Chapter 5
The trip back to Balamb had been strangely uneventful, much to Seifer's disappointment and Rhia's relief. She hadn't known whether or not her already tightly strung nerves could handle another shouting match between Seifer and Zell. She'd spent the entire trip back a nervous wreck, wondering if she'd really done the right thing in going back for Shadow – who hadn't even been part of her squad anyway – and whether or not she would be failed for that. Would they all fail because of Seifer's decision? For abandoning their post? What about the battle at the tower? The mechanical spider? It was just too much! There were so many things to think about, so many ways to fail a field exam that it was a wonder anyone became seeds at all!
Finally, when Rhia was sure that all her thinking would drive her absolutely stark raving insane, she felt the boat begin to slow…then stop altogether as it bumped lightly against the Balamb docks. Standing up, she caught sight of a flash of white disappearing topside and hurried herself along, racing up to the gangplank just in time to see Seifer taking off with Raijin and Fujin in the last Garden car. Her jaw somewhere around her ankles, Rhia jumped onto the pier looking thoroughly scandalised. "He's left us to WALK!" She demanded, her nerves forgotten momentarily in her anger. "What a CRETIN! When I get my hands on him I'll…" She left her threat hanging as she looked at the other two members of her squad, plus the extra two they'd picked up, all of which were giving her bizarre looks.
"What? Oh forget it, let's start hiking. Who knows? By the time we get back the results might be ready for announcing." Slinging her staff across her back, Rhia straightened her shoulders and began walking, the rest falling in behind her as they trekked through the city streets and out the main gates heading back along the road leading to Garden. As she walked, Rhia felt her heart sink lower with every step. This was it. This was the all-important decision upon which the rest of her life rested.
She only hoped she'd made it.
Waving weakly at the Garden gatekeeper, Rhia started towards the elevator, only to turn and look at Shadow, one hand on her hip.
"Oh yeah, before I forget Shadow. I ran a search through the student directory and couldn't find you anywhere. So who the heck are you? Really?"
"Really? Well, well, I shall certainly have to correct that." He murmured thoughtfully before smiling at Rhia and sauntering off. "I'll talk to you later, there's something I need to take care of."
"Hey you didn't even answer my question!" She protested.
"You better get up to the second floor. I'll see you there." Without giving her a chance to argue further, he turned and walked off again. Rhia was about to follow when the chimes that preceded a staff announcement rang out through the Garden.
"Attention! All students who took part in the field exam please report to the 2F hallway. I repeat all students who participated in the field exam are to report to the 2F hallway. Thank you." Shaking her head when she realised that Shadow had disappeared, Rhia headed up the stairs and into the elevator.
0o0o0
The second floor hallway was packed with students, some pacing, some praying and some…
Rhia found herself sighing heavily as she watched the anger sparking between the heated and furious gazes of Squall and Seifer.
And just when she thought all the fun of the field exam was over too. Still, from what she'd heard around Garden, that sort of behaviour was normal for those two so…as long as they didn't kill each other…then why should she even care?
"Hey girl-scout! You took your time getting here. What kept you?" Rhia's eye twitched with anger as Seifer noticed her presence and acknowledged it. Why? Because she severely disliked the guy too and hoped that one of those days, Squall would actually put Seifer in the infirmary for a month.
"Don't you have someone else to annoy?" She asked him in a tired voice and he grinned wickedly, sensing yet another opportunity to annoy someone.
"And don't you have cookies to sell?" Rhia made a grand gesture in Seifer's direction and declared in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the self-titled king of the jerks!"
"Oh please, I would never title myself something especially something like that little medic. Don't you have band aids to hand out to the junior classmates? Better hurry, those paper cuts are deadly." The sarcasm in Seifer's voice was sharp enough to cut.
"Hey Seifer, do you want in on our betting pool?" Rhia asked suddenly, her voice dripping sweetness. "Cos we're offering 3 to 1 odds that you don't become a seed this time around either."
"Yes well, I can tell you for a fact that things are going to be different this time around, not that it's any of your business girl-scout."
"Oh really Seifer? Do enlighten me on how this time – this is what, your fifth and last chance at getting into seed? – how is it going to be different?" This time it was Seifer's eye twitching in anger.
"What's your point girl-scout?" He demanded and Rhia smirked maliciously.
"I'm just saying that you're in exactly the same boat as the rest of us so you shouldn't be so damn quick to put the rest of us and our chosen professions down."
"I wasn't. There'd actually have to be something there to put down in the first place in order to make it worth my effort."
"At least I HAVE a future Seifer! At least I'm trying to make a difference by helping people instead of hurting them!"
"Hah! Yeah the enemy we hurt just as they were trying to hurt us. Thus is battle thus is war so don't try to get on a high and mighty kick with me!"
"War is WRONG! Don't you get it! Violence serves no purpose!" Rhia demanded, her eyes alight with a strange passion. Seifer just looked bored.
"Oh how cute the little medic is trying to convert my way of thinking, dragging me down to her level. And you yourself live in a military academy yet you spew this rhetoric like a false prophet and you expect me to take anything you have to say at face value? Don't make me laugh." The girl's eyes widened at his retaliation before she drew herself up to her full height, the look on her face dangerous.
"At least I HAVE values! At least I HAVE lines that I won't cross! You act without thought, you disregard rules and swagger around like you're some sort of noble! Well you know what Seifer? You're just a coward! A coward and a bully who has to stoop to making rules up to enforce in order to feel important!"
