Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Price of Freedom
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.
A/N: Here's the next chapter guys! I hope you all enjoy and please let me know what you think in a comment/review!
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Hermione followed Ultimecia into the throne room she had seen in her previous visit to this dimension. Only at that time, Ultimecia had been able to sense her, but couldn't see her. She was curious if this was similar or if she was a physical manifestation of herself this time.
The Sorceress passed the throne and Hermione followed, a gasp escaping her as she recognised the archway which had appeared in Hogwarts. Ultimecia led her down the hallway, which had all the same depictions from before, and opened the doors at the end. The chamber was the same as she remembered. The walls displayed great beings using terrifying power which she had witnessed now in person. The castle shown on the dome was the same, the chains still holding it in place.
'I presume you know what this chamber is?' Ultimecia questioned, sauntering up to the golden pedestal which held the green cushion.
Hermione nodded and moved to stand at the other side, noting that there was nothing on it and she glanced up at Ultimecia with a raised eyebrow. 'This is the chamber where I met Griever,' she replied, glancing back down at the cushion.
'And do you know what it symbolises?' Ultimecia invited, gesturing to the murals on the walls and dome. Hermione shook her head, not knowing anything about it. 'This is the Chamber of Griever. I fashioned it when I gave him life,' she divulged with a smirk.
Hermione frowned in misunderstanding. 'You… gave him life?' she asked, not entirely certain what Ultimecia meant by that.
Ultimecia turned back to her and nodded. 'Do you know why Griever revolts against me?' she queried, tilting her head.
Hermione shook her head. 'Not really. He only told me that he was imprisoned in a cycle of torment you created,' she countered pensively, wondering what Ultimecia wanted from her. Surely, she already knew this?
Ultimecia raised her eyebrows. 'That is what he termed it?' she whispered, her eyes flickering dangerously, and Hermione wondered if she said the wrong thing. 'Is that how he perceives it?' she laughed, a chilling sound which sent a shudder down Hermione's spine.
'Isn't that what it is? You trapped him in a never-ending cycle which he doesn't want,' Hermione contended, glaring at Ultimecia.
Ultimecia glanced back in amusement. 'I see, so he has not told you the truth of it yet. You do not even know your objective. Such a shame,' she said, running her fingers over the green cushion almost lovingly. 'No matter,' she said after a moment and gazed back up at Hermione. 'As I said before, I am in need of assistance which I believe you can help me with. In return, I will not pursue you,' she said, lifting her chin arrogantly. 'Do you accept my terms?' she demanded, glancing at her long nails indifferently.
Hermione frowned. 'That depends on what you want me to do and if this promise extends only to myself or to my companions as well,' she countered, crossing her arms.
Ultimecia smiled. 'I am afraid this will only extend to you. If they get in my way, I will retaliate which I am sure you can appreciate,' she replied with a shrug. Hermione nodded slowly, grasping there was no way she could sway Ultimecia. If someone got in the way of something she wanted, she would fight back as well.
'What do you want?' Hermione asked after a moment, not convinced if she was going to agree yet or not.
'There is another girl I am searching for. She possesses a unique power which I would like to make use of,' Ultimecia clarified, placing her hand on her hip. 'I have come across an equivalent of her power through a machine, but it does not have the full capabilities I require,' she added, shaking her head.
Hermione frowned. 'And what will you do to her? Imprison her and force her to help you?' she gritted out, scowling at Ultimecia.
Ultimecia raised her eyebrows in amusement. 'You are a feisty one,' she chuckled, walking around the pedestal and clutching Hermione's chin. 'No dear, she will not come to any detriment. Once I have exploited her power, I will no longer need her. She can resume her existence as normal. I am not entirely devoid of mercy for those who… aid me,' she said, smirking at Hermione.
Hermione jerked her face away. 'So, what do you want me to do? Who is this girl?' she inquired, wondering how straightforward this would be.
Ultimecia turned away from her and walked over to a machine against the wall which Hermione didn't even realise was there before. 'Ellone,' she sighed with a smile as she ran her hand over the device. 'And all I need you to do is find a way for her to use her power on you,' the Sorceress responded, turning back to Hermione.
'I don't know who she is or where I can locate her. How will I be able to meet her?' Hermione demanded anxiously, wondering what kind of power this was.
