Well, I never really thought I'd make it this far, but I did. The first major arc will be coming to a close with this, the first of another two-part series. Hopefully, the next chapter will be out around the end of the weekend to wrap this up, but there's a hurricane supposedly blowing in around Saturday, so I can't make any promises.

This chapter, as you'll see below, takes place after a bit of a time skip - about fourteen weeks later, near the end of the specialized SeeD program that the Gardens now run. Credit for that, by the way, is not mine but rather belongs to Peptuck, so a big thanks to him for letting me incorporate that as well.

Book I, Part II: Mortal Conflict - The Zodiac Brave Story

Chapter XVII—Heavenly Gambit, Part I

Fourteen weeks. Hard to believe so much time has gone by...

This new SeeD program they instituted to "fast-track" older students is, from what I heard, a big difference from the normal SeeD training at Garden. Normally, you'd get the equivalent of a full school education along with the SeeD skills and other concepts taught at Garden, but this program is different - aimed at students who don't need all the background, so to speak. Fifteen weeks long, and it's basically a condensed version of the major parts of being a member of Garden. According to what I heard, Balamb Garden reported that they had students coming out of this program at the same level of skill as normal SeeD officers, with very little difference in overall performance, so it's being considered a success.

The Alchemy program is one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life, too. I'm almost finished with the basic classes, and I'll be starting my specialization in Ice Alchemy in about another week, after the field exam. No one's told us any details on when or where the field exam's going to be, so I figure we won't know until the day before.

Other than that, I've been relatively glad for the peace and quiet...well, with some exceptions. Every bit of peace seems to always have some kind of trouble associated with it, and this wasn't any different. It was about a week after things seemed to settle down, actually...I didn't completely expect it, but some part of me almost knew it was coming. Rikku came up to me one day and just...ended things. No long, drawn-out affair of dancing around the issue, just a short talk about how things were and how she felt. She said that I didn't feel the same way that I used to about her, that I was focusing more on everything else and less on spending time with her...and I couldn't help but agree. Really, it was the truth...no matter how much it hurt.

I haven't spoken to her much since then, but whether we're avoiding each other on purpose is debatable. I was surprised that I didn't feel as sad as I expected...maybe it's because everything she said to me was the truth. It really was my fault, and nothing I can do now can change that fact. Sometimes, though, it's just all I can think about, like I just can't get it off my mind no matter what I do. I just hope that if she finds someone else, she'll be happy...really, that's all I can hope for now, I think.

[June 29, 2152 | Trabia Garden, First Floor, Cafeteria | 12:19 PM]

"Hey, hurry up already. You're going to make us late," Tetsuya says, looking my way from the nearby trash can that he just dumped the last scraps of his food into.

"Sorry," I say, snapping out of my semi-dazed state and dropping my own discarded food into the bin. Tidus and Shuyin, who had for once decided to have lunch with us, exchange looks for a moment but don't say anything directly to me. "I was just thinking, and got a little caught up in it."

"About Rikku, right?" Tidus suddenly asks, causing me to inwardly wince.

"...Yeah."

"It'll be okay, man. You'll see," Tetsuya says, clapping me on the shoulder. "But if we don't get moving..."

"Yeah," I say again, managing a chuckle. "I know. No room for lateness in SeeD."

[June 29, 2152 | Castle DeValle, First Floor, Training Room Four | 12:28 PM]

"Headmaster's got quite the ego, don't you think? I mean, Castle DeValle? Really," Tetsuya says, looking over at the rest of us as we step through the clear, sliding doors opening into the large classroom and training arena that is our destination.

"Some people play tennis," I say absently, shrugging as I look around the expansive room. Much larger than the normal classrooms inside Trabia Garden proper, the training area looks much like a mix of classroom technology and gym equipment. I can see desks and both a blackboard and wall-mounted video screen on one side of the room, while the other side houses many humanoid dummies mounted on metal posts or suspended from bars, among other things such as weights, tables, and more.

"Hey, isn't that...you know, that one guy?" Tidus says, pointing towards the front of the room. Wondering what in the world he's talking about, I turn my attention towards where he pointed, noticing the students sitting at their desks and the teacher at the front of the room, wearing a long, black duster...

