Hello! :D I updated when I said I probably would. Amazing, yes?

Erxenesh: Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it! :)

NebraeExbaren: Lol he has the best catchphrase, doesn't he? XD And of course he's having a big role! He's going to get Squally into trouble...

Evil StormSister: They look alike for a reason ^-^ And you are very right about him needing to be a bit moodier...I was just thinking he'd be trying to hold it together for his group, but then you brought that up, and I figured out that Squall just lost the love of his life, so he's gotta break sometime. So the first scene was inspired by you ^-^ I don't think it's too much out of character for him, considering the circumstances...what do you think? *twitches* I'm getting all insecure now XD

Alphakoka: I almost missed your review! I was about to post before I noticed! Thanks for reading so far. That was insanely fast XD

Please enjoy :)

Squall awoke violently, gasping for breath and hugging himself. His heart hammered in his chest and sweat poured down his body.

He threw the sheets off of himself and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Squall raised a shaking hand to wipe his face and was surprised when it came away slick with liquid. It was more than sweat. Tears. He hadn't cried since…since his five-year-old self found out that Sis had left…

In the dull light that reflected under the door of the small private cabin, Squall could see the gleam of the silver band that encircled the ring finger of his left hand. He had only known her three years. And in those three years, she had taught him to trust people again, and to trust himself. Three agonizingly short years before she was ripped from him and his life was shattered.

My own fault.

They hadn't even been married over two years.

And I killed her.

A fresh bout of what could only be described as pure agony assaulted him. His chest felt tight, like it could collapse into itself at any moment, with the intensity of the pain. Fresh tears spilled from his eyes and he sobbed.

It was hours later before he regained control of himself.

I can't do this, he told himself. Now wasn't the time for him to lose his self-control. Not now, when other lives depended on him. He had to be strong, for the rest of them. He wasn't the only one who had lost someone dear.

But I was the only one that killed them all. I'm the only one to blame.

He couldn't fall apart now. He wouldn't. He was the commander of a fallen mercenary academy. The commander. He would see his people through this if it killed him.

And if it killed him, all the better.

The castle looked even bigger on the inside than it had on the outside. The enormous halls were draped with red and gold ornamentation and giant portraits of rulers past. Expansive rooms could be peeked at through cracks in the great oak doors, their walls covered with tapestries and gold fixtures while the floors sported rugs and fine furniture.

Squall hated it.

Squall, along with Quistis, Laguna, and Kiros, followed Aeris through the corridors, heading for the boardroom.

"Can you believe the size of this place?" Laguna gawked, rubbernecking his way through the castle.

Squall resisted the urge to knock him senseless against a wall, and prayed fervently that Laguna hadn't told anyone that they were related. He was staring around like some tourist, not a president representing a fallen nation and a handful of refugees.

"It is impressive," Kiros agreed, though not sounding as awed as Laguna had.

"This architecture is stunning," Quistis said, gazing in wonder at the arches over their heads. "And the detail on these sculptures is remarkable!"

Was this some kind of conspiracy against Squall's sanity? Maybe he should have brought Irvine along. To him, sculptures were only good for target practice.

"Here we are," Aeris said brightly, much to Squall's relief. She nodded to the guards at the entry, who then proceeded to haul the heavy doors open. They followed the girl inside what appeared to be a reception area. Squall could easily see the boardroom through an archway in the wall beyond.

"Hey!" someone called out.

Squall turned his eyes on the man that had been leaning against the wall behind the door. He was well built and had black spiky hair and violet eyes that seemed to glow. He wore an officer's uniform of some kind, with a giant broadsword strapped to his back. Squall wondered how the man could lift it, much less fight with it.

The first thing he did was wrap an arm around Aeris, then offered everyone else a smile. "You must be the new guys," he said brightly.

"I'm Laguna Loire," Squall's father said, stepping forward to shake the stranger's hand. "This is Kiros, Quistis and Squall."

The brunet nodded his head in greeting. "Nice to meet you. General Zack Fair. And I guess you've met my lovely wife, Mrs. Fair," he introduced with a roguish grin, pulling her closer.

Squall hadn't noticed the twin rings on their fingers, but now he was consciously aware of his own, as if it had suddenly become a lead weight underneath his glove.

He turned away, feeling sick to his core. He couldn't watch, and he didn't care if it was rude. It brought back too many memories, and the breakdown he had had the night before was all too fresh on his mind.

He was grateful when Aeris left. Not long after that, others started arriving. First came a rough-looking man with broad shoulders and black hair named Braig. He was soon followed by an auburn haired Aeleus and a thin man named Dilan, both wearing the same uniform. A short boy called Zidane, with blond hair and what looked like a monkey's tail trailing behind him, arrived after them, then a man with long blond hair named Even. All but Zidane, the scribe, claimed to be scientists. Squall hated scientists.

Finally, Ansem himself arrived. He was a tall man with gold hair, a trimmed goatee, and a benevolent gaze. He was flanked by a young boy with silver hair named Ienzo, and a pale man with white, spiky hair he called Xehanort. Squall knew right at the start that he wouldn't get along with Xehanort. He was too much like an unpleasant mix of Seifer and Odine.

"Well, friends, why don't we move to the meeting room?" Ansem asked, his regal voice thick with a strange accent Squall didn't recognize. "We have a lot to discuss."

They did as Ansem suggested, following the ruler and taking places around the table. Ansem took the head, with Ienzo and Xehanort on either side. The other scientists, Squall noted, sat next to them, leaving Zidane and Zack sitting across from each other. Squall sat beside Zidane, with Quistis across from him. This left two seats, and naturally, Laguna took the one next to Squall, blast it all.

