Seifer woke up with the worst headache he had ever had. It was splitting his head apart. He opened his eyes and was surprised to realize that he was in his old room at Balamb Garden. That was good enough for him. Just hold on to a good feeling they had said. His had been the feeling that he had had before this whole mess had started. He was thinking of just kicking back with Fuujin and Rajin and talking or pestering Zell. That must have brought him back here to garden.

            'Damn' he thought, sitting up. They weren't going to be very happy to see him. He had tried to kill them and even if he hadn't been able to control what he was doing, he knew that Squall certainly wouldn't let him stay here in the garden. It was good for him that he was here though since his room was where he kept all sorts of medicines and remedies. He walked to his bathroom. Everything looked just like it always had. It brought a little happiness to his heavy heart. He downed the medicine and brushed his teeth while he was at it. It had been a few days and his breath alone could have killed a grat.

            The mirror above the sink showed him that he also needed a shower. His hair, normally the color of honey was a scroungy brownish color. His lips were cracked from dehydration and his clothes were blood speckled. Victims in hell looked better than him. But his bathroom was here and his stuff, so he took the opportunity to bathe while he had it.

            While he removed the crusted layers with a small hand towel, he basked in his feelings of hopelessness. Wherever he went he would be hated. He couldn't go to any of the towns that he had helped the Sorceress seize control of. He would have to live alone somewhere in the wilderness and become a hermit. Seifer wasn't regarded as a socialite by any means, but he wasn't nearly the loner that Squall was. He needed people. He wanted people to react to him. He wanted friends like Fuujin and Raajin. He wanted friends like he had had in the orphanage. He actually wanted the same friends he had in the orphanage.

            When he emerged from the bathroom, he had made his plan to go to check out the area around Winhill. Perhaps they had a remote house that wasn't in bad condition. He nearly died of shock when Raijin met him at the door. He didn't know what to say, but he didn't have to say anything because Raijin spoke first. "I've gotta take a shower too ya know?"

            Seifer's lips became a little "o" that was smaller than the huge circles his eyes had become. "What?" he asked.

            "I'm going to shower too ya know?" He looked annoyed. Seifer, unsure, stepped aside. Raijin walked into the bathroom and waved a little in thanks before shutting the door. Seifer shook his head. He knew that he could count on his friends, but he hadn't expected them to instantly go back to being chummy. Since he was only wearing a towel, he thought that he should get dressed. The medicine had kicked in and he wasn't feeling the pain much. It made it a lot easier to go back into his room.

            He looked in his closet. It was organized by color, black to white. He didn't wear that many colors. Most of the closet was black, with one lone white shirt all the way to the right. He decided to wear that shirt, because a small bit of him didn't want to it to be lonely. The shirt was too small for him, even with the weight he had lost in the past weeks. He just doubled up with a vest. It didn't matter anyway since he would be wearing his coat. He needed it close to him when he went to speak with the Garden staff. When he went to grab it, his hand stopped. 'Wasn't it on his bed?' He turned and there it was, on the bed. He reached into the closet and pulled down the duplicate coat. It was a mirror image of the one on the bed except that this one was clean and didn't have any snags in it. It angered Seifer before it confused him. He finally gave up, hoping it was Raijin who had bought the same coat and hung it in his closet as a way of saying that he was forgiven. He still felt more comfortable wearing his old one.

            When he checked in the mirror, it was as if the Sorceress incident hadn't just happened. His skin glowed healthily and his hair was feathering, happy to be clean. But his eyes gave away his shame and defeat. After this he might never be able to see any of his once friends ever again. He would never be able to tease Zell about his hair. Never smirk in just the right way to piss off Squall. He was thinking of all the nevers when the doorchime buzzed.

            Since Raijin was probably still in the shower, Seifer figured he should answer it. He hoped that it was Fuujin and he hoped that she was as forgiving as Raijin was. When he opened it, he was embarrassed to see it was Quistis. His face turned away from her. He backed away from the door, his body moving back to allow her access into the room.

            "Seifer, are you coming?" she asked briskly and angrily.

            He shrugged. "Where are we going?"

            She shook her head in annoyed disbelief. "Seifer, this isn't funny." Her glasses were on, a thing that Seifer had always found unattractive. Especially when they made her eyes larger when she glared at him, which she did often.

            "Look Quistis, don't worry. I'm planning on going and talking to the headmaster..."

