A Word From the Author: Yet another late chapter. I seem to have trouble keeping my vow to update my story every week. Argh. Too many exams, that's what it's all about! I can't cope. Well, enough of my self-pitiful moaning and feast your eyes on the long-awaited chapter on our favorite silver- haired villain's (or hero, whatever) field exam! (bows and stands aside)

Chapter Thirteen: The Practical Exam

(Note: This chapter takes place the afternoon after Chapter Eleven)

Sephiroth stood with a small group of about five other cadets at the gates of Balamb Garden. Instructor Rynee was doing the briefing. She was reading out the names of the participants from a printout in her hand, and when she was done she moved on to the rules of the practical examination. "Each of you," she announced, "will be paired up with an instructor who will take you to meet your challenge. You will only know what you will face when you reach your destination. Any questions?"

A boy raised his hand and asked, "Will we fighting monsters or people?"

"Like I said," Rynee said with a nonchalant shrug, "That's for you to find out when you reach where you need to go. If that's all, the instructors will be taking you out now. You will leave one pair at a time." She rolled the printout up and gave a curt nod. "Remember, make sure that you are properly junctioned and equipped with both weapon and magic. If you fail this test, you will have to re-sit the theory and practical exam. Understood?"

No more queries were raised, and soon the pairs were walking out of the gates. After the third pair had departed, Sephiroth followed a tall woman with totally unassuming features that gave her the ability to blend easily in any city in the world. She did not give him her name, and mentally he daubed her as Instructor 'Bland'.

After walking for about fifteen minutes across the grasslands, Bland plunged into a forest, following a little-used overgrown trail hidden beneath the leaves even his enhanced eyesight could barely make out. She strode with confidence and unerring accuracy, obviously very familiar with the path. Sephiroth couldn't figure out what she was using for landmarks. They walked deeper into the forest, and after some time the trail evened out and broadened, bearing the signs of more use. Another path crossed it at this point, bearing recently imprinted footprints. Bland ignored the branching road and resumed her course. At last she halted so suddenly that Sephiroth almost bumped into her. He looked around, a little surprised. She had stopped right in a front of what looked like an impenetrable barrier of worn and weathered stone that rose out of the ground and blocked their way.

"Choose a time limit," she said in a soft, almost expressionless voice, turning around to face him.

He named the minimum time limit for maximum results. "Ten minutes," he replied.

"Good luck," Instructor Bland answered, drawing a coiled whip from her belt. She pressed a palm to the wall and leaned close so that her back obscured her actions. Her shoulders moved a little, then she stepped back to reveal a gaping doorway in the wall. "Down there," she said unnecessarily, pointing, before entering the hole.

The silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow as he hastily copied her actions. He settled his weight gingerly, cautiously, and was relieved when the surface below supported his weight. A white light beamed suddenly, piercing the darkness, shining on the stone steps he was standing on. "Careful," Bland advised from a few steps in front of him. "It's a little steep."

Using his hands to guide him, Sephiroth inched his way down, keeping the instructor's bobbing flashlight in sight. It was quite a short flight of steps, and Sephiroth soon stood on flat ground, absorbing the sights. He was in a huge stone compound below the ground and lit by powerful electric lamps mounted on the ceiling. In the center was a raised platform, made of gleaming steel that looked innocuously out of place amidst the stone. At one end was a closed portal barred with thick iron bars. Other cadets already stood on the sidelines, looking nervous.

Bland and Sephiroth joined the group, and Rynee called out above the noise of the students' mutterings. "The rules are simple. You walk onto the arena and fight whatever thing that comes out of those doors. Your instructor is there to make sure you don't die on us. You ought to have chosen your time limit already. Ready? First pair up there is Colin Grierson and Instructor Gabriel Dunsern."

A sandy-haired cadet gulped apprehensively and reluctantly trooped up the stairs that led to the platform, looking little reassured by the presence of the instructor, which urged him along. When he set foot on the steel surface, the stairs let out a hissing sound and retracted from the platform, stranding both cadet and instructor there. Colin's face turned a sickly shade of gray and he clutched his spear tighter. The instructor looked exasperated and apparently managed to reassure the boy, for Colin managed to set the spear into a defensive position, though his knees still shook somewhat.

