DEFYING DESTINY
By: Stiltzkin
Author's Note: Sorry for not posting this in a timely manner. I've been busy with a million different things most of them miserable. You probably know the drill: school, work, life, same old same old. I've also been working on other series that I'm presently writing.
In all honesty I've lost inspiration to continue this series. I thought to abandon it and was about to delete it, but I couldn't do it after spending so much time on it. I'm one of those people that have to finish what they started or it'll drive me insane. Plus I figure that it was high time to get off my high chair and get out of my pity party and realized that I write to satisfy the emptiness inside of me and not for the adulation of others.
Having this new perspective I started to write this, so I apologize about it's tardiness and hope you like it as much as my previous chapters. Please note this series would be on the backburner and would be updated monthly or bimonthly unless there is a renaissance of reviews. Enjoy.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER SIX: OPPERATION ONSLAUGHT.
Vesper stood on the edge of the train watching the sunrise as the train moved further west away from Balamb. The train went into the underwater tunnel and pretty soon Balamb disappeared and with that the crew that he left for dead. He felt guilty for leaving them behind, his crew. 'I have the get them back. I have too.' He promised himself. The cool morning winds sting his tears dry.
"A gil for your thoughts." Aurora sighed sympathetically.
"Oh, they're not worth that much." Vesper sighed.
"Try me." Aurora sighed. "Here let me clean up the wound on your cheek." Aurora sighed as she wiped the wound. "Oh, it looks like it's going to leave a scar." Aurora sighed slightly countering the wound with her fingers.
"Oh well, there goes my boyish good looks." Vesper said sarcastically.
"I don't know. Some women may think rugged and scared look more sexier than the smooth boyish good looks of the youth." Aurora smiled.
"Really? Do you think that?" Vesper playfully asked.
"Forget it Leonhart. I'm not telling." Aurora smiled playfully punching Vesper on his shoulder. Vesper replied with a grimace. "It's good to see you smile." Aurora noted.
"Yeah." Vesper sighed. His moment of weakness went away and his demeanour of pain and guilt was quickly restored.
Aurora looked into his eyes, the window to his soul. "You're thinking about the people we left behind aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"You know there's nothing that could have been done." Aurora sighed.
"I know." Vesper sighed. "I just hate not knowing if they're alive or dead."
"You're not thinking fourth dimensionally." Aurora said.
"I'm not?"
"If we're successful in getting the Cronos Guardian Force we could travel back in time to were all seven of us were together and ask Hope to let us borrow her Atmos Guardian Force and stop the temporal storm before it begins and this reality would have never existed. The deaths, or possible deaths of Thor, Zephyr and Hope would have never happened and we won't be standing here now having this discussion and if I'm talking way too much just shut me up." Aurora quickly said all in one breath.
Vesper smiled at her. "I don't know how you do that." Vesper smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Do what?"
"Make me smile when I don't feel like it." Vesper smiled. "I know everything you told me, which makes this mission that more important that we succeed, but knowing that fact doesn't make me feel better."
"I know." Aurora sighed. "If it didn't I would be worried." Aurora smiled holding his cheek with her palm. Vesper looked into her eyes and saw sadness and remembered their earlier conversation.
"You know we didn't really finish our conversation this morning."
"What conversation?" Aurora asked innocently.
"The one just outside Balamb Inn." Vesper said playfully.
"Ah, that one, I know it well." Aurora smiled. "I thought we were finished with that conversation."
"No we were rudely interrupted, by Estharian guards."
"Ah, right." Aurora smiled.
Vesper sighed in defeat, he couldn't continue with the witty banter. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "He'll be a fool not to love you back." Vesper smiled.
"Thanks." Aurora smiled.
"It's the truth." Vesper smiled.
"Vesper may I speak with you?" Squall asked walking into their conversation. "I'm sorry am I intruding?"
"No." Aurora smiled leaving the two men alone. "I have to check our ETA." Aurora made an excuse to leave. She slowly walked past Squall and gave a salutatory smile and nod and went into the engine room.
"Are you two an item?" Squall asked.
"Who? Aurora and me?" Vesper said in shock. "We're just friends, best friends." Vesper smiled. "I mean we grew up together. She was the girl next door. Us being lovers, that's absurd." Vesper rationalized.
"Okay, I'm convinced." Squall said defensively. "For someone you don't love you sure are defensive." Squall smiled.
Vesper was upset and realized that it was his father's dry sarcasm. Vesper smiled to himself and chuckled. "I always knew you had a dry sense of humour, but mother said it was far drier before you two were married. I didn't think it was possible, but now I see it's true." Vesper smiled.
"Mother?"
"Yeah, one usually needs a mother to be born." Vesper smiled.
"May I ask..."
"SeeD Temporal Directive." Vesper said curtly. "Father, I wish I can tell you, but I can't." Vesper sighed. "Please, let's talk about something else." Vesper sighed. "Anything, but the future." Vesper said looking towards the horizon; he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Balamb Town was gone, out of his sight.
"A good commander..."
"I'm hardly a leader." Vesper sighed.