'Leave that to me. You will become acquainted with her soon and you will discover what her power does. Just get close enough for her to propose using her power on you,' Ultimecia answered, moving back over to Hermione and staring at her intently. 'Do we have an agreement?' she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Hermione swallowed thickly and nodded slowly. 'Only on the condition that Ellone comes to no harm during or after you do whatever you need to do,' she replied, hoping she wasn't making a huge mistake.
'You have my word,' Ultimecia vowed, bowing her head.
Hermione eyed Ultimecia for a moment, not sure if her word was good enough. She hoped she wasn't about to condemn a poor girl to some form of enslavement or something worse.
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'You need to eat and rest,' came a voice from the door and Squall glanced up to find Quistis eyeing him in concern.
Squall had spent most of the day in Hermione's room and had scarcely shifted from the seat next to her bed. He didn't know why, but he felt he should still stay by her side and protect her like he promised. 'I'm fine,' he grumbled, shaking his head and gazing back at Hermione.
Quistis tutted and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. 'Squall, go and get some sleep. I will stay and make sure she is safe,' she said, putting on her instructor voice.
'I want to be here if she wakes up,' Squall argued, not moving an inch.
'And I highly doubt she'll be impressed when she wakes up to a grumpy git sitting by her bedside,' Quistis retorted, shaking her head.
Squall raised his eyebrows in slight amusement at that. After a moment he sighed and stood up, knowing the ex-instructor was right and he wouldn't do anyone any good by not living. 'Fine, I'll go,' he grumbled, reaching out and caressing Hermione's cheek tenderly. He didn't know what compelled him to do so, but he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 'I'll be back soon,' he whispered to her, before departing the room without another glance towards her or Quistis who was donning a knowing grin.
Squall made his way to the cafeteria, grabbing a sandwich before walking towards his dorm room. He placed the sandwich on his desk, not entirely hungry at the moment and opted on a quick shower to clear his mind. He stripped and waited for the water to heat up before stepping under the stream, the tension in his muscles easing. He leaned his head against the cool tiles and closed his eyes. 'What am I doing?' he whispered to himself as he struggled to shift through his jumbled thoughts. 'What is going on with me?' he muttered, shaking his head and banging the side of his fist against the tiles. What are you doing to me? He opened his eyes in surprise at the traitorous thought.
Ignoring the thoughts plaguing his mind, Squall finished up, towelling himself off and yanking on his jogging bottoms. He clambered into bed and curled up into a ball. What are you doing to me? Was the same and last thought that penetrated his mind before he fell into a restless slumber, beset with dreams of Hermione tormenting him.
It was sometime later when a knock woke Squall from his sleep. He sat up and shook his head, before standing to open the door to find Zell on the other side. 'Huh?' he slurred, not entirely alert yet.
'You look like shit,' Zell mused, crossing his arms.
'Thanks… and?' Squall prompted, yawning and running a hand through his hair which was a mess from falling asleep with it wet.
'Instructor Trepe asked me to come get you,' Zell replied with a shrug before turning and heading back down the hall.
'Why?' Squall muttered before his eyes widened. 'Hermione?' he questioned, swiftly turning and grabbing a t-shirt and slipping an old pair of trainers on and heading out of the room. He could care less what he looked like as he sprinted through the halls towards the Infirmary.
When he reached the waiting room, Squall paused and glanced around. The students waiting to speak to Dr Kadowaki eyed him with raised eyebrows and he glanced in one of the windows to see his hair was standing up on end. He looked a wreck. He reached up and attempted to pat his hair down a bit before proceeding towards Hermione's room. He opened the door and his eyes softened when he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and having some checks done by Dr Kadowaki. She glanced over at him and gave him a small smile, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
Squall closed the door behind him, moving over to Quistis, but his eyes never left Hermione's. 'Everything okay?' he whispered to Quistis who nodded, taking him in with an amused grin.
'Well, seems like you're going to be fine. Make sure you get something to eat and get plenty of rest,' Dr Kadowaki advised, moving back from Hermione and helping the girl stand.
Squall glanced at Dr Kadowaki in disbelief. 'She's being discharged already?' he questioned, crossing his arms.
Dr Kadowaki shrugged. 'She's fine, just a little frail. No point in keeping her cooped up in here. I've provided her with some supplements, courtesy of Dr Odine which should help build her magic levels back up,' she replied, collecting Hermione's files and exiting the room.
'Dr Odine?' Squall asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Hermione.
'Apparently he's some kind of specialist,' Hermione whispered, her voice hoarse from not being used.
