Saturday 1540, Balamb - Rinaul Coast.

Shrewdya had gathered all the possible magic spells from the right passage, encountering some relatively easy Fastitocalon-F and Octaphaneas (a new kind of monsters) along the way. Now, they were back at the intersection.

"Ready for the new GF?" Acma asked.

"Yeah," Shrewdya replied, making some final adjustments to her junction with the new magics.

"Good. I'll stay out of the fight. Just let me know when you need me," Acma said, casting a Hero pod on herself. "Oh, and if you need to change your junction during battle, make sure to find a good hiding spot. Junction changes take effect every minute."

"Okay." Shrewdya nodded, watching as Acma faded from sight. I've never needed to change my junction in the middle of a fight though. Why is she reminding me of that?

"Let's go." Acma whispered.

They ventured into the left passage, encountering no monsters along the way. The passage grew darker and darker, causing Shrewdya to feel an eerie sensation. She disliked darkness.

"Fire!" Shrewdya cast a fragment of the Fire spell on a bundle of dry seaweed, creating some light to illuminate their surroundings.

With Acma invisible and the dim light, Shrewdya didn't bother trying to discern her proctor's reaction to her first independent action. "Forgiveness rather than permission," Xu's usual words echoed in her mind when it came to pre-battle setups that made cadets more comfortable.

Acma and Shrewdya kept going. Finally, the sound of heavy breathing reached Shrewdya's ears. They had found it.

"Is it sleeping?" Shrewdya whispered.

"Maybe." Acma replied.

Shrewdya knew when Acma wanted her mentees to take the lead. Acma was quite good fit for an instructor position, knowing when to press the students' limit and when to step in. Unlike Instructor Trepe, Acma was not overly doting, and unlike Headmaster Xu, she wasn't careless either.

"Fire!" Shrewdya whispered, further illuminating the area while the creature was still indulged in its sleep.

As more light revealed the deep blue scales of the sleeping creature, Shrewdya took a few seconds to assess it.

"It... it looks more like a dragon," Shrewdya gasped, realizing that the creature didn't resemble a sea monster as she had expected.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Acma whispered with pride.

Suddenly, the creature's deep red eyes snapped open, and it swiftly unfurled its massive wings, filling the space.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLEEP? FACE MY WRATH FOR SEEKING THY SEALED POWER!"

In an instant, the dragon released a powerful blast of fire towards Shrewdya.

Fire? No, Flare. Shit…

Esthar's research lab.

"Mr. President, did Commander Leonheart ever return your message?" Bruno - a young prominent Esthar researcher turned to Laguna as the middle-age man finally found the big red button to stop the unexpectedly loud transmission to his son. He hoped the young commander wasn't in front of any people when this message blared through.

Bruno had thought of making the button more noticeable, perhaps by adding a rainbow sticker to it. He suspected that Laguna might have color blindness which he either carelessly overlooked or remained unaware of.

That could explain a lot about his trouble with directions when holding a map. A lightbulb sparkled in Bruno's head. He loved those moments when ideas simply clicked into place. Things made sense that way. However, as a scientist, he knew he shouldn't rely too heavily on hypotheses, as he would find more confirmation than discovery.

"Well, not yet," Laguna paused, fumbling with his words. "But I'm sure he received them. My son is probably swamped with paperwork now that he's involved in military decision-making at Balamb and the surrounding cities, haha. Besides, he's never been much of a talkative person. Must've gotten that from his mom, I guess," Laguna rambled, providing unnecessary details to Bruno before shifting his attention to Bruno's flashing screen. "But you did receive Odin's messages from the Deep Sea Research Center, right?"

"Yes, sir. Like instantly sometimes. Though the drop rate is about 5%, I'm certain we can workaround that issue with denoising signals that have passed through a dense magical esther with a little more digging. Optimization for the last miles always requires certain efforts, but overall I'm positive we'll achieve a reasonably usable stage within a few months…" Bruno replied, aware that his response might come across as mere "blah blah blah" to the President.

A few months, but could be 12 months, har har. Bruno thought to himself.

