Once he had reached the elevator, he had to come to a short pause to wait for the elevator to reach his floor. It was now, waiting in complete stillness, that he noticed just what he was wearing. He had slapped on anything that he could reach for, eager to get out of his room and reach the Library, he hadn’t been in so much of a hurry to run to get the results, but he hadn’t had the patience to actually pick out the clothing he wanted to wear.

It turned out he was wearing a plain white t-shirt underneath a black, long-sleeved zip-up jacket that had the design of a tiger on the back. As for pants, he was wearing the usual, long dark gray jeans which had a bit of a tight, yet loose fit on him. He was wearing his favorite necklace around his neck. A silver coated chain with a silver tiger for a pendant. He considered it his lucky charm; he never really took it off, not even when he slept.

Kazuki didn’t allow his mind to wander even once, trying to focus on the goal at mind here. He waited for the elevator to come until –Bing – the elevator reached his floor and the doors swung open. He walked on in, ignoring the swarm of students that were now trying to stuff themselves inside the elevator. He was actually pretty lucky to fit inside the elevator, what with all of the students that were pushing and shoving their way in.

“Hey Kazuki, what’s up?” One of his younger friends called from inside the elevator.

“Oh, hey Paul, well I’m on my way to get my written exam results.”

“You mean you actually took the test? Wow… and here I was thinking I’d catch up to you before you got the balls to take the written exam.” A small chuckle escaped his mouth.

Kazuki gave him a menacing glare; if looks could kill, or hurt even, Paul would have been crawling on the floor asking for mercy. He let out a sigh, “Well yeah, I finally got the courage to take the test.” He emphasized on the word courage because he hated vulgar language, and tended to correct Paul’s impolite ways.

Before the conversation could drag on any longer, the elevator opened up and the swarm of students that had gotten in before him, meaning they were in the back of the elevator, somehow ended up getting out before him.

He walked over to the Library at his normal slow pace. Here and there a few of his friends would greet him and wish him good luck on the results. While he was on his way, he saw a few students with papers in their hands. Ah crap… I’m already late… they’ve already begun to give out the results… well, I’m late again, nothing new.

His thoughts were interrupted by his instructor, the man he called Mr. Smith, not because that was his real name, but more because he looked like the serious type, so the name Mr. Smith seemed to fit. Although he looked like the serious type, Jake, the instructor’s real name, was a fun-loving guy who enjoyed having Kazuki as a pupil.

“Here are your results Kazuki… I can’t say I’m impressed by the results; you never really were the type to study for these sorts of exams…” Jake handed him a few papers, a serious look on his face, as always.

Kazuki didn’t know if he was just kidding around with him, or if he was actually being serious; he wasn’t exactly the best at telling what a person’s thoughts were. He quickly took the papers from his instructor’s hands and took a peek at his score from the corner of one eye while closing the other.

His face beamed in excitement as he threw the papers into the air. “Holy crap I got a 77% on the written exam! Jake why the hell did you scare me like that?”

Jake took the serious look off of his face. “Well, I hadn’t finished mysentence… I meant to say ‘you never really were the type to study for these sorts of exams… but you did surprisingly well.’ And the serious face was just a way for me to get my revenge on you for calling me Mr. Smith all the time.” A sneaky chuckle escaped from his mouth as he tried to hide the laughter that was bottling up inside of him.

Kazuki was too excited to really care about the panic he had a few minutes ago or the prank that Jake pulled on him. He simply picked up his papers, which were on the floor, and hugged his instructor with a huge excited smile on his face.

Xanthe glanced down at his results with a slight frown. 90%; two percent down from last time. It would figure, thanks to his thoughts being diverted because of pain, but it still irritated him to know that it caused a decrease in his performance on any level. He was an elite, and acted that way. Listening to the instuctor's voice made him glare at nothing in particular.

He knew they would know if he helped someone, he'd already tested that one. It was all that stupid girl's fault, just another reason to dislike people. Insult them now, but you have to work with them later. That in mind, he rose, unworried for time as he easily glanced over the shoulder of his bench companion. 71%? That was pretty average for students who passed. She looked relatively capable for the field test as well, and maybe even the final. He liked her sarcasm, and vaguely hoped to have her on his squad when that time came.

Glancing back down at his own paper, he noticed that Odium had been re-released. The scars on his chest seared at the realization, making him rub them unconciously. If he knew his Guardian Force at all, he'd head straight for town to make it challenging. Odium would make a great training companion, if he wasn't immortal and all. He'd gotten a lot of points docked for time last time because he'd had to fight the GF for so long just to get the pact in the first place. Odium had said that he had to 'mark him a victor' before he'd take him.

Ready to fetch his gunblade and get going as he aimed for much better time, Xanthe glanced back at the girl, waving at the very instructor he was headed for. "Good luck, Miss 71%," he offered as he left, a rarity for him to open his mouth without insult.

Eliza smiled pleasantly as the other student began to step away from her. "Thanks, you too!" She stood and watched the student known as Xanthe as he approached Balin, knowing that he passed.

Eliza stood in the large queue that had suddenly appeared. The two instructors who spoke moments ago were now speaking quietly to each other, the look of concern on each of their faces. Eliza was close enough to overhear, pretending she was fixing the clip of ammo in her machine gun.

“So, it’s true then?” The woman asked, “Balin told me this morning, I couldn’t believe it…”

“Yes, Cynthia.” The tall man sighed, armed with twin swords that swung over his shoulder. “The Headmaster is checking all SeeD’s backgrounds, all instructors backgrounds, doing everything possible to find the culprit…”

“Wait, he thinks one of us did it?” Instructor Cynthia said, Eliza could imagine the look of disgust on her face. “Who would do that, Twain?”

“We don’t know, but it’s top secret stuff and it’s --”

“Next!” Balin said, beckoning Eliza. He sat there, the smug expression vivid in his smile. He sat in his chair, his arms folded behind his head. “So, I see you passed.”

“One percent better than last year. What’s up with the Headmaster? What happened?” Eliza asked, being more nosey than concerned for the garden.

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Who told you that?”

“I overheard. What happened?” She asked again.

Balin shook his head handing her a tracking device. “I can’t tell you, that would me being a ‘pushover’ and proving you right…. Anyways, prepared for Fenrir this year? You don‘t want to get--”

“You never let anything go, either.” Eliza muttered under her breath, throwing her hand towards him, her gaze averted back to the two talking instructors unable to hear them distinctly now. Balin wrapped a small bracelet around her wrist, he tied it tightly and gently. He let go of her and she took a flare gun and one flare.

“Good luck!” Balin cried as she stepped away from the table and towards the front gates of the Garden.

As she left the garden gates, cursing Balin under her breath she saw a dozen of other students making great time towards fire cavern or the beach. Eliza looked at her new bracelet, looking at the counter on it which magically appeared when Balin activated it.

23h.54m.32s until the end of the exam.

Kazuki’s excitement was not going to be taken away from him so easily. He was finally going up in rank, finally becoming what he had dreamed of for so long; a SeeD. He knew the responsibilities this would bring up on him, that things would no longer be a walk in the park as they were before, but at the same time, he kind of wanted that. He was tired of getting missions which were dull and boring, the type that never put his skills to the test. This would definitely change things, and the first change that he was looking forward to the most was the unbelievable, in his point of view, fact that he was finally getting his own GF.

Kero… I’m finally going after you; I couldn’t wait any longer for this day. His beaming face suddenly turned serious as he had his goal in plain sight. Finding a GF… this would be his first mission, and it wouldn’t be an easy one. He couldn’t have the help of any other students; this was a solo mission, and one to be reckoned with. Then there would be the chance that he would have to fight the GF before it recognized Kazuki as a formidable owner.

His determination swept through him as he quickly moved his hands to grab both of his chains, but to no avail, he had apparently left them behind in his dorm.

“Ahhh crap! I left my weapon!” His hands flew to his face as a form of shame and anger towards himself. “Dude, Jake, come on, give me a break here, don’t activate that clock until I get back with my chains!”