Squall nodded, moving over to Hermione. 'Come on, let's get you some food and then you can go rest,' he told her, wrapping his arm around her waist and she gazed at him in amazement.
'Okay,' Hermione whispered, allowing Squall to support her out of the Infirmary, trailed by Quistis.
As they reached the end of the hallway and turned to head in the direction of the Cafeteria, one of the Garden Faculty rushed towards them. 'Student ID Number 41269, Squall Leonhart?' he demanded, staring at Squall directly.
Squall's grip on Hermione's waist tightened slightly as he frowned at the faculty member. 'Yes?' he asked in interest.
'The Garden Master wishes to see you. Report to the Master's Room right away,' he ordered swiftly.
Squall's frown increased. 'Where is the Master's Room?' he asked, resting his free hand on his hip.
The Garden Faculty member indicated to the lift. 'Take the lift to Level B1. You have permission,' he replied before hurrying away towards the lift himself.
Squall sighed, tilting his head and Hermione watched his expression carefully, trying to discern what he was thinking. 'Can I come with you?' she asked softly before she could stop herself.
Squall's eyes shifted to Hermione's. 'You should really get some food and rest, Hermione,' he answered quietly, watching her expression fall. He glanced at Quistis who was observing the exchange with interest. 'Can you grab her something from the cafeteria and join us there?' he requested, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that Hermione gazed up at him with a small smile.
Quistis nodded. 'Of course,' she replied with a smile before walking off towards the Cafeteria while Squall and Hermione headed towards the lift.
Squall pressed the button on the lift and helped Hermione inside. He let go of her and turned to the control panel, but before he pushed the button, he glanced at her. 'I want you to promise that if anything happens, you'll stay out of it. You're still recuperating, and we can deal with it,' he said, his tone unwavering and leaving no room for dispute.
Hermione sighed, knowing Squall was right. If something happened, she wasn't prepared for a fight. Her magic levels were still too low and the last thing she wanted was to end up in the Infirmary again so soon. 'I promise,' she whispered, leaning against the wall of the lift.
Squall nodded and pressed the button. The doors closed and the lift descended to Level B1. When the lift trembled to a halt and the doors opened, they gazed around the room in awe and bewilderment. The walls were made from metal, but had foreign engravings decorated into it. The floor seemed more like a platform which could move, and it glowed blue, giving the room an unnerving otherworldly feel. It looked alien and bizarre to them. In the centre of the room was a colossal silver and black pod with nothing else.
'What is this place?' Hermione questioned, leaning into Squall as he wrapped his arm around her waist again and eased her down the stairs. She didn't really need help to walk, but the interaction was comforting. He glanced back at the lift as the doors closed and ascended back up into the Garden.
'I don't know,' Squall responded, eyeing the room in uncertainty.
'Please! Listen to me!' came a shout from around the side of the pod.
Squall and Hermione walked towards the voice and they watched on in astonishment as the Garden Faculty were ushering Cid forcefully towards the lift. The headmaster's here? Squall questioned, observing the confrontation with interest.
They turned as the lift came back down and opened, revealing Quistis and Zell. 'I ran into Instructor Trepe who said you guys were down here,' he answered their silent query.
Quistis moved past Zell and offered Hermione a sandwich and a small pot of soup with a spoon. 'Thank you,' Hermione whispered with a smile.
Squall led Hermione back to the steps and helped her sit down on them. 'Stay here and eat that,' he said, and she nodded, not wanting to argue. Plus, she could hear everything that was going on from where she was.
'Glad to see you're back with us, Hermione,' Zell said with a wide grin and Hermione nodded, smiling back at him as she sipped on the soup.
They were brought back to what was taking place behind them as Cid's collar was clutched by one of the Garden Faculty. 'Let go of me! I'm not finished yet!' he barked as the member shoved him towards the group and he stumbled, trying to keep upright. 'Greedy son of a bitch!' he snapped, and they looked on in alarm. Cid was generally so level-headed. 'Why did I ever bother talking to you! SeeD's were brought up for the future! And that future is now! Why can't you understand!?' he screamed, his voice reverberating around the hall.
'You speak too freely!' the faculty member snapped, pushing Cid again vehemently and the elder man fell to his knees.