"Oh but I don't feel important, I am important and I'll prove it today when seed gets the best thing that has ever happened to it." He told her confidently.
"The best thing to ever happen to Seed is them not accepting a swaggering, egotistical psycho like you!" Seifer narrowed his eyes at her, and when he spoke again it was cool, collected and very, very ominous.
"Little girl, you do need to work on your manners. Besides it's rude to talk that way outside and inside garden, so don't make me enforce that rule here and now." Rhia snorted contemptuously.
"You just made that up because I'm insulting your poor little ego! And I'll remind you dumb-ass that you started it by insulting my choice of profession!"
"Just as you do mine. Way before I said anything in fact, and all through working through the mission. You mocked me before that and after too, and you're mocking me and my profession now, so don't make it sound as if I was the only person mocking. You did more than your fair share oh-annoying-one. And I didn't make anything up, me and my posse have everything in a list and unless you want to be added to the black-list I think you best show me the respect I so richly deserve."
"Respect! You cannot make me respect you! That's something that has to be EARNED not forced through fear. I will never EVER fear a coward like you! Your threats are as empty as that peroxide-filled skull of yours!"
"My hair is naturally this way." Seifer informed her loftily as he ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. "And I do believe that I've wasted enough time with you." Rhia laughed coldly. "You mean your pea-brain can't think of anything else to throw at me. Hah, you're pathetic. A pathetic little warrior who carries his brain around in the sheath of his gunblade. No good for anything except brute strength and inarticulate grunting." Seifer flicked her off.
"Whatever it takes to make you feel better little bug." He started walking off and Rhia couldn't resist taking one last dig at him.
"One day Seifer, you're going to realise that you're not all you claim to be. You're going to wind up all alone. And I hope I'm there so I can laugh in your stuck-up chauvinistic face!" If he heard her, he gave no sign, walking to the end of the hall just as a member of the Garden faculty stepped out of the elevator, a small piece of paper in their hand.
An expectant hush fell over the corridor as they all watched the hooded figure unfold the paper and clear their throat, the sound unexpectedly loud in the silent hall.
"The following students are to report to the headmaster's office on the third floor. Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, Selphie Tilmitt, Rhia Summers…" As soon as her name was called, Rhia became oblivious to anything else as she felt her chest swell with something that could only be happiness. Before she even realised it she was walking (floating?) towards the elevator with the other successful candidates. However as the doors slid shut, Rhia looked around in bewilderment and finally asked,
"Where's Seifer?"
"His name wasn't called." Selphie told her and Rhia felt her insides grow cold. For all that she'd been screaming at him about how she hoped he wouldn't graduate…those had been words spoken in anger, in the heat of the moment. She hadn't meant them, not really. As the elevator began its ascent, Rhia felt like her heart had been left somewhere behind in the region of her shoes. She hadn't meant it. Now what would he do? Where would he go? She didn't know, she just hoped that the headmaster would figure something out because, even though he was problematic and a complete and utter jackass, Rhia had to admit that…fighting with him on a good day…was some of the most fun she'd ever had.
She was pushed forward with the others as the doors opened, jostled along into the rather lavish office of Cid Kramer the garden's founder and headmaster. Falling into line with the others, Rhia stood at attention as he moved between the students, handing out their rank reports and whispering a more personalised congratulations to each in turn. While she waited for Cid to reach her, Rhia noticed a furtive figure slip onto the end of the line next to Selphie – Shadow and she wondered just how long he'd been there and how he'd gotten into the office without her noticing. Unless he'd been there when she'd arrived, which was highly likely given her state of distraction when she'd stepped into the room. As Cid reached the medic in training, his smile seemed to brighten slightly as he handed her the small card that recorded her exam results.
"I'm sure you're going to save a great many lives." He told her, and despite her feeling guilty at Seifer's not graduating, Rhia found herself flushing a little at the praise and knew that, no matter what anyone said…she would do her utmost to live up to Cid's expectations, as well as maintaining Garden's fine reputation.
"Congratulations one and all and welcome to Seed. You're dismissed and I shall see you all later tonight at the inauguration."
"All right!" Zell cried punching a fist into the air. "Party!"
"Party?" Rhia questioned, a blank look on her face.
"Yeah, you know Rhia, the big celebration to welcome us worthies to the illustrious ranks of seed?" Shadow piped up. "Really it's a chance for us to get totally smashed and then go out on our first ever missions with our first-ever real hangovers. Speaking of which, Selphie-chan, do you have a partner to go with yet?"
"Well, I hadn't given it much thought seeing as none of us were totally convinced we'd make it this far."
"In that case, would you care to be my date? It would be an honour for me to arrive on the arm of such a beautiful young lady." Selphie blushed a little and giggled.
"Yeah sure. Hey Rhia, you're going too right?"
"Uh, actually I think I'll pass."
"Well that's no fun! C'mon Rhia you've got to go. This is like a once in a lifetime thing. Oh! I know! Hey Squall! You can be Rhia's date!" The two exchanged looks before promptly replying at the same time, "Forget it!" Selphie just laughed.
"You've got to go. It's a compulsory thing so nyah! Squall you're taking Rhia and that's that! You two gentlemen meet us at 6pm by the fountain ok? Ok!" Without giving Squall another chance to protest, Selphie grabbed Rhia by the arm and dragged the angrily protesting girl from the room, saying happily, "Oh I have the best idea on how to do your hair!" Rhia huffed and allowed herself to be dragged along, seeing as Selphie seemed to be ignoring her protests anyway. It was just one party. How bad could it be? Really?