Jake nodded towards him, and as soon as Kazuki turned around to head towards the elevator, Jake snapped the clock onto Kazuki’s wrist and activated it. A playful, joking look spreading across his face. “Suuure, NOW you call me by my name, when you need something. Well, that’ll teach you a lesson or two.”

Kazuki’s eyes turned into a menacing glare, if Jake wasn’t his instructor, he would have gone berserk on him for quite possibly ruining his chances of passing this mission with flying colors, or completing it for all he knew. “Oh… you’re going to pay for –“

Jake quickly interrupted him, “Time’s a wastin’ ” a smile crept up on his face as he pointed towards the already activated clock on Kazuki’s wrist.

“Ugh… I’ll get you for this!” Were the last words that Kazuki let out as he dashed towards the elevator.

When he got back down to the first floor, chains in hand, he wrapped them around his body as he normally did, in a stylish X formation where he could easily undo the grip around his body and quickly bring both chains into battle if the situation were presented.

He didn’t take his sweet time to look cool as he left the Garden, as he had planned, all because time was running out and he wouldn’t have as much time as he needed all thanks to his instructor. Going up to his room and gathering his belongings, as well as waiting for the slowness of the elevators, used up about a good twenty minutes of his time. While he had 24 hours to reach his goal, he knew it wouldn’t be enough, even more so if he had mistaken the area where the GF might be.

Alright… Kero is a tiger… and tigers like forests… right? Crap… why do the forests in this area have to be so vast? I guess I might as well start off in the Northern area of the forests and work my way down through them.

He dashed out of the Garden’s gates and ran towards the Northern tip of the forests, planning to get a good thorough search around the entire wooded area. He knew getting to the forest area wasn’t going to be a simple task either; due to the fact that this mission was taking place, the Headmaster and the instructors were going to release quite a few unexpected monsters here and there in the area of Balamb so as to make the mission seem that much harder. Kazuki wasn’t going to be facing the same couple of bug-like monsters that he normally would have had to fight in this area, God only knew what was in store for him this time.

He prepared himself mentally as he loosened the grip the chains had on his body, making them easier to take out. Not feeling quite cocky enough to keep them wrapped up, he completely unwrapped them and held them in his hands, getting himself ready for any unexpected situation that may suddenly come up. Would he be challenged by other students? What if other students were going after the same GF as he was? Would he have to fight them?

He was just beginning the mission, yet time had already taken its toll on him. He looked down at his wrist. A little under 23 hours huh? Well… this’ll be interesting… to say the least.

After a few minutes of running, he felt something creep up behind him, as if something was going to attack him. His feelings couldn’t be any more correct, an enemy had been tailing him silently for quite a while, but his mind had been so focused on finding a good route to the forest, and through the forest, that he hadn’t been able to focus on his surroundings. He twirled his chains around, as a sort of defensive maneuver, as the enemy charged to attack.

Sevick looked at his score he had passed by one point. Thank you whatever god heard me thought Sevick as he walked over to get his tracking device.
"You should have one these on at all times you little thief" sneared Balin " so you're chasing a little fairy.."
"I ain't little" Said ryaia who had just appeared and kicked balin in the butt. She then turned to Sevick and spoke "Seek the Shadows by the sea if you wish to find me"
With a giggle she then vanished.
"Hey I like her already" said Sevick with a smirk as he walked out and went to find Ryaia

A smile came across Kazes face when he glanced at his paper, he had passed. 76% was a passable score, he walked over to Balin after watching Servick leave. As he got the tracking device "I can't remember the GF you told me, which one is it again?" said Balin who was curious about the choice.

"Seydia" Kaze said still happy with his score, now he had to go find her and prove himself so that she would join him.

Balin spoke "Well, good luck with that one she can be real tricky at times."

The time was running and Kaze had to find the GF and get back as soon as possible. Hmm were might I find her....Now I remember he thought as he walked out the library and towards the main enterance, why did it have to be so far up the mountain behind Balambs Garden were the GF resided.

The ground was very hard, it was a mountain what did he expect. There was bound to be lots of stones, rocks and dirt paths which would lead to the destination. He continued at a steady pace up the mountain looking at his way he noticed there was already one hour gone, he had to get a move on as less time more points. It would do him good to get a half decent score in the field exam.

Her week had been uneventful to say the least. To say more would be that her week had been so terribly boring that had it not been for the fact that she had something to look forward to, she would have ripped her own heart out with a spoon from boredom. Sleeping, working out, and more sleeping had been the extent of her activities. Working out was how she the morning of the exam results coming in had found her, her knees hooked over the bar set up in her room. She had worn nothing more than a pair of shorts and a tight wifebeater with nothing beneath it, as there was no reason to be modest when alone. Sweat glistened on her brow, her face uncovered while alone, proving to be fairly pretty, though she cared little for that, which was why she had the high collar. Her stomach burned from the exercise, reaching up when she noticed the time and hooking her fingers over the top of the bar, pulling up and unhooking her knees before dropping her feet to the floor. She let go then, moving to the corner and wiping up with a cloth before stripping to her skivvies, pulling on her regular clothing, the oddly cut jacket and the tight-waisted yet baggy pants she wore. She pulls on her straw sandals last of all, then reaches down for two things she hardly ever carries.

Having attached the "sheath" for the rifle over her back, the strap over her chest at a diagonal angle, she slid home the lever-action rifle, bayonet attached, into the leather sleeve, moving to next grab the broadsword that rested over her lower back. She attached that second, moving to the door with all due haste, for she was almost late for the retrieval of her exam results. She took off at a brisk pace, running towards the library to get her results, sliding into the back of the crowd. Had she not realized the time when she had, she wouldn't have made it here, moving forward to retrieve her results at her name, nodding at the respectable eighty-two percent she'd gotten. It wasn't exceptional, but compared to the abyssmal scores of her first two tests that she hadn't taken seriously, it was a vast improvement...more than she'd made in both the others combined. She lets the others trail up towards the front first, trying to think where she could find a gigantic suit of armor now that it was definite that she would be on the hunt for Bast. She'd picked that one just because it had seemed interesting to her.

The instructor tried to make idle chit-chat with her, but she brushed him off just as she did with everyone, letting the man tie on the bracelet that she had to have. If she didn't have to have it, she never would have taken it, tucking the flare gun and the flare provided, tucking them into separate pockets. Now to get going. Her steps were light and quick, running away from the rest and outside, where she pauses, scratching at her head for a moment. Her leather-gloved fingers slide through her blonde locks, turning her head first one way, then the other. Again she was puzzled with the riddle of where she would find such a huge thing to face. Whether she could reason with it would remain to be seen until she could find it, but she would likely not come back in the same shape she'd left in. Nevertheless, she takes off at a jog in the direction of the mountains, for that was the first choice in her skull...though she doubted that it would be anywhere near that easy.

"Well...this is likely the shitty start to a shitty day. This better frickin' be worth it."

Eliza sighed, the quicker she got this done the better. She had a plan, a plan she neglected to make last time which was her immediate downfall. She took herself into the forest she and Balin had explored the last week. Her feet carried her into a quick pace, knowing she hadn’t any time to spare. Her gun was drawn as she paced around the same hollow tree for the third time, she took three giant steps north until she came to a halt. She stomped her feet hearing a loud clang of metal. She smiled, kneeling down, her hands dug into the ground trying to move enough dirt so she could extract the small chest from the ground. Many minutes passed until the chest reached the surface. Eliza panted roughly as she smacked the hard lock with her gun, breaking it with one fatal swing. She threw the case open and rummaged inside.

Several wires, bombs, knives and jars rested inside. Eliza removed a pair of Balin's heat vision goggles and left it at her side, knowing if nightfall came she didn't want to be trapped in shadows and be humiliated by Fenrir. Eliza now sprinted at a race against time, she knew the only way to defeat her opponent was to ensnare him into a trap. She pierced several trees with wire, each leading to an explosive or launched an arrow or knife. The wires had to remain invisible at all times, if the enemy saw even one of them before the first trap was activated this was all for nothing.

