Sowing the SeeDs : Part 15

a fanfic by Greenbeans <gbeans@tyrlen.org>
edited by Helen Fong <iriachan@yahoo.com>
based on the world of Final Fantasy 8
created by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. <www.squaresoft.com> 


     'The pieces are moving into place,' Cid mused thoughtfully as he regarded 
the screen in front of him.  Displayed was a list of next term's new and 
transfer students.  What he saw pleased him, as he knew that this was one of 
the most promising classes yet..
     In less than ten years he had established the Garden as a first rate 
military academy.  SeeDs were respected and feared throughout the world, but 
that wasn't his primary goal.  Idly he wondered if his mercenaries were truly 
ready for the battles that awaited them.
     The world was at relative peace, but that didn't mean the tide couldn't 
turn suddenly.  If Galbadia was no longer content with only holding most of the 
continent or if the Shumi wanted the humans out of Trabia...  There was a 
fragile balance currently being maintained.  One person could tip the scales 
and tear the world apart.
     Cid knew of such a person.  It was because of them that he worked so 
vigorously to prepare.  Would the SeeDs needed to neutralize that threat be 
ready in time?  How much time did he have left?  He estimated at least a couple 
years, but he couldn't be sure.  Sometimes it seemed to be a dream; an old 
man's fear of the future.  But it was with the conviction of the most fervent 
zealot that he believed in the necessity of SeeD.
     He gave everything he had to the organization.  Some might say he even 
went so far as to sell his soul for it.  It felt that way sometimes, he 
reflected.  The costs for making his dream a reality were staggering.  He 
couldn't do it on his own.  So he entered a pact with the devil himself...
     Cid shook that thought off.
     He was a master manipulator; a man and his marionettes.  Nine times out of 
ten he could accomplish his ends with sweet words of honey.  He'd done that 
with the Balamb officials to keep them off of Enju's tail.  What a mess that 
would have been if word had gotten out.  If Xu hadn't been so adamant that Enju 
be treated at the Garden...
     Xu, now there was an investment that was paying off handsomely.  She was 
becoming everything he had hoped and more.  Next week Quistis will be 
graduating; another fruitful labor.  And then there were those students who 
were still growing.  Young Squall Leonhart was bound to play a role in the 
events to come.
     Yes, the pieces were coming together nicely.

*****

     After graduating from the Garden, Kei took less notice of how the school 
year progressed.  Events such as the mid-term exams were no longer had the 
bearing on her life that they once held.  The release from such pressures and 
schedules was something Kei appreciated about being a SeeD.
     Despite no longer having relevance in her day-to-day life, there were some 
events during the school year that Kei could not ignore.  Breaks were one 
thing.  Upcoming field exams were another.  Especially when this term's exam 
held the prospect of involving Quistis.
     There was still the matter of Quistis taking the Fire Cavern test that was 
in need of resolution.  The cadet hadn't mentioned it, but Kei could see the 
worry in her eyes as the days crept closer towards the end of the term.  
Quistis was demonstrating the same nonchalance that Xu possessed when it came 
to the written test, but being caught for their transgression regarding the 
Fire Cavern test frightened her.  The Regulations Manual didn't outline any 
sort of punishment for taking the test early.  Who would have guessed that some 
feckless cadet would dare?
     To set things right without being caught meant that either Kei or Eugene 
would have to be the one to accompany Quistis during the test as her support.  
Since the test only required a SeeD as back up (and not an Instructor) that was 
fine.  The biggest obstacle was in the form of Xu.  Quistis' best friend made 
no secret of wanting to be the one to take her through the Cavern.
     There had to be a way to dissuade Xu (without offending her) and 
substituting herself instead.  Kei had an idea on how to do just that, but she 
would have to ask another favor of the Garden's good Doctor.
     For as much trouble as their night of adventure has caused, Kei couldn't 
help but be reminded that no good deed goes unpunished.

*****

     In the quiet of her quarters Xu sighed heavily and set aside another 
Garden application filed by a student who didn't meet the minimum 
qualifications for admittance.  Where did Cid come up with these endless piles 
of paperwork to be processed?  And didn't he have the Shumi or an 
administrative staff to help him sort it out?  Perhaps Martine wasn't so out of 
line by having Eileen as his aide.
     Xu sighed again as she thought of what she was missing out on because of 
the Headmaster's insistence that she have these finished by the end of the day.  
Quistis was taking the Fire Cavern test right this very moment.  Xu always 
thought that she would be the SeeD to sponsor her friend's testing.  Instead 
Kei volunteered to take her when the Headmaster buried Xu under a mountain of 
paperwork.
     Xu trusted Kei to take care of Quistis during the trial.  Kei promised to 
seek her out as soon as they returned to the Garden.  'Don't worry, Quistis is 
ready,' Xu assured herself.  How could the cadet not be after all she's been 
through?
     With a final sigh of resignation Xu returned to reviewing applicants.

*****

     With practiced ease Quistis yanked her rante back to her.  The throbbing 
heat of the Fire Cavern was as intense as she remembered.  Experience and 
growth made monsters easier to defeat than before, even though they were 
lacking the third party member that they had the last time she was here.
     Before entering the Shumi guards insisted that they set a time limit on 
their adventuring.  Kei nudged her towards saying that they could finish the 
test in less than 10 minutes, but finishing it that quickly would raise 
suspicions in Quistis' opinion.  She said that she could do it in less than 20 
and the guards parted to allow them to enter.  Quistis wasn't even sure how the 
time limit would apply in this case.  Did the timer stop once they reached the 
inner depths of the Cavern and Ifrit's chamber or what?  According to Kei, 
Ifrit wouldn't challenge them again.
     Without the fear and wonderment that accompanied her the first time she 
entered Ifrit's lair, she took in her surroundings.  The pool of molten lava 
bubbled at the center of the chamber.  Quistis noticed the pitted ground and 
tried to identify marks that were a result of her confrontation with the fiery 
Guardian Force.
     Out of the corner of her eye Quistis watched Kei approach the pool.  The 
SeeD bowed deeply to it and said something that was lost in the noise of the 
burbling lava.  Quistis resumed her searching quickly when Kei stood up and 
backed away from the edge.
     "Let's get out of here," Kei called over to her.  "This place is starting 
to make me sweat."
     A bemused smile came to Quistis' face before she schooled her features and 
rejoined Kei.  Quistis didn't doubt that Kei had her own reasons for coming to 
the Fire Cavern.  After being introduced to the Anshin belief system she 
wouldn't be surprised if Kei had just paid her respects to a fellow Spirit.  
Exactly what it meant to be a Spirit still eluded Quistis, but if it was 
important to Kei, she wouldn't mind going out of her way to fulfill 
obligations.
     It was already after dinnertime when Kei and Quistis returned.  Xu had 
left a message for them that she would be in her office and to see her when 
they were settled.  The two adventurers caught a quick meal in the Cafeteria 
before meeting up with Xu.
     "I'm sorry, I've got a few more applications to review.  If you're not too 
tired, why not practice a bit until I'm finished?" Xu suggested.  Quistis 
recalled that Xu's desk was covered in applications before they left and knew 
that Xu was nearly done if she was down to the handful of files that were 
neatly stacked in a corner.
     Quistis didn't spar with Kei all that often.  Honestly, she felt 
intimidated by the SeeD's superior combat abilities.  She reminded herself 
again that Kei was a seasoned SeeD.  It wasn't fair to compare herself to the 
elder woman, not when there was such a wide gap in their amount of experience.
     The battle was going in Quistis' favor.  With a playfully cocky expression 
that she would only show to a few people she said, "I think I'm ready to 
graduate."
     Kei returned her smile with a shark-like one of her own.  She twisted 
Quistis' rante around her sword, effectively pinning down.  "Are you really?"
     Quistis blanched and let out a sigh.  She looked over at Xu, who was now 
standing at the edge of the mat.  Her friend was laughing lightly at their 
boastful banter.
     "Honestly though," Kei caught Quistis' attention again, "there are a few 
more things for you to learn before you graduate."
     One of her eyebrows arched questioningly.  Quistis glanced over at Xu 
again.  This time she had a look to her that said plainly enough that Kei and 
Xu had fully intended to catch her at some point for a chat and that now was 
that time.
     Withdrawing her sword from the rante-tangle, Kei pointed towards the 
center of the mat with it and invited them to sit.  "I assume Xu has spoken 
with you about the evil of boys and how you shouldn't date any until you're 
older than me."
     Quistis almost burst out laughing.  "I'll never be older than you!"
     Kei smirked. "Exactly."
     "Yes, Quistis and I have discussed that," Xu assured her cousin.  Turning 
towards Quistis she continued, "You're going to be in the unenviable position 
of being a higher rank to many of those who would date you.  You'll have to be 
especially careful about those you show favor towards."
     "You have an effect on others Quistis.  You're a beautiful woman, there 
should be no false modesty about that.  You are also a brilliant woman.  Your 
intelligence will be admired -- as I'm sure you've already experienced -- 
sought after, and even feared," Kei added.
     Quistis nodded her acknowledgement of their points.  They were all things 
she'd thought about on numerous occasions, now more than ever.  So much of what 
Sean had told her was turning out to be true.  People did try to manipulate 
her, but she avoided their wiles.  As he predicted, she was growing into lovely 
woman, even she could see that.  Oh, how she wished that he could see her 
now...
     "Have you ever wondered why you never saw much of Skye when you were 
roommates?" Kei asked out of the blue.  Quistis hadn't given much thought to 
her former roommate after she had graduated.  Skye was stationed at Balamb (as 
most SeeDs were), but she was often on assignment.
     "Yes..." she answered slowly.  Skye was an odd one to begin with.  Quistis 
had just written it off as another quirk.
     "She's one of those people who felt intimidated by your intelligence.  As 
you no doubt noticed, she never studied while you were around."
     "I just assumed that she preferred to study alone."  Was Kei implying that 
Quistis had scared her roommate off?  That was absurd!  Quistis hadn't done 
anything malicious to Skye.
     Kei nodded her head in agreement with that theory.  "That's what I thought 
as well until I found her here studying one day."
     "Here?  In the training room?" Xu asked with surprise.  Quistis took some 
small comfort in the fact that she wasn't the only one having bombshells 
dropped on her.  This was obviously Xu's first time for hearing the story as 
well.
     Kei shook her head in the negative.  "No, here as in the Training Center.  
I was training and heard a noise from an old Grat's nest.  I poked my head into 
the entrance and damn near got it shot off."
     Both Quistis and Xu paled.
     "The kid had taken over a nest from the Grats and turned it into her own.  
If she went to the Library or study lounges you would have found her." Kei 
explained to Quistis.
     That was insane!  She intimidated Skye and so Skye hid out in a dangerous 
place to study.  Quistis was left speechless.  Then something else Kei said 
gave her a new line of questioning to follow.
     "You said she nearly shot you...?"
     Kei sighed and nodded solemnly.  "I'm sorry Quistis, but she lied to you 
when she said that she used a dagger as her primary means of combat.  Her 
specialty is pistols.  She didn't want to tell you because of Sean.  She 
thought it was terribly unfair of the Headmaster to pair you up as roommates so 
soon after his death.  Especially when you harbored self-doubts on several 
levels."
     "I thought she smelled like gunpowder sometimes..." Quistis felt 
disappointed that Skye hadn't trusted her with the truth.  She could see her 
former roommate's reason for lying to her about so many things.  Her intentions 
were good.  Quistis had to ask herself honestly if she could have lived with 
Skye knowing what she does now.  It would have been difficult sharing a room 
with such a reminder.
     "Please tell me that you did something to prevent her from using the 
Grat's nest," Xu buried her face in her hands.  Admittedly, the Center wasn't 
her domain until after Skye had graduated, but even the thought of a student 
doing that caused her to shudder.
     "I gave her access to my quarters and permission to study there whenever 
she wanted, whether I was there or not."
     "Where's the nest?" Xu would make sure Skye's stunt wasn't repeated.
     "Don't worry about it," Kei assured.  "The nest was destroyed when Enju 
and I had our little bout.
     "The reason I brought this up, Quistis, is because I wanted you to 
understand that people may act differently around you.  I know you've gone 
through a lot effort to 'fit in', but it just isn't going to happen entirely.  
I'm stating the obvious, but sometimes it needs to be said.  You've already 
done things that many seasoned SeeDs haven't.  You know what I'm referring to 
especially..." Kei let her voice trail off.
     She was referring to Quistis taking another person's life.  Months after 
the fact and she still felt little remorse for her actions.  The Headmaster 
insisted that she attend a few counseling sessions with Kadowaki, but there was 
nothing to discuss in her opinion.  She felt completely justified in defending 
herself and her friends.  Wasn't that part of her training?  Perhaps they were 
the ones who felt guilty for doing their jobs too well...?
     "Quistis, what do you want to do after you graduate?  What do you see your 
role in SeeD being?" Xu asked.  Xu already had a feeling for what Quistis' 
answer would be, but wanted to confirm it.
     The cadet leaned back in thought.  "I'll do whatever I'm assigned to do, 
but if it were my choice I'd become an Instructor."
     "And you realize that Instructor's training is only offered at Galbadia 
Garden?" Xu pressed further.
     She nodded ruefully.  "Yes.  Balamb is my home, but sometimes you have to 
leave to learn new things, right?"
     "Right," Kei agreed and Quistis smiled.  Kei and Xu were the poster 
children for that idea.  Both of them left their home in search of training 
that couldn't be found there.  If they could make such a leap of faith, why 
couldn't she?

