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Epilogue
 
Chapter Three: Tough Questions

Miles trudged into Garden, followed by Lee and Jasmine, as well as 150 soldiers under the command of Seifer. The three stayed at the entrance, as per Squalls orders, while everyone else passed by.
Finally, when they were all alone, Lee spoke up, “So… how do you think we all did?”
Jasmine grinned, “We succeeded right?”
“Well, yeah, but we didn’t see any combat, and things kinda got too complicated for us to help the group in the city, which was part two, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, but… We did what we had to do, and we handled the problems the right way. Right, Miles?”
Miles shook his head and sat on the gate, balancing himself clumsily, “I don’t know… they may just make us take another test.”
Jasmine turned and sat next to him, “I thought Squall was rather pleased with it all. I mean, after what you did, spotting that army and saving us and all… it was very romantic.”
They both smiled, and Lee sighed and turned. There was a solid moment of silence, finally, Miles leaned in towards Jasmine, and…
“Okay everyone, good job!”
Miles fell back off the gate, and Lee burst into a fit of laughter. Miles simply shook his head and opened his eyes. A hand was stretched out, and so he grabbed it and was pulled up, right into the face of Xu.
“Xu… thanks.”
“Xu grinned, “You’re welcome. Now, I have news for all of you.”
She pulled out three sheets of paper from her coat, and handed one to Miles, one to Jasmine, and finally, one to Lee.
Miles quickly scanned down the paper, ignoring whatever didn’t look important.
To candidate…. I know my name
After your first field exam with…yeah, I know, c’mon…
We’d like to present you with your scores of…
La..la… lotsa numbers… no idea what they mean.
We’d like to congratulate you on your acceptance to SeeD… YES!

Miles dropped the paper and hugged Xu, then turned to Jasmine, who, after another second, simply looked up from the paper with a grin on her face. Lee in the meantime was back flipping around the gate area. Jasmine leaped off the fence and grabbed Miles, jumping around wildly. Xu nodded, and grinned, this was a similar moment, she remembered making the cut well, she almost kissed the nearest person to her, but seeing as how the closest person was Quistis…
Of course, nothing was stopping Miles and Jasmine right now. Xu shuffled her feet for a second, then spoke, “The Inauguration Ball is in two days, seeing as how certain situations have complicated tonight.”
No one acknowledged her, and Xu quietly slipped away.