Having observed Dr. Odine's approach to managing research funds for the past ten years, Bruno knew a thing or two about intentionally underestimating the completion time of a research project. There would always be additional issues to unravel, each one slowing down the overall progress by a few more days. He had become skilled at evading questions from principal investors, using more eloquent words than Dr. Odine. And Laguna's carefree (and somewhat technologically incompetent) attitude was a treasure trove for scientists like Bruno, brimming with ideas. A smile spread across Bruno's face as he felt pure happiness, knowing that he had everything he needed in this laboratory to satisfy his thirst for answers. Who wouldn't love magic? Who wouldn't want to control it, not through the risky process of junctioning and casting, but through genius and meticulous calculation?

As Bruno wandered in his thoughts, a soft beautiful voice interrupted him.

"Uncle Laguna..." a black-haired woman in a white skirt entered the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but someone is eager to see you and couldn't wait."

"Rinoa! I'm so happy to see you! Did the ship bring you here earlier than expected? Hyne, I was planning to meet you at the gate," Laguna exclaimed happily.

He and Rinoa had regular conversations, particularly because she was enthusiastic about trying their experimental communication magic-tech. However, this was the first time they had met in person since the celebration party at Balamb Garden two years ago, following Ultimecia's defeat.

"It's great to see you too! I couldn't wait, so I may have sped up a little while in the air," Rinoa said, gesturing with her arms as if maneuvering a vehicle. She was pleased to be taking the driver's seat this time, as Squall often found reasons to keep her away from the control panel, given her reputation for speeding.

"Come on, let's go to the shopping mall and grab a drink or buy whatever you need for your extended stay, before Bruno here attaches you to Hyne knows how many wires," Laguna said, leading the way and motioning for the two girls to follow him to the door.

Rinoa greeted Bruno, who was thrilled to meet the sorceress in person.

"Take your time. I won't be ready until tomorrow morning anyway. Though I need to bother Miss Ellone with one more procedure, if you can stay just a little bit."

"Sure thing!" Ellone accepted Bruno's request. "You two go ahead, and I'll catch up with you at the mall or the Presidential Palace when we're finished here."

Just as Laguna and Rinoa exited the room, Bruno felt a wave of relief wash over him. Now, he could discuss their secretive project more freely. After the war, Ellone had approached Bruno for assistance in devising a plan to enhance her physical and magical abilities. While psychomagic was fascinating, it proved to be of little use in battles. Inspired by numerous female soldiers, Ellone had made self-transformation a priority over the past two years, striving to become a strong and independent soldier rather than the fragile girl who had endured years of captivity.

Initially, Bruno was confused as to why she sought his help instead of Dr. Odine's. However, it became clear that Dr. Odine would deem this project futile. Furthermore, Odin was more inclined towards eccentric ideas and lacked the human touch that Bruno possessed. Yet, Bruno couldn't deny that he, too, initially considered transforming Ellone to be a crazy notion. Apart from her extraordinary abilities, Ellone's physique was the complete opposite of that of a warrior. However, Bruno had witnessed Ellone's sleepless nights spent in the training center, relentlessly pounding a sandbag like a fly against a steel wall. Thump, thump. The sound began soft and feeble, but as the days and months passed, it grew more resolute, more powerful. While fiction often exists to deceive people, statistics don't lie. Her strength had doubled, which may not have been significant given her humble single-digit starting point, but something within Bruno told him that as her confidence grew, she had the potential to go far.

"Look, I told you I could feel it. I was so eager to come here and show you. I couldn't sleep last night," Ellone exclaimed, her arm adorned with an efficiently attached magicometer. "My first tiny cast of Fire magic." Her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Already? I can't believe it. You're... truly a miracle, Ellone!" Bruno exclaimed, astonished.

"Thank you… for your help!" Ellone smiled, content with her progress.

Rinoa followed Laguna, who was undeniably the most casually dressed president ever, sporting a loose white shirt and baggy khaki pants. In contrast, her father, Colonel Caraway, always had to maintain a polished appearance due to his duties. Her mother used to prepare his outfit in the mornings, relishing the warmth left by the iron as it greeted Caraway and the new day.