*****

     Quistis was unable to sleep the night before the written exam.  She tossed 
and turned and let her mind run all over the place.  She tried to calm her 
nerves, but it just wasn't happening.  Around two o'clock she went to the 
Training Center to work off some of the nervous energy that was keeping her 
awake, but it seemed limitless.  After an hour of battling Grats she gave up 
and went back to her room to read until it was time to get up.
     There really was no reason for her to be so nervous.  This was book 
knowledge, her strength.  Xu's point that by this time she either knew it or 
she didn't echoed from the past to haunt her.  Intellectually, she knew that 
she was rock solid on the materials that would be covered, but there were 
always the lingering doubts that tempted her to study just a bit longer.  She 
did her best to silence those voices.  They would only tear her down.  She knew 
the material.  She was ready.
     The written exam was a comprehensive one.  It tested the taker's knowledge 
in all areas of study, not just subjects that were directly SeeD related.  
There were math problems, multiple choice, short essay, history, language, 
mechanics and so on.  No wonder the test took several hours to complete.
     It was with a sense of relief when Quistis hit the submit button on the 
final section of the test and waited for the results.  Prompted by the terminal 
it sat behind at the front of the room, the Shumi proctor went back to where 
Quistis was seated to unlock her results.  She scooted aside to allow it room 
to tap in its pass code.  After taking note of the screen it shook its robes 
and said, "Congratulations."
     The exuberance Quistis felt at seeing the PASSED displayed on her terminal 
was beyond words.  A small part of her wondered what her exact score was, but 
it didn't really matter.  She only had to pass and that's what she had done.
     She slipped out of the room without disturbing those still taking the 
test.  A pair of junior classmen who wanted to know her results stopped her at 
the door.  When they wrote 'passed' next to her name on the board, there was a 
cheer from the gathered Trepies.
     "Congrats!" Nym said once Quistis had made her way through the crowd at 
the door.  Her former roommate patted her on the back.  "Now comes the hard 
part: the field exam.  I wonder what the Headmaster's got up his sleeve this 
time?"
     "I have no idea," Quistis shook her head ruefully, a smile lighting up her 
entire face.  Her ignorance wasn't for lack of trying.  She'd been watching the 
newslinks like a hawk for the last two weeks keeping an eye out for anything 
that SeeD might get involved in.  Not many of SeeD's missions made it as far as 
the newslinks, but she could always hope for a heads up.
     Their first stop on her victory tour was the training room.  Now that she 
was an Instructor, Xu couldn't cut class to go sit in the hallway and wait for 
Quistis.  The idea of an Instructor cutting class for something like that 
caused Quistis to laugh out loud.  Her spirits were so high, it was like 
nothing could bring her down.
     "I knew you would do it!" Xu complimented.  "I bet you didn't sleep a wink 
last night, did you?"
     Quistis bowed her head in acknowledgement.  "I was too excited to sleep."
     Xu smiled.  "Just as I thought.  Well, get some rest tonight.  The field 
exam could be any time you know."
     Indeed, the field exam was Quistis' next worry.  There wasn't much for 
waiting cadets to do between the written and field exams.  Quistis went to 
class (though it was more of a study hall for her now that she was a candidate 
for graduation) and played Triple Triad with the junior classmen during the 
evenings.
     She was reading a book in her class when their Shumi Instructor told them 
to get ready for the field exam.  Usually they were given some time to prepare 
before the exam, but not this time.  The Instructor dismissed the class except 
for the dozen cadets being tested.  Cid came into the classroom once it was 
just them with a pair of Shumi in tow.  Between the Shumi they pushed a cart 
with stacks of folded uniforms on it.
     "These are all the candidates?" He asked their Instructor before nodding 
sagely and turning to address them.  "Very good, let's begin then.
     "Our client is the Galbadian government.  For those of you who follow the 
Galbadian football league you'll already know that the championship game 
between the Southwest district and Deling City is tonight at the capital.  The 
games are usually rowdy, but this one is expected to be even more so since the 
President's Cup is on the line.
     "SeeD has been contracted to assist the Galbadian authorities in riot 
prevention and crowd control.  Galbadian units are going to maintain positions 
throughout Deling City.  SeeDs from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens will be at the 
game itself.  Let it never be said the SeeD can't get you admitted into the big 
events."
     A hesitant laugh ran through the room at Cid's stab at humor.  Quistis 
wasn't sure what to make of this exam.  They were going to stand by at the game 
and keep things from getting out of hand?  That sounded rather dull to her.  
Then again, if the crowds rioted, it could get interesting real quick.
     Cid patted the uniforms sitting on the cart next to him.  "At the request 
of the Galbadian officials, we'll be wearing their uniforms.  They wish to 
present a uniform face to the people.  It's a sound idea since a person with a 
fair amount of liquor in them might get it in their head to try to take 
advantage of a cadet.  Not that that's possible," he nodded his own 
reassurance.
     "Along with being issued a uniform, you'll be given a helmet, binders -- 
should you need to restrain someone -- and a baton.  You are to leave your 
regular weapons here, including your belt knives and offensive magics.  Please 
take your curative magic and Guardian Forces with you, but under no 
circumstances will you summon your GFs.
     "I can't tell you exactly what you'll be doing.  When you arrive, you'll 
be split into pairs and teamed up with a SeeD who will act as your unit 
commander.  If you're lucky, the worse thing that will happen is that there'll 
be some pushing and shoving to get into the lavatory between halves.
     "This may seem like an insignificant mission to you, but it is something 
SeeD has committed to do.  For the honor of SeeD, give it your all.  Maintain 
the peace.  Impress the Galbadians with a professionalism they aren't accustom 
to seeing."  Cid gave them each a long appraising look before dismissing 
himself from the room.
     The cadets changed quickly into the uniforms they were issued.  Quistis 
didn't mind the mixed company that they were in.  She was a professional (or 
close enough) and such minor things didn't get to her.  At fifteen years, 
Quistis was the youngest person taking the exam.  Fortunately, she wasn't the 
smallest and the helmets they were provided with had mirrored face shields and 
built in coms.  If she kept her shield down, no one would be the wiser as to 
the youth of the person within.
     Taking the train to Deling City, they arrived hours before the game was 
scheduled to start.  Galbadia wanted all of its security in place before it 
opened the stadium to the gathering fans.
     The SeeD in charge of the unit Quistis was assigned to, was dressed in a 
red Galbadian commander's uniform instead of the blue grunt ones the cadets 
ended up with.  His name was Haynes.  Quistis hadn't met him before, but did 
recall seeing him in passing..
     Having never been to a professional sports arena before, Quistis was 
impressed by the size of Deling Stadium.  She guestimated the capacity to be 
between 25,000 and 30,000 people.  There were broad sidelines around the field 
itself with chain linked fencing separating the crowd and those on the ground 
level.  A row of sky boxes arched over the stands at midfield, providing what 
must be an excellent view of the game below.
     Grounds keepers worked frantically to make sure everything was perfect for 
today's game.  The vendors were equally harried as they prepared their goods 
for the public's consumption.  The smell of Balamb's staple food (hot dogs) 
wafted in the air and mingled with the scent of beer.  Quistis made note of 
that.  She wasn't sure how serious Cid was about drunken fans, but the 
possibility was definitely there if they were selling alcohol.
     Quistis kept her face shield pulled down until SeeD Haynes motioned for 
his two charges to huddle up for a quick meeting.
     "They're going to start letting the crowd in after President Deling has 
arrived and is settled.  We've been assigned section C-7 of the stadium to 
patrol.  Usually a unit like ours would cover three sections, but the security 
has been increased significantly for this game," he paused to snort lightly.  
"C-7 is near the sky boxes coincidentally.  If a VIP happens along us let's be 
on our best behavior, okay?"  Both Quistis and her classmate acknowledged his 
orders.  He then led the way to that part of the stadium.
     Despite the gravity of the situation she was currently in, her mind 
wandered as she looked up at the high ceiling corridor and the numerous 
Galbadian flags that hung from the arches.  Everything she'd seen today had a 
very nationalistic feel to it.  One could never forget that they were in 
Galbadia while being here.  Quistis allowed herself to briefly ponder where the 
line between patriotic and nationalistic was.  Balamb was definitely patriotic 
in that they flew their flags and sang their anthem, but it wasn't as 
oppressive as Galbadia's form of patriotism.


