Disclaimer: Boy, am I SICK of writing disclaimers. From now on, this disclaimer applies for whatever else I write. I have no claim whatsoever to the ownership of the Final Fantasy series no matter how much I wish I do and long for the possession of a particular silver-haired guy.

A Word From the Author: Uh...I have nothing really to say at all. Just keeping up tradition. Ignore my nonsense and please proceed, thank you!

(Note: This chapter takes place a week after the previous.)

Chapter Eleven: Return of the Knight

It was promising to be another normal, routine day.

Sephiroth stepped out of the dorm, books tucked securely under his arm, scratching himself irritably. The cadet uniforms seemed to have been designed for the express purpose of annoying the hell out of the students by being horribly uncomfortable, especially on hot days. If it wasn't for the miracle of air-conditioning, he would probably have thrown himself out of the window long ago just to escape the stifling heat. At least he would die cool rather than sweaty.

And peaceful. At least death was quieter than his very noisy roommate. Luckily even Daniel, the King of Dense, and gotten the numerous hints Sephiroth had dropped meaningfully over the past week and had actually made a credible attempt at keeping his noise level down for the benefit of his roommate.

Sephiroth was strolling to his first class on the list when he passed the cafeteria. He took a deep, appreciative sniff of the aroma wafting out of the kitchen and paused to glance at his chrono. Ah, what the hell. He was still fifteen minutes early anyway. He strode down the red path into the canteen. Inside, there were a few other early risers who had taken the opportunity of the early hour to grab some of the elusive hot dogs for breakfast before the others got up. Immensely popular among the SeeDs, the hot dogs sold out fast. Even the captain, surrounded by a group of his friends, were seated in a corner, loaded down with hot dogs.

He joined the short queue and waited for his turn. When the cafeteria lady was ready to take his order, he asked for a couple of hot dogs. To his amazement, he had quickly developed a taste for the tasty snack, especially when drowned in tomato sauce and mustard. Maybe it was Shinra's company manufactured, 'nutritious' food, which tasted and smelled as good as fresh dog dung. Compared to 'that' nightmare course from hell, he'd take hot dogs any day.

He sat down at the nearest unoccupied table and thoughtfully took a bite out of his still steaming hot dog. He burnt his tongue, but he didn't really care. He polished one off, licked the residue toppings off his fingers, and started on the second one with relish.

Which was when a SeeD came bursting into the cafeteria, red-faced and gasping for lack of breath. He sprinted at top speed towards Arne Leonheart's table, and screeched to a stop, bending over and gulping in huge mouthfuls of air.

Heads turned and all conversation and idle chitchat ceased. It wasn't everyday a student charged into the cafeteria to deliver what looked like an urgent message. Everyone strained to eavesdrop on what was passing between the captain and the messenger. Sephiroth sidled closer a bit without being too obvious, relying on his superior hearing to catch the words.

....................................................................................................

"What is it, Wilson? Speak up," Arne said irritably.

The messenger, finally satisfying his body's need of oxygen, straightened and threw a salute. "It's from Headmaster Fraden, sir. She wants you to see her immediately on the double. Because..." He hesitated and glanced at the avidly listening students, all looking suspiciously innocent. Then, seeing Arne's impatience gradually bloom across his face ominously, Wilson said hastily, "Perhaps the rest of the message should be relayed in private, sir?"

Arne groaned as he heaved himself up, every movement reluctantly slow. Keire flashed him a smirk as he leaned forward and seized his captain's abandoned hot dogs. Arne offered him a cold, steely glare which only served to widen the instructor's wicked smile. "You owe me, Wulcan," he growled.

"Yes, sir. But you shouldn't dally around like this; you know how upset Xu can get. Duty calls, sir," Keire drawled as he deliberately sunk his teeth into the bun, chewed, and swallowed with an exaggerated expression of bliss on his face. The assorted bunch of SeeDs around him burst into laughter.

