Time marches on

Thwack!

A sharp blow to the thigh forced Ultimecia to twist. Her claws missed Cosmos's throat by a mile and she pivoted, raising her foot and smashing it in the abdomen.

The goddess flew, crashing into the orphanage hall frieze and teleported, swinging her scythe. The curved blade whistled through the air, through the time sorceress and when Cosmos blinked, only a faint after image of Ultimecia's sneer, shimmered in front of her.

The time witch escaped.

Shoulder blades aching from where she ploughed into the hall, Cosmos turned, chunks of alabaster littered the shadowed terrace and she gripped her weapon, exhausted from the brief encounter. The crystals, she needed to find the warrior she bestowed it to. Clasping her hands on her chest, the goddess rifled through the memories, trying to piece herself together...

...And came up with a blank. Sighing, she stepped on the sun soaked steps and walked through the field of coarse grass. Ultimecia came here for a purpose, to steal her Crystal? Cosmos wondered anxiously.

Bare feet touched sand and as if emerging from a dream, the goddess turned to the vast sea. More land lay beyond the barrier of white foamed waves and she strolled along the beach, towards the lonely lighthouse perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. Years ago, this area teemed with life; she felt the energies left behind by orphaned children.

Their hopes and dreams.

Laughter and smiles.

And their resentment and anger.

The ocean waves lapped against her feet, soaking her jacket's hem.

Raising her hood, Cosmos covered her face and a circle of light flowered beneath her feet.


Fishing vessels returned to the coast of Balamb. On deck, the fishermen shouted happily, waving their arms and screaming about a good haul. The dock workers scurried about, unloading the cargo vessels and bringing in ships, if the fleet of fishing boats came in, all activity will halt in favor of unloading the rare delicacy, the Balamb Fish. The vessels bobbed closer and shouts rend the air. Cargo and passenger ships were immediately dispatched. Carting off the huge containers lining the pier, the dockhands created space for crates to unload the fish. The boats arrived, salt scoured ropes flew from overboard and the workers grabbed them, securing the boats to the pier. The unloading began. First the fishermen tossed the nets, covered in scales, knots and darkened with dirt. Then the fish were thrown into tubs. The water tinted pink, sloshed over the sides and covered the pavement. By the time noon rolled around, the port stank of fish, sweat and merchants swarmed the harbor, haggling for the best prices.

Amidst the crowds of well-dressed men rubbing shoulders with sailors covered in the morning's fish guts, a woman materialized.

The crowd took no notice of her; too busy staking a claim to the catch of Balamb Fish. Many rubbed their hands in anticipation.

A pair of eyes watched the robed figure weave from thin air. Clutching a doll, the girl looked left, right and back to the figure on all fours. A crowd of passing teenagers, decked in clean, crisp uniforms of the Garden, gave the crouching individual a customary glance and strode on. Another merchant, adjusting glasses, tripped over the huddle in the middle of the road and stopped, puffing angrily, he pointed a finger and Cosmos rose.

The words abruptly evaporated in his mouth and he plastered a cloying smile on his mustached face. However, before he managed to lay his charms on this obviously distressed lady, she squinted in the direction of...the man turned, fiddling with his eyeglasses. Balamb Garden?

Brushing his frock coat self-importantly, he cleared his throat to gain her attention and she looked at him. "May you please guide me to the institution over there?" Cosmos asked and pointed a slender finger to the halo of magic characterizing the Garden. "I am searching for a Warrior of high repute who has the power of the Goddess' Crystals..." She broke off when the ruddy faced man backtracked and sped off, coat tails flapping in the wind. Blinking owlishly, she sought for another person to aid her in the quest but most people were preoccupied with themselves; shopkeepers lining the market place screeched for customers and they flocked, shoving each other out of the way. Bewildered, Cosmos approached a woman and repeated her earlier request; the lady laughed, touched her fashionable curls and disappeared, giggling with a bevy of girls.

Striding to a fruit stall, the goddess hungrily eyed the fruits on display and picked an apple. The green skin, waxed to perfection, teased her and weighing the apple in her palm, she held it out. "I require this for sustenance…" Cosmos trailed, horrified at the concept of sustenance. Did the mortals feel this wretched every time they required food? As she turned to walk away, the stall owner yelled at her.

