Chapter 3

As the car slid into a park by the Balamb docks, Rhia had poured herself out of the vehicle, even before the car had stopped moving fully. Her uniform was askew and she was definitely looking more than just a little green around the edges.

"I don't care what you say, I am never ever letting Seifer drive again." She declared loudly, fighting to regain control of her viciously churning stomach.

"Aw come on Rhia, it wasn't that bad. Don't you like driving off-road?"

"In a car that's NOT all wheel drive? Nuh uh!" Seifer smirked maliciously and was about to rub her condition in a bit when an imperious yell diverted his attention.

"Come on you lot! You're the last ones to go! The rest of the fleet have already cast-off and are on their way! Come ON this boat's not waiting all day." With a nonchalant shrug Seifer sauntered over and up the gangplank, Squall and Zell following. Repressing a groan and rubbing her aching stomach, Rhia forced herself to board the craft. She was not looking forward to this.

0o0o0

"Well, well. I can see why you're called the problematic Squad C. Seifer, how many times has it been now?" A tall, dark-haired woman entered the briefing room and studied the cadets with an amused grin on her face.

"Oh you know me, I just love these field exams." Seifer replied with a casual shrug.

"Yes well. If you'll all turn your attention to the screen." The Seed in charge of briefing them – Xu – stepped to one side as the large monitor flickered to life, displaying a map of a town and the surrounding area. Rhia leaned forward and peered interestedly at the schematics. "That's…Dollet…right?" She cast a questioning look at Xu who nodded and began bringing more information up on the screen.

"You're correct. This is the township of Dollet, which, for reasons unknown has come under siege from the Galbadian army. A request for Seed assistance was wired in 18 hours ago. 6 hours ago, the Dollet army began massing in the foothills around Dollet in preparation for the town's liberation. We'll be coming at the city by sea and clearing out the Galbadians from this direction while the Dollet army comes in from the other side.

"A pincer technique?" Rhia looked dubious.

"Given the numbers of Galbadian soldiers in the city versus the number of Seeds and Dollet soldiers, this manoeuvre has the highest chance of success. You will be assigned a portion of the city to clear out and then hold until the Dollet soldiers arrive and don't worry, if you fail, there are teams of Seed standing by to finish up. They'll get the job done, they always do."

"With all due respect Xu, you're making it sound like we're going to flunk miserably." Rhia told her and Xu shook her head fervently.

"I didn't mean it to sound like I'm anticipating your failure. I just wanted to ease any concerns you might have about what'll happen if you do fail."

Rhia wasn't convinced and it showed on her face as she settled herself more comfortably in her seat, staring at the monitor intently as if it could give her more information than it already had. So basically they were supposed to go in, bust a few heads and hold a position? She could live with that...couldn't she? This was a step, a necessary step in securing her future. But…if that was the case, then why did she feel so bad? These were people they were fighting against, not the mindless monsters that lurked in the Garden training centre and tried to eat unwary students.

"Come on Squall, just a peek. Aw c'mon! Show me your gunblade! Just a quick look, please?" The sound of Zell's voice drew Rhia's attention from her troubled thoughts and she had to firmly repress a sigh. She knew Dollet wasn't that far from Balamb by sea, but already the trip felt like it had lasted hours and had an eternity left to go. She also knew that Seifer, once he got a whiff of potential trouble he could cause would jump in on the action…and…sure enough…

"Hey chicken-wuss, shut up, your voice is annoying me."

…right on cue…Rhia thought miserably.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU CALL ME BASTARD!" Seifer chuckled heartily at the reaction he had gotten from his simple taunt and Rhia rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, sighing inwardly as she demanded silently, Why me? God why me? Of all the teams that were made up for this stupid exam why oh why did he have to be in charge of mine? God almighty give me the strength to get through this without giving in to the temptation of punching out a few – if not all – of his teeth.

"Instructor." Squall's comment was soft, barely audible over Zell's angry muttering but Quistis looked over at him, her expression questioning. "Do you know who that girl was in the infirmary this morning?"

"Girl? I didn't see anyone?" Squall looked down at the floor.

"Oh…ok."

"Great, just great. I've got a chicken-wuss and a boy who's just entered puberty in my team." Seifer declared dramatically.

"Yes and we've got the king of all jerks for our leader so the three-ring-circus is well and truly complete." Rhia snapped back at him, finally losing her cool, unable to tolerate his nasty comments any longer. He shrugged and turned his attention back to Squall, pointedly ignoring Rhia who was grinding her teeth together in sheer frustration. "Hey, Romeo! Go out on deck and go and see how far away from Dollet we are." He ordered and Squall got up and left the room without saying a word. Rhia also stood.

"Hey medic, I didn't give you an order to go anywhere."

