Zell's face turned red. "Stop calling me that!"

As Quistis got between the two, Vira turned to Dorin. "I don't know much about food to
begin with."

Dorin shrugged and smiled somewhat. "After eating MRE's for one tour of duty, you can
eat almost anything." They entered the dinning room and Dorin nearly bumped into Irvine as the
SeeDs stopped and stared. The giant hall was inlaid with fine wood paneling, with a large
dinning table set for eleven. Another giant fireplace sat at the head of the room. A gigantic
chandelier overhead gave illumination to the entire room. Giant marble columns matched the
marble tiling of the floor, etched with golden latic. The columns helped support the giant
arched ceiling overhead.

"Whoa..." Zell murmmered.

The rest shook their heads in agreement, Irvine letting out a low whistle. It was so...
huge. A grand room the likes they weren't used to. Not even the ballroom at the Garden was this
nice. Dorin stepped part Irvine, mentally shaking his head. "You all look like you've never seen
a dinning room before."

"Well, like, we've never seen one this damn big before, Dorin." Irvine said, still
looking around the room.

Selphie began jumping up and down happily. "This is soooo cool! Look at it! It's so...
big! I'm definitely gonna tell my friends in Trabia about this."

Dorin rolled his eyes. At that moment, Alexai and Lord Pieter entered. Alexai smiled
shyly at Vira as he passed. Lord Pieter bowed to them. "Good evening everyone. I trust Dorin has
been a proper host?"

Squall nodded. "Yes, of course."

"You're dining room is magnificent," Rinoa said, still in awe of the room.

Lord Pieter laughed. "Well, it's rather modest as our architecture goes, but it's
functional. Come, we will be served shortly."

As they took their places, Quistis leaned in next to Zell. "Just remember your table
manners, okay?"

Zell grinned back at Quistis. "That means no elbows on the table then, huh?" He joked.

Irvine leaned over to Squall and whispered, "If this is modest, we'll have a heart
attack seeing their posh stuff."

Squall rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but agree. It was a wonder why Draconia
hadn't opened relations sooner, they could be economic giants if given time.

Servents came in carrying plates of beef, duck, and venison with potatoes and other
side plates. Everything smelled delicious. Everyone was served and the SeeDs began eating. Vira
was about to eat a slice of beef when she noticed that Dorin, Alexai, and Lord Pieter hadn't
touched their food. They closed their eyes, put one hand over their meals, and muttered some
words. Their food glowed for a second and then turned back to normal. Only then did they begin
to eat.

Selphie looked at Irvine, then at Quistis. "What was that?" She whispered.

"I don't know. Some Draconian custom most likely." Quistis answered.

Irvine took his hat off and scratched his head, "But we don't know how to do that. How
do we eat?"

Lord Pieter saw the confused looks and chuckled. "It is an Draconian custom. Dorin, will
you explain?"

Dorin nodded. "Ages ago when the Houses used to openly feud, poisoning became a favorite
way to dispatch one's enemies. So the Nobility used to cast a purification spell over their
meals before they ate. After the Great War, when the feuding ended and Draconia became united a
gain, the spell became a token of respect to Hyne and the patrons."

"Oh," Rinoa said. "Umm...we don't have to do it, do we? Because we all don't know how
to." She smiled nervously.

Lord Pieter smiled. "No. It's not expected of you. Do not worry about insulting us."

All of them looked relieved and began eating as well. Zell tried to obey Quistis'
warning and kept his manners as well as he could.

Quistis looked up from her meal. "So why did Draconia seal off relations?"

Squall looked up as well, interested. "Yes, it would be interesting to hear what
happened."

Lord Pieter sipped his glass of wine as he gathered his thoughts. "Draconia has always
been an isolated nation. Of course, it wasn't until four hundred years ago that we were actually
unified as a nation. We were unified by Vahallen, who laid down our code of Honor into the
Vorhal. When he died, the houses began to feud with one another until it escalated into the
Great War. This ended about three hundred years ago. We started to refine and build into an
actual nation." Lord Pieter took another sip before continuing. "About a century ago, we decided
to open relations. Everything was good until Galbadia decided to invade us. We fought back and
pushed them out, but the losses were horrendous. From then on, we've closed off our relations
and built a strong military. But after hearing about the Sorceress War in Esthar and the
Ultimecia battle a few months ago," he said, nodding to the SeeDs, "we've decided it was in our
best interest to find out how much the world has changed since we closed off relations."

