Acma concealed herself amidst the dense foliage of a tall pipe tree, eyes fixed on the snowy ground where she had hidden a bioacoustic lure. Among Trabia's common monsters, Mesmerizes were renowned for their resourcefulness of powerful magics. The breeding season for these beautiful and formidable creatures occurred back in August, resulting in an abundance of playful Mesmerize toddlers often losing track of their mothers. Conveniently, similar to human babies, Mesmerizes kids were able to hear higher frequency sounds than their adult counterparts - a fact Acma had taken advantage of to capture the young's attention.

Someone, most likely Raddie, had depleted Acma's stock of magic, leaving her with only a few Cures. Her Quetzacolt had also been taken away, though she didn't have much attachment to the creature. She had Aczyma— and he was all she needed.

Quistis still had Shiva, but Acma knew for certain that Quistis hadn't junctioned herself in almost a year. What a waste! She wondered how far Quistis and Seifer had advanced on their journey to the mythical mountain. Acma needed to catch up with them as quickly as possible since they had left a few days before her.

Contrary to what others might think, Acma never underestimated the importance of physical damage, despite being a proficient magic caster herself. Through countless simulations she had run for this espionage mission, it became clear that her chances of survival were slim if she were busted and forced to escape without any magics - the exact situation she faced at the moment.

"Glad I've prepared." she thought to herself.

After a few quiet minutes, Acma sensed movement beneath her. She swallowed hard, hoping for the best as a baby Mesmerize emerged from a bush, its small form covered in snow. The creature appeared cautious and confused, unable to locate the source of the attractive high-pitched sound.

Acma swiftly descended from the pipe tree, landing steadily on the baby Mesmerize's back, and effortlessly thrust a dagger into its heart. The weight of her body drove the creature deep into the tranquil yet icy snow bed. With one hand, she removed the boomerang-like horn from its head and, with the other, attached a MagicDraw device directly to its neck. The Mesmerize uttered its final murmurs, calling out for its mother, its dim eyes fixed on its killer.

"At least, you have never been an orphan in your entire life. Your mother will join you soon," Acma whispered to the poor baby as she plunged her dagger deeper, ending its suffering. As her magic stock ceased draining Thunder from the exhausted reserves, she skillfully sliced the creature's thighs, preparing the supply for her forthcoming journey in the wilderness. Her hands, stained with blood, dipped into the snow to cleanse themselves before retrieving the buried bioacoustic lure. With a flick of her fingers, she adjusted its frequency to mimic the sound of a baby Mesmerize, eager to reunite the mother with her deceased offspring, though the mother would have to endure the anguish of witnessing her child's lifeless form first.

She tied her lasso around the dead baby's neck and climbed back up the pipe tree. Acma was meticulous in planning her actions, always striving for efficiency. She had noticed this trait in Instructor Trepe, who had likely developed it through rigorous training. Acma idolized Quistis, the formidable Legendary SeeD with a perfect balance of strength and magic. She often compared herself to Quistis, feeling jealous that Quistis possessed the Blue Magic ability by birth, which she could never be able to replicate. However, Acma decided to cut herself some slack, knowing that Quistis would never have to endure the struggles of living a double life like she did.

Loneliness. Guilt. Fear. Disorientation. No freedom.

At times, Acma longed to stay in a simulation room forever to escape reality. Would she survive today? 95% - a remarkable increase from a mere 1% when she first began her serious physical training just a few months ago - when "that event" started. Statistics never lied and often had a comforting self-fulfilling prophecy effect when they were on your side.

Acma's wandering thoughts were interrupted by the mournful howl of the mother Mesmerize, her eyes filled with pain as she gazed upon her bloodied fallen baby. With her dagger in one hand and her lasso tightly knotted in the other, Acma once again leaped onto the back of the larger creature, piercing its heart and securing a loop around its massive, curved horn.

Feeling a deadly pain and sensing weight on its back, the Mesmerize reared up on its front legs, attempting to dislodge its assailant. Acma held fast to the horn, waiting for a safe moment to jump down to the snowy ground below. Maintaining her distance, she decided to draw magic from the grieving creature from afar. She had all the time she needed, as the lifeless weight of the baby Mesmerize connected to its mother by Acma's lasso made it impossible for the mother to escape. Their last bonding moment.

"9… 8… 7… 6 Thundagas…"

The mighty adult creature unleashed its most powerful magic. Curagas would follow.

Finally, it collapsed to its knees, regretting not being able to reach its baby in its final moments. Acma approached, wanting to claim the mother's formidable horn as a replacement and ending her quick battle.

Suddenly, the creature rose to its feet, determined to stomp its front legs to its offspring's killer, whose eyes now filled with fear and shock.

No number of simulations could ever replace the harsh reality before her.


"Not found? What do you mean she's not found? How did you let a wheelchair slip away?" A middle-aged man with a light brown hair and a military uniform bellowed at his subordinates.

"We... we were deceived by her morphing ability - she was assisted by Lina. The situation in the garden was chaotic, and we simply followed her commands. When we returned, the leaders of Balamb Garden were already free, and there were no signs of a struggle. It appears she must have released them herself before making her escape," one of the guards stammered, his voice filled with fear.

The man in the higher authority clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table, unable to accept the reality that his meticulously planned scheme had crumbled at the very first step. He had placed his trust in the wrong person, someone who had convinced him that she would never leave him. He had let his guard down, and now he would have to face numerous questions not just from Galbadia, but from the entire world regarding his actions of capturing the officials of Balamb Garden and sending a troop of magic casters to invade the school. He needed to ensure that no one from the garden would ever walk out and reveal the truth to the world.

"Follow my orders... Release it..."

The subordinates exchanged fearful glances and then lowered their heads. There was no turning back from this point.