"...Angel?" I ask, all other emotion gone immediately to be replaced by surprise and confusion. At the front of the room, I can see him chuckling quietly to himself as we begin to walk towards the vacant desks nearby.

"You look like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar," Angel quips, still watching me as I walk over to one of the desks near the middle of the room.

"You're teaching. Why wouldn't I be surprised?" I ask flatly, sitting down at the desk and stretching my legs.

"I'm just an adjunct faculty member here," he comments, still smiling. "They don't pay me much."

Rolling my eyes at his words, I flop my head down on the desk, twitching just slightly at the feel of cold metal on my cheek. As much as I like it here at Garden, I just don't feel like being in class today, no matter what it might be. Towards the front of the room, I can hear a shuffling of papers among the light sounds of conversation, and then Angel clearing his throat right before the talking dies down.

"Afternoon, kids. Instructor Georg is out for the day on business, or he'd be here doing this instead of me. Liam Bayloh is my name, and I'll be your Instructor for the day. You can just call me Angel, though, since all my friends do. Come to think of it, my enemies call me that too..."

The halfway-joking look of concentration that crosses his face elicits a few chuckles from some of the gathered students, and he shrugs after a moment before turning his attention back to the class.

"Anyway, enough about me. You guys have stuff to do, and far be it from me to keep you from it," he continues, putting the papers back down on the desk and turning his attention to the chalkboard. As he picks up a piece of white chalk from the tray on the board, I sigh, lifting my head just enough to be able to see the board. Somehow, I don't think today will be a good day after all.

[Ethereal Plane, Fayt's Domain]

The shimmering aura that had surrounded Fayt for a period of time slowly began to subside as the Pillar of Fate awoke from her "trance," and a content sigh escaped her lips as the energy aura completely vanished from her form. She felt much better now after the recharge, though she knew she wasn't completely back to her full strength - that would take a longer rest in Soul Society, she knew, which was more acclimated to that sort of task. But even so, she was certain she was more than strong enough to deal with the pesky problem she had to take care of.

"Let's see just what the silly mortals are up to, shall we...?" she asked, addressing no one in particular, even as her form began to fade from sight. In moments, she had vanished completely from the Ethereal Realm...

...All without noticing the figure that had been watching her.

Then again, for Destine, a practical embodiment of magical energy, hiding your energy and presence from another was a simple task. Even someone as magically attuned as her "sister" couldn't detect her unless she wanted to be found.

"Sis...you really are quite the impulsive fool, aren't you. You don't even bother checking what you might be walking into, no...just waltz right into everything without a care," the Pillar of Destiny said to herself, shaking her head. No, she thought, she wasn't going to be like her little sister. Brashness never got anyone anywhere - it all came down to cunning in the very end.

[June 29, 2152 | Castle DeValle, First Floor, Lobby | 3:32 PM]

I can't remember a time water ever tasted so good, personally.

I hadn't figured Angel to be quite the kind of teacher he turned out to be. While I did expect a high amount of skill from him - after all, I've already fought against him once - I didn't quite expect him to be as skilled at teaching those same concepts as he was.

"Tired?" I hear Angel say from behind me, chuckling just slightly at the sight of my form hunched over the water fountain outside the room. Sighing in relief and wiping the water from my mouth, I look over at him with a look of mild surprise and disbelief.

"Yes. I'm very tired," I reply flatly, coughing momentarily as I choke on some of the water left over in my mouth. "Did the Headmaster explicitly tell you to torture all of us, or was that just in the plan anyway?"

Angel shrugs. "Hey, I do what I can. You rookies needed help." Turning away from me, he begins to walk away but also motions for me to follow, which I do after a brief moment.

"Gee, you make me feel so much better about my SeeD training so far."

"Well, I guess there is that whole age difference, too," he concedes.

"How much of an age difference are we talking here?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow as I remember his unique...heritage, of sorts. "You only look like you're about 40 or so."

"Oh...about two hundred and ten years, give or take a few," he replies, causing me to blink.

"...Whoa. So you're what, two hundred and thirty or so? Or are you just messing with me?" I counter, looking over at him as we walk out of the castle.

"Two hundred and thirty-seven, actually."

"You don't look a day over a hundred and twenty," I quip, trying to push the surprise away with humor.