"Nevertheless, you are in command, and a good commander is willing to send SeeDs to death for the good of the mission." Squall empathized.
"I know, they are trained to give their lives for the common good." Vesper sighed repeating the rules and regulations of the Garden Charter. "It still doesn't make me feel any better."
"A good commander puts the needs and emotional welfare of the party before their personal feelings." Squall said.
"What?"
"You have to show your crew that you care for your friends, but also show that life goes on and ratify the group under one cause and unite them. Look at Blaze, he staring into nothingness." Squall said pointing inside to where Blaze stood. "Something is bothering him and he needs encouragement." Squall sighed.
Vesper saw Blaze looking through the window, perhaps looking at his reflection. His golden blonde hair shimmered even in the darkness of the shadow; his emerald green eyes glowed as the tunnel's fluorescence light passed every hundred meters or so.
Blaze was wearing a black vest with black leather jeans fasten by a leather belt and a dark sheath on his left side where the golden handle of his sword glistened. Around his neck were dog tags and draped around his shoulders were a black cloak and hood. In his right ear dangled a golden earring of a cross.
"Oh that." Vesper sighed. "Blaze has a big chip on his shoulder - one the size of a world." Vesper sighed. "Blaze's mother and father wanted to become SeeD more than anything in the world, but failed."
"Not everyone could be SeeDs."
"I know." Vesper sighed. "Blaze was their only child and all the hopes and dreams were placed on him." Vesper sighed.
"That's rough."
"The day he was declared a SeeD. His father was happy, but it wasn't good enough for him. His father wanted him to be the best."
"Is that why he's always trying to prove himself? Always looking for the next fight?" Squall asked.
"Yeah." Vesper sighed.
"Which is why you have to talk to him."
"Yeah I think I should." Vesper sighed. "Especially what happened this morning at the train station."
"What happened this morning?"
"He fought his mother." Vesper said ominously and left Squall.
* * * * * * * * * *
The sounds of the morning larks woke up Thor. He woke up shivering from the draft coming into the cave. The cold still pained his wounds from the fight with Mobile Type 8 earlier that morning. He picked up his axe and walked towards the cave's entrance. He sat and started to sharpen his axe. Doing that always soothed and calmed his nerves.
"Cool axe man." Zell said admiring the blade.
"Thanks." Thor smiled. "Had it for an eternity." He smiled enigmatically.
"Here's some coffee." Zell offered.
"Thanks." Thor sighed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't this the fire cave?" Thor asked.
"Where have you been? Asleep for the last twenty-five years?" Zell asked with a hint of surprise. "These caves haven't been called the fire caves for at least that long."
"What happened?" Thor said taking a sip of his piping hot coffee.
"I thought everyone knew."
"Humour me."
"About twenty-five years ago the Estharians discovered how to capture Guardian Forces and were allured by their powers." Zell explained. "This cave was filled with Ifrits until the Estharians annexed our island and stole all the Ifrits here. As a result the fire ambered and the cave turned cold." Zell said. "Theses caves have been abandoned ever since."
"I see." Thor sighed. "May I ask another question?" Thor asked.
"Sure."
"Why has the Estharians outlawed the usage of Guardian Forces?"
Zell looked at him suspiciously and reluctantly answered. "The Estharians are xenophobic by nature and about twenty years ago they were worried about their enemies using Guardian Forces against them." Zell explained. "We, the rebels only have two Ifrits."
"What are you rebelling against?"
"We're rebelling against our warring nations. They all want world domination." Zell sighed. "The Estharians wants to put the whole world into slavery; The Galbadians wants to turn the world into a dictatorship; The Centra is willing to commit genocide so that they could rule supreme and the Trabians wants to use the rest of us in their experiments for genetic purity."
"What about Fisherman's Horizon?"
"Fisherman's what?"
"I mean Harmony."
"Oh, the Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists." Zell sighed. "We want freedoms and rights and we're willing to fight for it." He said full of gusto.
"If you have nothing to die for..."
"There's nothing to live for." Zell smiled. "You understand our motto."
"Who's that?" Thor asked.
"Just one of our operatives." Zell smiled. The young man walked up to Zell and whispered something in his ears. Thor noticed that his pupils dilated with surprise, no with fear. "Are you sure?" Zell asked with a hint of fear. The operative nodded in response.
"What was that about?" Thor asked.
"Nothing." Zell sighed trying to forget what the operative told him, but he couldn't. "So now that you know everything about us, may I ask you a question?" Zell asked.
"Shoot." Thor sighed.
"You three aren't exactly from here are you?" Zell asked.
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh, because you don't have any common knowledge about this place."
"We're not from Balamb." Thor explained.
"So you say." Zell sighed.
"It sounds like you don't believe me."
"It's just that our operatives in Balamb has put your facial images of you and your friends into the international personal database and it came up negative." Zell said.
"What does that mean?" Thor asked.
"You really don't know." Zell sighed. "The international personal database is a record of everyone on the planet, and you're not on it. Meaning you and the rest of your party never existed, like you're all from another world or something." Zell said suspiciously. "Now I have to ask: Who are you and what's going on here?" Zell said charging an Estharian Plasma Gunblade at Thor.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Major Biggs! Reporting to duty sir!"
