Liberating Timber

Summary: (AU) There is no grand plan to compress time; instead, theres three newly appointed SeeDs, an amateur resistance, and a vague contract that reads: "Until Timber achieves independence. . .". Squall, Zell, and Selphie just found out that their first job is going to be the hardest thing theyll ever have. They'll wish there was a sorceress trying to destroy time as we know it.

Chapter One: I Sold My Life For This/The Tie That Binds

His mind had derailed when he read the last line of the contract. There was a jerk, then a loud screeching noise and Squall felt a headache developing soon thereafter.

"Until Timber achieves independence. . ."

Just behind him he heard Selphie complain about the vagueness of the contract and silently he agreed. He rolled his blue eyes back to the thick yellowish paper that stole his steel confidence away from here like a beautiful sight steals ones breath.

"Until Timber achieves independence. . ."

The words screamed off the page at him. He felt like an innocent man being condemned and suddenly he thought that maybe he and the others weren't sent on this mission because they had hopes for them. Maybe they considered them troublemakers because of what happen during the field exam and decided to keep them busy with this impossible task.

"Until Timber achieves independence. . ."

Squall grimaced as he read the words again and finally shoved the paper back at Rinoa in disgust. She took it and place it back in the crate it came from. Squall witness it all and idly wondered if the crate and all its contents when up in flames would they be free of the contract.

"Hey are you okay?" Zell asked, waving his hands at Squall.

Squall snapped to and turned to his teammates. He could see the grim looks in their eyes as well. The hopelessness they felt. How was he going to get them out of this?

I guess...I'll have to...figure out a way to liberate Timber. He cast his eyes in the direction of the Forest Owls and sighed. But how can I do anything with these three running things?

Rinoa eyed Squall from his left. Squall looked like it would be more fun fighting a T-Rextaur with his bare hands than being here at the moment. But the others wouldn't have noticed because all he really did was widen his eyes, and crunch the paper a little. She just had an active imagination and figured that's what he was thinking at the moment. After the incident in the Presidents car where she folded when the fake president tried to kill her, Squall must have lost respect for her and the Forest Owls.

She looked away and shrugged to herself. Who needs his respect anyway? He was still under contract.

"So like I said: we've come up with a plan." She began, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

Selphie and Zells eyes widen at the same time and they took a few steps back as they tried to figure out how three people figured out how to liberate a nation in three minutes?

Rinoa ignored those looks and continued, "We're to go to the T.V. Station, take control."

"The T.V. Station is quite close if you take the local train, but all the trains have stopped running." Watts informed her.

"What do they want at the T.V. station?" Zell pondered aloud.

Selphie bounced up and down and spread her arms wide. "We want: Love...and PEACE!"

Everyone in the room simultaneously turned their head in her direction.

"What? It could happen." She added.

"Well we're still going to have to worry about the guards." Zell continued, pushing Selphies bizarre thought out of the conversation.

Rinoa frowned, "Well it can't be that bad getting in. I'm sure theres a way, but how do we get there from here without the trains?"

"Im sure theres someone in town that knows how." Watts added helpfully.

Rinoa nodded in acknowledgment and put her hand on her hip. "Well lets go."

Zone freaked, ran out in the hallway and dropped to the floor holding his stomach, and Watts ran for dear life announcing his only role in this fiasco was to gather information.

Zell wondered if Timber was nice in the summer. Because with the way things were going they were going to be in Timber for a very long time.

Rinoa spun around after her partners' hasty retreat and address the three SeeDs.

"Just let Watts know when youre ready to head out. I'll be around. With that she left the briefing room as well."

"Lets run for it. Selphie spat out the second the door clicked shut, "Well become rogue SeeDs and work on our own. I might commit suicide before we complete this mission."

Zell looked at her with disbelief but as the thought sat it sunk in and sounded better as he absorbed it. "Yea, Squall, Im down with being a rogue."

Squall almost agreed, but he had much more restrained than his companions, "We're not going AWOL. This is our first mission and despite how unobtainable our goal seems now, we'll figure something and will succeed." He turned away and looked at the door leading out.

That thought seem to have soothed the other twos spirit a little. If Squall saw the light at the end of the tunnel then maybe they could pull this off.

"Well, then, lets go liberate Timber!" Zell shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Author's Note: Well there you have. Next Chapter will have things that occured in the game but a little different. Don't worry all the characters will show sooner or later for some reason or another. Plus a plethora of new characters. I hope you enjoyed.