"The world has definitely changed in the past few years. Garden being set up was one of
them," Quistis said.

"What exactly is this Garden?" Lord Pieter asked.

Quistis cleared her throat and explained. "Garden is a program begun by Headmaster Cid
Kramer and his wife, Edea. It's to take in orphans and train them to become SeeDs. The SeeD's
main purpose is to fight the sorceress, should that be nessesary. If students at Garden do not
become SeeDs they are released at the age of 20. There are three Gardens, Balamb, which is
mobile, Galbadia, which was once mobile but has now settled back where they were and Trabia
Garden which is in repair."

Lord Pieter nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. Much like our Dragon Guard."

Quistis arched an eyebrow, curious. "What's the Dragon Guard?"

"It's the Legions' special forces. They are even more well trained the regular legion.
They're made up of the orphans of those who have died while in the service of the legion. They
forget everything of their former house and take on another patron GF."


Turning back to her meal, Quistis replied, "Oh. Yes, that is kind of similar."


Alexai twirled a forkful of pasta on his plate. "They're weird. They never do anything
other than train or fight."

Squall looked at Alexai. "That's pretty much all we do at Garden. Although there are
some history classes. Sometimes it's the only thing we have."

Alexai got the hint and kept quiet. Dorin couldn't help but chuckle. "Diplomacy is
sometimes the better part of battle."

"Chapter 9, verse 23, I know, I know." Alexai pouted.

"That's true," Squall added. "If we could avoid fighting, that's good. But when we're
needed, we do what we have to."


"Indeed." Lord Pieter said. "But I fear that when the beast grows restless, there is
nothing you can do except unsheath the sword and smite the beast."

Squall nodded, as did the rest of the SeeDs. Dorin finished his dinner and wiped his
mouth. "You still want to go out to the stables this evening, Alexai?"

"Yeah!" Alexai replied enthusiastically.

"Just beware of the wolves. They've been getting braver these past few weeks," Lord
Pieter said, staring at his eldest.

"There are wolves around here?" Selphie asked.

Dorin nodded, his face grim. "Not just wolves. Dire wolves. Undead beasts that slaughter
for nothing more than to kill."

Lord Pieter finished his glass of wine. "They've taken a toll on the local livestock as
of late."

"That's terrible," Selphie added, putting her napkin down after wiping her mouth with it.

As if on cue, a mournful howl rose in the difference. It sent shivers up the spines of
everyone present. Dorin turned to Alexai. "I think I'll take you out to the stables tomorrow
morning. I don't think it will be safe tonight."

Sadly, Alexai nodded and turned back to his dinner. The rest did the same, spending the
rest of the meal in silence.

Aferwards, Lord Pieter had the servants show the SeeDs to their rooms for the night,
everyone looking very tired after the extremely long day of battling. All the rooms were
decorated in the now more familiar Draconian setting. Large dark wood carvings of dragons and
warriors, with large soft looking beds, and tall windows to the side. They all said their good
nights and turned in.

Seifer's gunblade glinted brilliantly in the crimson sunlight of dusk. He stood atop a
mountain, fighting off a group of Galbadian soldiers single handedly. With a series of deftly
performed moves, he killed every soldier that opposed him. He was the only hero, fighting for
good against the forces of evil. Alone, he stood on the mountain, his gunblade shining as he
rose it high in the air. A low, seductive female voice called to him.

"You are a mighty hero, Seifer. I can make you mightier. You will slaughter your
enemies. You will become mighty amongst all warriors."

Seifer stood amongst his handywork, grinning victoriously. Yet...something wasn't right.
Seifer's grin faltered as he thought he recognized one of the bodies. As he knelt down and
inspected the body, the voice spoke to him again. "If you do not fail me, Seifer, I will make
you my champion. Fail me..."

