Chapter 3: Make the Effort

In Xu's other pocket Seifer ponders on the obvious. The dimensions of his travel are directly related to his own lack of mass…and that is to say there isn't enough room for him and his shadow in the compartment. He isn't complaining though, it's comfortable enough in all actuality.

"Sure is a tight fit in here." He thinks. "But it could be worse. At least there isn't anything bumping into me and flipping me over. Not like anything else could fit in here but that's a good thing."

"We're here." Xu says pulling Seifer from her pocket. "My apartment."

Seifer looks around to further entertain going insane in detail. "I've been here before!" He realizes aloud, finding déjà vu in the madness.

"What? When?" Xu asks the person in her palm.

"Earlier today, don't get bent outta shape. I was looking for Fujin's room and found this sty by mistake." Seifer explains.

"How'd you get in?"

"Under the door. Not the best way to get anywhere. That hurt!"

"I believe that." Xu concurs. "But this isn't a sty! It's organized by…piles…" She trails off.

"Books, books, notebooks, clothes, can you remember what the floor looks like?"

"Very funny." Xu sits on the bed. "How did you get here?"

"Walked. Then went to class with those trippy broads."

"You walked? Here?" Xu sounds astonished.

"Yeah, I was looking for Fujin's room but I wasn't gonna spend all day twisting under doorways doing that so I asked those girls to help me. They weren't listening. If I remembered the room number…"

"Do you want me to take you there? I know which one it is."

"No, screw it." Seifer shrugs. "All her yelling would probably bust out my eardrums anyway. Thanks though."

Xu giggles then covers her own mouth sheepishly. "Am I too loud?"

"Nah, you're cool. You always were quiet. Everybody else needs to work on their inside voices if you ask me. One of my favorite rules to enforce is the 'no yelling' rule, did you know that?"

"You never cite Fujin for it. That's favoritism." She chides with a giggle.

"Can't cite her for it. She doesn't have an inside voice." He thinks back. "Never heard her not yelling."

"You must be exaggerating."

"I kid you not. The girl can't whisper to save her life."

"I always thought she was a little crazy because of that."

"No, every time she opens her mouth she pretends you're fifty feet away. I don't know." He shrugs again. "She's not crazy, I know that."

"Must be scary to be around sometimes, huh?"

"Eh, she doesn't mean it most of the time. Gotta get to know her, that's all. Not much scares me anyway."

"Is this scary for you?"

"Not really. Weird, yeah but frightening? Nah."

"When Jessica was going to hit you, you weren't scared?"

"A little." Seifer admits. "I'm not going to lie to you."

"Are you afraid of me?"

"You? Nope."

"I am not intimidating?" Xu is astonished again.

"No."

"Why? I'm much bigger and stronger than you. I could do all sorts of things to you."

"I don't see it sweetheart."

"Why not?"

"You remind me too much of a pixie to be scary."

"A pixie?" Now the highest-ranking officer is confused.

"Yeah. Whenever I see short little you I think pixie. Cute friendly tiny fairy that runs around Garden."

"And Jessie scared you?"

"Sorry she was a big nut not a nymph!"

Xu smiles. "Strange word for a drop-out to know." She teases.

"Hey, I'm not completely illiterate!" Seifer protests. "I happen to like mythology."

"So am I the kind of fairy that grants wishes?"

"I don't know, will you tell me what your beef is with my favorite bastard?"

She takes a deep breath. "I might as well."

"It is my wish."

She smiles again and begins. "A few years ago when we were all novices trying to be SeeDs I wanted to be one."

Seifer nods. "Everybody wanted to be a SeeD."

"You and I were opposites back then kind of. You didn't try too hard or study at all. I did nothing but. I buried myself in my books, studying constantly. I knew I would pass the exam. I had to! You Quistis and I took it the same year. We passed while you didn't."

"Yeah, I should've followed orders but whatever."

"Quistis took the test as a prodigy but I was the top scorer in our class. I was awarded the highest SeeD rank you could begin with. That didn't even matter because I set another record. In ten days I passed every SeeD written exam with 100 on the first attempt!"

"Really?"

"Yes. By the time the next field test rolled around and you and Squall took your exams I had been A-rank for some time."

"What does this have to do with our social butterfly?"

"He did average on the test. Nothing special. At this point it meant little to me. I'm Cid's top lieutenant, why should I care? It became a problem when Cid stepped down. He appointed Squall as Headmaster and not me! Why?"

"That got you pretty steamed I'm guessing." Seifer says noting how her hands are trembling. He wobbles unsteadily as it makes for unstable footing in someone's hand.

"Yes! Why him? What did he have that I didn't? Cid told me that Squall had the potential to be a great leader. Based on what I cannot tell you seeing as he hadn't said ten consecutive words to anyone! He appoints this guy to lead Garden! Naturally I had questions so I asked Cid why."

"Why did he appoint Crybaby or why he didn't appoint you?"

"Both, it's no secret I was and still am more qualified than he is."

"What did he say?" Seifer asks, sitting down since it's getting to be a lost cause standing because she's really perturbed.

"He told me that I did not have 'the qualities necessary' and that I was 'not leadership material.' I didn't understand."

"Me either. Sounds like bull."

"I assumed the only thing I could. He picked Squall over me because…" Xu gestures at herself with her free hand.

"I don't get it."

"My appearance." She says finally.

Seifer looks her over. He can see the uniform flatters her pretty well given the fact it barely fits within the bounds of modesty. He notices the torn pocket and the impression it gives and even he has to admit she's got an eye candy look going. "Because you're a shapely sprite?" He concludes.

The petite hourglass nods guiltily. "To add insult to injury I remain his second-in-command even though I out-rank him! Ironic huh?"

"So you just want to kick his ass?" She nods again. "Well get in line. I'm first."

Xu smiles again. "I don't think you'll be doing that right now."

"Why not? Let me at him."

"If that is what you wish…" She stands and walks towards the door.

"Hey, I'm kidding alright! What I want to know is how you managed to trail me. I can't figure it."

"It took a while but you left clues. Using the shell cases from your gunblade and some deductive reasoning I was able to plot a possible course you took."

"You didn't just say that."

"I did. Detective is in a SeeD's job description."

"That's impossible." Seifer says flatly.

"Doing the impossible is also tiring. I'm going to take a nap." Xu stands and places a pillow on her dresser. "Make yourself comfortable." She places Seifer on the pillow.

"Thanks." The blonde one plops down on the cushion. "Appreciate it." He rolls over and goes to sleep.

"He's had a rough day." Xu thinks. "He's got to be twice as tired as I am." She walks over to the closet. "Going to have to sew this up." She thinks taking off her shirt. "This got torn too?" She slips out of her skirt. "Probably when fighting that delinquent. Good thing I have a spare unifo-" Her thoughts are interrupted by a sound. She looks to its source, mystified for the moment.

Seifer is sitting up on the pillow staring in her direction whistling lewdly. "Go on!" He yells faintly from across the silent room. "Don't mind me!"

Xu looks clueless a moment but a glance in the mirror clears it up. "Giving him quite an eyeful." She realizes standing there in her underwear. She sighs and gets into bed pulling the covers up. She can hear his disappointment from there. She shakes her head. "Shameless!" She calls out. Some hard to make out response comes from the furniture's direction and she falls asleep.

X

In Xu's room Seifer is sitting on a pillow still looking in his hostess' direction. Of course by now the show's over but...it's the sentiment that counts. He is still smiling a rakish grin because that was quite funny to him after all, some people never change.

"If I hadn't whistled…" Seifer thinks sullenly. "She wouldn't have known. But where's the fun in that?" He thinks back to what Xu mentioned before.

"If Cid meant what she thought he meant it'd be a real shame. Why discriminate because she's hot? What, do people not follow orders from a babe well? People's eyes follow one pretty good. That's why people stare, because she's hot! They're paying attention I know they are! I think it would be super effective if the little bombshell was leader. But that's just me." He chuckles to himself. "Who'd listen to my vote?"