"No, but I'm going out on deck before I get the urge to give Zell a more up close and personal look at my weapon than he'd like." She told him shortly, pivoting on her heel and following the same path Squall had taken.

She felt calmer the instant she stepped out into the fresh air, the wind from their ship's passage toying with a stray lock of her hair as she stepped to the railing and studied the logistic sheet she'd been given, looking up at the distant speck that they were racing toward. "I can't let him get to me. He's doing this because he knows it pisses me off." She told herself firmly. "I can do this, I am strong enough. If I can just put up with him for a little bit longer…then I can pass and become a Seed."

"He annoys you too huh?" Rhia jumped, startled by the sudden voice and she turned to look at Squall before smiling ruefully.

"Annoy…probably isn't a strong enough word to describe it. Infuriates is probably more like it. Unfortunately, I have to learn to keep that annoyance in check, otherwise I'm going to fail this exam. And I can't afford to fail, I'm 21 and the Seed medical course stops accepting at 22. So I've got one shot and I have to make it count. I take it you don't like him much either?"

"We're…rivals." Squall told her shortly and she nodded understandingly.

"Well, I'm sure that if we stick together, no matter what happens, we stand a good chance of passing." He nodded. Rhia held out her hand to seal the deal but he just stared at it for a moment before muttering, "…whatever" and turning away to head back down the companionway. Shaking her head, Rhia opted to stay out on the deck, knowing that they were only minutes away from their destination.

Bending her head over the city map, Rhia prepared herself mentally for what lay ahead. It wasn't going to be easy, and it certainly wasn't going to be fun.

…But…she had to do it. And so she would, with all the pride one expected from a Balamb Garden Seed. She would prove herself worthy…or die trying.

0o0o0

"Seifer you moron! Wait up! We're supposed to be a team remember?" As the fleet had beached at Dollet, Seifer had surged off the ship and up the sand, leaving his team-mates to try and catch up. As he stormed up the stairs leading into the township Rhia dug her staff into the sand, bunched her knees and used her forward momentum to vault up to the top of the seawall, standing in front of Seifer, her arms outstretched. "Uh, eagerness is all well and good, but we're a squad remember? We're supposed to work together."

"Yes and my definition of teamwork is you three staying out of my way." He told her ignoring her smirk as the other two climbed the stairs. "Well, we're all here now anyway, so shall we all get going?"

"Alright, we've been given the town square. Let's go." Seifer took off again, however this time, his 'team' was right behind him, keeping up with him as he ran through the deserted streets.

As they passed a small alley a band of Galbadian soldiers leaped out at them, only to be dispatched by a pair of slashing gunblades as Seifer and Squall cut through them and kept moving. Rhia however, stopped.

"Hey! You're not supposed to kill them!" She said in a horrified tone.

"Uh little miss medic? This is a war-zone in case you haven't noticed. You are not going to get brownie points for trying to save them. They're Galbadians, they're our enemies, get that through your thick skull."

"I have to help them Seifer! They're people! Just like you and I!"

"They're enemies Rhia. They'll do the same to us if they get the chance to."

Rhia turned her gaze on Squall and Zell, begging them silently to help her, to back her up. Zell just shrugged and Squall turned away, unwilling to even meet her eyes. With a sigh Rhia stepped forward and left the two dead soldiers behind, her mind roiling and churning with doubts. This would be the life she would have to face every day if she passed this exam. Death, destruction, it all came with the job description, but…if she became a medic, then she could help people…right? Was she doing the right thing? Killing now in order to help people later? She just didn't know.

A shadow creeping up behind Squall suddenly demanded her attention and her body reacted well before her mind did, raising her staff as a bolt of lightning lashed out to strike the Galbadian soldier in the chest. The man fell twitching to the cobblestone road as three pairs of goggling eyes turned to regard Rhia.

"You are such a hypocrite." Seifer told her and she glared back at him for all she was worth. "You lecture and whine about how killing and hurting people is wrong, and then you use level two offensive magic?"

"Would you have preferred it if I'd let that soldier cut Squall down from behind?"

"Squall should look out from himself. Look after your own backside medic."

"This is my team. Like it or not I have a duty to look out for the welfare of everybody in it, even you Seifer. And so, if any Galbadian soldiers try to stop me from performing that duty…then so be it." Seifer snorted with laughter.

"Oh come off it Rhia. You enjoyed that. I saw the look on your face."

"Let's just keep moving." She told him shortly and Seifer chuckled again.

"What's the matter? Don't like admitting that you have a dark side? That you secretly do enjoy pain and suffering?"

"Shut the hell up Seifer and concentrate on the assignment!" She snapped at him. "Or I will make you see just how much I enjoy suffering…by practicing on you." Tossing her head, the girl shouldered her staff and set off down the street. Still smirking, Seifer shrugged and followed.