"At east Lieutenant Wedge." Biggs sighed. "What did you do for Train duty?" He sighed.
"I don't know." Wedge sighed. "I think the General has it in for me." He sighed. "How about you?"
"I accidentally insulted General Loire's mother." Biggs sighed.
"Train duty, on a train that only comes to Timber once a day." Wedge sighed. "What can be more duller than this?" He sighed.
"Wait a minute." He paused listening. "What's that?"
"Sounds like a train." Wedge answered back.
"Hey you two come here." Biggs ordered two privates to come over. They looked confused and looked at each other. "Yeah you two. There's a train coming from Balamb Island and we need your help." Biggs ordered.
"Aye sir."
The four Galbadian soldiers waited patiently for the locomotive part of the train to stop. "What the..." Biggs swore to himself. "Halt, who goes there?" Biggs announced.
"Biggs?" Squall asked with confusion.
"That's Major Biggs to you." He pointed out. "And who are you and how do you know my name?" He asked pointing his gun at Squall.
Squall looked to the crew behind him flabbergasted in what to tell them. "We're undercover operatives." Squall hesitantly lied.
"Yeah our cover was blown so we were forced to escape Balamb Island. Please take us to the commanding officer of this outpost so we could begin debriefing." Vesper continued his father's lie.
Biggs studied their faces and sighed. "All right. Please follow us." He said leading the way.
Squall looked at the rest of the crew, hoping that they were on the same wavelength he was thinking. He pointed his eyes towards their backs and the trio nodded in affirmation. "Now!" Squall said.
Squall, Vesper, Blaze, and Aurora headed towards one of the guards and hit them hard on their heads knocking them down. "All clear." Blaze said.
"Good let's tie them up." Squall said dragging them into a dark alley taking off their uniforms.
"What are you doing?" Aurora asked.
"We need disguises to walk around Timber freely." Squall pointed out. "Hurry before they wake." He pointed out. It took them fifteen minutes to dress themselves up like Galbadian soldiers.
They tied their arms and legs up and tapped their mouths together with SeeD efficiency. "Eww...these uniforms stinks." Aurora noted.
"Buck up, we have to find our way to the Esthar to steal an airship." Blaze pointed out. "We have to find a way to get there from here." He pointed out.
"Blaze is right." Squall said. "Let's observed the city." He said putting on the helmet of the Major's uniform.
* * * * * * * * * *
"You're what?!?" Zell said with disbelief.
"I'm from the future of another reality." Thor said slowly raising his hands in defence. Although Thor had his axe with him he couldn't swing it quick enough to dodge a deadly plasma blast at such close distance. "I'm telling you the truth." Thor added.
"I'm sure you think it is." Zell sighed unconvinced.
"You don't believe me."
"Try to see it from my prospective. Would you believe me if you were in my place?" Zell asked.
"Not really." Thor sighed.
"Than how can I be sure that you're telling the truth?"
"I can't." Thor sighed with defeat.
"You can tell our future."
"Even if I can, I can't tell you." Thor sighed. "I'm from a different reality." Thor sighed.
"Right." Zell sighed unconvincingly. "How convenient."
Thor wanted to explain about the mutual inhalation and the temporal storm, but he decided against it. He took a deep sighed. "What are you going to do with us?" Thor asked.
"Come with me." Zell said motioning the plasma gunblade up. Thor stood up slowly. "Pass me your weapon." Zell demanded. Thor looked at his axe and sighed. "Don't you dare think of using it." Zell warned.
"Please take care of it." Thor sighed handing his axe over to Zell.
"You seemed very attached to it." Zell sighed. "I bet you even have a name for it." Zell mocked to himself.
"Her name is Mjolnir." Thor sighed.
"You're not serious are you?" Zell sighed.
"I am."
"Come on." Zell sighed, leading Thor deeper into the cave. The further they went the cooler it got. Zell lead Thor into the furthest recesses of the cave where a deep hole was located. "Get in." Zell ordered.
Thor looked down to see that the hole was at least twelve feet down and the sides were smooth. He saw Zephyr and Hope down there as they looked up to greet him. "You must be mad."
"Don't test me." Zell sighed pointing the plasma gunblade at him.
"All right." Thor sighed climbing down the rope that led to the bottom of the pit. When he got down into the pit the rope was lifted. "Trapped." He sighed.
"What are we going to do now?" Hope sighed.
"I wish I knew." Thor answered.
* * * * * * * * * *
Squall took the lead, because he wearing the uniform of a major. They quickly imitated the indigenous soldiers around them. "Remember to walk confidently and in a single file." Squall whispered. They all nodded and quickly followed him, with Vesper dressed in the uniform of the lieutenant and Aurora and Blaze quietly following behind him with private uniforms.
This Timber, like their Timber from their indigenous universe was almost identical. Except with the fact that it was flooded with Galbadian soldiers. 'Timber under a Galbadian Occupation.' Squall sighed. 'Rinoa's heart would break if she saw this.' Squall thought walking pass the local bar. 'What the...' Squall stopped.