Despite Acma's immediate attempt to roll away, one of the Mesmerize's legs struck her left shoulder. As a magic caster who typically remained in the background, she rarely had to endure physical pain. However, through countless simulations and daydreams, she had often envisioned harrowing moments like this. One-on-one battles always ended in bloodshed. The initial victor might not be the last one standing, and a single misstep could completely change the course of the battle, leading to a downward spiral. Pain intensified with each physical blow inflicted upon a victim, until it reached a threshold where the sensation dulled. Despite her thorough knowledge of the science of pain and death, it did little to assuage her fear in that moment. It seemed a tipping point had been reached, a point of no return in this battle. Mesmerize 1, Acma 0. A meaningless existence, born in a petri dish, now dying in the snow.

BROOMMMM.

The sound of a motorcycle approached.

A metallic clash resonated as the Mesmerize's sharp horn was deflected, altering its trajectory away from Acma's chest. In the next moment, she realized the creature had been impaled by a familiar sword, piercing through its neck.

"Please join your son," she whispered to the creature that had almost claimed her life, avoiding eye contact with her savior.

"You followed me?" She suddenly realized she had been tracked the entire time.

"You're welcome!" Raddie withdrew his sword from the lifeless creature, his eyes averted from her and offering no assistance as he normally would have. He couldn't comprehend what had changed in the past day to transform them from close comrades to adversaries. "Care to say a few words?" he requested as she stood up on her own, clutching her bruised shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Raddie. I can't…" she murmured.

"I have all day." Raddie pointed his sword toward her, treating her as an enemy. "Acma Mirin, from this moment, I will treat you as a traitor, following the established procedures of our garden. Speak now, before I bring you back to the Garden Committee and let you face the consequences of your betrayal."

Acma had never witnessed such a reaction from Raddie, at least not when conversing with her. Today was meant to be their first date, a chance to get to know each other better. She had sensed his admiration for her for some time, and the affectionate boy had never shown much restraint in expressing his feelings.

"Okay... calm down, Raddie. Can you please put your sword down?" Acma pleaded. "I'll talk."

Raddie's frown slightly eased, and he lowered his sword. "I'm listening..."

Splash!

Acma swiftly threw her lasso, entangling it around Raddie's body, then hopped onto his motorcycle and attempted to start the engine.

It refused to start. She tried again. "Permission denied."

"Just as I thought you would try," Raddie freed himself from the lasso and tucked it into his SeeD uniform, relishing in the disappointment on her face. "I've revoked your access," he said, approaching her, gripping his sword tightly. "Speak. I'm running out of patience. Who are you working for?"

Acma weighed her options, but her chances of evading this confrontation were slim. Engaging Raddie head-on in close combat without high-level magic would be futile. Moreover, the longer she lingered here, the farther Quistis and Seifer would get. Having made up her mind, she let out a sigh, slowly dismounted the motorcycle, and revealed her life as a double agent, installed in Trabia Garden years ago by the headmaster of Galbadia Garden, Martine. Her birth, like that of all the magic puppets attacking Balamb Garden, was a result of Galbadia's secret research.

"What is their purpose in attacking Balamb just now?" Raddie pressed.

"Martine believes he has enough puppets and technologies to take over the world. The main purpose of this attack was to capture Hyne's mythical core from individuals who possess the majority of it," Acma explained.

"Hyne's mythical core? What is it? And who are these individuals?" Raddie asked.

Acma briefly described the situation. Just as a deceased sorceress could pass down her power, Hyne's mythical core could be transferred from one person to another. Galbadia had discovered a technology to artificially trigger this transfer. A person could be qualified as a sorceress if the amount of this core in them exceeded a certain threshold, granting them the ability to naturally absorb magic from their surroundings and explaining their large reservoir and magical capacity. However, Hyne's mythical core could be present in anyone, including males, although it was relatively rare and often passed down through bloodlines. Individuals with special abilities like Ellone were not uncommon, but they were usually unaware of their powers and lacked sufficient training to unlock them.

"Okay... let me guess, Galbadia attacked Balamb to steal the cores possessed by our students, as our school has many of these 'mini-sorceress' individuals?" Raddie speculated.

"Well... as I said, individuals with Hyne's mythical core are not rare, but compared to those qualified as sorceresses, their core levels are insignificant," Acma clarified.

"So that's why you attacked Sorceress Rinoa?" Raddie recalled Rinoa's purple complexion when he found her lying next to Acma.

"No... no... I never wanted to harm her. The transfer was intense, but it shouldn't have harmed her in any way. Please believe me!" Acma corrected Raddie, sensing his anger.

"But you took her core anyway, didn't you?"

"We had to... I don't know how to explain it. I thought there were legitimate reasons to take away some of her power... but now I'm not even sure," Acma stammered, trying to think it through.

"We?" Raddie raised his eyebrows. "Are you still sticking to the story that someone else attacked Rinoa, not you?"

Acma swallowed, not wanting to answer any more questions. Sensing her usual silence when she wanted to deflect, Raddie pressed her more.

"Well? Are you coming up with more lies now? Instructor Acma, you may be confident in your wit, but your body language betrays you. You're a terrible liar. I want the truth, now. I can't stand another moment of guessing what's on your mind. Acma Mirin, have you witnessed your friends being slaughtered by these soulless puppet creatures you call friends? If you have any love left for them, please, tell me everything. We deserve to know the truth," Raddie was on the verge of losing his patience, a feeling he had never experienced before. Dealing with monsters was easier than dealing with people. Raddie noticed her eyes welling up with tears as he finished speaking.

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't do anything differently. They had my sister," Acma started talking.

"Your sister?" Raddie asked with a surprise. Of course, her undercover was filled with lies, including the one that she was an orphan from Trabia.

"Antarra… the one powering all puppets, she's my twin sister. More accurately, we were split from the same egg in vitro," Acma paused as she wanted to give Raddie some time to internalize, but he signaled her to continue, "in fact, we managed to escape together after I provided you with the proper junctions. That's when we saw Sorceress Rinoa flying back in a Ragnarok..."