"Fifteen minutes...starting now!" Rynee declared, and an electronic timer on the wall glowed green and began ticking down. The adamantine doors of the portal hissed open and a dire howl sounded. A silver mist floated out, heralding the arrival of Colin's adversary.

With a snap of its long jaws, the wolf appeared. It was long and gray and lean, with deadly ivory fangs and palely shining silver eyes that glittered with stars. Colin gasped, a gasp that was echoed by the rest of the cadets as they all realized that they would not be fighting ordinary monsters, but rather low-level Guardian Forces. A girl turned very white and sagged against the nearest instructor, who rolled his eyes and gently pushed the terrified cadet back upright.

/Mortal/ the wolf thundered in the minds of those gathered there. /I am Valiance, silver wolf of the night. He who defeats me will command me. Let the battle begin./ Seemingly eager for a fight, the wolf lowered its head and pawed the ground like an impatient stallion.

Colin rook a deep breath, his skin glistening with sweat. He cast Scan to determine the weaknesses and strengths of the wolf, and his eyes brightened with resolution. He twirled his spear and shouted out the words of a spell. The air around the wolf wavered and rippled, becoming liquid. The wolf snarled as its form was surrounded by water. It disappeared for a moment, then appeared with a soft 'pop'! right in front of Colin. The boy staggered back as he realized that not only his spell had failed, Valiance had also the ability to teleport. However, he managed to gather himself and struck at the wolf, scoring a bloody gash on its shoulder blade. The wolf shook itself and retreated a little, eyeing the spear warily, its long tail swishing from side to side.

In one sudden, sleek move, the wolf lunged, swift as quicksilver, sinking its jaws into Colin's spear arm. Gray, sparkling mist leaked out of the edges of the wolf's lips as it bit hard. Colin let out an agonized yell, tears in his eyes, but retained the presence of mind to hold on to his spear and switch hands. Sensing danger, the wolf rolled aside as Colin struck. The spearhead sank into the wolf's hindquarters and, as the wolf twisted in an attempt to shake it off, the metal bent and lodged into the bone. Colin seized the opportunity to twist it deeper, causing Valiance to growl softly in pain. It whirled around and unleashed its starry breath in Colin's face. Where the mist made contact with Colin's skin, the flesh grew gray and rimed with silver frost that made Colin wince as he moved his limbs. The wound on his arm was covered in ice stained red with blood.

Colin ducked, and the wolf did not harm him this time. It swiped viciously at the boy with its sharp claws, and Colin bore the pain of the claws ripping through his flesh stoically, leaning forward and thrusting his fingers deep into the wolf's open jaws. The wolf's mouth closed almost spasmodically, and Colin's body shook as tendons tore. The wolf's silvery eyes widened, then water gushed out of its mouth in unending streams. Valiance choked on the veritable waterfall born in its throat, a result of Colin's clever spell. Its natural weakness being water, the pain was more than it could bear as it drowned its icy breath and stole its wind.

/The round is yours/ the wolf rasped. /Cease your torment/

Colin, his face pale and drawn, yet exultant with victory, pumped his good fist in the air, and carefully removed his injured hand from the wolf's slack mouth, which streamed blood freely. He grimaced at the sight. Instructor Dunsern, who had been watching, poised for action, rushed forward and cast a powerful Curaga on the boy's wounds. They glowed with a soft white light for a moment before closing, leaving only pink scars. However, Colin's skin tone remained gray, and he had to walk down the stairs with the help of the instructor. Valiance padded behind slowly, one of its hind legs dragging. The spear had been removed, and was now clutched tightly in Colin's hand. The wolf spoke telepathically to the boy, then dissolved into gray smoke, returning to the Guardians' plane.

"Congratulations," Rynee praised. "A definite pass. Next...will Sephiroth and Instructor Freya Blackthorn please step up?"

His face impassive, the youth walked up to the platform, unsheathing the Masamune in one quick movement. As usual, Instructor Bland –Freya Blackthorn—remained mute and stood at one corner for the rest of the battle. Sephiroth readied his sword, the adrenaline pumping through his veins causing his sight and hearing to become even sharper. Being genetically engineered not to feel fear, Sephiroth ignored the foreign emotion and concentrated instead on his goal.

