MC Sincerity Cowboy 01

FFVIII, in my opinion, created a bunch of fantastic characters and then left them all in the dust. All of the characters that travel together in the game were abandoned in favor of the love story between Squall and Rinoa - leaving a horrible amount of potential development ...well, undeveloped. The ideas in this story leapt into my head late one night and wouldn't let go until I began writing. It focuses on my current "favorite" character, and if you can't tell who it's about from the title, you probably need to play more video games.

It's more of an introspective piece than an actual tale with a plot-line. I wanted to shed some light into the characters that, in my opinion, Square "missed" in their development (no offense to the game, I guess). Most likely this will end up being horribly romantic as well. Thoughts and memories - those are the focus in this story.

Irvine lay in the grass outside Balamb Garden, newly replanted in its old foundation after its voyage ended. Squall - Commander Squall, the new official headmaster of Balamb - had recruited a couple of the brains from Fisherman's to reinstall Garden in its place. No need for giant soaring battle-stations in this tenuous time of peace. Galbadia had been rerooted as well. Both of them had been repaired, too. It had been about three weeks since the sorceress had been defeated. A week since their party.

He was leaning into the cusp of a hill, twirling the black hat around on his index finger. He missed the presence of his old shotgun beside him; it was in his room, in its special case, having a well-deserved rest. But the weapon was special to Irvine, and he was experiencing an odd kind of loneliness, the slight sense of missing something important, wanting to touch -

He let his hat come to a rest and stared at it, nonchalantly dangling from his finger as if it were only an innocent hat. It had been a coveted ally, yes, but it was also a sort of a traitor. A traitor to the wall Irvine had built around his heart.

She had taken his hat. Tucked it on her head with that brilliant smile. Struck a pose for everyone to see. And in that instant - oh, that one moment - she had been his and he had been hers, illuminated through the camera lens, perfection and completion. Fate.

But then she turned to Quistis, sharing that winning smile like she always did; Quistis looked up at Irvine with her knowing eyes, but he had already hidden his face behind the camera, a wall to obstruct her scrutiny. And the moment passed. He had managed to regain his composure, give a wave to some girls on the other side of the room, tease Zell about his hot dogs and his shy librarian. Piece by piece he reconstructed his pierced heart.

Selphie. In his hat. So adorable. Her face was shining with the happiness of being surrounded by safety and friends. She tipped it forward in an obvious imitation of his style, giving him a wink. His heart could have stopped; but he merely stood there, giving her his trademark smirk.

Irvine sighed and casually placed the hat back on his head, careful to hide his face with the broad rim. With his suede pants and long jacket trimmed in fur, he was unmistakable; but maybe people would think he was sleeping.

People. What people? He was outside the Garden, and it was morning. Everyone was back to business. Things were moving along nicely. Quickly. A little too quickly for Irvine Kinneas.

Irvine stood, brushing the grass from his long coat. Adjusting his hat to the proper angle, he sauntered over to the car and slid into the passenger seat. Quistis revved the engine and took off.

"Your first experience with a charming gentleman?" They made the turn around the road and pulled the car into Balamb's station. Irvine hopped out and watched as Quistis grabbed a sheet of paper and locked the doors.

She shrugged. "Squall was always too cold, and now that he's not cold he's ...taken. And Zell wouldn't know a girl if one struck his over the head with a hot dog." A smile spread across Irvine's face and Quistis crossed her arms. "Not that I'm particularly charmed, Irvine dear. I'm just amused by your efforts."

His eyebrows arched in surprise, but the smile stayed. "Not charmed? I'm going to have to work harder on you, Instructor Trepe." They strolled gently down the road toward the train station, nodding at familiar townsfolk.

Quistis laughed. "No, you won't," she said, a real smile spreading across her face. "It's not going to get you anywhere, Irvy. Your best bet is to concentrate your efforts elsewhere..."

Irvine sauntered up to the counter and leaned on it suavely, giving Quistis that teasing smile again. "Oh, stop it already, Irvine," she said, exasperated. "Save it for Selphie. She appreciates it."

"Was that the best cover-up you could think of?" she said wittily, her eyes fixed on the ocean behind him. Her lips turned upward slightly. "I saw you react. Don't think you guys can hide it from me. I'm smarter than you think."