Without Balin's advice or 'exceptional teaching skills' she would be lost. It took two months of preparation exploring, learning how to be careful around explosives and set traps quickly/ Balin shared the same flaw Eliza had, he neglected the knowledge to be able to use magic, but Eliza knew he was well skilled in normal combat and amazing at setting traps. Eliza had to swallow her pride the day she asked him for help.

By the time Eliza was finished creating traps, her arm had a deep gash in it. She looked at her bracelet, the time now showed 19h.22m.01s. Her mind drifted as she looked up at the sky, taking a brief break to gather her strength. Some students were probably finished by now. She sighed deeply as she covered the wound on her arm with black ribbon, letting her hair spread out to her shoulders. She took her sub-machine gun and held it tightly, her mind scanning through the thick leafy trees. She walked slowly and carefully past her own traps. A sudden mistake could easily end her life, she prayed that a student wouldn’t barge through the forest and get themselves killed.

19h.4m.12s until the end of the Exam.

The higher Kaze got the more the wind came to life, it was like an air vent as he walked through the narrow path which lead through then up the mountain. He had discovered Seydia awhile ago and watched as other students tried to acquired her, but to their avail they didn't have any success. Now it was his shot, he was going to give it his all. The path had some light beaming over the steep hill which appeared at the end. I guess she'll be waiting were she always does he thought to himself as he approched.

The sun was going down behind the mountain casting a shadow over Balambs Garden and the forests which were about it. Lucky for Kaze the sun was still gleaming on the other side, he reached the top of the path and stood still glancing at the sun. A few rocks blocked the path but seemed easily enough to climb over, he had to be careful there could be anything about from an Anacondaur to a Geezard. They tend to become annoying but are easily dispatched, what would really be consider as unlucky was if he ran into a ruby dragon during his travels. He sighed at the thought of it and continued.

This would be hard for Kaze since so many others tried to prove themselves worthy, it would take skill and tactics to outsmart this one. Only 18h.56m.23s until it ended, he would really have to get a move on.

He speeded up trying to find Seydia, he knew she would remain in a certain area and it was only a matter of time before he found her. She has to be round here somewere he thought to himself as he reached the end of the path, he was now very high in the mountain almost at the top were he could see most of the land. "I see you have returned." a voice spoke behind Kaze, turning quickly he recognized the voice from last fight. "Yes..However this time I'm here to prove that I am a worthy enough for you to stand by my side." he spoke quite clearly. "Hmm there maybe a problem there, I need proof." the voice said quietly. Her staff appeared after a glow on her hand disappeared and without warning she dashed forward towards kaze.

This caught Kaze offguard making him roll to the side, he nearly lost his balance and found himself extremely close to the edge. It was a long drop down and he did not intend to fall. It would probally result in end of the exam and his life so it wasn't really an option. "Hey, watch out." he said sarcasticly, drawning attention to himself before unsheathing his katana. "Now he could see Seydia, he waited till she dashed at him again but she was probally only toying with him as the other student had suffered far worse unjuries, from what he heard. He was right she dahsed quicker towards him this time and swung her staff in a vertical arc, Kazes reaction were much better now he was focused and moved quickly to the right then slashed at her arm. "Argh!" The blade cut deep into her flesh making her shouted in pain it echoed through the mountains, she then swung the staff even more furiously and clipped Kazes shoulder. It would bruise but nothing to bad, it was expected in a fight.

16h.45m.53s till the exam ended

After about 2 hours of fighting Seydia dragged her staff across the ground and panted heavily as she tried to continue, on the same token Kaze was leaning on his sword, both were tired and woren out. They each had the iron will and a mindset that focus on winning, "I see you are a formidable opponent." Seydia spoke, her voice still seemed the same except the heavy breathing inbetween words. "This could go on all day, and I don't have the time for this. Kaze said, he was feeling drained from all the hits he had recieved and dodging her magic wasn't so easy either. It hit a few times but nothing that was life threatening, "So what do you say..Join me?" he asked as he stood up with the rest of his strength. This was it, time to see if he proved to be good enough to wield this GF. "Hmm, you are right this would continue all day until there was a victor and I like your will to continue." she said then continued "So it seems you have proven yourself today. Whenever your in need you can call on me." Her staff glowed and she disappeared. A small ring appeared in Kazes hand which he glanced, this was his first GF he had aquired and it felt great. He was sore all over from the fight but procced to shout with joy as he started to make his way back down the mountain.

Once he retrieved his gunblade from the dorm room, Xanthe was out and made a beeline for Balamb. Most of the people in Balamb tended to stay at the residential part, so that left Odium three places to play in a safe environment. The hotel, if he wanted to scare people until Xanthe showed, the dock, where Odium could meander freely, causing mayhem to entertain himself, and the station, in which he could slip into the dream of slumbering passengers were the most likely areas, so the gunbladist decided to search there first.

None of the other students, it seemed, were headed towards the city. Why would a Guardian Force (that wasn't insane) want to go into town? The old cars parked in the rent-a-car garage seemed to be out of service, leaving him short of a quick ride back to Balamb, should his time run low. The unevenly paved streets still reminded him of his mother's old coblestone walkway in the center of his yard. The very one he used to trip on as a child. As his foot idly kicked a pebble, pale green eyes searched the town. He passed a sign that read "The Dincht Home," which had become somewhat of a landmark since the Second Sorceress War. Even after the famous mother figure passed away, the gauntlet-wielding martial artist still cherished her.

The bench at the crosswalk remained empty, as it usually did, so Xanthe walked past it without a thought though, only briefly glancing at the weapon shop. He'd been saving up parts to get his own custom gunblade, but he had yet to find the perfect one. Who knew? Maybe he'd design his own. That would ensure he liked it, right? He passed the small store up, heading straight to the station and ignoring the call from the girl standing behind the glass-shielded counter.

A couple sat on the steps as he walked up them, their faces turning to him as he walked by, only taking notice that they were there, an nothing else. The conductor leaned against the railing, taking a heavy drag of his cigarette as the scruffy man stared his way. "You gettin' on, Boy?" Xanthe arched a brow at the man's behavoiur. He'd been to the station enough times before to know the old man didn't speak that way.

With a slow, cruel smile, Xanthe drew his gunblade. "Odium....It's been a while," he said slowly, running a hand easily over his chest. "Did you miss me?" The conductor's eyes turned a wicked blood red, Odium slowly slipping from the body as if he were a ghost. Xanthe only hoped like hell the elderly man didn't die from shock or whatever.

The curved blade of the scythe gleamed in the sunlight, making the human wonder just what kind of magic lurked inside of the morbid weapon. "Xanthe," came the husky, sultry and dark voice of Odium; the voice of the dealy sin Lust. The thing he liked about Odium, was his suprising dark humor on such things. It was as though he were the embodiment of evil, but was a far cry from being remotely evil, at the same time. "So we begin," he murmured just before lunging Xanthe's direction, scythe raised high in the sky.

....17 hr. 32 min. 15 sec. until exam end.

Xanthe leaned forward, resting slightly as Odium watched on, scythe resting idly on his shoulder. Of course the GF was going easy on him, he had to be. Wasn't that always how it was? If Junction users could just kill off GFs why would they want to use their strength? Battling the creatures was a test of worthiness, and Odium wanted some worth from his chosen subject. The last time he fought the monstrough Grimm, he'd felt just as alienated and studied. It was like Odium was staring down at him through a microscope, making him feel tiny and insignificant. It always made him wonder if he was worth the Guardian Force's power.

"Is it time?" he asked suddenly, forcing Xanthe's eyes down to the timer on his wrist. "You have an advantage over your peers, do you not?" the GF asked stonily, wicked red eyes gazing straight at him. He was right. After all, Odium had already succumbed and laid claim to him. They were tied by his scythe in a bond of oath and a blood pact. They could end this whenever they chose.