"Cough up the Gil, woman!"

"Gil?" She asked. "Money?" Cosmos patted her pocket-less jacket. "I do not have money." The man's weather beaten face contorted furiously and she hastily placated him, bringing her palms together in prayer. "But I pray you be prosperous in your endeavors-"

"POLICE!"

The shop keeper stood and yelled loudly, the sound pulsed in Cosmos' ears. The deafening call aroused the interest of passersby and they curiously circled the shabby fruit stall.

Bleeding into view amidst the chaos, Hwit stabbed the apple with his dagger and flung it, nailing the hysterical shopkeeper in the nose. Taking advantage of the confusion, Cosmos slipped from the crowd and peeled into a side street, bewildered by the people's behavior. She only wanted an apple! Did the men of this century not possess benevolent hearts?

The moogle, weaving through the throngs of people, vanished and phased into view till he guided Cosmos to the edge of Balamb Town. Sitting underneath the sprawling shade of a flowering tree, the goddess stared at her trembling hands.

"The next time you want something," Hwit snarled, pitch black wings vibrating, "you take it without asking."

Raising her head, the goddess' eyes flashed. "I will not! That is considered stealing. The people may not have good faith but I shall not resort to their crude behavior. I shall set an example." Wisps of her untamed hair spilled from beneath the gold accented hood and she pushed them back.

The moogle eyed her, unfathomable expressions swirling in burnished gold irises. "Learn to adapt," he commanded, "it will serve you well." Wings flapping frenziedly, Hwit shot off to the great unknown, head bauble shaking erratically.

Bringing a hand to her mouth, Cosmos laughed, to think...a great entity such as him was reduced to a moogle. Her chuckles abated when the full reality of her circumstances dawned on her.

Under the harsh, noonday sun, she reclined in the shade of a tree, growing weaker with each passing second. Hauling to her feet, she ambled slowly, marveling at the dome shaped houses lining the streets. Here and there, Cosmos caught a glimpse inside through round, glass windows. Some of the homes spoke of luxury and comfort, decorated by wall hangings and lace curtains. Others, outer walls cracked, showed age and poverty. Walking towards one, where a wrought iron lamp threatened to fall from its crumbling base, Cosmos touched a finger and smoothed the cracks. Several people stopped to stare at her and resume their daily activities, shrugging shoulders. Deed done, she focused on the magical halo of Balamb Garden and traced a path to the institution.

A pair of high rise gates denied access to the humongous compound. Eyes widening in surprise, Cosmos tried to peer through the bars, but a suspicious gate keeper regarded her irately. Letting her hood down, she approached the official who suddenly, developed an interest in her. Smiling benevolently, she inquired for a certain warrior possessing a Goddess Crystal and like her previous encounter, the man grew sullen, scowled and shook his head, telling her they did not have any Crystal warriors. Not one to give up, the goddess urged him to at least take a look, but the apathetic man sauntered back to a fancy guardhouse and disappeared.

"Oh right!" he shouted through a window. "We have Squall, but I wouldn't call him a warrior." The guard laughed at his joke and Cosmos' features scrunched delicately, she failed to see anything funny. "In any case, he's getting crazier in his head. Says stuff like he's losing track of time or something."

Cosmos straightened, this was the warrior she searched for. "Could you please summon him? I would like to speak with this Squall."

"No can do. To get to Squall you need a permit from a higher up." The guard retreated in the safety of his office. Alone, the she gripped the bars, concrete burned her feet.

A chorus of shouts and laughter erupted from the institution. Young soldiers marched across the grounds, military training dictating their posture. Others slaved over books, memorizing theories and magical chants for summoning. Too tired to break the layers of invisible magic slathering the school, Cosmos let go of the gates, her palms smoking. Rubbing the raw skin, she covered her face and melted with the many residents milling in the town.


Rubbing his tired eyes, Squall Leonhart got up from bed and dragged himself to the full length mirror.

A shock of unkempt hair fell over his forehead and smoothing them listlessly, he reached for his clothes. Blinds, drawn tightly across the windows, did not allow any light to fall in the palatial room and he secured a myriad of silver buckles on his waist. Shoving the latest model gunblade in a holster, Squall shrugged a fur lined jacket on himself and stepped out the door. The corridor, lit by fluorescent lights, further burned his retinas and he climbed down a set of stairs, pausing to adjust the stack of papers under his arm. Leather shoes echoed loudly in the empty hallways and stopping in front of a class, he kicked the door open.