Quistis paused at that, giving Irvine a very funny look, at which point the woman from the Item Shop returned; she was struggling with a large, heavy crate which Irvine quickly took off her hands with a smooth gesture and a tip of his hat. The storekeeper blushed. Quistis reached out to snag the proffered pen and hastily scribbled her signature at the bottom of the bill.

"Good morning," Quistis said with a ready smile, and then turned to take the second box - but Irvine had already grabbed it, balanced it carefully atop the first crate, and left for the car.

"If you mean seduce, that's a no," she said, laughter in her eyes. "But impress?" Her gaze rested on the boxes again, and then flicked back to Irvine's face. "Perhaps," she admitted with a smile, and hurried ahead to unlock the trunk.

Quistis was the last person he had expected to be running errands for the medic wing. She, Zell, and Selphie were taking their Instructor Certifications together later in the week (well, Quistis was about to re-take hers, and they were all sure it would show in the scores) in the hopes that they could be instated as professors at Balamb for the time being. Selphie was toying between Balamb and a new-born Trabia, of course, but she had wanted to take the certification with her friends. Quistis was planning on picking up right where she left off - going back to what she was best at, namely bossing people around. But she knew how to mold a SeeD student, and Squall had made it known that there was a place for all of them.

Funny how things turned out, indeed. Squall had been promoted, of course, and his place as Commander of Balamb Garden remained. Headmaster Cid was still in charge on paper; but the recovery of his Edea was obviously much more attractive to him than the recovery of a giant flying fortress; and so to Edea he went, quite often, to Squall's discontent. Moreover, the Kramers were attempting to form a council involving Garden officials (past and current, though not past in the sense that Ellone would be required) to facilitate moving forward in this time of confusion and need. This of course kept them very busy. Which made Squall Leonheart the acting Headmaster of the new Balamb. And this made Squall very unhappy.

What did make Squall happy, however, was that Rinoa was there. Rinoa was unable to partake in the SeeD exam due to the one small problem that she was, in fact, a sorceress, and SeeD were meant to defeat the sorceress. This did not bode well for her and she was currently up to her ears in research defending the point that there would be no more sorceresses, ever again, and so it didn't really matter and couldn't she just take the exam. What it all boiled down to was that Rinoa Heartilly was residing in Balamb Garden for the time being. And what made her happy was that Squall could finally admit to happiness.

Very funny, perhaps. Irvine himself had been awarded his SeeD certification after the whole ordeal; Cid had gathered with some of his Instructors from Galbadia. Between themselves it was decided that the whole Time-Compression thing had been enough of a field exam. So Irvine was finally a SeeD, with a particularly gracious rank. And this - as Quistis and Selphie liked to remind him - meant he was eligible for other certifications as well, including Instructorship.

But Irvine was a drifter, and he had been putting off the decision for quite some time. He had been putting off any decisions. And it had become increasingly difficult for him to think of anything ever since his faithful cowboy hat had betrayed him for citrus and sunshine.

Squall had offered him a position training a special rifle team if he would take the cert. Balamb was going to welcome him with open arms. He could work with his friends and hope to protect the people he cared about.

"The dust of the road," he muttered, and headed into the Garden. He would go back inside and - what? Read a book? He could go to the library, flirt around, make waves with Zell's librarian-princess. He could head to the cafeteria, hope his smile could win him something a little better than hot dogs. He could go up and grab his precious gun, head for the TC and blow some steam...

Irvine headed into the Garden. With the work the students were putting into it you could never tell that it had been used as a battering ram of an airship. It was shining and new, better than it had ever looked. All over, new students and experienced SeeD had bonded together to rebuild their Balamb Garden into what it once was. With the guidance of the engineers from Fisherman's and the materials supplied from the new trust fund, the work force had turned the Garden over in no time. And the pride could be seen in their faces, easily.

Irvine took a seat in the Quad, giving a smile and a hat-tip to a group of girls, who giggled at him. He was well-known in the Garden; the "Galbadian Cowboy," the "best shooter in Garden," the man who had taken a potshot at the Sorceress. No one knew about his failure; the only story they knew was that the Sorceress had blocked his shot with her magic, forcing a direct confrontation. All they knew was the facade, the ponytail and the silly hat, the cool demeanor. They didn't know anything about the fear that gripped, the sweat and the stress that filled the bones. They didn't really know that the order given had been: Assassinate your mother. Take out the only woman who ever cared for you like her own son. No one had known of those last final moments when he had come to face a truth that Squall did not even remember. And he was glad for that.