The voice trailed off as Seifer took off the helmet on the Galbadian and his eyes grew
wide in surprise in horror. It was Selphie. He had killed Selphie. And near her lay Irvine. All
around him were the bloody, broken bodies of his comrades. In pain and despair, Seifer screamed
at the uncaring sky...

And woke up, sweating and panting hard. "Damn," he said, collecting his thoughts. He
leaned back against the head board of his bed. The dream itself wasn't unfamiliar. He'd had
several like it when Ultimecia called to him. But the others hadn't been in them. It was just
him standing triumphant in the ones Ultimecia had sent him.

Seifer calmed himself down and got dressed. He strapped his gunblade to his side and
left his room. He walked quietly down the darkened hallway and found the front door and went
outside.

The weather was pleasant, a slight night breeze cooling the air. Seifer took a deep
breath to gather his thoughts. He knew he had been called by someone. Could it have been Xana?
Maybe, but what did she want with him?

-Maybe because you were a sorceress' lapdog at one time, huh? Maybe because she knows
that you can be bought with a few wild dreams of fame and fortune.-

"That was then, this is now." Seifer angrily told himself. He was about to go back inside
when the voice came to him again, softly enticing him.

"You are still discontented, aren't you? Still the minor player in the game, right?" The
voice taunted.

Seifer whirled around, drawing his gunblade.

"Who are you?!" he challenged.

"Someone who can make you the only winner for once. Ultimecia thought too small. Why be
content being the only one in the universe? Why not be a leader of a world you can do what you
will with? I can make it happen. I can make people tremble at your feet..." Only half answering
the question at hand, the voice trailed off for a moment. "You're a smart kid, Seifer. You
should know who I am..."

Seifer swallowed hard. "Xana?" he whispered.

"Good boy!" She cheered mockingly. "See?" The voice even sounded like it was grinning,
however impossible that could be. "I knew you were a smart boy."

Seifer tried to shut her off. "Get out of my head," he spat.


A cruel laugh resinated off all corners of his mind. It felt as cold as ice. Worse than
any spell that Shiva could have dealt out. "You can't shut me out. You should know that. Some of
the others tried to shut me out, but they couldn't hold out. Neither can you."

"I've kind of had some experience in that," Seifer replied darkly. "Or are you so
powerful that you forgot?"

Again, the voice laughed. Harder this time, making Seifer wince a little. "I haven't
forgotten. I keep up with what's going on. But even with your "experience" you can't hold out.
Don't tell me you're happy with where you are in life?" The last sentence had a mocking tone to
it, like she knew that it would stick in Seifer's mind and peck away at his soul.

Seifer tried to keep his composure. "I happier now than I would be with you."

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"I've tried the other path. And if you don't mind me saying, it kind of sucked."

"Aaah," the voice stopped for a second. "But, this isn't the same path. There is never
the same path. Only ones with similar traits. This will take you somewhere else. Ultimecia
would've destroyed you with Time Compression. I won't."

The voice was luring and seductive, tantalizing Seifer's ambitions. "What do you mean?
What sort of places?"

"Glorious places, places where victory for you, and you alone, is common. There is no
sharing the spotlight. None of that lapdog stuff. Just you and them. And you come out the
victor. People will bow before you," she explained, her voice taking on an even more alluring
tone.

Even as she spoke, the images danced in his head. The triumph of him over his enemies,
the adoration of the people, the respect of his comrades. All he had to do was just follow
Xana...

"Alright", he said finally. "I've made my decision."

"Which is?" She asked.

Seifer grinned. "I'd rather screw a Wendigo than follow you."

The voice's tone became cold and harsh. "Then you shall die along with my mistake!"

Seifer actually laughed. "Lady, you're only mistake was being born."

No sooner had he said that then he was flung against the stone wall of the mansion by an
unseen force. The back of his head bounced off the hard stone and he slumped forward, dazed. He
felt someone standing over him and he reached for his gunblade, certain that it was Xana. Only
when the person spoke did he relax.

"Excuse me?" Quistis asked, her eyes gleaming. "Were you talking to me, Seifer?"

Seifer touched the back of his head, feeling the tender round bump forming at the base.
"No. I didn't even know you were out here."