'To hell with you!' Cid yelled back, thumping his fist into the ground. 'Dammit! I should never have trusted you!' he continued, striking the floor again. 'I wish I could go back ten or so years to tell myself that you're nothing but a money-grubbing son of a bitch!' he roared before taking a deep breath and staring at the ground. 'Then I never would have built this place,' he said in a normal tone which was pained. He shook his head and struggled to his feet, before bending over and resting his hands on his knees.
The group, who heard everything including Cid's last words, glanced at each other for a moment in bewilderment. 'Sir?' Squall said, gaining the headmaster's attention.
Cid spun around and stared at them, his face turning red with mortification. 'S-Squall!?' he sputtered, eyeing each of them as they stared back in interest. 'You heard everything?' he asked awkwardly, already knowing the answer.
'Yes,' Squall replied, placing his hand on his hip.
Cid chuckled. 'I'm embarrassed, but sometimes even old men me like me lose their temper,' he confessed, shaking his head and ambling towards the lift. 'Hermione, I'm relieved you're feeling better,' he said, noticing her sitting on the stairs and he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder as she smiled up at him. He turned back to Squall. 'Let's get out of here,' he said, heading up to the lift.
'Sir, I still have to give you my report,' Squall called after him.
Cid hesitated before entering the lift. 'Please come by my office later,' he told him, and Squall nodded, watching the elder man get into the lift and press the button to take him up into the Garden.
Squall frowned and crossed his arms as the faculty member who had accosted Cid stepped towards them. 'You're the SeeD's who returned from Galbadia, correct?' he asked, making them all turn to look at him.
'Yes, we are,' Squall answered, stepping towards him.
The faculty member huffed. 'It's about time. Master NORG has been waiting for you. Come,' he instructed them before heading back around the pod.
Squall raised his eyebrows as Quistis and Zell walked past him. He turned back to look at Hermione. 'You okay?' he asked her, and she nodded, clasping her hands on her knees. He nodded and followed them around the pod while Hermione remained on the stairs, listening.
Squall, Zell and Quistis came before the pod as another faculty member stepped up to them. 'Whenever Master NORG calls you, be sure to be there within three seconds,' he snapped, crossing his arms.
Squall narrowed his eyes at him, but a bizarre noise, 'Fushururu...' emanated from the pod and he glanced over at it in uncertainty. '3-SECONDS-ARE-UP,' came a loud voice, reverberating throughout the hall. The pod opened to reveal some type of yellow, inhuman creature and he gaped at it in alarm.
This is the Garden Master? The proprietor of Garden? He's not human? Come to think of it, we didn't know anything about him. What a shock, Squall thought as a shudder ran down his spine.
NORG's beady eyes narrowed at them. 'Fushifuru. Fushifuru...' he cried out, a low guttural noise which they found to be extremely creepy. 'GIVE-YOUR-REPORT-ON-THE-SORCERESS,' NORG commanded them.
Squall swallowed and looked at the ground. Now where do I start? He questioned himself contemplatively.
The Garden Faculty tutted. 'Answer him quickly. Be concise,' he snapped, glancing at NORG apprehensively.
Squall took a deep breath. Bloody hell, what a miserable asshole, he thought to himself. 'We failed to assassinate Sorceress Edea,' he started, before shaking his head. It's going to be a shit report, he ruminated before peering back up at NORG. 'Confirmation of Headmaster Cid's order was made at Galbadia Garden. After Irvine Kinneas of Galbadia Garden joined our party… we set off to carry out the 'Sorceress Assassination' order from Balamb and Galbadia Gardens-'
'Bujurururu!' the outraged noise NORG made cut Squall off and he stared at the creature in dread. 'BALAMB-AND-GALBADIA'S ORDERS!? Bujurururu! YOU-WERE-FOOLED!' NORG yelled, slamming his huge fists on the edge of the pod.
Fooled!? Squall thought in frustration before crossing his arms. 'I… don't understand,' he replied honestly, shaking his head.
NORG snarled. 'Fushurururu...' he gurgled impatiently before looking at the faculty members. 'EXPLAIN-TO-THEM,' he ordered, sitting back in the seat of his pod.
Squall, Zell and Quistis turned to them inquisitively. 'Master NORG has known about the alliance between the President of Galbadia and the Sorceress. He heard it from the Galbadia Garden Master himself,' he clarified, glancing between them and NORG.
Squall frowned. 'The Galbadia Garden Master?' he asked curiously, glancing up at NORG and speculating if all the Garden Masters were the same species as this creature was.