"The instructors might know if it isn't fair. If we weren't already bound, would you take me in so quickly?" He said after a time, choosing to play it fair simply because he didn't want to be disqualified. A cruel sort of laughter trickled through the air as Odium laughed. It was his natural sound of amusement, though it cut to the bone. Why had he chosen such a chilling Guardian, instead of one that dripped with pride and warmth?

"Very well. I am amused by your logic. Fear of a rule never seemed to stop you before." With a frown, Xanthe knew the creature already understood why they were there. It wasn't about SeeD or the exam anymore. It was about his need to keep the GF by his side. Something he himself could not explain. After all, he'd never had any need for such a cruel being.

16 hr. 13 min. 45 sec.

The blood stained scythe rested over Xanthe's chest as yet another mark marred his pale, muscled form. He winced, but though little of it, allowing the red liquid to flow without notice. "....I suppose we can go back now," he said simply, slinging his gunblade around his waist before sheathing it easily. He had negotiated for some time once before, but this time he'd had to hunt Odium down, so that made it even, right? "I didn't do so well on time, but it's better than before, right?" he muttered, not particularly caring that Odium faded from sight as he rejunctioned. Just Odium's existance made his body stronger, allowing him to walk the journey home as his wounds slowly healed. Frowning as he entered the gates, he noted that his shirt was utterly ruined.

Glancing around, he realized that he was actually done with the second test again, leaving him one left to look forward to.

The easy part was over, now she had to find her GF, and lure him to the forest. She rushed back to the metal case she dug up, shuffling around inside until she recovered a small metal sphere. She took out a set of ridiculous looking earmuffs Balin had given to her. She put them on, praying if a student wandered in and saw her wearing these, they’d die and be unable to tell a soul.

A strong vibration erupted from the spherical object, along with a glowing red light which captured the surface of the orb. Eliza waited until the light went off before taking off her earmuffs. The orb had worked, as far as she could tell. A loud sonar wave, which if anyone in a hundred feet radius had heard would suffer from strong headaches and loss of hearing. Perfect to lure a wolf with fragile ears into a trap… with annoyance.

She climbed one of the select few trees that were deemed safe by her. She admired the convenient view as she scanned the area, her gun loaded and targeted at any movement she sensed.

“I’m coming for ya’ again, little girl!” A loud roar was heard as the large wolf leapt from underneath her feet, colliding with the branch she was perched on. Eliza jumped, falling to her feet as the branch collapsed inches from her. She shot off a few rounds at the wolf as he circled the area she was in. Eliza panicked.

“How did he get past my traps?” She wondered, taking cover behind a large tree. She tried so hard to conceal her traps to make them invisible to the human eye. She thought she succeeded.

Fenrir leapt from tree to tree, each branch smashing from under his weight. She narrowed her eyes praying for her own salvation shooting another few rounds randomly on impulse at her target. Fenrir had avoided all her traps because he used the trees to dodge it. He expected traps.

“Come on you little bitch!” The wolf mocked as he came to the ground. “Big bad wolf is going to have his way with the pussssssssy cat…” He howled, as she broke off into a run, quickly being pursued by her enemy.

She leapt over her trip-wires, as Fenrir followed heavily in pursuit. He gained speed, but stepped exactly were Eliza did. She knew if she wanted to have any advantage she’d need to distract his pursuit. She turned towards him, finishing off her clip of ammo as the wolf collided with her. She kicked him in the jaw and smacked his face with a gun. Fenrir’s claw swooped at Eliza’s arm very swiftly scratching her and making her bleed. Eliza pushed him back, just an inch, triggering off a net trap. The wolf was brought up into the trees just as Balin had. She smiled as the wolf struggled in the net restrains, quickly making them weaker with his weight.

Eliza now sprinted as fast as she could away from the wolf, running past her own traps carefully as attempted to flee the Wolfs location.

The large wolf broke loose from the restraints and howled louder than ever. He stomped the ground, not knowing quite where Eliza had went, the earth beneath his feet shuck violently, setting off many traps that were left for him. His path was now free from danger as he sniffed his claw covered in his nemesis’s blood for her scent. He pursued her with all his capable speed, sniffing wildly as he panted loudly tracking her location.

He came to a stop, knowing where she was now. He approached the tree in suspicion slowly, his claw ready to strike. He followed his nose, his feet ready to pounce and strike behind the tree where her scent was strongest. He struck, with lightning quick agility striking the tree. His sudden stance of victory had been destroyed as he looked at the knife he had launched his attack on. The knife was stained with Eliza’s blood. The wolf jumped backwards as a large cloud of smoke was released from the tree where the knife stood moments ago. The smoke surrounded the entire area, keeping him trapped and coughing wildly.

Eliza clicked her gun with a new clip of ammo upon seeing the black smoke in the distance, leaving the corpse of a Caterchipillar behind her. Her clothes were stained with its blood, destroying all scent of her from the wolf and leading him towards the trap she made. Her arm stung from the wound she had inflicted on herself. Her feet carried her quickly through the wooded terrain.

She threw on her heat vision goggles carefully as she entered the smoke. She knew one glance at the sun would proably blind her for months, she held her breath as the sight of the disoriented wolf came to view too scared to move as he may trigger off more traps she set for him. She smiled triggering many bullets toward him. Several of them hit him, but he dived for cover on impulse, straight into the trap of explosives she left for him. The wolf was repelled as the wild explosion struck him. The tree which the trap was set , now lit strongly with wild ravishing flames, under the might of the explosion the tree began to collapse. Fenrir yelped in pain as the tree fell upon his weak body . The smoke cleared and Eliza approached the small embers with care.

“You fucking little whore…” He panted under the weight of the tree, heavily wounded.

She stepped in front of him, her gun still aimed at him as she bit her lip resisting the urge to leave him to die. “Wow…” Was all she could muster to say.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!” The wolf screamed, the one arm that was available swooped at her. She easily avoided it and stood on the large claw causing him to howl in agony.

“I won’t hold it against you…, you son of a bitch.” She mocked the restrained wolf. “I mean, you only went right into my trap…, which I conveniently laid out for you.”

“I smell Caterchipillar blood…” He growled. “You fooled me…”

Eliza sat down several feet in front of him. Her gun still prepared to shoot. “I set up a dummy trail, all I needed was a little bit of time, which I got from the net you were trapped in… behind the knife was a smoke grenade, moved the knife a little tiny inch and it would release the smoke. I rubbed the Caterchipillar blood on my body…, gruesome thing to do, and I‘ll smell awful for about a week but it ruined the scent of my blood…, and the end result is all that matters…”

“Why are you telling me this?” He barked, struggling with the weight of the heavy trunk over him.

“Last year you called me stupid. But I was clever enough to avoid you, lure you into a trap and… well, I’ll admit… I didn’t expect the tree to collapse on you. That was just perfect luck.” Eliza taunted him. “So, I outsmarted you, and I beat you… want to help me out a little, you big pussy?”

17h.02m.35s.

The mountain path wasn't ever so bad coming back down, as Kaze descended he glanced at how much time he had left. 16h.23m.42s till the end. Hopefully he would make it quickly and get a good score, it was something he had always wanted to become was a SeeD.

He noticed a few others make their way back to the Garden and some still searching for the GF they would capture as he passed by them. The path was hard but walkable. The garden wasn't that far away after he reached the bottom, it was only a walk over the field.

The grass felt different under his feet compared to the hard rock, he walked casually and made his way to the gate of the Balambs. About 1 hour had past since he left the mountain and made his way back, Now just have to get back to the instructor he thought as he walked down the main hall. The ring was still in his hand since it appeared, takening it inbetween his thumb and first finger he glanced. It seemed to have the symbol of a circle with a triangle inside it, the circle had strange writing around the edge of it. In the middle of the triangle there was three circles which had the numbers 6,7 and 8 engraved into them.

