I Had To Do It

[11.07.01] » by White Crescent

Disclaimer: Nah, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII! But Ovelia is my org. char!!! Yay!

Author's notes: This is my reply to Illusion's challenge^_^;; a bit late maybe.

I'm warning you people—this is full of mistakes [I'll edit it when I have enough time…]! Done in a jippy! Eh? Anyway, I'm still White Crescent, and this is my very first Alternate Universe fic….[not really sure though if it IS an AU fic….] Anyway, what if Edea hadn't accepted Ultimecia's powers? Who would have gotten it? ---Watch how boring and how bad I can get…;_; -- People read & review please? By the way, this is long……………….. Well, I'm off!!! No flames please……

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~*Prologue*~

"I have to go back."

Looking back and ignoring her mother, she uttered her wish like it was an urgent news.

Her mother, with hair as dark as night without a moon whipping against her face by the wind, stopped and examined her daughter with disbelief.

"You don't have to go back." Her mother explained then grabbed her hand in a second.

Time was precious, the girl knew, and she didn't want to waste at any.

She was calling for her. Calling for a friend for many years, literally.

"I must go—" she risked a glance for her mother.

Her eyes brown as the earth, lips faintly red from age, her face full of lines and a smile that she would never forget.

Her mother's eyes narrowed, it glistened, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"—She's calling for me, mother. I have to do it. I have to, I must." She added turning around to the burning remains of their village.

A whisper, another tear…… "If you must. You deserve no hundreds of tears, my daughter—just two tears, for you are special."

The mother lifted her child's hand towards her face and let them trace the wet trail her precious tears trod. The girl knew what her mother was trying to do.

She was trying to make her understand that people must be selfish in order to survive.

—But she did not fully understand, she was not selfish.

She was the kind mayor's daughter who had a heart for everyone.

"I have to do it. I must." She whispered as she took her hand back, harshly.

She was showing rejection to her parent, implying that she was not worth the wait, the tears, the miss……..

She was there for the giving, not the keeping.

Maybe someday she would learn to keep for herself.

But she hadn't learned, yet.

She broke free from her parent's grasp, took once last glance of her mother and everyone she knew, then ran like never she had before to the fire.

~*~*~*~

Part 1

The Crossroads—To give or not to give

The gentle light seemed to have tickled her to wake. She gently opened her eyes and realized the length of her sleep by looking at the big medieval hourglass that stood on the old mahogany cabinet by her rocking chair.

She stretched her arms and was sure that Ovelia would come running into the little room of hers to start yet another round of complaints at any minute.

She smiled as she rose up from her rocking chair.

It rocked a bit by her absence and she leaned on the open window beside it, deciding whether it would be a good or bad day.

She laughed a bit. It would certainly be a good day, she told herself.

She walked over the hourglass and turned it upside-down. She watched the sand fall for a while and thought. Time was like an hourglass. Whatever you do, turn it up or down, the sand would still fall to the other side.

It was then that the old battered door, the only entrance of her room in the house, burst open chipping off some more chunks of wood off.

As was Ovelia's custom, she ran quickly to her side and grabbed her by her narrow shoulders to shake and shake as she told another chapter of her so-called agonizing job as an assistant matron.

"—And that blonde brat decided to mark yet another sign of his success on poor Zell's face!" Ovelia chided hysterically—and this was one of the only things she recognized.

"—And, and Selphie! Hyne! How many years would it take to calm her down and put her to sleep?!"

Edea, her eyes wide as usual whenever her charming friend did her ritual, decided to place both her hands on her friend's shoulder with an amused smile.

"Ovvy, you did not really take a year putting her to sleep. It was two hours, dear, two hours—" she repeated it again. "Two hours. Now, if you continue exaggerating things, you might not last to see Cid's child!"

Ovelia stopped abruptly and stared into the matron of the tiny orphanage.

"Dear Hyne! You're pregnant!" exclaimed Ovelia holding grabbing the matron's shoulders once more. This time, though, she no longer shook…. But rather, she shook while the matron didn't.

An amused soft laughter escaped Edea's lips. "You must know, if I am then I am not a faithful wife." She joked in a rather cruel way.

Ovelia pushed her slightly as she pulled away from her and gave her an insulted look.

For two years her husband, Cid, had not been able to return to her.

She often wondered how she lasted. Two years with nothing but letters, and even those came scarcely. Two long years and the children grew some more.

Two years, where had the time gone?

"So, how is our sweet child?" she softly spoke giving Ovelia a look that often meant she was talking about 'the child'.

"Sulking somewhere dark and secluded, again—" she looked into her friend's eyes. "Why did you even have to send little Ellone away? It's making the child…..withdrawn…"

Edea sighed. "It was the only way, Ovvy. That sorceress wanted Ellone badly, I do not think she will just stop and give up on her. It was just too—" Edea paused and then shook her head in resignation of the topic.

Ultimecia—that was the name of the sorceress who came in her dream, demanding Ellone and alliance between them.

A sorceress. She was that, a sorceress.

Though Edea never really saw the sorceress from the future, as she had claimed herself to be, Edea knew one thing—Sorceress Ultimecia was nowhere a good sorceress.

Ultimecia's tone as she remembered was forceful, powerful with a hint of anger and sadism. A chill ran up to her spine as she remembered her last conversation with Ultimecia that occurred months ago.

"You will not tell me, will you not?" Ultimecia had said.

"I will not and you know that very well."

"Well then, you leave me with no choice…."

"What are you implying?"

"You do not need to know, Edea. You will regret not accepting my proposal."

"Your proposal? Ellone for an alliance with you? Or was it Ellone for the death of everyone except you and me?"

"Both. You do not see, sorceress. Man is korrupt. SeeD is vile. When time bekomes non-existent and everything is denied, we are left to start from the beginning, to kreate our own time, our own world. We shall be goddesses, do you not perceive?"

"I am content of what I am and what I shall be normally."

"The SeeDs will destroy you. Your life, your love, all those that you have trusted will betray you!"

"Whatever you say will never bend my will, Ultimecia. I will never change my position."

"…….Hahahaha…… Amusing. Very well, I shall bother you no more, this way. But be aware of my return. I shall kompress time, and you will regret not forging an alliance with me."

"—Ovvy, I do believe you need an hour's rest before your journey later." Edea said taking small steps to the door without taking her eyes off her friend.

The silence that enveloped the room briefly was thick as ice. For so long that they have been together in the orphanage, never did such a silence occur between them.

Perhaps it was all because of Ultimecia's existence that they're friendship started to cool down.

For while Ovelia was concerned much for her, she was concerned for everyone but herself.

Eyes met, brown and black. Ovelia was the one who broke the unbearable silence.

"I can stay if you want to. There's not much I can do to help my father's business. What he needs is my brother in Trabia. Now, just a few months and—"

Edea shook her head with a faint smile. "No, no, I will be alright. I have only six children to take care of anyway."

"Six children, each one as naughty as ever!" Ovelia chided looking much concerned.

"Squall and Quistis are not naughty. Selphie just needs something to pour all her attention for the whole afternoon. While Zell… he just needs to be fed something nice to keep his mouth zipped. Irvine is nice enough if you are nice to him too. And Seifer, the boy needs to read yet another fairytale to keep him busy for the rest of the day. How hard can it be, Ovvy?"

Ovvy heaved a sigh as she walked over to Edea's bed. "If something happens to you Cid will kill me!" she muttered as she lied down the bed.

"Nothing will happen, I promise you. I'm staying with children, just children, my dear Ovvy." She assured Ovelia.

Looking up Ovelia made one last question. "How about Ultimecia?"

Edea had left the room already leaving no one to answer her question.

And so she slept.

~*~*~*~

She stopped right by the door and leaned herself onto it.

Struggling to stop the tears from running, she wiped her eyes, drying them and damping her slender fingers.

She was going to be alone in a few hours.

She shut her eyes tight and placed a hand on them.

Her heart sank and she recognized the slight, almost welcomed pain that she felt from it.

"I'm gonna find Sis!"

Her eyes bolted open at the sound of small feet running on the wooden floor and her beloved Squall's announcement.

She quickly stood up straight, her mind somehow confused and wanting to see Squall.

At the edge of her sight, she caught a glimpse of the yellow T-shirt Squall had on and his auburn hair.

She grabbed her skirts and ran after Squall as fast as her legs could carry her.

……..Squall was Ellone's smaller brother. Natural brother or not, Edea felt that they were truly related with each other. Ever since Ellone left with Cid to go to someplace safer—that place being a ship he had made especially for her and some SeeDs, White SeeDs as Cid called them, Squall had taken it a habit to seclude himself from others, and to keep on saying,

"I'm gonna find Sis!"

"Squall where are you going?" she yelled after him, chasing him. She was somehow worried. She had every right to; she was afraid that he might run out of the orphanage premises and attempt to run his way to wherever he thought Ellone was.

It was not as if Centra was a place full of blooming flowers and green green grass only as some city people thought, Centra was full of monsters often unknown to the more populated continents.

"I'm gonna find Sis!" She heard the old door open and this urged her to run faster.

"Squall!" she called out hoping the boy would stop in his tracks and acknowledge his Matron's calls.

But he kept on running outside.

The door slammed close just as she was approaching it and she slammed it open when she finally reached it and ran outside.

She was afraid that she was too late and the empty court that met her told her so.

But a part of her told her he wouldn't go anywhere, he never did.

She shifted her gaze a bit and noticed the tall auburn-haired young man standing right by the door to the stockroom.

A gunblade was strapped on his belt and it hung there almost threateningly.

Even so, Edea Kramer was not the least threatened.

Something about the man told her that he was safe. Somehow, she felt that she knew him….. It was a strange feeling of……. déjà vu?

"Excuse me. Have you seen a little boy?" she asked nicely.

Stranger, not much visitors visited her orphanage. And no teenagers certainly have ever visited her orphanage—certainly the young man was not planning to adopt a child. Not at his age.

Edea was afraid that the man would never speak. His face held what was probably the coldest face she had ever seen. But in a second, his features softened….And it softened almost to a smile!

"You don't have to worry. The boy won't go anywhere." The man replied.

It was something more strange, his reply. How did he know that the boy won't go anywhere? Better, it seemed that he knew what she was looking for…… And the way he used 'you don't have to worry' mystified her in some way.

She struggled to hide her suspicions and managed in a few seconds.

"I think so, too. Poor thing…." She muttered, shaking her head morosely.

There were a few moments of silence.

Then the feeling shot at her mind. The feeling being the one that came whenever Ultimecia was there. It was the warning pain that would tell her when Ultimecia would interrupt her mind.

Fear rushed her body. But she realized that the presence that she would feel was no longer as strong as it was, it was now behind her, a few feet away.