'Fushururu...' NORG gurgled, shaking his head. 'THE-MASTER-OF-GALBADIA-GARDEN-IS-A-SUBORDINATE-OF-MINE-NAMED-MARTINE,' he divulged, and Squall nodded, the name ringing a bell.
Wasn't the Headmaster of Galbadia Garden called Martine? Are they the same person then? Squall questioned, rubbing his chin wistfully.
'Yes,' the faculty member said, taking Squall out of his reflections as he turned back to him. 'In fact, the Sorceress and Garden are closely connected. That is why the Sorceress will definitely try to gain hold of all Gardens,' he disclosed, and the three companions glanced at each other in surprise at this news. 'So, Master NORG sent an official order to Galbadia Garden. It was to kill the Sorceress. An assassination was thought to be the best means. But-'
'Bujurururu!' NORG shrieked, cutting off the faculty member who recoiled in fear. 'THAT-SLY-WEASEL-MARTINE-USED-YOU-AS-A-LAST-RESORT-FOR-THE-ASSASSINATION! HE-GAVE-THAT-ORDER-TO-PLACE-THE-BLAME-ON-ME! THAT-THAT-BASTARD!' he bellowed furiously, banging his fists on the control panel again.
Hermione listened to the report, her eyes wide. She knew she should stay out of the way like Squall told her to, but she was curious. She crept slowly around the pod and halted when she could see Squall and the others. She glanced up at the opening on the pod, seeing long yellow digits which appeared alien and she retreated back in horror.
Squall was scowling. 'Are you saying that Balamb Garden had nothing to do with that order?' he demanded coolly, his tone quiet and fringing on vehemence causing Hermione to glance at him. He was tense and his fists were clenched rigidly at his side.
The faculty member nodded. 'You just happened to show up just before the mission was to be carried out. They used you,' he countered with a shrug as if this information was irrelevant. 'But the operation failed. The Sorceress is still alive, and she retaliated. Just as we suspected,' he expounded, crossing his arms as Squall's eyes narrowed at him. 'No doubt, it was the Sorceress who ordered the missile attacks. Something must be done to calm the Sorceress's anger,' he concluded, taking a menacing step towards Squall, Zell and Quistis.
Squall stared back at him, seething at the implications of what they were being told. 'Wait a minute. That's just-'
'In order to do so, we needed to hand over those involved in the assassination to the Sorceress. We had to show Balamb Garden's sincerity,' the member said, cutting Squall off.
'Bujurururu!' NORG cried out, making them look up at him. 'OFFER-THE-SEED'S-HEAD-ON-A-SILVER-PLATTER-AND-PRETEND-WE-OBEY-THE-SORCERESS!' he divulged, his lips lifting in a grin which exposed jagged teeth.
'What!?' Squall snapped, glaring at the creature in disbelief. He turned fully towards the pod and scowled up at NORG. 'Why aren't we fighting the Sorceress!?' he yelled, and at these words Hermione froze. 'What about all the training we endure every day!? What good is it!?' he growled, shaking his head.
'Headmaster Cid was saying the same thing…' the faculty member trailed off as NORG snarled. 'H-Hey-'
'Bujurururu! NORG screamed threateningly, cutting the faculty member off and they stumbled back in fear before sprinting away from the pod. 'CID!? THAT-IDIOT-CID-DISPATCHED-SEED-TO-KILL-THE-SORCERESS. AND-IF-YOU-FAIL? THIS-GARDEN-WILL-BE-DONE-FOR! MY-GARDEN! IT-WILL-BE-ALL-OVER! THAT-IDIOT-CID. HAS-HE-FORGOTTEN-THAT-IT-WAS-I-WHO-PUT-UP-THE-MONEY-TO-ESTABLISH-GARDEN!? I-WANTED-TO-OFFER-THE-SORCERESS-CID'S-HEAD-ALONG-WITH-SEED'S. I-ORDERED-THE-STUDENTS-TO-FIND-CID-BUT-THEY-SIDED-WITH-HIM!' he ranted furiously, his voice escalating with every word. 'Bujurururu! THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN!' he screeched again, pounding his fists on his control panel.
'NO! It's not just yours,' Squall yelled back boldly, making Quistis place her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him while Zell watched on in foreboding.
NORG made a noise which sounded like a laugh. 'Bujurururu! THEN-WHAT-IS-IT!? IS-IT-CID'S-AND-EDEA'S!? THAT-PATHETIC-MARRIED-COUPLE'S!?' he barked back, making the same noise again.
