Looks good, just one minor nitpick; for the magic refining ability you need to pick an element. ice would probably be appropriate. Also, it might be a bugger to thread him in just now since the others are already doing the SeeD test; how do you feel about him having just passed it at another Garden and now serving as a low-ranked SeeD in the main attack? Your choice either way. but that would help get you into the story faster.

/edit and I know dem feels Soren. Keep fighting the good fight and eventually something will come up.