     Aucifer bounced lightly from one foot to the other as he looked at the 
long line of people in front of him.  Next to him, Pan stood casually with his 
arms folded across his chest.  The gates weren't going to open any faster no 
matter how excited they were.
     "Are you sure they've got our tickets?" The younger Master asked again.
     "I haven't missed a championship game since Deling came to power," Pan 
reminded.  "Our passes are waiting for us up at the ticket booth."
     The reason he hadn't missed a game was because Vinzer was the one who had 
gotten him the passes each year.  Admittedly, it was an abuse of power to use 
his friend's influence to get football tickets, but he didn't feel very bad 
about it.  They weren't in the sky boxes and they weren't the best seats, but 
they were good enough.  Then again, an avid fan would take a ticket for the 
toilet if they were selling that seat, just to be in the stadium.
     Vinzer always got Pan two passes in case he wanted to bring a friend 
along.  In the past he would invite Niethe despite her not being much of a 
football fan.  She'd go to indulge him, but didn't really enjoy herself.  This 
year he invited Aucifer instead..  The young Master jumped at the prospect of 
getting to see the President's Cup.
     And being the twisted woman that she is, Niethe made Aucifer's life hell 
during the time between Pan issuing his invitation and when Aucifer boarded the 
train bound for Deling City.  Niethe spent the last month threatening to make 
Aucifer work on the day of the game and loaded him down with extra duties while 
citing that he had to earn the few days off he was taking.  Viscous woman.


     Their unit was already in place when the call came over the com that 
Vinzer Deling was entering the stadium.  SeeD Haynes ordered them into a 
position that helped secure the President's route from his car to the sky box 
he would occupy during the game.
     The glimpse Quistis got of the legendary dictator was brief.  The guards 
that escorted him eyed them with suspicion even though they were all on the 
same 'side'.  Next to Deling was a distinguished man with many military honors 
hanging on his chest.  His hair was raven black except for the sides, where age 
had begun to turn it to a frosty white.
     What caused Quistis the greatest amount of surprise at witnessing this 
entourage was the girl that was around her age who hung loosely to the 
distinguished man's hand.  Her hair was likewise dark and cascaded down her 
back.  Her wide eyes greedily drank in her surroundings as though she wasn't 
allowed out to explore the world around her all that often.
     The group brushed by their position and continued along the route towards 
the sky boxes.


     General Caraway allowed his muscles to relax only after they were safely 
in the sky box.  He couldn't very well scold Vinzer for asking him along.  
Caraway wanted to be here as much as the President did, but having so many 
civilians around during an event with a high chance of riot made the muscles in 
his back and shoulders tie into knots.
     Even more so, bringing his daughter, Rinoa, along caused him to feel ill 
at ease.  Vinzer had suggested it.  He always held a fondness for the girl, 
though she didn't see it.  Rinoa sat with her knees pulled up under her chin in 
a plush chair that was pulled up to the windows.  He mentally scolded her for 
not sitting like a lady, especially when in such prestigious company, but said 
nothing.
     Walking over to look through the bulletproof glass he observed the guard 
deployment below them.  He then noticed that they'd started letting the 
civilians in.  He remembered a time when he would be down in the stands 
drinking beer with his buddies as he cheered on Deling City.  Nowadays his duty 
and rank allowed him the 'better' things in life -- seating in the Presidential 
box, foods that couldn't be found elsewhere in the stadium, mixed drinks, 
whatever he wanted.  And what he wanted, a quiet part of him realized, was to 
turn back the clock and return to the times with his buddies in the cheap 
seats.  Who said power could get you everything?


     "Here come the fanatics," the com in Quistis' helmet squeaked.  She was 
tuned into an open frequency and was receiving messages from both SeeD and 
Galbadian units, though primarily the Galbadians used this channel.
     "Considering that this is supposed to be the game of the decade, I don't 
blame them for being excited," another voice chimed in.
     "Why is it such a big deal?" A female voice asked with a touch of 
annoyance in her tone.
     "You're obviously not a football fan, so I'll explain it to you.  Deling 
City has been the reigning champions four seasons out of the last five.  The 
Southwest district is backwater Galbadia, there ain't nothing out there.  
They're serious under dogs in this game."  The first voice explained.
     "Under dogs with a lot of heart and gung-ho fans," the second added.
     "Silly male sports..." The female grumbled.
     There was a bit of a pause and then the second voice spoke again.  "Are 
you sure you're at the right game?  This is the women's league President's Cup.  
The fans tend to get more into the women's league football than the men's."
     "The women's games are wilder both on and off the field," his buddy backed 
him up.
     The com beeped, indicating that Quistis should switch over to a private 
SeeD channel.  It was Haynes.  "When we do our rounds I want to you go into the 
woman's restroom and make sure everything is alright since you're the only 
female in our unit."
     "Yes, sir," she acknowledged promptly.
     Guarding toilets, what kind of final exam was that?


     Aucifer walked down the broad bleacher steps to as close to the field as 
the guards would let him.  Slowly he took in a deep breath and savored the 
smell of freshly cut grass.  In his mind he could already hear the cheering, 
could already see the players racing from one end of the field to the other.  
This'll be great.
     Turning around he made his way back up through the thickening crowd to 
find the seats Pan had gotten.  When Aucifer asked where he got the tickets Pan 
simply said that he had a friend with connections.  It must be one hell of a 
friend if he was able to get President's Cup passes to give to a pair of 
Weapons Masters.
     Pan joined Aucifer not long after he'd settled in with a basket of fried 
foods that Niethe would smack Aucifer upside the head for eating if she knew.  
But this was his vacation and he was allowed to indulge a little.
     Already the crowd was somewhat unruly due to its growing excitement.  Two 
rows down from them a half dozen men were loudly singing a football cheer while 
swaying back and forth.  Aucifer desperately hoped that they'd burn off their 
excess energy by the time the game started.  Their lame attempts at carrying a 
tune assaulted the ears of those around them.


     It was a stroke of good luck that Biggs was assigned to the personal 
security detail for President Deling.  He was certain that today would be his 
big day if the President could see him in action.  Never mind that he was 
posted at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the President's sky box.  
Deling would have to pass him on his way to and from.  Images of breaking up 
fistfights between crazed football fans as his superior looked on with approval 
danced in his head.  All he needed was a chance to prove himself.
     His mind was so wrapped up in his fantasies that Biggs didn't notice the 
patrol that passed by him.
     Quistis glanced over at the dazed looking guard and decided to keep moving 
rather than stop and ask questions.


     Caraway stood at the window and watched the stands fill up with an ever 
churning mass of bodies.  Whenever it looked like the stands were full, 
spectators would be jammed into the limited space, adding even more movement to 
the ebb and flow of people.
     He gave Rinoa another concerned look.  She was being relatively 
well-behaved if not a bit pouty today.  As she grew older, she had become more 
and more unruly.  He blamed himself for that.  He wasn't able to be around her 
as much as she needed, and since her mother died...
     "Would you like something to eat, Rinoa?" He asked gently.  There was a 
table at the back of the room laden with a wide variety of foods.  He was sure 
to find something she would like back there.
     The girl shook her head without taking her eyes away from the masses 
below.
     He bit down on his lip.  Couldn't she at least treat him with the respect 
a daughter owes her father when in the presence of President Deling?
     He went to the back of the room to get a plate of finger foods for 
himself.  Vinzer was also at the table helping himself.
     "She's grown so much since I last saw her," the President commented in a 
hushed tone.  Caraway doubted Rinoa would pay attention to them even if they 
yelled in her ear.
     "That she has..." He agreed tactfully.
     Vinzer gave his general a look, and a knowing smile upturned the corners 
of his lips.  "Experiencing the 'terrible teens'?"
     Caraway bowed his head in mute acknowledgement.  "You could call it that."
     "She'll grow out of it."
     "Someday.  I wish her mother were still alive," Caraway admitted in a near 
whisper.
     Vinzer put a consoling hand on his forearm.  "Don't we all?  She was a 
beautiful woman with a beautiful voice.  The heavens surely accepted another 
angel into their midst when she joined them."
     The general nodded and then stood straighter, shaking off the moment of 
self-pity that he allowed himself.  "Thank you."


     A deafening roar went through the crowd as the teams came out onto the 
field, heralding the start of the game.  Quistis was grateful for the muffling 
effect her helmet offered, no matter that its effectiveness was limited.
     Quistis didn't pay too much attention to the action on the field.  She 
wasn't well versed in the rules of the game.  All she knew was that the point 
was to kick the ball into the opposing team's goal.  If she'd known beforehand 
that she was going to be here she would have boned up on the rules.  As it was, 
the game itself didn't have much bearing on her mission.  She was here to keep 
the peace, not watch.
     By listening to the open frequency she learned that at least one brawl had 
broken out on the other side of the stadium and three people were arrested for 
disorderly conduct.  It was a quiet game by her reckoning.  If the night ended 
with less than a dozen arrests she'd consider it a successful mission.
     The first half passed by faster than she expected.  Apparently the halves 
were 45 minutes long and nothing stopped the clock.  That certainly kept the 
game moving.  During the half time the stands emptied as spectators rushed the 
vendors to get more refreshments and to use the public facilities.  At SeeD 
Haynes direction they kept an eye out for unruly behavior or anything 
suspicious.  This was a great time for a pickpocket to hit if they were going 
to.
     It was almost as if Haynes had foreseen the future.  A startled cry of 
outrage caught her attention and she scanned the crowd for the source.  Bodies 
were forcibly shoved out of the way as a willowy man ran towards her.  Quistis 
positioned herself to intercept the thief, but he caught sight of her, turned 
right around, and ran back the way he came.  What on earth was he thinking?!
     Quistis gave chase with Haynes and her fellow cadet on his tail as well.  
Somehow Quistis was making better progress through the crowd than her team 
members were.  She flipped her com over to the Galbadian frequency and tried to 
catch the attention of the guard she knew was posted up ahead by the 
President's sky box.  They could catch this guy if the guard intercepted him.


