Author's Notes: ATTENTION! If you have not read the new revision of chapters 4 and 5, you REALLY NEED TO. Trust me. Some of the changes are big and important. And they WILL affect upcoming parts.

Okay, now, as for the reason it has taken so long for me to do two new chapter revisions and a single short interlude, turns out I had not one, but TWO tests these last few days. High level Geology ones too. And two labs to finish. That is nothing, though, to the 15 page paper draft I have due on the 12th. As such I stayed up really late tonight to finish the Chapter 5 revision and write this interlude so that they can be posted and tide you over. Revisions of 6-8 and an interlude for that will come after my paper because that is one of the last major assignments for the semester, and I could use the destressing before my oral examination on my senior capstone project (nothing like defending your writing against strangers' critical literary analysis).

The only real delay will be figuring out what to make the next interlude ON. Apparently I only really had two ideas, and this story takes up one of them. Any suggestions are appreciated, and at this point I only want to do ones that are interactions between Elijah and Nida from Nida's point of view, so I guess that can limit me.

Well, either way, I give you...

Hyne's War: Interlude Two

Protection

Nida struggled to pack up his books as quickly as possible once the bell rang to dismiss his class. Instructor Aki looked on disapprovingly, but Nida didn't care. Just like almost all of the other students in the class, Nida had been looking forward to today for the better part of the year, if not longer. Today was the day were they would finally be given their first real weapons, ones they could keep to take with them so they could practice with other students outside of classes. They still wouldn't be allowed in the training grounds for another year without an instructor with them, but this was an amazing step. Having something more than the foam practice bo that he'd been using for the last year was something Nida had looked forward to, and all morning he had been jumpy.

Granted Nida wasn't getting something exceedingly complex like some students. Apparently there was a guy in another one of the classes who was taking up a gunblade, just like that jerk Seifer who was in the same year as Nida's roommate, Elijah. Other people, though, like this kid named Zell in Nida's class, were just doing martial arts, which meant that they weren't as excited for today. Then there was this cute girl named Alana, who was getting her first sword. Sure it was going to be a blunt practice blade, but it would be hers, just like the metal and wood training bo that Nida was being given. The main thing that made Nida's interesting was that it came with a variety of polearm heads that could be screwed on so he could try out different types of polearms and pick the one that was right for him. The first thing Nida wanted to do with it was get Elijah to spar with him like Elijah had been promising. Sure they'd have to do it outside because Nida wouldn't be allowed in the training center without an instructor for another year, but Nida was looking forward to it. Trick was that having to do it outside meant that there was only about a two hour period before junior classmen were expected to stay inside of Garden for the evening.

Then again, Nida wasn't quite sure that Elijah would keep his promise. A month or so ago Nida wouldn't have doubted it, but lately Elijah had been acting oddly, almost like he was avoiding Nida. That in and of itself was pretty impressive considering they had been roommates ever since Nida's arrival in Balamb two years before. Most of the time, though, Elijah seemed to manage it by going to the training center. Not only was Elijah fourteen and allowed to make use of the center without an instructor so long as other students went with him and they didn't go too deeply into the training center, but Elijah had gotten permission to go there the year before when there had been a visiting Weapons Master taking care of the students. That year some of the thirteen year-old students had received special permission to enter the training center early, ones who were expected to take the SeeD exam with special approval at the age of fifteen, like Elijah and Seifer.

Still, Elijah had promised, and Nida had every intention of finding his friend and insisting that Elijah spar with him. Bag filled with books Nida slung it over his shoulder and rushed out of the second floor classroom, carefully not going too fast until he was out of Instructor Aki's vision before he finally started to run for the classroom where the Balamb Garden Weapon's Master waited.

"I'm busy," Elijah said, not even looking up from the table and the homework set before him.

"You promised," Nida repeated, his grip tightening around the hard wood shaft of his new weapon. "Multiple times."

"Yeah, well that was before. How was I supposed to know that my Instructor was going to give me a paper to write?"

Nida frowned and plopped down into the other chair at the table. "Elijah... I'm sorry."

The red-haired teen looked up from his homework, frowning himself, though his was in confusion. "For what, Nids? I'm the one that should be apologizing really, but I just can't..."

"I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you not like me anymore."

For a moment Elijah sat there, staring at Nida with his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open. When he made to speak Nida shook his head and started before Elijah could.

