FROM THE AUTHOR OF

                'SAILORMOON: COLLEGE LIFE'


     "How are you? My name's Xu. I'll be your roommate until one
of us graduates or they decide that we cause too much trouble
together," she winked with a broad grin on her face. Quistis
stopped resisting, enchanted by the prospect of having some fun
(which trouble was often the result of, but she could enjoy it
before they were caught).
     "I'm Quistis Trepe," she introduced shyly. Her shoes
suddenly became much more interesting than they ought to be as
she studied the ground.
     Xu stepped forward, bending down on one knee so that they
were on a more eye-to-eye level. "Quistis is it? That's a lovely
name. I'm sure you'll make it one to be remembered by the time
you're a SeeD," she smiled.


               IN A WORLD WHERE FANTASY

                            IS THE REALITY


     "So," rumbled a voice. "You are here to challenge me, are
you?"
     The flames crackling atop the surface of the molten lake
burned even fiercer than before, doubling in numbers. The intense
shudders of the Fire Cavern continued as the lava started to
bubble violently. The lake swelled, pouring down in blurry
cascades of liquid inferno. Steam flooded the area, driving the
SeeD cadets further from the edge.
     And then out from beneath the surface of the fiery lake
emerged Ifrit. Ifrit looked every bit an infernal demon. Its
immense body resembled something out of a horror story: tall and
muscular, long talons twitching on each hand, with a sloping head
that resembled a dragon. A pair of horns corkscrewed out from the
back of Ifrit's crimson head.
     Quistis felt her throat go dry as she tilted her head up and
up and then up again, gaping in newfound terror at the sheer size
of the Guardian Force. How could she possibly be expected to 
defeat something this monstrously huge with her tiny chain whip?!


               AT A SCHOOL WHERE MAGIC IS

               AS COMMONPLACE AS SCIENCE


     With all of the will that had seen her through her years at
Garden, Xu gathered the energy inside herself and concentrated on
directing that energy at her foe. The energy collapsed inward,
pulling more of itself toward the growing explosion like a black
hole of power. And when it reached its critical mass it burst
through her entire self, permeating her body and soul as she
cried words that were released from the depths of her
consciousness. "PEARL OF HEAVEN!"
     The internal energy embodied as an iridescent white shell
around Xu lifted her half a meter off the ground. From within
that pearl of force a thundering shockwave of blue fire erupted
toward the unwitting Grat. The creature was surrounded and
crushed by the tidal wave of power. When the energy faded and
Xu's feet touched the ground once more, she saw that the monster
had been utterly devastated.


          THOSE WHO HAVE NO PAST SHALL BECOME

                   THE GUARDIANS OF THE FUTURE


     "Children aren't allowed in the training room," he warned.
Xu paused to look around her. There weren't any children here
that she could see.
     "I'll keep that in mind, thanks," she took hold of her toes
as she slowly stretched the muscles of her calves.
     "I'm talking about you, Anshin," he spat the name out as
though it were a curse.
     She slowly drew herself upright from her stretched position.
"Is there a problem we need to discuss?"
     "There's no place at Galbadia Garden for an Anshin weakling.
You people are the exact opposite of what we want to be. Take
your monster loving way and get the hell out of here!" He growled
through gritted teeth. Every eye in the room was on them.


               BEFORE THERE WAS A THREAT,

            THEY WERE THE ONLY SOLUTION....


     Enju abruptly broke into one of the most sadistic grins Kei
had ever seen him use. He looked every part the feared killer he
had once been reputed as. "You've had your fun, Kei," he stated,
stretching out his hands. Kei was immediately on the defensive as
she felt him gathering power. Whether or not he was realizing it,
he was summoning his Spirit powers.
     His eyes widened in unbridled fry, and Kei stepped back as
the Guardian Force Diablos exploded from a black cloud of dark
energy that formed above Enju's body. Given the strength Diablos
had, it was obvious those two were perfectly aligned. She'd never
seen Diablos behave this way with anyone before.
     "Permit me to introduce to you a close friend I've had for
years," he snarled, still working on drawing out as much energy
from himself as he could. If there was ever a human expression to
match the snarl on Diablos' face, Enju was mirroring it
perfectly.


             BEFORE THEY WERE MERCENARIES,

                        THEY WERE CADETS....


     "Magic?" Quistis squeaked with surprise.
     "Yes, magic," Xu continued fiddling with the pouch on her
belt.
     "Aren't I too young to be learning it?"
     "Now you're going to let your age dictate what you can
learn?" Xu asked in turn. "You turned eleven not long ago and
have enough sense in your head to act responsibly."


              BEFORE THEY WERE SeeD,

               THEY WERE CHILDREN....


     "What are you doing?!" Quistis lunged forward and put
herself between the dark haired boy and the blonde.
     "Git outta the way, Trepe, we're having a private
conversation," the blonde growled.
     "I don't know who you are, but what you're doing isn't
right. I demand that you back off or I'll turn you into the
Faculty," she kept the other boy covered from further harm.
     "Ha! You've been saved by a girl, Squall. What a pansy," the
blonde haired boy pushed his fingers through his shortcut hair
and walked away.
     "You shouldn't have interfered. Seifer would hit you too if
he wanted," Squall stood up slowly. He didn't seem to be in too
bad of shape.
     "I don't care what this Seifer character does. Beating up on
a classmate isn't right," Quistis said vehemently. Squall bent
over to help her pick up her scattered book.
     They walked together to Quistis' room. She invited him in if
he wanted, but he declined. "If you know what's best for you,
you'll stay out of the way," he shoved his hands into his pockets
and left.


                         SOWING THE SeeDs


     Headmaster Cid dug his chin into his chest as he considered
the answer. "Your loyalties must first be to yourself, for that
is the easiest person to betray. Stay true to yourself while
maintaining the allegiances you have made. Next, is loyalty to
your team.  You are Several bound into One, any breaks in trust
among you effectively shatters the One," he held up the
appropriate number of fingers as he spoke.
     "Loyalty to your home Garden is third on the list. This is
the place that has raised you and is your home," he spread his
arms out to encompass the entire facility. "SeeD as an
organization is your final loyalty. And when I say final, I do
not mean that it is last, for these four loyalties must be
maintained in harmony with one other."




                         TRAINING BEGINS

                             APRIL 15, 2001.