Headmaster Cid was having a good day. Or, a relatively good day, considering the circumstances. Nida's condition had stabilized, due to Dr. Kadowaki's quick thinking and luck at bringing in a couple of good surgeons that were trained in Esthar and some healers from surrounding towns. It wasn't known yet just how affected Nida's brain was by the injuries, but a couple of weeks of rehab and tests were in the making and everyone was pretty optimistic. After the phone call of hell that he had to make not too long ago, anything was better news to tell his parents who were seemingly still in between blaming Balamb Garden for their son's predicament and just being glad that he's still alive and on his way to recovery.

Taking a moment to sit back in his chair, he let his thoughts wander a bit. Well, it's not like they'd be the first ones to blame Garden when things like this happen. The only reason that there isn't a mob of angry parental guardians outside of my doors right now is probably because most of the students here are orphaned victims of one sorceress war or another. I don't know what I'd do if it came down to that; I'm still dreading the inevitable day where the press will be at my door demanding an official speech on what has come over our SeeDs. I hope that we get lucky and this mess will be solved before things get worse.

Just as he was coming out of his mind, there was a knock at the door. Shortly thereafter, Sharon poked her head around the crack in the door and grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Yo, Cid. May I have a moment of your time?"

Almost chuckling at the mixture of casual and formality, he nodded. "Of course. You caught me at the right time, it seems; I was just finishing up a bit of work."

"Oh! Well, sweet. I always knew I rocked at something." Coming more fully into the room and closing the door behind her, she walked up to an empty seat in front of Cid's desk and plopped down. "So... how's it going? We haven't had the time to talk since Gina and I first got here."

Sighing a bit, Cid shrugged. "That is quite a loaded question. The simple answer to that would be 'not good', which is what you already know. I have been doing my part, what little I can do, to help keep things in balance, but as the days pass I fear that my efforts might be in vain. But, that is relatively old news. How are you and Gina doing? Has Xu been an adequate hostess?"

"She has, actually. Gina and I have been busy indoctrinating her into our already growing circle of friends that... somehow aren't really all that connected, but you get my drift. That girl is so shy, you wouldn't believe! Well, just give me more time, and I'll change that. Once all this shit has settled, that is. But, speaking of which... that's what I came in here to bug you about, actually."

"Oh? Is anything the matter?"

"No, not really," Sharon scratched her head. "I just wanted to let you know that Gina and I have decided that there is only so much we can do holed up here, so we're ready to hit the road and see what we can dig up outside of Garden. We know it'll be dangerous, and we're not really all that sure what to expect... but that's half the problem. We can't really know what we're dealing with until we're out in it, getting our hands dirty. It doesn't mean that we're gonna totally jump head-first into the mud pile, so to speak, but we are just about ready to leave the nest."

Pausing for a moment, Cid finally nodded slowly. "Alright. Are you sure you're adequately prepared?"

She shrugged. "As much as we can be. I figure, it's now or never. Listening to Xu's attempts at trying to quell all of the uprisings from inside Garden and thinking about all of the shit that's happening outside of Garden just tells me that things aren't going to get better if we just wait it out. I do admit I don't have a single clue as to how to approach the whole SeeD issue that's going around, but I do know that Gina and I have a mission to recover the missing team that tried to figure it out in the first place. Hopefully, during that time, we can come up with something that nobody has thought of before, and we'll have the team to do it."

The Headmaster laced his fingers together and placed them on the surface of his desk with a musing expression on his face. "That is... very true. I had hoped to keep you two around for a little while longer, though... because as much as it is bad for your superior to admit, I do not want to lose you and Gina to this world that seems to have swallowed Squall and the others."

Sharon tried not to gape, but she was fighting a losing battle with that one. "Well... that's quite the honor for us, headmaste- I mean, Cid. I don't think we deserve it all that much, really. But, that's what we were called here for, right? We're just ready to do our job to the best of our ability."