Seifer looks around. There are books everywhere, a veritable library that needs sorting. Even on the dresser where he is there are literary things strewn about with tired bookmarks in them. One is ajar and he goes to take a look at it.

"Swordsmanship…" He mumbles. "Must be her style of fighting, let's have a look." He begins to read. With some effort he turns the page. "That stance is just like mine!" He reads further. "All these moves are the ones taught to me in basic training!" He continues reading. "Everything up to where I stopped studying and further is in here." He looks at her sword leaning on the wall next to the bed. "You can do all this with one of those? You're just full of surprises." He looks at his hostess.

Xu is fast asleep. She fidgets but remains unconscious; someone isn't a peaceful sleeper. The cover slips off somewhat given her tossing and turning but she doesn't pay it any attention. She shivers a little but doesn't seem to notice.

"Real easy on the eyes too."

X

Xu wakes up a couple of hours later still weary. Even though she's not a slow starter she takes her time sitting up and gets her thoughts together. It's like something has thrown her rhythm off.

"I didn't finish training for the day." She thinks yawning. "Why was I so tired?" She looks at the arrangement of her chest of drawers. "How could I forget?" She wonders noting its resting occupant. "Poor guy." She walks over to check on him. "I hope he's alright." She bends over some to look more closely at him. "I still can't believe it…" She touches him to be sure he's really there. Seifer eyes open on contact and Xu is startled as though she's the one being tapped. Immediately she looks sheepish as he notices her prodding him and is apologetic. "I'm-"

"Even hotter up close." Seifer murmurs gazing up at her reverently. "Wow…"

Xu can barely make out what Seifer is saying but his apparent gawking is a good hint. She realizes that she looms over him in her lingerie and is suitably embarrassed. "…" She considers what he said and has no words. Her face is unreadable as she turns away.

"What's wrong, Pixie?" Seifer asks. "Never been called 'hot' before?"

"…no." Xu says in an undertone.

"You can't be serious."

The expert soldier doesn't respond. She walks over to the closet and begins to get dressed.

"Where are you flying off to?"

"Training Center. Didn't finish my practice session."

"Always busy aren't you?"

Xu nods. "Will you be alright here by yourself?"

"Yeah..." Seifer replies. "...but I'm coming with you anyway."

"Why?" Xu straps on her sword.

"It'd be boring as heck here alone, what's the point?"

"As you wish." Xu places him in her pocket. "Don't tear this one." She commands.

"Eh, whatever." They walk off to the monster enclosure.

Xu is thinking as she walks. It's a popular thing to do when the bounds of logic are being taxed at your expense. A large part of the learning process is being confused and figuring it out, it's just been a while since the near genius student has been really challenged.

"He actually called me hot." She thinks to herself. "It's hard to believe he could even consider me in that way the state he's in. Should I be flattered? Nobody has ever said anything nice to me before, I don't know. People stare at me but that's all. They never speak. I feel like Squall!" She smiles sardonically to herself. "Guess we're more similar than I would like to believe."

In her pocket Seifer is ruminating on something plaguing his mind. Aside from the dimensional differences he's come to something else. Though a drop-out he's not a slow study and he's putting some conclusions together for himself to sate his own curiosity

"Her style is my style." Seifer reiterates to himself. "She practices constantly and still can't beat Crybaby. I know she's better than me, I can see that. Why doesn't she use a gunblade? She said it herself; the advantage of having the option to fire is stopping her from winning. If she could turn the tables then wham! He's down for the count. I don't get it, why would they give me a gunblade and not her? Unless-"

"We're here." Xu says suddenly withdrawing her passenger. "Where do you want to sit?"

"There'll be alright." Seifer sits on a stone a few feet away from her. "Thanks."

Xu nods and draws her sword. She begins to practice, doing movements from the book and many Seifer had never seen before. A breathtaking display of swordsmanship unfolds and he is in awe.

"Whoa, she's good." He thinks to himself. "Didn't think something so big could be so graceful. Heck anything that agile is beyond me. Now why can't she beat Six-shooter?" He watches her perform and gains an insight. "I think I know why now." He waits for her to take her breather. "Hey Pixie, I got a question."