The door opened, and the Guardian he was to fight came out, accompanied by a shining black aura. It was a nightmare, with a sleek, obsidian coat deeper and purer than any other black he had ever seen. Orange and blue flames danced like fevered dervishes in its eye sockets and hooves. Its mane was pure fire, and Sephiroth could feel the heat emanating from it even so far away. Wickedly jagged fangs curved past its lower lip. Black- feathered wings arched, oddly graceful, from its back, rainbows shimmering in its glossy depths in the glare of the fluorescent lights. A twisted horn that was stained rust red on its sharp tip protruded from its forehead, gleaming a smooth obsidian. It stopped a few feet away, its eyes containing the all the depth and horror and hell.

/I am called Ebon, Ebon the Nightmare/ it told him in low, sinuous tones. Its wings stretched towards the ceiling, and its red eyes flared. /You dare challenge me, mortal?/

"Why not?" Sephiroth retorted, his green eyes narrowing, glowing almost as brightly as the hellish orbs of the black horse. He mentally prepared a Scan spell in his mind. At the back of his brain, Diablos shouldered forward to have a better look at the foe, laughing softly at the sight. The youth chose to ignore his Guardian's interruption and moved closer to the nightmare, determined not to waste too much of his allotted ten minutes.

Ebon's lips stretched wide in what could almost be described as a smile. The nightmare spread its wings and hovered above the ground. Sephiroth pondered what to do as he kept the nightmare at bay with the Masamune. The nightmare had greater maneuverability in air, and normally Sephiroth could have called upon his innate powers of levitation to attack. But that would mean revealing his true powers, and the Planet had strictly cautioned him against that.

Ebon seemed to sense his hesitation. /Do I sense fear, mortal?) the winged horse gloated, lips peeling back to show sharp teeth. It dived, avoiding the sting of Masamune's bite, kicking at the youth with steel-shod hooves that burned with fire. Sephiroth wasn't overly concerned about getting burned since he was immune to fire, but he was worried about showing the SeeDs his invulnerability. He dropped to a crouch and jabbed at the nightmare's belly as it overshot and stayed in its position for a few critical seconds. The Masamune connected, glowing white hot with the intense heat of the nightmare's blood. Ebon pulled away with a flap of its wings and circled slightly higher.

Sephiroth's intuitive sense told him to duck, and he did, just as Ebon rushed towards him from behind, so close that the wind of his passing stirred Sephiroth's silver hair. Cat-quick, Sephiroth spread his fingers and cast a spell, sending bolts of ice shooting towards the horse. It punctured its rump and side before melting. Ebon hissed, sounding immensely displeased at missing its target. It seemed to decide to cut out the direct approaches and cast a spell, causing Sephiroth's surroundings to erupt in a sheet of orange fire. It licked his skin, which remained unscarred and unblemished. Though he could feel the searing the searing heat if the burning fire, he felt no pain. Since he was covered head and toe in a majestic cloak of writhing flames, Ebon, flying overhead, was the only one who could see him, and its ruby eyes widened in disbelief.

/What are you?/ Ebon demanded. /The one the king said would come?/ It came closer, darts of fire spitting forth from its mouth. Sephiroth used the Masamune to sweep it away, green eyes meeting the horse's red orbs steadily. The nightmare bowed its head. /It is you/ it breathed in wonder.

Sephiroth shook his head in amazement; word certainly got around fast in the realm of the Guardians. The horse descended, tucking its wings close at its sides. It tossed its head, and the flames vanished at its command. (Continue, and keep up the sham. This is still an exam/ the horse directed.

Ignoring the audience's surprise at seeing him alive and unscathed, Sephiroth complied with Ebon's instructions. Ebon's red eyes flared in annoyance as the Masamune flashed by, coming so close it removed a few feathers from the nightmare's wings and forced the Guardian Force to retreat a few steps. /Can you not be so enthusiastic?/ it inquired almost plaintively, all trace of its earlier intimidating attitude gone. Obviously, Sephiroth surmised, Guardian Forces possessed personalities just like human beings and liked putting on a show just like any ordinary person he knew.

"I'm doing what you asked me to," he replied quietly with a quick quirk of his lips, his voice unheard above the roar of the dwindling flames.

