At a steady pace of 85 mph, the little white car sped along the Galbadian plains in search of the Garden. Siefer was turning the radio to his station but was getting only static. Seemingly frustrated, he removed his trenchcoat and ran his fingers down the scar on his face. It showed almost no signs of healing, unlike Squall's which was almost too thin to notice.
"How long till we get there, Elle?" Rinoa asked as they drove by Obel lake.
"I don't know Rinoa, we don't know where they are, remember."
And as if on cue, The large red Centra Shelter appeared in front of them. It's ring was glowing in the purple sky and even seemed to generate it's own light. They saw Winston's car pull to a stop. Driving up to the shelter, the Garden seemed bigger to Rinoa than when she'd visited the first time.
As the four of them stepped onto the ramp leading to the parking lot, Siefer was already getting looks from the few who knew him there. And then he was there. Squall Leonhart, the same person who'd been an object of Siefer's loathing for the last seven years he'd studied at Garden. Siefer now realized how childish the feud had been, but training every night before a field session in hopes of beating Squall were among the few fondest, and remaining, memories of his times at Garden. One thing he'd remembered that had never left him was how good he'd been doing in the two years before Squall had attended Garden.
He walked up to his former rival, unaware if Squall still, or had ever before, held him in a similar respect to that which Siefer had felt for him just 6 months before. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could usher any words from his lips, Rinoa had run up and embraced the SeeD. Had this happened a year or so before, Siefer would've insisted that Squall had "stolen" her from him just as he had "stolen" the spot as Cid's favorite student, as he had "stolen" Shiva, the GF Squall and he had ventured through an underground cave to retrieve nearly costing them both their lives.
Siefer knew now that Squall had rightfully gained all these things by himself, Rinoa had went to him of her own will, he knew now that Cid held all his students in the same high respect, and that Squall had beaten Shiva almost entirely on his own.
He saw that Squall's scar had almost healed, and recalled that since Squall had struck Siefer's face out of anger, that his probably never would. Siefer had been proud of the scar, saw it as a testament to one of the few and proud battles with Squall, that he'd emerged the victor. Now it was Squall who parted his lips to say something and he, like Siefer, could not manage a breath.
Kennsington and Rissite stepped out to the quad to see what the noise was, and noticed Spencer, Carrie and Andre were there, along with a number of people from from the Garden.
"Andre, what's going on?" Kenn asked.
"Leonhart and Almasy are doing their stare-down thing."
Kenny rushed to the front of the crowd and thought first before saying, "Over there."