"As much as that is also true, I kept wishing that there was another way where you two didn't have to be involved, not in this unfavorable fashion." Cid let his eyes drift over to the window. "I had hopes of a different kind of reunion for all of you, full of laughter and the joy that I saw amongst you all despite the looming threat of a sorceress trying once again for world domination. But instead..."

"Instead, there's war and strife. And missing companions," the colorful girl finished. And drama like no other, but you don't need to know that. "Yeah, it's not exactly summer vacation. But you know... we have a saying in our world that I'm not sure carried over or not to here, but I'd figure I could share it anyway because it fits exactly what is going on: 'Shit happens.' Yeah, it's crude, like just about everything else I say, but it sums up just about every terrible situation that comes to pass no matter what world you live in. The only thing we can do is try to get past it."

Smiling faintly, Cid drew his eyes away from the window. "You do have an interesting way of saying things, but they do serve a purpose." He cleared his throat and straightened up in his chair. "Do you have a set date for departure? Normally, this would call for the appropriate paperwork, but for something like this I am not sure how one would actually go about documenting it."

"Yeah... maybe that's for the better; Squall was always the good one at that, and he's not around to do it for me." Sharon took a moment to mull it over. "Actually, I was thinking some time today, given I get my shit together. It's funny how I was the one to notify Gina about this whole idea, but she's ready before I am. But, if I bust my ass, then I should be all good to go." Sharon straightened the hem of her uniform and stood up. "So, uh... is this where I salute you and stuff?"

Blinking for a moment, Cid burst out into full laughter. "No, I don't think those kinds of formalities will be required. I'm not feeling much the headmaster these days, as it is. Just go and finish preparing... and please, if nothing else, make it back here safely. I place that as a priority above even your mission."

To that, Sharon gave a wide grin and a peace sign. "Oh, you know us. We always come back, for better or for worse." She made her way to the door. "And when we do, you will join us in a party where we will get you dead ass wasted, and you will forget that all of this bad shit ever happened. Scout's honor."

The Headmaster couldn't help but laugh a bit more, even after Sharon had left his office. I didn't know how much I did need a laugh until then. Life has been certainly sobering these days.

Gina stood with her arms crossed, leaned up against the door frame. "We're not going on a five day camping adventure through the woods, Sharii-chan."

"I know! And we'd better not, because I fucking hate camping." Sharon stumbled out of her room, a small shoulder bag packed. "I just had to make sure I have the things that I will be taking, like deodorant. Don't wanna be funky while crossing the World Map, ya know? Although it might be a weapon to use while traversing the wild areas where monsters roam. Just lift up an arm and the smell would waft from your armpit in a haze of green-"

"And, you're done talking," Gina interrupted, grimacing. "However... do you know exactly where we're going?"

"Of course I do! We're going to go to Balamb."

"... right. And what's in Balamb?"

"Lots of water and that draw point that you ganked magic from the first time we stumbled upon this world, should be. But there is also a train, and that train we shall take, as long as the routes haven't changed in four years."

Gina pursed her lips and cocked an eyebrow. "That's not specific enough. Where is this train headed?"

Sharon smiled, an innocent gesture that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh. We're headed to Timber."

Gina blinked incredulously at her best friend. "... why the hell are we going there?"

"To solve a mystery."

"I don't get your train of thought."

"Well, it hasn't derailed yet, but I can understand if it's going someplace you didn't consider it would as of yet. C'mon, let's concentrate on getting out of here and into some fresh air, and I'll tell you what I'm thinking when we're on the road."