Rinoa missed her mom, and after witnessing Laguna and Squall's reunion, she decided to soften her coldness towards her father. They all shared the feeling of missing out on her mom's presence. It seemed like fate had separated Laguna and her mom, only to ensure that their children, Squall and herself, would become comrades and loving companions twenty years later.

If the war hadn't separated Laguna and Julia, Rinoa pondered whether Squall and she would even exist in another timeline. The topic had sparked discussions among Ellone and Timeth, both time enthusiasts, but their conversations quickly delved into the realms of astronomy and quantum physics, leaving Rinoa quite lost.

Sometimes, people questioned what happened after Ultimecia's defeat and how Rinoa managed to find Squall and bring him back to the present. She never had a definitive answer, often wondering whether this was truly the present or if she was still trapped in some sort of time warp, having long ceased to exist. One can never know for sure. The only thing that mattered was that she was incredibly happy, and she intended to cherish this moment, no matter how surreal it might seem.

"Hey... Is Squall doing alright? He rarely responds to my messages," Laguna asked, concerned.

"Yeah, he's busy. I never expected him to have so much paperwork and leadership responsibilities. But things are getting better now that the new SeeD members are taking on some of the load. He does miss being out in the field, though."

What Rinoa didn't want to tell Laguna was the amount of opposition Squall had faced in keeping her within Balamb Garden. Many governors were wary of having a sorceress wandering around their towns. Rinoa had confined herself to the vicinity of Balamb, but even that limited her freedom. So, when Laguna invited her to Esthar, she couldn't express her happiness enough, even though this trip wasn't purely for leisure.

Laguna sensed some hesitation from Rinoa and didn't want to spoil her getaway. His mind wandered back to the last time they had met in person, which was at Balamb Garden right after their two-day celebration party had ended. Selphie had greeted Laguna and Ellone at the university gate and led them to the balcony where Squall and Rinoa were enjoying the starry night. Selphie had talked a lot, but Laguna couldn't focus as usual, not because of his usual absent-mindedness, but because he didn't know what to say to Squall.

The room fell into complete silence as Laguna met his son's brown eyes clearly inherited from Raine.

"Lovely night, isn't it..." Laguna broke the silence, scratching his head anxiously. "Ah, Rinoa, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. It's nice to see you here..."

"Nice to meet you, Laguna! Well..." Rinoa was about to ask something, but she didn't want her usual curiosity to spoil the moment.

"Rinoa, would you mind giving me a tour of the garden? Last time I was here, it wasn't a flying structure, and I'm struggling to find my way around." Ellone waved at Rinoa.

"Of course! I'll show you around."

The girls departed, deliberately leaving Laguna and his long-lost son some quality time alone.

"Squall... I promised you we would talk after you defeated Ultimecia... I'm so glad you made it back so I could tell you this... I didn't want to distract you from your mission..." Laguna spoke softly.

"Dad... I figured," Squall replied with a faint smile.

"You did?" Laguna was taken aback, shaking his head in disbelief. "How?"

"There're many clues from Ellone. And Kiros told me I'm looking more like Mom."

"Right..." Laguna scratched his head, unable to find what to say next. He had prepared a lengthy explanation to prevent Squall from being shocked, but it seemed his son already knew the truth. "I'm sorry, son, for not being there... I didn't know..."

"It's alright."

Silence filled the room.

Unlike Laguna, Squall was not a talkative person. Laguna suddenly felt a pang of sadness, imagining how being an orphan had shaped Squall's personality. He couldn't help but imagine how blissful it would have been in another parallel universe, where Squall, Ellone, Raine, and he would have been a loving family living under one roof.

As if reading his father's thoughts, Squall added, "I'm doing okay… now."

Laguna nodded and placed his hands on his son's shoulders.

"We are very proud of you, son. Raine and I…"

Squall smiled faintly.

"Do you feel like visiting your Mom first thing tomorrow? I was there earlier today. I'm planning to spend this weekend doing some repairs around the house."

"That sounds great."

Saturday 1630, Balamb Beach's coral reef.

"Need help?" Acma asked as Shrewdya leaped and maneuvered to avoid the dragon's fiery onslaught.

Shrewdya didn't have a moment to spare for a response.

"Wall!" she summoned a massive structure to shield herself from the creature's attacks, simultaneously casting Shell and Protect on herself. Utilizing this brief respite, she adjusted her junction and reconsidered her strategy.

Blizzara to Elem-Atk. Dragon's anatomy… Heart.

"Not yet!" Shrewdya finally replied to Acma, just as the imposing Wall structure began to fade away.

Good thing I brought a gunblade.

"Cure! Blizzara!" Shrewdya cast the healing spell on herself and leapt toward where she believed the dragon was waiting, unleashing a blizzard spell upon it.

Boom!

She landed the first blow on the creature, aiming for its heart, but its formidable armors prevented her training gunblade from piercing through. Swiftly, she triggered the revolver to open a wound and pushed the gunblade forward, intensifying her opportune assault. Then, she delivered a powerful kick to the dragon's chest, propelling herself back to the ground.

Acma was astonished to see that Shrewdya had left the gunblade lodged between the dragon's scales.

"Thundara!" Shrewdya yelled, directing the lightning spell toward the embedded gunblade.

The gunblade, crafted from highly conductive material, conducted the shock to the creature.

Take it, baby.

The dragon emitted a piercing cry as it experienced the jolt following the icy spell.

"Smart! That was amazing!" Acma exclaimed.

"Thanks!"

Shrewdya allowed herself a small smirk but remained vigilant. According to her earlier analysis with Scan, she still had a long way to go before she could defeat this formidable creature.

[…]

samaqi: I'll skip this fighting scene for now. I have some good ideas on Shrewdya's special abilities, but need more time to flesh them all out. They're not too important for now, so let's keep going with the main story.

The dragon's essence dissipated upon Shrewdya's final strike.

"FINE. I SHALL UNITE WITH YOU."

The creature uttered its parting words before vanishing into Shrewdya's consciousness.

"Great job! I'm incredibly impressed," Acma exclaimed, materializing from the fading Hero spell. "I never imagined it could be defeated in such a manner. It took you 30 minutes, longer than it took me and Nida, but I'm not confident I could have finished it within that time frame on my own."

"Thank you! And… it's a her." Shrewdya smiled.

"Oh… good to know. So does she have a name? What would you like to call her?" Acma inquired.

"Tiamat... Her name is Tiamat," Shrewdya replied, gently caressing her first conquered Guardian Force in her thoughts.

The pair swam back to Balamb Beach.

"It's getting quite late, and there isn't enough sunlight for another run. I'll take the next student to Ifrit," Acma stated. "You can hold onto your junction device for now. I'll provide a new one for the next student."

"Thanks!" Shrewdya expressed her gratitude. "Um… Acma..."

"Go ahead."

"I… I've been wondering if I can take a lead or mid-level position in the next mission. I don't think I'm quite ready for that, but some real-world practice would be nice." Shrewdya explained.

Acma nodded.

Acma nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. Based on your performance today, I believe it's a reasonable next step. I'll inform the Garden Committee of your preference. And remember, you don't have to wait until you're 100% qualified to apply for a new position. That's a valuable lesson I've learned from our esteemed female Legendary SeeDs. We will support you, just as I have been supported. Do you recall what I always tell all of you?"

Shrewdya felt a surge of joy and support from her accomplished female mentor.

"If you don't ask for it, you're unlikely to get it." Shrewdya replied.

"That's the spirit," Acma said, placing her hand gently on Shrewdya's shoulder. "You'll go far, and one day, I might even fear facing you in battle."

As the two girls exchanged mutual respect, they noticed a commotion as people hurriedly running in and out of Balamb.

"Ma Dincht! Ma Smailes! Where are you going?" Shrewdya asked as she spotted them on Raddie's family's Jeep.

"Raddie and his proctor were injured during the field exam! Hop in! We'll give you a ride!" Ma Smailes exclaimed.

"Oh, Hyne! We're coming!" Shrewdya gasped, sensing the shock mirrored on Acma's face.

Hurt? By Ifrit's replica? How?

Saturday 1900, Balamb Garden's Infirmary.

"Bye, ma!" Raddie waved to his mother, who had decided to head home after ensuring her son was alright.

"I'm really sorry, bro. It's my fault, but yours, too," Keannu whined after Ma Smailes left. "You were the one going into the pit, so you shoulda remembered to ask me for the junction!"

"Thanks for your comforting words," Raddie hissed back. "It could happen to anyone."

"It seems to happen more often with you than anyone else!" Shrewdya intervened, stepping between her two best friends.

"Aye aye, says the mighty SeeD who just claimed a GF for herself," Raddie remarked, glancing at Shrewdya's victorious face.

"Hey, I earned it. Single-handedly. I didn't even need my proctor to babysit me because I remembered my junction. And I even changed it during the battle against a gigantic dragon!" Shrewdya retorted, raising her arms high and pretending to be a dragon in a playful manner.

Raddie shook his head and let out a sigh. He couldn't come up with a comeback for Shrewdya, so he turned to Timeth, who had remained silent after bringing him to the infirmary.

"Keep your girl in check, Timeth!"

"Wh…" Shrewdya rolled her eyes and blushed.

"Great job, Shrewdya. We are proud of you." Timeth said in his usual calm and kind voice.

"Thanks," Shrewdya replied, subtly turning her head to glance at Timeth, not daring to meet his eyes. Memories of their date night at Ivarice lingered in her mind, and they hadn't had a chance to talk alone about what would come next. "Did you take your field exam?"

"No, I was supposed to go after Raddie," Timeth replied.

Lovebirds. Pity me, falling the field exam. How do I face her… Raddie thought. "Where's Acma?" he asked.

"She had to submit the grading report. She said she'll come visit you right away," Shrewdya informed him. "She was quite shocked hearing the news. And hey, she finally met your mom for the first time."

"Alright, you guys go have lunch," Raddie commanded.

"I see what you're doing, bro," Keannu wiggled his eyebrows. "Let's go, let's give him some alone time with his teacher."

"Aw..." Shrewdya responded with a mischievous smile.

"Go, go, go!" Raddie hissed, as his friends left the room, playfully teasing him along the way.

Just as Raddie lay down on his bed, contemplating how he would respond to Acma's question about failing his field exam, he caught whispers coming from the adjacent room.

"What a show you put on! Everyone was stunned. I'm sure the enrollment rate from paying students will skyrocket next year."

"Is that all you care about? Look at me! You dragged me into this field exam at the last possible moment and made me wear this shirt. Half of it was burned thanks to your clumsy students. Not only did the tourists see me, but the entire town of Balamb saw me. I feel so exposed…"

"I think it's kind of hot... Come on, let me make it up to you..."

Raddie's face turned bright red as he heard more inaudible sounds coming from where his proctor was supposed to be resting.

"Raddie! Are you okay?" The door to his room opened, and Acma walked in. "Sorry, I had to run a few errands before I could come visit you."

"ACMA! GOOD TO SEE YOU. I THOUGHT I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT!" Raddie yelled, trying to drown out the sounds coming from the other room.

Acma widened her eyes in surprise at Raddie's sudden loud volume. "Okay... um, I wanted to check on you, but it seems like you're... fine, yelling like that," she replied, clearly confused.

"I'M SORRY. I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!" Raddie continued, his voice still elevated.

Acma furrowed her eyebrows. "What's with this attitude of yours? Did something hit your head?"

Raddie made a face, attempting to signal to Acma that something was happening in the adjacent room.

"What is it, Raddie?" Acma approached him, and he motioned for her to put her ear against the wall.

"Adult, adult, adult," Raddie whispered.

Acma's face flushed with both embarrassment and anger. "Is that... your proctor? I thought he was injured," she exclaimed.

Raddie nodded, signaling for Acma to keep her voice down. "Clearly, thirty Bombs are not enough to keep him from… actions..."

"But… already? What a jerk!" Acma couldn't seem to handle the situation well. "With whom?"

"I don't know. I can't make out the details from that... kind of noise," Raddie looked away.

"Unbelievable…" Acma snorted.

The noises from the other room continued.

