Squall exited the debriefing feeling more than a little dazed. It hadn't been easy trying to explain what had happened to Cid--it seemed the Headmaster was still operating under the assumption that If Squall Can't Do It, No One Can--and it had taken a while to explain Squall's rationale for destroying his idyllic preconception. Then there had been that whole truck about whether or not Squall was acquainted enough with combat theory to recognize a real Jump attack if he saw one, and if he was quite sure he had used the Lionheart attack--as if it was one of those things you could mistake for something else. All in all, it was one of those things that would usually send him to collapse on one of the benches in the Quad and fervently wish that the universe would leave him alone for a while.

He collapsed on one of the benches in the Quad and fervently wished the universe would leave him alone for a while. The universe politely coughed and spit in his face.

"Squall!"

Squall looked up, seeing Zell barrelling towards him. He put on the most blank look he could come up with, hoping it might give Zell the clue that he had had a bad day and make him bug off. He should have anticipated that it wouldn't work.

"Hey, man?" Zell asked. "Look, I got volunteered to show this new student around, but Sierra's after me to take some kind of Instructor Exam or something. Could you--"

"Zell," Squall broke in, "I'm really not in the mood. Can't Quistis?"

"I can't find her," Zell said. "And Selphie's on call for something else. And--"

"Look!" Squall snapped. "I would rather not be--"

The sound literally died in his throat, emitting a soft death whimper. The new student had come around the corner to talk to Zell, who was trying to introduce her. "Squall? This is Amei."

Black hair. Brown eyes. A masamune clutched in one hand, and a black outfit cut in a style reminiscent of wings. A black scarf hanging limply across the shoulders, unused.

"Amica...?"

"No, Amei," Zell corrected, watching, a bit confused, as all color drained out of the senior SeeD's face. "Are you all right, man?"

Squall felt like falling over backwards. His eyes locked with hers, searching for the glimmer of recognition. It wasn't apparent. "Did you come from Esthar?" he asked weakly.

"Lower Esthar," Amei/Amica answered. "Why?"

Squall jumped up, the gunblade leaping into his hand. "Zell!" he snapped, bringing it to bear on the new student. "Get the Faculty!"

"Hey, whoa!" Zell jumped back as Squall threatened Amei, startled. "Hey! Th--this is one of our cadets, man! What are you doing?"

"I just got hired to kill her!" Squall objected. "She ruined our mission!"

"Okay, I guess you're a little stressed out," Zell said, making various placating gestures. "I'll see if I can find someone else to show her around."

"Get the Faculty," Squall growled. The new student only seemed a bit startled--there was nothing in her manner to tell what she thought of all this.

Zell blinked. "Uh, man? If I get the Faculty, I'm gonna tell them you went wacky."

Squall ignored him. "You're Amica," he growled at the student. "You're wanted on seven counts of murder in Esthar."

"Squall, man, you're making a scene," Zell hissed. A small crowd was beginning to gather, all of them whispering to each other.

Amica/Amei glanced at Zell, then back at Squall. "Do you speak Estharre?" she asked, confused. Maybe. She could be feigning confusion, she could be--

"No," Squall said, unaware of what that information could possibly do to clear up the situation.

"Then why are you calling me 'Amica?'"

"Because that's what you introduced yourself as when you tried to kill me," Squall responded.

"I just got here," Amei responded.

"In Esthar," Squall emphasized.

"How would I try to kill you in Esthar?" Amica asked.

"Hey, hey, hey!" An irritated voice rang down from the higher level of the Quad, and Squall glanced up momentarily to see Nida coming down. "What's going on here?"

"Squall is convinced that our new recruit is trying to kill him," Zell called.

Nida scanned the small assembly, and his face lit up. "Amei?"

Amei turned, glancing up at him. "Nida!" she exclaimed, and took a step towards him. A warning from Squall brought her up short.

"Squall, do you feel like explaining why you're holding my sister at swordpoint?" Nida asked. Squall came perilously close to choking.

"...sister...?"

"Yeah," Nida said. "...wait, you didn't know I had a family? Geez. I really shouldn't be surprised about that."

"Your sister is on the Estharan Most Wanted list," Squall informed him coldly. "I was dispatched on a mission to assassinate her. There was a fight, and she won. Get the records from Cid if you want--we have it on tape."

Nida looked skeptical. "Squall, my sister's never taken out anything more dangerous than a Bite Bug. Much as I appreciate your attempt to be humble, I really don't think you should be going over the top like this."

"She knows the Jump technique," Squall said. "It hasn't been taught since the fall of the Centran empire."

"You don't get out much, do you?" Nida shook his head. "It's a family trademark. Everyone in my family knows it. We never use it, though--it's way too impractical." He thought for a moment. "Wait, how did you know she knew that?"

"She almost killed me with it."

"Squall, do you really want me to have Kadowaki give you a brain exam?" Nida was sounding less amused now. "I'd really appreciate it if you stopped threatening my little sister."

"She's a criminal," Squall protested. What part of criminal don't you understand?

"Yeah, the funny thing about her being a criminal is that Esthar would have contacted me if they believed she was. Okay? Okay! Put away the gunblade before I have one of the Faculty write you up for disorderly conduct."

The logic center of Squall's brain grimly informed him that it was taking off to look for a noose. Against his better judgment, he put the gunblade away. "I'm taking this up with the Headmaster," he informed Nida.

"Go ahead." Nida made a dismissive gesture. "You're going to sound really stupid, though. Amei, c'mere. I'll show you around this place."

Amei slipped away, and Zell crossed his arms. Squall glanced at the watching crowd, glaring at them until they dispersed. Without waiting to see what Zell was going to say, he hurried off to see the Headmaster.