Giving up for the moment, Gina just followed her friend out of the dorm and to the main entrance of Garden. Except for the weapons they carried on their backs, they now looked like ordinary young people set on some kind of unnamed adventure. Heeding Headmaster Cid's advice, they had changed out of their SeeD uniforms into something a lot more casual... which were basically the clothes they had on before they arrived through the portal. Gina sported her favorite light gray long sleeved shirt that had an intricate black tribal pattern on the front, over which was an unbuttoned collared short-sleeved shirt. The shirt was royal blue at the top, but faded down to red, orange and yellow flames at the bottom hem in which silver dragons laced throughout the pattern. She also had on her favorite pair of baggy blue jeans, which were way too long for her short stature. The bottoms of the jeans were ripped at the heel where her sneakers usually trod, giving the pants a worn yet well-loved and comfortable look.

Sharon had decided on an outfit that clashed with the pink and purple streaks in her hair. She wore her favorite shirt, which happened to be a medium green ribbed raglan with the words "Don't be mad at me when I'm mad at you!" scrawled on the front. A black studded belt circled the top of her jeans that were also a tad too long for her, but enveloped their flared ends around her sturdy black Sketcher boots that kept the edges just barely above the ground. Both girls walked with the cool breeze from the sea at their backs as they made their way across the small winding road to the sea port town of Balamb. Sharon didn't so much as blink an eye, but Gina found herself slowing a bit to look out into the wide grassy plain as if she was trying to search out the spot where they found themselves all those years ago with a Bite Bug at their necks. This is so crazy... never would I have dreamed I'd be back here, let alone for something like this.

Walking into the town, things pretty much looked the same. At first, the girls were a bit tense, expecting someone to jump out and recognize them as the pair that had been gone for so long after Ultimecia's defeat, but no one paid that much attention to them, much to their relief. They really didn't know what they would have done had there been a riot in their name or whatever people had in store for them.

However, it was also a tad disappointing on another end of the spectrum, and disheartening to see just how great the effect of the troubled times had on the populace. There wasn't much on the surface, since at first glance it was just like any other day; vendors selling things on the cobblestone streets, the small houses with the occasional chimney dotting the sides, and the seagulls that coasted overhead. However, there was a level uneasiness that hung over the town like a very faint fog, one that you couldn't see unless you let your eyes unfocus for a moment. There were quite a few SeeDs about, all of them being from Balamb Garden of course. They were doing what just about any other regular college person would do, which was centered primarily around milling around and looking cool. Gina supposed that SeeDs did this all of the time, but for some reason the effect of them wearing their uniforms made it seem a lot more prominent than it normally would be.

Being caught at staring at her surroundings almost made her crash face first into the back of her best friend, who due to her long legs and naturally fast pace was leading. Steadying herself, she peered at what had caught Sharon's attention, and she immediately understood.

"You think it'd be too weird to go in and see how Ma Dincht is doing?" Sharon mused, staring at the front door of the small home.

Gina sighed. "I think so. I don't know if Zell ever got around to telling her where we were really from, despite him being known for having the big mouth and all. But even so, do you think we could take seeing her right now? I mean, the boy she'd been raising as a son for so long is missing. At the very most, she'd be glad to see us, but we'd also have her hopes fully weighing on our task at this moment."

Sharon nodded, looking downcast. "Yeah. I'm really trying not to think about how fucked up everything is right now, like how weird it is to be back here and without the orphanage gang to boot. We're not HEROES, G-fuu; we're your average dorky gamer-esque college students on the verge of graduation. In short, we really don't know what the fuck we're doing. It didn't matter last time, but now it seems like we're on our own more than ever. And it's really scary." She shook herself slightly and continued walking. "I've just managed to depress myself a bit, there. That sucks; lemme try not to do that again."

The shorter girl chuckled mirthlessly as they rounded the corner and came to the edge of town where the train station was placed. It wasn't crowded at all, and for the most part one could say that it was semi-deserted. Perhaps it wasn't too unusual, seeing as though there weren't many people in Balamb to begin with, and the most the station catered to were SeeDs being deployed on missions that weren't readily accessible via foot. Stepping up to the window, Sharon peered down to the small circular hole in the glass where she could see an older man reading the latest issue of Anarchist Monthly. What the hell, they still publish that shit? "Hi, sir. Two tickets for Timber, please. And make that a private cabin."

