The slow song ended and many of the couples left the dance floor in search of drinks or idle chatter. Seifer and Quistis vacated the dance floor and took a seat at a nearby table. Quistis stared lovingly at her engagement ring as Seifer got them two glasses of champagne. He returned a moment later and sat back down. He smiled at Quistis and held his glass up slightly.
"To the most beautiful woman in Balamb Garden," Seifer toasted.
"And to the most gorgeous man," Quistis added and raised her own glass.
"And to their future together," Seifer finished. The couple clinked their glasses together and took sips out of the crystal flutes.
From across the room, three sets of eyes watched the blondes' actions.
"What's up with Quistis and Seifer?" Cammi asked as she tugged on a strand of her usually braided chestnut hair.
"I don't know," Rinoa relied, "but they've been acting all lovey-dovey since they came in off the balcony."
As Seifer and Quistis clinked their glasses together, Selphie gasped. "Did you see that?"
"What?" Rinoa and Cammi asked in unison.
"I saw something catch the light when Quistis moved her hand," Selphie told them, "I think she had a ring on her finger."
"Are you serious?" Cammi questioned.
"Let's go over there and see!" Rinoa suggested. The other two agreed and they walked quickly across the dance floor to where the two blondes were holding hands and speaking quietly to each other.
"Hi!" Selphie greeted as the three women crowded around the couple.
"Hi," Quistis smiled, "what are you three doing?"
"Oh, nothing," Rinoa replied nonchalantly, "we just came over to see if you guys are having a good time."
"Of course we are," Quistis assured and smiled at Seifer, who returned it eagerly.
As the couple made googly eyes at each other, the three women scanned Quistis' left hand but sighed inwardly as they saw that Seifer's hand covered the base of her ring finger. They looked at each other, hoping someone would have a plan as to how to move Seifer's hand without being obvious. Rinoa was the first to try.
"Hey Seifer," Rinoa started. The blonde man slowly tore his eyes away from the woman he loved and fixed them on Rinoa. She smiled charmingly and continued. "Wanna dance with me?" She held out her hand expectantly.
"Not right now Rinoa," Seifer declined and turned his eyes back to Quistis, "maybe later."
Rinoa pulled her hand back and looked from Cammi to Selphie. Cammi shrugged her shoulders while Selphie took a small step forward.
"Seifer, could you get us some drinks?" she asked sweetly.
"Sure," Seifer agreed. All the girls smiled in anticipation as he shifted in his seat as if preparing to get up. "Hey waiter!" He snapped his fingers. "Over here!"
A man carrying a tray of champagne nearby turned and walked over to the table. The three women took a glass, mumbling insincere thank yous to the waiter, who smiled and left. Once the waiter was gone and Seifer's eyes were back on Quistis, Rinoa and Selphie turned to Cammi expectantly. The brunette shrugged but a harsh glare from Selphie and a gentle push by Rinoa had Cammi standing in front of the couple at the table. They both looked up as she stumbled to a stop.
"What is it Cammi?" Quistis asked politely, "Did you need something?"
"I…uh…" Cammi stammered, searching for an excuse to get Seifer to move his hand. "I've been reading up on this, uh, new theory that states people with different hair colors, um, have different lines on their, uh, hands and I was wondering if I could test the theory on you." She was unaware but behind her, Selphie and Rinoa were rolling their eyes and sighing in defeat.
"Why didn't you test your theory on Zell?" Seifer inquired.
"Oh, well, I did," Cammi answered, "but I don't have anyone to compare his markings to."
"Okay, here you go." Seifer held up his left hand, which had been resting on the table.
"Um, actually, it has to be your right hand." The librarian pointed to the hand that rested over Quistis' and kept them from their objective.
"Why?" Seifer questioned, "aren't the lines the same on both hands?"
"Yes, but…uh…" Cammi turned back to Rinoa and Selphie, a pleading look on her face.
"Oh, for the love of Hyne!" Selphie shouted and nudged Cammi aside. "Just move your damn hand!" Selphie gripped the blonde man's wrist and yanked it up to reveal a diamond ring glittering on Quistis' finger.
"See!" Selphie squealed with delight, "I told you I saw a ring!" She let go of Seifer's wrist and began jumping around. "Booyaka!"
The other women crowded around and stared down at the ring on the blonde woman's finger. They began rapidly firing questions.
"When did he propose?"
"How did he ask?"
"Have you decided on any wedding plans?"
"Did you cry?"
Quistis chuckled and held up her hands to slow the onslaught of inquiries. "One at a time."
Rinoa took the first question. "When did he propose?"
