"Chugi, don't run!"

The short, red-headed cadet skidded on the walkway, turning his head to grin wickedly over his shoulder. "What, don't want your sword to slap you on the ass as you jog?"

"No," put in an equally short female cadet with light brown hair and brown eyes. "He just doesn't want to listen to you whine when DC gives you punishment duty for breaking the rules again."

"Who said anything about the DC?" asked the first speaker, quietly amused. Blue white curls fell across laughing eyes that were almost black in a ghost-pale face as he pointed. "Instructor Gabren's early, Chugi. If he caught you running you'd end up wishing the DC had caught you first. You don't want points knocked before the test even begins, do you?"

"Whoa," blinked Chugi, following the taller boy's finger. "I need to start using you as a lookout tower, Shutat. I could climb up your sword..."

Shutat made a face. "Not if it's on fire, Chugi."

"Think we'll be assigned together?" asked the girl, who was sizing up the cadets already near the Instructor.

"I think that's too much luck to hope for, Naia," sighed Shutat. "You know they like to split the standard groups up for the exam."

There were already more than a dozen students gathered near the directory, chatting in their preferred groups, with Instructor Gabren checking his clipboard as he noted those who had arrived. Shutat took his time; not because he was avoiding breaking Garden rules, but because he was fighting a sudden and unreasonable urge to turn around and go the other way. This was his field exam! He'd spent years training for this - it made no sense to back out now. Becoming a SeeD would be vindication. He put his reluctance down to knowing he'd be fighting alongside strangers. He'd grown to rely on Chugi and Naia's easy companionship.

"Ah, Shutat," nodded the Instructor as they approached. "Chugi, Naia, right. I think that's the last of you."

Chugi and Naia both bowed from the waist; Shutat nodded. Not out of a lack of respect, but because he had a five foot long flamberge strapped to his back that tended to cause concussions if he bowed. Most Instructors were willing to let him get away with a nod of acknowledgment rather than have to dodge the hilt.

Gabren was a very easygoing Instructor, one of the few that had no problems with Shutat. He merely waved the three of them into the group. "Now that we are all here," he said, "It's time to split you off. You'll receive details of your squad's assignments on the transports. For now, understand that from the moment you reach the transport you are taking the field exam and that everything you say, do, or refrain from saying or doing will count towards your final score."

The three friends took the hint and stood quietly at attention as the squads were called out; Shutat was assigned to Squad F. He wasn't expecting a good time, but the darkly closed features of his teammates as he approached did not bode well.

The taller one, who towered over Shutat's five foot ten by a good six inches, held a large machine gun at the ready - as if itching to point it at Shutat himself. "I'm Horner," he said, and indicated his shorter but broader companion (who was still taller than Shutat was). "That's Ike."

Ike had a battle mace - one of the advanced models that fired its spikes like missiles when the wielder wished. He didn't look any happier about his new teammate than did Horner. "So you're the mageborn," he growled. "Go on, do the thingy with your eyes. What's your trick? We got a right to know here."

Shutat - realizing his hunch had been right, and this was going to be a long exam - allowed his eyes to shift. Almost black but human eyes became glowing blue-white fields, the same bluish white as his hair. "Shutat of Bahamut," he said shortly, pulling out the small silver Bahamut pendant he wore around his neck for brief inspection before tucking it back into his jacket and letting his eyes return to normal.

It was a proper introduction, but it didn't help his companions any - both looked surprised, confused, and annoyed. "So what's that do, then?" demanded Horner suspiciously. "I've never heard of a Bahamut mageborn before."

"He sets things on fire," put in Instructor Gabren, who had come to join them. "Which you'll understand I don't want him demonstrating in here. Specifically, he sets that sword of his on fire."

Shutat tried not to grin as his teammates immediately snapped into dispassionate poses. Shutat had to work with them, whether any of them liked it or not, and behaving unprofessionally would get their scores docked. Gabren had just done him a favor - another favor, really, but the Instructor didn't seem to keep track. But he didn't want to delude his teammates, so he clarified his Instructor's comments. "I can set blades on fire. Not anything and everything."

Fire was a secondary power of his Gift. But he wasn't about to talk about his hunches in front of these two - he'd had enough requests for fortunetelling the first time he'd made the mistake of mentioning the rest of his power. Or what his power should have been - if he'd been a fully gifted mageborn he wouldn't have come to SeeD.

Of course, if he'd been a fully gifted mageborn, he'd be dead by now anyway. It all balanced out, and he wasn't going to complain. Setting the odd dagger on fire was just fine.

Gabren turned to face the majority of the formed squads. "Your assignment is in Trabia, and it is outdoors and aboveground. Uniforms are required. Assemble when you are ready at the Garage - board as teams! No incomplete squads will board the transports. We leave at 1400 Garden time."

The group split up roughly evenly, taking different routes around the Garden ring to reach their dormitories depending on what they wanted to do along the way. Chugi and Naia quickly caught up to Shutat - both quite excited.

"I'm going to get to work with the Trabians!" Naia all but squeaked, much to her friends' amusement. "I've always wanted to ask them how they do that stuff."