Acma began to recount the story. Her plan was to betray Martine and escape with her sister to live a secluded life. However, when they encountered Rinoa, Antarra convinced Acma to lure her on board, fearing that Martine would capture the true sorceress and continue his plan for world domination. Acma agreed, but when Rinoa entered the aircraft, Antarra attacked her and forcibly transferred Hyne's mythical core from Rinoa to herself. Acma was taken aback by this unplanned action and tried to stop Antarra, but Antarra did not back off. It was when Raddie contacted Acma's aircraft that she lied to Antarra, telling her that a group of SeeDs was approaching and asking her to use the Ragnarok to go to their meeting point first, leaving the rest for Acma to handle. When Raddie arrived, Acma pretended to be injured to avoid a confrontation.

"Please trust me... I'm not on Martine's side... We have been his tools since the day we were born. We just want freedom," Acma explained.

Raddie didn't completely trust Acma, but her story made sense so far.

"So, what's your plan now? Is your sister heading to a meeting point, waiting for you there? That's why you're stocking up and preparing to go on foot?" Raddie inquired.

"There's one more thing about that meeting point... but Raddie, please trust me. I won't keep anything from you. It's just that we have to leave now to meet my sister there. It's very important, and I'll explain on the way," Acma responded.

"And then what? You plan to lasso me and escape again? Tell me now, and I'll consider letting you go. What could be so important that it's worth sparing a few words?" Raddie negotiated.

"It would take much longer to explain... but basically, you may have heard about the reason why Sorceress Edea left Balamb to have Dr. Odine run some experiments on her. I know for sure it was because her Hyne's mythical core, which has never disappeared completely by the way, has absorbed a significant amount of magic from her surroundings. It's a known phenomenon that has repeated in cycles throughout history, although it hasn't been well-documented... The bottom line is, the core has to be transferred out; otherwise, these individuals would... explode or disappear... their fates are unknown, but it often ends in a similar way," Acma clarified, struggling to determine which details to include.

"So, we need to save sorceresses like Edea and Rinoa by extracting their core? Are you saying that you did Sorceress Rinoa a favor by attacking her and transferring her core?" Raddie didn't fully trust Acma's words. It could be just another lie she concocted to deceive him. She was capable of doing that, although deep down he wanted to believe that she was still on the right side.

"That's not the point... I'm not trying to justify Antarra's actions... but remember what I said? There are more individuals who qualify as sorceresses, depending on their core levels, which are often inherited through bloodlines. Antarra is one of them. Her core level, especially after absorbing Sorceress Rinoa's, could be already as high as hers. I told her to go to a meeting point, which is believed to have a divine source capable of absorbing one's Hyne's mythical core to save her life," Acma tried to emphasize the seriousness of the situation to Raddie.

"Okay, so she'll go there and transfer her power, along with Rinoa's stolen power. Everyone will do the same. Everyone's happy, right? Why do you have to go as well?" Raddie questioned.

"Raddie," Acma hesitated, but she had no choice. Raddie was the type of person who wanted to know every detail before making a decision, to ensure he wouldn't become someone's puppet, as he often put it. Acma felt bitter about her own fate. "Antarra and I are twin sisters, born from the same mother cell. Unlike her, I'm a late bloomer in terms of developing my core. That's why Martine sent me away as a spy, thinking I'm useless as a puppet. But... my core level right now... I can feel it... I don't know where it's at, and I've never dared to show it to anyone, including Antarra. No one knows this. I hope you'll be the first one..."

Acma extended her hands, releasing her innate magic for the second time in her life. The first time was an accidental display of power, which had terrified her, knowing the fate of "gifted" children whose abilities were discovered early—Martine and the lab crew would experiment on them until they found the recipe for their innate magics. But this time, she felt safe next to Raddie and wanted to earn his trust in her seemingly unbelievable stories.

Raddie observed her magic with a mix of awe and unease.

"You see... if I don't transfer it, I'll face the same fate as them," Acma explained, pausing her magic demonstration. "This ability may seem cool, but just like Antarra, neither of us would survive in the wild. Our human bodies are not better than yours, in fact, they're worse. Especially Antarra, she has endured a great deal of torture. She couldn't even walk on her own and had to rely on a wheelchair, which she desperately needs to get rid of because Martine might be able to track her down with it."

Raddie paused for a moment, then stood up and reached out his hand to help Acma stand.

"Let's go. Which direction?" he made up his mind. "But for my own safety, I keep your junction. Deal?"

Acma felt a surge of happiness as Raddie's warmth returned, even if only slightly. She took his hand, and they immediately set off on their journey.


"Respected Elder! It's been a long time since we last met. I'm Quistis. We crossed paths a couple of years ago when I traveled with a group of friends led by Squall, Sir Laguna's son," Quistis greeted the Elder of the Shumi village as soon as she settled injured Seifer in Shumi hotel. The guards promptly opened the gate for them as they recognized Quistis from her previous visit.

"Welcome back, travelers! We always enjoy having visitors. I've heard about your friend. Please, feel free to stay as long as you want for recovery," the Elder suggested warmly.

"Thank you very much for your offer! We don't want to impose on your hospitality. We will leave as soon as my friend's wound is treated," Quistis responded, her speech taking on a formal tone influenced by the Elder's manner of speaking.

"Very well. Our Moombas are quite attentive when it comes to patients. Please let us know if you need anything else," the Elder replied.

Quistis parted with the Elder, and came back to the hotel room where Seifer was resting, only to find it bustling with noise and commotion.

"What's going on here?" Quistis asked, surprised by the crowd.

"Thank Hyne you're here. Help me get rid of these pesky creatures! They keep sticking their tongues out at me. Eww..." Seifer struggled to push the Moombas off his bed one by one, but they persistently climbed back up with excitement.

Amused by the scene, Quistis imagined Seifer dealing with mischievous toddlers. "This could be excellent practice for you if you ever become a father," she remarked playfully, leaning against a shelf without offering assistance.

"That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said. Me, a dad?" Seifer responded, puzzled. He couldn't fathom why she would suggest such a thing. "Also, what are they screaming about?"

Quistis's eyes sparkled mischievously as she saw an opportunity to tease Seifer. "Wait a second, are they saying... 'Laguna'?"

Seifer listened more attentively to the Moombas, trying to decipher their cries.