This confused Kaze as he looked closely before placing it on the middle finger of his right hand, he had to admit it looked not bad. As he returned to the instructor he noticed few of the students who were lucky enough to win fast and gain the GFs trust. "I see your back. Did you manage to tame her then?" Balin asked as he walked up behind Kaze. "Tame, I thought it was becoming worthy of wielding power like this, that was the real test." he replied, Balin pushed his glasses so that they sat firmly on the bridge of his nose. "I see you catch on quick, let me take the device off and see the time you got." Balin spoke quickly before taking the device from Kazes wrist.

"15h.59m.57s isn't that bad for your first time." Balin seemed ok with the performace. "Seems my work is done now, until the next exam." he spoke quickly before walking by Balin towards his dorm.

The instructors stood by the terminal just as one entered through the mechanical gates of Balamb Garden. Some students had already finished, but not many. A female instructor, probably on of those who obsessed over once-instructor Quistis Trepe, watched him from beneath her frames. "Xanthe Black, congratulations on completing the second section of the SeeD exam. Make sure-" In mid-sentence, she was cut off by another instructor, who actually put his hand over her mouth.

"Xanthe, you're bleeding," he stated flatly, his dark hair and eyes making him seem like a relatively grim character. Quirking a brow, he smirked at the man, knowing his shirt had been ruined upon the fresh scars made on him throughout their battle. The only wounds Odium was willing to heal on him were the ones he made himself, with the exception of pact marks.

"They're healed," he muttered, lifting his shirt to reveal yet another gaping score across his ribs. “….Damn.” He’d forgotten that Odium had made another pact with him. Why, he wasn’t sure, but this one wasn’t going to heal with the Guardian Force’s help. He knew from his first experience that healing magic wouldn’t help it, either. He’d wrap it himself later, because he certainly didn’t want to put up with Kadowaki’s apprentice again. Even if the doctor was retired, he still found her replacement incompetent.

The instructor, Gatlin Tokoro, stepped up to him, not particularly paying attention to much else. “That GF is going to kill you one day,” he stated simply, pulling out a bandage wrap that Xanthe knew he’d had because of him. “Clean yourself up first, at least,” he said, handing the wrap over and turning back to stand with the other mentors. Tokoro was the new Gun-blading Specialist, who taught the ever-growing amount of students in the class. They all wanted to be just like Leonhart, or they wanted to be a badass like Almasy. It was ludicrous.

He could still remember the day he’d seen his first gunblade. His father had been watching an old news broadcast, something filmed many years prior, during the Second Sorceress War. He hadn’t really cared for the man wielding it, just the weapon the supposedly psychotic bastard held. Hyperion was a beauty; one that Xanthe himself would probably never own. It was sleek and contrasting, not to mention a person could slash at an enemy on so many different levels it was nearly unheard of. What amused him the most, however, was that both Almasy and Leonhart hated each other long before the war even started. The fact that they were leading opposing sides of the war was so ironic, it was suspicious.

“…Black!” Xanthe blinked, idly swiping away some of the fresh blood with his already spoiled shirt. He’d really liked that shirt, too. “Infirmary,” Tokoro patiently reminded. Glaring, Xanthe simply pulled the shirt over his head and wiped up what he could. Pulling the bandage away from itself, he began wrapping it around his chest, oblivious to the students around him.

“No thanks,” he said blandly, tightening the wrap to cut off the bleeding. He had an aversion to that place that could rival a cat‘s hatred of water. Anesthetics made him nauseous even now.

With the power of Fenrir now at her will, Eliza arrived back at the garden gates holding the large bag of equipment she barrowed from Balin, mainly the Earmuffs and the heat vision goggles. The counter immediately stopped as she walked passed the iron gates.

“Well I’ll be…” Twain said shocked and holding his nose. “She’s back… , and she smells like Caterchipillar guts…”

Balin smiled smugly. “I told you my intense teaching skills would have her on the path to victory.”

Twain sighed roughly, still holding his nose. “Well can you teach her how to take a shower?”

“I could.” He paused. “But it’d get me fired…”

He approached Eliza holding his nose. “Ah, the sweet scent of victory.”

She nodded in agreement. “I kind of wrecked the forest though. Covered it with traps and ropes…” She smiled hesitantly as Balin lowered his brow in frustration. “… Yeah, a giant tree collapsed on top of Fenrir in flames as well, could have started a large forest fire… think how many casualties that would cost me? Did I remember to put that out?” This was just a clear attempt to get on Balin’s nerves and it looked like it was working, she held out a hand and he took off her bracelet, he threw the bracelet to Instructor Twain who recorded her score.

“Very funny, Elizabeth.” Balin smiled. “Is that stuff mine?”

“Yes sir,” She paused.

“Can I have it back?” Balin asked politely.

“Magic word?”

“Twain, subtract an hour off Elizabeth’s overall score.” Balin ordered, Eliza‘s eyes widened. “You are the student, I am the instructor, though only two years are between us and we’re friends, you are not above the rules.”

“It was a joke…” She said, throwing the bag towards him. “I wanted you to grow a spine so you could stand up for yourself, not become a hard ass..."

“You can’t always get what you want.” He sighed.

She quickly recovered from the incident before. “So who else passed?”

"You'll find out later..." Balin smiled "I really hope Sevick doesn't advance, though..."

“Still bitter about that, then?” Eliza asked.

“No. I’ve reported it. If he can’t follow simple rules and regulations that he’s supposed to he’ll never become a SeeD.” Balin sighed. “Like you, he’s one of the troubled students.”

Instructor Twain burst into a fit of laughter. “Thank heavens she has you as an Instructor, if I‘m not mistaken you were chosen to become an Instructor after your very first SeeD mission. ”

Balin ignored Twain and folded his arms. “The point I’m trying to make Eliza, is that in the final exam follow direct orders. That is the only way you will pass…”

“Alright then, I’ll catch you guys later…” Eliza said pleasantly as she walked towards the garden entrance, and hopefully to an empty shower room where she could cleanse herself of the rotten putrid blood that had sunk into her skin.

Shadow by the sea thought Sevick as he walked along a beach. There he saw Ryaia sitting by the water. She smiled as she turned and looked at Sevick. "I am shadow and this is the sea and i have a riddle for thee" said Ryaia happily. "Now here it is Sevick my dear. What lives and dies in the sun?"
Sevick thought for a moment then said "A shadow"
Ryaia giggled and said "Right you are Sevick. But more I need from you. A great thief I hear you be but can you steal what beats in me?"
"What beats in you?"
"Yes and it beats in you as well"
Sevick's eyes went wide She wants me to steal her heart Sevick then looked at Ryaia and said, "Ryaia the stars shine in your eyes this night, your beauty is greater then the Moon's , now take my hand and let our hearts beat as one."
Ryaia smiled and took Sevick's hand. "I will protect and serve you as long as your love for me is true" Ryaia said then turned to a black smoke that formed around Sevick's neck as a necklace with a glowing black heart shaped gem.


Sevick then made his way back to the garden and entered the gate "well i'm done" he said to the teachers standing there.

Kazuki turned around to see that a T-Rexaur was charging at him at what seemed to be full speed, jaw wide, sharp teeth drooling for the pleasurable taste of human blood.

“Oh come on! Out of all the monsters in the area it had to be one of these?!” Kazuki couldn’t help but let out a sigh of frustration. “Why do these things happen to me?”

As the T-Rexaur crept up to Kazuki closer and closer, Kazuki prepared himself mentally. Remember… these things are strong, they have a pretty good defense, and it takes a pretty huge load of attacks to take them down… He continued to think to himself, analyzing the enemy, trying to remember what its weaknesses were, meanwhile, his hands automatically sped up the movement of the twirling chains around him. Well… for one thing, they aren’t so fast, maybe I could out run it… Here goes nothing.

