Well, it could have gone worse. Much worse.
We cleaned up on Ultimecia and the rest, and returned home to a heroes welcome. Of course we deserved this, I'm not going to be modest about it, but one can take mass adoration only so far. I mean, I already had the Trepies dogging my heels, and now it seemed everyone wanted to join in on that act! My only consolation, sadistic as it may sound, is that my comrades-in-arms had to endure the exact same thing. If I hear one of them jealously complain about my having a fan club again...
All too soon (or not soon enough, in my opinion), things calmed down. Oh, there are repercussions to what had happened; there couldn't help but be. Edea very rarely goes out into public anymore, unless accompanied by SeeDs handpicked by Cid; usually it's Selfie, Xu, or me, but Zell and Squall sometimes accompany her. No matter that she'd had no control of herself during that time, there are still those who were of the mindset the only good sorceress is a dead sorceress, and have money to hire themselves assassins. Pray to Hyne it won't be any SeeDs.
One of the most surprising outcomes, though, was the fact that Seifer was readmitted back into Garden. Cid is much too kind hearted for his own good, but who am I to question his decision? I'm not against Seifer coming back, not at all; he'd make one hell of a SeeD if he'd ever put that attitude and pesky problem with authority behind him. I don't think I would have made the same decision if I'd been in Cid's place, simply because it would further besmirch Garden's name. First our Headmaster is married to the former Sorceress herself, and now we let Her knight back as well. Unfortunately, there are people who are unable to forgive as easily.
"Ms. Trepe?"
I hadn't even noticed the student come to the side of my desk. Shaking myself out of my reverie, I turned my attention to the short brunette girl standing across my desk. She was wearing a nervous look, and I softened my smile to help reassure her. "What can I help you?"
"Instructor Xu asked me to come get you. Said it's kinda urgent, and if you could see her as soon as you could."
"Thank you Maya, I'll head out immediately."
The girl literally beamed with the knowledge that I knew her name. Amused, I watched her jaunt out of the room, and marveled at the exuberance of youth. Come to think of it, I wasn't much older than she was, probably no more than two years, but sometimes it felt like two lifetimes. Every so often it made me feel nostalgic for those days, when all I had to do was study, train, and maybe gossip about boys.
Boys.... my chest tightened at the thought and my mind started turning towards thoughts of a certain man, but I ruthlessly beat them down. I was not going to dwell on what would never be; it was stupid, and would end up hurting more people than it was worth. Squall and I were friends, absolutely nothing more; I had to keep telling myself that.
Setting the stack of tests aside, I stood up and stretched, my eyes roaming the room. Thankful as I was to Cid for giving me back my old job, after what I'd gone through with our mission it was less satisfying than before. I wanted to be out doing something, saving the world again like we had before, not sitting in here grading papers.
Mindful of Xu's request, I headed out of the classroom and down the hall to her office. Thankfully, no Trepies were hiding nearby.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What?!"
"Yes Quistis, you heard me right."
"But... he... I..."
"Come on now Quistis, weren't you the one who always said people need second chances? Well, this is Seifer Almasy's chance to try again."
"Again? This is five times now, if you count this one." I wasn't angry so much as shocked. Really, I should have seen this coming; after all, Seifer's potential is widely acknowledged, even by myself. He's poetry in motion on the battlefield, and a brilliant tactician, but... "He won't take orders, he's got major problems with authority, he's a walking time-bomb in harsh situations, he doesn't listen to criticism ..."
"... He's right behind you."
Only Xu saw my face at that moment, for which I'll be eternally grateful. I didn't like the way she seemed to be fighting a smile as I hastily composed myself and turned to Seifer, but he beat me to the retort.
"Now that we know Instructor Trepe's personal opinion of me will obviously color her report," Seifer stated with a condescending smirk at me, "would it be so difficult for me to be assigned a new partner?"
I wholeheartedly agreed with him, but Xu was shaking her head. "The decisions are final. Garden trusts Instructor Trepe to give an unbiased report." She gave me a pointed look, to which I replied with an affronted glare. I've never let personal opinion get the best of me, although I really doubted Seifer would be any better this time around than the previous four.
A thought suddenly occurred to me. "Where are the other SeeDs going with us?"
"Well, that's another thing I have to talk with you about," Xu stated, visibly bracing herself. "It's just going to be the two of you and your contact. We've decided to keep this small, with the fewer people knowing the better."
I just stood there slack jawed but Seifer, as Xu probably realized would happen, blew up. "What do you mean just the two of us? Is this another 'deal' Cid made?" His lip curled up in disgust as he stared down at Xu. "Are we going to be sent to another 'poor oppressed township' to help their resistance factions again, or maybe it's a small village that needs a couple SeeDs to milk their cows for them..."
"Your assignment is to another Garden."
That shut Seifer up faster than I could think possible. "Another Garden?" he echoed incredulously.
"You're sending us to spy on another Garden?" I couldn't quite believe that. Wasn't it a breach of ethics, or at least etiquette? Each Garden is autonomous, neutral ground for anything; I wouldn't think a Garden would go against a Garden.
"It's not necessarily the Garden we're sending you up against. Here, these are your orders." She handed me an envelope, which I took and immediately opened. I heard Seifer come up behind me as I opened the letter and started reading its contents:
"There have been rumors of factions still loyal to the Sorceress are congregating in Galbadia. Posing as visiting SeeDs, your mission is to enter the Galbadian Garden where you will meet up with your contact. From there, it is the job of Seifer Almasy to infiltrate any such factions using his previous status as Queen's Knight to whatever advantage is possible. Quistis Trepe will be his backup, and escort."
"No."
Surprised, I glanced back over my shoulder to see Seifer backing away, and angry expression on his face. "I'm not going on this mission."
"Seifer, it's your SeeD test," Xu stated patiently, but Seifer cut her off with a cutting slice through the air.
"No, I'm not going on this dumb mission. I *fail* this test!"
Xu blinked in surprise. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that Seifer. You go, or you're out of Garden."
"Then I want out," he grit out, eyes blazing.
I don't know who was more surprised, me or Xu. She glanced at me and I read the confusion in her eyes, mirrored in mine. What was making him act this way? "Seifer, will you calm down," I tried, only to have him turn on me.
"Was this your idea? Some sort of cruel joke?"
It was strange having the bully of the garden calling me cruel, but anger very quickly replaced any bewilderment I was feeling. I was NOT going to go off on a student in front of Xu, though; some things required privacy. Turning back to Xu I said, "We accept the mission, please tell Cid we'll be on our way in the next hour."
A growl sounded from behind me, and it didn't take an empath to know that Seifer was about to blow up yet again. Allowing my own anger to show, I slanted him a look that I knew spoke daggers, the one that would have had my younger students quivering. "I'll talk to you outside."
His face flushed and his lip curled in total disgust, Seifer just stared back at me but didn't say any more as I walked past him and out into the hall.