Zell awoke to find himself in what appeared to be a cell of some kind cell, looking around quickly he noticed the still forms of Selphie, Rinoa and Quistis lying limply beside him. Crawling over, he gently shook each of the girls.

"Yo, Selphie, Rinoa, Instructor Trepe wake up."

Scrunching up her face Selphie curled her body in a small ball before quickly opening her eyes, looking around quickly Selphie was instantly on alert.

Quistis mirrored her female companions actions, taking careful note of the substances the walls were made out of and the layout of the room.

Rinoa wasn't quite as alert in her waking but managed to be roused quickly enough.

"Where are we?" Selphie mumbled.

"A prison of some sort, not surprising really, considering we tried to assassinate the Sorceress. Where are Squall and the other's though?" Quistis questioned.

Looking at Zell for information the martial-artist just shook his head.

&

As Squall sat on the cot in his small room looking at the other wall wondering what was going to happen now, they tried to kill the Sorceress, and he would probably be executed along with all those involved, Squall didn't quite know what to make of that on some part it felt like the whole thing was a set up just to deliver their heads on a silver platter.

"You know that's not exactly the healthiest thought." Shiva replied in the back of his mind, he'd found out that she could communicate with him and that even his own thoughts weren't his own anymore considering she could 'hear' them whenever she wanted.

Ignoring that line of thought Squall questioned his Guardian Force.

"What would you have me do then?"

"I don't know have a positive outlook." Despite the situation he was in Squall couldn't help but smirk.

"Somehow I don't think that will happen."

"Suit yourself, but I've been stuck as a slave pretty much for a couple thousand years, and now I finally get a chance to talk and interact with the world again, so I'm not gonna keep quiet if you were wondering…which you were by the way." Shiva stated.

"Thank you for the update." Squall mumbled.

"You said you could interact with the environment, does that mean you can come and go outside of my mind as you wish?"

"I will but, not yet I may have gotten all my powers back but it will take a little while for it to catch up with my body. Eventually though I will be able to do such things, although it's also on part of our high compatibility." Shiva answered.

"You said the other Forces were sealed away as well?"

"Most of them, I'm not sure if all of them were I was one of the earliest to be sealed."

"I assume if we make it out of this alive you want me to help them?"

"I would appreciate it."

"What if I refuse?"

"Do you really wanna go down that road Squall?" Somehow he felt as if she were smirking at him, when he noticed that his body became very cold to the point of shivering.

"You're not giving me a choice are you?"

"Not really." She was defiantly smiling now he could feel it, he didn't know how but he could.

Anything that Squall was going to 'say' back was interrupted when his cell door opened and Seifer was standing in the door way.

"Play-time, Squall."

&

Zell, Selphie, and Quistis were gathered in the middle of their cell going over what they knew so far.

"We're in sort of prison that's for sure." Zell stated nodding his head.

"It's most likely the D-District Prison of Galbadia for political prisoners." Rinoa spoke from her spot in the corner.

A speaker system could be heard kicking on as the sounds of people talking washed over the group.

"So Squall you ready to talk yet?" a voice said which Zell quickly recognized.

"That's Seifer!"

A stark silence could be heard as the group pictured Squall not giving anything up.

"Have in your way, hit the switch!"

A painful scream hit the others in the cell as they heard Squall being tortured.

A.N.- This is the next chapter, which has been long in coming, but I will be getting back to it, which is why it was short. The next posting date is listed on my profile if anyone wants to check it out. For those of you who reviewed THANK YOU and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Let me know what you think so far.

Zanaso Clramm