II
"It's not the voices in my head that are bothering me, it's the voices in yours."
--anonymous

"Tam!"

Tam stopped abruptly in his tracks, heart giving a lurch that was almost painful as he fought down the fight-or-flee response to surprise. Turning, he grinned halfheartedly as his father jogged towards him--ignoring the exasperated look another Faculty member shot at him as he blatantly disobeyed G-Garden's no-running policy. Catching up with his son, Zell threw an arm around his shoulders with practiced care--it wouldn't do to do anything to shock the boy's heart, weakened from birth by an uncurable defect. Even so, sometimes the Faculty member had trouble remembering to curb his enthusiasm--still as present as the times it used to annoy Squall after twenty-seven years.

"Yeah?" Tam asked, turning halfway to continue his trudge down the hall.

"Think you'd like to see your friends at B-Garden again?" Zell asked. Tam shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?" he answered noncommittally, all the while thinking Can you go away, dad? I need to go think about something.

"How about tomorrow?"

Tam stopped in his tracks, looking at his father. "Huh?" was the only clear thing he said.

"Headmaster Aurelion arranged a meeting here tomorrow about that Rinaul thing your mother's been talking about. That'll be dragging Squall, Quistis and Fujin all the way up from Balamb and Selphie down from Trabia. How'll you like that?"

"...great," Tam responded unevenly. Zell didn't notice--maybe because Tam always sounded a bit hesitant, maybe because he had just never really gotten the finer nuances of emotion and tone.

"Look, I have to go help with Jherrin's World History class--you know how it is. I'll see you around, okay?"

"...yeah," Tam said, forcing a smile. "I'll see you."

Zell turned and bolted off, probably already late for whatever special appearance he was supposed to make in Jherrin's class. Tam stole a glance at one of the clocks positioned on the wall--he still had a good two hours before his next class for the day started, seeing as he wasn't in training to become a SeeD. Enough time to go find some place private and hopefully far removed from his parents' quarters.

If only G-Garden had a Secret Area like Balamb's...

Stealing down one of the halls and up a flight of stairs, Tam eased open the door to the reception room and glanced inside. Fortunately enough, there was no one inside. Slipping in, he closed the door behind him. Moving over to the center of the room, he collapsed into a chair.

I wish I knew what I was doing, he thought.

When Tam had been born, it had been with an unusually weak heart. Stress, exertion, fear--all of these posed a danger to his frail constitution. Thus, he had never been able to join SeeD as his father had wished he was able to. Because he was not a member of SeeD, there was no reason for him to even bee issued Guardian Forces.

Thus, he had had no experience with them until the two Kamalyn had written of being issued to him decided to show up in the back of his mind one day.

Just like any other student in any other Garden, Tam had read the historical accounts of the leadup to the Battle of Centra, and he knew exactly what had happened during the first, unprecedented event in which the team had tried to summon a GF--Diablos--to get answers out of him. Tam didn't imagine it would be much easier for him to try.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the pair with as much mental resolve as he had. He could feel their immense power--power which, if it chose to, could decide not to manifest itself for his admittedly weak request. However, even in his untrained grasp, he could feel the two sliding out of his mind into the room. Energy fluxed before him, seeming to writhe around itself like a frantic wind, and then exploded soundlessly in his vision. Tam threw an arm up to protect his eyes against the blinding light, wincing as a tingly feeling of pure paramagic flowed through him.

A voice, cold and smooth as wet silk, spoke.

And for this need, what, child, have we been summoned?

Tam lowered his arm, looking at the pair of GFs calmly standing across the room. Both took the form of huge warsteeds of a kind extinct since the Centran eras, manes and coats glimmering in unnatural splendor--one jet black, with only a field of stars for its eyes, and the other a pure, radiant silver, glowing blue eyes containing neither white nor pupil. Wings sprouted from the back of each creature, now held tightly against their backs in the small room. Tam felt a momentary pang of guilt for having called them into such a cramped space.

The silver one tossed its mane, its voice portraying the same radiance and sanctity that its appearance did. "Thus need, brother, for which we once had come."

Tam stared, both because he had never seen such creatures like the ones before him and because he couldn't seem to make out anything more than the general gist of what they were saying. The black one nodded, turning his attention on Tam. We are here, child, for be your wish.

"We are not known to him."

For is so. The black stepped forward, hooved feet making no sound on the floor. Called but unrecognized.

"Who are you?" Tam asked, staring at them. Kamalyn had warned him that GFs always gave the impression that they were talking behind your back, but Tam had never realized just how annoying it could be. "Why did you come to me?"

"Why?"

Why?

The two pegasi turned their long necks almost simultaneously to look at each other. The black one turned back to Tam.

We, child, are those herefor to guide, he murmured. Equatus-Diei my brother, am I and Equatus-Noctis. And our why, do you call us is?

Tam scratched his forehead, trying to figure out what they had said. "Uh... why did I call you?" he guessed. He got the feeling that they had never stopped to learn standard English. "I wanted to know why you came to me all of a sudden."

A spectral, whinnying laugh came from Diei. And now, and who he wherefore. Yes, always with the colt is it turn to the future--always asking, wonder what is is.

We, child, are those herefor to guide, Noctis repeated patiently.

"Don't you... guide Kamalyn?"

The other of you speak whom, has a need is none to yours.

"Are you saying... I need you more than he does?" Tam was thoroughly confused.

"You need, less far we can provide. Our need, so, far more than you."

Our aide to you, and aid of you to we, Noctis said. Tam watched them.

"But how can I help you?" he asked.

The two looked at each other, and Diei laughed again. Turning, his blue eyes seemed to drill into Tam's soul.

"What help of you, you can provide. What help of we, we must. So, we leave."

Diei reared, wings snapping open and propelling him forward into whatever netherworld he had sprung out of. Wherever he had gone, Tam could no longer feel his--rather unsettling--presence in his mind.

Noctis stepped forward again, lowering his head so that he could stare directly into Tam's eyes. The starfield moved oddly across the surface in a pattern that gave Tam the impression he was being inspected. Finally, Noctis snorted. No air was expelled.

Manifestation weak, Noctis pronounced. But useless far from away.

There was a pause, and the GF said what were perhaps the seven most coherent words that Tam would ever hear out of him.

You will be of use to us.

Turning, with the speed and sound of a thunderclap, he was gone.