     "What do you want?  Do you realize you're speaking with one of President 
Deling's personal escorts?  I don't have to assist you," Biggs sneered into his 
com as some lackey tried to foist her work off on him.  He was above having to 
deal with the scoundrels that the grunts had to keep on a short leash.
     A hand placed on his shoulder caught his attention.  Biggs turned slightly 
and looked up to see Deling's lapdog, General Caraway.  "Is everything all 
right?" He asked simply.
     "Yes, sir," Biggs saluted to Caraway even though he despised the man.  
Caraway's loyalty to Deling without having the strings of promotion or some 
other personal benefit attached disgusted Biggs.  If you're going to serve a 
man, do it for a reason!  Not just because you like him or for some patriotic 
nonsense.  Watch out for number one, that was Biggs motto in life.
     Caraway stepped past Biggs and into the bustling corridor.  It was then 
that the tides parted and a man on the run exploded out from the crowd.  
Reflexively Caraway placed himself in a position to intercept the man's 
headlong flight.  There was no way for him to avoid the general's body, which 
was acting as a roadblock to his escape.
     A blue uniformed guard was only a few steps behind him and caught the man 
in her arms as he backpedaled after bouncing off of Caraway.  She efficiently 
took him down to his knees and forced his forehead to the cement floor.
     Biggs rushed forward to assist the guard in the apprehension of the 
perpetrator, or so Caraway thought.
     "What are you doing?  This man just ran into a guest of the President.  
You're both going to be in a load of trouble for this!" He scolded the guard.  
To her credit, the guard didn't respond to Biggs' threats as she fought to keep 
her suspect restrained.
     Disgusted with her efforts, Biggs kicked the man in the guts.  The man 
crumpled over.
     "That's how you prevent a suspect from resisting arrest," he patronized 
her.  He was about to give the suspect another kick when the guard's unit 
commander pulled him away.
     The two guards in the unit put binders on the suspect and then helped him 
to his feet.  He was still coughing from being stunned by Biggs, but would be 
okay.
     "Thank you for your assistance in capturing the suspect," the commander 
said by way of polite dismissal, "we'll take care of it from here."
     "You should have taken care of it from the beginning," Biggs scolded.
     The commander saluted silently and then nodded to General Caraway before 
helping his guards escort the man away.
     Caraway rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he considered what just happened.  
Those guards not only treated the suspect with some measure of respect, they 
didn't return Biggs patronizing with their own snide comments.  Such a lack of 
grunt level infighting was unheard of in all but the most disciplined of units.  
So either their commander was excellent at what he does or those guards aren't 
Galbadian.  He'd heard a rumor that part of the security detail had been 
contracted out, but hadn't confirmed it.
     Biggs interrupted his line of thought by asking him if he was okay and did 
he want Biggs to report the unit commander to the powers that be?
     Caraway considered it briefly and then shook his head.  "Pissant, I should 
put you on report for assaulting a suspect.  Go back to guarding your 
stairway."  He dismissed Biggs with a gesture and tried to locate where the 
guards went.


     "Down in front!" Aucifer cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled at 
the people in front of him to stop waving the damn sign that was blocking his 
view of the field.  Pan seemed unfazed even though his view was just as 
obstructed by their inconsiderate and misguided attempts at cheering the home 
team on.
     "Dammit," Aucifer flopped down once again and grumbled, "I should go down 
there and break their sign across my knee."
     "And then be ejected from the game by the guards who are crawling all over 
the place," Pan added dryly.  "What does it matter if they wave it around 
during half time?  If they're still doing it during the game, then you can take 
issue with it."
     "You have a point," Aucifer had to admit.  He was annoyed in general with 
the people in front of them.  They'd done nothing but distract from the game 
and ruin Aucifer's first ever President's Cup.  Why couldn't they just sit down 
and shut up?


     SeeD Haynes sent the two cadets back out to continue their patrol while he 
quickly filled out the paperwork on booking the robbery suspect.  It wasn't 
their job to sort things out, just catch them and get the ball rolling for 
prosecution.
     Half time was nearly over and the crowd dissipated as fans returned to 
their seats.  Truth be told, Quistis was starting to get a bit hungry.  The 
smell of food coupled with all this roaming around would guarantee her appetite 
once she could sit down and eat.
     "You there!" The cadets turn around to see the man they'd run into earlier 
rapidly approaching.  There was no doubt in Quistis' mind that this man was one 
of the VIPs they've been warned to behave around.  That much was obvious by how 
he carried himself and the well-decorated Galbadian uniform he wore.  Without 
Haynes here to speak for them, they'd have to play it by ear.
     "Sir?" Quistis asked.  Both she and her teammate snapped perfect 
imitations of the Galbadian military salute after lifting the shields of their 
helmets.
     He came to a halt and returned their salute.  "Guardsman, who is your 
commanding officer?"
     "Commander Haynes, sir." Quistis answered promptly.  Of course, he 
wouldn't find a listing for a 'Commander Haynes' should he go looking for one.  
She didn't know how long they were to put up the facade of being a Galbadian 
unit.
     The man crossed his arms and bowed his head slightly in thought.  Quistis 
couldn't read much into what he was thinking behind the emotionless mask he 
presented.
     "There is no Commander Haynes," he said finally.
     "That is correct, sir." Haynes saved them before Quistis was forced to 
either lie or come clean.  "My commission is a temporary one for this evening 
only."
     The man turned his attentions towards Haynes.  Again, his words were 
carefully chosen after due consideration was given to them.  "You're from SeeD, 
aren't you?"
     With a stoic expression betrayed by a twinkle in his eye, Haynes saluted 
the man in the SeeD fashion.  "At your service."
     "Thank you, carry on," the man nodded once and then turned back the way he 
came.
     Quistis didn't know what to make of the encounter.  Was it bad that this 
guy knew that they were SeeDs?  Did he approve or disapprove of their conduct?  
Who was he?


     Aucifer jumped up from his seat and cheered enthusiastically because of 
the goal that was just scored.  He belatedly realized that he was celebrating a 
Southwest district goal while sitting in a decidedly Deling City section.  Pan 
hastily put his hand on the young man's arm and pulled him back down to his 
seat.
     "Would you mind not doing that?  I would like to walk out of the stadium 
and not be carried out on a stretcher," Pan said dryly.
     "Bah!" Aucifer protested.  "You don't mind the rabid sign wavers, but when 
I get excited you restrain me.  I sense a double standard."
     Pan shook his head.  "I know when to celebrate and when to keep such 
things to myself."
     "Hmph, fogy," Aucifer slid him a sideways glance.  He was going to tease 
Pan as much as his elder would allow.
     "Firstly, I am not as old as some.  Secondly, you only get to be old by 
making good decisions and avoiding foolish mistakes," he parried the verbal 
jab.
     That caused Aucifer to crack a smile.  "Heh... You win."


     'What on earth is SeeD doing here?' Caraway thought while searching for an 
uncrowded souvenir stand.  He was going to pick something up for Rinoa.
     A quick stroll around the immediate sections made it clear that most (if 
not all) of the patrolling guards were SeeD in origin.  Oh, they were all 
dressed in the uniforms of Galbadians, but they were too sharp to have been 
Galbadian units.  That fool Biggs made the Galbadian mentality all too clear; 
beat first, ask questions later.
     Caraway shook the thought off.  That still didn't answer the question of 
why they were here.  He paused as an uncrowded stand presented itself.  He 
walked towards it.
     The heightened security was to keep the rioting to a minimum.  It was a 
given in Caraway's mind (and likely whoever arranged the security) that there 
would be some degree of civil unrest.  With an event like this, it was 
inevitable.  There were near inexhaustible numbers of soldiers that could be 
drawn on.  Why would they need to contract out for security?
     He sighed and looked up at the banners hanging overhead.  He'd served 
Galbadia loyally since before he was old enough to enroll in the military 
academy.  He knew what the life of a low ranking grunt was like -- a lot of 
hard work, but rewarding if you had a brain between your two ears.
     Looking around him he spotted another SeeD patrol going by.  Their step 
was as crisp as a newly graduated cadet.  Their commander stopped them when 
something caught his attention.  He motioned in the direction of a vendor and 
the guard to the left rushed forward.  The guard came to a sudden stop two 
paces short of a small boy who could just barely get his hands up onto the 
counter.  He saluted the boy, then knelt down and offered his knee as a step 
for the boy to stand on while he kept both hands on the boy's waist to prevent 
him from falling.  The guard's two comrades examined the area to see if there 
was any other ways that they could make things flow more smoothly.  Once the 
boy was on his way, the guard rejoined the group and they continued their 
patrol.
     'So that's why...' Caraway's stroked his chin thoughtfully.  No SeeD was a 
footstool, but they were here for the people, great and small.  When managing a 
situation that you know is explosive, do as much to defuse it as you can before 
the pressure builds up.  The SeeDs provided the link to the people that would 
keep them from rioting until later in the day, if at all.  It was an idea that 
intrigued Caraway.
     A man poked him in the back when he wasn't prompt in going up to the 
counter to buy his toy.  He stepped forward and pointed at something that 
looked suitable before leaving the stand.
     'This is something to be thought on,' he told himself while walking back 
slowly to the Presidential sky box.