"Um… I don't think my yelling helped. They're… probably louder than me," Raddie said, blushing. "Do you still want to go to the cafeteria as planned?"

"Yes, please," Acma emphasized the words, clearly still bothered by the situation. "Let's get out of here. This is... quite inappropriate."

Raddie was puzzled as to why Nida's affair would anger Acma this much, but he didn't want to drag on this sensitive topic.

"I'm sorry... for letting you down. It was my mistake for not taking the junction," Raddie explained as he got up from his bed.

"No need to apologize, Raddie. I just spoke to some Garden Committee members, and they're aware of your track record. We're willing to make an exception, especially since we're receiving an influx of SeeD requests," Acma explained, trying to swallow her shock. "If... your proctor has any objections, let me know."

"Thank you..." Raddie wasn't sure why she emphasized the word 'proctor.' "I'm happy to redo the exam, but if everyone is comfortable with me skipping it, that would be great."

As they stepped outside, they saw a figure emerging from the adjacent room.

"Miss... Xu?" Both Raddie and Acma froze at the sight of the headmaster, who was adjusting her hair and clothes.

"Um... I... uh... just needed him for some paperwork," Xu stammered. "Give me the complete report on my desk by 1000 tomorrow!" She spoke to the closing door, pretending to discuss business with the one inside. "Well, I have to get back to work. I mean, I was working... anyway." She suddenly turned to Raddie. "Raddie... quite clumsy of you. Be more careful next time, okay?" She stammered a bit more before hastily running away.

"Sorry, Miss Xu... There won't be another mistake like this," Raddie said as Xu ran away, rolling his eyes back to Acma. "Shoot... this is going to make the news..."

Acma breathed heavily, seemingly internalizing the news in a weirdly angry way. Her cheeks were as red as her eyes.

"Shall we?" Raddie asked.

"Yeah? Oh… you go ahead." Acma said, "I'll come shortly, just want to catch up with him."

"Okay… I'll see you there."

Raddie walked towards the cafeteria, still puzzled by Acma's strong reaction to the Xu-Nida affair.

Nida struggled to put on his uniform as Xu stepped out of the room. Suddenly, the door slid open, and a furious female voice entered.

"Screwing your former instructor, huh? I didn't know your taste in women had changed..."

Nida was taken aback by the figure entering the room, who, in turn, looked quite shocked to see him.

"Um... Acma, hi. What did you say?" Nida asked.

"Oh... wait..." Acma looked around the room and then back at the main office. "Where's… I thought... I'm looking for... were you here the whole time?" She stammered.

"Yes, thanks to your forgetful students," Nida replied, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you looking for someone?"

Acma suddenly relaxed her eyebrows.

"You were… Raddie's support in today's field exam?"

"Yes," Nida sighed. "And Keannu's, unfortunately."

"But I thought... Zyma was supposed to assist them?" Acma asked, seeking confirmation.

"Oh, Zyma... he's not able to make it. There're some train problems in Timber," Nida explained.

"Oh..." Acma smiled awkwardly, realizing her mistake, and let out a relieved sigh.

Acma excused herself and almost ran as fast as she could, leaving Nida, the head instructor, puzzled and contemplating her accusation.

"Taste of women? What's wrong with her?" Nida thought.

Balamb Garden. Cafeteria.

Acma reached Raddie's table in the cafeteria.

"Where are the others?" she asked, looking at the table with two trays of food.

"They finished dinner already," Raddie replied. "Take a seat."

"Oh…"

Raddie couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed by her disappointment. "Um... anything wrong?"

"No, no," Acma quickly replied. "It's just..." She smiled. "I just realized we haven't..."

Before Acma could find the right words…

"Acma!" Selphie called out from the cafeteria entrance. "Want to join the discussion for the next mission?"

"Coming!" Acma acknowledged Selphie. "I'm sorry, Raddie..."

"No problem. Go!" Raddie tried to force a smile.

"Thanks... I'll see you later." Acma grabbed her tray and quickly walked towards Selphie. "I'll pay you next time!" she called back to Raddie before leaving the cafeteria.

Raddie let out a sigh.

Every time…