No on paid any attention to Selphie as she danced around the table singing, "I knew it, I knew it! I told you she had a ri-ing!"
"Just a few minutes ago," Quistis answered, "when we were out on the balcony."
"Did you cry?" Cammi asked.
"Of course," Quistis replied, "Wouldn't you?"
"The rest of my life with Seifer? I'd bawl my frickin' eyes out."
Everyone looked up to see Xu approaching, a grin on her face.
"Don't be jealous Xu," Seifer smirked, "I'm way too much man for you to handle."
"Maybe in you're dreams Almasy," Xu scoffed and turned to Quistis. "I heard Selphie scream something about a ring so I came over here to see what was going on. Are you two really engaged?"
"Yes." Quistis smiled happily at Seifer.
"I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for you," Xu joked, "either way, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
"I am happy," Quistis assured, "we're happy."
"All right then," Xu nodded, "Congratulations. But Almasy," Seifer looked up casually at Xu. "If you ever hurt her, I swear they'll be scraping you off the training center floor, you got that?"
"I got it," Seifer smiled aggravatingly.
"I'll talk to you later," Xu told Quistis, "And I better be invited to the wedding."
"You will be," Quistis assured, "bye." Xu waved and disappeared back into the crowd of SeeDs. By this time, Selphie had finished her happy dance and had joined the other two girls standing around the happy couple.
"So," Selphie grinned, "have you two love birds set a date?"
"Not yet," Quistis informed.
"We haven't had a chance to talk things out," Seifer added.
"Oh my Hyne!" Rinoa exclaimed, "We have to tell everyone else!" She spun around and began searching the ballroom, "I'm gonna go find Squall and bring him over so you can tell him the news!" Rinoa dashed onto the dance floor, desperately seeking her beloved commander.
"I should get Irvy!" Selphie chirped.
"And Zelly!" Cammi added. The two girls started to follow Rinoa but were stopped when Quistis called to them.
"Could you ask the Headmaster and Matron to join us also?" Quistis inquired, "and Fujin and Raijin?" The brunettes nodded and hurried into the crowd.
"Wanna make bets on how long it takes to get around the Garden?" Seifer asked.
"Want to make bets on how long it takes the Trepies to string you up once they find out?" Quistis grinned.
"Oh shit, I forgot about the Trepies," Seifer moaned, "they are going to kill me! You know what? Forget it, wedding's off. Give me the ring back." Seifer reached for Quistis' hand but she pulled it back quickly.
"No way," Quistis shook her head, "You already gave it to me. You should've thought this through before you proposed. Now you're just going to have to deal with the Trepies."
"Will you protect me from them?" Seifer mockingly pleaded.
"Yes." Quistis reached out and stroked the side of his face. "I'll make sure the Big Bad Trepies leave you alone."
"Thank you," Seifer grinned.
Just then, a mob consisting of Rinoa, Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Cammi, Cid, Edea, Fujin and Raijin walked up to the table. Squall was the first to speak.
"Rin said you had something important to tell us," he informed, "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine," Quistis assured as she and Seifer stood up, "everything is better than fine." Quistis smiled up at Seifer and they clasped hands.
"Come on," Zell, ever the impatient one, urged, "spit it out already."
"We're getting married," Seifer told the group with a smile.
It was then that the attack came. The Garden lurched as some unseen force slammed into it, sending everyone sprawling. The tables in the ballroom slid and some toppled over as everyone tried to keep their balance. The Garden stopped swaying after a moment and everything was silent as they waited to see what would happen next.
"What the Hell was that?" Zell demanded. His outburst jolted everyone back into motion and the occupants of the ballroom began to murmur questions of well-being and suggestions of what had happened.
"I think we'd better check this out," Squall commented after they made sure everyone was okay. Not a second later, the ballroom door burst open and two cadets in their pajamas rushed in, each clutching their weapons.
"We're under attack!" they screeched.
Without a second's delay, everyone began filing out of the ballroom in search of their weapons and the enemy. Out of habit, the seven who were involved in the Sorceress War always kept their weapons nearby. This night, their weapons rested undisturbed in a cabinet on the wall. They rushed over and Squall threw open the storage place.
"Here!" he called and began tossing weapons to their respectful owners. Rinoa's was first and she strapped the Shooting Star on without delay. Irvine's Exeter was next and he checked the ammo before cocking it and stepping aside. Next came Selphie's Strange Vision, which she almost dropped when it was tossed to her. Squall threw Zell his Erghiez, which he pulled on immediately and began shadowboxing. Next was Save the Queen, which Quistis cracked in the air. Second to the last was Hyperion, which Seifer caught and swung around a few times. Last was the blue Lionheart, which Squall strapped around his waist. Once the weapons were passed out, Squall turned to the group.
"Here's what we're going to do," Squall ordered, "Irvine and Selphie, take the Headmaster and Matron to the third floor office. Once they are there, wait until I send a few SeeDs to guard them, then come back down. I'll want your expertise to help dispose of this problem. Zell, take Cammi to her room and get her weapon, then make sure the underclassmen are okay. Seifer and Quistis, try to find out what's going on. Me and Rinoa will secure the Quad. The command post will be set up there. Bring any injured students or faculty there for treatment. We'll pick up Dr. Kadowaki on the way. Once your appointed tasks have been completed, meet back at the Quad for further briefing. Dismissed."
The SeeDs saluted their commander and ran out of the ballroom to their appointed tasks. Quistis and Seifer rushed out into the hallway and were heading towards the elevator. They saw Irvine and Selphie taking the Headmaster and Matron up and realized they'd have to wait for the elevator. Suddenly, a loud siren began sounding and red lights flashed all around them.
"Somebody hit the alarm," Seifer mumbled, "which means the elevator's down."
"How are we supposed to get to the first floor?" Quistis questioned and looked over the bridge to the floor below. She could see that some SeeDs and cadets were already engaging the enemy.
"Like this." Seifer walked up next to her and jumped over the side of the walkway.
"Seifer!" Quistis screamed as he plummeted to the unyielding floor below. She heard him yell something and a pair of white wings erupted from the back of his SeeD uniform, stopping him about two feet above the ground. He looked up at her and waved for her to follow.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered and swung her legs over the side. She stared down and took a deep breath, then jumped. Her peach dress billowed out around her, blocking her view of the ground. Panicking, she shouted, "FLOAT!" and her free fall stopped immediately. Her dress was pulled down by gravity and she could see she was floating about five feet above Seifer. He grinned devilishly and cast Dispel on her. She screamed as she began to fall again but didn't have time to cast another Float spell before she was caught by Seifer. Once she was safely in his arms, he cast Dispel on himself and fell the two feet to the floor. He landed on his feet behind the fountain and out of view of the battle and set her on her feet. She immediately pushed him away.
"That was mean!" she hissed.
His smile widened. "I'm sorry but I couldn't resist."
Quistis shot him another glare, then turned back to the scene around her. "What GFs have you got?"
"Ifrit and Doomtrain," Seifer answered, "You?"
"Shiva and Bahamut," Quistis informed. She turned to the blonde man. "Are you ready?"
He pulled Hyperion out of it's sheath and grinned wickedly. "I'm always ready."
"Then let's go."
The two blondes jumped out from their hiding place and joined the fray. They fought their way through a few enemies. They could see that the attackers had blasted a hole in the side of the Garden near the parking lot and were coming in that way from an airship hovering outside.
"We've got to get the Garden moving," Quistis told Seifer as they dispatched another group of enemies, "who knows how many they have on that ship." Quistis pointed to the ship hovering next to the blasted hole.
"You're right," Seifer agreed, "but with the emergency alarm in use, all electrical devices are shut down."
Quistis thought for a moment, then called out when she saw a certain spiky-haired blonde running towards the Quad with Cammi in tow. "Zell!"
Zell turned and spotted Quistis waving to him. He changed directions and fought his way over to them. He arrived out of breath but nevertheless enthusiastic. "What's up?"
"We need you to disable the alarm so we can get the Garden moving," Quistis explained and pointed towards the airship, "we need to get away from their ship."
"No problem," Zell stated and turned to Cammi. "Can you make it to the Quad and tell Squall the plan?"
Cammi's eyes were wide and she was gripping her staff so hard that her knuckles were white. She nodded stiffly, then blinked her eyes rapidly. The fear disappeared and her face held a look of determination. "Yes Zell, I'll tell Squall."
"Okay." Zell kissed her quickly. "Be careful."
"I will," Cammi promised and the two of them ran off in separate directions.
A shout by the parking lot drew Quistis' attention. A man emerged from the airship and jumped down into the Garden. He was shouting something, but Quistis couldn't hear him over the noise of the siren. Without hesitation, she began to hurry towards him. Suddenly, the siren stopped it's incessant wailing and Quistis caught what he was saying.
"Find the sorceress!" the redheaded man ordered his troops, "Find the sorceress!"
The man looked familiar to Quistis but she couldn't remember where she had seen him. A hand on her shoulder hand her spinning around preparing to attack. She relaxed when she saw Seifer standing there.
"They're here for Rinoa," Quistis breathed.
"Come on," he urged, "we gotta get to the Quad and report to Squall."
Quistis nodded and caught another glimpse of the man as they ran towards the Quad, and suddenly she realized who he was, Kaiser Deling, Vinzer Deling's son. She had met him few years before the Sorceress War while in Deling City on a mission. But why was he after Rinoa? Suddenly it dawned on her.
"Matron!" Quistis exclaimed and stopped in mid-run.
Seifer skidded to a halt and turned back to Quistis. "What are you doing? We've gotta go and warn Rinoa!"
Before Quistis could explain they were attacked by two of Deling's soldiers. They disposed of them quickly and continued towards the Quad. Breathlessly, Quistis explained.
"They're not after Rinoa!" she informed as they rounded the corner and the entered the Quad hallway, "they're after Matron!"
Before she had time to explain, they had joined up with Squall and Rinoa in the Quad. Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Cammi had joined them. Xu and Dr. Kadowaki were off to the side, tending to wounded cadets. Seifer and Quistis skidded to a halt in front of the commander and all eyes were on them.
"They're after Matron!" Quistis exclaimed.
"Matron?" Squall questioned, "what makes you think that?"
"The man leading the troops is Kaiser Deling!" Quistis relayed, still trying to catch her breath, "He's Vinzer Deling's son. When he came off their airship, he was shouting at his men to 'find the sorceress'".
"Why would he be after Matron?" Zell inquired, "I don't get it."
"She killed his father," Seifer reminded.
"Revenge," Irvine added.
"Xu!" Squall called. The brunette SeeD hurried over to him. "Take a few more SeeDs and go to the Headmaster's office. They won't get to Matron."
"Yes commander." Xu drew her 9mm pistols and rounded up a few of the SeeDs that had brought in injured comrades. The group hurried out of the Quad. Not long after they had left, the Garden rumbled to life and began gliding across the water and away from the enemy airship.
"Okay," Squall started, "we've cut them off from their ship. What we need to do now is clear out the Garden of enemies. If they want to surrender, fine, if not, you know what to do."
The others nodded and started towards the exit of the Quad but were stopped by Kaiser Deling and a group of his soldiers. He smiled as the SeeDs readied their weapons.
"Look at this!" Kaiser exclaimed with a smile, "the legendary SeeDs who defeated the sorceress. And the sorceress' lap dog. A strange company."
"Can it Deling," Seifer snarled, "we know why you're here. You might as well surrender because there is no way you're getting Matron."
"That's big talk lapdog," Kaiser taunted, "I expected you to protect her, but the SeeDs? I thought you were trained to kill sorceresses."
"We've learned to coexist with the sorceresses," Squall told him.
"Oh yes," Kaiser acknowledged, "I know all about how you 'coexist' with sorceresses." His honey colored eyes rested on Rinoa. "Personally, I think you should've killed the witch."
Without a word, Squall rushed forward, Lionheart held threateningly in front of him.
"Ultima!" Kaiser yelled and the spell head straight towards the brown-haired commander. Stunned that Kaiser had such a powerful spell, Squall froze.
"Squall!" Rinoa screamed and jumped into the path of the spell. It hit her and threw her across the Quad. She landed a few feet away from the open balcony and lay still.
"Rinoa!"
Quistis and Selphie ran back to the fallen angel while the others engaged in battle with Kaiser and his men. Quistis leaned down next to Rinoa and Selphie did the same. Quistis checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the weak heartbeat in Rinoa's neck. She looked around for Dr. Kadowaki but saw that she and the injured cadets had disappeared since Kaiser had entered. She turned back to Selphie.
"She's alive," Quistis informed, "but her heartbeat is weak. Can you use Full Cure?"
"I…I think so," Selphie stammered and stood up. She brought her nunchuku up and started to cast Full Cure but was stopped as a Holy spell slammed into her, shoving her into the wall behind her and knocking her unconscious.
"Selphie!" Quistis screamed and turned to see Kaiser approaching, a smile on his face. Quistis concentrated hard and stood up. She began to cast her most devastating Limit Break.
"Shockwave…" The words were cut off by a Flare connecting with her chest. The air whooshed out of her and she stumbled back into the balcony railing. She tried to regain her balance, but to no avail. She flew over the side of the railing and plummeted towards the icy water below.
"Quistis!" she heard someone shout as she fell. It sounded like Seifer.
"Mighty…Guard," she managed and felt the Protect, Shell, and Regen spells envelope her. For unknown reasons, Float didn't. She was about to cast it when she crashed into the dark water and everything went black.