            He was interrupted by Raijin's voice. "Seifer, are you heading out now, you know?" He turned to see a fully dressed but wet haired Raijin. Was he trying to push Seifer into leaving? Maybe he wasn't as happy to see him as it had seemed at first. Perhaps the coat hadn't been a gift.

            "Yeah."

He walked sulkily through the door. He followed Quistis even though she was walking briskly. He wondered is she was this bad, how pissed off Squall would be. When she turned left at the end of the dormitory hallway, she almost collided with a kid who had been running around. He heard her apologize to him and then chastise him for running. She turned back to Seifer to make sure that he wasn't laughing at her. His frowning eyes just watched her silently. She calmed down a little and walked at normal pace allowing him to catch up. She opened conversation with, "So, you said you were going to see the headmaster?"

"Yeah, well, this is important."

She nodded. "Yes, but he will be there you know."

Seifer squinted one eye at her, he was confused. "Be where?"

She laughed. "God, you are really out of it today. The directory." Seifer wondered what could possibly be going on at the directory.

"What is going on at the directory?" he asked her right before he heard Raijin's voice. They both turned to see Raijin rushing after Seifer with his gunblade. He screeched to a stop in front of them.

"You almost forgot your gunblade, you know?" he panted, setting his hands on his knees.

"Considering the circumstances, I don't think that I should take a weapon."

Raijin's face became a giant question mark. When he looked to Quistis for some support in the matter, he saw that she was just confused as Raijin was.

"It wouldn't be safe to go without a weapon," said Quistis being reasonable. Seifer realized that meant that they intended him to not head back to his dorm room. It was worse than he thought. He took the gunblade sadly.

"LUCK!" yelled a voice to the side of him. He turned to see Fuujin there. Her lovely patched face watching him thoughtfully.

"You too Fuujin," he said, a little choked up. It was nice of his friends to see him off. As a group they walked to the directory, he noticed Headmaster Cid was there chatting with Squall and Zell. 'Headmaster Cid!' thought Seifer. What was he doing there? Squall was the master of Balamb Garden now. 'Has Cid taken back his command?' he wondered. Zell was bouncing excitedly. Seifer wondered if he was happy that they would be throwing him out of the Garden. Something was definitely going on though, he could feel it. Well, something stranger than being thrown out of Balamb Garden for being the Sorceress's Knight. Squall was hanging in back just watching people.

"Glad you could make it Mr. Almasy," said Cid. Zell snickered.

"Well if I had known there would be such a rush..." muttered Seifer.

            Quistis stood in front of the small group. "As I was saying, Seifer, Squall, and Zell will comprise Squad B. Seifer, you are the captain. Good luck."

            Seifer shook his head. He didn't know what was going on, but her words sounded very familiar. The creepy feeling that was climbing up the back of his neck grew as Cid replaced Quistis in front of the group. "How is everyone doing? This exam will involve 12 members from squads A through D. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously the battles are for real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honor and disgrace..."

            He almost passed out from the shock. This was the Seed test that he had taken just days before falling prey to the Sorceress. Every aspect of this was familiar now to him. Fuujin and Raijin standing next to him, ready to laugh at any joke he would make at the expense of the other wannabe Seeds. Squall looking annoyed and bored at the same time, trying to avoid having to talk with anyone. And Zell, that explained why he seemed so anxious, ready to go into battle. Seifer had traveled back through time!

            "The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force Seed!" yelled Headmaster Cid. The Sorceress's reign hadn't happened. Seifer was not a puppet. He was himself! He hadn't committed any atrocities. He could live in cities and be welcomed by people! It explained the coat.

            "Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of Seed." Cid's top half moved back and forth. "Best of luck."

            Yes, he could become a Seed. He would change things! He could save all the people who suffered at his hands. He turned and faced Fuujin and Raijin who he now noticed looked combat-ready, their weapons kept close. he could have hugged them and might have if Squall and Zell weren't there. But hey, he wanted to hug Squall and Zell.

            He walked over to them. Both of them caught off guard. He was smiling, not smirking and it threw them off. Zell was defensive, he had to be with Seifer around. He just stood next to Squall and stayed there, resisting the urge to jump up and down. Afterall, if he had any respect he wanted to keep it. He wanted to join Zell in his bounces and flips. But Seifer was cool, aloof even to the eyes of the friends he had grown up with.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

            "Yo Squall, show me your gunblade, will ya?" Zell pleaded. Seifer laughed, picking up on the innuendo that no one else noticed. It was nice to have comrades again. Nice not having to try to murder them.

            ".............."

            "C'mon man!" said Zell louder.

            Seifer leaned forward with his gunblade lying flat on upwards palms. "You can check out mine," he offered. Zell's large green eyes became larger and even Squall looked up surprised. "Just be careful," he warned.

            Zell took a swallow and then leaned forward to take it. His eyes stayed on Seifer's eyes, checking for sincerity even as he was taking the sword from his hands. Once he had it, he relaxed a bit. "Awesome!" he yelled. He made slashes in the air. Squall moved back, not wanting to get harmed.

            Quistis squirmed. "Zell, don't you think that you should be more careful..."

            A loud noise reverberated through the car. Seifer's quick reflexes reached out and yanked the blade away from Zell even while the sound of the gunshot was still audible. He looked around to make sure no one was hurt.

"Dammit Zell!" shouted Quistis. "You just had to play with it! Is everyone okay?" Everyone nodded except for Seifer who smiled. When Squall and Quistis were looking away he motioned to Zell. Zell looked at him as he mimed that he should have aimed for Quistis. Zell wasn't accustomed to Seifer making a joke. At first he looked sickened and then it sunk in that maybe it was just a joke. He giggled a little. The two exchanged a happy smile.

After a while passed, Zell sat up and began making punches at the air. Seifer enjoyed his enthusiasm, but he had enough foresight to see that Zell kicking and punching directly in front of Quistis wasn't a good idea. "Stop it, that's annoying...Chicken..." He had already started to call Zell by his old nickname. Seifer looked away as Zell got angry.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME???" demanded Zell, his fists coming up. Seifer looked away feeling guilty. He remembered slicing into Zell with his gunblade. It was his responsibility to atone for that feeling.

"Knock it off!" yelled Quistis standing up in a face off with Zell. They both plunked back down.

"Instructor...who was that girl in the infirmary this morning?" 'A girl?' wondered Seifer. Could it have been Ellone? He hoped that she wouldn't mess around with him now that he had found where he wanted to be in time.

"Was someone there? I didn't notice anybody. Is there a problem?"

"No, not really." Squall went back to sulking. Seifer had forgotten how much of the time Squall spent in silence. He felt the urge to coax him to say something. But the only way to do that would be to pick on him. Maybe just a little wouldn't hurt.

"Hey Ch...Zell, maybe you and I ought to give Squall some tips on talking to women."

Squall glared up at him. It was okay to tease Squall about his love life. Seifer knew that he had Rinoa in his future. Zell said "Man, like I would know anything more than Squall."

Zell was so adorable that he doubted that he did have any love life problems. Though, Seifer couldn't actually recall having ever seen Zell have a girlfriend. Even as kids, Zell had never strayed far from his group of friends. 'Maybe my constant picking over the years has ruined his self esteem'. It seemed an arrogant thought, but not a terribly invalid one. He thought hard of something nice to say to Zell, he still wasn't used to this.

"At least you talk to girls, unlike Squall here," Seifer said. Even trying to be nice he had still managed to insult someone. Squall ignored him, but he still felt bad. Zell was looking at him suspiciously. He looked away.

They had all managed to come out from the car ride in one piece and now they looked at the ship that they would be stuck with each other on.

"Is that the vessel?" asked Squall.

"Yes," said Seifer sighing. Balamb was such a beautiful place. He enjoyed the salt air clearing his dusty lungs. He could hear the waves crashing. They were constant. Seifer loved the ocean for being so consistent. The ships in comparison were ugly and so were some of the soldiers waiting for them to catch up.

"Come on, move it!" shouted Quistis. They ran on board. Each one trying not to feel icky about getting back into a confined space with the others. Seifer took the seat closest to the screen, wanting to pay more attention to what was going on this time. He was surprised when Squall sat next to him.

While Xu went over the mission, Seifer strained his brain to try and figure out a way that he could handle the situation and still become a seed. He was sure that leaving the designated area would result in his failing the test. But, he also knew that Biggs and Wedge were hooking up the satellite that the Sorceress would use as mass communication. He had to figure out a way to stop them without failing this exam. If he was a Seed, he could join the group on their mission to stop her and he knew what they needed to beat her.

Once the vessel crashed onto shore, they all ran out. "Okay, you are to secure the central square!" she commanded. Seifer didn't need to be told. He knew where he should go. "Be sure to equip your GF before you head into battle."

Seifer laughed inside. 'Yeah right,' he thought. 'With all that memory loss?'

Before he even had time to think about it, they were there in the square. At the same time and place as the last time. "Go and scout the area," he ordered. He was torn. He didn't' know what to do. Should he stop Biggs and Wedge. How important to him was becoming a seed? He just needed some time to think of a plan.

Soon, the damned dog howled and they all ducked down. The soldiers snuck by them to go up to the tower. Squall and Zell wondered outloud at where they were going. He felt the weight of the decision bearing down on him.

"Hey, what is that up there?" asked Zell noticing the communications tower. 'No!' thought Seifer. He thought of the Sorceress manipulating him. His mind flashed back to having to watch what he said, what he thought. The control...He wanted to end it now. But there was the dog and it was howling at him to make his decision. No one thought of Seifer as a do-gooder. But down in his heart, he was.

"That's our next destination!"

Zell stepped forward his green eyes ablaze, "But that's against orders!"

"Chickenwuss!" he accused. "There is something going on up there, and we know because we saw it! The others don't know! This is a real battlefield..." he thought of Headmaster Cid's speech. It all boiled down to who lived and who died. Seifer was going to protect the people he loved. The Sorceress would fall.

"I stand by the Captain," said Squall in a firm voice. His body language showed the resentment he held in saying it.

"This ain't no ordinary battle." Zell could say that again. "This is an exam, an important one. I'm telling ya we have to stick to orders."

Seifer grew angry. "If this was your hometown, would you be saying that? Grow a backbone Dincht!" They both stared at him, surprised at his passion. Zell put out his hands in a helpless motion. Seifer turned and ran down the alley, following after the enemy.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

"Seifer. You will be disciplined for your irresponsible behavior. You must follow orders exactly during combat. But I'm not entirely without sympathy for you. I don't want you all to become machines. I want you all to be able to think and act for yourselves. I am..." Headmaster Cid broke off to talk to one of the creepy guys that hung around the Garden. Seifer looked down. There it was again. He had failed the test again, he knew because it was the same speech he had been given last time. Only this time he had blown it willingly. And for what? They had lost control of the tower anyway!

He tried not to let the sadness show on his face. Headmaster Cid walked away, babbling about something. At least now though, he had an idea of what he had to do. He needed to talk to Ellone. Luckily, she came to hide at the Garden. Or would come. He just had to wait and plan.

The Garden chimed for all the students who had taken the Seed test to meet up on the second level. Seifer didn't jump at the sound this time. He knew the outcome. Instead, he sat down on the edge of the bricks that lined the circle that was the center of Balamb Garden activity. It hit him then how hungry he was. They had all eaten in Balamb when they got back from Dollet. Unlike the first time, Seifer hadn't made off with the car leaving them all stranded. The dinner had been uncomfortable. He was still hungry.

"Hey Seifer, aren't you going up?" asked Zell who had been passing by on his way to the elevator. Seifer looked up from his frump.

"What's the point?" he asked angrily. It wasn't fair that he had failed again. So much for justice. He felt the air swishing off of Zell's active fists that were swinging in the air.

"Hey, don't talk like that. You can be a real jerk sometimes you know that?" Seifer looked up. He was hurt by the insult, even if he deserved it for crimes of another time. But when he saw the look on Zell's face he realized that he had been trying to cheer him up. "I mean, it's not your fault, what happened. We all agreed."

            "Yeah but as a leader, I'm the one who has to take the responsibility."

            Zell actually sat beside him. He winced as the edge of the brick dug into his legs even through the jean shorts. "Well why don't you tell them what you told us?" He leaned forward, his hands holding onto the other side of the wall.

            "Shouldn't you be upstairs Zell?" asked Seifer. "You don't want them to not make you a Seed just cause you aren't there right?" He was caught off guard as Zell punched him in the shoulder and stood in front of him in the blink of an eye. His hand went to his shoulder as he stared up at Zell with incomprehension.

            "What the hell is with you lately Seifer? When did you start calling me by my name and not an insult? When did you start throwing out your chances of making something of yourself just to care about other people?" He looked really pissed. His eyebrows were close together as he bounced from front to back foot. "When did you start acting like a fucking human being?"

            Seifer lost it. It was too hard to be nice. It was hard to have all this weight on his shoulders. He had always been a natural born leader, running things as he saw fit. Now he realized that his dependence on others was exactly what put him under Edea's control. When it came down to it, he wanted others to bear the weight too. He stood up and stormed off. No witty retorts, but he was just glad he hadn't started to cry.

            He did cry when he reached his room. He felt all the tears that the sorceress hadn't let him shed. He clutched onto the blankets as tightly as he could, a coughing noise came from his throat. She had used him as her lap dog and now he didn't think he could stop her from doing it to someone else.  He didn't know if he could help to stop her. She would just use his weaknesses to manipulate him again. It was hopeless. That was how he felt as he curled into a wet ball on the bed.

            When he heard the doorchime, he closed his mouth to shut off the sound that had been coming out of it. He just hoped whoever was at his door hadn't heard him. He stood up and wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his coat. "What?" he yelled at the door.

            "Seifer, can I come in?" asked Zell. Seifer didn't know whether to say yes or no. It wasn't Zell's fault that all this was happening. He had no one to blame but himself. He had made up his mind to be nice to his orphanage friends and so he unlocked the door and sat on his bed.

            "It's open," he yelled. He heard the footsteps behind him. He kept his face away so that Zell couldn't see his red eyes and nose. Zell was silent, but he could still make out the sound of the rustling of clothes. He never could hold still.

            "Seifer, I'm so sorry man. You've just got me all fucked up over this. You've always been an asshole to me and now, you've changed. I just don't know why you've changed. I mean, it's weird when you call me Zell."

            Seifer smiled. "Prefer chicken-wuss?" He could feel the smirk on his face. It was okay though because Zell couldn't see it.

            "Shit!" swore Zell. "I just wish you'd make up your mind."

            Seifer turned to face Zell, for some reason he had to watch his reaction. "I want to be your friend Zell." And the reaction was just as interesting as he had imagined it would be. Zell's jaw dropped. He stepped forward.

            "You've been crying..." he said. He reached out his hand to trace the not dried path of a tear on Seifer's face. As he did, Seifer was so filled with emotion that he felt his eyes fill again and he wrapped his arms around Zell's back. Zell was perfectly still for once, as Seifer cried against his stomach. Then finally, "I'll be your friend Seifer."

            He felt as if a great burden was lifted from him as he used Zell as an emotional outlet, that held him comfortingly. After his crying lessened, Zell asked "So tell me why you've changed."

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            Zell believed him entirely. It wasn't exactly something that Seifer had expected him to believe because he knew that if their situations were reversed, he wouldn't. It was strange, the two of them, on the bed leaning against a wall, discussing all of his fears and secrets. He found that he didn't have a problem telling Zell about what it was like to be controlled by the sorceress. The hardest part came in telling him about the orphanage. It seemed like the least believable part of his tale. Sure, we grew up together, you just don't remember. But Zell nodded absorbing every word. He had never felt so close to anyone in his life. It was a feeling he wouldn't mind getting used to. He regretted having been so mean all of his life to this man who would take him at his word.

            "So, how did we beat her then?" Zell asked.

            Seifer fidgeted with his shirt. It wasn't like him to have a nervous habit, but being around Zell made him like that. It was too disturbing to witness a guy that didn't sit still, it made Seifer very aware of his own actions, which made him not sit still. "I don't really know. Like I said, I wasn't exactly on your side."

            Zell laughed. "No shit! You were a bad guy!"

            "Better than a chicken-wuss." The two smirked at each other, each having the other one at a disadvantage. It was nice being close to another human being, even if the two of them were always fighting. Zell was amazingly warm. It must have been the fidgeting.  "So, what would you suggest doing?"

            Zell sighed. He wasn't exactly the best tactical planner. Seifer half expected him to suggest just attacking the sorceress. Surprisingly though, he thought of the same thing that Seifer had. "I guess Ellone is our best bet. I mean, she can control time right?"

            Seifer nodded. "Well, she's in hiding. I think maybe that was the girl that Squall saw in the infirmary, otherwise he wouldn't have thought it was weird. She may have come after the exam though."

            "Shit!" Zell sat up quickly. "The exam!" His hair was slightly smushed in the back from having been against the wall.

            Seifer chuckled. "You are such a idiot Zell, I just told you that you passed!"

Zell blushed. "Well, that was last time. It may have changed." He was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. He had soaked up the situation and was still considering all the vast variables that came into play. He sat facing Seifer with his knees in the bed. "You are our secret weapon!"

Despite the past hour of serious conversation about impending doom, Zell made silly punching gestures. It bothered Seifer and he reached out his hand to still Zell's hands. He grabbed his wrists quickly before Zell could back away. At first, he was surprised at the restraining gesture, but then a look of awkwardness passed over his face. "Don't get too excited. I don't know how to defeat her."