If the horse could have pouted, it probably would have, the youth thought with a smile as Ebon ruffled its feathers almost indignantly. The horse lowered its fiery-maned head and charged, intent on goring Sephiroth with its horn. Sephiroth twisted away, angling his movements so that he now faced the nightmare at chest level. He stretched the six foot long blade out, and Ebon's blood-red eyes darkened with horror. Unable to rein in its momentum, the nightmare impaled itself on the Masamune. Black blood, with flecks of deep scarlet in it, gushed freely out of the wound, staining the blade and dulling its silvery luster. Ebon writhed on the four feet of steel that had skewered it, teeth snapping vainly as it strove to reach its foe. It shuddered at the terrible pain, then stilled, its movements stiff and jerky. Raising eyes glazed with agony, it whispered directly into Sephiroth's mind, /Fine. You win. Just remove this darned needle out of my chest/ It slumped on the sword that still kept it upright. /Don't you know the effect of cold steel on magical creatures? It hurts worse than the hell I was spawned from!/

"If you say so." Sephiroth planted his foot none too gently on the winged horse's shattered chest and pulled. The Masamune slid out, grating horribly against Ebon's bones with a wet squelching sound. Ebon stiffened, its wings quivering visibly, then it relaxed. /Better/ it hissed in an unfriendly whisper, and Sephiroth noticed that the gory wound was beginning to knit together slowly. The horse stood straight, shaking its wings out, then bowed to Sephiroth. /A good battle, Chosen One. I am sure we will meet again in the future. You have earned my service/ With that, it shook itself once, vigorously, and its black body dispersed into cold black mist that stung Sephiroth's skin before vanishing into thin air.

Freya took his shoulder, giving him a rare smile, and guided him from the platform. "How long did I take?" he asked her, elated at his success.

Her eyes studied him speculatively, coolly. She was wondering, he knew, as everyone one else would be. "Eight minutes and fifty-two seconds," she said at last as they walked down the stairs. They joined the other cadets below, and the third candidate went up to face his battle. Sephiroth watched the last three cadets, two boys and a girl, his mind far away. He dimly noticed the Guardians participating in the battles: a nine-tentacled purple monstrosity called Gratius, a willow blond sprite dressed in green leaves named Spring (the unfortunate candidate was a male and had to suffer the problem of his screaming hormones as well as focusing on the actual battle itself) and lastly, a goat-legged female satyr called Satira which blew a mean flute. The last cadet, the faint-hearted girl who had nearly collapsed earlier, got the mutated octopus and, unable to take it, had fainted noiselessly and gracelessly, earning herself an instant fail, while the two boys did fairly well, managing to defeat their Guardians within the time limit.

As a result, the girl was the only one to look depressed when they all emerged into the sunlight a while later. Colin was in high spirits, and skipped along humming a nursery rhyme ('Humpty Dumpy Sat On the Wall') , an idiotic grin on his face, and the other two boys (they were brothers) talked about their challenges loudly and very animatedly. Sephiroth, however, was thinking about what lay in store for him now that he had passed his practical examination. The Planet had promised him a chaotic adventure ahead, and what the Planet promised, it would deliver, of that he was most assuredly certain of.

He had just hoped that the Planet would give him fair warning before he fell headfirst into it.

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(Back in the Astral Plane...the Guardians' home, you know)

The chaotic matter in the plane twisted and warped briefly before becoming corporeal—a black horse with obsidian wings, blood dripping steadily from its chest. It limped as it 'walked', mentally sending out a call to the elder guardians.

They arrived instantly, just as Ebon's last words faded away, for distance was of no consequence in the Astral Plane. They surrounded Ebon, their glinting eyes, red, blue, green, black, fixed intently on the wounded beast.

/Who have you fought, Ebon, who damaged you so badly?/ Ifrit boomed with some surprise, gazing at Ebon's battered form. He stretched out a massive, clawed hand, and fire that would have boiled a human alive but merely served to rejuvenate the fire elemental surrounded the nightmare. The bleeding stopped, but the wounds themselves did not heal. They continued to heal slowly, shining with a pale, unholy blue.

/What is this?/ Shiva demanded, her sapphire eyes glowing as she examined the horse's wounds more closely. Her eyes widened. /They are the marks of her sword/ she spat out venomously.

The Guardians glanced at each other nervously. Among them, there was only one 'her' that was spoken of so vehemently, and they all knew of her return to the world she had nearly single-handedly destroyed millennia ago.

Ebon grimaced. /Lucky me. I ran into her heir...the one Bahamut met and spoke to but a few days hence/

/He carries that sword?/ Pandemonium asked in a breathy, gusty voice that echoed and blew around the infinite space of the Astral Plane. /Does he know what it is?/

/I doubt it/ Siren replied in a musical, lilting voice that sounded like the song of the waves during high tide. /That sword is incredibly astute at hiding itself, as we all know. It was made for that...woman, after all/ For a moment, the Guardian's beautiful features contorted into a hateful snarl. Then she caught herself and went on. /We helped make it, as you recall. It was a powerful sword, a holy blade, that denied all evil and was a bane to the darkness. She enchanted it so only those with her blood could use it. Then, as she fell from grace, her blade too, grew corrupted as her soul, since it was bound so intimately with her. Somehow this blade has been passed on to this mortal from another world; we have all Seen with the Inner Eye the traces of her in him. We need not worry in any case. If this boy is who he claims he is, who our King himself has said he is, who the legends say he is, the sword will listen, and obey, no matter what its other motives could be/

/You speak wisely, Siren/ Leviathan rumbled in its watery voice. The sea serpent stared at her with thoughtful aquamarine eyes. /But still I fear, with good reason. Send one of us to watch over him. Not just Diablos. You will forgive me, old friend/ he murmured, addressing the dark god of gravity /if I still have trouble trusting you after so many years of comradeship/

Diablos just responded with a wild, cackling laugh that made his fellow Guardians wince. Shiva glared at him in disgust and bent her chill gaze upon the nightmare, who was listening carefully.

/Bear my task, nightmare/ she intoned. /Be Sephiroth's Guardian, and watch him closely for her taint. Come to us to report when you spy evil intents within his mind/

The nightmare bowed, his red eyes grim and proud. /Yes, Great Lady/ He cried out sharply once and disappeared from sight.

/You do realize/ Diablos said darkly, /that you have not consulted with the King/

Shiva frowned coldly. /Bahamut has other things to contend with at the moment/ she proclaimed sternly. /I merely do his work for him/

/He might not be so grateful/ Diablos cautioned with a screeching laugh that set her nerves on edge. With another insane cry, the bat-winged demon vanished in a cloud of sulfur-smelling black smoke.

/He always loved effects/ Shiva said. /Until nest time, my comrades/ Her body became transparent and then melted, and was gone. One by one, the other Guardians left, leaving one small blue snake that had hidden, unnoticed, and eavesdropped on the conversation. It had very old, and very wise golden eyes that were currently sorrowful.

/You have lost your trust, Guardians/ Bahamut thought to himself. /To think, that we have come to these times/

With a sigh, he, too departed on the wings of a wish spell.

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Author's Ending Note: Underground stone arenas? What the hell is THAT? My ideas are leaking out one by one! Darn. Hope you don't think that was too weird. I would like to add that Ebon and Valiance had long been ideas of mine and I am glad to finally pull them off the dusty shelves of my mind and put them to use in this chapter. I plan to give Ebon a bigger role than I originally wanted to. Oh, and now you know the eternal secret—where the Masamune came from. Jenova had it made for herself in the days when she was still Adele. How Sephiroth got hold of it will be explained in later chapters. Gasp Wow, this chapter exceeds chapter three! (Chapter Thirteen, my lucky number, by the way, knocks Chapter Three down form first place and gazes loftily around) Well, hold your breaths in anticipation for the next chapter!

Travithian Axile signing out

Thanks to:

Omega Paladin: Did you enjoy the new plot soup I've cooked up this time? Pleasantly thick and creamy, right? (or so I hope, hee hee)

Nami the Time Traveler: Finished reading yet?

Noacat: Of course they will. The subplot will make this story all the more longer, yay! Which means the time between now and when I say goodbye to my characters (because I am not doing a sequel due to how my ending is written) is prolonged! The longer the better.