Kazuki stopped the chains from moving, letting them fall to the floor underneath him. He charged a bit of energy, and then cast a magic spell as a glowing magical circle appeared underneath his feet. “Haste!”

After having cast the spell, it was as if Kazuki could see everything moving at a slower pace. Things weren’t moving slower, it was only his eyes that created the illusion, since he had raised his own speed dramatically. He quickly ducked down for his chains and began to run into the nearest part of the forest. Seeing as the T-Rexaur was drastically slower than him, he was able to get away and head into the forest.

Enormous trees stood over him as he walked aimlessly around the forest. It took him a while to remember that he hadn’t established a route through the forest, he was panicking so much over escaping the battle with the T-Rexaur, that he had shot into the forest through any opening that he saw.

“Ugh… I might as well put my survival skills to some use here…” He grabbed one of his chains with his right hand and swung it lightly enough to make a marking on the two trees that were next to him. “At least this way I’ll know if I’m going in circles.”

It seemed like hours had passed since he first entered the forest, he hadn’t found Kero, nor anything like him for that matter. A few Caterchipillers here and there, another weak monster every now and then, but nothing special. Kazuki began to worry that he had gotten lost pretty far into the woods. His sense of direction was a good one, but not when he had wandered into a place randomly while trying to escape a monster.

17h.32m.03s.

“Great… how long have I been wandering around here?” Suddenly he heard a few explosions nearby. His head jerked up at the sound of the explosion, ears twitching, attempting to figure out from which direction the sounds were coming from. Could it be Kero who’s making all that noise?

Kazuki followed the sound where he figured the explosions were coming from at an alarmingly slow pace, being cautious everywhere he stepped and taking note of his surroundings as much as possible.

Several minutes passed, it seemed like the explosions had stopped quite a while ago. Could Kero already be on to him? Was Kero watching him from some hidden place? Mocking him?

The sound of large footsteps caught Kazuki’s attention. When he turned around to see what they were coming from, he noticed the same T-Rexaur that was chasing him before.

“How the hell did that thing find me again?! I thought I ditched you hours ago!” Then it came to him, his scent. Monsters did have a heightened sense of smell for some unapparent reason. “Crap…”

He began to retreat, as slowly as he could so that the T-Rexaur wouldn’t charge after him. He didn’t want to have to use haste again, wasting all of your magic before you even get towards your main goal isn’t really the smartest thing to do in these sorts of missions.

Before he could take another step back, an immense, distorted noise came from where the T-Rexaur was standing. Apparently he had stepped on a land mine that someone had previously set there, sending the T-Rexaur flying into the air as it slowly disintegrated with the power of the explosion. All that was left behind were the remains of a disintegrated, smoking carcass.

“Wow… that was lucky… thank God for that mine…” Before he could continue to give thanks to his creator over his incomprehensible luck, a faint growl came from behind him.

Kazuki quickly turned around and noticed what he had been waiting to find this whole time… Kero. A white tiger with black parallel stripes down its back, a long mesmerizing white tail followed behind it. Its eyes were pale blue, the type of eyes that you could easily get lost in for staring at them for too long. He instantly knew this was no ordinary tiger… this was Kero.

I have been watching you for a while, and I know you have been searching for me. I have to admit, you have been more lucky than you have been smart since this mission began. Kero was communicating with Kazuki through telepathy. If I were to choose whether or not to allow me to be a part of you right now, I wouldn’t… but you look promising, so I’ll give you an opportunity. Give me a challenge in battle and I’ll consider it.

And so it began. Kazuki barely had enough time to get over his astonishment as the ferocious beast dashed towards him, jaws clenched tight, and a growl escaping from the bottom of its throat. Kazuki quickly drew his weapons, the chains, and stood his ground. When Kero was directly in front of him, Kazuki swung the chain in his right hand in a straight vertical line towards where Kero was supposed to be, but Kero had seen the attack coming and quickly sidestepped to dodge the attack and gently scratched Kazuki’s ankle with the tip of his claws.

“Gah!” While the cut had not been deep, and the scratch had been minimal, Kero’s slash sent pain throughout his entire body. Arg… I know he’s just toying with me… otherwise he could have killed me if he had intentionally aimed that attack a bit higher…That’s it, time to take this to the next level…

Kazuki charged his energy as much as possible to cast another haste spell. Kero simply allowed him to use the spell, knowing that the new found speed still wouldn’t be enough to challenge his unless he had some strategy up his sleeves.

Having this new blinding speed, Kazuki tried to come up with a battle plan. He knew he wouldn’t win without one, so he dug deep inside his brain, taking in his surroundings and the possible outcome of some magic spells combined with attacks. He didn’t have much magic in his arsenal, the most he had were defensive magic, and only one offensive magic He quickly casted a protect spell, knowing that Kero specialized in physical attacks more than magical ones, protect would be a nice help. Having the speed from the haste spell decreased the amount of time necessary to perform the magic.

Kero was getting impatient though, and began to charge forward towards Kazuki at a slower speed than before, obviously meaning business this time. His claws began to shine, as he charged his strongest attack. This can’t be good… Well, I guess I’ll have to use that strategy I came up with earlier right now.

As soon as Kero was within range, Kazuki cast his quake spell, managing to make the earth around his body shatter, pieces of the earth rising and others falling into a deep abyss. Some nearby trees also began to fall at the same time. Kero quickly jumped on top of one of the rising earth pieces. That attack won’t work on me. Kazuki heard Kero’s voice inside him again.

But that wasn’t Kazuki’s plan. He predicted that Kero would do something like that, so while the pieces of earth were still in movement, Kazuki jumped into the air and disappeared from Kero’s view behind some of the many rocks. He then jumped off one of the earth pieces that seemed to be floating, and charged towards a rock that was straight ahead of him, using his right hand’s chain to break the rock, while using the left hand’s chain to swing vertically down soon after the rock had exploded from the first swings impact. Behind that rock was Kero, who was taken by surprise by the oncoming attack.

Kero fell to the floor a few feet away from the chaotic battleground, and Kazuki ran over towards him, chains in hand ready for any dirty tricks that Kero might attempt to make. But Kero was too honorable to try something so vile and tricky as to attack someone when their guard is down, so he simply stood up and looked Kazuki in the eye. Very well, I know you are here on a certain time limit, and I have to admit your battle strategies and skills aren’t half bad. I haven’t seen the limit your power has, but I trust that you will show me along the way if we travel together. You may call upon me whenever you need my aid in battle.

And with that said, Kero disappeared and seemed to turn into an aura which flied into Kazuki’s body, or rather said, soul.

He returned to Balamb Garden as fast as he could. Kero helped him escape the forest, knowing that he would probably never make it out without his help. His new found strength seemed overwhelming, even if he wasn’t summoning Kero at the moment, he could still feel his power within him.

When he reached the Balamb Garden, he was greeted by his instructor, Jake.

“Wow… you actually passed? I mean… congrats man!” A chuckle escaped from underneath his breath.

“Yeah well it was one heck of a mission I’ll give you that much.” He pointed towards his wrist.

14h.33m.25s.

“Hmm… not a bad score, although you could have done better.” Jake attempted to compliment him, but that was the best he could do.

“Thanks” The glare that Kazuki gave him was menacing to say the least.

As Eliza went into the shower room, she sighed in relief, realizing the room was empty. She washed herself over and over hoping the awful smell would magically fade away, after scrubbing her hair she dried off in her towel and got dressed. It was of course to no avail. She could still smell the slight stench of the Caterchipillar’s remains on her. Unwilling to try anything else she left the shower room and proceeded back towards her dorm room.

She collapsed on her bed, her blonde hair still wet, drenched her pillow as she began to fall off to a deep sleep. Her muscles were strained and tired from the heavy amount of work she did. Eliza wasn’t exactly the most fittest student in the Balamb area. She barely trained when she had the spare time. Besides her time spent during lessons, Eliza barely got any exercise at all.

Hours passed and it was dark now. She stared at the ceiling in the dark for a further twenty minutes thinking about the exam, the next exam, the power she had acquired and was at her will. The strong sense of pride she had for herself as she recalled the days events. She wished she could tell it over and over to people, the exact traps she used, how she outwitted her opponent, how superior she felt over the other students who had failed. The sense of achievement inspired her, and for the first time in a long time, a large genuine smile erupted from her.

She stepped up, still fully dressed and opened the door. Slowly she walked down the hallway towards the main building. It was only 7pm and the cafeteria would still be open for another hour or so….Her arm muscles and leg muscles still ached. The school was nearly empty, a few footsteps could be heard in the distance followed by a large bang of a door. She heard a faint distant chatter between two instructors who sat on a bench around the corner, the incident she was trying to eavesdrop about had completely slipped her mind, now as curious as ever, Eliza slowly crept towards the sound of chatter, keeping herself concealed behind the corner.

“A spy?” A male Instructor coughed. “Madness, everyone is loyal to garden.”

“I doubt it.” The female Instructor Cynthia from earlier spoke softly. “Instructor Twain told me it was one of instructors?”

“How do they figure that?” The man asked.

“Well, as you know, Garden Staff and SeeD have different access codes to get into the headmasters office. The logbook showed one of us entering his office at 2am…” Cynthia paused. “And in there are 16 Instructors, one of us did it…”

“How do we know a Student didn’t do it?” The man folded his arms behind his head.

“You seem pretty relaxed, Angus.” Cynthia accused.

“What are you implying?” He broke into a smile of disbelief. “You don’t think I did--”

“We can’t trust anyone. Well, none of us…” She sighed. “Which is why Instructors can’t go with the candidates tomorrow.”

“So what exactly was stolen?” Angus asked.

“I‘m unsure. It’s enough for Weldon to do a thorough search of all of us, plus… if it were something exposing a weakness of Garden…”

“It’d have a high costing price in the black market. Both Galbadia and Esthar would both want it in their possession.” Angus nodded in agreement.

“Exactly.” Cynthia sighed. “I really fear for these candidates and whatever their mission is. If it was in the contents stolen then… well, they’ll be led to certain death.”

“So, obviously if you’re telling me you don’t think I’m the spy…” Angus said slowly, his foot tapping off the tiles impatiently. “So who do you think is…?”

“I don’t know.” Cynthia sighed. “I trust everyone.”

“Well, whoever it is, tomorrow will be an opportunity to sell the item quickly and effectively.” Angus said standing.

“How do you figure that out?” Cynthia asked, Eliza leant forward, trying to maintain in earshot as the dark haired instructor followed her associate.

“Well Balin’s job with--” The Instructor was cut off with the loud bell of the intercom.

“To all SeeD students who passed today’s exam. Please report to the Front Gates tomorrow morning at 8am to be briefed on your teams. A reminder to wear you Garden Uniform for the remainder of your exam. Thank you.”

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow." Angus and Cynthia departed ways, he headed towards the infirmary while Cynthia walked towards were Eliza was hidden. She walked past Eliza and smiled. "Good luck in your Exam..."

Eliza sighed to herself in relief. "She didn't know I was listening..." She slowly collapsed against the wall, sliding down its surface and sat against it thinking of what she heard and the consequences it could have for the candidates. As the reality of tomorrows exam hit her, Eliza began to worry, even considering of skipping it until next year.

He'd been training for so long, he wasn't sure what time it was now. Xanthe had skipped out on the shower, opting to go to the training ground and practice some more. The T-rexaurs were a bitch to run away from when you still smelled like blood, so he'd given up around 6:30, deciding to relax in the small room tucked away in the back before the other students meandered that way to make out and crap. "....Black..," someone muttered behind him, causing pale green eyes to move away from the window.

Gatlin stood leaning against the door frame, dark eyes watching him closely. "What is it?" he questioned sharply. The instructor rubbed his finger along his stubbled jaw, as though he was seriously contemplating something. His eyes scanned the training grounds before walking over to Xanthe, resting his forearms on the wall there and gazing outside.

"I'm not supposed to say anything.....but I think you should keep an eye out for it, just in case. It would benefit us to have someone like you in on it." Frowning, he watched the man's face for any signs of insincerity. Finding none, his brows furrowed slightly before he shrugged, telling the man without a word that he didn't care. "The instructors won't be going to the exams with you tomorrow. Something was taken here at Garden, something.... well, I can't tell you what it is, but it had to be one of the instructors. Unless a student somehow stole a keycode, there are no other possible suspects."

"....Tokoro, it's not my business to settle Garden's affairs. I've already failed the exam once. I don't intend to loose Odium again," Xanthe stated blandly, emotionless green eyes staring directly at the rough-looking man beside him. It was painful the last time he'd parted with his GF, and he wasn't sure it wouldn't be worse the second time around. He didn't want to be involved in anything that would risk his junction now. Odium was like an addiction, or maybe a disease, you couldn't live with him, or without him.

"That monster is going to kill you," Tokoro muttered, reiterating himself for the umpteenth time. "You shouldn't have picked up that book." Yes, Gatlin had been the one to find him in the B-section of Garden, hovering closely over an Occult magazine and obsessing over the mystery that was Odium.

"I don't need a preacher, just a trainer. If that's all you have to say, then leave me alone," he stated blandly, waiting for him to just that. When he didn't, he gave in, not wanting to deal with him anymore. He could just ignore the request and focus on the mission they gave him tomorrow, anyway. "I won't fail the exam over your problems."

Even Gatlin knew that his statement meant he was willing to at least hear him out the rest of the way. With a low, almost inaudible chuckle, the instructor continued his request. "If you see an instructor, inform me. If you see that person with any item, possibly selling it or trading it, call me immediately....Tell me their name by saying something less obvious than 'whoever is here, selling something.' " Upon being met with silence, the gruff man crossed his arms over his chest. "I know you probably won't do what I'm asking because you don't want to loose Odium, but at least tell me if you happen to see anything."

Xanthe shrugged, straightening himself up and pausing to wait out the dizziness. "I'm going to eat now," he said simply, heading for the door as the first couple began walking through. He purpously looked irritated to make them think he'd been scolded.

"Hello, Instructor Tokoro," he heard the female, a really crappy gunbladist in his first section of training, say as he walked away. He could vaguely hear Gatlin's voice replying, but by then, he was too far to actually understand what his words had been.


“To all SeeD students who passed today’s exam. Please report to the Front Gates tomorrow morning at 8am to be briefed on your teams. A reminder to wear you Garden Uniform for the remainder of your exam. Thank you.”

With a sigh, he figured he'd grab a bite to eat and sleep off the anemia so he'd be ready for the exam tomorrow. I wonder how the instructors not being present will affect the competition. They'll probably be a lot more rowdy, which means....a lot less of a challenge for me to complete my mission. I could probably take advantage of the mayhem it might cause.... and if I pick up that perp Tokoro mention, maybe it will bump my score up even more......Who knows? This could be a good opportunity....or a disaster.

The cafeteria smelled like hotdogs, making Xanthe blanch. He hated hotdogs, but he did need to eat, so..... With a frown, he glanced at the picture of the "Savior Squad," as he liked to call them. The little band of heros was sitting at a table, an award of whatever kind sitting before each one. Trepe for her tactics, Kinneas for his sharpshootin, the bouncy one for her GF skills, Dincht for his martial arts, Heartilly, he wasn't sure, and Leonhart for his leadership. The old headmaster and his wife stood behind him, one hand on his shoulder and making him look like he had a stick up his ass.

That photo always annoyed him, for whatever reason. "What can I get for you, doll-face?" He wanted to ask her if she had anything edible back there, but he knew she'd be insulted if he tried that. So, he glanced around, choosing to take a big salad instead of the mysterious food that was hotdogs. What the hell were they made of, anyway?

Frowning, he glanced around for an empty table to sit at.