"Oh, damn, Keire, I'll get even later, I promise," Arne said sweetly, though there was a murderous gleam in his eye. He turned on his heel and followed Wilson out of the cafeteria. As they walked past Sephiroth towards the entrance, Wilson said quietly, "Seifer Almasy's come back, Captain. They found him, collapsed at the gate..." With that, they were gone, and the cafeteria burst into little buzzing whispers.

Sephiroth mused over that tantalizing little snippet that Wilson had let drop while absently chewing on his hot dog. Wasn't the knight supposed to be far away in Centra? Maybe this was the sign that he was waiting for, that his brief respite at Garden was over. Much as he enjoyed the past week of tranquility, he had been born and bred a warrior, and the lack of serious battle was driving him mad. He wanted to be out there fulfilling whatever 'ultimate destiny' Bahamut had hinted at mysteriously during their last meeting. Now the routine had been broken, by the arrival of the notorious knight. What could this entail?

The bell rang, shattering his thoughts. He cursed and leapt to his feet, along with every other student in the cafeteria, who had been too engrossed in their speculations to pay attention to the time.

Sephiroth! —

He started and the books spilled from his arms to land in a messy heap on the floor. He let out a few select oaths he had learnt in the docks of Junon Harbor and knelt to pick them up hurriedly, jamming them to his chest.

(What do you want?) he growled at the Planet in an unfriendly tone.

—The time is coming. You are taking your practical examinations in three days' time, are you not? —

(Yes...I passed the written test yesterday. Why?) he answered cautiously, making a pretense of brushing the dust off his books in case anyone thought he was loony to be standing there staring off mindlessly into space with glazed eyes.

—That will be too late. You must complete your trials by today—

Sephiroth almost dropped his books again but managed to tighten his grip just in time. "What?" he blurted out, forgetting momentarily to mindtalk. A couple of stragglers gave him funny looks as they ran past to their classes. Taking a deep breath, he queried silently, (So what's the big hurry?)

—The next SeeD examination is in two days' time. Whatever happens, you must be enrolled in it. And do not be concerned about how you are to secure a place in today's exams. A cadet has fallen ill and there is a vacancy. Just speak to your instructor to sign up—

(But I haven't studied!) he protested.

The Planet's silence was frigid and oppressive. He understood that this was not a request. This was an order. Sephiroth bristled even though he knew that the Planet was doing this for his own good.

(I'll do it. But there's not much choice in the matter, right?)

—You made the choice when you chose the path of redemption. There is no turning back—

Sephiroth did a shrug as the Planet's presence receded from his mind. He glanced at the time and let out a few colorful phrases that would make people with more refined natures than his faint. Not only did he have to bear with the pressure of his impending exams, he was ten minutes late for class.

He broke into a smooth lope. It was tough being a hero, Frankly, he didn't know why so many people bothered.

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(three hours later)

"Seifer?"

It was a gentle voice, soothing his raw and wounded psyche. The darkness lightened to a dull, lead gray through which he could not penetrate. Suddenly afraid of the light, he shrank from it, turning his face back to the soft comforting folds of the dark. Going back to the light meant that he had to face his memories, his failure, his terrible failure...

"Seifer, wake up. You're among friends now."

What friends? His lips would have curled into a bitter sneer had he been in control of his body at that moment. Even now, twenty years after the war, he still saw the old lurking fear, the hate, the dark memory flitting like intangible ghosts in their eyes, sometimes in Squall's and Rinoa's eyes too. It hurt him, cut him cruelly to the heart, and he wondered what they would say if they knew how their words lashed him more than any other torture.

Or worst still, the words of forgiveness...

(Which I don't deserve. Never.)

(Not in a million years. Eternity in the pits of hell won't make up for all I've done...)

Fingers touched his forehead briefly. He wanted the owner of the hand and the voice to go away, to let him sink back into sleep once again. But the unknown person persisted, and with a sigh, he relinquished the darkness. Now was the time to confront the reality.