He lay down again, stretching across the bench on his back, staring up at the glass ceiling, knees bent. He raised his hand to his face, looking at his long, worn fingers extending from the fingerless gloves he wore. Then he set the cowboy hat over his face and sighed, thinking only of another nap.

Burying her head in her hands, she let out a long sigh. Between her Instructor training and certification and the preparations for the next Garden festival, she had been busier than Zell in the cafeteria. No time for her friends, other than Quistis, whom she had studied with. No time for herself. No time for sleep, even.

But the trial was the next day, and then that nightmare would be over. She was pretty sure she would pass, and she knew that no matter her score, Squall had promised her some sort of position here. That in itself made staying at Balamb much more attractive of an option.

Trabia. She should have been more excited to return, but it had only been a place to stay, a place to train. There had been nothing like a home since she was taken from the Kramer's orphanage-home so long ago. She had friends there, yes; but she had friends here, friends she had known since childhood, even if she had forgotten it. She sighed. I guess the entire GF-memory crisis has been very violently proven.

But out of all of them, no one had left yet. Squall, Quistis, Zell. Even Rinoa. They were all lingering in Balamb indefinitely. Shouldn't someone head out? "Share the wealth"? Spread the lessons learned in the second Sorceress War to the other Gardens? Help begin training forces to keep peace instead of breed war?

Selphie smiled at her friend. Quistis had taken the entire episode as a lesson (being remembered as "bossy little Quisty" by Irvine hadn't helped) and was trying in her own way to open up to people and not seem so forbidding. So far, the only ones she had really opened up to were the gang, the people who had traveled together and fought the Sorceress. But at least she was trying.

"Fee, you've been studying forever," Quistis said. "The exam's tomorrow. Take a rest." She walked over and closed the book in front of Selphie. "I, Quistis Trepe, declare you done with studying." Selphie's eyes met hers uncertainly and she sighed. "Really, Fee. Go take a nap or something."

She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and headed down to the Quad. Her compatriots were in the construction room at this very minute; they had excused her for her other obligation, but she didn't want to shirk any of her duties here. But then as she turned the corner she saw a familiar figure lying across a bench. Tawny jacket, trimmed in fur, hanging over the edge. Suede chaps. Black fingerless gloves, crossed over his chest. Tell-tale ponytail dripping off the edge of the bench. Handsome face hidden beneath a black cowboy hat.

More than anything she had ever wanted, Selphie wanted to remember Irvine Kinneas. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe it was in the way he looked at her. Or it was the way her heart pounded when she looked at him. Bits and pieces had come back, but not everything. She had even secretly un-junctioned all of her GFs, a fact that would have shocked any well-trained SeeD. She still had them - close to her person in case of emergencies - but she was frustrated beyond belief. Memories couldn't - they wouldn't - just vanish, would they?

A smirk spread across her face as she looked at him, lost peacefully in the little dreamworld inside his black hat. So peaceful. With three brisk steps she crossed the courtyard, got a good grip on the hat, and then in one smooth motion, whipped it away from his face.

"What's a lovely lady like you doing down here?" he continued. Selphie couldn't help but smile. Irvine had always laid on the charm, day after day, since the first day they had met - or, really, re-met. The flirtatious gunner. The Galbadian Cowboy. Her childhood friend.

She burst out giggling, unfortunately, for she was then unable to defend against the attack. Irvine settled the black hat on his head again, tilting it at just the right angle. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, his lips curving upward.

You're gorgeous, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out; "It's crooked," she finally offered. Irvine pursed his lips, curious, as if to say Really? "Here," she offered, "let me fix it." She reached out, tweaked it a little, and then nabbed the hat again.

This time she took off at a run, hearing Irvine's normally slow voice barking out a "Hey! Seff..." and then the sound of his boots again. She was laughing. Without any junctioned speed she knew she had no advantage, but if she could get past the corner -

Strong arms grabbed her from behind and spun her in the air; she reached up to hold the hat firmly to her head, squealing. "Vinny! Put me down!" She heard the sound of his good-natured laughter behind her as he simply picked up the tempo, spinning her in a giant circle.

"No you don't." He gave her his best, most-practiced smile, determined to keep her. Citrus... "You're the sunshine in the room," he said dramatically, reaching out to put his arm around her. "Stay and talk with me."