An empty room, lined with desks, welcomed him. Stalking towards the lectern, he dumped his documents on the wood paneled surface, grabbed a marker and faced the blank board.

"It's night time sir." A young boy stepped into the empty room, an over-sized pajama hanging off scrawny shoulders. A magic circle formed on the board and Squall whipped around, the pentagon inside the circle became skew. "You must come back six hours later, school starts then. You are too early." Squall stared at the gigantic moon visible through the class' floor to ceiling windows, his eyebrows shot up. Placing the marker down, he dropped into a chair and crossed his legs, brooding. The boy, hanging by the door frame, cautiously inched inside and received a sharp eyed glare from the scarred man. "Ms Heartilly asked me to look after you," the student faltered. "I sleep walk each night and wake around this time and most week nights I see you here..."

Squall raised his face. "Scram," he responded finally, if bluntly. "You need your sleep and I need time to think."

The boy hung for a little while longer, absentmindedly arranging the chairs and desks, he hitched the oversized pajama on his too thin shoulders and the action irritated Squall for no reason. The child appeared lost, like that time when...when...

He drifted on the currents of time, surrounded by faceless portraits. Dropping his face into gloved palms, Leon hunched, fingernails digging into his cheeks. If at that time, Rinoa did not rescue him.

If at that time she did not.

The end of the world. Time compressed into a single entity. He fought furiously, surrounded by bodies of the fallen as the wretched sorceress absorbed them as her own.

A pair of warm hands touched his shoulders and he eased. "It's morning Squall." Rinoa's energetic voice prompted him to squint at her and at the blinding sun peeking through clouds. "MORNING," she repeated with a wide smile on her face and already, he felt tired.

Shrugging, he got up from the chair and indicated for the rows of students to enter. The boys and girls filed inside obediently and at once, he caught sight of the sleep walking child, rubbing at a pair of shadows underneath his eyes. Squall opened his mouth to say something, thought the better of it and turned to the board.

The lesson started with basic combat and summoning and the day wore on.

Marching tirelessly.


Rising upright beneath the leafy shade of an acacia, Cosmos opened her eyes to a pink cheeked girl holding out a bread roll.

Smiling and thanking her, the goddess nibbled on the roll, her entire body ached from the uncomfortable position she forced herself into. Yesterday evening, she returned from Balamb Garden and strolled through the seaside town. The commotion at the port, died when evening hit and exhausted fishermen trailed back home, salt scoured faces wrinkling in proud smiles. Aimlessly wandering, Cosmos weaved through small side streets and unfrequented alleys. Night fell and she worried.

Her feet guided her to a modest; three story building standing on a raised patch of land, overlooking the sea. A creaking wooden sign identified it as the Inn and orange light spilled from windows. Smoothing her jacket, she hesitated at the door, the fruit stall encounter fresh on her mind. As if reminding her about the importance of money, a small black board listed the amount of Gil needed to stay at the particular suites. Bright blue eyes roaming over the amounts, she quickly spun on her heel and strode away, back to the lamp lit streets of Balamb Town.

She walked till her sight grew dizzy. By now, very few people roamed the streets. The smell of fried fish and marinated spices coming from the open air food stalls, long evaporated on the balmy night and staggering, Cosmos sat on a low stone wall, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

Some of the individuals cloaked by the night stopped to stare at the woman in white sleeping against the tree. Others hungrily eyed the glint of a golden necklace, visible beneath her raised jacket collar. But the moment they approached the sleeping woman, they all stopped.

A tiny furred creature, a moogle, glared angrily at them and brandished a dagger. Those who smirked at the monster they considered useless, met a violent end.

Erased from reality.


The bread roll finished and Cosmos forlornly stared at her empty hands. Clouds rushed from the west, ushered in by a stiff sea breeze. Facing the sky, she fixated on the flaring halo above Balamb Garden and set off, this time, determined to find out about the warrior named Leonhart Squall. She repeated the name under her breath, coaxing a face from the lacuna of her mind.