"I work out."

That finally does get a laugh from me, and he spares a glance over with a small smile on his face.

"Figure I'll ask, while you're here," he starts, and I stop laughing to pay attention again.

"Hm?"

"I need to make a run to Esthar to pick up some equipment that the Garden ordered, so I figured I'd ask if you wanted to tag along."

Mulling the offer over, I look down at the ground as I walk, considering Angel's words for a few seconds before finally shrugging. "I suppose so. I don't have any more classes today, at least. You're taking your car, I assume?"

Angel nods in response. "Better than walking."

"Remind me why we shouldn't just teleport again?" I ask, halfway joking. Angel's face turns into a smirk at that, and he points ahead to his car, which is sitting just inside the front gates with the top down.

"Style points."

Sighing, I just roll my eyes as I begin to head over to the passenger seat, my voice nearly a deadpan tone. "Of course. It's the car. Chicks dig the car." Angel jumps into the driver's seat as I open the passenger door and climb in, strapping my seatbelt across my chest as he cranks up the engine. The car roars to life, and one of the SeeD on duty at the gate begins to open it in order to let Angel out of the Garden.

"You've never been anywhere with me, have you?" he asks, glancing over.

"Not that I know of," I reply, also looking over towards him. "Why?"

"Just so you know...I drive fast."

Before I can question exactly why he bothered warning me, the squealing of rubber on ground comes from the back tires, an instant before Angel guns the engine and flies out of the gate, headed down the nearby road at a speed well in excess of normal for said road.

"...I can tell," I mutter, trying to ignore the wind rushing past my hair and the general speed we're moving. "So, you're an Instructor here at Trabia too? Why didn't you say anything?" I continue, speaking a bit more loudly so as to be heard over the wind.

"I thought it wasn't all that important," he remarks, shrugging slightly. Shaking my head, I decide to let it drop - no real harm done, after all, unless I count the potential harm that might come from the ride I'm now taking with him.

"So, how long have you been in SeeD?" I ask, trying to make more conversation in the hopes of successfully ignoring the ride itself.

"About five years now," he answers, glancing over for a moment before returning eyes to the road. "Started out at Balamb Garden, and spent most of four years or so there."

"With Squall and the others, right?"

"Yeah."

Nodding slightly, I fold my arms across my chest, looking back out towards the road momentarily. "So, you transferred to Trabia after that, then? The four years, I mean."

"Something like that," Angel replies. "Trabia sent word to Balamb that they needed more instructors after the rebuilding, and Quistis talked to me about taking the teaching exam. Scored high enough to pass, nothing outstanding, and got a job over at Trabia as a part-time faculty member."

"Which, apparently, doesn't pay much," I say with a grin.

"Probably why no one wants to be a teacher," he comments. "Not enough pay."

"And then we have SeeD in general...make decent amounts of money, with the potential risk of dying before you really get to spend any of it," I add. "Remind me why I joined again?"

"Because you like danger, I assume. That's just me."

I pause for a moment, pretending to think, before shrugging and looking over at Angel again. "Probably right."

Moments later, just when I think I'm finally getting used to the rate of speed that Angel is driving at, the little calm I have is quickly shattered by what happens next.

Out of nowhere, a figure appears from thin air and actually lands on the hood of Angel's car, still moving at speeds well in excess of safe. It takes just a split second for me to realize who it is, and I can feel my blood turn ice cold as I look up into the face of a smiling girl that I was hoping I'd seen the last of.

"Hello, sunshine," Fayt chirps happily, completely unaffected by the wind blowing past her at probably ninety miles an hour.

"Fayt?!" I exclaim, suddenly jerking in my seat as Angel hits the brakes roughly, the inertia from the sudden slowdown sending Fayt's body flying from the car's hood to bounce and roll on the road in front of us. Angel doesn't stop completely, however, and instead accelerates again in an apparent attempt to hit the Pillar with his car, having seemingly no option left at the moment.

"Hold on," he says calmly, still speeding up...before Fayt disappears from the road, causing Angel to hit the brakes again and send the car into a controlled spin, leaving me at the mercy of momentum as the car does a 180 on the pavement. As my senses come back to me after the short but jarring ride, I can see Fayt standing on the road a short distance away in the direction we came, unhurt completely from her fall and still with the same eerie smile across her features.