     The game was over before Quistis knew it.  One moment the corridors were 
empty and the next they're full of people again.  She didn't even know who won.  
Listening in on the Galbadian channel gave her that answer.  Deling City added 
yet another feather to their cap.
     With so many guards looming over them, the crowd's enthusiasm was sedate.  
A steady stream of buses kept the people flowing out from the stadium.  The 
public transit authority would no doubt be patting themselves on the back after 
this display of efficiency.
     SeeD's contract was fulfilled successfully.  The difficult part (riot 
control after the game) was Galbadia's problem.  Over the com, Quistis learned 
that martial law was going in to effect until sunrise tomorrow morning.  The 
bars were going to be closed two hours earlier than usual to help keep things 
under control.  Many streets were blocked off to all traffic, including 
pedestrian unless said person could present a valid reason for being there.  
The police of Deling City would allow its citizens a controlled window of 
opportunity to celebrate and when it was over, it was over.
     An hour after the game had finished and the stadium was finally cleared, 
thus ending their tour of duty.  They met up with other Balamb units outside of 
the stadium to wait for permission to return home.  A group of SeeDs near her 
chatted amongst themselves saying how they'd like to join the celebration.
     It turned out that they got more than they bargained for.  New orders were 
issued for them to proceed immediately to the nearby red light district.  A 
riot was in progress that was more than the Galbadian units on hand could 
manage and the SeeDs were the closest available units.  An empty civilian bus 
arrived to transport them to the location.  They were dropped off a couple 
blocks away so that they could plan their approach.
     The SeeDs were going to backup the Galbadians as they tried to settle 
things down.  SeeD would supplement the riot line that was being maintained 
currently.  A Fire and Rescue unit was en route to take care of the few 
injuries already reported and to attempt to disperse the crowd with its 
high-pressure water hoses if need be.
     Quistis pulled the shield down over her face and prepared to get the crap 
knocked out of her as part of the line.  A Galbadian issued her and her 
classmate each a shield and pointed to where the line needed reinforcement.
     She felt like she was on a large-scale battlefield.  The rioters were 
throwing rocks, bottles, and anything else they could find at them.  Small 
groups of Galbadian guards would occasionally break free of the line to surge 
forward and arrest as many rioters as they could before the crowd forced them 
back again.
     "To all SeeD units.  If you're carrying Sleep casting, contact your unit 
commander for further orders." The com in her helmet buzzed.
     Quistis looked around herself to see if SeeD Haynes was anywhere near her.  
As she feared, she'd become separated from him during the pushing and shoving 
that was going on.  She flipped her com over to a private channel and called 
for him.  "I've got 57 castings stored in me," she said.  She'd drawn quite a 
bit of the spell from Grats during the night before the written exam.
     "That's great," he called back.  "Pull back from the line and position 
yourself in an out of the way place where you can observe the crowd.  When 
ordered I want you to start casting as quickly as possible.  Get as many people 
as you can."
     "Understood," Quistis dropped out of the line to have two people flow into 
her spot.  There were so many people gathered that it was hard to find a place 
to perch.  Hoping that no one would mind, she climbed into the back of a parked 
truck and then sat down on top of the cab.  She could see individuals well 
enough to target them.
     A few minutes later her com buzzed again, "Magic units at your ready." A 
long pause. "Go!"
     For a spell as simple as Sleep Quistis didn't need to go through the 
entire mantra to cast it, simply focusing was enough.  She'd knocked three 
people out before she realized the scale of what was going on.  From the looks 
of it, nearly half of the SeeD units were currently casting Sleep on the crowd.  
Once a sizable chuck of the crowd had fallen, the Galbadians charged forward to 
take control of those who were still on their feet and causing a ruckus.
     Galbadian reinforcements arrived along with even more rescue personnel.  
They cleaned up after the first wave of police had gone through.  None of the 
injuries looked to be too serious, unlike the amount of property damage that 
was done.  There didn't look to be an unbroken pane of glass on the entire 
block.  Several small fires were in the process of being contained before they 
got out of control.  Out of the corner of her eye Quistis saw what she was 
certain was a Water spell being used to help their efforts.  The SeeDs were 
doing everything they could to assist the Galbadians.
     She was down to her last dozen castings when the order to stop came 
through.  Quistis hung her head with exhaustion.  Casting that fast and 
furiously was incredibly draining, but she was proud of the level of accuracy 
she was able to maintain.  Not that hitting humans was a hard thing (especially 
since they were naturally susceptible to it), but the targets were rapidly 
moving ones.
     Slowly Quistis dragged her tired hide back to the rendezvous point.  A 
SeeD clasped her on the shoulder for a job well done.  Were she not exhausted, 
she would have been beaming from the praise.
     A pair of Galbadian medics were making rounds to tend to any injuries that 
the SeeDs may have suffered.  Without a word one of them handed her a ration.  
She looked at with a puzzled expression and then back at them.
     "You're as white as a sheet," he explained.  "You must have been part of 
the Magic unit.  All of you are showing the same signs of fatigue.  I want you 
to eat all of that and drink plenty of fluids to help get your strength back.  
It's the best I can offer you in the field like this."
     "Thank you," she replied sincerely.  Glancing around she discovered that 
she wasn't the only one with a ration in hand.  She was somewhat hesitant to 
start eating since this could be part of the field exam.  Her stomach got the 
better of her and she tore the wrapper off the ration with her teeth and began 
eating.  She'd eaten Garden issue rations before and decided that they were 
several notches above the Galbadian military issue.  Regardless, the end of 
getting nourishment into her system was being accomplished and that's all that 
mattered.
     SeeD Haynes came around to see how she was doing.  Guiltily she stopped 
eating to salute him and stand at attention.  He waved her off and told her to 
keep at it.  "I'm sure Doctor Kadowaki will want to take a poke at you when we 
get back.  Honestly, you look a lot better than some of the SeeDs.  I guess 
magic is one of those things that comes easily to you, eh?"
     Quistis thought wryly of all the difficulties and frustrations she'd 
suffered while trying to get a gasp on casting.  It may look easy, but that 
finesse didn't come without countless hours of practice behind it.  He 
continued on his way to see how others were doing.
     By the time they got back to the Garden it was well into the evening.  
Because of the late hour and the expansion of the mission's scope, the list of 
graduating cadets wouldn't be announced until morning.  At this point, Quistis 
was exhausted enough to not care if she graduated or not.  There was nothing 
she wanted more than to curl up in her bed and sleep.

*****

     No one blamed her when Quistis woke up late the next morning.  Nym came by 
her room around midmorning to check on her.  Quistis hadn't even gotten out of 
bed yet.
     "That's hardly the way for a soon-to-be SeeD to be acting," her friend 
teased lightly.
     "I'm not a SeeD yet," Quistis reminded with a yawn punctuating her 
statement.  Yesterday had absolutely drained her.
     "Don't let the Headmaster catch you saying that," Nym winked.
     Quistis began brushing the knots out of her hair.  "Have they announced 
the new SeeDs yet?"  She didn't think that they'd let her sleep through that, 
but it didn't hurt to ask.
     Nym shook her head.  "Cid's going to announce them before dinner tonight.  
The ball will be held at 20:00, so don't be late."
     "Awfully confident, aren't you?" Quistis asked dryly.
     "Aren't you?  We've all just been waiting for you to complete the 
pre-requisites.  From what I hear yesterday's test was a challenge for 
everyone, and a good one at that.  I wouldn't be surprised if all the cadets 
graduated."
     "You are confident!" Quistis laughed and set her brush aside.  It would be 
arrogant to agree with Nym about her passing, but she did have a good feeling.  
She'd done the best that she could.  If her best effort wasn't enough, now 
would be the time to find out.
     The Garden was abuzz with energy as everyone waited for the results of 
yesterday's exam.  Quistis was surprisingly calm considering that her future 
was one of those being decided.
     She and Nym stopped by the training room to see if Xu wanted to get an 
early lunch, but she was in a meeting.  Quistis hadn't missed how Xu was 
spending an increasing amount of time on administrative tasks.  She didn't know 
if this was because Xu asked for the change or what.  Somehow she didn't think 
Xu would turn her back on the weapons training she loved so much.
     It was nearly anti-climatic when the Faculty called her name out as being 
among the graduates.  Her graduation was one of those events anticipated by 
everyone.  That may have taken some of the happy wonderment out of 
accomplishing her goal, but there was a peace of mind to be had at knowing 
one's eventual career was already assured.
     Not all of the candidates graduated as Nym thought they would, but most of 
them did.  Quistis' graduating class was the Garden's largest at ten.  In 
addition to that record, Quistis was also the youngest SeeD ever.  That didn't 
bother her as much as it will likely bother others.  Mentally she wasn't 15, 
and she didn't act 15.  In her mind, she was a not quite finished growing 
18-year-old.
     Quistis was thrilled by how she looked in her SeeD uniform.  She looked 
older, distinguished, like she had shed the skin of childhood in favor of 
maturity.  It was a change Nym noticed immediately upon seeing her in her new 
outfit.
     "Now that's the Quistis we all know and love," she grinned broadly.  "And 
just think of all the guys you can pick up now.  Being a SeeD does have its 
advantages!"
     Myn, who was standing behind Nym in a supposedly safe position, just shook 
his head at his twin.  Nym turned around abruptly and he gave her his most 
innocent look.
     "What do you think?"
     Myn's eyes widened slightly.  That was one of those questions that could 
land him into trouble quickly if he didn't answer correctly fast enough.
     "She looks good."
     "That's all you can say?" Nym crossed her arms with annoyance.
     Crap!  That was one strike against him.  He racked his brains trying to 
think of how to gracefully extract the foot Nym shoved in his mouth.
     "Very much like a SeeD."
     A rap on the head was his reward for that comment.  "She *is* a SeeD you 
numbskull," Nym pointedly reminded him.  "Can't you say anything nice?"
     "I'm trying!" Myn lamented.
     This was his last chance to get it right before he was dodging Nym's 
shuriken for the rest of the evening.  What to say...?
     "As the president of the Trepies allow me to extend our admiration and 
adulation for you and your accomplishments." He beamed to himself for his good 
thinking.  Quistis blushed from the compliment.
     "Nice recovery," Nym nodded.  "Too bad you had to bring up the fact that 
you're in charge of her fan club."
     Myn gulped upon realizing his mistake.  Really, he hadn't done much as the 
president of the Trepies -- arranged a few card tournaments, hosting a couple 
meetings, nothing worth Nym's wrath.  Then again, he could do nothing and still 
earn her scorn.  Sometimes he just couldn't win.
     Nym laughed and shrugged.  "But since we're celebrating, I'll let you off 
the hook tonight."
     Quistis giggled and gave her tie a final tug.  "Let's go!"
     The graduation ball was more exciting than Quistis expected.  That was the 
biggest surprise of the evening for her.  She'd never seen the auditorium 
looking so grand.  A lot of people were there; Nym and Myn arrived with her, Xu 
was waiting near the door with Kei, Headmaster Cid made his way to them before 
too long, Eugene was between assignments, and Skye came around to offer her 
congratulations.
     Knowing what she did now, Quistis was a bit hesitant around Skye.  Quistis 
was uncertain as to how she felt about her former roommate.  Betrayed to some 
degree, but also touched that Skye would go to such misguided lengths to 
'protect' her.
     There was also the fact that Cid had already given Quistis her first 
mission...
     And Skye was her partner for it.
     "Congratulations," Skye said simply.
     "Thank you," Quistis demurred.  "I look forward to our mission together."
     "It should be interesting," Skye agreed.  What they were assigned to do 
was no big secret.  A team of scientists out of Galbadia had a contract with 
SeeD for escorts during their biannual expeditions.  This time around they were 
tracking tagged Snow Lions in Trabia.  It was time for a checkup on their 
favorite pet monsters.
     SeeD certainly had an eclectic selection of missions to send its members 
on.  She wouldn't repeat the mistake of underestimating the amount of work a 
mission may involve after the last one.
     Skye melted back into the crowd.  Eugene approached her with an offer to 
dance.  She smiled fondly at her big brother and let him lead her out onto the 
floor.
     "I've got to dance three sets with you," he confided in her.
     "Why's that?"
     "One for LeVar, one for Jessie, and one for me," he led her around.  "Or 
maybe I'll just take all three for me and let them miss out."
     Quistis laughed.
     Smiling, he continued, "Even if they couldn't be here, know that they're 
very proud of you.  We all are.  It's like seeing our dreams come true, you 
graduating.  I know that wherever Sean is, he's grinnin' from ear to ear right 
now."
     She bobbed her head in shy agreement.  They didn't talk much about Sean 
after his death.  She knew that she was the primary reason for that.  No one 
wanted to hurt her by reminding her of her lost mentor.  "He would be proud," 
she agreed.
     Quistis' magical evening came to a close not long after midnight.  She was 
still feeling drained from the previous day's efforts and she had a mission to 
prepare for.  The day after next she was departing for her first mission as a 
SeeD.