"Laguna? Esthar's President?" Seifer repeated, recalling Esthar's president and Squall's father. He had learned about their connection from a news article after the war. The same article mentioned that Squall's father had starred in the Sorceress movie, which was also the one that had fueled Seifer's obsession with becoming a knight and protecting his sorceress. Seifer couldn't help but feel envious of Squall, who seemed to have everything—a victorious reputation, a sorceress as his girlfriend, and a father whom most others had lost, or in Seifer's case, whom some wished they had never had.

"Moombas recognize people by blood. They used to scream 'Laguna' whenever they saw Squall when we visited this village years ago. We didn't know Laguna was his father back then, but it all makes sense now," Quistis explained, giving out her suspicion look.

Seifer remembered the Moombas shouting at Squall during his time in D-District Prison, confirming Quistis's claim. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Nah… never mind. That can't be right. There's no way you and Squall are related." Quistis waved her hand dismissively, pretending to change the subject. Internally, she struggled to contain her laughter and maintain her playful act, knowing how priceless Seifer's reaction would be.

"Me and Squall? That's the worst joke you could make," Seifer cringed at the thought. He knew for certain that it was impossible. But was it really?

Unlike many other children, Seifer had lived with his parents for a few years before joining Edea and Cid's orphanage. His childhood had been enjoyable until his mother passed away, leaving his father as a lifeless and cruel man who confined Seifer to their home. Eventually, his father became incapable of providing for him, and concerned neighbors reported the situation, leading to Seifer's placement in the orphanage. Being larger and more troublesome than the other children, Seifer initially struggled to find acceptance, spending most of his time teasing and bullying others rather than playing.

"I did live with my parents before Edea's, if your forgetful head remembers," Seifer retorted, feeling a pang of hurt. He knew he had shared his background with Quistis when they were younger. Even if GF usage made her forget, it still hurt.

"Oh, Hyne... I'm so sorry," Quistis suddenly choked, realizing that her joke had crossed the line and was no longer funny. Though Quistis couldn't remember the details of what young Seifer had told her, she sensed the disappointment in his words. She wondered why the young and often cranky Seifer would confide such personal information to her. "My joke went too far. Look, that's all a Moomba can say. Laguna spent months teaching them." She reached out to one of the Moombas that was excitedly screaming at her, smiling with a touch of reservation as she looked at Seifer, hoping to see some tension leave his face.

"Obviously, he did a terrible job. I can barely recognize it as 'Laguna' even after you told me," Seifer replied, annoyed by Quistis's pitying gaze. Quistis seemed more suited for a serious setting like the military. Seifer imagined she would have had a tough time growing up as a regular woman, as her jokes were only funny to her and often confusing to others. Worse, in situations like this, Seifer found her jokes insensitive. Clearly, her attempt to sound sarcastic and mocking to fit in with his conversation had failed miserably.

"Excuse me for overhearing your conversation, but I can't help but clarify that Mr. Almasy is correct. Our Moombas did not say 'Laguna' to you all," a hotel staff member interjected, pushing a food cart through the door. Quistis quickly assisted him by holding one side of the seemingly oversized cart.

"Please leave it here... thank you," Quistis responded, surprised to learn that her knowledge about Moombas was no longer up to date. "Did they learn other words? I thought they called us 'Laguna' because, somehow, we have a similar scent to Squall's, given our SeeD gear."

"Moombas do possess remarkable abilities, such as recognizing relatives based on scent and blood. Their vocabulary is indeed limited. But what they have been telling you is not about Sir Laguna, but Lady Luluna, who resided in our village a couple of months ago," the hotel staff explained. "She was fascinated by the similar sound they made with her name and patiently taught them to pronounce it. Quite a lovely girl. Come to think of it," he suddenly realized something, looking Quistis up and down, "Lady Luluna looks somewhat like you, including her hairstyle."

Quistis was taken aback by the second person to make that comment that day. "Interesting. You're not the first one who has told me I look like someone else today. Who is this Lady Luluna?"

"Flattered to find another Trepie outside of Balamb?" Seifer mocked, noticing Quistis's obvious arrogance, which quickly turned into a threatening expression when directed at him.

"We don't usually inquire too much about our visitors, but we have a good sense for recognizing honest and kind individuals and deterring intruders. All I know is that Lady Luluna and another adventurer were on a quest and encountered illegal activities by a nearby tribe. They liberated the tribe's slaves and came to our village to recover. You might learn more by speaking with our Elder. Well, please enjoy the food."

"Thank you. It smells delicious," Quistis smiled as the hotel staff left, accompanied by the overly excited Moombas. "What?" She realized that Seifer's eyes were fixed on her, along with a clear smirk. Now, they were the only ones in the room.

"It smells delicious? You sound like a real politician," Seifer complained about her deceptive comment, trying to sound friendly to the hotel staff. Deep down, he was annoyed by her sweet tone with others, which contrasted sharply with her sour tone when conversing with him.

"It's called manners. Although I know the Shumi people eat nothing but grass and fruits, the fact that they're providing us shelter should be enough for us, or you know, enough for you to drop that grumpy face," she explained, lifting the dish cover to reveal the expected vegetables underneath.

Seifer had no further protests. He could tell from the hotel staff's implications that without Quistis's presence, the Shumis wouldn't have opened their gates for a thug like him.

"By the way, just for your information, Luluna is a fairly common female name among the descendants of the famous Zabac tribe," Seifer pointed out. "Almasy is also one of its largest clans. So, if you're really buying into the idea that some of us from Edea's orphanage are related, it's more likely that you and I are siblings." He suggested a more plausible theory than Squall and himself being Laguna's sons.

Quistis was taken aback by the thought of being related to Seifer, especially considering their similar appearances and her lack of knowledge about her own parents. Her last name had been given to her by her foster parents, while her first name by Edea. "If that were true, it would be quite amusing for you to explain why you're constantly checking out your sister's ass. Don't think I haven't noticed!"

"Wow, there's nothing to check out there, sissy," Seifer smirked in response to the accusation.