Squall took a step back as he gaped up at NORG in misunderstanding. 'What?' he questioned in a whisper, unable to believe his ears. The headmaster and Edea are married? What the hell is going on? He asked himself, shaking his head.
'Bushurururu... NOW-I-UNDERSTAND. CID-AND-EDEA-ARE-TRYING-TO-TAKE-GARDEN-AWAY-FROM-ME,' NORG barked heatedly, glaring down at them.
Squall was about to question the creature about the headmaster and Edea when he detected Hermione out of the corner of his eyes. He glanced over at her and the expression she wore made his breath catch in his throat. His previous words came back to him. Oh… shit, he thought, forgetting where he was as he took a step towards her. 'Hermione…' he trailed off, but this action alerted NORG to the presence of Hermione and he made an enraged noise in his throat.
'SORCERESS!' NORG shrieked, pointing at Hermione and pushed a button on his panel which erected a barrier around her.
Squall frowned, wait, how the hell did he realise Hermione is a Sorceress! He thought, bolting towards Hermione who was imprisoned and struggling to find a way out.
'Squall, look out!' Quistis yelled as another barricade came up from the ground, effectively barring Squall's path to Hermione.
'No! Let her go!' Squall barked, turning back to NORG furiously.
'THE-SORCERESS-MUST-DIE!' NORG shrieked, sitting back in his chair as the roof of his pod closed over him. 'BLUE-YELLOW-RED. LOTS-OF-MAGIC-WHEN-RED! AS-LONG-AS-COLOUR-STAYS, I-WILL-ATTACK-SeeD-WITH-MAGIC!' NORG murmured to himself as he commenced pushing buttons on his control panel.
'Dammit!' Squall yelled, promptly drawing Para-Magic to himself and summoning his Gunblade. 'We have to attack the orbs so he can't use Para-Magic!' he shouted, moving in to strike one of them as it switched to yellow. The attack made it change back to blue.
Quistis and Zell focused on assaulting the orbs with their weapons, while Squall concentrated on destroying the door hiding NORG. 'Bujurururu...' NORG shrieked as the collective attacks eventually smashed the door and exposed him. 'DAMN-THOSE-SEED'S! THIS-IS-MY-GARDEN! YOU-CAN'T-DO-AS-YOU-PLEASE!' he screamed as he pressed another button on the control panel. The three companions froze as Hermione shrieked and fell to the ground.
'Hermione!' Squall cried, glaring up at the creature. 'You bastard!' he snapped, sprinting towards NORG and using the pod as a boost to jump up and strike the creature, leaving a large gash down the creature's chest.
NORG spluttered, purple blood gushing from his mouth and the wound in his chest. He reached for a button which would heal him, but when he pushed it nothing happened. They had damaged the pod so much the controls were beginning to spark, and smoke was rising from them. 'Fushururu… I'M-DONE-FOR!' he coughed, more blood seeping from his mouth. He shielded his face with his arms. 'I'M-AFRAID-OF-YOU!' he whimpered, before slumping in his chair. 'ME-WHY-ME...?' he trailed off as the breath left him and a light shrouded him in a red and white orb.
The barrier containing Hermione dispersed and Squall dropped his Gunblade to the ground with a loud clatter as he rushed to her. 'Hermione…' he trailed off, reaching for her and helping her to her feet. 'I'm sorry… I didn't mean-'
'I know,' Hermione whispered, cutting Squall off and shaking her head.
'Um… guys? What the hell just happened?' Zell questioned, finding his voice as he gaped at what remained of the pod.
Squall sighed, glaring at the red and white orb in confusion. 'Forget about it for now,' he told them, and they all gazed at him in incredulity.
'Squall, how can you just tell us to forget about it?' Hermione asked Squall, gazing up into his eyes in agitation. 'We just attacked the Garden Master who Cid said himself was the proprietor of this Garden. He was the one supplying Cid with the money to run this place. With him gone…' she trailed off, shaking her head.
Squall closed his eyes. 'There's nothing we can do at the moment. All we can do is talk to the headmaster and try to figure out what is going on,' he said, and they all nodded, agreeing with him. 'Come on, let's go see the headmaster,' he muttered, wrapping his arm around Hermione's waist and guiding her away with Zell and Quistis following, still reeling in shock about what just transpired.
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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Some insight into what Ultimecia wants as well! Much love!