*****

     With a hand shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun off of the 
endless expanse of snow, Quistis looked around.  She couldn't keep a chill from 
running through her.  Whether it was caused by the extreme cold or was the 
psychological effect of it, she couldn't tell.
     Skye seemed to be taking things in stride and was unconcerned that Quistis 
knew she was armed with a gun.  On their way here she'd been more concerned 
about the effects of the cold on her pistol than how the cold would effect her.  
Skye's intentions were good, but she could be so blase sometimes.  Especially 
since she didn't bother hiding nor explaining away why she was suddenly using a 
pistol when a knife was all Quistis had ever seen her with previously.
     A transport would be by to pick them up any time now.  Getting here was 
difficult enough with no trains going north.  They took a scheduled ship from 
Balamb to arrive at a small port in southwestern Trabia off the Eldbeak 
peninsula.  As far as Quistis knew, the generously called port (it was actually 
more of a minor dock) didn't even have a proper name.  There was nothing here 
besides a few locked storage sheds, meaning that there was no shelter from the 
cold for them.
     "Why didn't Cid send a pair of SeeDs that were stationed out of Trabia?" 
Quistis asked the senior SeeD as a way to pass the time.  She knew that Trabia 
didn't have many SeeDs to work with, but they couldn't have spared even two?
     Skye shrugged.  "All SeeDs are deployed out of Balamb except in the case 
of Galbadia.  They seem to do whatever they want."
     Quistis frowned and rubbed her numb nose with a gloved hand.  It wasn't 
runny at the moment, but she couldn't guarantee that it would stay that way for 
long.
     She couldn't figure out the reason behind their deployment.  Trabia was 
closer than Balamb.  Plus the cold would be less of a shock to a homegrown SeeD 
then their sub-tropical brethren in Balamb.  As Quistis understood it, they 
wouldn't be stopping by Trabia Garden at all unless something drastic happened.
     Blasted cold!
     Quistis looked around her again to take in more of the wintry landscape.  
It was pretty in a way, but not quite to her liking.  She was rather fond of 
the lush plant life that Balamb enjoyed.  A place with a perpetual icy coat 
didn't appeal to her.
     "There," Skye pointed towards a vehicle that was heading their way.  With 
anticipation they watched it creep closer and closer.
     The truck pulled up next to them and came to a halt.  The driver didn't 
turn off the engine when he got out to help them with their things.  Both SeeDs 
had packed as economically as possible.  Winter gear had a bulk to it that was 
hard to minimize, but they did their best.
     The driver introduced himself as Johann, an assistant to the scientists 
they would be protecting.  He looked to be in his mid-twenties and on the not 
too bright side.  It was pretty obvious that the services he rendered were 
primarily in terms of being a go for.
     "Trabia has some of the most fascinating monsters," he chattered lightly 
to fill the void of silence that would have otherwise reigned.  "Personally, 
the Mesmerize are what interest me.  It started when I saw how the locals had 
managed to tame a couple and trained them to be pack animals.  A tamed monster, 
can you imagine that!  It was a sight to behold.  That got me thinking that 
there was a lot more behind monsters than we originally assumed.
     "The Galbadian Science Institute is conducting extensive studies to 
discover what sort of things the monsters can offer to better human life.  We 
track down stories of humans consuming monsters as a food source and 
investigate other goods that are a monster byproduct.  I'm sure you both are 
familiar with clothing woven from Caterchipiller silk, right?"
     Skye said nothing in response.  Quistis nodded her head politely and said 
that she'd see shirts made of the material.
     He continued his jabbering.  "That's the sort of resourcefulness we hope 
to make commonplace.  Instead of killing monsters for the sake of 
extermination, let's get something out of them."
     "Spells are useful," Quistis volunteered.
     "That they are," he agreed immediately, pleased that she'd shown any 
degree of interest in what he had to say.  "But not everyone can harvest the 
spells of a monster.  You need both a Guardian Force and the knowledge.  I'm 
afraid that SeeD is currently the only organization in the world that makes 
extensive use of this resource.  Perhaps we can learn a few things from you, 
eh?"
     "Eh... Sure..." Quistis replied hesitantly.  Maybe Skye had the right idea 
by keeping her mouth shut.
     They were saved when the truck pulled up to a modest domed building in the 
middle of an open snowfield.  The structure was a permanent one from what 
Quistis could tell, but its construction was unlike anything she'd seen before.  
The only windows were a row of small clear bubble domes that went around the 
building.  The doorway was at the end of a short enclosed corridor that led 
into the dome proper.
     The three of them passed through the first set of doors and waited until 
the doors were closed behind them before they passed through the second.  A 
blast of warm air hit them in the face and Quistis began stripping off her 
heavy coat.  It would become unbearable once her body was adjusted to the 
building's temperature.
     "Welcome," Johann gestured around the wide-open space of the main room.  
This was where a majority of the analysis work was done.  Quistis counted at 
least four terminals that were set up on tables.  Various other pieces of 
equipment that she couldn't identify were lined up along the walls.  Many 
chairs and stools were scattered around the room for anyone to sit down at a 
station and start working.
     A couple of those chairs were occupied.  Johann introduced them to those 
they came across while leading them to their temporary quarters.
     "It isn't much, but you won't be here for long," he said while gesturing 
at the small room they would be sharing.  There were two bunks that were built 
into the wall on the right side of the room.  On the left were a pair of 
footlockers and a small desk.  This room was meant for sleeping and not much 
else.
     "Thank you," Skye entered the room and set her duffel onto one of the 
lockers.
     "Yeah, no problems.  Once you're settled I'll show you around," he 
offered.
     This time Quistis offered their thanks and he left them alone.  Well, he 
was right, they wouldn't be here for long.  Skye stretched out on her bunk, 
disinterested in exploring their surroundings.  Quistis sighed and went back to 
the main room to learn more.  Johann was waiting for her.
     "What's this place called?" Quistis asked.  Trabia was, for the most part, 
devoid of human settlements.  There weren't many places or towns worth noting.
     "This is Outpost 3," he said with a touch of pride.
     "Well, all of our facilities outside of the GSI campus are called 
outposts," he clarified.  "We have a total of eight outposts scattered 
throughout the world."
     "We take our work quite seriously," a dour old man in a white lab coat 
said from a nearby table.  "And you should take it seriously as well."
     "I'll complete the work for which I've been contracted to the fullest of 
my ability, sir," Quistis assured without any ill-will in her tone (unlike the 
man who first spoke).
     "You better," he waggled a stylus at her.  "Just so long as you're not 
like that last one they sent to us.  What was her name?  Kei," he spat her name 
out with disgust.  "Sword wielding psychopath!  More than once she nearly 
killed the monsters she was supposed to help us capture."
     The wizened man paused in his ranting to peer closely at her.  "Hum... It 
seems that SeeD has done use a disservice once again by sending a child to do 
an adult's work," he muttered.
     Quistis felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassed indignation at what he 
was implying.  Just because she was young didn't mean she wasn't up to the 
task!
     "You'll kindly give SeeD Quistis the respect she's entitled to," Skye's 
voice dryly intoned from behind them.  Quistis glanced behind her with mild 
surprise.  She didn't know when Skye came out to join them or how much she'd 
heard.
     "And who are you, youngin'?" The old man challenged.
     "SeeD Skye.  As you'll recall, I was partnered with the SeeD Kei you think 
so poorly of.  The reason she nearly killed the Snow Lion last time was because 
it was charging right for the outpost.  If she hadn't stopped it you'd be 
sitting in a pile of snow right now."
     "Hmph."  That shut him up.  He glared from one woman to the other and back 
again.  "That still doesn't explain why SeeD sent a child instead.  If I'd know 
that our choices were so limited I wouldn't have bothered."
     Skye surprised all of them by laughing.  "For a man who is dedicated to 
discovering the hidden qualities of things, you're quick to dismiss!  SeeD has 
done you right by sending Quistis.  She's one of the brightest Blue Mages we 
have."
     The man's eyes widened at hearing that.
     "Blue Mage?" Johann asked, scratching the back of his head.  It was a term 
he wasn't familiar with.  Honestly, it wasn't a title Quistis was used to 
hearing with regards to herself either.  It was an accurate term, yes, but she 
was more accustomed to hearing her gift spoken of as a Limit.
     "A person who masters the use of monster magic," the scientist explained 
in an off-handed manner.  "So you're a student of the monsters, are you?  
That's a gift you must be born with; no average person can learn their tricks."
     "Yes sir, I know," Quistis replied meekly.  The conversation had taken a 
sudden shift from her being on the defensive to her being the subject of his 
intense interest.
     "We'll have to discuss it at length later on.  Regrettably, I'm busy right 
now," he gestured at the station he was working at.
     "Of course," she answered politely.  "But if I may, what is your name, 
sir?"
     "Ha! He always forgets to introduce himself," Johann cut in.  "This is Doc 
Birestein.  He's the head of Trabian studies."
     The Doctor shot Johann an impatient look for his improper introduction.  
"Don't you have somewhere you should be right now?" He prompted.
     Johann glanced at a chronometer to see what time it was.  "Um... Nope!  Is 
there something you needed me to do?"  He asked, oblivious to the fact that 
Birestein was trying to get rid of him.
     "Yes, show the SeeDs around.  Take them to the Chocobo Forest if they 
want, I don't care.  Just get out of here," he waved them off.
     "You got it, Doc!"
     Once again, Skye bowed out of the tour.  Quistis wanted to do that 
herself, but she felt bad that everyone kept ditching Johann.  She wasn't up to 
traveling outside now that she was warmed up again, so they sat at one of the 
meal tables and talked.
     Though Johann glossed over most of the technical details, the work of the 
scientists sounded fascinating.  As he explained their discoveries in more 
detail Quistis' mind wandered somewhat to think of the Anshin.  There really 
was a middle ground between passive co-existence and extermination, and these 
people were attempting to find it.  Xu would appreciate their efforts.
     "We'll go looking for some of the Snow Lions we tagged tomorrow," Johann 
finished up.  "I hope you're ready for a fight.  Snow Lions can be quite mean."
     "That's what I've been told," Quistis replied, recalling the story of Lee 
that Nym and Myn told her.

