Despite a superficially similar appearance, Galbadia Garden looked nothing like its Balamb counterpart. Where Balamb Garden seemed idyllic and relaxed, this one was majestic, elegant and more than a little intimidating. The ranks of students in green versions of the Galbadian infantry uniform performing exercises on the grounds all around them – and in the sky above, thanks to bulky rotorframes that Nida had never seen up close before – didn't help.

They stopped at the main entrance, with Deling still blindfolded and Nida still carrying Seifer's gunblade. "I'll explain our situation to the headmaster," Quistis said, taking Nida aside and speaking softly enough for neither Deling nor Seifer to hear. "I've been here several times, and I know him pretty well." She nodded toward Seifer and Deling. "Make sure neither of them does anything."

Nida nodded, and Quistis went on in, leaving the others to wait. Nida noticed they were getting odd looks from the students hanging around.

"What is this place?" Deling demanded, voice sounding a bit cracked – an aftereffect from the gag, Nida hoped. "Where have you brought me?"

"Shut up!" Seifer snapped.

"I am the president of the Republic of Galbadia!" Deling snapped. "I demand to be treated with respect!"

A trio of men approached, in outfits that looked like a cross between drill instructors and football trainers. "We'll take it from here," one said; and he was escorting Deling into the Garden before anyone could object. "Mr. Almasy, you too."

Seifer stood his ground for a moment, glaring daggers at the man, but eventually went along.

"The rest of you, please wait in the 2F reception room," said the man. "The Headmaster is meeting with your leader now." He turned and left before Nida could ask where the 2F reception room was.

The group proceeded into Galbadia Garden's cavernous main hall. Though Balamb's was probably technically larger, this one simply felt emptier, not least because of the quiet that seemed to pervade it.

"Wow," said Selphie, unconsciously lowering her voice. "It's completely different from either Balamb or Trabia Garden."

"Yeah," Nida agreed, though he was just relieved to be back at any Garden.

After some experimentation, Nida found the door marked "RECEPTION," and the group filed in and sat down.

It wasn't long before Quistis appeared. She had a distant, haunted expression that probably boded something other than happy news. "They understood our situation," she said. "Though obviously this was a lot for them to take in."

"What'll happen to Deling?" asked Rinoa. "Garden isn't going to release him, right?"

"That's not normal procedure," said Quistis. "But these are unique circumstances. The Headmaster's thinking it over."

"You can't!" said Rinoa. "This is Timber's best chance for freedom!"

"Honestly, I think something else is going on," said Quistis. "The Headmaster seemed...odd."

There was a pause. "Hey," said Zell. "What about Squall?"

Quistis sighed. "...It appears he was captured after all. The trial's over, and —" Her voice caught. "...and the sentence was carried out."

Nida winced.

"He was executed!" Zell slumped back in his chair. "Oh, man."

Rinoa looked quite stunned herself. "I can't believe it. He...sacrificed himself for the 'Forest Owls.' For people he didn't even know."

Quistis took a seat herself. "I don't think Squall ever refused a challenge from Seifer," she said. "I never understood it. ...In a way, they were a lot alike. If they could just have exercised more self-control, I think both of them would be SeeDs right now."

"Was Squall your student?" Selphie asked.

Quistis nodded. "More than that. I've known him for as long as I can remember. He always kept to himself, but...there was just something about him."

Nida certainly agreed. He'd always kind of admired Squall's ability to attract so much attention, just to ignore it all. He'd always kind of resented it, too. This was a guy who nobody really knew, but everyone would mourn anyway. He wished he had some idea how Squall had done it.

He also wished he could have thoughts that were a bit less selfish upon learning of Squall's death.

Zell jumped to his feet. "That...son of a —" he said, storming out of the room.

"...Zell!" Quistis called, belatedly, jumping to her feet as well. "...I'd better go after him. Consider yourselves on standby for the time being."

And she left as well, leaving Selphie, Nida and Rinoa in an awkwardly silent room.

-

Seifer was pacing from end to end of the detention room in Galbadia Garden's Disciplinary Center, which was organized considerably more like a jail than its counterpart in Balamb – there were six rooms in all, covering three of the walls of the larger room where the Disciplinary Committee worked. The room was only a little cramped, with a computer terminal that he hadn't tried to use yet on one side and an armchair on the other, on which he was currently sitting.

There was a window out into the main room so the committee members could keep an eye on him. It also allowed him to see Zell approaching as soon as he entered the main room.

"—Hey!" protested the student who was present. "You can't go in —"

But Zell had already thrown open the door, which apparently was only locked on the inside. "You stupid IDIOT!" he bellowed at Seifer.

Seifer was on his feet immediately. "The hell do you want, Chicken-wuss?"