Vesper bumped into Squall as Blaze to Vesper and Aurora to Blaze. "What's going on?" Vesper whispered.
"I just saw President Loire walking into the local bar." He gasped.
"He's may not be a president in this reality." Vesper reminded.
"Com'on we're following him." Squall said entering the bar.
They took their seats within hearing range of his table. "Colonels Seagill and Zabac." Laguna quietly greeted.
"General Loire." They stood up and saluted him.
"At ease." He said sitting down. "I have a mission for you from President Deling himself." Laguna said. "It's top secret."
"You can trust us." Kiros said quietly.
"President Deling wants us to infiltrate Harmony." Laguna responded.
"Why Harmony?" Ward asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kiros sighed. "It's makes a good strategic base in conquering Esthar." He pointed out.
"Quite correct. There's a train leaving for Dollet tonight, when you get there a boat will take you to Harmony. You are only allowed to take a handful of soldiers with you." Laguna debriefed.
"Do you think we need that many?" Ward asked. "The Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists. They wouldn't lift an arm to defend their city." He pointed out.
"Rightly so, but the President and I want to make sure we get Harmony before the Estharians put their ships to protect their harbour." Laguna said. "We only have one chance to take Harmony without any fatalities." He pointed out.
"We understand." Kiros said.
"Great." Laguna sighed. "I'll be leaving for Deling City in the morning."
"Your wife misses you?" Ward hinted.
"Yeah." He sighed. "Come by after you annex Harmony. We'll have a celebratory dinner." Laguna invited.
"Sounds good." Laguna said leaving.
Colonels Seagill and Zabac circumspect the room looking for candidates for their new mission while Squall had an idea. "That's our ticket to Esthar. Somehow we've got to sneak on that train." Squall whispered to his crew.
"You Major!" Ward said pointing at Squall. "Come with us, we have a mission for you and your troops."
"Aye sir!" Squall nervously saluted. 'Or be conscripted.' He thought ominously. They quickly followed the Colonels out of the bar.
* * * * * * * * * *
Xu and Zell sat by the former Ifrit lava pit quietly guarding their hostages. The coldness of the cave started to make Xu shiver. The silence made the cave all that much colder. "So what do you think about our prisoners?" Xu asked. "Do you believe their story?" She asked wanting some confirmation to her suspicions.
"I don't know." Zell sighed. "They are rather ignorant about this world, but the idea that being from another timeline in the future? That sounds a little too much for me." He pointed out.
"They do posses Guardian Forces form legends of yore." Xu pointed. "And they are definitely against the Estharian Occupation, but is nowhere found in any database."
"Unless that's a rouse."
"No, I don't think so." Xu sighed. "Why would they sacrifice over a hundred loyal men and cyborgs for?" Xu pointed out. "It doesn't make any sense, if they wanted to expose our resistance cell there are more easier ways to do it." Xu sighed.
"Then it leaves only one explanation." Zell sighed.
"That they're from the future of another timeline." Xu said. "I don't know."
* * * * * * * * * *
Thor hated feeling useless. 'What should we do?' He thought leaning against one of the walls of the pit. Hope was walking around looking at the mouth wondering how to get out. He could hear whispers from above. 'They're probably talking about us.' He sighed.
"Maybe we can climb the pit." Hope suggested.
"I doubt it." Zephyr sighed. "This was a lava pit where all the Ifrits use to live. When the lava dried the walls smoothed." Zephyr explained.
"It's hopeless." Thor pointed out.
"Nothing's hopeless." Hope reminded. "There's got to be a way out."
"Maybe there is." Zephyr thought. Her grimace reached from ear to ear. "Hey up there! Can we ask you a question?" She yelled her voice echoed through the cavity of the hole.
"What?" Xu yelled back.
"Am I correct to assume that Balamb prison was once an ancient underground shelter?" Zephyr asked.
"According to Balamb history yes." Xu sighed. "It was built there centuries before the first inhabitants populated this island." Xu informed. "Why do you ask?" She asked with great interest.
"In our reality it was a floating fortress and I'm assuming that it would be in this one." Zephyr announced. "If you help us take over the prison we will give you the floating fortress as your prize under one condition."
"Your freedom." Xu guessed. "An interesting idea, but we'll never survive."
"If you return our weapons and Guardian Forces we will help you out." Thor pointed out.
"All right, but if it's not a floating fortress we want to liberate a fellow resistant fighter that's trapped in the prison." Xu pointed out. "Her name is Princess Tilmitt of Trabia." She pointed out.
"Mother." Thor gasped. Zephyr and Hope looked at Thor. He searched their eyes trying to find an answer, but what they told him was that it was up to you. "If we liberate your prisoner we want one thing in return, that is if the prison is indeed a floating fortress." Thor pointed out.
"What is it?" Zell asked.
"An Estharian Airship."
Xu and Zell looked at each other and sighed. They nodded with silent confirmation. "We don't have one, but we do know who has." Zell sighed.
"But if you help us liberate Princess Tilmitt and give us this floating fortress of yours we can guarantee that you'll get your Estharian airship." Xu pointed out.
