A/N Well, I'm finally updating. I'm sorry for taking so long, but I do have other things to do with my life. ;-) I don't own the rights to anything Squaresoft owns the rights to, which I would think was self evident. The queen of obscure allusions strikes again! As I've done in other fics, I use obscure references to other works. Cookies go to anyone who catches it. Thank you to all the people that reviewed the first chapter. Thanks also to Sagan Fox and ibhonest666 for all their help with this. Enough from me, please read and review.







Leona sat quietly in the Quad, glancing up occasionally to see the details she was adding to her drawing. She had been there for several minutes when a shadow fell across her work. She didn't even look up before she spoke, since she already knew who it was.


"You're in my light Almasy. You want to move?"


"That's not a very polite way of greeting someone, especially a member of the Disciplinary Committee."


Leona glanced up at him with raised eyebrows and a smirk. She raised her pencil to point it at him emphatically.


"Don't make me get off this bench. You won't be happy if I do."


Seifer, looking rather unimpressed, grabbed the pencil out of Leona's hand and held it just out of her reach. He considered her with a smug expression.


"What are you going to do? Let me cut your other cheek?"


Leona made a half-hearted swipe at his wrist. "Give that back," she demanded of him. "I can take you, you know." As if to emphasize her point, she stood up and tried to grab the pencil again. Seifer easily dodged her swipeand grabbed her wrist with his free hand. Leona made a lackluster attempt to extricate herself from his grasp and tried to seize the pencil with her other hand. Seifer caught that wrist in the same hand as her other arm.

"Well, what are you going to do now?" he inquired of her.


Leona struggled to escape, pulling away only to have Seifer tug her back. Unfortunately for Seifer, he made the mistake of pulling her toward him as she lifted one knee, intending to brace herself against the bench behind her. Seifer let go of her then, staggering over to the bench and sitting down. He looked up at her.


"Maybe one of these days the two of us can have a conversation without maiming or injuring each other," he remarked dryly. "I could report you to the Headmaster for this."

"Go ahead, but he'll probably just laugh at you and say that you deserved it." Leona crossed her arms over her chest, regarding him as seriously as possible. "Besides, this one is your fault, not mine."


Seifer laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. He turned his gaze back up to Leona, sighing before he spoke.


"You're probably right. It would seem, however, that the two of us are incapable of just talking. Do you have a problem with violent behavior?"


"Yours or mine?" she queried, throwing a fake punch at his shoulder and punching him lightly in the stomach.


"See? I'm trying to have a conversation, and what do you do? You punch me."


Leona sighed melodramatically but ignored his comment. She pointed to the pencil in his hand. "You going to give that back?"


"Don't change the subject. I'll give this back when and if I feel like it and not a minute sooner." He grinned at her as she attempted to grab the pencil. "Temper, temper. You're a violent little hellcat, aren't you?"


Leona feigned shock and slapped his cheek. Seifer played along, acting hurt despite the fact that she had barely hit him.


"You're terribly abusive for such a young woman."


"Oh, you poor thing, did I hurt you? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" Leona bent down and pressed her lips quickly and lightly to his cheek. She stood back up and considered him. "Is that better?"


"That's not all you hurt," Seifer remarked to her, grinning slyly.


Leona widened her eyes in feigned innocence. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Seifer. Maybe I should ask Rinoa about that." Leona turned to leave, and Seifer choked in surprise, standing quickly and grabbing Leona's wrist.

"That's really not necessary."


"Are you sure? I'd be interested to hear what she had to say about that."


"My relationship with Rinoa was not like that," he stressed. "We barely had a relationship, and that was not a part of what we had."



"Then why the secrecy?"


"Squall would kill me if anyone even hinted at something like that. He's very protective and not prone to believing me." He sighed and dropped back onto the bench, gazing up at Leona. "Look, Rinoa and I didn't have a perfect relationship, and we were never seriously involved. Squall, however, doubts this claim."