Quistis tilted her head to the side, squinting at him. "What are you doing out here?"

Seifer grunted as Quistis helped him up. "Getting a breath of fresh air. What are you
doing out here?"

"The same," she answered. "How did you end up down there?"

Seifer hesitated, wondering if he should tell her.

-Hell, you might as well. It's not like she'll be surprised.-

"It was Xana. She was calling to me through dreams." Seifer looked away, not wanting to
face Quistis. "She was wanting me to join her. To be her knight." Seifer walked past her,
smirking slightly. "Maybe I should set up a business. Seifer: Sorceress's Lap Dog. Works cheap,"
he said ruefully.

"Why did she want you?" Quistis asked, trying to see his face, but Seifer was managing
to stay one step ahead of her.

Seifer turned angrily. "Why do you think? Because I was Ultimecia's puppet once. That
I'll be just as easy to control again. That I'll be as stupid as I was the first time."

Quistis was taken aback by the outburts, but tried to remain calm. "But you're not."

Seifer snorted. "Then why did I even stop to consider it? Why did I even think that
there was a way I could get away with?" Seifer knew his composure was cracking, but he didn't
care. He'd kept this all bottled up for too long. He needed to get it out.

Quistis put a hand on Seifer's shoulder to calm him. "Because you were under Ultimecia's
control. You couldn't have known."

Seifer shook his head, his shoulders slumped. "No. It was my decision to begin with. I
knew what was being asked and I went along with it." Seifer turned and looked Quistis in the
eye. "No more. No more of the knight bullshit. No more sorceress' lap dog. This is me. Seifer
Almasy."

Quistis looked right back at him, trying to read his eyes, but there were too many mixed
emotions in it. "And you're a SeeD," she started. "You know what you're doing now."

Seifer looked down and nodded. He looked up again and smiled. Not the cocky grin Quistis
was accustomed to seeing, but a genuinely warm smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Quistis. For letting me
unload."

She smiled back at him, feeling like she had finally done right by one of her last
students. "You're welcome, Seifer."

Seifer glanced down again, slightly embaressed. "Well, I guess we should be getting back
insi-"

Seifer was cut short by a menacing growl a few feet away. He and Quistis turned to see a
pair of glowing red eyes shining out of the gloom. Then another set appeared. And another. And
another...

Seifer drew his gunblade and backed up a step. "Dire wolves?"

Quistis nodded, looking at each pair of eyes. "Probably. What should we do? I left my
whip inside."

Seifer cursed silently. She was unarmed and he couldn't take on an entire pack by
himself. "Try to walk slowly to the door. Maybe if we don't provoke them they won't attack."

Quistis nodded and she edged towards the walk that lead to the front door. But she had
only gone a few steps when another growl came from the direction of the front door. Seifer
glanced over his shoulder to see the wolf. In the porch lights on either side of the door, he
could see that it was huge, at least twice as big as Rinoa's dog, Angelo. Glowing red eyes
observed their every movement, and a large red tongue hanged from the slobbery, toothed maw. He
could smell decaying flesh coming from it, making him want to gag, and as he looked closer, he
could see that it's hide was indeed rotting off of it's carcass, giving them glimpses of red
muscle and sinew.

"Magic?" Quistis suggested. "If they're undead, Curaga could deal some serious damage to
them." She tried to stay behind Seifer, silently scolding herself for leaving her weapon behind.

Seifer nodded. "That'd be my bet..."

At that moment, the attack came. One of the beasts in front charged at them with inhuman
speed, leaping the remaining distance between them. In the moment before he reacted, Seifer had
time to register that the undead dog's belly was split open, the intestines trailing behind it
as it lept. Then Seifer brought his gunblade up, catching the creature's chest on his blade a
split second before he pulled the trigger, the wolf blown apart.

Quistis closed her eyes, concentrating hard. From within, a blue light emerged, and she
raised her hands towards the heavens. A wolf leaping to attack her was washed away with a
mixture of azure and emerald light, killing it with Curaga.

One of the wolves lifted it's head to the sky and howled, a long, mournful sound that was
answered by more in the distance.