"I must have done something really bad to have you avoid me so much lately, but I wish you would tell me just what I did. I can't fix anything if I don't know what's wrong. And if I can't fix anything I need to know, right?"

"Nida..."

Nida didn't wait for a response, just left his new weapon leaning against the table and then fled to his room, hitting the close button on the other side of the door. Instead of going all of the way to his bed, Nida sat down with his back against the closed door. Maybe he was over reacting, but Nida couldn't be sure. In his years at Garden, Nida had yet to make many friends. Elijah, who had taken Nida under his wing on Nida's first day, had been the only one that Nida spent a lot of time with. Most of the other students had been together for years by the time Nida arrived, or showed up afterward, and it was awkward to deal with them. Things had been easier in Winhill, where the other kids Nida's age had only so many other kids to hang out with. Everyone there was friends. Garden, though, had so many people, maybe more than Winhill, and Nida still didn't know how to deal with so many people at once. Elijah was usually the one that was Nida's way to get to know people, to talk to people, to be recognized.

"Nida," Elijah's voice came through the door along with a knocking that sent vibrations down Nida's back. "Come on, Nids, open up."

Even though he knew Elijah wouldn't see it, Nida shook his head.

"Come on. We need to talk, okay?"

"Then talk."

"You can't be serious. I'm not going to talk to you through a door."

"Then you can leave me alone," Nida responded, standing and moving to his bed so that he could stretch out, put a pillow over his head, and ignore the knocking Elijah was sure to do.

Nida had only just gotten settled in his bed when he heard the soft sigh of his door opening. Apparently Eliah's new hacking class had a practical purpose that Nida was no where near approving of. Perhaps he should tell Elijah's teachers...

"I don't hate you," Elijah said as he sat down on the edge of Nida's bed, though Nida didn't turn to regard the other youth. "Geeze, Nida, this is way easier if you talk to me, look at me, do something."

"You won't talk to me so why should I talk to you?"

"You sound like a child."

"I'm a teen, it's close enough."

"Good point. Always with the good points. You konw, it makes it hard to talk to you sometimes."

"Instructor Aki says you could do with more people around you making good points. He says it would give you more common sense."

"Yeah, well Aki never liked me. I am more than thankful to have been transferred to a different class."

"It's not as fun without you," Nida said as he turned at last to look at Elijah.

"Let's face it, I just make life more fun."

"You did when you spent time with me."

That got Elijah frowning again. "You know I didn't mean too..."

"If you didn't mean to then you wouldn't have. You meant to avoid me. And now you just pity me because I figured it out."

"No. Nida, listen, if I'm avoiding you then I'm doing it for your own good."

"How can my best friend avoiding me be any good for me? Who else can I turn to in Garden if you won't even stick by me?"

"Nida, I'm serious, what I do, I do to protect you."

"From what?" Nida demanded, hardly believing it.

"If I told you it would defeat the point of protecting you."

"I am a student at Balamb Garden, training to become a SeeD. If I can't protect myself then I should just give up now."

"And where would you go?"

"I don't know. Away from people who lie as badly as you."

"Nida..."

"Tell me, Elijah. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, I don't really doubt that. But..."

"But what?"

Elijah didn't say anything more, though Nida didn't think it was because Elijah didn't have anything else to say. There was probably lots that he wanted to say, and Nida was more sure of that than ever, mostly because of the way that Elijah's lips were pressed against his. They were warm, soft even, and gentle. Still, Nida put his hands firmly against Elijah's chest and pushed his friend away.

Nida hadn't meant to use much force, and yet the shove knocked Elijah from the bed, leaving him sprawled on the floor. As he watched, wide-eyed, Elijah started to laugh, a sorry little chuckle that sounded empty for a guy as cheerful as Elijah. For a moment Nida wanted to reach out for Elijah, to comfort him. Yet Nida could not help but remember the press of Elijah's lips on his own, and shook off the urge. His first kiss, and it had been from his best friend. His male best friend.

"See? Protecting you," Elijah said, standing. "Just, protecting you from me is all."

With that Elijah turned away, limping towards the through Nida's bedroom door. Apparently the fall had hurt Elijah's ankle. Nida made no comment though, didn't call out for Elijah. Instead he just watched as the door slid shut behind Elijah, torn between throwing something after the other boy, and touching his lips to try and figure out whether what had just happened had been real or not.

To be honest, Nida wasn't even sure which he would prefer.