The scientists at the table talked for a while about their most recent research, and Zack and Zidane engaged Squall's companions in small talk while they waited for Ansem to begin. Squall was starting to get annoyed.

"Well, friends, let us begin," Ansem said, sitting up in his chair and steepling his fingers before him. The table quieted as the leader spoke. "Squall, I understand you have some concerns about the welfare of your people."

Squall nodded. "I would like to ensure they are all given the means to provide for themselves," he said.

"A sign of a good leader," Ansem nodded approvingly.

Squall listened as intently as he could manage as the ruler rambled about all of the bureaucratic nonsense that he would be dealing with to ensure the best possible conditions for Squall's people and about all the other countless refugees the man had so far aided. Then he listed his plans for finding the rest of Squall's staff that had no military experience or ambitions.

"Of course, any scientists and individuals with military training you have will be offered a place here," he added, almost as an afterthought. But Squall knew better. There was a hunger in his eyes…it made the hair on Squall's neck stand on end.

"May I ask why you seem to be so interested in keeping soldiers and scientists?" Squall asked, eyeing Ansem with veiled suspicion.

Ansem looked taken aback. "Well, we do a lot of research here at the castle, and naturally I'm concerned about the protection of Radiant Garden."

"Protection against what?" Quistis spoke. She had picked up on Squall's nonverbal cues easily enough, and now seemed to be equally apprehensive.

"The very things that destroyed your world," Xehanort said. Squall cut his gaze to the white-haired young man. His yellow eyes reminded Squall of a snake.

"You mean those things are on this world, too?" Laguna asked, his voice trepid.

Xehanort opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glance from Ansem silenced him. "There is always a risk of them arriving," the ruler said evenly. "The worlds that have been annihilated by their arrival grow more numerous by the day. We must be prepared in case of an attack."

"Hence our interest in your mercenary group," Zack explained with a grin.

"Yes," Ansem nodded. "Perhaps we can work something out on the matter."

Squall left the meeting room with a stiff back and a throbbing headache. After three hours of negotiation and planning, they had finally signed contracts and gotten everything settled, including the unloading and storage of the ships. Everything had remained mostly as Ansem had planned, only now Squall understood the setup. His people would be given a job of some sort in the city, while the soldiers and scientists would be given the choice of working in the castle or not.

Squall had accepted the position for himself already. He had been a SeeD his whole life, and despite the dangers and the death that trailed after him like a cloak, he doubted he'd be content with any other occupation. Besides, he would need something to occupy his mind.

"Psst!"

Squall halted his gait and jerked his head around, scanning the hall behind him. He almost missed the green eye, with a few red spikes behind it and a complimentary smirk below, peering around the corner.

"Squall?" Quistis asked after almost bumping into him. Now Laguna, Kiros and Zack had stopped as well to see what the matter was.

Squall frowned and turned to follow as Lea disappeared around the corner before anyone else could spot him. "I'll meet you outside," he called over his shoulder.

He ended up in a small space that resembled a living room more than anything. Lea was sprawled across a plush piece of furniture, looking all the world like he owned the place. "Well, Commander Squall, how'd your chat with our fearless leader and his lackeys go?" he asked as he propped his feet up on the arm of a nearby couch.

The former commander's frown deepened, but he didn't bother asking how Lea knew Squall's name and past rank. Lea seemed to know a lot of things. "I've joined the Palace Guard. I'm no longer the commander of anything."

Lea waved his hand dismissively. "Once a commander, always a commander. When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

"Ah, perfect!" he rubbed his hands together with a broad grin and jumped to his feet. "You learn the ropes this week, and next, we get down to business."

Squall crossed his arms. "Business?" What was Lea implying? That they work together, going behind the back of Squall's new employer? Was he out to get Squall hanged for treason?

"Well, we can't just lay low while pure evil brews under our feet, can we? There's work to be done, Squally."

Squall winced. "Don't call me that."

Lea didn't seem to notice the command. "Sounds like we have a plan, then. Well, Squall," the redhead, grunted as he stood up, "Guess I'll see you when I see you."

"Wait just a second," Squall ordered before Lea made it out of the room. "What makes you think I'm working with you on anything?"

The redhead turned around with his smirk, crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side. "Well, Squall, you wouldn't want the world to be destroyed, would you?"

Squall's breathing hitched. The tone in his voice…he knew. How? Who told him? And how much did he know? "What are you implying?"

Lea offered a one-armed shrug. "Just that things tend to sneak up on you when you're not paying attention."

The smile was innocent enough, but Squall saw the knowing in Lea's eyes. Lea knew all of it.

The unstable pain in Squall's heart flared, expressing itself in the form of rage. "Get out," Squall snarled.

Lea's smug expression faltered for half a second. Squall saw a glimpse of uncertainty before the self-confidence returned full force. "I'll see you next week," he promised before gliding out the door.

When Squall walked out into the hallway, Lea was gone.

And, now that you've read the whole page, I shall take the opportunity to say that I'm not satisfied with this chapter. I've revised it at least five times, but can't seem to pinpoint the issue. If you can figure it out, be sure to let me know in your review, please? :) Thanks.

Next chapter, Squall's on guard duty! And I'm sure he's bound to meet some familiar faces...

On a more personal note, my grandfather was just diagnosed with cancer, so depending on what is to come, my update time will probably be affected. (Prayers for my family would be greatly appreciated :) )

Please review, if you would! I enjoy hearing from you guys! Have a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame