III


Centra Ruins

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Centra Ruins,
Centra





Zell stepped into the oasis where the Centra Ruins stood, relieved at the relative coolness of the area. He had seen Irvine's team enter a few minutes ago, and he had followed at what he had considered as a discreet distance. He knew Quistis was somewhere close, but he didn't bother to check on her location. She wasn't the type likely to get into trouble.

Squad C was still standing in the courtyard just after the first flight of stairs, all three of the cadets looking fastidiously around for monsters. Zell passed the sign that read My Blue Heaven – he wondered what in Hyne's name that meant ... though he supposed it had something to do with that weird blue glow that appeared on the railings.

Zell didn't like Centra. It was dry, it was hot, and it was nothing at all like Balamb. But he disliked the Centra Ruins even more, because it was old and creepy and the walls echoed with some forgotten glory that reminded him of Ultimecia's castle. It made everything seem more dangerous than they actually were, and he hoped that was actually the case, because he had an odd, unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong.

He leant on the stone archway, facing the stairs, confident that the squad couldn't see him. He couldn't see much of them either, but their voices carried clearly to where he stood.

"You've been here, right?" he heard Reese ask.

There was a moment's pause before Irvine answered, "Yeah, during the Second Sorceress War. How did you know that?"

"There's a picture of SeeD Tilmitt standing in front of that statue there." Zell almost chuckled at the mention of 'SeeD Tilmitt' but quickly stiffled it, clasping a gloved hand to his mouth. "I saw it in the website just a couple of days ago. Figured you might have been here as well."

Irvine probably was grinning – Zell could hear it in the sharpshooter's voice. "Well. Yeah. SeeD Tilmitt's website."

"It doesn't look like a statue of a sorceress and her knight to me," Hathaway said doubtfully. "Wasn't that what Selphie said they were?"

"Ah. Sefie gets a little ... fanciful ... sometimes. Just don't tell her I said that."

"So? Are we supposed to secure the whole place or just wait here for our next orders?"

It sounded disturbingly like Zell's own field exam. Irvine's answer was slow and considering, however, nothing like Seifer's arrogant responses. "Nida said we were supposed to get rid of the monsters within the perimeter. We've done that, so I guess we wait." There was another short pause, perhaps Irvine consulting his communication device for further orders. "We're not within contact range, I guess."

"So?" That Reese character was certainly impatient. If he was the squad leader, things probably would end up like they did with Zell's exam in Dollet. I wonder who was the idiot who appointed Seifer as squad leader? he mused. The madman almost got them all killed, and that was before they even knew there was an Ultimecia. Hah. Seifer didn't even need any influence to go evil, that was what Zell was sure of, and he had never quite understood how Cid could be so forgiving.

"We'll wait for orders. If they can't get through, they'll send someone with a message." Irvine sounded calm, but to Zell it seemed that he seemed a tad indecisive. He shrugged it off – Irvine was no Squall, but he was a good guy ... most of the time. Zell felt rather foolish trailing Irvine's group – that was one squad that he was sure would do well. He was supposed to be observing this squad and grade them, and he wasn't even an instructor. Zell wasn't sure who came up with the idea that the instructor-in-charge shouldn't be the one to grade their students – it had to be either Xu or Quistis.

Selphie's gonna kill me if Irvine doesn't pass the exam.

"D'you know what kind of monsters there're here?" That was the female cadet again.

Zell could almost see Irvine's shrug. "Tonberries. Forbiddens – creepy things. We met some Buels, too. Just make sure you have your GF junctioned, and you'll be okay, though you better leave the physical attacks to me and Jared." He was probably flashing her that smile the girls found so charming.

Rolling his eyes, Zell wondered if he should just march in and give them their next orders. Trust Irvine to flirt in the middle of a mission. Zell was considering about reporting him to Selphie (old habits die hard, he supposed) when a cadet came hurrying his way. She seemed familiar, even though he only caught a passing glimpse of her. She didn't notice him, and rushed up the stairs towards Irvine's squad.

"Squad C Captain? Irvine Kinneas?"

"Yeah. Hey, don't go all formal on me; we know each other, right?"

"I'm a messenger from the intelligence squad." That would be Squad B – the squad Quistis was following around. "You have orders to secure the main chambers of the ruins, where Odin was found. I was informed that you know the way."

"That's it?" Irvine's voice held mild amusement.

"Yes." The messenger sounded annoyed. Ha – finally someone who wasn't vulnerable to Irvine's so-called charm. "You better get going."

"Yes, ma'am," Irvine said, and Zell heard them move away. "Lets go – the steps to the left are broken half-way; don't bother with them. I wonder who has Diablos; I wouldn't mind his Enc-None junction right now."

"Why?" Reese again.

"I hate those Forbiddens." Any sane person would – those thing dealt Death as easily as Grats released sleeping gas. Besides, Irvine had been knocked unconcious once by one of those, and he was strangely wary of them.

"Oh." Zell heard their footfalls echoing as they hurried up the steps. "You think there'll be any more Tonberries around?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

Their voices faded as they disappeared up the staircase. Shaking his head, Zell wondered how long he should give before following them (and who's idea was it anyway, that SeeDs should remain 'invisible' during exams?), before Quistis suddenly entered, and she spotted him immediately. She gave him her usual slight smile before coming to stand beside him. For some reason, she seemed troubled – she kept glancing up the stairs where Irvine and his team had went up.

"They're doing okay, I guess?" she asked in an undertone, pushing a strand of her golden hair behind an ear.

Zell nodded. "Heard Squad D was almost wiped out by some monsters."

Quistis frowned slightly. "Yes, Xu was rather annoyed at that. She had to step in to help. I don't think she'll pass any of them. Aki'll be annoyed at her; that's his squad." She glanced up at the empty courtyard, at the messenger who was looking around with interest. "There's been rather ... odd monster activities going on."

"I'll mention that in my report," Zell said, only half-jokingly, thinking of the Jelleyes Irvine had gone against. The monsters had been behaving almost as if they were ... sentient ... and Zell had found it quite disturbing.

She gave a grave nod. She was about to say something else when two more cadets came in, hauling wires and electronic equipment with them, practically running up the stairs. She pulled Zell back into the shadows and he peered after them. "Are they always that excitable?"

"I think it's more nervousness than anything else." She gave him an amused look. "You were much worse than that."

He turned to give her an indignant look, opening his mouth to say something, when she motioned him to shush. One of the girls was pointing at a monitor they had set up. "Hey, look – there're readings coming from the northeast corner – I think those trapped people are there!"

"I'll report it to SeeD Nida ... he'll relay the information, right?"

"Yeah." There was a flurry of activity for a few long minutes before the same voice spoke up. "Guys, there's some unusual activity coming from the main antechambers – it almost looks like a GF."

"Maybe someone on Squad C's using his GF to take care of some monsters."

"It's probably Irvine – he's the only one of us who has a high compatibility with any of the GFs to have summoned one that quickly."

"It's a ... a fire-elemental GF, I think."

Zell was trying to sit still, bored, and Quistis was giving him a half-exasperated, half-fond look as she told him to be quiet. He had almost tuned off the girls' discussions when he caught the last part. He frowned. "They don't have fire-elementals – I checked. Irvine has Cerberus – I think you classify him as status-changing, not elemental, right? – and the others have Leviathan and ... uh ... Carbunkle."

"The cadets could easily be wrong, Zell," Quistis murmured.

"Well, I hafta go check. Things are a bit weird, don't'cha think? There's ... something else here."

Quistis blinked. "Oh. I thought it was just me ... maybe I was just nervous because it's the first ...." she said, her voice trailing away.

... mission you've been assigned to since you were reinstated as an instructor, Zell thought, finishing the sentence. Funny. He would've never thought that Quistis could be nervous. "Call the mission off once Squad B gets the location those researchers, 'kay?"

Quistis gave a reluctant nod. "Yes, I think Xu and Nida will agree. I'll join you later."

Zell bounded up the stairs, causing the girls to abruptly turn to face him, weapons ready. They relaxed marginally when they saw him.

"Have we done something wrong, sir?" one of them blurted.

Sir? Oh, right. Field Commander Dincht. Ma's gonna be so surprised when I tell her. Zell shook his head. "No, not yet. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" He rushed up the next flight of stairs, almost tripping in his haste.

Behind him he heard one of the cadets mutter, "I really can't see why you like him, Lyana – he could be such a klutz sometimes."

He paused on the topmost step at the name. Lyana. That was the pretty, brown-haired girl from the library. No wonder she seemed familiar. How does she manages to be around all the time? He almost turned around to say something to her when something else clicked.

Wait a sec. She likes me?

He shoved the thought away before he could fully absorb it, and he sprinted away, deciding that chasing after Irvine's squad and confronting some unknown evil was probably a safer thing to do.