He braced himself and opened his gummy eyelids a crack. Silhouetted against the light were three figures, and their faces swam in and out of focus as he sought to adjust his eyes to the change from dark to the sudden brilliance.

At last the room stopped spinning and Seifer was able to recognize them as Dr. Kadowadi, the kindly Balamb nurse, Xu Fraden, and Arne Leonheart. All wore expressions of varying concern and underlying grimness. He realized that he was currently in the school infirmary and the doctor must have been the person attempting to wake him up earlier. He gave the gray-haired woman a grateful nod, which she returned with a smile.

The silence in the room felt awkward, and Seifer shifted uncomfortably on the bed. The moment lengthened, until Arne abruptly broke it by saying, "Seifer, I know you're injured and exhausted, but we really need to ask some questions. You were found covered in blood at the entrance, apparently collapsed from lack of rest, and kept mumbling the words, "She's in Coruthary," over and over again. Which is where, according to my father, you are supposed to be. If you're feeling well enough, I'll appreciate it if you could tell me the whole thing." He cast an appraising eye at Seifer. "Must have been one hell of an adventure."

Seifer smiled wanly. "It was." The smile faded as his green eyes grew dark and haunted by some troubling thoughts. Looking directly at Arne, Seifer said solemnly, "There's not much to tell, actually. I reached Coruthary, alright. Damn place was buzzing with Galbadian soldiers. There were officers barking orders, soldiers running here and there and lots of big guns. It was pretty obvious that at last Galbadia had stopped with the empty threats and got down to business."

Xu frowned. "This is not good. The governor of Coruthary has always been one of most generous benefactors. There is no doubt he'll call on us for aid."

"But that will draw us into the battle and that treaty we signed with Galbadia five years ago will be so much trash," Arne observed gloomily. "Continue, please."

"I snuck around a bit, hoping that I could get into the city somehow, but the Galbadians were too thorough. All the entrances, from the smallest mouse hole to the gates, have been sealed up and guarded by a dozen soldiers, who switch patrols every six hours. Seeing as a single man can't defeat an entire army by himself, I decided to leave to inform you of the new threat."

"Not another one," Arne and Xu chimed together wryly in unison, exchanging looks.

Seifer went on, ignoring the two SeeDs. "So, you know that Coruthary is kind of built on a plateau and sprawled over the slope? I was belly- crawling away when I spotted someone familiar." He licked his dry lips and bowed his head, his fingers aimlessly plucking at the white sheets as the weight of his guilt came crashing down onto his shoulders.

"Who?" Interest filled Arne's eyes and he leaned forward subconsciously.

Seifer looked miserable. "It was Avine Swifter."

"What?!" Xu and Arne simultaneously yelled, disbelief etched onto their faces. "What was she doing there?" Arne demanded, while Xu snapped, "Are you sure?" in a tone that seemed to question his sanity. Their voices blended together into nearly incomprehensible gibberish and Seifer held up his hands defensively against the barrage of questions hitting him.

"Hey! Cut it out! One question at a time, please," he requested.

Both took deep breaths, returning to their usual composed selves. Xu spoke first in a tone vibrating with suppressed excitement. "Are you absolutely sure she was there? In Galbadian hands?"

"I'm not blind, okay? I've seen her before; I know how she looks like, for Hyne's sake!" Seifer said impatiently.

"That wasn't meant to be a slight on your intelligence," Xu apologized. "Did she look...fine? Were the Galbadians doing anything to her?"

Seifer thought back. "She was...unguarded. She was standing alone at first, a little off to the side, just watching the Galbadians go about their business and making no attempt to escape." Xu and Arne exchanged puzzled looks at his narrative. "Then, she happened to turn around...and she saw me. I locked eyes with her for a moment." Seifer shivered at the memory. "Her eyes...they were dead. So empty, so hopeless, they belonged to a corpse. I don't even know if she recognized me. Nevertheless, she didn't give the alarm. We stared at each other, and then..." He swallowed hard, remembering.