The hand still on his wrist and his eyes still watching Seifer as he said "But you are my friend this time," his voice was soft. Then, louder, he smiled. "Besides, if we beat her without you, then we can sure as hell beat her with you!"

 "I just hope we can stop her before anyone gets hurt." Zell nodded his head agreeing, his eyes filling with emotion. He lowered his head.

"I never thought I'd hear you talk about other people like this." Luckily he did sound guilty about having thought that Seifer was a heartless bastard.

"I've always had feelings," complained Seifer. It hurt that everyone had assumed that he was some kind of monster. Especially considering that Zell, hadn't even seen him as the Sorceress Knight. He was just going off of everyday things that had happened before he had become a traitor. Hell, Zell couldn't even remember their childhood together in which he had tormented and bullied everyone.

He still hadn't let go of Zell's wrists which made it easy for him to yank Seifer closer to him. "Hey!" he shouted as he pulled. It was too hard of a pull and Seifer was launched onto Zell who had a precarious position on the bed as it was. It was like a roadrunner cartoon, Seifer felt himself just hover for a second as he dropped down on top of Zell. They made an unpleasant crashing sound. Unfortunately, the lighter one was on bottom and he got the air knocked out of him.

They both lay there for a moment or two before Seifer growled "You were saying Chicken Wuss?" His voice was raspy as he started to laugh, the breath tickling Zell's neck. Soon they both began cackling with laughter. Seifer lifted himself up onto one elbow, so that he could look down at Zell. Being this close to someone made him realize how lonely he had been. How much he needed human contact. He felt the breath from Zell's nostrils on lips when he looked up at him. Zell just stared at him. "Well, finish what you were saying."

Zell felt a lump in his throat suddenly. He couldn't remember what he had been saying. All he could think of was the fact that Seifer wasn't getting off of him. That Seifer seemed comfortable just laying on him and talking. Was this Seifer who was being so friendly? That sparked his memory. "Your feelings. I know that you are human. I know that you have...emotions." He said the last word hesitantly because he could see something in Seifer's eyes that he had never seen before. He saw a sort of affectionate look in the tiny oceans of his eyes. Now that he was looking closely, he saw that the eyes were almost exactly the color of the sea.

Seifer didn't know what was coming over him. He didn't want to move, even though he was very possibly crushing Zell. It seemed more important to just have this closeness. And when Zell had been trying to make him feel better, it made his insides swirl. 'Is this what it's like to have a true friend?' he asked himself. Unsure of himself, he set his head down on Zell's chest. He heard the gasp and felt Zell's heart thumping loudly. He didn't care if he scared him off or not, Seifer needed this contact. He felt like crying again. It was amazing the weakness that Zell brought out in him.

He waited there, trying not to let out a tear, when he felt Zell's hand brush through his hair. It was the best feeling in the world. Seifer felt forgiven and loved. He bit his lip to try and make himself focus on something external. He was focusing on his feelings so much, he felt like his head would explode.

And that was how they were lying when they heard Fuujin's voice yell from the other room "SEIFER!" Instantly, Seifer was off of Zell and they were getting to their feet. Seifer could feel his red face as he went to the door and quickly stepped through it. He didn't look back to check on Zell, because he felt so busted as it was. Fuujin was standing with hands on her hips looking him up and down. Raijin stood behind her looking gloomy.

"UNFAIR! NO JUSTICE!" she yelled at him. He couldn't understand what she meant. He scratched the top of his head.

"What?" he asked. He was getting just as empty headed as Chicken-wuss. Then he blushed again remembering the awkward moment and the fact that Zell was still in his room.

"SEED TEST!"

Oh, the Seed test. It was the furthest thing from his mind. He wondered if Zell would be in trouble for not having been there when they announced his accomplishment. He thought that he should make Zell get a move on. If he did though, what would Fuujin and Raijin think of a blushing adorable blonde coming from his room? "Hey, let's go cause some trouble in Balamb!"

He lifted his arm as enthusiastically as he could bringing on a small cheer from his groupies. It was only now that he was realizing that was all they were. He hadn't really missed them while he had been away. Sure, it had hurt him when they had turned away from him, but he had never felt as close to them as he felt to Zell. Zell, the reason that he would now have to go get drunk in Balamb. As they all left the dorm room, Seifer took a last longing glance towards his room. He wished that he could stay and just feel how he had felt when he was being held by Zell.