*****

     Skye and Quistis scouted ahead of the researchers in pursuit of the tagged 
monsters.  So far they had encountered nearly a dozen Gaylas, a couple Bite 
Bugs, two Mesmerize, and zero Snow Lions.  The Gaylas interested Quistis.  She 
could tell that there was something she could learn from them, but it just 
wasn't clicking for her.  Physically they looked like giant white flying manta 
rays that were tiger stripped.  Interesting to look at, to say the least.
     The data indicated that there were Snow Lions roaming around the Bika 
Snowfield near the Trabia Crater, but they'd had precious little luck in 
finding them.  What they were trying to do was simple enough, find a Snow Lion, 
knock it out (without killing it), and call in the scientists.  They had a 
short range tracking device that would, in theory, indicate when they were 
nearing a tagged Snow Lion.  Those are what they were trying to recapture, but 
if they stumbled across one that wasn't tagged, the scientists would be happy 
to take a look at it as well.
     Skye brought their vehicle to a stop and got out to look around with a 
pair of binoculars.  At first she was having a hard time distinguishing the 
different monsters at a distance (which is what landed them into all the fights 
they had with the Gaylas so far), but she was doing better now.
     It was snowing and her frosted hair had a coating of white on it.  With an 
annoyed gesture she brushed it off.  Sighing, she let the binoculars drop to 
hang around her neck before getting back into the jeep.  "Nothing but Gaylas," 
she grumbled.  "Is the tracker picking up anything?"
     "I haven't heard it beep once," Quistis admitted.
     "Are you sure it has charged batteries in it?" Skye smiled slightly to 
indicate the humor of her question.
     Quistis shook the small device to see if any screws were loose.  "Yep, 
there just aren't any around."
     Skye put the jeep into gear and they were off again.  Quistis had already 
charted out a route for them to explore.  Their current position was at the 
eastern edge of the Bika Snowfield just north of the Trabia Crater.  The route 
indicated cutting back to the west along the crater and up to the edge of the 
Vienne Mountains before going north again back into Bika.
     They were relatively close to Trabia Garden.  In fact, they'd already 
passed by it once and would again on their way back.  Outpost 3 was in an open 
field on the Hawkwing Plains, which wasn't too far away from the Garden.
     The short-wave radio that kept them in contact with the scientists' van 
that was following buzzed to life.  They wanted to know of the SeeDs were 
having any luck in tracking the monsters.  Skye reported back crisply that they 
were still searching and would let them know when one was engaged.
     "Impatient lot, aren't they?  It's not like we're just going to drive into 
one," Skye quipped.
     Later, Quistis reflected, that no they hadn't driven into one, but did 
come about as close as one could to that.  The packed snow beneath the jeep 
sank under the vehicle's weight and slid.  The jeep was thoroughly embedded 
into a snow rift.  It would require the use of another vehicle to free it.  At 
least she wasn't the only one who got vehicles stuck...
     Before Skye could radio the scientists for help a loud roar punctuated the 
urgency of their situation.  A large Snow Lion lumbered towards them, dragging 
its thick tail behind it.
     "Crap," Skye breathed before scrabbling out of the jeep.  Quistis followed 
her out with her rante drawn.  The Lion roared again and shook its snow-white 
mane at them.  "I'd say it's rather upset, wouldn't you?"
     Quistis hastily nodded her agreement.  "Any idea why?"
     Skye quickly took in their surroundings.  She hadn't driven into the Snow 
Lion, but it appeared as though she may have driven into the back of its lair.  
That would explain the chorus of weaker roars that could be heard.
     "We crashed into her nest.  We're gonna have to knock her down if we want 
to recover the jeep," Skye answered.
     The junior SeeDs sized up their opponent and knew that this wouldn't be an 
easy fight.  The bestiary she read about Snow Lions mentioned that they 
absorbed ice attacks, but were very vulnerable to fire magic.  They also had 
incredible stamina.  Even if both SeeDs pounded away at it with strong magic, 
it was going to take a while to whittle down its strength.
     "Orders?" Quistis glanced over at Skye, hoping her eyes didn't betray the 
fear that she felt.  This was a huge monster.  On the scale of a T-Rexaur huge.  
She didn't think it'd have a problem crushing them alive if it wanted to, 
though it didn't appear to be fast either.  Then again Caterchipillars were 
deceptively fast when they flung their entire body towards their victim...
     "This is going to be a battle of magic, Quistis, and you're our mage.  You 
take the offense and I'll run defense."
     Quistis' spine stiffened.  She'd always followed the orders given to her, 
not actually lead a party into battle.  The Snow Lion wasn't wasting any time 
in engaging them and she didn't know what to do.  Skye stepped up and cast a 
Sleep spell on the monster.  Its angry eyes drooped and its head lowered to the 
ground as sleep overtook it.
     Taking heart from the small reprieve, Quistis began summoning Ifrit to aid 
them.  While she did that, Skye continued casting a variety of status ailment 
spells on the monster with mixed results.  By the time she was done the Snow 
Lion would be slowed down, blinded, confused, and in the best case scenario, 
still asleep.
     A blast of searing hot air blew over them during Ifrit's invocation.  The 
snow beneath their feet was rapidly melting due to the presence of the fiery 
beast.  With its own roar of outrage, Ifrit threw down fire and brimstone upon 
the vulnerable Snow Lion..  Even if the summoning did free the monster of its 
sleep, the other ailments were playing havoc with its senses.
     Quistis continued calling for Ifrit's aid as Skye kept healing them of 
injuries and messing with the monster's mind.  After several summonings, Skye 
ordered Quistis to halt.  The elder SeeD used a Scan spell to establish how 
close to death the Lion was.  They'd given it quite a beating, but it didn't 
seem like it was ready to go down yet.
     "We've taken enough fight out of it that this will work," Skye cryptically 
explained.
     With Quistis anxiously watching both her and the beaten Lion, Skye ran 
back to the jeep to retrieve something.  She came back a moment later with a 
rifle between her hands.  Skye lifted the weapon up, took aim, and fired a 
single round.  The Snow Lion didn't so much as roar as it collapsed completely 
to the snow-stripped ground.
     "A tranquilizer," Skye answered Quistis' puzzled look as she returned to 
the jeep once again, this time to radio in the scientists.  They had been 
watching the battle from the safety of a nearby ridge and swooped in on the 
scene as soon as the monster had fallen.
     Quistis looked down at Ifrit's stone, which was an intense warmth in her 
hand.  If she wasn't wearing gloves would the stone burn her skin?  She could 
sense how smug Ifrit felt after delivering so many punishing blows.  She could 
also feel Shiva bristle some with indignation.  They were almost like bickering 
children...
     "Quistis, check this out," Skye waved the younger woman over near the 
jeep.  There was a break in the ice where they had collided with the bank.  
Skye shone a hand light into the hole.  The pitiful cries of Snow Lion cubs 
could be heard.
     "I'd like to get a look at them," Doctor Birestein said after coming over 
to see what had caught the SeeDs' attention.
     "Okay... stand back," Quistis took her own advice and moved away from the 
hole.  She then focused a fire spell to melt away the ice without injuring the 
cubs within.  Their den wasn't that big.  Their mother must have sat at the 
entrance and kept her cubs safely tucked away in the back.
     Skye continued to hold the hand light as Quistis bravely went forward to 
bring them out into the open.  She cleared her mind of any fear she felt and 
tried to project an air of protection and comfort.  The cubs' crying waned as 
they were charmed by her soft cooing.
     The cub she brought out first was about 15 kilos judging by the weight she 
cradled in her arms.  She carefully deposited the monster where she was told to 
and stepped back to allow Birestein to sedate it.  The other cubs were brought 
out in a similar fashion.
     "You have a remarkable way with monsters," Birestein commented as he went 
about his tasks.
     "It comes naturally," Quistis demurred.
     "I'm sure it does," he agreed while measuring the length of the cub he was 
working with.
     Quistis quietly watched him work.  A small voice in the back of her mind 
hoped that he wasn't doing anything that would cause the cub harm.  Then she 
questioned why she would feel any compassion for the creature.  If their mother 
was any indication of Lion's temperament, having a few less of them around to 
menace the locals would be a welcome relief.  But she couldn't bring herself to 
feel so uncharitably towards the cub.
     "SeeD Trepe, will you help me with this cub?" Johann nervously eyeballed 
the cub cradled in his arms that was beginning to wake.
     Quistis came over and relieved him of the monster.  She cooed at it, 
trying to keep it feeling as passive as possible without having to drug it 
again.  The monster blinked its eyes and yawned hugely before nuzzling against 
her warm body.  Its pelt was so soft, one could almost forget that in a few 
short years this monster would be capable of destroying entire structures.
     "It's hungry, do we have any milk?" Quistis asked Johann.
     He shook his head.  "Not with us.  We didn't expect to find any cubs."
     "Go to the outpost and bring back some milk and rations.  We're going to 
be here for a while," Birestein instructed his assistant.  Johann gave a jaunty 
salute and trotted to one of the vehicles.
     Quistis made herself comfortable on a nearby snow-barren rock outcropping.  
The cub batted playfully at Quistis' hand with its forepaws.  She scratched its 
belly, much to its pleasure.  The monster was content to remain in Quistis' 
care for as long as she lavished attention on it.
     Skye came over and took a seat next to her.  "Making up for lost time, 
never having a pet and all?" She teased.
     The junior SeeD smiled fondly at the Snow Lion in her lap.  "It's not 
every day that one gets to handle a monster like this," she replied.  "I'm 
learning a lot."
     "Like what?"
     Quistis frowned slightly and gave Skye a cautious look.  "You won't think 
I'm weird, will you?"
     Skye returned her gaze with a level one.  "Come on, we're both 
professionals, both SeeDs.  What's the little critter telling you?"
     "He likes to be scratched here," Quistis put words into action by rubbing 
it along its side.
     "He?"
     "Definitely a he," Quistis nodded in agreement with her own assertion.
     "How do you know that?" Birestein was watching them intently from his 
impromptu workstation.  He came over and looked at the tag that was placed on 
the monster to identify it.
     "Ah..." Quistis glanced down at the monster still cradled in her arms.  
"He told me," she whispered.
     The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "Told you?"
     Quistis squirmed some and the monster became distraught.  She was quick in 
offering it reassurance to keep it calm.  It may only be a cub, but its teeth 
and claws were developed enough to kill.
     "Not verbally, of course," she clarified.  "But, it's obvious.  You're a 
male cub, aren't you?" She rubbed its belly.
     Johann showed up then with a thermos that contained warmed milk.  Quistis 
fed the monster as her three elders watched her with wonderment.  None of them 
had ever seen such a docile monster, nor one taking as much of a liking to a 
human as the Snow Lion had to Quistis.
     "So this is the Blue Magic she possess, eh?" Johann asked the Doctor in a 
hushed aside.
     "It would appear so..."
     The Doctor returned to his own work, pulling Johann along behind him.  
Soon afterwards Skye got up from her perch to go look over the shoulders of the 
other researchers.  Quistis was left alone with her thoughts and the cub.