Chugi grinned evilly. "I've got a fighting squad," he said. "We're gonna be right in the middle of the action, you bet." Then he frowned. "Wait - he said Trabia, didn't he. Shit! Shu, do you have any old uniforms? It's cold as fuck up there - oops..."

Shutat shook his head, laughing. "Chugi, I'm not going to argue with you. It's cold just about everywhere - and I thought you had winter uniforms already?"

"Yeah, well..." he sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to get the good gear? Tightwads. Total tightwads."

"I might have a uniform I've outgrown in my trunk somewhere," Shutat offered. "But if it's not up to par you'll get points docked for wearing it."

Naia sniffed, pretending hurt. "While I get to freeze!"

Chugi threw her a friendly leer. "Well, cold does wonderful things to the ladies," he pointed out.

"It's more like my chest is a lot flatter than yours," said Shutat. "And I don't think the jacket would close - and it wouldn't do you a lot of good." He thought about it, then said, "Come by my room on your way out, and I'll get you one of my blankets. If you're cold through your winter uniform you can warm up in that."

Naia, exuberant as ever, jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. "Owe you one!" she chirped, and darted off to her room, leaving Shutat surprised and Chugi laughing.

"Sometime you have to get your friends to tailor for me," he said. "You'd think people would get that Balamb doesn't have a winter, but nooooo. Everybody figures you just put on a winter uniform and it's all peachy." He pulled out his cardkey and opened the door to their quarters. "Hyne," he said, slowly. "I just realized - we pass this, and we get our own rooms."

Shutat pulled his clothes press out from under his bunk. "Yes, that's usually how it's done," he said, checking the uniforms in his box. "Breath of the dragon, you're in luck." He fished out a uniform and tossed it over his shoulder. "One of my summer uniforms - in good enough condition to wear. I hit a growth spurt before I put too much wear on it. My mother was pretty annoyed about that." Chugi immediately started shucking his own jacket to try the offering out, as Shutat fished out his own winter uniform - multilayered with a leather outer jacket, in the fashion favored by Trabia Garden. A human would wear the heat-trapping uniform only if working outdoors in a week long arctic blizzard; Shutat needed it just to survive snow at all. "What's going on in Trabia that needs so many cadets?" he wondered. "There's hardly anyone up there that would cause trouble."

Chugi settled the borrowed uniform into place - not a bad fit, over all. "Haven't been watching the broadcasts, have you," he noted. "I'm betting it's that new mining colony. Humans only - no Shivas - and it reported big bags of money making dirt. Esthar or Galbadia wants it, most likely." He checked the silver embroidery on his cuffs and shoulders. "Yeah, this passes muster - nice and toasty. Works perfectly."

Shutat, now dressed in the heavy leather winter uniform, pulled out the rest of his winter gear. "Glad you like it," he said distractedly, pulling out a hood and face mask, heavy boots, and heavy gloves. "If I find out who decided I was taking my test in Trabia, I'm going to have to hurt them. A lot."

"You're gonna be okay, right?" asked Chugi, as his friend's blue white curls and pale features disappeared underneath a mask that showed only his eyes and mouth. "Hyne, Shu...that's not overkill, is it..."

"No," said Shutat, strapping his flamberge's scabbard on over the outside of his jacket and settling the huge, wavy-bladed sword into place. "There's a reason fire gifts don't go to Trabia, Chugi." Under the winter hood, a smile was a flash of white teeth. "Let's go find out why the exception, if you're ready." He stopped. "Oh - almost forgot. Blanket." He pulled another box out from under his bed, and withdrew a blanket. "There. So Naia doesn't freeze - though she should do better than either of us, she's Winhilli..."

"Yeah, they do get snow down there sometimes," Chugi nodded. "Nasty winters, I've heard." He checked his watch. "We can't wait for Naia - just give it to her when we see her. We need to get going."

* * *

The blanket duly handed on to Naia, who stashed it in a pack, Shutat hunted out the members of his squad. Neither of them looked at all happy to see him, though they did find his excessive gear amusing.

"Man, you must be the life of the party at new year's," chuckled Horner. "Come on, get on the damn ship. I'm not losing points because of you looking like a homicidal clown."

Shutat said nothing; he knew - probably better than his companions - that everything around him would be under extreme scrutiny. He was the only one of his kind ever to join a Garden, and as such was an object of curiosity and concern for every authority figure in range. He wasn't going to say a single thing that wasn't absolutely necessary.

The transport was one of the 'missile ships' that the Gardens favored - designed to go very fast in a straight line, disgorging its cargo on a beach. They allowed the flying Gardens to send troops quickly to any continent, and could be retrieved when the more capable but less quick Gardens caught up to them. Typically, missile ships had a number of land transports on board, to get as many people as far as possible. Shutat filed behind his teammates - unconsciously creating a pattern of size, with the tall Horner in front. As far as Shutat was concerned, large mouths belonged at the front where their noise could be aimed outwards anyway. He followed them into the ship's auditorium, where the Headmaster waited, standing behind his podium. Behind him rose a large screen where he could point out mission specifics. Shortly after all the cadets were settled into seats, the ship gave a lurch as it was launched from the Garden.