"Okay, I give up!" Quistis raised her hands in surrender. "No more incestuous remarks, you win! Now, please excuse me, I'm going to dump pounds of dust."

Seifer smiled at his victory, waving her off. Content with Seifer's withdraw from further verbal combat, Quistis headed towards the bathroom. Since the Shumi village rarely received visitors, the hotel only had one room, which meant that Quistis had no choice but to share the space with Seifer once again.

"Did you already take a shower?" Quistis asked, noticing water on the floor.

"Yeah..." Seifer was puzzled by Quistis's question but quickly turned it into a good line. "Sorry, darling, I didn't wait for you."

"In your dreams!" Quistis snapped back, not a full ten seconds had passed since she asked him to stop. "I just wanted to ask if you needed me to apply medicine to any bruises you might have." She explained her kind gesture, feeling that it was the least she could do since he had risked his life over her memorable cup.

Seifer didn't really need the medicine, but he accepted it because he wanted to create more embarrassing moments for Quistis, knowing that it seemed to unsettle her whenever he pushed this button.

"Of course! Come on, sis, take off your brother's clothes and give him a back rub," Seifer teasingly replied.

Quistis knew exactly what he was trying to do. She reminded herself to stay calm. Good leaders don't lose their cool. She recalled the various secret research she had conducted on her own after being demoted. The old Quistis might have thrown a lamp at Seifer in this situation, but the improved version of Quistis chose to do the opposite.

"I'll help, but no more inappropriate remarks. I would do the same thing for any of my comrades," Quistis said, keeping her voice natural, feeling a sense of accomplishment for not hitting Seifer's cocky face.

Seifer could sense that Quistis was suppressing her anger. She was trying to change, but she hadn't fully succeeded yet. He was determined to make sure her efforts would be ruined by the end of their trip.

Quistis sat down next to him and began to help him take off his dark blue shirt.

"Yes... there… right there, sis," Seifer pretended to moan as Quistis's fingers touched his skin. "Ouch! Hey, hey, watch the head!" He exclaimed as she lifted the shirt over his head, seemingly with the intention of aggravating his head wound. Typical gruesome woman!

"Oops, sorry, did your sister hurt you? She thought you'd enjoy it," Quistis playfully responded, playing along with his game. But she quickly turned to concern as she caught sight of the scars on his back. "Who did this to you?"

"Who else? The mobs hit me a couple of times with their clubs. It's fine, they'll heal on their own even without medicine."

"No... I mean... these scars," Quistis gently traced her fingers over the snake-like scars that covered his back, leaving very little space of unblemished skin.

They hadn't healed, even now? Seifer wondered to himself.

"None of your business," Seifer snapped, grabbing his shirt and attempting to put it back on.

"Okay, just stay there. Let me treat your bruises, alright?" Quistis stopped him, her question clearly unsettling him. She tried to recall if he had ever mentioned these scars when they were younger. She realized that she hadn't been a good friend to him. Quistis felt glad that growing up Seifer had found his posse with Fujin and Raijin as her replacement.

As Quistis applied treatment to Seifer's bruises, he regretted accepting her offer. Normally, he wouldn't allow anyone to touch him, but he felt that he could be this close with Quistis, perhaps due to their shared history as childhood friends. However, he despised her pity, especially since she seemed to reserve it abundantly for troublemakers or misfits like himself or Squall. He never wanted anyone's pity, especially not from someone who had once been his closest friend. Despite his conflicting feelings, he allowed her to finish in silence.

"I'm done… thank you," Quistis whispered.

Seifer wasn't sure what she was thanking him for. Perhaps she knew that he wouldn't express gratitude towards her. Maybe she considered this moment as his silent acceptance of her care.

"Glad you enjoyed my body, sis. Your fingers certainly have skills. When you retire, you should consider working at Balamb's naughty massage parlor... Hey, ouch! Take it easy!" Seifer exclaimed as Quistis forcefully pushed his shirt back on. Despite the pain, he felt happy that Quistis was triggered again, proving that he had successfully reclaimed his high-ground position in their battle.

"Can you not talk like a pervert for more than five minutes?" Quistis snapped before leaving him to take her long-awaited shower, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Seifer's scars.


"Why are we here?" Raddie inquired, confused by Acma's choice of destination as he looked at the peculiar forest with its round shape and clean circle-shaped ground.

"We're here to rent a Chicobo," replied Acma. "To reach the meeting point, we need to cross shallow water, which our motorcycle can't handle. We'll travel with the Chicobo until then and leave the motorcycle behind for the next part of the trip." Acma had clearly thought through the plan.

"I see no one here." "Maybe we're lucky," Acma replied, pulling something out from one of her many pockets.

"Lucky?" Raddie questioned, perplexed.

"Watch!" Acma placed the object, resembling a whistle, in her mouth and let out a piercing sound.

"What are you doing?" "I'm calling a Chicobo," she continued to whistle.

"But I thought you said we were going to rent one," Raddie tried to clarify.

"That's why I said 'if we're lucky.' Hopefully, the Chocoboy isn't here before I capture his Chicobo," Acma explained briefly, resuming her blows.

Does that mean we are stealing? Raddie wondered to himself, bewildered by Acma's neutral expression despite the impending crime.

"Yes!" Acma triumphantly exclaimed as a giant yellow bird emerged from the bushes. "Come on!" She hopped onto the bird and gestured for Raddie to follow.

"Should we wait for the Chocoboy?" Raddie hesitated. This did not feel right.

"Raddie, there's no time to wait and negotiate with those notoriously tough bargain boys. Please, get on. We need to go back to our motorcycle and get moving!" Acma urged him.

He still felt wrong about it, so he dropped 1,000 Gil under a tree before hopping on the bird.

Unexpectedly, the weight of Raddie caused the creature to collapse with a loud screech, sending both of them tumbling to the ground.

"Chicobo thieves!" a young boy suddenly appeared, rushing towards the groaning SeeDs. "What have you done to Chicobo 25?" He ran to the large bird and comforted it.

Great, Acma thought to herself, sighing.