"What is it?" Xu asks sitting next to him. "How can I help?"

"I was reading one of your books on swordsmanship and watching you just now and realized something."

"What is that?"

"Our fighting styles are about the same."

She nods. "Your make of gunblade's style is derived from my kind of swordplay yes. Why is that important?"

"I've been wondering since you're so good why don't you have a Hyperion?"

The swordswoman seems to become dejected. "I can't use it." She replies sadly.

"I thought that might be why. Is it because of your height?"

"Yes. As proficient as I am with this I can't handle what you have. It is almost as big as I am and too heavy for me to wield at all."

"I know you could beat that bastard if you had one."

"Though I am a master of my art technology still gets the better of me." She sighs staring off straight ahead wistfully. "All because I'm short."

"You're a master?" Seifer sounds stunned. "How did you manage that?"

"Studying. I know every move in all the books in my room backwards and forwards and there isn't an instructor anywhere who knows more about this blade then I do. Of course no one uses this anymore but..."

"Could you give me a few pointers? I been wanting to take Squall down a few pegs myself but it's not as easy as I thought."

Xu smiles. "Are you asking me to teach you? A drop-out asking someone qualified to be an instructor to tutor them?"

"Yeah I guess."

"If that is what you wish then it would be my pleasure." She stands. "Let's see what you know." She draws. "Follow along with me." She does five attacks in succession. "Now you." She observes Seifer.

"I got this." He says, climbing down from his perch. "Watch." He draws and imitates what he saw.

"Again if you would." She sits on her haunches to see him better. After watching a second time she comes to a conclusion. "The problem is once you get past entry level competency people stop instructing you."

"What?" Seifer asks defensively. "What did I do wrong?"

"You went too fast. It's not a race."

"I did what you did!"

"Too quickly. That's your problem. You are too rash and impatient. True technique flows, it doesn't gush and ebb."

"The faster you go, the faster you win!"

"The faster you lose your weapon too."

"…" Seifer has no comeback.

"How many times have you been disarmed?"

"…"

"The faster you go, the more likely you are to lose control of your weapon when you slow down. Flow and keep your emotions under control then victory is not far off."

"What about speed? You were going pretty fast!"

"But did I slow? The key is consistency." Xu stands. "Let's try again." She gets into battle stance. "As I do." Seifer is treated to another bout of beautiful blade handling. "Now you." She's back on her heels waiting.

"I can do it." Seifer tries to emulate her.

"No, all wrong!" Xu says forcefully. "That will get you defeated for certain!" Seifer is startled by the outburst.

"I did it exactly like you did! What else do you want?"

"Do AS I do. You don't have to be exactly like-" Xu stops. "Let me explain it a different way."

Seifer looks at her with interest. "Well Instructor?"

Xu looks mystified. "How can I say this?" She comes upon a revelation. "Find your own rhythm." She says decidedly.

"Eh?"

"Do it your own way but with a steady beat to it. Not with all that stop and go. Slip through maneuver after maneuver with fluidity. Speed comes with practice." She stands. "Sorry about yelling I-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm notoriously hard to teach if you remember."

"Right." She assumes stance. "As I do." She glides effortlessly through another ballet of flawless technique. "Your turn." She looks at her pupil expectantly.

"My own rhythm, no hurry." Seifer begins the attack pattern. He ad-libs a bit but gets through it. "How'd I do?"

"Good. Get comfortable with the idea of practicing. Of planning more than one move ahead. It is the key to good technique." She stands. "Don't sweat the little mistakes. At this point we just want continuity. We want to get away from the impulsive random strike and not got to the machine uniformity." She raises her sword. "Let's continue."

They practice into the evening Xu demonstrating and Seifer following. It goes on for some time, neither wanting to rest having fallen into a groove. It got to the point where they didn't even have to signal one another and the swordplay didn't stop. Eventually they had to though.

"Seifer." Xu says suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Pixie." Seifer says finishing up the move of the moment.

"I'm hungry." She says simply putting away her sword.

"Me too." Seifer sheathes his weapon.

"Let's eat." With that they leave the training center.

X

In the cafeteria the pair manages to get some food before it closes and are left alone. Having been the last two in line leaves their food a tad bit on the cold side since the mess hall was shutting down but gives them their choice of what to eat at a discount.

"I haven't eaten all day." Xu says sitting down at a table.

"Famished myself." Seifer agrees from the tabletop. He looks at the plate. "Who would've thought they'd have hot dogs? Chicken wuss would kill to get some of these."

"How are you going to eat? Cutting off a piece with your gunblade?" She inquires with a smirk.

"No! I'm not an animal. That's what the SeeD pocket knife is for." He pulls out a Swiss army knife.

"Those are only given to SeeDs…" Xu says unsteadily.

Seifer looks up at her blankly. "Your point?"

"You stole that?"

"Confiscated." He corrects. "It's what you get for carving your initials into something with me watching. It's mine now." He chuckles and turns his attention to his meal portioning. "Damn this is handy!" He puts it away and begins to eat.

"There you are!" Comes from the doorway. "We've been looking for you."

Xu turns her chair to face her visitors. "Oh, you guys." She can see Quistis, Rinoa, and Selphie. "Do they know?"

"I told them you have something to show them." Quistis replies. "So, no they don't."

"Well?" Selphie asks. Rinoa looks on with anticipation.

"Umm…" Xu looks down at the table then unclasps her hands from her chest. Seifer drops back on the table landing on his feet then falling to one knee, gasping for air.

"Warn me before you do that again, Pixie!" Seifer exclaims up at Xu. "I had a mouth full of food, I could've suffocated! Not like there's much air there any- hey ladies." He notes the trio.

"Omigodwhathappened?" Tumbles out of Selphie's mouth. "Seifer? Is that really you?"

Rinoa's face is the definition of shock. Mouth slightly ajar you could feel the amount of air ripped from the room as she gasped. That is followed by hasty sign language that no one can make out. Her fingers blur with the speed of it and her eyes stayed wide enough to join Seifer on the table if she so much as even moved since her eyelids are only for show and not doing their job at present.

"What's up?" Seifer asks the stunned females. He turns to Xu after watching Rinoa throw a fit. "What did she say?"

The short girl shrugs. "This is what I had to show you Rinoa. Sorry about the incident earlier."

Rinoa nods and slows her hands down to where she can speak again. "Is he real?" She signs slowly.

"Yes." Xu replies.

"This is my fault isn't it?" Selphie asks. "I'm sorry! I didn't want this to happen, I just wanted to see what the spell did! Can you ever forgive me?" She implores Seifer.

"Are you done?" The diminutive drop-out asks. "Because I was trying to eat. But that didn't go too well. I got yanked up and half smothered and now you're talking my ear off. Can you leave me alone?"

"You aren't mad?" She asks hopefully.

"Hell yeah I'm mad! You got me tripping on thumbtacks and Pixie can see over my head! Of course I'm mad but it doesn't matter now."

"It doesn't?"

"What's done is done, why yell about it? Besides what am I going to do, come and get you?" He draws the Hyperion. "Whoa a paper cut!" He steps toward Selphie threateningly and she giggles at the thought. "I'm gonna get you!"

"Jessie thought it was pretty serious." Quistis reminds Seifer coughing. "She needed to be sewn up."

"Wow, a stitch! Watch out you'll need a stiiiitch!" Seifer rolls his eyes. "Are you done?" He asks again. Selphie is laughing hard now and doesn't reply.

"I don't know, let me ask him." Xu says to Rinoa.

"Ask me what? I'm trying to eat here!"

"Rinoa wants to know if she can hold you."

"I don't know, can she?" Seifer replies sarcastically. "Do her hands work?" He puts his hand to his face. "I don't even see why you bother asking." He continues exasperated. "I'm only this tall!" He shouts holding his other hand to the top of his head.

"We're trying to be polite." Quistis explains.