The feat flooded back in waves as he forced himself to speak. "Then a hooded person came out of a tent and headed for Avine. The strange thing was, it was uncomfortably warm, and this person was all swathed in cloth, with the cowl drawn up and hiding the features from view. Avine didn't respond, but somehow the person knew I was there. It turned around and looked at me. I couldn't see anything at first, then it ripped off the hood and..." His voice faltered and cracked on the last word.

"Water," he whispered huskily.

Silently, Dr. Kadowadi handed him a glass of water. Seifer sat up shakily with Xu's help and downed the cool liquid, rejuvenating his parched throat. He lay back and continued his story, recounting it with horror.

"It was a she. The most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on...and yet she was hideous as well, flawed somehow that spoiled that beauty. But her eyes...oh, Hyne...that was what scared me the most, and I don't mind admitting that. They were golden, like Ultimecia's, like Edea's, the eyes of a full- fledged sorceress. They bore into my soul, and she knew all my secrets. She smiled; she extended a hand...I could sense the raw power, practically an aura that radiated in a halo of light around her body." Seifer paused, his eyes staring, recalling the touch of those amber eyes on his skin—scorching, seductive, tempting...

Arne flinched at Seifer's description of the strange woman. "Did she have...did she have violet hair?" he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Seifer gazed at him, astonished. "How did you know?" Clear the memory was, of her hair, freed from the restricting hood, flying free in the wind, glittering and shiny as polished amethysts.

"Never mind," Arne shook his head, waving a hand, while Xu stared at the two men in consternation.

"You've been touched by her too, haven't you?" Seifer asked in sudden understanding.

Arne said nothing. He did not have to. His eyes were a mirror of Seifer's own, wild, seeking assurance, filled with fear of the unknown. Seifer cleared his throat and proceeded. "I broke. I ran, leaving Avine behind again. I don't think my legs have ever run faster. The soldiers saw me then, of course, and I got a few bullets, mostly grazes, though one did embed itself in the crook of my elbow. I ran like a madman, not because of the bullets, just to get away from her, as far as I could."

"I don't know how long I was running, but it was a long time. I dressed my wound as best as I could. Luckily, I had managed to retain my pack and provisions during my insane run, so I didn't starve. I had a potion that I drank which slowed the bleeding. Then I somehow made my way to the beach, got my boat, and zoomed off to Balamb harbor. I would have rented a car, but I was so tired I would probably have crashed. So, I ran as fast as I could down the path to Garden, and upon sighting my goal, fell unconscious, the glorious spectacle you found."

He fell silent, and Xu and Arne turned to each other.

"The treaty has been broken, and not by us," Xu declared grimly. "Galbadia kidnapped one of ours; we have proof now. We are free to take military action against Galbadia. Contact your grandfather, Arne; we'll need all the help we can get."

Arne fidgeted. "Xu, could that woman be...a sorceress?" he asked softly. "Isn't there only one sorceress now—Avine?"

"I suppose the rest of your family should know too. And Edea, since both she and Rinoa were once sorceresses. They might make something of this." Xu sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Damn...wasn't a demented sorceress from the future bad enough? Now a new one has to pop up like a jack-in-the- box."

"Great. Now they'll think that she'll try to recruit me too," Seifer muttered without humor, not looking at either of them.

"Who cares what they think. I'm the Headmaster," Xu stated flatly while Arne left quietly to call Laguna. "And much as it pains me to say this, I trust you."

"It means more than I can say," Seifer replied seriously, to Xu's surprise—in the old days, he would have made some sarcastic jab about how he was so touched. The sincerity and pain in his voice tugged at her heartstrings and she couldn't help but put a hand on his shoulder. "Not everyone feels that way about you," she said as gently as she could. "If they could see you now, hear you, they would know. There are too many lies in the rumors, and they believe those lies, because it is easiest to believe you were evil. But we know the truth. Because we know you." She tried to sound comforting, and Seifer managed a small smile.