"We're sorry... We're in a hurry... We didn't mean to steal. Look, we left some money here as an apology," Raddie explained, pointing to the dropped Gil on the ground. "We hope that's enough!"

Great! Acma exclaimed internally. Now he knows we're in a rush. This negotiation is going to be tough. Why couldn't Raddie keep quiet and assess the situation?

"1,000 Gil for a Chicobo? That won't even get you a Chubby Chocobo!" the boy yelled.

"Okay, I'm in charge here. First of all, my apologies. Please allow us a moment to discuss," Acma stepped forward and whispered into Raddie's ear. "Tell me, how much money do you have?"

"I have about 10,000 Gil. Well, including that 1,000," Raddie whispered back to Acma, who seemed alarmed at the number.

"Why are you carrying around 10,000 Gil? That's good, though. But seriously?" Acma couldn't help but exclaim. "Okay, from this moment on, be quiet and let me handle this."

Though he had doubts about Acma after their failed attempt at thievery, Raddie decided to step back and observe this time.

"Okay, once again, my apologies for trying out the Chicobo without your presence. We tried to find you, but we couldn't. Anyway, we came here to rent a Chicobo for the two of us, but it seems this one isn't strong enough," Acma initiated the negotiation with the boy.

"This is one of our strongest. All our previous riders had no trouble with Chicobo 25. I'm afraid your friend is too big to ride one, not to mention both of your combined weight," the boy responded.

"Okay... considering that only I can ride the Chicobo, what rate do you suggest?" Acma inquired.

"8,000 Gil flat. That's our fixed price," the Chocoboy replied.

No, it's not! Acma thought, trying to maintain her poker face.

"That's really way out of our budget, as we still need to take care of my friend's means of crossing the shallow water up north. Without a solution to carry both of us, I'm afraid it's pointless to get one for me. Can you think of any other options?" Acma explained.

"Well... in that case, you can rent another animal for him," the boy reluctantly suggested.

"You have another Chicobo?" Acma asked, though she knew they couldn't afford two Chicobos.

"Well, not as effective, but it can be used for short distances," the boy called out. "Come here, Laguna!"

Both Acma and Raddie were shocked to hear the bare first name of the Esthar President, their commander's father.

"There you go. 5,000 Gil for this strong, muscular guy," the boy stated the price, patting on a spiky hair orange creature.

"You're exploiting a Moomba and charging such a ridiculous price?" Acma had reached her limit with this cunning kid. "I'm not even sure if this is legal."

"Hey, most people come here for illegal transportation. We all know animals can't be tracked," the boy replied. "Your big guy can use the Chicobo, and you can ride the Moomba. Moombas can walk on water with these special shoes. I've tried it myself." He revealed a pair of shoes that looked quite uncomfortable to wear.

Acma took a few moments to reassess this unexpected option. "Okay... if we take both, can we have a discount?" she inquired.

"You'll get a free rental on Moomba's shoes. Typically, I rent them out for 2,000 Gil," the boy smirked.

"Shouldn't that be included in the 5,000 Gil? This doesn't make sense!" Raddie also lost his temper. Now he understood why Acma tried to avoid this conversation. Although he still questioned Acma's decision to hire a Chicobo now. He would just reach the shallow water first; they could think of another way at that point, a boat or something.

"Can't do. And hey, we only have these two available now. If you don't decide quickly and someone comes to claim one of them, I can't help anymore. It's the beginning of the ski season, and people usually want to try riding a Chicobo for fun," the boy pressured the couple.

"Fine! I'd like to take both, but to be honest, we don't have that much money. We'll take Moomba for now and figure something out later," Acma suggested.

"But..." Raddie tried to say something but was cut off by Acma.

"Okay, up to you. 7,000 Gil then if you want its shoes," the boy proposed.

"6,000," Acma offered a new price.

"6,900 Gil is my final price," the boy stated firmly, causing Acma to frown deeper.

Raddie found this situation ridiculous and just wanted to make the purchase and figure something out later.

"Fine. Raddie... another 5,900 Gil, please," Acma turned to Raddie, who was more than happy to see this deal was about to be over.

As Acma received the gear for Moomba from the boy, she climbed onto the poor creature, fastened her legs onto its gear, and casually dropped a threat.

"For your information, we are official SeeDs from Trabia responsible for regulating activities on this continent. We're taking this enslaved Moomba to monitor his health, and then to Shumi village and will let the Elder know how you treated their precious assets. My guess is your license will be pending for at least three months, give or take. You know how bureaucratic the government can be. Are you copied?"

The boy did not react at first, considering how many threats he had faced before when tourists and poor students tried to hassle him. "Nice try, but don't expect me to buy any of that. You two look just like lower-classmates at best."

"Looks can be deceptive, you know?" Acma pulled out her ID. "I'm a Garden Instructor. We regularly collect bioforensic samples from creatures at risk of extinction. We just played along to lure this big boy out. I'm bringing him to the lab."

The Chicoboy's face changed at the sight of a real Garden official.

"But lucky for you," Acma continued, "we're in a good mood to explore nature. I could drop this incident today if you lend us the Chicobo for a while."

The boy relaxed after realizing that Acma's true motive hadn't changed.

"Fine. Take it for today," the boy gave in, the confident smirks disappeared from his face.

"I'm taking this Moomba, though. This is clearly illegal, and I can't risk being implicated in the illegal usage of a Moomba. Any objections?" Acma stated firmly.

The boy shook his head, looking defeated.

"And one final thing..." Acma stared at the boy's hand that held Raddie's Gil.

The boy slowly returned the money to Raddie, hoping for a slight chance that he would refuse.

"Acma, that's okay. Let him keep it," Raddie looked at Acma, now feeling bad for the boy.

"No, Raddie. It's good enough that we don't report him and leave him hungry this winter. Please take it back. We'll spend it on something more useful," Acma insisted. "Let's go. We need to cross the sea before dawn!"

Raddie reluctantly took the money from the clearly unpleasant boy and hopped on the Chicobo.

The boy clenched his fist as they left the forest. "Officers... always greedier than robbers..." he murmured.