She slowly turned around to face the direction with her eyes closed.

"You're alive!?" he heard the young man yell.

She opened her eyes and quickly turned to the presence's direction.

Crouching weakly on the ground was a woman, hair like quicksilver flowing down her shoulders, skin as pale as death itself, and eyes burning pools of violet.

"…..The sorceress?" She absentmindedly mumbled.

She looked at her side and saw that the young man had drawn his mighty gunblade.

She then turned to Ultimecia and froze as she watched her staggering towards her, them.

……. The sand in the hourglass stopped, its falling grains stopped in the air. The winds stopped, the world faded and was replaced by the darkness of the night.

For a second Edea froze her eyes wide with shock. It was as if time itself stopped her for a few seconds and released her.

In front her, a crossroad of two was laid. One road was made of solid granite rocks the other was of broken glass with millions of clock parts strewn on its path.

Whatever dream this was, she didn't know what might happen next, unlike in so many other dreams.

Smoke enveloped her and she stood back, her eyes closed.

When she opened them, her eyes saw a young girl with long silver hair dressed in a silver coat, a robe of black all fluttering to some unknown wind, holding an old broken down hourglass with her head bowed down thus hiding her face.

Sand was escaping the hourglass, but in a wave of a gloved hand by the child, the sand stopped in mid-air.

The child lifted her head up, and her long silver hair quickly whipped about her face to hide most of its features except her long-lashed, blue eyes.

"I give you—" she started, her voice soft, and gentle. "—the crossroads of your life."

"I am given a fair amount of time for you to choose and that is it." She whispered in a voice loud enough for Edea to hear.

Edea's mouth was dry. What was that? Someone was giving her a choice?

A choice! A choice?

Did she ever need a choice?

Or did she ever have a choice?

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "A crossroad is given to those who are descendants of Hyne and those who will play a huge part in history only. Be honored, you must be."

A choice……..

"What if I make a wrong one?" Edea whispered.

"That I do not know, for it is none of my business—" she extended her hands and pointed each one to each road. "—Now I shall ask you a question, then all will be over."

"A question…." She muttered.

"Listen well, descendant of Hyne. In these two roads lie two separate futures varying dramatically. One road might lead to destruction, the other to success. Perhaps both of them lead to success, or destruction. But I am not here to preach about the difference between the views of the optimist and the pessimist—"

Edea thought. What the girl probably meant was the future was the same, no matter what… But how?

"—Listen well, Listen well, dear sorceress, for no time must be wasted. And this question, I shall repeat only once. Do you accept Sorceress Ultimecia's powers?"

Ultimecia. The name sent a chill up her spine. Though she never really hate anyone, she was disgusted by Ultimecia. The thought of Ultimecia's power flowing freely in her body disgusted her.

"Why?" she questioned, chiding. "Why do you ask this?"

"Do you, dear sorceress?" the girl asked.

"No!" she screamed without giving the question any thought.

Never would she become, in anyway, connected to Ultimecia. Her powers running into her? Never! It would serve as a reminder that she had decided to part Ellone and Squall.

It might even corrupt her mind. No never.

"Very well." She extended the hand which one pointed to the glass laden road and lifted it to her. "You have chosen not to accept Ultimecia's powers. Very well, very well."

A blinding light filled the whole place and when she opened them she found herself standing in front of the staggering Ultimecia.

"Yes, Matron…. We had defeated her. Matron stand back."

Looking beside her, she remembered the young man.

Matron? Who was he to call her Matron?

The young man, his gunblade raised sprinted briefly to Ultimecia and slashed at her neck.

Edea watched as Ultimecia fell back down to the cement ground.

Without really thinking, relief rushed in her and she spoke. "You called me Matron…." She started, "Who are you?"

" A SeeD. A SeeD from Balamb Garden—"

"Matron!" a small voice called from behind her. She didn't recognize it though. It was if she did not here the voice. She was too engrossed by the young man.

"SeeD? Garden?" she questioned, sounding as if she knew none of SeeDs and Gardens.

Her husband was the headmaster of a Garden, Balamb Garden. How could she not know?

The man replied. "Both SeeD and Garden were your ideas. Garden trains SeeDs. SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress."

The realization hit her. The man was from the future! The boy whom Ultimecia feared! The legendary warrior whom she spoke of as the savior of SeeDs!

The young man was from the future!

"You're……. That boy from the future?"

"Matron." Something tugged at her skirt, making her look down.

She could tell the man looked down too.

There he was, Squall, tugging at her skirt innocently. "Matron. Selphie's actin' strange." He mumbled.

"Selphie, acting strange? What happened?" she asked, bending down and forgetting about the young man for a while.

"She kept screaming 'she's here, she's here' and looked afraid….." Squall whispered.

"How did you—" Edea was cut off by a scream coming from the beach.

"What's wrong?!" The man questioned as she stood up.

"I don't know…." She then started walking at a brisk pace towards the beach.

Turning her back on both the man and Squall she headed for the beach's direction.

Only to be called back by a scream.

A scream coming from Squall's small mouth.

She turned and froze at the sight that met her.

Squall was clutching his head, terrified, screaming.

She looked down and saw Ultimecia's body fading into purple lights that headed to Squall's direction.

She stood there, shocked. And within a few minutes she heard a grunt and a thud.

A few feet beside Squall, the man was hugging himself, obviously in pain, his gunblade forgotten and lying beside his feet.

And then, the hero of the SeeDs faded to nothing, leaving a boy who lay unconscious on the ground.

She ran to her Squall's side and bent down to place him in her arms.

Squall's eyes were wide with shock, blank and with the hue of violet.

The violet stayed there for a while before transforming into the blue-gray ones he had and closing.

There she remained silent; her eyes fixed onto the ground where the man had once been…. The ground was cold…..

The connection she thought was possible—Squall was the boy of the future.

And he would never be the savior whom met her, he was now a sorcerer—maybe he would visit her differently…….

As a man who no longer wielded a gunblade?

She didn't know what to do. Confusion filled her mind.

She stayed there for a few minutes, before Zell, Irvine, Quistis and Seifer came in the scene supporting a frightened young Selphie in every way they could.

It was then that she decided to take Squall inside the house to his bed.

And she did.

~*~*~*~

Part 2

Remnants

~*Edea's Journal*~

Tuesday October 29, 2096

Sometimes I wonder how long I can hide it.

I look out the window into the endless horizon and think. Why we are here, safe and sound, how is Ellone?

No, How is Squall?

I do believe it has been five long years since Ultimecia took control of his body, completely.

I wonder if I had taken her powers, then Squall wouldn't have to suffer…… I remember he used to confront me and cry.

One minute he would be Squall, the other he would be screaming curses and throwing spells around.

We had to separate him from everyone, even me.

As a sorceress, as Edea, as the one Ultimecia had asked, I was subject to curses and spells……..

Cid had to lock him in a room.

I remember seeing Quistis running towards me, asking, "Is Squall sick again?"

Then Selphie would ask, "Is he angry?"

I often told them that Squall had a rare sickness. Probably schizophrenia—and of course, those were all lies.

He just disappeared one day. We had put him in the infirmary after we found him unconscious in the room.

We left him there under the care of a few SeeDs, only to return half an hour later and find the place full of unconscious people and his bed empty.

He was lost to us, to me, for years.

I just don't know how to break it to them—if they don't have any suspicions yet.

My Squall. Our Squall.

I regret not taking her powers for you.

I very much regret it.

My Squall. Our Squall.

~*End Journal*~

"Did you read the contract?" the brunette asked the raven-haired man beside her.

He shrugged. "We're gonna stay here until Timber is liberated…" he trailed away and heaved a heavy sigh.

"That's a mega bummer, Nida! We need to look for Squall! Now we won't be able to do that unless we finish this mission……" she then leaned on the window.

The door swooshed behind them and a blonde joined them.

"That Zone guy told us that the real reason that dictator is here is the TV Station." He announced, leaning his back beside the one known as Nida.

"Zell, I have a bad feeling about this." Nida said voicing his thoughts.

"You always have a bad feeling on evrythin', Man, why can't you be like Selphie here?" Zell said thumbing to the brunette's direction.

She giggled. "It's okay, it's only a baaaad feeling. Squall used to really make us believe that something bad was going to happen."

The train made a heavy sound as it shifted rails.

"You're still way too optimistic." Zell finally said.

There was a beat of silence.

"You know, that princess, Rinoa, I think, she knew Seifer and… well, do you think…" Nida trailed away knowing better than say it wholly.

"You kiddin' right? What kind of sick thought is that?" Zell immediately chided.

"Shhh…" Selphie whispered, "she might hear us….."

"I mean," Nida whispered. "The first thing she said together with that yelling of rejoice was 'Is Seifer here?'…."

"Ahh… The advantages of being a leader. Man, what I would give to see the way she said that." Zell's eyes clouded for a while, thinking of something, then he continued. "Won't you, Selphie?"

Selphie nodded quickly. "So, how did she say it?"

"Well," he paused, aware of the blush that crept up his cheeks. "She looked really timid—" he paused again, "—and I swear I saw her blush!"

"She b-b-blu-" Zell stuttered but was not able to continue his stuttering.

The door whooshed open behind them and a raven-haired young woman, with chocolate eyes that glimmered with optimism stepped out of the briefing room.

She was wearing a blue knitted dress that was lacking in the mid-section that exposed her long legs.

"We're going. So—" she walked towards the trio, hands in back, "So, let's go. Watts explained you guys why that dictator wants to broadcast in there, right?"

Selphie nodded.

"Great, now, let's go on our way to broadcast the independence of Timber! Who's coming with me?"

~*~*~*~

It was decided that Selphie and Nida would come with Rinoa—Zell stayed for some reason Nida couldn't really comprehend.

But whatever it was, they needed to complete a mission.

Some mission, he thought, they needed to free Timber from Galbaldia… Who were they kidding? Three fresh SeeDs against a whole nation?

The Headmaster probably thought it the easiest, and fastest way out……

There they were, walking—the trains were shut down and Nida wondered how long it would take them to reach the TV station.

That was if they even reach the TV Station on time……..

Selphie nudged at him just as Rinoa ran towards a house.

"Psst. You know what I dreamt in the train today?" she whispered.

Nida shrugged and remembered. In the train they took to Timber, Selphie had just suddenly fallen asleep, and woke up boasting that she had a very good dream.

"Tell, I don't mind." Nida said as Selphie jumped up in front of him.

"I dreamt of this really cute guy named Laguna! He was sooo coool! And he was a Galbaldian soldier and he wanted to confess his love to this girl but then he always got that cramp—"

"Hey, you guys! Over here!" called Rinoa from outside the house.