The cashier glanced up from his reading material and moved to issue the tickets as if he had better things to do with his time. Tapping her fingers against the counter, Sharon tried not to get too impatient.

"Here you go, two for Timber." He slid the slips of paper towards her, and she gratefully took them and handed them to Gina, since she was less likely to lose them. They both turned to go, but the cashier had leaned forward to peer at them more closely. For a split second, both of their hearts froze, since they had figured that someone in the whole town had managed to recognize them.

"You headed for the resistance?"

Both Gina and Sharon traded quick glances of uncertainty. There was a resistance in Timber, but Timber had already been freed from Galbadian influence. So what was all of this about? Trying to remain cool, Sharon laughed. "What made you think that?"

The guy eyeballed her, all the more convinced of their purpose in going to Timber. "Well, to me, it's plain obvious. You ain't SeeD, since you don't wear the uniform. But you're one of the few younguns not to be SeeD, so I figure you're able to hold your own and do crazy things like join a faction against them."

Gina's mouth dropped open. "What? Against SeeD?"

"O'course." The certainty in his eyes died down a bit at the obvious confusion and shock displayed in the faces of the two young ladies in front of him. "You really don't know what's going on, do ya?"

Sharon flinched and shrugged, with a sheepish grin she coined from Rikku in FFX-2. "Actually, no we don't. However, you seem to know more than we do, and you've piqued our curiosity. Care to fill us in?"

Looking around conspicuously, he waved them closer to the window. "Well, as much as people don't like to talk about it much, SeeD has gone bonkers. Loads of crazy stuff's been going down lately, and many folks are looking at what seems to be the start of an all-out war. Figure the moment this land gets out of war, we get to lookin' for ways to dive back in it. Still, lots of people don't like to see what's in front of 'em. SeeD saved our butts last time, so that's like making Hyne into a devil for most. But some people bold enough want to put a stop to it, reckon that if enough people stand up against SeeD that it'll make a change for the better. I think it's madness, but ya can't help but admire 'em."

"So, this faction's base is in Timber?" Gina questioned.

"That's what I've been hearin'. No other place better for it, considering the town's history. Deling's too close to Galbadia, there's nothin' really in Trabia, and Balamb won't have any of that foolishness. As it is, the same folks who petitioned for Timber's independence are supposedly the folks running the whole thing. But of course, you didn't hear this from me."

"Yes, of course. Don't worry, we won't rat you out. Thanks for the info, though," Sharon thanked the man and hurried off in the direction of the station, where the train had just finished boarding what little passengers it had. Passing through a couple of occupied cabins, they came to the one they had just booked tickets from, and slid inside. A pang of nostalgia hit Gina then, looking at the familiar setting of the room much like they had sat in on the way to the first mission to Timber. Absentmindedly, she went over to the table that held numerous magazines and shuffled through them to see if there were any more Pet Pal volumes.

Sharon plopped down on the red-upholstered seat and blew a strand of hair off of her forehead. "Well, that's a nifty piece of information we stumbled upon. Kinda wish I knew that before deciding to head on out, though. I wonder if Cid knows anything about this?"

Gina sat down in a chair across from her. "Maybe. If he does, there's likely not much he can do about it right now. This world certainly has gone off the chain as it is. Which reminds me; you were going to tell me why exactly we were headed to Timber, anyway. I know it's not to infiltrate this insurgence."

"The resistance; insurgents sounds so demeaning," Sharon corrected, then sat up. "Well... the original reason I wanted to go to Timber is because I want to have a word with Rinoa."

The shorter girl sighed exasperatingly, not really willing to go back to the entire relationship drama that she'd been trying so hard to forget about in favor of their original mission. "What? I can't believe you. This is no time to instigate on crap we're not even involved in. We're supposed to be trying to find Squall and the others, remember?"