Selphie sighed. "Irvine, dear, I'd love to, but I have to hit up this Committee meeting first. And then Quistis made me promise to take a nap." She made a face. "I haven't been sleeping much, I guess, but still."

A broad smile spread across Irvine's face. "Well, my nap was interrupted," he said, his eyes sparkling. "You go to your meeting and then we can take a little nap together. My place, perhaps?"

Selphie was caught completely off-guard. "You're teasing me again, Irvine," she said, trying to hide her discomfort with a silly smile. She looked into his eyes and gave her best imitation of a heart-broken sigh. "When will you ever take me seriously?"

"The day you take me seriously, Seff," he said, but the sparkle was still in his eyes. "I'll be in my room if you change your mind." He tipped his hat at her and turned around, jacket flaring. She watched him walk away, tilting his hat at another girl who walked past. The girl flushed, and then noticed Selphie staring; both of them turned red.

Why does he tease me like that? Selphie didn't quite know what to say. Irvine Kinneas, the ladies' man; he was so genuine with what he said that she had to remind herself so many times that this was her friend. Maybe it was just habit for him? She had never had anyone treat her quite like that. But she knew - she knew. He was like that to everyone. He just ...he didn't know that it made her so uncomfortable. He didn't have to practice his lines on her. She just wasn't used to it.

Morning dawned, bright and early, light streaming through the Balamb windows. The air was thick with it. Sunshine. Promises. Every morning had been like this since they'd returned.

He wished he could have blamed it on the weather, but that was impossible. Nothing but sunshine and blue skies - what a cowboy liked best. And this way Irvine was up early, early enough to watch the sun come up from his favorite vantage point in the Garden. He slipped out onto the small overlook on Balamb's second floor - the one they had used as an exit, back when the Garden was flying.

Instead of approaching the railing and hanging over (as he had seen Rinoa do a couple times), Irvine chose to stand back in the shadows, leaning against Garden's cool outer wall. It was peaceful out here, and quiet. Solitude for a sniper. A limited range for a lonesome cowboy.

He realized his hand was clenching air and he forced it to relax. Misses the presence of a cool, smooth barrel, he thought with a smile. But that wasn't quite it; he could easily have picked up his rifle on the way down. Must miss a woman's touch, then. He smirked to the morning air.

What a fool he was. All of his life he had been trying to fill this void - fill it up with manliness, guns and ammo, women and girls. But for all of his womanizing, he was still a loner. Still alone. And he could have made himself content with the lonesome road. But then his trusty hat - his own symbol - betrayed him for a whiff of citrus and sunshine. Opened the door to a possibility. An option Irvine had turned his back on long ago.

And so he had. His life in Garden had been lonely, after the friendliness of the Kramer's orphanage, and so he had played it cool. Fooled around with guns. Fooled around with women. Fooled himself into thinking that childhood was made of dreams and fairy-tales. Fooled himself into thinking he had forgotten.

Then he read the names on the list presented to him along with his mission: Squall Leonhart. Quistis Trepe. Zell Dincht. And at the very end, the one that stopped his beating heart: Selphie Tilmett. He had never known their last names - he assumed they weren't real last names. But none of them had common first names. And all four of them? Together? It had to be fate.

But she hadn't known then, hadn't remembered anything, and though he saw the usual reaction in her eyes he knew it didn't mean what he wanted. It was the typical reaction of a woman struggling under the Kinneas charm. It wasn't the reaction of his Selphie remembering who he was. And so he left. There was so much pressure.

The sun was coming up now, gracing the distant ocean with sparkles and light. Another sunrise for another glorious day. Irvine smirked again. He could never get over the sight of the sun coming up. There was too much of the wild in him, too much cowboy. It was the only religion he had ever known - sunshine pouring down over a green hill, a couple birds, and a breeze in his face. Nature made Irvine Kinneas respectful.

It was way back at Fisherman's Horizon, before anyone knew the terrible and wonderful secrets about the past. The night of Squall's promotion. He had helped Selphie put together her big surprise - helped all day, in fact. Set everything up with the mechanics from the island community. Put together the music. It had been his project as much as everything. But it wasn't the party he was working on - it was Selphie. Her excitement was his reward - her smile, his prize.