The trio looked at each other and unanimously agreed silently nodding. "You have a deal." Thor pointed out.
"All right." Xu smiled. "Lower the rope." She yelled to one of her fellow resistance cell member. "Time for Operation Onslaught to begin." She smiled.
"Operation Onslaught?" Thor asked with confusion.
"Let's just say we've been planning the rescue of Princess Tilmitt for a long time." Xu replied with a devilish smile.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Thor sighed ominously climbing out of the hole.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
By: Stiltzkin
Author's Note: Sorry for not posting this in a timely manner. I've been busy with a million different things most of them miserable. You probably know the drill: school, work, life, same old same old. I've also been working on other series that I'm presently writing.
In all honesty I've lost inspiration to continue this series. I thought to abandon it and was about to delete it, but I couldn't do it after spending so much time on it. I'm one of those people that have to finish what they started or it'll drive me insane. Plus I figure that it was high time to get off my high chair and get out of my pity party and realized that I write to satisfy the emptiness inside of me and not for the adulation of others.
Having this new perspective I started to write this, so I apologize about it's tardiness and hope you like it as much as my previous chapters. Please note this series would be on the backburner and would be updated monthly or bimonthly unless there is a renaissance of reviews. Enjoy.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER SIX: OPPERATION ONSLAUGHT.
Vesper stood on the edge of the train watching the sunrise as the train moved further west away from Balamb. The train went into the underwater tunnel and pretty soon Balamb disappeared and with that the crew that he left for dead. He felt guilty for leaving them behind, his crew. 'I have the get them back. I have too.' He promised himself. The cool morning winds sting his tears dry.
"A gil for your thoughts." Aurora sighed sympathetically.
"Oh, they're not worth that much." Vesper sighed.
"Try me." Aurora sighed. "Here let me clean up the wound on your cheek." Aurora sighed as she wiped the wound. "Oh, it looks like it's going to leave a scar." Aurora sighed slightly countering the wound with her fingers.
"Oh well, there goes my boyish good looks." Vesper said sarcastically.
"I don't know. Some women may think rugged and scared look more sexier than the smooth boyish good looks of the youth." Aurora smiled.
"Really? Do you think that?" Vesper playfully asked.
"Forget it Leonhart. I'm not telling." Aurora smiled playfully punching Vesper on his shoulder. Vesper replied with a grimace. "It's good to see you smile." Aurora noted.
"Yeah." Vesper sighed. His moment of weakness went away and his demeanour of pain and guilt was quickly restored.
Aurora looked into his eyes, the window to his soul. "You're thinking about the people we left behind aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"You know there's nothing that could have been done." Aurora sighed.
"I know." Vesper sighed. "I just hate not knowing if they're alive or dead."
"You're not thinking fourth dimensionally." Aurora said.
"I'm not?"
"If we're successful in getting the Cronos Guardian Force we could travel back in time to were all seven of us were together and ask Hope to let us borrow her Atmos Guardian Force and stop the temporal storm before it begins and this reality would have never existed. The deaths, or possible deaths of Thor, Zephyr and Hope would have never happened and we won't be standing here now having this discussion and if I'm talking way too much just shut me up." Aurora quickly said all in one breath.
Vesper smiled at her. "I don't know how you do that." Vesper smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Do what?"
"Make me smile when I don't feel like it." Vesper smiled. "I know everything you told me, which makes this mission that more important that we succeed, but knowing that fact doesn't make me feel better."
"I know." Aurora sighed. "If it didn't I would be worried." Aurora smiled holding his cheek with her palm. Vesper looked into her eyes and saw sadness and remembered their earlier conversation.
"You know we didn't really finish our conversation this morning."
"What conversation?" Aurora asked innocently.
"The one just outside Balamb Inn." Vesper said playfully.
"Ah, that one, I know it well." Aurora smiled. "I thought we were finished with that conversation."
"No we were rudely interrupted, by Estharian guards."
"Ah, right." Aurora smiled.
Vesper sighed in defeat, he couldn't continue with the witty banter. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "He'll be a fool not to love you back." Vesper smiled.
"Thanks." Aurora smiled.
"It's the truth." Vesper smiled.
"Vesper may I speak with you?" Squall asked walking into their conversation. "I'm sorry am I intruding?"
"No." Aurora smiled leaving the two men alone. "I have to check our ETA." Aurora made an excuse to leave. She slowly walked past Squall and gave a salutatory smile and nod and went into the engine room.
"Are you two an item?" Squall asked.
"Who? Aurora and me?" Vesper said in shock. "We're just friends, best friends." Vesper smiled. "I mean we grew up together. She was the girl next door. Us being lovers, that's absurd." Vesper rationalized.
"Okay, I'm convinced." Squall said defensively. "For someone you don't love you sure are defensive." Squall smiled.
Vesper was upset and realized that it was his father's dry sarcasm. Vesper smiled to himself and chuckled. "I always knew you had a dry sense of humour, but mother said it was far drier before you two were married. I didn't think it was possible, but now I see it's true." Vesper smiled.
"Mother?"
"Yeah, one usually needs a mother to be born." Vesper smiled.