Alois Almasy, Headmaster of Balamb Garden, was a man in his early forties, with the pale blond-white hair and pale eyes his family seemed to consciously breed for. Always present at his side was the legendary gunblade Hyperion, which he had demonstrated more than once he could use with talent and finesse. Usually on any student who dared to show the least bit of attitude in his classes. He taught advanced tactics, espionage, and - of course - gunblade combat. Shutat had had to train under him for a while, since the style of combat for gunblade was not dissimilar to that for a sword. It had been an extremely miserable semester; the man was merciless. But no one argued with the fact that the students he favored tended to have great careers in SeeD.

"Cadets," he said quietly, and immediately a hush fell on the assembled. Alois ignored it, touching a button on his podium that brought the screen behind him to life. It was a global map, slowly focusing in on the Trabian continent. "This is a joint mission; the citizens of Anarishe have paid for the services of ground forces and magic users, and thus you find yourself working with our compatriots from Trabia Garden." His contempt for the Trabians managed to be cutting without his having to change his tone of voice or expression; a slight stir from the Trabian cadets in the audience was just barely audible.

Alois ignored it, as the map behind him showed a red dotted line - the missile ship's current route. And a black dotted line; its projected route. "When we beach, each squad will take a vehicle and follow this route to the mining colony. Weather reports indicate blizzard conditions; you should be able to reach Anarishe without being seen by your enemies." The map focused in on the new settlement - a high wall of granite surrounding a collection of stone houses. Building stone was an export industry in Trabia; the continent was mostly rock as a result of some of the more spectacular Sorceress wars.

"You will find soldiers of both the Estharian and Galbadian governments in the vicinity," the Headmaster continued, as if this were no great matter. "Your mission is not to fight them, but to have them fight each other. You are to hold the settlement against all attackers, from any government. The people of Anarishe have indicated they feel absorption by one of the empires is inevitable, and will deal with the last army standing. We are to make sure that their settlement does not end up annihilated in cross fire. To that end, you are to remain at your assigned posts as long as possible. Both forces will likely attempt to take the town by force and hold it against the incursions of the other. This would result in Anarishe's obliteration. If this occurs, there will be no graduating SeeDs this year."

Another screen; this one was a roster, listing letters of the alphabet and specific assignments, and an overview map of the Anarishe colony with squad letters superimposed at various locations. Alois waved a hand back at it. "These are your assignments. Those of you with a GF assigned to you should speak to Instructor Tefras for junction transfers."

He stepped down from the podium as the cadets read their assignments. Shutat quickly found his own squad's listing - Squad F was to guard a section of the southern colony wall, and Ike was their assigned junction holder; he was to be given Doomtrain. He didn't need to tell his teammate to hunt down Instructor Tefras; the boy was already on his feet and working his way through the milling cadets. Team leadership was assigned to Horner; depressing, but hardly surprising. Instructors tended to look at a mageborn in odd ways. There were many beliefs, both true and false, about his people.

Horner wasn't a quick reader; it took a minute before he bent down to put his mouth near - too near - Shutat's ear. "You do what I tell you, or you don't make it home."

Shutat had no intention of disobeying; he needed to become a SeeD far too badly. He was a cripple by his own race's standards - he couldn't hold a sense shift, his ability to call flame was sharply limited, and he had no secondary skills. SeeD training let him take full advantage of the skills and abilities he did possess, which would let him hold his own once he made SeeD. He had no intention of making SeeD a career, but he had to pass the exam. So he didn't risk losing points by giving Horner a snappy reply, but he couldn't suppress his irritation enough to prevent his eyes from shifting. Horner saw the blue-white glow and stepped back quickly.

"I could dock you for threatening me," he said, though with less bluster.

This merited response. "My eyes react to my emotional state," he said as slowly and evenly as he could; with his eyes shifted, he could see the heat leaving Horner's face. "Congratulations."

Ike came back, rubbing at his arm absently where he'd accepted his junction as Shutat's eyes faded back to normal again. "I've got fire spells, healing spells, and scans," he said. "If we want anything else I'll have to draw it."

Shutat did not like Horner's speculative look. He'd heard stories of SeeD trying to draw spells from mageborn. It didn't sound an attractive prospect. "We should get to our vehicle," he said, hoping to distract.

It worked. Horner realized, as squad captain, it would be his job to drive. "Yeah," he said with a grin. "Let's go. Smurf, you get in the back."

This time, Shutat closed his eyes. Anger made his eyes shift, made his senses sharpen dramatically. This was not a good thing when what his ears and nose told him was that there were far too many nervous people around. Calm down, he told himself firmly. I have to pass!

Still, he had to admit when he got into the back of the standard issue hovercraft, having the entire back seat to himself wasn't really a problem. It meant he could loosen the straps on his sword and be comfortable.

Well, as comfortable as anyone could be in breath-freezing cold air in an open-air transport, anyway. The moment the hatch opened and the hovers started zooming out, he started fervently wishing regulations allowed him a heavier winter uniform.