     The sun was beginning its descent when the researches decided to call it a 
day.  Johann was kept busy with packing up their gear.  The Snow Lion cub 
hadn't left Quistis' lap the entire time, and in fact was currently asleep 
nuzzled up against her.  Doctor Birestein returned, rubbing his hands together 
in what she took to be a nervous gesture.
     "SeeD Trepe, we've decided to take this cub back with us to the outpost."
     The gall of removing a monster from the wild for research left Quistis 
speechless.  Didn't they realize what a risk they were taking?  If the cub were 
to attack it could easily maim if not kill someone.  Those practical questions 
left her mind when she glanced at the monster that had trusted its safety to 
her.
     "But what about the monster?  Are you going to kill it when you're 
through?  Will the Lioness take him back after being with humans?"
     "The cub will be assumed dead by the Lioness after she discovers him 
missing," Birestein explained.  "We won't put him down after we're through with 
our studies.  A zoo in Galbadia has expressed interest in the cub.  This is a 
fantastic opportunity for us to learn more about the Lions, and countless 
people will continue to learn by getting to see one in a controlled 
environment."
     Quistis frowned as she looked down at the bundle in her arms.  If he fled 
from her now, he would also be escaping a life of imprisonment.  On the other 
hand, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't die tomorrow at the hands of a 
hunter who wanted his pelt.
     "SeeD will escort you and your specimen," Skye replied to the implied 
request.  Birestein was trying to spare Quistis' feelings by not making an 
order of it, but Skye had nothing against reminding her of her duty.
     Quistis placed her palm in front face in salute, "I'll keep the cub in my 
care to guard both you and it from harm."
     The Doctor let out a visible sigh of relief.  "It would be best to 
tranquilize him for the ride back.  Somehow I don't see him taking well to 
riding in a carrier in the back of a jeep."
     Quistis nodded her agreement and stroked the sleeping monster.  It wasn't 
her job to protect the monster from humans, though she felt that in this case 
it was the victim.


     After the evening meal, Quistis wordlessly followed Birestein to the pin 
they had the cub in.  He hadn't invited her to watch him work, but he hadn't 
banished her either.  Silently she perched on a stool out of his way and 
watched him poke and prod the creature.
     She felt sorry for it.  Were she in its position, she would resent what he 
was doing.  No one enjoyed having thermometers shoved in their orifices, nor 
being twisted and turned as though they were a rag doll.
     She could sense the cub's discomfort.  The awareness must be a side effect 
of her bonding with it, of her sensitivity brought on by her gift.  She'd never 
felt this strongly for a monster before.  It was easier to kill them when she 
didn't care...
     "Did you know that there is a clan of people in Northern Centra who 
believe in peaceful co-existence with monsters?" Birestein asked in an 
off-handed manner without looking away from what he was doing.
     "The Anshin.  I've met them," Quistis replied honestly.
     "Have you now?  Did they teach you how to use your Magic; how to bond with 
monsters?"
     Quistis watched him carefully roll the drugged cub over so that he could 
take more exact measurements of its forepaws.  He's already taken more images 
of the cub than any person with a life would be interested in sorting through.
     "No, they didn't teach me that," she answered finally, more interested in 
studying his actions than answering his question.  "SeeD taught me how to 
harness my gift.  My best friend is of the Anshin.  She's told me about them, 
but there's still a lot I don't know."
     He grunted and bobbed his head, "How do you regard monsters?"
     "I don't believe most monsters are out there roaming around in search of a 
human snack, if that's what you mean.  Chance brings us together and nature 
causes us to fight.  I'm content to let a monster live if it stays away from 
me."
     Quistis paused as she felt her lips tighten.  "I lost a dear friend to a 
T-Rexaur.  I won't let vengeance prod me into trying to kill them all, but I'll 
show no mercy if one makes the mistake of crossing my path."
     He didn't offer his condolences or even acknowledgement.  Several long 
moments passed before he spoke again.  "What makes a monster different from any 
other animal?"
     "Intent to harm humans?" Quistis hazard after giving it some thought.
     "Wouldn't *any* creature defend itself if something threatened to harm its 
young, be it a Snow Lion or a jack rabbit?"
     "I suppose...  We're taught which creatures are monsters.  Which are the 
ones we need to fight against if we come across them," Quistis explained.
     "You're trained to hold a bias and then act upon it," he corrected.  
Quistis bristled at the insult, though there was a ring of truth to it.  "Don't 
feel bad, it's a bias that society as a whole holds, not just SeeD," he added 
to soften his statement.
     "Then what makes monsters different?  What criteria was used to 
distinguish them in the first place?" Quistis asked, still rankled, but now 
curious.
     "Monsters are those creatures who came to our world from the moon during 
the Lunar Cry.  Many of the monsters you encounter nowadays are second, third, 
even fourth generation.  They immigrated to this planet and have made it their 
home.  Should we still be trying to repel the invaders, or finally accept them 
as a part of our world?"  He gave the cub an affectionate rub.
     Again, he had a very good point.  Whether humans wanted them or not, 
monsters were a part of their lives.  Humans adjusted to accommodate their 
co-existence with the creatures of the moon.  Would there ever be a time when 
that co-existence was a peaceful one?
     "I'd never thought of it that way," Quistis admitted.  "Is this why you 
study monsters?"
     "I research monsters because I dislike to see life wasted.  We kill them 
without discrimination.  Who knows, we may be killing a creature that can cure 
a deadly illness.  We'll never know if we don't stop to look."
     Quistis rocked on her stool slightly, feeling more at ease with the Doctor 
now.  "That's an interesting idea; finding life in something that usually 
brings death."
     "It behooves us to at least entertain the idea," he agreed.
     And entertain that idea she did for several days to come.  Every monster 
she encountered she considered how else the situation might go.  With it being 
not so much a matter of life and death, but what ifs and possibilities.  Could 
the poisonous acid Gayla's spit out be refined into a cure for the common cold?
     It was humbling when Quistis realized the depth of the researchers' work.  
Their task was a daunting one and under appreciated for the potential value it 
held.  By the end of their tour with the researchers, Quistis was proud of the 
fact that she was able to assist them in even a small way.  She was convinced 
that they were on the right track, they just had to keep going.

*****

     "Did you learn a lot?" Xu teased Quistis as she sat down next to the elder 
SeeD.  Cid had called both of them to his office for a mission debriefing.  
There was no reason for Xu to be here that Quistis could see, but was glad for 
Xu's company.  If nothing else it would save her some gossip time when she 
stopped by Xu's quarters later to catch up.
     "I learned a lot about monsters," she confirmed.  Her report summarized 
what she'd seen of the scientists' work.  She didn't think they'd mind Cid 
reading about their efforts since they were trying to get the word out about 
their research.  Though, she did keep in mind that it wasn't her mission to 
evaluate their work, only assist in it.  But it was difficult to not be 
interested in what they were doing.
     "I trust that you weren't exhausted by your studies?" He asked lightly 
while pouring her a cup of tea and handing it to her.
     "No, I'm ready for whatever you have lined up for me next," Quistis 
assured.  She knew full well that he'd given her an easy mission to start off 
with.  It was time to get serious.
     The Headmaster brushed back his hair and nodded in Xu's direction.  "SeeD 
Xu has sponsored you for Instructors training.  Is this a specialization you 
would be interested in?"
     Quistis gave her long-time friend a quick look.  Xu sat with her hands 
folded together on her lap and a posture that was as relaxed as she got.  Cid's 
sudden formality tipped Quistis off that this wasn't the meeting that she 
thought it would be.
     "I would consider it an honor to be a SeeD Instructor," she replied with 
sincere humility.  She had always enjoyed helping others with their lessons.  
It seemed to be something that she was naturally good at.  But... "I couldn't 
be a weapons Instructor like Xu is."
     "Of course not, your talent lies within the realm of scholastics," Cid 
agreed.  "Very well then, you'll leave for Galbadia Garden in two days.  Come 
by here tomorrow and I'll give you your orders and the paperwork that Martine 
is so fond of."
     Quistis was speechless.  She wanted to leap off the couch and hug both Xu 
and Cid in one huge glomp, but that sort of behavior wouldn't be becoming of a 
SeeD.  Instead she stood up and saluted them.  "Thank you, sir."

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