A man with white hair?

Wielding a sword and shield?

No.

He was...someone else. Another warrior.

Another person who held a part of her power.

Someone clutched her jacket and Cosmos stopped.

"Here you go."

The young girl thrust a woven basket in the goddess' hands. "I saw you at the harbor yesterday," the ruddy faced child exclaimed, eyes twinkling. "You came out of nowhere!" Cosmos peeked into the basket, eyes widening at the assortment of rolls, pastries and little things with cream. "And you shouldn't walk around with no money." The child, caramel pigtails bouncing, thrust a purse of Gil at Cosmos. "Now you are all set!"

Holding the basket tightly Cosmos knelt on the ground and clasped the girl's hands in her own.

The child flushed and smiled purely. "I pray for all your endeavors to succeed." The goddess brushed a strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "May you always be kind and benevolent and may fate look upon you kindly." Cosmos let go and watched the child skip away happily, pausing once to wave at her. Hooking the basket through her arm, the goddess rose to her feet and with burning resolve, peeled through the streets and to the imposing institution.

At the gates, the previous guard eyed her basket warily, however, this time she took no notice of him and strode around the school's perimeter. It spanned a colossal amount of land on all sides and when the brick wall curved and shaded her from prying eyes. Cosmos put her hand against it and flinched. Anti-magic barriers. The grassy ground too, a minefield of magic circles waited to spring on an unexpected intruder.

Testing the ground, she traversed for another mile, stopping to touch the fragrant wildflowers blooming alongside weeds. Pressing her palms together, she parted them and Cierr Harmonia rested in her a hands. Placing the weapon's butt parallel to the brick gate defaced by squiggly lines, and Cosmos blinked disapprovingly, a slew of unsavory words; she pushed. Lines snaked from the point of impact, bleeding into the cracks and toppling bricks.

One, two, ten. A sizable arch, perfect for her tall and slim figure to fit through, cleared and she covered her mouth from the dust. Pressing her heel against a devastating magic trap at the threshold of her newly created entrance, Cosmos disabled it and ducked.

A claw seized her necklace. "Wait," Hwit commanded and the woman gasped for air. Reminding himself he dealt with a barely capable goddess, the moogle, flew through the hole and stopped short. "Lasers." he opened his eyes and stared at the towering buildings making up the Garden. "Cameras..."

"Lasers?" Cosmos asked confusedly. "Cameras? I suppose they are not magic traps." She squeezed herself into the arch, next to Hwit and tried to see the things he did. "They must be the products of modern technology," she sagely concluded and the moogle nodded off-handedly. "Then..." she stepped forward whilst Hwit angrily sputtered next to her. "Fear shall not chain me here." Cosmos phased harmlessly through the net of invisible lasers crisscrossing the outer perimeter of Balamb Garden. "I know the warrior is inside here, and I must meet him."

Hooding her face and with the scythe by her side, she intruded upon the grounds and the moogle hovered in the air, contemplative before shutting his eyes and de-materializing.

The thirty two students obediently sitting in polished desks behind him, collectively jumped when the klaxon blared.

Looking up from the magic tome he currently recited from, Squall rubbed his temples when the sound penetrated his skull. Ordering the students not to move a muscle- like they could, when they all tensed like mice in front of cats- he stalked out of the classroom and met up with a breathless Rinoa.

"There is a breach from the eastern gate, near where the old wall is built into the new," she informed him. "The students..." she muttered. More teachers poured out of the classrooms and Squall spied Seifer's blonde head coursing for the exit. "Squall, we need to evacuate everyone, the threat is a high level, single entity."

His blood crawled to a stop.

'Evacuate everyone?' He thought. 'What happened to the pride of the SeeDs?'

Sighing heavily, he shouldered his gunblade and tailed after Seifer.

"Where are you going?" Rinoa called after him and he twitched at the concern lacing her voice.

"To deal with the intruder." Squall silently replied.


E/N: Cierr Harmonia = Timeless Harmony

The coat Cosmos is wearing is exactly the same coat Organization XIII wears from the Kingdom Hearts series, but with inverted colors; you know, white and gold instead of black and silver.

A/N: I like writing Squall, he's just so...Whatever.

Anyways people, read and review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.