"Really? Before you came I was trying to eat, what's the polite thing for you to do? I'll give you a hint, starts with 'L' and rhymes with 'eve'." Quistis laughs. "I don't get what's so funny. I thought teachers were supposed to be smat. Not smart, smat."

Rinoa places her hand on the table in front of Seifer. He looks at it a moment then climbs on. She raises him to her face slowly and peers at him strangely. With her other hand she says something and smiles. Selphie and Quistis find it funny.

"What did she say?" Seifer asks.

"That you're cute and…" Xu waits for the rest of it. "Just as silly as before."

"So I'm trying to grab a bite but you people pick with me. Up here picking me up and asking stupid questions and I'm silly? That's rich."

"Me next!" Selphie calls. Rinoa extends her hands to her and Selphie snatches him. "You're light!"

"No, you think?" Seifer squirms uncomfortable in Selphie's grip. "Hey, watch the jacket!"

"Sorry." She loosens her hand. "How's that?"

"Perfect. Now put me down!"

"Why?"

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I'M TRYING TO EAT!"

"Alright, sheesh!" Selphie sets him down. "You're no fun!"

"Now does anyone else want to bother me? Quistis do you need a turn?" She shakes her head. "Then I'm going to eat." Seifer resumes his meal.

"We haven't decided who will be looking after him for the night." Quistis mentions. "Who is it going to be?"

"I don't know." Xu says.

"Count me in." Selphie vocalizes.

"It should be his decision." Rinoa signs. The others nod and all eyes are on Seifer.

Though the blonde warrior is eating finally he stops of his own accord as he's on the spot again. "Can't a man eat in peace? What do you want now?"

"Who do you want to be your guardian for tonight?" Quistis asks.

"That's an easy one. Dryad right here."

"Dryad?" The tutor is puzzled.

"Pixie I mean."

"Pixie?"

"Yeah, her." He points at Xu who looks sheepish. "You'll probably bore me half to death." He turns to Selphie. "You won't let me get any sleep. As for you…" He regards Rinoa. "You not talking might be plain creepy. And Pixie's cool, a little wild but that's alright by me."

"Seifer!" Xu admonishes.

He shrugs. "See you guys later."

X

Later on in Xu's room they are getting ready to go to sleep. It's just after lights out and Garden becomes a tomb by then so may as well turn in. Of course the disciplinary committee isn't at full strength but that doesn't make there be anything of note to do at the moment even so.

"Now to bathe before bed." Xu says running some water in the bath basin.

"I thought you had a magical spring for that." Seifer chides.

"No, I have a tub and it looks like you could use a dip in it too."

"I'm okay on that."

"What, do you need me to watch you so you don't drown?" She teases.

"No, though you might." Seifer counters. "Tiny little you in the tub alone just screams trouble. I'll watch over you because I'm such a nice guy."

"Right and what will you do if I start to drown?"

"Watch over you, hello? Were you listening?"

"Thanks, that'll be a big help. No."

"Aww, worth a shot."

"You're shameless you know that?"

"You may have told me once. You're probably right."

"Out."

Seifer walks out and the door shuts behind him. "I had to try." He says to himself laughing. "It would've been great if it worked."

After what seem like an hour later Xu comes out of the bathroom. Wrapped in a bath towel she picks up Seifer and places him on the sink. She begins to run water in the basin for him.

"Fall, fall, fall! For the sake of all that is fair, fall!" Seifer silently commands the towel. "Come on!"

"Your water's done." Xu says stopping the water and turning to exit. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Fall damn it fall already!" Seifer demands. Xu leaves the room and just about shuts the door. He snaps his fingers in disappointment and looks around. She left him shavings of soap and a shred of cloth. "Coarse as hell but it'll do." He bathes quickly and goes to bed.

X

In the infirmary Dr. Kadowaki is up early as always. Call it a SeeD habit even though she'd quit active combat duty some time ago.

"No change in condition." The doctor says checking Irvine. "It doesn't seem to be wearing off. Our best hope lies with the young people who went to gather the magic."