"Well, wait a minute! I didn't forget about that!" Sharon said defensively. "It's just that Cid gave us no clear place to start, seeing as though this whole damned mission is technically impossible to complete and was founded on wishful thinking in the first place, as harsh as that may sound. So, I took it upon myself to find a place to start looking. Out of everyone, the only other person that we can say that was directly involved with Squall was Rinoa. As much as she might dislike the guy right now depending on whatever their arguments were revolved around, she might have some information for us that nobody else has considered. Finding out about what happened between them... well, that's just icing on the cake, at least for me. But honestly, she might also have an idea on where Quistis is."

Gina just blinked, her brain not really following all of the points Sharon was trying to make to justify their trip to Timber. "Quistis? Rinoa hates her, that much is clear. What makes you think she'd care if we showed up and started asking her where our professor ran off to? What makes you think she'd even KNOW?"
"Yeah, it's a far shot, I'll give you that. But I'm not throwing all of the few sources we know we have out of the window just yet. No, she won't care, but we wouldn't be asking her directly, either. Instead, I'm planning on having it spill out if she knows anything during the time that we coddle her broken ego about her boyfriend. Cause that's how it always works, you see?"

Gina just placed a finger to her forehead in a Squall-like fashion, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on. It was clear that she still thought the entire escapade was ridiculous and ill-timed, and even though they were doing nothing but snooping through Squall's office or training she felt that it had more of a means to an end.

Sharon saw the look on her best friend's face and figured that she had not succeeded in getting her to the main cause. "Look. Just bare with me, okay? I... usually don't know what I'm doing, but most of the time the charm is that I think I know. And that's better than nothing, right? And as much as our mission dictates that we get Zell, Squall, and Selphie back from wherever the hell they are right now, my personal mission is to get everyone back. This includes our AWOL professor and that silly Galbadian cowboy. I haven't quite figured out all of the kinks yet, but I think with time and the more everything starts unraveling, that it'll work out on its own."

Gina couldn't help but feel that Sharon was right, despite her questionable methods. What else did they have to go on, really? That, and she agreed with trying to get all of the group back together. She knew that they couldn't do anything by themselves, but maybe with everyone back together again, they stood a chance against whatever it was that was sweeping over the world. At least, that's what she had been telling herself secretly. All her best friend had done was give a voice to her thoughts and figure out some kind of way to accomplish them.

"Alright. Well, if we're going to do this... how do you plan to find her? I doubt that Watts will be standing on the stairs of the station going 'Oh, the forests of Timber sure have changed!'"

"Yeah. Well... not sure. I was kind of hoping he still was there, especially now with the new resistance going on in there. I mean, how else would you recruit members not native to Timber to your cause if you don't have someone with a corny catch phrase waiting to lead you to their hideout when you arrive? Yeah, we tread on a slippery slope getting involved with folks leading a rebellion against SeeD, but last time we were doing the same thing, just against the entire Galbadian government. Same shit, different day."

"If the old man was right, that is."

"Old folks like that usually are right about things like this. We just never know because it's not an appropriate past time listening to people like that ramble on and on about stuff they know. Either way, we'll figure it out when we get there." Sharon stretched out on the seat, propping her feet up. Like she usually does on all trips of any sort, she unraveled her headphones that were entangled around her iPod and prepared to lose herself in her music. Gina forgot how long the trip was to Timber from Balamb, but she figured someone should stay alert enough to the stops. Getting up and walking out of the cabin, she stood in the small hallway and leaned up against the window, watching the scenery go by in a blur of greens and browns.

With any video game, the player never gets to find out what happens to the heroes after their role is done. Yeah, you get hints and maybe even the occasional sequel or movie to help fill in the gaps, but it still ends up the same. Now, Sharii-chan and I are the only people lucky or unlucky enough to know what happens after the credits roll. And here's to hoping it's going to be a happy ending.