"Thank you for understanding," he said in a hushed voice. There was a small moment between them as Xu squeezed his shoulder and smiled back.

The door whooshed open and Arne darted in, horror in every movement of his body. Xu glanced at him and almost recoiled at the shock and grief that twisted Arne's handsome face. Without a word, Arne dropped to the floor, his head on his knees, rocking back and fro. For the first time, Xu saw her captain's iron control break right in front of her eyes.

"Oh, gods, what happened, Arne?" she asked, dropping to her knees and shaking Arne slightly. Seifer watched, alarm on his face.

Arne lifted his face; tears streaked his cheeks, his eyes were wild, distraught, bleak with nameless sorrow. "Oh, Hyne, Xu...Grandfather...they..." He was unable to go on as a lump rose in his throat. He fought the tears back, a whimper escaping his lips.

"What's happened to President Loire?" Xu said sternly, hoping to snap Arne out of his crying.

An eerie calmness descended upon Arne. Even as he opened his mouth to speak, Seifer suddenly knew, like a premonition of chaos ahead, what the younger man was going to say next. His soul cried out to Arne not to say it, not to make it final; the confirmation of his darkest, deepest fears.

"He was assassinated."

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Author's Ending Note: How's that for a cliffhanger? (Smirks) Sorry for the major delay in updating. Once I can think up a good practical exam for Sephiroth I'll post the next chapter up, which will also take a long time in coming up because my dad put a new password on the computer. Grrr... Hey, stop that! (runs as several furious Laguna fans arrive in hot pursuit, armed with sharp, pointy objects) See you next chapter! (disappears over the horizon)

Travithian Axile signing out

Thanks to:

Omega Paladin: I wasn't implying that you SAID that there was a romantic bond between them. It just occurred to me that some people might just see it that way, and I was basically repeating my no Seph/OC warning from before in case some people had missed it. Anyhow, thanks for the encouragement!

Dark Feruil: Wow...I don't feel I deserve the praise...but hey, the reader is always right! The plot is going faster...you'll see some more hints of his 'ultimate destiny' in the next few chapters.

zornoid13: Hello, and welcome! I would appreciate it if you specified exactly which parts are interesting and which aren't. Every comment serves to improve the story.

Noacat: Hee, thanks! That junctioning thing was something I cobbled together from some fanfics I had read and some of my own stuff.

Mantichorus: Okay, here goes: Jenova was a sorceress called Adele from Gaia. She attempted to do something evil (which will be elaborated on later) which caused her to be banished and deformed by Hyne. She chanced upon the Planet and tried to take over it, by making Sephiroth pursue godhood. Then she could devour the souls of the Lifestream to become stronger. She failed. Cloud didn't kill her; she escaped, discovered that Hyne was taking a little vacation from Gaia, and entered her old home to recuperate. She allied with Edigier Deling to achieve world domination. She had a second agenda—revenge on Hyne for what he did to her. Her blood flows in Sephiroth's veins, so he is currently the second strongest being on Gaia and therefore the only one who could challenge her. His destiny is to help the heroes defeat her. Jenova can't die in the Planet, but she CAN die here.

Hope you understood. And I haven't decided on what FF7 characters I will use, but I will definitely consider Nanaki. And I didn't know the Planet was also called Gaia when I wrote this, so I hope no one gets confused.

aer-seph4eva: (laughs at the idea too) Sephiroth and Siren. Maybe when the moon falls from the sky.

mononoke: Nah, there are much better crossovers than mine. Try Refugee's Genesis and A Knight of Spira. You'll love it.

Zero-no-uta: Thanks for the TWO reviews! Hope you had fun at your camp. See ya!