Leona nodded in understanding. "I was just kidding. I didn't mean any harm."


"I know. But just the same, I'd prefer it if Squall didn't have one more motive to hunt me down and expel me." Seifer glanced at the notebook beside him, picking it up and examining the picture.


"Go ahead and look at my notebook," Leona muttered sarcastically. "I don't mind at all."


"Is this all you draw? Pictures of the Garden?"


"No, but I keep all my illustrations from the girls' locker room in a different notebook."


Seifer looked up at her, arching one eyebrow. "Can I borrow that one some time?"


"Honestly, Seifer, are you that lonely?"


"Well, you're quite the little gutter-mind, aren't you?"


"You think I'm gutter-minded? I'll have you know that I fell into the sewer long ago."


Seifer grinned and shook his head. "You're incorrigible."


Leona took the seat next to him, facing him with a lopsided smile. "Really? You're encouraging me?" She laughed at the exasperated look he gave her and winked. "What, don't you like puns?"


Seifer gave her a mocking expression and sighed. "Honestly, why I hang around such fools is beyond me."He shot her a smile as she punched him in the arm. Still grinning, he turned back to the notebook. He flipped through the pages, examining drawings from Galbadia, Trabia, and Balamb Gardens. "These are really good," he complimented her. "What are they for?"


Leona glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. "If Esthar gets a Garden, I'm in charge of designing it. Those are comparison sketches." Leona reached over and turned several pages, revealing sketches of a different Garden. "These are the conceptual drawings I have so far. With any luck, Squall will approve Esthar Garden and help out with the funding."

Seifer considered the illustrations. "Well, it certainly looks like a good investment. With the exception of a few architectural flourishes, everything looks like it can be constructed with minimal effort, especially by Esthar. It has a very nice central design and appears to make the most of its space. The only thing you seem to have forgotten is the gargoyle."


"What? A gargoyle?"


"Every Garden has a gargoyle." Seifer began searching through Leona's sketches, pointing out the gargoyles as he went. "See? Trabia has one in the courtyard, and Balamb has two over the front gates. Galbadia has the same. It's a unifying feature."


"I guess I'll have to add that. Thanks for pointing it out to me."


Seifer looked at her, and noticed that she'd already removed the bandage from her cheek. "You should have left that alone," he remarked, pointing to her cheek. "It hasn't completely healed yet."


"It's but a scratch, but it will serve," she retorted with a twinkle in her eyes.


As Seifer was about to respond, he noticed Quistis approaching them. She was scowling slightly and looked less than pleased to see Leona sitting next to Seifer. With a slight nod of his head, he directed Leona's attention toward their company.


"Seifer, Lea, Squall would like to have a word with each of you."


Seifer grinned winsomely, glancing at Leona. "But one word with one of us? Very well, make it a word and a blow."


Leona chuckled softly as he rose to his feet and handed her the notebook and pencil. She allowed him to take several steps toward the exit before responding to his comment. "Seifer, if I ask for you tomorrow will I find a grave man?"


"Knowing Squall, you just might," he remarked with a wink.


Quistis waited by Leona, her eyebrows raised. Once Seifer was gone, she turned to Leona. "What was that all about?"


"Oh, it's nothing. What does Squall want?"


Quistis shrugged. "I'm not certain, but since it's been close to a week, he probably wants to talk with you about Esthar. Then again, perhaps he wants to speak with you about the amount of time you've been spending with Seifer. There hasn't been a day this week that you haven't spoken with him. Are you sure that's wise?"


Leona rolled her eyes and sighed. She gathered her belongings and faced Quistis. "Please, spare me the lecture Quistis. It's not your concern whether I speak with Seifer or not. He's harmless, and I enjoy talking with him. That's all."


Quistis raised her eyebrows incredulously but didn't force Leona to continue on the topic. With a shrug, she escorted Leona to the elevator. They remained silent both in the elevator and the waiting room, Leona continuing her sketches while Quistis paced up and down the floor. After five minutes, the door opened and Seifer left, looking less than pleased. Leona waited a few moments before entering the office, allowing Squall to compose himself if such was the case. She glanced around the room, pleased to note that she was the only other person in the room. She sat down in one of the chairs, waiting for Squall to begin.


"I've considered your request," he began, "and have decided that Balamb could use an ally like Esthar. We will help Esthar fund the construction and provide several instructors once the Garden has students enrolled."


"Thank you very much. On behalf of the Esthar government, I'd like to offer my appreciation. Hopefully Esthar and Balamb will be able to help one another."


"On that subject, do you have a Headmaster yet?"


"No, we were waiting to see if the project got off the ground. There isn't anyone in Esthar with the proper qualifications, though. Shiva only knows who'll end up in charge of Esthar Garden."


Squall nodded and mused for several seconds. "What about you? You've obviously got connections with Esthar. In fact, why don't you suggest it to President Loire?"


"I suppose I could, although I really don't have any experience."


"Well, how about this: you stay here while they build Esthar Garden. You could learn what little I have to teach and speak with Cid whenever he visits, sort of like an internship."


"I could do that. All I really need to do is contact President Loire." Leona stood up and shook Squall's hand. "I'll have an answer for you by the end of the day."


Leona walked out of the office, ignoring Quistis and heading straight for her room. She sat down at the small table and pulled a laptop out of her bag. After several minutes of adjustments, she finally got the signal to work. Another ten minutes passed before a familiar face appeared on the screen.


"Kiros, get President Loire."


"What, no hello?" Kiros smiled warmly as he gestured to someone off screen. "Here you go."


Laguna's face appeared on the screen. He looked slightly tired but in good spirits. The corners of his lips rose up, forming a slight smile when he saw Leona. He waited patiently for her to report the results of her mission.


"We got it. Balamb is willing to help with the funds and provide several instructors. Additionally, Headmaster Leonhart suggested that I remain here in Balamb to learn the duties and politics involved in being a Headmaster. Is that acceptable?"


"Of course. Do whatever's necessary to get the job done. Just make sure you get those sketches to us."


Leona nodded. "I'll do that as soon as I finish the last one. I have until the end of the day to give my decision. I'll tell Squall later. I'll speak with you again, sir."


Laguna smiled warmly. "Enjoy yourself. Balamb is a great place."


"Are you sure it's all right for me to stay here?"


Laguna chuckled to himself. "You're not my only guard you know."


"Very well then, I'll speak with you later. Goodbye."


"Goodbye, Lea."


Leona ended the transmission and placed the computer in its case. With a sigh, she flopped down onto the sofa and fell asleep for several hours. When she awoke, she informed Squall of President Loire's decision. After a quick meal in the cafeteria, Leona headed to the Training Center. She did her routine of exercises and stretches, realizing about halfway through that someone was watching her. She turned to find Seifer standing behind her. He had removed his trenchcoat, opting to instead wear only his vest. She grinned, remembering the last time they had been in the Training Center.


"So, are you staying for a few more days?"


"I'll be here for a few more months. Until they finish Esthar Garden, I'm here learning how to be a Headmaster. I get to be Squall's shadow."


Seifer laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm sorry."


"So am I."


They regarded one another for a moment, both of them grinning. "Well," Leona commented, "I guess I'm stuck talking to you for a couple of months."


"Damn, I was hoping to get rid of you." He sighed, rolling his eyes melodramatically. "Does this mean I can see those drawings of the girls' locker room?"

"Smart ass," she muttered, still grinning.


"Forever and always. Now, I believe we still haven't settled the issue of who the better fighter is."


Leona raised an eyebrow and smiled more broadly. "If you insist," she commented smugly. They circled for several seconds before attacking, each trying not to injure the other. They were both careful to keep their attacks clean and smooth, avoiding the mistakes of their previous encounter.


This may not be so bad after all. At least the next few months will be interesting.