"Coming—" he paused and whispered, "Later Selphie."

~*~*~*~

"What, you're walking to the TV Station?" exclaimed the middle-aged woman as she wiped a plate with a towel and placed it on a rack.

"Uh-huh, we have no choice. Those Galbaldians stopped all the train." Selphie cut in hands on hips.

"Let's see see…" the woman cupped her chin. "There used to be a way through the back-alley of this house…" she paused and thought for a while.

"Hmm… The pub was built around the time they stopped broadcasting. We haven't used the alley since then." She then walked over to the stairs of her house and pointed up.

"Why don't you look through the window upstairs? You should be able to see the back alley."

"Thanks. Hmm… How do we get to that back alley?" Rinoa asked at the foot of the stairs.

"We jump?" Selphie suggested.

"That's a good idea. But I don't want to be a smashed tomato…. Um… how?" Nida stated, a grim look on his face.

The woman only laughed. "Jumping is a rather good idea. Probably better than talking to the owner of that pub…… Anyway, if you don't want to take the chance, go talk to him anyway."

A giggle escaped Rinoa's lips. "Tee-hee. Oh well, let's go see anyway, thanks Rose." And she mounted the steps, the wood making hollow sounds as she sprinted up.

Nida paused before climbing the stairs. She sure knows a lot of people…….

~*~*~*~

"Hey, can we look at the window, Myer?" Rinoa questioned as they entered a room.

On the far right wall a boy was standing head down, feet up, doing some sort of yoga, or was it gymnastics?

While on the left a boy was attempting to wake a slumbering kitty on the bed, mumbling things like "u don't ev'n pay. This ish r bed."

The boy standing head first tumbled down and stood up straight. "Wanna take a look-see?"

Rinoa nodded with a sweet smile. "Uh-huh."

Myer returned to his earlier position. "Go to that ugggh….. window over there."

"Thanks Myer. Over here!" she chided calling her companions to the window as she pushed the shutters open.

Footsteps approached her and in a few seconds two people squeezed her in.

Below was the old alley Rose had spoken of. Some unsanitary trash dumps were being scavenged by several cats while on one corner a drunk man, with what Rinoa could think as vomit all over his clothes, sat singing an oldies song with a broken voice.

"That is so disgusting." Selphie commented as she pulled out.

"Tell me about it." Rinoa replied as she took a step back.

"That's ten gil please." A voice said beside them.

Rinoa turned to see Myer, standing straight, a hand held out palm spread……

Rinoa smiled and pulled out her purse. She knew well that Myers and his brother, Lyle weren't to blame—as she'd heard them complain once….

She pulled out a ten-gil bill and was about to hand Myers the bill when Rose burst in the room and snatched Myer by his arm.

"Hey you at it again?!" she screamed angrily as she pulled Myer away. "How many times have I told you not to take money from strangers!!!" A heavy hand landed onto Myer's plum rear.

Myer cried out. "……I reduced the pwice from one thousand, though…."

"It's okay Rose, I'm not a stranger." Rinoa muttered. But it seemed that Rose wasn't listening to her.

"It's not about the money! I didn't raise you this way!" Rose gave another spanking and left the room. "It's okay Rinoa. You don't have to pay him."

Rinoa smiled as she left the room and was about to hand Myers the ten gil bill when he only shrugged and returned to standing head first.

"U don't hav'ta pay me……." He muttered before shifting his body to face the wall.

"Okay…." She trailed away, uncertainty in her voice. "Let's go Selphie, Nida…" she called as they exited the room and went down the stairs.

~*~*~*~

Reading the sign, Rinoa pointed down the stairs. "Yup, that's the pub alright." She then started descending the stairs.

"You live here and you sound like you don't really know much about the place." Nida remarked.

Rinoa stopped. "Oh?" she smiled at him. "That's because I don't go out much…." She trailed away and stopped in her tracks.

"Hey, Nida, Selphie….. look. Galbaldian soldiers……" she whispered as she motioned them to come closer.

"They look like they just got a new toy to play with!" Selphie whispered as she took a step down.

"Um.. I'm uncomfortable as it is. My spear is killing me." Nida announced fingering on the weapon concealed under his civilian clothes. "I can't bend down you guys." He added.

"Just do it." Rinoa whispered with a hint of irritation.

"I really can't." Nida explained. A hand chopped behind his knee, Rinoa's hand did, in an attempt to make him crouch, but instead of Nida crouching, he fell flat on his face to the ground below.

"What the!" one of the soldiers yelled pulling out his gun and aiming it at Nida. Nida's hands quickly reached inside his clothes for his spear.

There was a click.

"Hey, that ain't fair, two against one!" Rinoa called out, her pinwheel attached on her right arm, a hand pulling at its string.

"Let's get 'em." The other soldier chided pulling out his machine gun.

~*~*~*~

Nida extended his spear and sent it into one quick motion which knocked the gun out of the nearest soldier's hands. He then lunged forward and kicked him down the ground before raising his spear and hitting the soldier's head with its butt.

He moved away and saw Selphie her hands on her nunchaku and the its chain right below a soldier's neck—she was strangling him.

Rinoa on the other hand quickly grabbed the machine gun the soldier was tightly holding and threw it far away.

It happened in a few minutes, the fight, and soon both soldiers were lying unconscious on the floor.

Nida examined one of them and beside him was a card. And he quickly recognized it as a Buel card.

"I hate these soldiers. They're all smelly and yucky! I wonder if they ever wash their clothes in a war……" Selphie brushed her arms in an attempt to somehow rub the smell that came from the soldiers away.

"Anyway, let's just hide these bodies somewhere……" Rinoa paused and looked at a corner at the bar. "That place looks a-okay. Hey help me here. Nida you go take that one, Selphie and I will go take this." Rinoa said pointing at the unconscious soldier nearest to her.

"Okay." Nida said, sighing, as he grabbed the nearest body by his head and started dragging him to the corner.

When they finished, Rinoa then ran over to the woman behind the stall. "You didn't see us go inside the pub or here anytime." She stated.

Nida almost wondered why she did that.

The woman only smiled. "Have I seen you around here?" she questioned implying something.

Rinoa smiled. "Thanks."

~*~*~*~

"Ewww……… Now how do we get through? Buy him a drink?" Rinoa questioned stepping back, a hand on her nose.

In front of the door to the alley sat a drifter drinking from red-labelled bottle. He looked decent enough, only he had the strong smell of liquor.

"We don't really know anything about drinks…… We're under age, remember?" Nida muttered.

"Hey, Nida, you're good at cards, right?" Selphie nudged at Nida.

"Well….yeah…..but…." he trailed away.

"Great, now why don't you go and ask him if he knows how to play cards and challenge him in a match?" Selphie suggested.

Nida gave Selphie a look, gave the drifter, who glared at him immediately, a glance and then turned to Selphie.

"You're kidding right? He doesn't look too friendly…"

The drifter burped loudly and a smelly odor filled the smoke-misted pub.

Selphie immediately covered her mouth. "Come on, you don't expect me and Rinoa to do anything with that drunk……"

Rinoa then came up behind him. "Please. I am your mistress afterall, remember the contract?" she warned in a threatening voice.

Nida sighed and wished Zell was with him. The martial-artist was a quick-witted boy. How else would he be able to survive life with a gunblade-wielding brother?

"Okay, okay…." Nida then took small steps towards the drifter.

Nida winced at the smell that came from the man. By the time I we get out of here, I'll smell like I passed through a garbage dump…..worse, people will think I'm an under aged drunkard……

"Uh.." he started unable to find the words. "We, uh, need to, uh, get through."

The drifter looked up him then towards the man behind Nida.

"Geez, and now I'm getting dissed by some punk…..!? Owner, gimme another drink!"

Nida winced. "He-ey." He started as the mand behind him, the owner handed another drink.

"What?!" the drifter growled.

"I was, uh, thinking. Can we play cards….. If I uh, win, we can pass through….." he trailed away.

"Play cards? Go on, but I'm not moving even if ya win!" he paused then set his drink aside. "What're you cards?"

Nida paused. Wait Cards? I forgot about that!

He fished his jeans and took out the Buel card he found outside and laid it on the floor.

"Wait.. there's some more here…." He muttered, lying.

"Hey!" the drifter suddenly yelled. "This is my card! How come you have it?"

Nida's face became white. "I found it outside. You can…uh…take if you want….."

The drifter laughed. "Thanks. You know what? I'm feelin' generous! So you can keep that card!" he then pulled out something from his pockets and handed a card to Nida.

"And also this one! I'll move out of the way now."

Nida could only smile as he looked at the cards, the new one was a Tornberry card, something really rare. He turned and walked over to Rinoa and Selphie.

Selphie immediately snatched the Tornberry and started squealing at how cute it was.

"Hey, owner. I can't stand. Can ya help me?" Nida heard the drifter behind him and sighed.

At least that was taken care of. Now we can go to the TV Station……

~*~*~*~

Part 3

Somewhere out there… waiting right here

~*[A few hours prior to the TV Station] *~

Edea walked towards Quistis' classroom and found her lying asleep on her desk.

She crept up her and slowly removed Quistis' glasses.

"Ah…. Quistis, you are such a fine young woman now." She whispered as she laid the glass on the desk and gently placed her hand on head.

Her lips curved in a smile as memories flooded in her mind.

~*~*~*~

"Why does Squall always ask for Ellone?"

"Because he misses her, my child."

"Why didn't you always ask for Papa Cid when he was gone?"

"Hmm…. That is because I knew where he was,"

"So Squall doesn't know where his sister is?"

"Yes."

"I'm his sister. When I'm gone will he do that for me too?"

"…Of course. He will be waiting for you, as if you were Ellone."

~*~*~*~

"Mmmph……" Quistis' eyes fluttered open, and they widened at the sight of Edea.

"You look lovely in your sleep, Quistis." Edea whispered, stroking her hair a bit more.

Quistis smiled. "I guess I was working a little bit too hard….again."

Edea picked up a paper on Quistis' desk and ran through it.

"Your students are doing well." She remarked and spotted Quistis blush.

Quistis sat up and rubbed her eyes a bit.

"Did you hear? Selphie, Nida and Zell were sent to a mission." Edea explained quietly taking the papers on Quistis' desk and straightening them.

She turned to look at Quistis whose eyes were suddenly wide as if she'd been told the worse of the worse news.

"They were?" she whispered.

Edea returned the papers to their rightful place and spoke. "Yes, they were….."

Quistis immediately stood up. "Is there anyway I can help them?"

Edea was not surprised, but she was rather amused, she knew of their promise…….