Acma and Raddie quickly arrived at the shallow water. Acma became frustrated when one of Moomba's shoes malfunctioned, rendering Moomba unable to transport them across the sea.

"I'll kill that boy when I see him again!" she exclaimed.

"We can cross one by one using Chicobo, right?" Raddie suggested.

"That's possible, but we can't guarantee that Chicobo won't run away when we switch places," Acma argued. She didn't want to deal with that annoying Chocoboy again if their transportation escaped. "How about this? I'll ride the Chicobo, you hold on to Moomba, and I'll use Float to carry both of you."

Raddie nodded. "That should work. How many Floats do you need?"

Acma let out a sigh. Raddie seemed to be strict on giving Acma's whole magic stock back.

"4 would be enough. But can I have 10 just in case, please?"

Raddie agreed and handed the Float spells to Acma, searching for a junction.

"I don't need a junction. I have this Galbadian magic stone to store para-magic," Acma revealed her gear.

"Of course..." Raddie's voice held a hint of sadness, which Acma tried to brush off.

"By the way, once I drop you all off here, I can ride back and get the motorcycle. It would be useful for us not to rely on these creatures. Of course... if you're not afraid that I'll run away..." Acma suggested, anticipating Raddie's reluctance.

"Can I trust you, then? You won't leave me stranded here in the middle of nowhere?" Raddie sought reassurance.

"I would never do that to you, Raddie!"

"Okay... Dying of hunger is the worst way to go. Just keep your word, please." He murmured.

They followed the plan, and Acma could sense Raddie's relief when she returned with everything they needed. They reunited on the other side and found a spot to light a fire and recharge before continuing their journey.

"Would you like some?" Acma offered her companion a piece of Mesmerize kid's fat thigh, a delicacy she had hunted earlier that day. Her true intention was to initiate a conversation, as Raddie seemed quieter than usual.

"This is... why you killed that baby?" Raddie frowned, his expression filled with disgust.

"What do you mean?" Acma was confused by Raddie's repulsed reaction.

"... No, thanks. I'm good with this." He raised his hand, holding a packet of military dry food.

"Okay..." Acma didn't want to push further, unable to comprehend Raddie's uneasiness. It was his first time in the wild, separated from their shiny, well-provided military school. Acma admitted that she also had a hard time when she conducted her first mission dealing with the Trabian tribes. Their culture, habitat, and decision-making processes were nothing like those of modern people or savage monsters. It was a real shock to get her hands dirty, both literally and figuratively.

"But just a heads up, we are nowhere near our destination. If you don't load up on natural protein, your muscles won't sustain the long trip. And who knows what we will face in the wild. I'll save some for you whenever you change your mind." She sliced half of the cooked thigh with her dagger and wrapped it in a ziplock bag.

Raddie watched Acma carry out her tasks with precision and professionalism, and suddenly felt a rush of agony.

"Really? Do you really count my calories? It's all about efficiency for your plan, isn't it? All these killings, scheming, and harming innocents—those are just by-products of whatever Acma Mirin wants?" Raddie kept his words vague, but there was a clear hint of disapproval.

"Are we still talking about me hunting Mesmerizes?" Acma frowned, bewildered by his harsh words.

Raddie paused, seemingly shocked by Acma's pretense that nothing major had happened, then let out a painful chuckle.

"Right. You were too occupied with your plan. How could you know? You don't even care about what happened to the rest of us in Balamb, facing the monsters you sent us to fight."

Acma realized her mistake in not asking Raddie about the status of the school. In truth, she had wanted to avoid hearing about it, unsure of how it would affect Raddie's emotions and her own.

"Was someone hurt? I'm so sorry. I thought that re-enabling junctions with a different scent would make X-97 ineffective in chewing our junctions. You know, the monster we faced at the underground camp... the one that attacked Shrewdya..." Acma realized her mistake as she provided Raddie with more context. The monster had severed Shrewdya's arm—an outcome Acma hadn't anticipated because the facility was supposed to be abandoned. They must have overlooked something there, which caught the attention of Balamb SeeDs, and the unfortunate new SeeD had endured a gruesome way of taking an exam.

"Shrewdya lost her arm because of a lab creature? And you knew all of that, yet you didn't bother telling us anything to prepare?" Raddie grew angrier.

"I swear I have no idea that could happen! I'm a spy; they only tell me what I need to know. I don't even know how many spies there are in Balamb. We were raised in separate chambers, and Martine is smart enough to have installed multiple spies to cross-check each other. Anyway, as far as I know, the ambush at the campsite was totally accidental. Martine wouldn't want to expose his secret weapon prior to a critical battle, right? Think about it!" Acma explained. "Before we left, Antarra drained magic from our friends, whom you've called puppets and monsters. I'm sorry if that wasn't enough, but we did try to minimize the impact for both sides. Anyway, was anyone hurt?" Acma inquired.

"… I don't know… I left almost instantly after Commander Leonhart ordered me to find Sorceress Rinoa, and I also wanted to follow you, so I'm not aware of everyone's status. But Keannu was attacked by one of your friends. Let's just hope he's okay when I come back," Raddie replied.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, really," Acma acknowledged Raddie's worry, knowing that Keannu was his best friend. "Was it serious?"

"Who? Keannu or your friend?" Raddie asked, curious to know which side Acma leaned towards.

"Keannu, of course," Acma immediately replied. "He's not always the most focused student. Not that I'm not worried about my friend, but I know for certain that during the 12 years of my life living in the underground lab in Galbadia's secret military camp, we had to practice real battles quite frequently. We could laugh and tell jokes to each other in the morning and were told to kill each other in the afternoon for survival. Our bodies have precious Hyne's mythical core. As long as Martine finds our bodies, alive or dead, he'll make sure to reuse us at all costs."

"I know I'm no Hyne to make world peace without hurting anyone," Acma continued, acknowledging that Raddie's anger had eased a bit. "As long as there's an imbalance in power, there will always be conflicts like these. My way to end this particular one is to isolate Antarra from being found and used as a weapon. That solution is the most peaceful, non-violent one I can think of. If you have a better plan, just let me know. I'm all ears."