"Shut up!" Zell shouted. "Squall's dead, you know that? They killed him because of your stupid plan!"

Seifer froze. "...What?"

"You've always gotta be Mr. Ego, right?" Zell continued. "You run off and be the big hero, and when you mess everything up, it's everyone else who's gotta deal with it! Well, now Squall had to deal with it by gettin' executed! You happy now!"

Seifer turned away, shaking his head.

"An' that's what, like, a day after you keep him from takin' the SeeD exam 'cause you hacked his face open! You almost killed him yourself there! But no, not like that bothers you, 'cause hey, you're Seifer! You can do what you want 'cause you're too good for the rest of us mortals, so why not just kill off your rival – an' maybe your girlfriend too, while you're at i—"

Seifer spun around and punched Zell in the face. It happened so unexpectedly that Zell fell out of the room and landed hard on his back. Immediately, he jumped up and charged back in.

"Zell!" Quistis had arrived seconds earlier; she tried to restrain Zell, but he shook her off and punched Seifer hard in the stomach. Seifer barely even tried to block him. Then Quistis physically placed herself between Zell and Seifer, forcing them apart. "Zell! Behave yourself! Zell!" It took a few seconds, but Zell did start to calm down. "Walk away, Zell," she said. "Go."

Zell held his ground for another moment. "...Aarghhh!" he exploded, driving his fist into the floor. Then he turned and stalked out, past the G-Garden student who was practically cowering behind his desk.

Quistis turned to Seifer. "...Well," she said, "you've certainly caused a lot of trouble, Seifer. Even by your standards, this is a bad day." Seifer didn't return her gaze, sinking back down into the armchair. "...Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

Seifer was silent, raising a hand to his forehead and shaking his head as if trying to rub something out of his mind. Quistis shook her head and turned to leave.

"...It wasn't supposed to be like this," Seifer muttered, almost to himself. Quistis stopped and turned to frown at him.

"This isn't a game, Seifer," she said. "This is the real world. And you're not the only person in it."

Seifer didn't acknowledge this, and Quistis left.

-

Out in the hall, Quistis paused to lean against the wall and bang the back of her head against it a few times. Seifer and Squall...once they had been Garden's two most promising students. Now Squall was dead, and Seifer would be lucky if the only consequence for him would be expulsion from Garden. And she had instructed both of them.

I lack the necessary leadership skills, she thought. Would another instructor have been able to prevent this? She knew it was a question she would never be able to escape.

"Attention," a voice came over the intercom. "SeeD Quistis Trepe, please report to the 1F cell block."

Sighing, Quistis headed off.

The cell block, unlike the disciplinary room, was for people captured in the course of Garden operations, and it legitimately could be called a prison. Quistis stepped into the control room, where security cameras showed views of all 12 cells, including the one in which Deling, still blindfolded, had been placed.

Headmaster Martine was already waiting in the control room.

"Hello, Quistis," he said. "Let's go see the president."

"Then you've made your decision?" Quistis asked.

"In a way, it's become a lot easier. In another way..." Martine shook his head.

Quistis frowned. "Headmaster?"

"Two students from your Garden arrived yesterday with a message from Headmaster Cid," said Martine. "We've confirmed the information ourselves, and events are..." He hesitated. "Well, suffice it to say things are becoming complicated. Let's go."

The guard showed them to an interrogation room, into which Deling was led. He was still trying to maintain some semblance of dignity, but certainly didn't remind Quistis of the Vinzer Deling she had seen on TV.

"We won't be needing the blindfold anymore," Martine said. Quistis glanced at him as one of the guards complied. "Hello, Mr. President."

Deling looked astonished, but not for long. "SeeD," he said contemptuously. "I would have thought you were more intelligent than this, Martine. Once news of your involvement gets out, the Galbadian military will surely crush Garden."

"Actually, no," Martine said. "Under normal circumstances, I'd protest that I had no knowledge of this operation prior to your arriving here. You would refuse to believe me, and I would be forced to make some concession or other to demonstrate my good faith. But as it happens, there's no longer a point."

"What the hell are you talking about?" demanded Deling; he was trying to seem in control, Quistis thought, but mostly failing.

"Mr. President, a few hours ago, there was a coup in your country," said Martine. "...Two of them, in fact."

"Y—you're lying!" Deling jumped to his feet. "I demand to speak to my government immediately!"

"I doubt your government wants to speak to you," said Martine. "As a matter of fact, you're much better off if they don't know where you are. And I think you have a good idea as to why."

"This is preposterous!" Deling flustered. But now Quistis didn't believe him either.

Martine folded his arms. "Tell me about the Sorceress, Mr. President."

Deling paled.