"I do not know, really, if you can." Edea explained. "But there I can always talk to Cid. Will Seifer come with you?"

Quistis nodded. "He's part of the promise. How did they get sent on a mission anyway?"

"I don't really know, Quistis. Perhaps I will ask Cid. Why don't you go and inform Seifer already? I will go and talk to Cid now."

Quistis gave her a hasty nod before rushing out of the room, her whip wrapped around her waste. "I'll go change first!"

Edea laughed softly. The promise….. their promise……

Her heart sank….. Their promise to find Squall…..

What if they really found Squall?

~*~*~*~

[The TV Station scene]

"This is a piece of cake. How lax is their security again?"

"Remind me to bring sticky tape next mission we're on."

"Hey, don't be so rude Quisty, we won't be any 'next mission'. Unless you have something else in mind……"

"Shh.. Shut up Seifer, and wait!"

~*~*~*~

A middle-aged man walked up the podium and started talking.

"T-Testing...1...2...Testing...Testing...

Ohhhh!

P-People of the world! Can you see me!? Can you hear me!?

Oh, this is incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air!

Yes, it's been 17 years since a live broadcast has been possible!

Oh, please excuse me...I seem to have lost my composure."

We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling.

Ladies and gentlemen, President Deling"

Music played the Galbaldian anthem.

The President Deling went up the podium as the announcer stepped down.

"Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, lifelong president of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition.

We the people of the world have the power to end all wars."

He paused and then started waving his hands about.

"Unfortunately, there are some trifling problems standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved."

~*~*~*~

"We wait Seifer… what are you doing?!"

"Waiting ain't my thing Quisty. Besides this man's the nerves!"

"I still say we wait. Control your temper!"

"Are we in class? No, I go, whether you like it or not."

"Seifer.."

~*~*~*~

"I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve these problems.

At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference."

~*~*~*~

"All this to introduce an ambassador? Isn't that odd?"

"I don't care. I'm going out there to kick Galbaldian ass!"

"Think for a while Seifer……. An ambassador?"

~*~*~*~

"The ambassador is none other than my son…the sorc—"

Seifer ran out of their hiding place and a ruckus began.

~*~*~*~

Quistis followed in, three Galbaldian soldiers after—and if she had delayed longer, the President's life would have been lost.

~*~*~*~

"Stay back!"

Her voice was an order for the other approaching Galbaldian soldiers.

Behind her, she knew, Seifer was up there, President Deling in his hands.

His gunblade ready to slit the old man's throat…..

She held her whip in hand and at the corner of her eye noticed several soldiers attempting to get closer.

Not a good idea.

"For the last time, stay back! You're only going to provoke him!"

Her mind raced. These men will not stop at the order of a woman.

She doubted if they even cared for their President at all.

It might be just their pride…….

As a last resort, she spoke towards the camera, hoping that Selphie, Zell and Nida were out there.

"Timber team, are you watching? Get over here now!—" she paused and looked around. She saw in the soldiers' eyes that time was not in her side.

"You have permission!"

She paused again "I need your help!"

She closed her eyes for a few seconds.

She wouldn't be able to hold them out longer…….

~*~*~*~

"Seifer. Stop all this nonsense." She helplessly pleaded.

Below her feet lay several more bodies fallen from her mighty whip.

"Quisty, seriously, think about this man as someone who doesn't deserve to live at all!"

Icy arctic eyes met with cool blue ones. There was silence for a while until the studio doors burst open and Nida, Selphie, Zell and Rinoa entered the studio.

"Seifer!"—that was the first thing that Quistis heard, and it came from the Raven-haired girl with the three.

Was that the Rinoa Seifer talked about loving to help?

Probably……

"Rinoa, don't you want this? You planned this before, didn't you? Wouldn't you agree to kill this man?"

Probably…..

"Seifer. We did not come here to make this mission more complicated. It's complicated as it is!" Quistis explained.

Rinoa kept silent.

"Hey, this ain't you. This….this is too much… Seifer. 'kay?" Zell said as he took a step forward.

"Stop. Right. There." Seifer said through his teeth.

Maybe…..

Looking into Deling's eyes was like looking into someplace where you should never lay your eyes on, Quistis thought, the deep endless void in his eyes suggested something her brain couldn't understand.

As if it were a code of some sort—she just couldn't understand his thoughts.

Maybe he had something up his sleeve. Maybe…. He was sure that he would live… maybe…

One word entered her mind.

Son?….

Vinzer Deling has no son. Or does he?

"You idiots. Do you think I don't know? Hyne, this isn't the whole dictator only, this is about him, okay. Do you think I'm stupid? Didn't you see the Galbaldian vehicle? The black-suited people? The shades? Everything! You didn't suspect anything didn't you?" Seifer's voice was angry, Quistis knew that any second now, he could make one quick move and that would mean the end of dictator ruling in Galbaldia—or perhaps a new chapter.

Galbaldian vehicle? I don't remember. People? Shades? Galbaldia in our Garden?

She forced herself to remember. And she did, partly, that day they came…..with no known intentions.

~*~[-Five years ago-]~*~

[A week after Squall's disappearance.]

"Quistis! Some strange people have come!"

Looking up, she saw Zell, beside him was Seifer.

"What do you mean by 'strange people'?" she questioned.

Zell extended his hands and started describing what they had seen. "They had this limo and—and they parked it in front of the Quad—Then they stepped out and took a lift to the third floor!" he paused to catch his breath. "I think they're talking to Matron and Cid right now." He added.

"Psst. Want me to go and peep there? Nida discovered a way to hack some doors, I bet I can use the same technique with the third floor." Seifer boasted.

"You don't need to hack your way up there. You just go in and you're there. That is where I live anyway. But they're havin' a meeting so keep out." Quistis non-chalantly stated.

"Tsch! So you're saying 'they need to have their privacy'? Well, I'm goin' Don't go running over to me and askin' me what they talked about, okay? Coz' I'm not telling you little miss responsible." Seifer then stomped his way to the door.

"I don't need to know, Seifer." She then turned to Zell. "Well, are you going to disrupt their privacy too?"

Zell gulped. "-I-I guess not….Hey Seifer…"

"Wuss!" Seifer called out before the door whooshed close.

~*~*~*~

Around her, Zell was probably getting what Seifer had said.

"Howddya think that connects him to him?" Zell questioned.

"You're a wuss that's why you don't see. What happened after that?" Seifer questioned.

Quistis thought back.

Mom, what happened to Squall's new gunblade and things?

"Seifer, who's this 'him'." Rinoa meekly asked, as if finally recovering her voice after its disappearance.

Quistis, a mention of Squall's name might jeopardize Garden if this Deling really knows something about Squall.

Maybe he became a test subject. An important one. That would be… horrible.

"Zell, not a word." Quistis whispered angrily. She then turned to Rinoa. "You don't need to know, you've never met him anyway."

She looked up to Seifer. "And he's probably never talked about him since then."

"Seriously Seifer. Let go of him. Killing him won't do us any good. Killing him wasn't even part of their plan. It was to negotiate, not kill!"

"Seifer. This isn't the right time. Let it go. You won't get him back by doing this. You won't get anything back!" Nida yelled.

"Shuddap Nida. This ain't one of the times I need your advice! This man has to pay!" Seifer growled.

"This is not good." Quistis heard Selphie mutter behind her.

"You ain't gonna bring Squall back to life by killing someone else! Dammit, Seifer let him go!" Zell yelled absent-mindedly.

It was only a few seconds that he realized what he'd just said. Quistis saw his face when he did so.

There was a minute of silence.

So he doesn't know? Why the quiet face? Why? Maybe he does know? Maybe he doesn't.

When Deling finally spoke, he announced their nightmares.

"I see……..you're all from Garden….." he paused, a sustained laugh escaped his lips. "If something happens to me, the entire Galbaldian Military will undoubtedly crush Garden."

He does know. But then again it maybe pure luck. He probably remembers the visit in Balamb. Yes probably. Judging from how they came, it must have been important… he can't forget. He just remembered.

"Damn. Zell, why did you hint! Damn you!" Seifer paused and then started dragging Deling to the other room.

Quistis and the others followed slowly, mimicking each step he took.

~*~*~*~

The backroom's walls were hung with black glossy curtains while the floor was of white polished marble. A beautiful contrast.

"So you wanted to see his death afterall?" Seifer exclaimed.

Staring into his eyes, Quistis saw the confusion he held. The hope he had in finding Squall broken, she saw it in his eyes.

Now he was left with no choice but to end the dictator's life.

Even if he were to let the dictator go, the dictator would surely send the whole Galbaldian Military to crush Garden still, wouldn't he?

We all miss Squall. The promise, you broke it. This wasn't in the plan, Seifer. Squall might never even have a Garden to come home to…..

"Seifer, please, don't do this. What if Galbaldia decides to execute you instead? You only. Wouldn't that be unfair? Seifer. Let him go." Rinoa pleaded.

Why do we want him to be let go? He's just a filthy dictator. Now that I think of it, why did we even stop him?

Because it is not in our nature to kill someone helplessly?

Probably…..

"Let him go."

A single order was issued. The room grew colder and sent shivers up their spine.

"Let him go….Seifer."

Whoever had said that had probably been listening to their conversation all along.

They looked around and searched for the owner of the voice.

There was none in them.

"Let him go."

The voice was rich with unspoken authority, power and youth, that Quistis could tell.

Full of confidence and calmness.

Suddenly at the corner of her eye, she spotted someone entering from behind some curtains.

She turned and fixed her gaze on the approaching figure and saw its features.

A tall young man, auburn hair, pale skin, wearing black leather pants, feather collared jacket and white shirt underneath it.

A heavy looking gunblade was dangling at his side, unsheathed, ready to be drawn at anytime its master needed it.

He stopped and turned to Seifer's direction. He then extended a gloved hand towards his direction.

"I said let him go." The man said simply.

The man came closer. The room was silent. Something in the man made them silent.

Something they could not understand.

Something mystical?

Closer……… Quistis saw his eyes; icy blue ones mixed with the gray of a storm.

Seifer took a step back.

"Hyne, you're here! Make this man let go of me!" Deling yelled.

The mysterious man didn't grin or register any emotions, he just stood there, blank as a stone.

"Don't worry. I will." He said quietly. "Let go of him."

Seifer snarled at him. "Who are you to say that?"

The man made no response, instead he raised a hand and in a second an unseen force threw Seifer to the wall, leaving Deling free to run away.

"You wish to fight?" the man questioned.

His face remained as stoic as ever as Seifer stood up and swung his gunblade from side to side.

"Seifer, what are you doing?" Quistis heard Nida exclaim behind him.

"Seifer." Quistis muttered.