***

Squall, in the meantime, was too busy to even check on the new SeeDs, as was his custom. This was an immediate problem in Garden.
Damn it Seifer, what the hell happened? Why the hell did you show up commanding a Galbadaian army? How the hell did you get the power to assault Deling City? Why the hell did you call for OUR help? Why are you acting all… friendly?
Too many questions, and not enough answers. This was getting him nowhere fast and he knew it. Squall sat back in the captain’s chair he had installed on the bridge, and grasped his temples, rubbing with his fingers. After a few minutes, and nothing important coming to Squall, he gives up, and drops his arms to his side.
Damn.
Slowly, he felt a pair of arms slide down his chest.
“Squall? Are you alright?”
“I’m just tired Rinoa.”
“Squall, what happened?”
Squall pushed himself up and looked into Rinoa’s eyes. Could he tell her, honestly? Knowing what had happened before?
She’ll find out anyway…
Squall sat her down and told her the entire story, beginning to end.
Rinoa sat there, awestruck for a moment, then finally coughed and spoke, “So you let Seifer, and his army, into Garden?”
Yeah, I know it sounds bad…
“Long and short? Yes.”
“When do they leave?”
“Tomorrow.”
The answer seemed to satisfy Rinoa, and she grinned and got up.
“You do know what you have to do, right, Squall?”
No…
Squall raised an eyebrow, and Rinoa picked up the intercom mike and handed it to him.
“You have to tell everyone.”
Damn it…
“Squall? You’re not going to keep this a secret! Someone will find out. You’re their leader, you have to keep them informed of this… potentially serious situation!”
I hate it when she’s right… in other words, I hate a lot of my life.
Squall nodded and grabbed the intercom.
“Listen up everyone. It’s Squall, and… I have news for you.”
How do I say this?
“Some of you may have already noticed, but we have some guests here today. One of the SeeD contracts has bought us into the situation of housing a small group that has requested our assistance. This will only last for the night, and tomorrow you can be assured that they will be leaving. As for sleeping arrangements, room will be made on the MD level. There is one final thing I must tell you. This group of soldiers is being led by someone many of you probably remember. His name is Seifer Almasy.”
Squall let it sink in for a few seconds.
“I just want everyone to remember that the incident involving our battles with Seifer, Galdbadia, and the Sorceress, are long behind us now.”
What am I saying?
“Sometimes, allies and enemies change, and we just have to accept that as it comes.”
Careful now, don’t piss any one group off…
“In other words, it’s time that we just let what happened in the past be just that… the past. Please, I urge you all not to overreact to the situation, there will be no efforts of hostility, I am sure.”
Damn, that didn’t sound right.
Squall flipped off the intercom and turned back to Rinoa, who simply grinned.
“You know, after ten years, I think you’re getting the hang of this, Squall.”
Squall opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly interrupted.
“You’re quite right, Rinoa.”
Squall and Rinoa turned to the platform elevator, where Seifer stood, now dressed in a t-shirt and jeans that were obviously borrowed from someone.
I just hope you didn’t steal those, Seifer.
Squall shook it off, “Seifer, how’d you get up here?”
“I pushed the button, Squall, how else?”
He walked up to Rinoa and extended his hand.
“Nice to see you again, Rinoa! How have you been doing?”
She nodded curtly and accepted the handshake, “Seifer.”
Seifer smiled in that way that was getting very annoying, “Jeez, am I that unwelcome around here? I mean, after that brilliant little speech you made, Squall, I thought I would be welcomed with a parade!”
Squall glared, “You’ve had your parade.”
Seifer stepped back, “That stung.”
“You’d better get used to it. As long as you’re here, you’ll experience hostility. That message was to prevent violence. You know something? You’d better accept every bit of every insult with a grin and a ‘thank you, sir,’ or else, I’ll take you out myself. I swear, if you threaten, or otherwise assault a single student or faculty member here, I’ll…”
Seifer put his arms up in a surrender fashion, “Squall, relax! Don’t worry, I’m a different guy now, my temper isn’t what it used to be!”
“Good.”
“Squall,” Seifer quieted down and looked at Rinoa innocently, “I have to discuss something with you.”
Squall nodded.
“In private, Squall?”
“Seifer, whatever you’ve got to say to me, you can say to Rinoa too.”
Seifer shrugged, “Whatever, but you’ve been warned.”
Squall nodded, and slowly put his arm around Rinoa, trying to reassure himself.
What can be that serious Seifer?
Seifer began, “What the hell are you talking about?”
Squall stepped forward, “Watch it. Now what do you mean?”
“Squall, don’t be so naïve, you specifically said that we’d be out by tomorrow!”
“Are you suggesting that you won’t?”
“Well, I don’t like being forced into something like that.”
“Seifer, let me lay it out for you. No one likes you here. No one will go near you. You’re considered evil, a bad person to be with. Don’t you understand that?”
“Hey, we’re under contract here, I think I have a right to be consulted about decisions like that.”
“Well then, here’s the plan. Tomorrow, we go back to Deling, full force, and we’re taking that city. Then our contract expires, and we can all go on with our lives.”
Without you.
Seifer gave a half-grin, nodded to Rinoa, and walked out of the room.
Rinoa and Squall sat for a moment in silence.
“Squall?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not going in tomorrow, are you?”
“I have to. No way I’m leaving Seifer with our teams, not without me to keep him in check.”
“Then I’m coming, too.”
Squall wheeled around, “What?”
“Squall, you know how I feel about all this! You’re not doing that to me again! Just leaving me like that, without telling me where you’re going!”
Shit, she’s talking about this morning.
“Rinoa, it was an emergency.”
“Squall, I don’t want you to just not be there one day. When you took over Garden, I thought there would be a bit less conflict to deal with.”
“Rinoa, I’ve tried, but this is a delicate situation.”
“Squall, don’t do this to me. We’ve made it ten years together; I don’t want to lose you now.”
“Rinoa, you won’t.”
“I’m going anyway.”
Squall simply nodded; there was no way to stop Rinoa when she was determined enough.

***
Miles grinned from ear to ear as he stretched in his new room. It was all his. No more cramped space! He could actually stretch in here! Unfortunately, the process of enjoyment would be clouded. His thoughts drifted from topic to topic, and he argued with himself throughout the night.
Okay, so here’s the deal. Seifer, who was apparently the Galbadian military commander during the Second Sorceress War, is back. He is leading what seems like a Galbadian faction. But I thought he was unpopular there? Yeah, he was. Maybe it was just propaganda spread by Garden, that happen sometimes. Why is he all friendly with Squall and the others? Didn’t they go at it like three or four times? I thought Squall and Seifer almost killed each other during training sessions! What is going on now? Squall wouldn’t forgive this guy, would he? Didn’t he almost try to kill Rinoa? So why hasn’t Rinoa gotten him kicked out? She seems to have enough leverage with Squall. Heh. Whipped. No, damn it, back on the train of thought. Not that there’s much to think about. How did Seifer survive that battle with the troops in the mansion? There’s no way! He was outnumbered by about three hundred to one!
The thoughts continued, until finally, Miles drifted into sleep.

***

His was woken up by a kick on the shoulder. He shook his head, and opened his eyes, to see Jasmine by his bedside, grinning wildly.
“Get up Miles! We’ve got a mission!”
“Who? I didn’t do it, I swear!”
Jasmine hit him playfully on the shoulder, “C’mon, we don’t have much time.”
“How’d you get in here?”
Jasmine grinned and held out a key, then tossed it at him.
“I’m a great pickpocket, you should watch yourself.”
“You stole a key to my room?”
“Well,” she wiggled her hips, “it might come in handy sometime. I had a copy made.”
He shook his head.
Whatever.
She walked out the door, and he pushed himself up. After a quick shower, he grabbed his SeeD uniform, and placed it on, it would have to do for this mission.