"May I ask..."
"SeeD Temporal Directive." Vesper said curtly. "Father, I wish I can tell you, but I can't." Vesper sighed. "Please, let's talk about something else." Vesper sighed. "Anything, but the future." Vesper said looking towards the horizon; he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. Balamb Town was gone, out of his sight.
"A good commander..."
"I'm hardly a leader." Vesper sighed.
"Nevertheless, you are in command, and a good commander is willing to send SeeDs to death for the good of the mission." Squall empathized.
"I know, they are trained to give their lives for the common good." Vesper sighed repeating the rules and regulations of the Garden Charter. "It still doesn't make me feel any better."
"A good commander puts the needs and emotional welfare of the party before their personal feelings." Squall said.
"What?"
"You have to show your crew that you care for your friends, but also show that life goes on and ratify the group under one cause and unite them. Look at Blaze, he staring into nothingness." Squall said pointing inside to where Blaze stood. "Something is bothering him and he needs encouragement." Squall sighed.
Vesper saw Blaze looking through the window, perhaps looking at his reflection. His golden blonde hair shimmered even in the darkness of the shadow; his emerald green eyes glowed as the tunnel's fluorescence light passed every hundred meters or so.
Blaze was wearing a black vest with black leather jeans fasten by a leather belt and a dark sheath on his left side where the golden handle of his sword glistened. Around his neck were dog tags and draped around his shoulders were a black cloak and hood. In his right ear dangled a golden earring of a cross.
"Oh that." Vesper sighed. "Blaze has a big chip on his shoulder - one the size of a world." Vesper sighed. "Blaze's mother and father wanted to become SeeD more than anything in the world, but failed."
"Not everyone could be SeeDs."
"I know." Vesper sighed. "Blaze was their only child and all the hopes and dreams were placed on him." Vesper sighed.
"That's rough."
"The day he was declared a SeeD. His father was happy, but it wasn't good enough for him. His father wanted him to be the best."
"Is that why he's always trying to prove himself? Always looking for the next fight?" Squall asked.
"Yeah." Vesper sighed.
"Which is why you have to talk to him."
"Yeah I think I should." Vesper sighed. "Especially what happened this morning at the train station."
"What happened this morning?"
"He fought his mother." Vesper said ominously and left Squall.
* * * * * * * * * *
The sounds of the morning larks woke up Thor. He woke up shivering from the draft coming into the cave. The cold still pained his wounds from the fight with Mobile Type 8 earlier that morning. He picked up his axe and walked towards the cave's entrance. He sat and started to sharpen his axe. Doing that always soothed and calmed his nerves.
"Cool axe man." Zell said admiring the blade.
"Thanks." Thor smiled. "Had it for an eternity." He smiled enigmatically.
"Here's some coffee." Zell offered.
"Thanks." Thor sighed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't this the fire cave?" Thor asked.
"Where have you been? Asleep for the last twenty-five years?" Zell asked with a hint of surprise. "These caves haven't been called the fire caves for at least that long."
"What happened?" Thor said taking a sip of his piping hot coffee.
"I thought everyone knew."
"Humour me."
"About twenty-five years ago the Estharians discovered how to capture Guardian Forces and were allured by their powers." Zell explained. "This cave was filled with Ifrits until the Estharians annexed our island and stole all the Ifrits here. As a result the fire ambered and the cave turned cold." Zell said. "Theses caves have been abandoned ever since."
"I see." Thor sighed. "May I ask another question?" Thor asked.
"Sure."
"Why has the Estharians outlawed the usage of Guardian Forces?"
Zell looked at him suspiciously and reluctantly answered. "The Estharians are xenophobic by nature and about twenty years ago they were worried about their enemies using Guardian Forces against them." Zell explained. "We, the rebels only have two Ifrits."
"What are you rebelling against?"
"We're rebelling against our warring nations. They all want world domination." Zell sighed. "The Estharians wants to put the whole world into slavery; The Galbadians wants to turn the world into a dictatorship; The Centra is willing to commit genocide so that they could rule supreme and the Trabians wants to use the rest of us in their experiments for genetic purity."
"What about Fisherman's Horizon?"
"Fisherman's what?"
"I mean Harmony."
"Oh, the Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists." Zell sighed. "We want freedoms and rights and we're willing to fight for it." He said full of gusto.
"If you have nothing to die for..."
"There's nothing to live for." Zell smiled. "You understand our motto."
"Who's that?" Thor asked.
"Just one of our operatives." Zell smiled. The young man walked up to Zell and whispered something in his ears. Thor noticed that his pupils dilated with surprise, no with fear. "Are you sure?" Zell asked with a hint of fear. The operative nodded in response.
"What was that about?" Thor asked.
"Nothing." Zell sighed trying to forget what the operative told him, but he couldn't. "So now that you know everything about us, may I ask you a question?" Zell asked.
"Shoot." Thor sighed.
"You three aren't exactly from here are you?" Zell asked.
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh, because you don't have any common knowledge about this place."
"We're not from Balamb." Thor explained.
"So you say." Zell sighed.
"It sounds like you don't believe me."