"I'm accepting an invitation, to a duel. This man's someone cocky. Let me mark my victory on you."

"Don't give me any ideas……." The man trailed away then added.

"Seifer."

~*~*~*~

Part 4

How things can be stranger than usual……

Seifer parried his opponent's attack perfectly. Everything was at the back of his mind. Their voices, their exclamation—they were all far far away.

Right now, he was fighting a man, and that was all there was to it.

All he could hear was his and his opponent's breathing, their blades clashing, the clinking of metal, their steps and nothing else….

The man backed away, clutching his gunblade with both hands.

The way he moves reminds me of something……

His opponent then rushed at him with immense speed and sent a blow that Seifer blocked with his gunblade.

This must look great. Two gunblade users, fighting one-on-one. Like one of those stories Sis used to tell me…… Sis…… Then Squall used to hog the 'front seat' always whenever she starts telling…… I used to argue with him a lot about that, calling him a wuss like Zell.

His hand trembled at the pressure his opponent was exerting, pushing his gunblade downwards….. As if trying to brake Seifer's blade.

But Seifer quickly snapped his wrist and turned his blade enough to be able to take a step back. He took a few steps back and their eyes became locked.

What are you thinking? Reading my mind? Guessing my next move or searching my eyes for my thoughts?

His opponent narrowed his eyes and then moved like quicksilver, his gunblade held by a hand on one side, towards Seifer. He raised his hand and then once close enough, swung his gunblade immediately causing Seifer to bend down to avoid his neck from being slit.

His body was not able to bend perfectly though at such instance, he fell down at his back and sat there his eyes looking into his opponent, searching those eyes for what move he was about to execute next.

Perhaps the opponent stood too long, staring blankly at Seifer, but however, Seifer suddenly had a surge of strength that sent him to quickly raise his gunblade, stand up, push his opponent away and send his blade's tip running across his opponent's face, ripping flesh like it were paper.

His opponent fell back, a hand covering his bleeding forehead.

In a second, the opponent was on his feet and how he'd done it, Seifer didn't know—his opponent just walked towards him and slashed right as his forehead, pretty much the same way he did to his opponent.

He just froze.

He heard Quistis' scream, cries…… Then all the other's gasps.

Then all became silent, and he fell into oblivion.

~*~*~*~

"Seifer? Seifer? Are you awake?"

He blinked his eyes a bit and saw Quistis' worried face.

"The hell I am. Where—where are we?" Seifer questioned as he sat up.

Quistis stood up. "We're in the train. Luckily, we found Zone and he gave us some tickets. As for you and me, I actually am glad I listened to you and bought advanced tickets."

"How—How's everything? You—you angry at me?" He stuttered and a blush might have crept up his cheeks but he didn't mind.

Quistis heaved a sigh. "No, don't worry, I guess you just couldn't restrain yourself. I'm surprised we haven't seen any soldiers searching for you."

Seifer grinned. "Why, you want them to?"

Quistis shook her head. "What makes you think I'd want that?—" she turned around and Rinoa, Selphie, Nida and Zell came into the room. "And what makes you think they'd want that?"

Seifer lowered his head and grinned. "That was touching. Did anyone see what happened to the 'mysterious man'?"

Selphie shrugged then skipped to his side. "Speaking of what happened earlier. I think you should take a look at yourself at a mirror…." She trailed away.

"What do you mean by that?" Seifer questioned with a puzzled look. Then he remembered how his opponent's blade felt…wounding his face…….

Zell walked over the nearest mirror, took it down from the wall and held it up Seifer's face. "Man, I dunno if you're gonna like this, bro…."

Seifer closed his eyes and then saw, in the mirror, himself.

Nothing much had changed, except for the bandage wrapped forehead, holding a piece of white cloth somewhere between his eyes.

"What happened?….." he muttered.

"Seifer, you got yourself a nice and sexy scar." Rinoa remarked giggling.

"Wha……!" he exclaimed.

Nida announced within Seifer's cries of disbelief, "Next stop, East Academy, then we'll walk all the way to G Garden."

~*~*~*~

Edea ran as fast as she could to the third floor and into their room and then burst into tears.

She felt her.

She felt her in his shell.

She had finally felt it again.

She buried her face in her hands and collapsed in their bed.

The blankets readily catching her tears, she wept some more.

They will have no choice…….

Hurriedly she ran towards her desk and took a paper from the drawer then started writing.

Cid,

I'm sorry, I have to go. I really have to go. I must go. I have to do this. Please understand me. I can't bear waiting here, waiting for Ultimecia to come and destroy everything I love. I just can't sit here doing nothing while they, my children…….

Please forgive me and respect my decision.

I'm going to Deling to wait for them, I know they'll come, I feel it…….

And if they do not, I shall face Ultimecia myself.

Or, I may attempt to stop them from finding out more about Squall.

It'll hurt them, I know it will.

I'm going away probably for a meaningless cost, but it is better than seating around here doing nothing.

I am a sorceress, Hyne, and I believe that there is a reason to why I am one—this maybe the reason.

I have to go.

Your wife,

Edea

After writing, she laid the pen aside and started packing necessary things for the journey.

She then left that afternoon, with hopes that they did not come that close yet……..

~*~*~*~

"What did you believe anyway?" Quistis questioned Seifer.

Seifer shrugged. "I thought that he knew where Squall was…. I've always had fantasies with that—" he trailed away then took a deep breath.

"I've always believed that Squall was special in someway…. So I thought, 'hey that Deling probably wanted to get Squall for him to use for his own cause'." He lowered his head. "I guess I got ourselves into a lot of trouble.

"It's okay. Seifer. It wasn't really your fault. I think I overestimated you."

Quistis looked up and saw Zell, Selphie, Rinoa and Nida already at the gates of Galbaldia Garden, waving at them.

She decided to change the subject. "It was that dream again." She whispered.

Seifer grinned. "The man's a loony, forgetting his map! Hmp, he even gets cramps when he approaches that girl…."

"Come to think of it, don't you think Julia looks a bit like Rinoa?" Quistis asked.

Seifer frowned.

"Yeah, right, tell me about it, Instructor. Rinoa's wilder than that."

Quistis giggled slightly. "Forget about that, I think you look more manly with that scar on your forehead." She then traced the scar with her fingers.

Seifer's body froze at her touch—it was so…so…warming…….

"Let's go, Seifer, before they walk in and leave us here." He heard Quistis say, and he followed her.

~*~*~*~

"An' how is the gorgeous Instructor? May I join your conversation?" asked a tall young man, his face framed by wavy chestnut colored hair, the rest of his hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a cowboy hat and some animal's fur coat. Probably genuine cow leather?

He was leaning sexily on the door, a gloved hand stopping the sliding door from closing.

"Irvine!" Selphie squealed in delight as she ran towards the man and threw herself into his arms.

"It's been so loooong!" she muttered snatching his cowboy hat.

He frowned, and she pouted, but that was before Quistis asked them to take a seat.

She then asked them to give special attention.

"First off, I wanted to ask you this. Are we prepared for what's going to happen next?" Quistis started folding her hands and casting a quick glance towards Seifer.

Nida raised a brow. "What do you mean? What is going to happen next, in your thoughts?" he questioned.

"Well." Quistis thought for a while. "There is that thing with Deling. I don't believe that he's going to make this thing pass so easily……."

Irvine cut in. "No, he is passing this easily." He stated shrugging.

Quistis stared at him. "What do you mean by that?"

Irvine gave her a charming smile, but it had no effect in the already serious forum. "Dad informed me earlier, Deling is passin' this off. He then goes on yappin' about how he thinks Deling's son is involved in that de—"

"Deling's son. That's another thing. How many of you even knew Deling had a son?" Quistis immediately questioned.

Everyone else shook their heads, or gave a frown.

"He just popped outta thin air, or so my dad says. I think he just got introduced a year ago… to my father that is." Irvine tipped his hat lower and slumped in the chair.

Seifer made a loud sound clearing his throat. "What I'm dying to know is who the hell that mysterious man is—marked my face." He pointed at the scar running from beneath his right eye to the middle of his forehead.

"Whoa!" Irvine jumped off his seat and excitedly ran to his side examining his scar. "And the great gunblader of Balamb Garden has finally met his match—Seriously, I didn't notice that……"

Seifer frowned, then smirked. "Must look good on me."

"Okay, back to topic. Irvine, can that be Deling's son?" Quistis was running out of patience, she just wanted to get it all over with.

"How'd he look like?" Irvine asked before returning to where he sat.

Quistis then started describing the man in the highest detail she could.

~*~*~*~

"You think they'll be cut out for it?"

"I hope so. If we don't get their help……"

"Don't worry Headmaster, I'm sure your son can."

"And if they fail……"

"I just don't know, sir. But if they escape alive….. I'm quite sure that NORG will do something about it…"

"He'll pray they will escape alive if this fails."

"I know. But they're our only hope."

"I just wish Galbaldia SeeD weren't such wimps."

"And that is just because your son isn't a SeeD yet?"

"Exactly. They're all cowards."

"This is your Garden."

"But they're not my people."

"I see your point, sir."

~*~*~*~

The door opened and the headmaster raised a brow as he watched their surprised faces.

His eyes were cast on his son.

"I need your help you all. This is very important."

And I'll have to lie to make you people agree, no, not lie, just hide some things.

This is far too complicated for you young people to understand.

~*~*~*~

~*Selphie's Journal*~

October 31, 2096

I'm glad I brought you with me. A lot of stuff happened to us today.

Like when we captured that old mean dictator's train—that failed.

Hmmmm, you see, the enemy knew what was going to happen, and it was a trap!

Mega bummer! There was this, what was that called again? Oh yeah, a body double?

Nevermind, but that was what acted as the dictator Deling. The thing called us amateurs!

The nerve! Anyway, maybe it was right…… Anywho, after we defeated—Yay, me and Nida, and Zell beat it!! Weeee, teamwork!—Rinoa [that's the name of the leader/princess of the Timber Owls, the group we work for, and probably will work for until Timber's independence…..That is so vague! We'll never be able to look for Squall! I hope she's nice though…….] and Zone and Watts set off to form another plan.

Tee-hee, they found out that Deling was really going to the TV Station [Booyaka!]…

And so we went there, after some things…… I'm not saying! It'll embarrass Nida a bit! And whoop! There was Quistis and Seifer!

Quistis called us, and you know why? Because Seifer was about to kill Deling!

Then when we got there, we started talking about stuff, trying to stop Seifer from doing that—and you know? I think Seifer believed that Deling knows about Squall……

I want to believe so…

Anyway, he dragged Deling to another room [hmm… the backroom?] and poof! That mysterious guy comes in and a little bit later he challenges Seifer to a duel.