And it all came together: Rinoa dragged Squall out of his room, and Irvine managed to joke a smile out of him with his naughty magazine, and then he and Selphie had run down the long long staircase into FH, giggling with their secret, while Squall and Rinoa fought at the top. And she had been so excited and nervous and thrilled and beautiful that on the way down he just grabbed her and kissed her right there. Underneath the stars and the moon in the middle of the ocean. Horribly romantic. And she had just looked at him with those wide-open childlike eyes and he had almost confessed everything right there, everything about Matron and the orphanage and the past and the present. But then they heard Rinoa laughing behind them and Selphie gasped and grabbed his hand, hurrying him back to the stage. They didn't get a chance to talk about anything that night. It was devoted entirely to Squall.

He couldn't blame her; couldn't blame anyone. It was the price to pay for the power they'd used and the battles they'd won. But it hurt, dammit, to be the odd one out yet again. To be left behind again. He could tell that she hadn't remembered by the curious looks she threw him. Observant, he was. Had to be.

Yes, he teased, and he flirted, with everyone in a ten-foot radius (including Quistis, who was no one's idea of a flirt at all), but Selphie - she was different. It was a childhood romance that grew up in fairy-tale land; it never should have seen the light of day. The second he had seen her, alive, grown into such a lovely ray of sunshine, he knew: childhood came back and tied him up by his thumbs. His swagger, his smirk, the tip of his hat - everything was for her. There was no turning back. She had been the fantasy for so many years, the driving force behind the loneliness and the bullets and the booze. Selphie was the ideal. And having her before him in the flesh was enough to drive a cowboy mad.

Irvine had lived for so long by convincing himself that dreams were for fools and that happiness was an elusive demon that only taunted and never delivered. He had forced himself to live for the moment, in a time when nothing else mattered but the target. He concentrated only on what he saw in his sights - whether it was a woman or an enemy. It was making the shot, meeting the goal. And then moving on. Choosing another one. The next target.

He tucked his hands into the pockets of his long suede coat, squinting in the bright sunlight. Today was the big day - everyone was applying for Instructorship. It was widely known that they all would pass - actual battle experience as well as the important intimacy with sorceresses and their defeat was enough proof for anyone. But Selphie and Zell hadn't just wanted their certificates handed over. They'd wanted to earn it. And so they were taking the test.

Strange thing was, they'd been the ones who had urged him to accept his SeeD certification when the council had awarded it to him. They insisted he'd earned everything and more. And so he'd taken it. It hadn't really mattered to Irvine. But Selphie and Zell and Quistis and even Squall had demanded. And with everyone ganging up on him he just gave in with a wink and a smile. Accepted the title and the validation.

He closed his eyes for a second, tipping his head back to rest it against the wall of Balamb Garden. Rest. He felt unbalanced, perhaps. Drifting. The aimless wandering of a cowboy with a dream and no destination. So often in his life there had been no choice for him. Now, again, there was no choice, for there were too many choices. None of them real enough. All of them drifting like snowflakes.

And no one saw it. The turmoil behind the facade. The secrets behind the smile. It was all getting worse. Quistis was beginning to suspect something; she was smart, and observant. And Selphie, his Seff, she knew; but she kept forgetting, or misplacing it. She knew him better than anyone had ever known him. And she didn't even know.

Quistis let herself in, dressed primly in her SeeD uniform, shining hair pulled away from her face in her perfect bun. Quistis was perfection personified, Selphie thought sourly, especially in the mornings. She ran a brush through her wet hair and straightened her jacket.

Selphie suddenly swore. "Where are my bloody shoes, Q?" She dove under the couch frantically, exhaustion forgotten. "I can't find my stupid ...hold on." She escaped into the bathroom.

Quistis heard a soft knocking against the door where she was resting her weight. She straightened and opened the door, saying quietly; "Zell, you'll have to hold on, Fee can't find her..."

He set the tray down on Selphie's table and sat on the couch, leaning back into it as if he belonged there. Relaxed and confident. Quistis, disbelieving, reached forward and nabbed the nearest coffee. It was fresh from the cafeteria.

She took a long sip and sighed; coffee was as close as she came to an addiction, and what a strong addiction it would have been. "Bless you, Irvine," she went to say, but a stream of curses echoed from the bathroom.

He was so glad Quistis had been there. The idea had presented itself as he was returning to his dorm, past the cafeteria. He had grabbed enough for all three - Q, Seff, and Zell - just in case. But he had been so nervous he had almost dropped the tray and given up. Irvine Kinneas, nervous? Another secret. Another truth, another wall. The action fit with the flirtatious gunner. It was the Irvine inside who wasn't so sure.

