Author's Comment:
Sorry about the huge delay between the last chapter, and this one, folks. ^_^;;; I was a little bit discouraged from the mixed responses I've been getting. I'm glad to say that the few recent emails I have gotten were very positive, and have sparked my will to continue on. It's you guys that keep me going.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Squall walked towards the lobby, having changed into his uniform. Even though alot of students chose otherwise, Squall liked that it wasn't necessary to be in uniform all the time. (unless you're on an assignment) . He thought about the walk back from the Fire Cavern. It had been quiet and awkward, and it wasn't until they'd reached the Garden's front gates when Quistis said anything at all. "Well done," she had said, simply. "Change into your uniform and assemble at the first floor lobby." And with that, she left, walking briskly away, her mind elsewhere. Squall wondered if it was the exam she was worried about, then put his mind off it.
He arrived at the front lobby and spotted Quistis standing alone, her pen scribbling absently on a clipboard. Looking up, she took notice of him and called out. "Squall! Over here!" She quieted down as he approached. "You're just in time, I have the team assignments right here. Let's see..." She glanced down, tracing her finger along the paper until she came to his name. "You'll be with Zell Dincht. Quite a lively fellow."
"Lively?! He's just loud." There was no one Squall would rather have on his team, less than Zell. "Can't I switch members?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible," she said flipping through a series of pages on her clipboard, before spotting Zell, himself. "Over here Zell," she called; Squall thought he spotted a falseness in her enthusiasm, but dismissed it. You'd do best to put worries of other people out of your mind; you've got your own things to concern you, spoke his voice of reason.
Zell was down the hall, shadowboxing, when Quistis had called him. Hearing his name, he turned his head towards them in a fashion that made Squall wonder if Zell thought he was posing for a photo shoot, before doing several back flips towards them. The effect might have inspired applause, or even awe, but to Squall it seemed absurd. He felt his headache returning. One didn't have to spend more than a minute with Zell to know that he was nothing short of a martial arts junkie. Zell flashed them a thumbs-up, only stressing the cliche, before noticing Squall. After a double-take, he blurted loudly, "Whoa! I'm with you?!" He wiped his hand against his shorts and held it out with wide-eyed admiration and a stupid grin. After an almost comical moment of silence, Zell took the hint, withdrawing his hand. "Hey, you don't get along with Seifer, do you?" he said in a voice one might reserve for only his closest friends. Squall didn't like it. "Heard he whooped you pretty bad, this morning."
Does everyone know? "We weren't fighting, we were training," Squall said. All year, Squall had sat only three tables away from Zell Dincht, and from the few short times they had spoken, Squall had never taken a liking to him. Now was no exception.
Zell smiled, leaning closer and dimming his voice. "I'll bet he doesn't think so..." He paused for a minute, lost in thought. "Look, Seifer's just being a pain in the ass. All you have to do is ignore him."
Who do you think you are? "That's--"
"None of your business," Quistis said, finishing Squall's sentence. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but that Seifer you're both talking about... He's your team leader."
Zell's eyes went wide. "WHAT?!"
"It can't be changed," Quistis said as Seifer approached, his two lackeys following in his wake. Fujin and Raijin tagging along as usual. Guess that makes up the whole disciplinary committee.
Fujin's most notable features -- the ones that frequently threw people off -- were her white hair and eye patch. No one knew if anything was really wrong with her eye, but not many people dared to ask. Although she usually kept to herself, Fujin was a force not to be reckoned with.
Raijin was much larger in comparison, but was, however, a few chocobos short of a stable. He had dark skin, wore a purple vest, and had an annoying habit of saying "ya know?" at the end of almost every sentence. Fujin was often required to keep him in line whenever he said or did anything stupid, which was quite often.
Quistis turned to Seifer, "You've been assigned as the squad leader. Good luck to you."
A scornful look crossed Seifer's face, but only for a moment. "Instructor," he said from behind a mask of calmness and repose. "I hate it when people wish me luck." Squall noticed that the scar on Seifer's face was much less serious than his own. Having completely forgotten about the bandage until then, he raised his hand up to touch it, drawing Seifer's gaze, who then added, "Save those words for a bad student who needs them, eh?"
"Okay then," Quistis said, distantly. "Good luck, Seifer."
Seifer scowled, leaning over to Fujin, whispering, "Add instructor Trepe to the list." Squall could only imagine what kind of list.
Whether or not Quistis had heard Seifer, she showed nothing of it, continuing on with her business, instead. "Well then. You're all assigned to Squad B. I'll be the instructor in charge. Teamwork is of the utmost importance. Let's get through this exam, everyone--"
"It's been a while," Headmaster Cid interrupted. He had silently snuck up behind Quistis while she was talking. She let out a yelp, jumping backwards, right into his arms. He smiled, letting go once she'd regained her balance and whispered, "You don't mind if I take over, do you?" She shook her head, stepping back. While Cid Kramer could be an intimidating man at first glance, anyone who got to know him quickly learned that his reputation as Garden's softest Headmaster held true (whether this held positive or negative connotations was the topic of much debate among students and staff, alike). He showed an understanding and human side that was the anti-thesis of the Garden Faculty (constantly referred to -- with a more ominous tone -- as The Officials). "How's everyone doing?" He had a way of effortlessly drawing everyone's attention -- a man of true stage presence. "This exam will involve 12 candidates from Squad A through D," he said, cutting right to business. "You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are for real." He paused dramatically. "Life and death. Victory and defeat. Honor and disgrace... Each of these go hand in hand. There's only one way, or the other... So, how 'bout it? You still up for it?" Zell nodded enthusiastically while Seipher laughed under his breath. "You will be accompanied by nine SeeD members. Should you fail, these members will get the job done. They always do. Well, that's one less worry on your mind.
"The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands, and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of SeeD. Best of luck." He quieted down and everyone waited to see if he'd continue. When he didn't, Quistis picked up.
"Let's get a move on."