Wow! It was so cool…… Well…. Err…. You see; I don't know how I really felt.

But in the end Seifer gave that guy a scar—and so did that guy!

Wow! And then the room was suddenly filled with mist and we all fell asleep! Strange……

And that Myer boy, he told us that the Galbaldians captured the Timber Owl's base! I'm not worried though, we met up with Zone and he was the reason that we all safely got out of Timber through the last train!

Whoop! We had to hide in Rose's house before that, that dictator put some high security while he left! Gah! Rinoa says that her group was good at running….I don't know whether to laugh or not!

Oh yeah, how can I forget about Sir Laguna? Hmm. When I go back to Garden I'm gonna dedicate a page for him! And you know? I even found some magazines called Timber Maniacs! Cool! Better, I think I saw his picture somewhere there…….

Ah! Who knows!

One thing I'm afraid of—or was—is will Deling send the whole Galbaldia Military against Garden?

Okay, for some reason, Deling found out……..

Irvine says that Deling won't……

Hmm…… And yeah, new mission! Martine, you know him already, he asked us to go to one really hard mission.

And it was to assassinate Deling's son! And we also found out some other things! Deling's son was..well….. he was a Sorcerer! And I thought there were only Sorceresses!

Oh yeah, it happens that the reason Deling wanted to announce his sorcerer son as the ambassador of peace was to scare all the other nations off!

[Oop, did I mention that the reason Deling went to the TV Station was to broadcast an announcement? And he wanted to announce his son as the new ambassador of peace?]

Love, peace, everyone!!!

I should go to sleep. Tomorrow we're off to Deling to meet this guy called General Caraway. Hope he's a nice guy!

Well I'm off! Sweet dreams! Remember, love and peace!! And… Booyaka!!!

~*End Journal*~

The dark halls of Galbaldia Garden early in the night sent him remembering his encounter with the mysterious man.

He couldn't sleep with the snoring coming from his brother from the room next to him. It would take an hour, he thought, for his snoring time to pass!

And he couldn't think of a better way to spend his time than walking.

"SEIFER." Someone called from behind him, obliging him to stop and turn around.

There she stood her brother beside her, Fujin and Raijin.

"Fuu?" He muttered before taking steps to become closer.

Why was she here?

"Hey, Seifer, we didn't expect to see ya here." Chimed Raijin placing a hand over his shoulder.

He smirked, as he always did. Maybe it was something in him that didn't really want anyone to see him frown—maybe, pride?

"What? You thought I was executed or something?" he joked.

Fujin nodded and shook her head to her brother's direction.

Strange, Fujin and Raijin were…. While Fujin was someone with shiny silver hair and pale snow-white skin, Raijin was the opposite. He was someone with slick black hair and bronzed complexion.

It almost made Seifer wonder if they were even related.

"AFFIRMATIVE. TELL" Fujin stated in her usual voice, that was that loudness between chiding and screaming.

Not that Fujin never talked normally. She did, but that was very rare. Or when she needs to tell something which has to be spoken in detail. Perhaps when she needs to explain something—it was rare though, she was always the quiet one in her class before…. When she was still a student that was.

"Huh? Tell?" he cast his eyes on Raijin. "So? Bring it on, Rai."

Fujin….Goddess of the Wind…….Raijin…..God of Thunder? Hmm…..I've never really thought of that.

"Okay, okay." Raijin cleared his throat a bit, then started. "That Martine guy told ya already huh?"

Seifer raised a brow. It took him a minute before he realized. "Oh you mean that 'important thing to do'?"

Fujin was quick to nod. "CONTINUE."

"We were the one to deliver that strange letter to Martine, ya know. One of those freaky Garden Faculty pulled us outta the cafeteria and gave us a tiny explanation." Raijin started, he then made a sound. "Told us two that we needed to deliver somethin' to you people here and that it was from Cid."

"Oh…. That letter. So you people came here to give it to Martine?" Seifer watched as Fujin gave him a quick nod.

"WHO?" Fujin suddenly questioned, her eye undoubtly fixed on his face.

She's only got one eye……but she makes people think one eye is as good as two… he thought as his mind thought about her patched left eye. Makes me wonder how she got that…….. Never did have th courage to ask……….

Seifer lifted a hand and traced his scar. The feeling as he felt the depth of the scar made him twinge.

"You mean this. Some guy we fought gave me this—" he didn't wait for a response. "—I'm kinda hopin' that I'll meet this guy again. Maybe I can add one more to his face."

Raijin laughed and Fujin gave him a kick at the back of his knee.

"GO. TOMORROW." Were her simple words before she dragged her brother out of Seifer's sight leaving him alone in the hall.

Maybe it's time that I got back………

And he spun around, disappearing in the darkness on his way to his room.

~*~*~*~

"Hmm……maybe we can drop by the pub and see if Julia works there!"

Nida narrowed his eyes to Selphie's direction. "Don't we need to meet up with Caraway first?"

Who am I to say that? Maybe if I was the one who had that experience I'll be dying to know more about that Laguna guy…….But I wasn't the one who did.

"Okeey! So, hey, how do we get there? We never really asked where his mansion was!"

Nida smiled then looked behind him to see the rest still on their way up, on the very long escalator.

"Headmaster Martine said everyone knows where Caraway lives. He's a famous general afterall." He replied, his eyes still fixed on his other companions.

"Wow, they're having a festival! All these for the sorcerer?!" Selphie raised a hand over her eyes. "Hmm…..Maybe I should use some really cool pink and violet lights in the Garden Festival. Yellow will be cool too! Look, the lights are so nice!"

"Now, remember what we're here for," Nida paused, and caught a glimpse of the others—they were already starting to walk away. "Hey, look they're here, we need to go."

Selphie turned to him and blinked her eyes in the cutest way he knew, "Okay, heeey Irvine, wait up!"

His eyes followed Selphie as she dashed towards the cowboy and linked arms with the cowboy. He felt his heart sink a bit.

Sometimes I think I forget I don't have a chance to any girl……I'm such a loser.

"Hey, Nida, stop your daydreaming, let's go." A hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up beside him and saw Seifer. "You know, you should change to one of those foldable spears, you look like your whole body has a cramp—standing all too straight and that."

Nida flashed a grateful smile. Seifer, you're such a great help. Without you, I'll be nothing but a jerk.

"They're not as heavy and they inflict less damage. Thanks anyway, maybe when I'm faster in assembling stuff…….."

Seifer chuckled. "Point taken, Nida. Let's just go, I'm not totally comfortable with that womanizer hanging around my Quisty!"

~*~*~*~

"What do you mean we can't enter?"

Seifer folded his hands and stared at the Galbaldian soldier standing right at the gate of Caraway's mansion.

"He has been informed of our arrival, right?" Quistis cut in, pushing, rather roughly, Seifer aside.

The soldier made some gesture with his hand then sucked air inside his lungs.

"Yes, indeed… but..but—" Quistis immediately rose an eyebrow, a sign of impatience.

"I was ordered not to let you through until your skills have been tested." The soldier continued in a faster and straighter manner.

A groan immediately escaped Zell's lips and he recognized Selphie uttering something like 'bummer'.

"What? At a time like this?" Irvine took a huge step to te front, pushing the others aside in the process. "You gotta be kiddin' me. Look we're SeeDs!"

"I'm sorry but orders are orders." The soldier stated in a voice that sounded rather apologetic.

Behind Seifer, he recognized Rinoa's voice make a quizzical remark that made him wondering. "Hmp. He's still so skeptical! And at a time like this…….."she'd said.

"So—" Nida asked in a polite tone, which to was common with him, being someone who never dared disobey or question a superior's orders, "What does General Caraway want us to do?"

"All you have to do is go to the 'Tomb of the Unknown King'. It's northeast from the city." The soldier replied with ease.

Seifer smiled inwardly, Nida always had the power to make anyone feel at ease with his politeness and friendly nature………..Hmm……perhaps his humbleness too was a reason……

Nida opened his mouth to utter what Seifer guessed to be a thank you, but the soldier immediately added, "I know it sounds simple but you have to bring back a proof that you were there. A code number to be specific."

"A code number huh—" Seifer muttered out loud.

"I can't believe he's making us take a test." Quistis mumbled beside him, shaking her head slightly.

"And, we came all the way here to take some stupid test of courage? Who does he think we are?!", Seifer looked behind him and saw his brother boxing the air and possibly, he thought, mumbling a string of curses.

"I might think it is kind of a nuisance, this test, if I were in your position. But there are many students like yourself who wish to call on General Caraway……" the soldier explained.

"We're not students. We're SeeDs." Seifer said slowly, as if the soldier wouldn't understand had he talked faster.

The soldier hadn't seemed to have heard Seifer's earlier and instead continued on. "There was a student from Galbaldia Garden yesterday, who has yet to return from the test. Your objective is to look for traces of this lost student and return with his ID number." He paused. "You should find what you're looking for shortly after you go in. And the ID number should be written on it. I don't recommend going further than that, though. The place is a maze."

"A maze huh?" Seifer mumbled.

The soldier then took a map out of his standard issue Galbaldian uniform jacket and two small pieces of metal.

"Here," he said handing Seifer the map and the strange looking things. "Here's a map for you and a location displayer set."

Seifer eyed the metallic things. "A location displayer…" he trailed away.

"Ah that one, you pin the one with the pin on your shirt and stick the other to the map—It'll track your movements when you on it and display your progress in the map. I wouldn't advise on turning it on before you enter the tomb—it might malfunction. That was made especially for the tomb." The soldier immediately explained.

Seifer stared at the soldier. That soldier is a 'trivial' person.

"I see. Anything else?" he mocked, unfortunately, the soldier was nowhere near insulted.

"Ah yes, there's a GF there, I believe no Garden student has ever succeeded in capturing that—a rare one they said."

Seifer nodded, stupefied. "Okay," he muttered turning around and walking away, the others following him. The soldier was a nut!

"You need me to escort you all out of the city and show you your way there?"

Seifer paused, spun around and gave a tired look. "No thanks, we'll manage…very very well…….." He then resumed walking.

"Renting a car is convenient."

Seifer paused again and shut his eyes without turning around. "I'll do that" he said before walking as fast as he could away from the soldier.

~*~*~*~

"So you three are gonna go there yourselves?"

Seifer quickly placed a hand over Nida's shoulder and gave him an evil smirk.

"What's better way? You get the chance to be with the girls as long as we're away—" Seifer then started tapping on his shoulder rapidly. All the time, Nida's eyes remained on Seifer's face. Seifer heaved a sigh. "Ah, Imagine, Nida, no Irvine, no Zell……no me…they're all yours…for a few hours that is."