Irvine looked up, trying to ignore the scent of citrus that had invaded his senses. His eyes met Quistis's over his cup of coffee; hers shone with a knowing smile. He shook his head.

He stared at himself in the mirror. His face, beneath the powdered sugar (which washed off easily), was fading pink. His head was rushing. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

They had successfully made it out of Selphie's room and were heading to the classroom on the second floor, where each of them would take the written test for the certification. Zell had caught up with them outside the dorms; he had been up early, full of nervous energy, and had taken it out on the Training Center in its entirety. He didn't look surprised at all to see Irvine; but then again, maybe he thought Irvine was taking the test with them after all. Zell was not known as the observant sort. Not like Quistis.

Selphie bounced along at his side, full of her own sort of energy and spunk. She was chattering as usual, and it took all of his willpower to listen to every word she said. All Irvine wanted to do was close his eyes and bask in the warmth of her aura. She was talking about the exam, and how much she had done, and how she hoped her demonstration would be effective -

Quistis had paused before the classroom door. Her face was a little white, and she sighed, her hand on the knob. Irvine remembered how she had lost the license before - deemed "ineffective" due to Seifer's wrath and Squall's retribution - and knew that down inside her stomach much be double-knotted. Zell was strangely quiet. Selphie finally realized that they were at the door and stopped, clapping her hands over her mouth.

He gave Quistis a pat on the back, gave Zell a harder smack on the shoulder, and then turned to Selphie. She was biting her lip, checking her boots as she always did - except that they were fancy official SeeD shoes, not boots.

Zell sighed. Quistis had been done for half an hour, and Selphie was hurriedly writing out the end of an answer as if she couldn't wait to get rid of the paper. "Xu," he whined, "I'm hungry."

"As you know," Xu said as they walked, "a personal demonstration is required. The Certification Committee has gathered and is waiting to watch your technique. Today we've gathered outside, since it's nice." She gave them a brief smile.

"The test follows as such. We've programmed a holographic enemy which you must fight. The program keeps track of how much hypothetical damage you do to the creature and how much you receive in return. We'll be expecting special techniques as well as fighting basics. No holds barred. Show us you know everything - from the most obvious, basic blocks to your own specialized limit breaks. The hologram will record everything, so we can watch it in detail later. We want to see you at your best."

Xu held the gate open for them. "If you pass this part, you'll be put into a training system where you apprentice-teach with one of our current instructors. Judging by your experience, however, I doubt this part will take more than a week. Especially for Trepe. They'll put you right back into the swing of things."

The set-up looked strangely like the stage Selphie and Irvine had put together for Squall's promotion party. One platform was raised above the ground with railings around the outside and two sensitive pads built in - one for monitoring the candidate, and one to control the AI monster they would face. In a ring around the stage sat a series of cold-faced judges.

If Zell was nervous, it all faded once he was in the ring. He was a born fighter, trained to face off to the largest of enemies with only his fitted gloves. Honestly, Zell was no chicken-wuss - not any more. All of his hardships and anger and in-your-face attitude were safely channeled through his fists.

He began by casually boxing around with the monster, blocking and parrying, mostly, showing his wide range of kicks and punches. Selphie could tell by his smile that he was bored, however, for he soon picked up the tempo, sending in two, three, four direct hits for every attempt the monster made. Soon he was nothing but a flurry of flips and punches, fists flying with what could only be called finesse. He was in the middle of one of his long chains of limit-break moves, showing no sign of stopping, when suddenly the hologram vanished. Zell, expecting a solid body, accidentally dove through the air and landed face-first on the ground of the platform.

The petite brunette took her place on the stand. Against the giant monster that appeared before her, she looked almost comical, her cute little face and flipped hair not seeming to be much of a menace. But a familiar smile grew across her face and Quistis knew that she was taking advantage of the surprise she had in store. No one expected this innocent, lovable girl to be quite as fierce as she was. And when Selphie channeled her energy into battle - the results were unbelievable.

Bam! The nunchucks came out of nowhere, striking the beast across the face. Selphie's weapon allowed her to attack from a distance, and her precise aim kept the monster at bay. A flick there, a strike here - combining expertise and a relentless onslaught were Selphie's strong points. She nimbly dodged the monster's special attack and fired a successive series of hits - one, two, three. The cuteness was gone, replaced with a polished, efficient, and terrifying enemy. All the more terrifying because she showed no evidence of tiring out - ever. Finally, the energy grew to the point where she reached her limit; Selphie began casting spells, high-level spells, two or three at a time, in a row. Faster, faster. And she showed no sign of faltering now.