Raddie pondered Acma's words. He knew it was too early for him to offer a solution to Acma's dilemma. From his point of view, everything happening at Balamb today seemed outrageous to those with a deep connection to the school. But who was right and who was wrong? Countless ethical discussions had taken place in class. Seemingly tyrannies were later praised by historians when it became clear that their reigns had created more happiness than discontent. Politics is a war with unclear sides sometimes, and the world had many more faces than just black and white. When Raddie was younger and trusted everything adults said, he usually took things like that for granted. However, as he read more interviews from people around the world, heroes or villains, it became clear that one must adapt their own judgment. And in many cases, as Commander Leonhart once said, you just follow what your heart tells you to do.

"I'm sorry... Maybe I was too harsh on you. But I agree with you partly. Today, if it wasn't you, Martine would have found another spy to wreck Balamb. I took it too personally. For how to solve this problem from now on, can you please promise me to let me know what you want to do next? Include me in the discussion. Like any problem, sometimes it's good to have extra eyes, someone with fresh ideas leading you to a solution you haven't thought of," Raddie finally said.

"You weren't harsh. I would be outraged if Antarra got hurt too. Wars are never happy for most people. But yes, I promise you, no more hiding. Although, just a heads up, there's a lot to cover to get you up to speed. I'll explain as we approach the meeting point, okay?" Acma agreed to Raddie's offer.

"Sounds like we've finally reached an important agreement, comrade Acma," Raddie's smile returned to his face. "Hey... I don't want to remind you of bad memories, but if it's not too painful to recall, what do you mean by 'reusing bodies'?"

Out of all the questions he could have in mind, Raddie sought to explore that one. Perhaps in Acma's eyes, Raddie was just a boy who had grown up in a wealthy family but craved adventure. He had the luxury of choice, the ability to back out whenever he pleased. Raddie wanted to understand Acma's side of the story, which seemed to suggest that her life was never truly hers to begin with.

"Yeah... Actually, my sister and I were on the fortunate side, residing at the two extreme ends of the spectrum when it comes to possessing Hyne's mythical core. We were born in the first functional batch of the research. They didn't dissect us as much as others in our generation and the next, for various reasons. As for Antarra, it was because she possessed an abundance of Hyne's mythical core. They kept her relatively untouched, except for injecting her repeatedly with a steroid inhibitor to prevent her leg muscles from growing, rendering her immobile in a wheelchair. They were afraid she would become too powerful to handle. As for me, they couldn't detect much of Hyne's mythical core in me for some reason. I even believed I had none, not until I was installed in Trabia. However, there were certain late boomers like myself who were not as lucky. I witnessed many of my friends having to run for their lives, pursued by monsters. That was their method of uncovering our dormant Hyne's mythical core and innate abilities. Under the fear of our survival instinct kicking in, once they discovered new potential sorceresses, they conducted more experiments, drew more blood, extracted more cells, strained our muscles, and administered electric shocks to trigger our crisis core for more limit breaks. Death was inevitable for some of us, as our cells were harvested and our cores extracted to produce their next in vitro generations."

Raddie listened attentively to Acma's words. He knew she had a good heart and tended to omit the gruesome details to spare him from nightmares. However, he was no longer a young boy who could overlook the horrors she and her friends had endured. He felt remorse for being harsh on her, not that he agreed with what she had done, but at least now he understood that she was just another victim of the political war waged by adults who always craved control and power.

Not wanting to dampen the mood, Raddie sought to lighten the atmosphere.

"So... you said you were there for twelve years... Did you lie about your age then?" Raddie asked.

Acma was surprised by his rather irrelevant question.

"Um... Probably. I mean, I have no parents. And if you recall from our Cell Biology class, it's quite tricky to determine the age of a clone. You could choose the original cell lines as the starting point, so I'd say... 25?" Acma replied.

"What?!" Raddie's expectation was higher than 17, but not as high as 25. "You're… 25 years old?" Shock was evident on his face.

"At least…" Acma chuckled. "25 is the lower bound if we assume the original cell lines belonged to a new born. What? Regretting asking someone decades older than you out for coffee? See, on the bright side, my coup d'etat saved you from an embarrassing moment," she teased him, though she felt a bit stung by his surprise.

"Well... that's quite a revelation. I didn't expect that," Raddie admitted, realizing his reaction had been exaggerated. "But... for your information, I was actually planning to take you to meet my parents that day. And my mom is twelve years older than my dad. They are the happiest couple I've ever seen." Raddie's eyes lit up as he mentioned his parents, and he noticed Acma's cheeks turning a bright shade of red as well.

Raddie… You're such a nice kid. I don't want to break your heart but I have Z…

"Um..." Acma attempted to conceal her reluctance, hoping that Raddie wouldn't notice. "I hope we can visit them together, you know, when all of this is over." She gazed into the vast emptiness ahead.

"Let's do that," Raddie agreed, but before he could finish his sentence, a noise emerged from the bushes, causing Moomba to excitedly run in its direction. "Moomba, wait!"

Raddie swiftly grabbed his sword and followed the orange creature.

"Just a squirrel, Moomba!" he exclaimed as he watched the squirrel happily find a nut, climb up a tree, and disappear into the snow.

"There are no tribes in this area. I deliberately chose this route because of that, even though it's longer. Fun fact: this is the flattest area in central Trabia. The reason people don't come here, despite its suitability for settlements, is because it's reserved for tribal battles or competitions among tribal members vying to become tribe leaders," Acma explained.

Just as she finished her sentence, another noise emanated from a bush farther away. Raddie looked at Acma skeptically, seemingly unsure of her claim.

"Sure, go check it if you want," she shrugged. "I bet you 1,000 Gil that it's just another cute animal." Acma smiled mischievously.

"Fine, 1,000 Gil it is. Even if I lose, I'll kill it if it's good for meat," Raddie replied with a wink. "Stay here and keep the fire going."

Acma waved as her friends ventured into the woods.