Nida gave the girls, chatting and seated on a bench somewhere behind them, a quick sideways glance then immediately gave Seifer a worried look.

"Seifer, I can't exactly control them……" he whispered, his face flushing slightly.

"Wha?" Seifer uttered before grabbing Nida by his arm and dragging him farther from the girls.

"What do you mean you can't control them?" Seifer asked firmly, forcing his face into a serious look.

This is important—That was what Seifer's looks told Nida—Really really important.

"Well…" Nida shifted his head slightly and then shifted his gaze to a lamppost.

"What?"

He then started fidgeting his hands.

"You see….Ah…Well, Selphie is….too hyper…..Rinoa is….is….our client…and uh…she gets here way whether I like it or not…and Quistis….She was my instructor…… And…they're girls."

Seifer stared at his companion. "So what if they're girls? Come on, I mean, you can always go buy Selphie cotton candy—"

"Seifer! Selphie isn't a—"

"And you can give Rinoa something dream about. Like asking her what she would do if Timber was finally independent…."

"Seifer—"

"And Quistis, heck, you're her most trusted student! I'm sure she'll listen to you…even if just for now…."

"Seifer—" Nida sighed, "Uhhm…Seifer…"

"So you're solved?" Seifer muttered then opened his trenchcoat to reveal his Hyperion. "Well, good luck to us. It's not like we're never gonna comeback…..Anyway, good luck—" He quickly closed it, and with a final wave of goodbye, dashed away, disappearing into the crowd filled sidewalk.

Nida slumped, heaved a sigh, then placed a hand over his forehead.

Hyne, this is gonna be a long night……..

"Hey, Nidaaaa! Let's go to the bar and ask if there's any Julia there!!" Selphie yelled ad Nida could do nothing but to straighten himself up and force a smile.

"Okay."

Good luck to me. I'm going to need it more than you guys will…….

~*~*~*~

"This is it?"

Zell stared at the sword lying on the damp floor, an ID tag tied around its hilt.

Seifer bent down and picked the damp ID. "Geez. I'm surprised it doesn't have anything growing on it yet. Hey, lookie, he's got tons of freckles!" he chuckled pointing at the freckled infested, redhead's face.

Zell bent down by his side and then started snorting quite loudly. "Haha, look he even has braces!" Zell pointed out the silver lined teeth—the boy obviously was smiling all too widely.

Irvine joined them. "Number 13. Sheesh, must've been really a jinx……."

Seifer stood up and placed an arm around Irvine's neck. "Well, we don't wanna be jinxed do we?—'cept my bro over here, so off we go."

"What did you say?!" Zell barked.

~*~*~*~

"Can't believe she died in a car accident……" Selphie muttered, throwing another chocolate into her mouth.

"That was such a loss. I wonder how Laguna felt." Quistis whispered mixing her drink with her straw.

"Hey Nida, why don't you eat some chocolate? It's good." Rinoa offered, rolling a big sticky milk chocolate ball between her fingers.

Nida, whose head was down and staring at something, cocked his head up immediately at the sound of Rinoa's voice, and shook his head rapidly.

"I'd better not eat. I'm not really hungry anyway." His eyes shifted to the stairs.

What time is it? How long have we been slumping around here in the bar? How many chocolates have they eaten?!

"When I have a boyfriend, I want him to give me tons of chocolates!!" Selphie's voice dreamily said.

"I don't think Irvine would let you do that. How about you Rinoa?" Quistis replied.

"Huh?" Rinoa then turned to Quistis. "Oh…I want my boyfriend to protect me all the time…………..Ahh..Seifer……"

Nida sighed.

Ahh….I hope I have enough money to pay for these chocolates…….

~*~*~*~

Part 5

No more fun

~*[Nida's journal]*~

Wednesday November 01, 2096

I'm writing early today. Three hours early……. No, no, five hours early.

Geez, five thousand gil flew out of my wallet today….and all because of chocolates.

Now why did Seifer leave me with them? He does know exactly that I'm not good with girls………

Girls are hard to understand….. It's like those three have only met a few days ago and they're like all bestfriends now. Oh, sorry, it's like those two have only met Rinoa a few days ago.

I wonder how's Zone and Watts? They rode the train to somewhere… I don't really remember.

Anyway, We're finally going to meet that General Caraway soon—hmm… they've been having strange dreams lately, and collapsing……

Wait, wait, they've collapsed a few times—Seifer, Quistis, Zell and Selphie that is.

Then they wake up and talk about this "Sir Laguna" and Kiros and Ward and Julia—Ahh! It's all a jumble!

Oops….I'll just make an in depth entry after the mission… that's the soldier giving us way….. Hmm…… the code number is 13……

I feel like something bad will happen soon. I just know it……

~*End journal*~

"You guys, promise me you won't leave me out?" Rinoa fidgeted the ring dangling on her necklace. "Please?"

It's not as if they have a choice, he thought as he eyed on Nida.

Nida gave her a nod and a smile. "That's an order?"

Rinoa smiled. "Maybe. What do you think?"

"It sounds like one." Nida said.

~*~*~*~

Sometimes I wonder how I knew that girl……..

"Hey, I'm gonna complain! You guys wait here, okay?"

That's summer's a memory……

"Oh, By the way, this is, my house so don't worry."

All I remember is sand, white sand, the moon, the stars….and a drowning dog!

<Hey, Seifer….that's your name right?>

I wonder what Squall would have done had he been here….

<Ever wonder why there are stars? You believe in angels? Sorceresses? Those stuff?>

Hehe…he would probably brush her aside and ignore here always…..

<Back off! I don't want you close my dog! And it's not dead!>

That's what he does with the majority of people…….

<We'll give him a beautiful burial ceremony, right?—That's a great idea!>

Ahh….Rinoa…Rinoa….

<You have beautiful eyes you know.>

But, I can't. I love Quisty. My Quisty.

<What if….. that girl likes another boy, not the boy. Will the boy move on?>

Maybe….

~*~*~*~

"—She hasn't received the type of training you have. She might become a burden."

So Caraway is the father……

Everything else was a blur for Seifer. He couldn't think straight.

He couldn't hear Selphie or Nida's remarks about a high government official being Rinoa's father.

All he heard was the mission and the mission only and Quistis voice.

His feet and eyes moved automatically, dragging him out of the mansion and following Caraway who started explaining about his plans.

"I'm sure you know about Deling's decision to make his son the ambassador. His sorcerer for a son."

He heard his own footsteps. This is a mission. I've never felt so…..important in my life. My first and probably most important mission. To assassinate the sorcerer…….. No, finding Squall is a better mission.

"There is going to be a ceremony tonight at eight to commemorate that event."

Move. Follow. Those were the simple orders in Seifer's mind. He'd dream something like this. Something great. And his dreams of being a hero….the chance…it was reality now.

"It'll be held at the Presidential Residence. During the ceremony, you will split into two teams and get in position. The gateway team will enter the gateway and stand by. The sniper team will stand by at the front of the Presidential Residence until the ceremony is over.

This is where the sniper team will wait, right here, where I am standing"

Two teams huh? The sniper and the gateway. I think I'm getting a picture.

He looked up the huge gate looming in front of them. A really good picture.

"That's the Presidential Residence. Once the ceremony ends, a parade for the sorcerer will begin. That's when the gate will open. Lay low until then. The parade may be cancelled if there is any commotion. We must avoid that at all costs. Once the gate opens, the sniper team will move out. With the parade drawing the crowd and the guards' attention, it should be rather easy to move about."

Caraway paused then pointed out different directions. Seifer watched him as he did so, ever so carefully. And, after taking a quick glimpse of Nida, he knew too that Nida was serious about the mission.

Seifer was glad Rinoa didn't return in time to catch them……. The mission, he realized was important and dangerous.

"The sniper team will head for the roof of the residence.

In the corridor by the sorcerer' room, there is a hatch that leads to the clock tower.

There's a clock tower there housing a carousel clock. You'll find the sniper rifle there. Stand by in the clock tower until exactly eight."

Stand by the clock…….I should…no, I should let Nida sort us out. He's always been really careful about these……..

"The parade will begin by the gate. The sorcerer will be riding on the

parade vehicle.

After it leaves the gate, the vehicle will turn left.

"Like this." Caraway jogged along the road to the crossroads and started showing them the directions the float would go.

"This way."

"The parade will circle once around the city along the outer road and return to this space."

"It will return on this side."

"Then it will turn right..."

"...and head this way."

He stopped then started pointing out their position" Here's where the gateway team comes into play."

"At exactly eight, the parade will pass under the gateway."

Confusing but understandable….this is gonna be a tough mission.

At this point, the gateway team will operate the console to drop the

gates.

"The sorcerer will be trapped inside the gateway. At eight, the carousel clock will rise out of the roof, carrying the sniper team up as well. There will be no obstruction between the sniper team and the sorcerer."

"Take the open shot............"

Take an open shot…….

"Bang!"

~*~*~*~

"I'll go with Irvine and Seifer, while Selphie, Zell and Quistis be the gateway team."

Seifer gave Nida a thumbs up. "That's good enough for me—" He turned to Caraway. "I'm going to face that sorcerer… one on one if the sniper misses then?"

"Yes. That is the only way, we must eliminate the sorcerer at all cost." Caraway replied solemnly.

Irvine cut in immediately. "Don't worry Seifer. I never miss."

Seifer grinned. "I hope you go by your word, hotshot." He then turned to Nida.

"Quistis is gonna be the leader of the Gateway team right?"

Nida nodded then eyed on Quistis. "Right. Shall we go?"

Seifer looked around the room. Caraway had left already to do his part. All in all, they were six in the room: Nida, Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Selphie and him.

He looked at the door blankly for a while then grinned at Nida.

"Okay, let's get this on with!"

I'm sorry Rinoa. We need to leave you. It's just…to dangerous.

~*~*~*~

Rinoa saw them clearly through the glass windows of her room.

She frowned. They were leaving her.

But they promised………. But they're SeeDs……..

She dashed towards her door only to find it locked.

She screamed and screamed and screamed.

But no one would open the door for her.

She finally stopped.

She had to think of something.

She had to.

She needed to help them. But how?

She looked around her room for something to use, and her eyes fell on her blankets.

Then the windows.

A smirk formed on her lips.

Caraway never did try locking the windows of her room.

Lucky day. I may not be able to do something really cool or covert. But they just might need me……. I just need to be there.

She dashed to the nearest and biggest window then opened them.

Fresh evening breeze met her face and the sound of crowds cheering and music booming reached her ears.

The parade. The parade about to begin.