"It's just that our operatives in Balamb has put your facial images of you and your friends into the international personal database and it came up negative." Zell said.
"What does that mean?" Thor asked.
"You really don't know." Zell sighed. "The international personal database is a record of everyone on the planet, and you're not on it. Meaning you and the rest of your party never existed, like you're all from another world or something." Zell said suspiciously. "Now I have to ask: Who are you and what's going on here?" Zell said charging an Estharian Plasma Gunblade at Thor.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Major Biggs! Reporting to duty sir!"
"At east Lieutenant Wedge." Biggs sighed. "What did you do for Train duty?" He sighed.
"I don't know." Wedge sighed. "I think the General has it in for me." He sighed. "How about you?"
"I accidentally insulted General Loire's mother." Biggs sighed.
"Train duty, on a train that only comes to Timber once a day." Wedge sighed. "What can be more duller than this?" He sighed.
"Wait a minute." He paused listening. "What's that?"
"Sounds like a train." Wedge answered back.
"Hey you two come here." Biggs ordered two privates to come over. They looked confused and looked at each other. "Yeah you two. There's a train coming from Balamb Island and we need your help." Biggs ordered.
"Aye sir."
The four Galbadian soldiers waited patiently for the locomotive part of the train to stop. "What the..." Biggs swore to himself. "Halt, who goes there?" Biggs announced.
"Biggs?" Squall asked with confusion.
"That's Major Biggs to you." He pointed out. "And who are you and how do you know my name?" He asked pointing his gun at Squall.
Squall looked to the crew behind him flabbergasted in what to tell them. "We're undercover operatives." Squall hesitantly lied.
"Yeah our cover was blown so we were forced to escape Balamb Island. Please take us to the commanding officer of this outpost so we could begin debriefing." Vesper continued his father's lie.
Biggs studied their faces and sighed. "All right. Please follow us." He said leading the way.
Squall looked at the rest of the crew, hoping that they were on the same wavelength he was thinking. He pointed his eyes towards their backs and the trio nodded in affirmation. "Now!" Squall said.
Squall, Vesper, Blaze, and Aurora headed towards one of the guards and hit them hard on their heads knocking them down. "All clear." Blaze said.
"Good let's tie them up." Squall said dragging them into a dark alley taking off their uniforms.
"What are you doing?" Aurora asked.
"We need disguises to walk around Timber freely." Squall pointed out. "Hurry before they wake." He pointed out. It took them fifteen minutes to dress themselves up like Galbadian soldiers.
They tied their arms and legs up and tapped their mouths together with SeeD efficiency. "Eww...these uniforms stinks." Aurora noted.
"Buck up, we have to find our way to the Esthar to steal an airship." Blaze pointed out. "We have to find a way to get there from here." He pointed out.
"Blaze is right." Squall said. "Let's observed the city." He said putting on the helmet of the Major's uniform.
* * * * * * * * * *
"You're what?!?" Zell said with disbelief.
"I'm from the future of another reality." Thor said slowly raising his hands in defence. Although Thor had his axe with him he couldn't swing it quick enough to dodge a deadly plasma blast at such close distance. "I'm telling you the truth." Thor added.
"I'm sure you think it is." Zell sighed unconvinced.
"You don't believe me."
"Try to see it from my prospective. Would you believe me if you were in my place?" Zell asked.
"Not really." Thor sighed.
"Than how can I be sure that you're telling the truth?"
"I can't." Thor sighed with defeat.
"You can tell our future."
"Even if I can, I can't tell you." Thor sighed. "I'm from a different reality." Thor sighed.
"Right." Zell sighed unconvincingly. "How convenient."
Thor wanted to explain about the mutual inhalation and the temporal storm, but he decided against it. He took a deep sighed. "What are you going to do with us?" Thor asked.
"Come with me." Zell said motioning the plasma gunblade up. Thor stood up slowly. "Pass me your weapon." Zell demanded. Thor looked at his axe and sighed. "Don't you dare think of using it." Zell warned.
"Please take care of it." Thor sighed handing his axe over to Zell.
"You seemed very attached to it." Zell sighed. "I bet you even have a name for it." Zell mocked to himself.
"Her name is Mjolnir." Thor sighed.
"You're not serious are you?" Zell sighed.
"I am."
"Come on." Zell sighed, leading Thor deeper into the cave. The further they went the cooler it got. Zell lead Thor into the furthest recesses of the cave where a deep hole was located. "Get in." Zell ordered.
Thor looked down to see that the hole was at least twelve feet down and the sides were smooth. He saw Zephyr and Hope down there as they looked up to greet him. "You must be mad."
"Don't test me." Zell sighed pointing the plasma gunblade at him.
"All right." Thor sighed climbing down the rope that led to the bottom of the pit. When he got down into the pit the rope was lifted. "Trapped." He sighed.
"What are we going to do now?" Hope sighed.
"I wish I knew." Thor answered.
* * * * * * * * * *
Squall took the lead, because he wearing the uniform of a major. They quickly imitated the indigenous soldiers around them. "Remember to walk confidently and in a single file." Squall whispered. They all nodded and quickly followed him, with Vesper dressed in the uniform of the lieutenant and Aurora and Blaze quietly following behind him with private uniforms.