She'd wandered for hours. Hours on end spent hunting a man. She didn't even like men all that much. A bunch of testosterone-driven hornballs was how she saw all over them and what she didn't know yet was that she would soon meet the biggest of them, both figuratively and literally. She cursed with each step, her feet already aching, back hurting from a few falls down ridges that collapsed under even her slight weight. Her hand ached from being smashed beneath her in one of those falls, having had to reshift one of her knuckles that had snapped out of place. She'd made her way back down from the mountains, wondering just where to find this bastard. He'd come just when she least expected it.

The first thing that had caught her attention at the base of the mountains was the immense sucking sound, akin to water sliding down a drain. There was no water near her at the time, which was curious in itself, but the fact that the sun disappeared for a moment was what had drawn her eyes to the skies. The black vortex above her had caused her eyes to widen, but the true surprise and danger had been the massive pair of metal feet dropping through. A few tons falling at terminal velocity was dangerous enough in the debris it could stir up...but it was falling over her head. Her pulse pounding in her ears, adrenaline fueling her every move, she'd driven her legs harder than she could have ever hoped to move without the panic fueling her inner fires, leaping at the last instant away from the massive armor suit as it crashed down.

The shockwave of debris and force had lifted and flung her over thirty feet, battering her with rocks as the gigantic suit of metal she couldn't identify tottered in its crater. Her broadsword had fallen from its sheath over her lower back, unable to find it in the dust swirling through the air. Her mind had first whirled with thoughts of how she could beat a giant, searching for her blade. Her eyes had turned to the giant suit of armor as it had begun to creak, bolts snapping and clasps unlocking up its length, backing up and luckily tripping over her sword as she did. With a suction from inside the suit that pulled the dust inside, it opened, the dust cleared around her as she slides the blade back into the sheath, eyes wide as her foe steps forth.

A giant green foot had slid forth from the depths of the armor, planted down lightly as an equally large hand brings itself forth from the inside to push the armor further open. The tiny figure before the suit of armor scuttles back on her hands and feet, her aches and pains forgotten as the gleaming bald head pushes forth. Eyes narrow, staring down at the tiny form that was moving, Bast the Destroyer standing in all his nearly-naked glory as he slides free. His fingers clench and unclench, closing around the halberd stuffed into the gauntlet of the armored suit that binds him. Sneering down with slightly pointed teeth, his lips part, a voice so deep that it caused her chest to feel hollow rattling forth.

"Well, ain't this just the sweetest thing...a purty li'l girl come to find me. You ain't gone be no use t'me. Yer much too little to breed. I've took shits bigger'n you, girlie. But I assume you don't want me for m'charmin' good looks, so...let's get to it."

He'd surprised her with his swiftness, the halberd being swung underhand, slicing a gouge through the ground as the blade cut towards her. Thankfully the wave of debris had rolled her to the side, keeping her from being split in half, the young woman standing from her funk with a sense of dread. For once, this wasn't a fight on equal terms...and it frightened her. Her hand swings up, gripping the stock of her rifle, giving a swift tug. It slides free with a soft sound of leather on wood, turning in the air as her body does, left hand grabbing the fore end of the rifle and bringing it up as her right hand slides into the lever, shouldering the rifle and firing off three shots at his left eye. The shots hit home, enraging the beast as yellowish fluid seeps from his deflating eyeball, leaving him with a giant blindspot...but he was still dangerous.

Over an hour later...

Ankle twisted, jacket ripped and torn, exposing all of her upper torso, Elle looked a mess. Her formerly blonde hair was now a chaotic mix of brown and crimson from the cuts across her forehead leaking into her hair. Her gloves were torn, as well, holding her sword in one hand, bayonet from her discarded rifle in the other. She'd run out of shells, the giant called Bast now on his knees. Somewhere along the way in the battle that was so hectic tha she could remember very little up to now, she'd cut his Achilles tendons, leaving him in great pain each time he moved, for she couldn't completely sever them. Her sword was caked in his oddly-colored blood, using it to cling to what she held now...and what odd things to hold.

"An' now...you see the weakness...of man. Such dependence on these little nuisances. Give it up, Bast...give in now and maybe I won't hurt them."

The giant roars in pain again, his cries likely heard for miles around, reaching down towards her once more, large fingers quivering. As his fingers near her, she reels back a knee, slamming it down into the testicle she held to, the giant spasming and howling in protest. He falls forward onto his hands and knees, Elle clinging tighter and starting to piston her knees into the held nut, arms wrapped tight. She was threatening to cut it off if she didn't get him to give in soon, his body jolting with each blow. His eyes close, falling forward onto his face fully, lips parting for a groan. Blind in one eye, his ankles aflame with each movement and now one of his balls held hostage, Bast was beat. That much he had to admit...this tiny little girl had bested him, even if it wasn't in the most noble manner.

"A...all right...yo...you win. Just...get the...sword off my balls. And stop kickin' it."

Grinning from ear to ear, bleeding from the mouth, the victorious blonde rolls off of the warm flesh she held, falling into an open palm below her. The green giant gives her a quick squeeze, not even bothering to mark her...they were bonded by blood. His blood thoroughly coated her, seeping into her wounds and he'd just had some of hers slip into a slice in his palm, laying her down upon the ground. She crawled towards her rifle with the throbbing ankle dragging behind her, reattaching her bayonet as Bast dissipates into nothingness with his armor, recalled from where he came from. She slides her rifle down into the sheath for it, sheathing her broadsword, as well. She searches around for something to help her move, grabbing a long, straight root that had been unearthed by Bast's giant halberd amidst the battle. She leans her weight on the injured ankle side on that root, her free arm crossed over her now bare breasts as she limps her way back home.

She returned to Balamb Garden with minutes to spare, grateful that she'd gotten hold to the giant's balls when she had...and she hoped she never had to thank her lucky stars that she grabbed a man's balls ever again. Her eyes close, ignoring the stares towards her as she limped her way towards her room. Morphine would do her good at the moment, heading towards her room to undress fully and shower. She sighed in relief as she shuts her door, dropping her arm away from her chest, shucking the ripped coat and then her dirty pants, moving towards her shower after digging in a dresser for a syringe full of liquid painkiller. She jams it into the meat of her thigh, hissing as she turns on the water, waiting for the numbness to start, eyes opening at the announcement.

"Oh, just fucking great. Beat to shit and back and now I have to wear a uniform...oh well...at least I got past the first fucking test this time."

Showering as quickly as she could manage considering her battered frame, the blonde grunted with each throb of her severely twisted ankle. She stepped out after a short time, getting the blood and grime off before going for steel thread and a curved needle...she handled her own stitches. Sitting down before a mirror, she slid the needle into the edge of a slice in her forehead, grinding her teeth each time she pulled it tight, the painkillers not deadening all. When done, she uses a pair of wire clippers to cut off the ends of the stitches, pasting a bandage over it. Limping to her closet, she pulls on clothes most don't usually see her in. She slides into an oversized white shirt, pulling on black jogging pants from her dresser before digging under her bed for an ankle brace and a pair of flip-flops, exiting her room with a limp to get something to eat. She was hungry and aching, wanting sleep, but needing food.

Kaze woke suddenly upon hearing the announcement, he had been hearing whispers in his sleep. Glancing at the new ring he had aquired it was like it was talking to him but he couldn't make out anything. He had changed into another of his usual attire after a shower before he had went to sleep. Damn, I always hate those uniforms he thought as he walked towards the door of his room. Looking back he glanced at the chest of drawers next to his bed and spoke "I will make you proud." before walking out and closing the door behind him.

He started to make his way outside, since it was dark most of the students had retreated inside. It was quiet just the way he liked it. A few students still moved about as Kaze stared at the sky it was now grey but in the distance he could see the red, yellow and orange along the horizion were the sun was setting.

One more test was all that stood before him and his goal. "This one will be for you father." he mutter only loud enough to hear if you were beside him. Then he got up and made his way back inside and wandering towards the cafeteria.