~*~*~*~

A tall young man, auburn hair, blue-gray eyes, wearing sharp black trenchcoat, knee-length black boots and black gloves rose up to the podium—it was the man they had met in the backroom of the TV station—that much Seifer could tell as he looked up.

So he was the son of Deling.

"……Lowlifes."

He started in a hoarse whisper the microphone could barely catch.

"…….Shameless filthy wretches.

How you celebrate my ascension with such joy.

Hailing the very one whom you have condemned for generations.

What happened to the evil, ruthless sorceresses of your fantasies?

The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations?

Where is she now?"

There was a pause. Throughout the speech, Seifer felt that something was wrong.

His eyes, his face held no expression…while the words, the words were full of anger, authority, and success?

"She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler." His whisper was hoarse again…..yet completely audible.

What puzzled Seifer most was his last words. 'She', he referred to himself as 'she'.

That puzzled him. Really.

Everything seemed to have gone wrong from there.

"A new era has just become." The sorcerer added.

~*~*~*~

The man lifted Deling by his throat effortlessly then threw him on the ground.

A mayhem took place from that.

People ran around, screaming, crying.

Like they suddenly opened their eyes and it was the end of the world.

To worsen the commotion was the two monsters the man had magically appear from somewhere.

They didn't know, they didn't care, they just ran into the presidential palace and ran their way into the corridor.

It seemed to have taken forever.

Seemed to.

It took them less than fifteen minutes.

And in an additional two minutes, they were in the clock tower.

Irvine was with his shotgun, Nida was alert and Seifer was rather tense.

Something was wrong.

He just didn't know what.

~*~*~*~

Edea squeezed her until she was at the front to get a closer look of the man.

There he was, sitting coldly in his throne of silver, in black.

He had grown so much, so much.

Once the young boy, now the young man.

Now the sorcerer.

She followed the float.

He was there, as well as she.

And she was determined to put an end to her reign over him.

It was now or never.

~*~*~*~

ten…….nine…….eight….seven……..six……….five……….four……..three………two…..one…………………...zero…..

And the clock carousel rose.

The gateway fell.

And shaking hands held a sniper, ready to fire…ready to fire…..

~*~*~*~

The bullet tore through air flew past the crowd and approached the sorcerer.

Its aim was to dig into his heart.

Its direction was that.

But it was no match.

Energy gathered around the sorcerer at the raise of his hand and the bidding of his mind.

It hardened and formed a shell, crushing it and sending it falling down the ground.

Nothing more than crushed metal, it became.

The sorceress saw it all, through his eyes.

While another one saw it.

Minutes later a car came past the other sorceress.

And metals started clashing.

~*~*~*~

It wasn't long until the man was overwhelmed without his magic.

Seifer was faster, bigger, taller.

And ready.

He launched heavy attacks, fast as wind.

Determined as a wolf.

Seifer jumped back a bit, holding back his gunblade.

He stared into the man's eyes.

He saw emptiness.

A strange emptiness.

He launched himself for another attack.

And the man parried it.

There was silence.

Seifer raised his gunblade again to meet his opponent's gunblade.

It met. Metal against metal.

He stared into the man again. His eyes, the man's was silent.

It made Seifer feel like he was looking into an empty well.

Sucked out of its life.

He wondered what the man would've been…. Had he been not a sorcerer.

He jumped back and launched again, this time faster.

So fast, he managed to wound the man lightly.

He made no sound.

Not a squeak, not a grunt, not a word.

He was an empty shell!

The sorcerer raised his hand to his direction and suddenly fire erupted from them.

They, the fire, flew towards him, in the process turning into bright red lights that ran past through his body, filling it with undeniable heat that wrenched a cry from his lungs.

He collapsed on his knees.

It was minutes that passed before the pain subsided.

The sorcerer was doing nothing, but staring at him.

Staring with those blank blue-gray eyes.

Suddenly his ears picked up footsteps.

And soon Irvine and Nida were by his side. Both of them uttering some sort of excuse.

He ignored them and attacked.

They attacked.

~*~*~*~

Edea squeezed into the bars and ran, pulling her skirt, to where she could take a good look at the fighting.

She watched them, in a few minutes, then climbed onto the float.

It was now four against one.

No, four against two.

~*~*~*~

Seifer looked sideways and his eyes widened at the sight of his Matron.

It was then that the man finally spoke.

"Sorceress Edea." He whispered.

His body was weak, the sorcerer's.

No matter what magic he did, they, the SeeDs were much powerful, then.

Blood leaked from his mouth, and then he lifted a finger to trace it.

"Blood" he whispered. Then looked up to his opponents.

"SeeDs……must die."

~*~*~*~

Powers were unleashed mercilessly.

As well as attacks, stocked magic, GFs were of help too.

But greatest was Edea's help.

Sorceress against sorcerer.

It took less than an hour until the sorcerer finally fell onto his knees one last time.

"Impudent SeeDs…." He cursed.

He then turned to Edea. "Cursed sorceress."

"Release him." she whispered.

A hollow laugh escaped the man's lips.

"No." he replied. "But I can make you lose more."

He suddenly stood up straight, raised his right hand, and soon white, silver and ice crystals formed around his body.

"Loose more." He whispered before a huge icicle formed in his palm.

And that icicle he hurled to Seifer's direction.

A whisper was sent to her mind.

Her whisper.

I will start with the other gunblade wielder.

~*~*~*~

Her mind rushed.

She didn't want to lose anyone.

With no thought at all, she threw herself in front of Seifer.

And it tore through her as if she were paper.

Pain rushed into her body, as quickly as her blood pumped.

And her eyes gently closed.

~*~*~*~

~*[Nida's journal]*~

January 15, 2097

The day doesn't matter anymore. For me, that is.

It's already been five days…….For five whole days we have been fighting the Galbaldians in that Garden

Garden against Garden.

Things haven't been the same since Miss Edea died.

Since NORG died.

Since Trabia was bombed.

Since Cid revealed to us that Squall was the sorcerer.

Everything. Since he told us that Ultimecia took over Squall's body the day he left.

And how the Galbaldians took him.

Seifer's blind now. But I'm glad he is. He didn't deserve to see his beloved Quistis be betrayed by Squall. No, he didn't, and will never deserve to see Quistis hurt.

Quistis is still in critical condition.

Xu, is very much the same. Now that's the reason I'm in charge of Garden now.

It's hard work, but I *must* do it. For my family. For everyone. For the future.

Selphie's working hard.

Zell……Zell's pretty much disappeared after Balamb was burned down to dust.

Not that his family or anyone in Balamb died.

….I understand him. His home……then Seifer………

And Rinoa, the girl, she's with Ellone.

Ran off with her, couldn't take the fact that she was as sorceress now.

Now that Quistis passed her powers to her…….

Strange how life works.

People are dying everyday.

Young people. I wonder sometimes, what's Esthar doing right now?

While the world is at turmoil, where is that legendary city of beauty and technology?

And sorceresses?

Where?

I know I'm ranting. But it's just hard. I want to cry. All the people dead…….

But I won't stop trying to defeat Ultimecia!

Till the last breath I will fight her! SeeDs will fight her!

~*End journal*~

~*Epilogue*~

She opened her eyes.

"Matron, stand back."

She looked beside her and saw him.

Squall.

She immediately knew somehow what to say.

"It's okay, there's no more need to fight." She whispered.

And at the corner of her eyes she saw Squall still alert with his gunblade.

"That sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her powers on to."

She paused and took a deep breath.

"In order to die in peace, a sorceress must be free of all her powers. I know...for I am one, too"

She paused again and remembered her….her….dream?

Was it a dream?

"I shall take over that sorceress' powers. I do not want one of the children to become one."

I do not want you to become one. Not Squall…

She walked close to Ultimecia and extended her hands.

Violet, white, silver lights and smoke encircled her and she felt the power melt inside her, with her old sorceress powers.

"Matron!" she heard Squall yell.

Squall the young man………from the future…..

She stared down, her eyes condemning, at Ultimecia.

She began to fade. And Edea's heart felt like she had just won…… she fell down on her knees.

"I….can't….disappear….yet." Ultimecia uttered, extending her talons to somehow touch Edea.

Then she completely disappeared, leaving the ground cold where she had been.

At the edge of her eyes, she saw Squall put away his gunblade.

"Is this…. The end?" she asked.

The end for you? Is this….?

"……Most likely." Squall replied.

Suddenly a question popped in her mind. The question she had probably asked before.

She wasn't sure. That blink of an eye lasted for years and years. She couldn't really remember.

She suddenly wasn't sure if the young man beside her was indeed Squall.

Maybe it was her dream, an imagination.

What if it were all her thoughts?

She was a sorceress afterall……..

"You called me Matron." She started. "Who…..are you?"

He replie as how she believed he had. "A SeeD. A SeeD from Balamb Garden."

"SeeD? Garden?" she asked to make sure.

"Both Garden and SeeD were your ideas." He replied. "Garden trains SeeDs. SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress."

She stood up.

Her mind knew. But she needed to play this right.

She might change things.

"What are you saying?" she paused then turned to him. "You're—" she paused, struggling to remember….."..that boy from the future."

Footsteps behind her…….. Had she screwed?

Behind her, came up Squall, her Squall. The little Squall.

"I……can't find Sis. …..Am I….. all alone?" the boy whispered. Then looked up the man. "Who's he?" he meekly asked.

She quickly smiled. "Nobody, You don't need to know—" she paused. "The only Squall permitted here is you."

She turned to him.

"Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how?" she stared at the ground, then lifted her eyes to meet Squall's ……..no….. the young man's. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

He gave her a salute, then entered into the door, and disappeared.

After that, she bent down and placed a hand on Squall's cheek.

"Squall, when you grow up, you will look for Ellone when you're stronger, am I right?" she asked.

Squall immediately nodded.

"You will protect her, won't you? If you find her?"

Squall nodded again.

"Then you need to be strong, promise me that."

"Strong…don't worry Matron!" he answered before disappearing into the orphanage.

Minutes later, Ovelia, looking refreshed emerged from the orphanage.

"Edea, what's with Squall?" she called out.

Edea smiled. "Nothing much. I just gave him a goal, Ovvy." She approached her gave her a tap before entering the orphanage and heading to her room.

There as she was about to sit on her rocking chair, she stared at the sand and pieces of glass scattered on the floor next to the rocking chair.

She paused then smiled as she sat on the chair.

"It was all a dream, Edea." She whispered.

"Forget about it."

And she wondered if she would.

Then she wondered why she had accepted Ultimecia's powers.

She muttered something.

Then she slipped into sleep.

I had to do it……

* ~--~*~*~*~--~ *

Author's notes: Finished! Review!! Yay! Please, send in a review……..pwease? Anyway, thanks for reading my poor try………..;_;