The tall, thin blonde took the stand, snapping her whip in anticipation. Unlike Selphie, no one doubted that Quistis meant business. She stood there, more serious than Shiva, her eyes narrowed. It was obvious that she was tough. And she showed it - taking control of the battle in the first thirty seconds, a strategic attack that placed the enemy on the defensive beneath her whip.

Her stunning Save the Queen let her remain in the back, but Quistis didn't hesitate to press her advantage, making sure the monster realized who was the boss in this situation. She set her heels deep, holding her ground; the whip was a whirl of motion, just an extension of her body. She used her keen observation to notice when the monster was beginning to step forward, at which point she burst out with her forceful Blue Magic. Alternating between spell and strike, choosing each of the enemy skills with appropriate, deadly timing, she managed to be three steps ahead of the enemy at every turn. Finally her whip cut through thin air - the hologram was gone.

She had broken a sweat in that last barrage, wanting to impress them with the amount of skills she had picked up on their travels; the cunning thought and strategy was perhaps harder work than the actual physical attack.

"Excellent, all of you." Xu stood. "We will be evaluating your performances - both these and the written exams - and the results will be posted tomorrow. Until then, enjoy a day off."

Selphie threw a look over her shoulder, and then slipped through the door. She found herself on the second-floor balcony, the one that had once been used as an entrance into and out of Garden. It was one of her favorite places - somewhere she could just relax for a second. The grass and trees and sky didn't expect her to hold up the cheerful facade.

The hot tub had been nice, and she was very relaxed; however, something was still on her mind. Literally. Reaching up to her ear, she unclipped the small piece of metal that held all of her GFs. She had known they'd be vital to the certification battle; her limit break had trained her to call forth magic on her own, but the junctioning power of the Forces were obviously needed for a situation such as that.

She stared down at the little clip in her palm, pondering. Everyone had a different way of junctioning, but Selphie had always needed something physical - an actual connection between the spirits she fought with and her own body. If anyone knew that she'd unjunctioned everything, she could be set for some trouble. It wasn't anything serious - it just went against SeeD training, namely: "Always be prepared."

She grimaced and tucked the little clip away in her bra (a very secret place, she figured), heading forward to lean against the railing in thought. Nothing. The only memories she had were vague and misty: the beach, the fireworks. Playing war, playing cowboys, playing house. Nothing solid. Nothing to explain why she was so depressed - and so confused.

She drummed her fingers on the railing in an absent rhythm. Her mind kept presenting her with Irvine. The puzzle that was Irvine Kinneas. He had been her best friend and more on the journey - always by her side, at her back, making her happier than she had ever been. He was her constant companion, full of both fun and excitement and a surprising sense of courage and dependability.

She discarded the obvious idea immediately. If Irvine had been trying to seduce her - well, not like it would have been unpleasant - but it probably would have been a little more obvious. And a little more timely. Their voyage had been long and hard. If he was looking for a cheap thrill, there were easier targets. It was a lot of time to invest into a one-night stand.

Selphie smiled at herself. She was a little old to have a crush on someone, eh? But it was more than that. She was convinced that the key to Irvine's odd, wonderful behavior was in their past. There was some sort of connection that she was missing.

Irvine had remembered - what? Their childhood. He had been the catalyst for everyone else's memories, the force that activated everything else. One shot that set off the powder keg. How like a sniper.

But Selphie's fuse had fizzled and died out short of its goal. She didn't know if it had been her ill-fated experiment with the GF back in childhood or just the ritualistic use of the Forces in SeeD training. But she couldn't remember anything.

She sighed. It was so selfish! There were so many people out there that she could try to help, so many problems in the here and now. That had always been her attitude, her motto: focus on the good. On the positive. No matter what, no matter how horrible the danger, she had to stay on the bright side. People depended on her cheer, she knew. She couldn't just walk around Garden with her emotions plastered on her face - her fear, despair, loss. She had to keep the smile up, so she could make other people smile too.

Someone had told her something very important once: Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. And Selphie lived like she breathed and like she fought: with excess. Energy. Vivacity. All channeled toward the positive.