"Damn." Seifer spat."We can't hold them off forever, especially if they've got company
coming."

Quistis quickly glanced at the door, then back at Seifer. "I say we make a run for it, as
fast as we can."

Seifer glanced back at the door before he turned his attention back to the dogs. "It's
risky. If we trip up, they'll be on us in a second."

"Can you think of anything bet-" Quistis said before a wolf leapt out of nowhere, heading
right towards Quistis.

"Look out!!" shouted Seifer as he shoved Quistis out of the way. He tried to bring up his
blade, but the wolf was too fast. Seifer felt sharp teeth pierce the flesh on his forearm,
shouting in surprise and pain as he fell backwards.

Quistis yelled with surprise as she hit the ground, just in time to see Seifer be bitten
in the arm by one of the wolves. Anger rose inside her. Quickly she tossed the only potion she
had in her pocket to Seifer and turned her attention to the wolf. Life. Yes, a Life spell would
be even worse than Curaga. Before the wolf could attack again, Quistis focused on it and called
upon a Life spell. The wolf yelped in pain, before collapsing on the ground in a bloody heap.

Seifer grabbed the potion and drank it, his wounds closing up instantly.

"I'm good, go!" he shouted. Quistis took off as Seifer scrambled to his feet. They had
almost made it to the door when it opened and Lord Pieter aimed a laser rifle at them.

"Duck!" he shouted as he fired. Seifer and Quistis hit the ground as a wolf took a laser
bolt to the head. The broken canine form hit the ground and skidded to a stop. Quistis and
Seifer were on their feet and through the door before Lord Pieter closed and locked it.
Outside, the wolves growled in frustration.

Panting, Quistis looked back outside. Now the only thing visible of the wolves were their
eerie glowing eyes and unearthly growls. She brushed a hair out of her face and turned to Lord
Pieter. "Thank you," she said, then turned to Seifer. "You okay?"

Seifer nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Yes," she breathed, wiping another stray golden hair from her face.

Lord Pieter checked the charge on the laser rifle as the others came racing out of their
rooms.

"What happened?" Squall asked as he ran up, gunblade in hand.

"The wolves attacked. These two were outside when it happened," Lord Pieter said. He gave
the rifle to a guard. "Shoots high and to the right," he commented.

Dorin walked over the window and looked out, seeing the glowing red eyes of the wolves.
"Unusual. They normally don't come this close to the house."

"Well, they came pretty damn close this time," Seifer snapped. "A little too close."

Rinoa stared at the two. "What were you guys doing outside?" She asked.

Quistis and Seifer looked at each other. "We couldn't sleep," Quistis said.

Vira crossed her arms, and looked to the window. "And you guys thought walking outside
was good idea, right?"

"Didn't you guys think about the wolves?" Selphie questioned. "I mean, those things are
reeeaaallly scary."

Seifer scowled. "No, we actually wanted to become dog food."

Squall held up a hand. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Let's just all get back to
bed."

The others nodded in agreement and went back to their rooms. Before Seifer entered his,
he nodded to Quistis as she passed. She smiled and entered her own room. Finally, Quistis felt
that she had done right by Seifer, and that her student had become what she had always hoped
he'd be. Seifer was living up to his full potential, and was not giving in this time. As
Quistis fell asleep, she felt better knowing that she had helped her student, in any way she
could.

Author's comments: Yeah, I know. Took me long enough to come out with this chapter, eh?
Sorry. Job got in the way, then losing it, and some other stuff. But don't worry! The rest of
the chapters are practically done themselves so they'll be coming out a lot quicker. I'd like
to note that from this point on, Nightstalker is officially the co-author. :) Huzzah! :D So,
while this started out as just a project by me, Nightstalker has come up with stuff that is
just so kewl that I had to use! He's the co-author and I wouldn't have it any other way. :)
I thought I'd mention that. In the next chapter, the gang will travel to FH to drop off the
Ragnarok for repairs and go their separate ways. Love triangle action will happen and one
group will head to Esthar while the others go to Galbadia Garden. Stay tuned for the next
chapter. :) As always, please R&R! :D