"...Can I ask how you managed to do that?" I say shakily, quickly removing my seatbelt and practically leaping out of the car while never taking my eyes off of Fayt.

"Lots of practice," Angel says, taking off his seatbelt as well and placing one foot on the seat before flipping back and over the car to land behind the trunk. It opens a moment later, and Angel steps out from behind it after another few seconds, now sporting a pair of moderately short firearms that I recognize as something similar to the pulse rifles I saw back in Darius' shop.

"Drawing weapons already? What if I'd just come to talk? That wouldn't be very welcoming of you, you know," Fayt comments, still with the same disarming smile.

"Can it," I reply flatly, glaring daggers at the Pillar. "I already know you're not here to talk."

Fayt's smile only grows wider. "No, my dear Planeswalker. I'm not here to talk at all. I'm here to ensure your demise."

Before I can even bother questioning what Fayt meant by calling me a 'Planeswalker,' magical energy begins to build up around her, growing steadily with each passing second...and I already have a bad feeling that I'm about to be fighting a losing battle.

(Play: Confidence in the Domination - Motoi Sakuraba, Star Ocean: Til The End of Time)

A volley of shots fly in from behind me, a series of condensed bursts of blue energy that soar from the barrels of the weapons Angel is holding. Each shot knocks Fayt back a step or two, but Fayt really doesn't seem to care too much, despite the fact that I can clearly see large burn marks on her skin and clothing left from each shot.

"Stop."

Fayt's voice is calm, almost self-assured, as she points a finger at Angel. Instantly, reddish-purple energy surrounds him, melding to his body and leaving him frozen completely in place. Focusing, I begin to call up energy for a Dispel spell...

"Bio."

...Right before I drop to the dirt, writhing in pure agony as the poisoning spell seems to light every muscle and tendon in my body on fire all at once. Dimly, I can still hear Fayt talking, as well as what sounds like footsteps in front of me, but I'm in such pain that I can barely find it in me to care.

"Hm...should I take care of you the quick way, and just get it over with, or torture you a little first? You know, make you beg to die before I finally get rid of you?"

Managing to lift my head through the pain, I can see Fayt slowly approaching me, seemingly talking to either me or herself. As I try to muster up enough composure to cast a curative spell over myself, my concentration is broken by the sight of a rolling burst of fire that comes out of nowhere, completely immolating Fayt and causing her to stop her approach. The next thing I feel is an enormous sense of relief as the pain suddenly stops flooding my body, likely the result of Esuna magic.

"Looks like I made it in time," I hear a voice say from behind me, and I look back to see none other than Katanas DeValle standing behind me, along with Angel, now cured of the Time Magic's effect.

(End: Confidence in the Domination - Motoi Sakuraba, Star Ocean: Til The End of Time)

"...Katanas? What are you doing here?" I ask, now becoming more confused by the second. First Fayt shows up after a nearly four-month quiet, and now Katanas, too?

"Save it for later," he replies, looking between me and Fayt. "We have...bigger problems at the moment."

"Oh, look. The almighty Katanas DeValle shows up once again to try and ruin my fun," Fayt mocks, sneering at Katanas. "Too bad I don't plan on leaving this time without finishing what I came here to do."

Katanas sighs, shaking his head and fingering the Alchemic array on one of his gloves. "Then there's only one thing for me to say."

Pulling out a small box from his shirt's chest pocket, he glances up at Fayt, gracing her with a small smile, before pulling out the object within.

The last of the Zodiac Stones left in the mortal realm: the Aries stone.

"Just as planned."

The influence of one of my co-authors (Iron Reaver) should show in the last quote - big Death Note reference there with the last line.

I tried to insert a bit more humor into this chapter as sort of an offset to all the serious, given the nature of the characters interacting. Angel, for all his seriousness, also has a good sense of humor, and I seem to elicit verbal jabs and barbs from anyone I associate with, so it wound up in what I found to be a good mix for the chapter as a whole.

The fight may have cut off short as well, but rest assured, there will be more than enough fighting in the next chapter as Angel, Ben, and Katanas get dirty facing off with the Pillar of Fate. As always, please read and review.