This Timber, like their Timber from their indigenous universe was almost identical. Except with the fact that it was flooded with Galbadian soldiers. 'Timber under a Galbadian Occupation.' Squall sighed. 'Rinoa's heart would break if she saw this.' Squall thought walking pass the local bar. 'What the...' Squall stopped.
Vesper bumped into Squall as Blaze to Vesper and Aurora to Blaze. "What's going on?" Vesper whispered.
"I just saw President Loire walking into the local bar." He gasped.
"He's may not be a president in this reality." Vesper reminded.
"Com'on we're following him." Squall said entering the bar.
They took their seats within hearing range of his table. "Colonels Seagill and Zabac." Laguna quietly greeted.
"General Loire." They stood up and saluted him.
"At ease." He said sitting down. "I have a mission for you from President Deling himself." Laguna said. "It's top secret."
"You can trust us." Kiros said quietly.
"President Deling wants us to infiltrate Harmony." Laguna responded.
"Why Harmony?" Ward asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kiros sighed. "It's makes a good strategic base in conquering Esthar." He pointed out.
"Quite correct. There's a train leaving for Dollet tonight, when you get there a boat will take you to Harmony. You are only allowed to take a handful of soldiers with you." Laguna debriefed.
"Do you think we need that many?" Ward asked. "The Harmonies are a bunch of pacifists. They wouldn't lift an arm to defend their city." He pointed out.
"Rightly so, but the President and I want to make sure we get Harmony before the Estharians put their ships to protect their harbour." Laguna said. "We only have one chance to take Harmony without any fatalities." He pointed out.
"We understand." Kiros said.
"Great." Laguna sighed. "I'll be leaving for Deling City in the morning."
"Your wife misses you?" Ward hinted.
"Yeah." He sighed. "Come by after you annex Harmony. We'll have a celebratory dinner." Laguna invited.
"Sounds good." Laguna said leaving.
Colonels Seagill and Zabac circumspect the room looking for candidates for their new mission while Squall had an idea. "That's our ticket to Esthar. Somehow we've got to sneak on that train." Squall whispered to his crew.
"You Major!" Ward said pointing at Squall. "Come with us, we have a mission for you and your troops."
"Aye sir!" Squall nervously saluted. 'Or be conscripted.' He thought ominously. They quickly followed the Colonels out of the bar.
* * * * * * * * * *
Xu and Zell sat by the former Ifrit lava pit quietly guarding their hostages. The coldness of the cave started to make Xu shiver. The silence made the cave all that much colder. "So what do you think about our prisoners?" Xu asked. "Do you believe their story?" She asked wanting some confirmation to her suspicions.
"I don't know." Zell sighed. "They are rather ignorant about this world, but the idea that being from another timeline in the future? That sounds a little too much for me." He pointed out.
"They do posses Guardian Forces form legends of yore." Xu pointed. "And they are definitely against the Estharian Occupation, but is nowhere found in any database."
"Unless that's a rouse."
"No, I don't think so." Xu sighed. "Why would they sacrifice over a hundred loyal men and cyborgs for?" Xu pointed out. "It doesn't make any sense, if they wanted to expose our resistance cell there are more easier ways to do it." Xu sighed.
"Then it leaves only one explanation." Zell sighed.
"That they're from the future of another timeline." Xu said. "I don't know."
* * * * * * * * * *
Thor hated feeling useless. 'What should we do?' He thought leaning against one of the walls of the pit. Hope was walking around looking at the mouth wondering how to get out. He could hear whispers from above. 'They're probably talking about us.' He sighed.
"Maybe we can climb the pit." Hope suggested.
"I doubt it." Zephyr sighed. "This was a lava pit where all the Ifrits use to live. When the lava dried the walls smoothed." Zephyr explained.
"It's hopeless." Thor pointed out.
"Nothing's hopeless." Hope reminded. "There's got to be a way out."
"Maybe there is." Zephyr thought. Her grimace reached from ear to ear. "Hey up there! Can we ask you a question?" She yelled her voice echoed through the cavity of the hole.
"What?" Xu yelled back.
"Am I correct to assume that Balamb prison was once an ancient underground shelter?" Zephyr asked.
"According to Balamb history yes." Xu sighed. "It was built there centuries before the first inhabitants populated this island." Xu informed. "Why do you ask?" She asked with great interest.
"In our reality it was a floating fortress and I'm assuming that it would be in this one." Zephyr announced. "If you help us take over the prison we will give you the floating fortress as your prize under one condition."
"Your freedom." Xu guessed. "An interesting idea, but we'll never survive."
"If you return our weapons and Guardian Forces we will help you out." Thor pointed out.
"All right, but if it's not a floating fortress we want to liberate a fellow resistant fighter that's trapped in the prison." Xu pointed out. "Her name is Princess Tilmitt of Trabia." She pointed out.
"Mother." Thor gasped. Zephyr and Hope looked at Thor. He searched their eyes trying to find an answer, but what they told him was that it was up to you. "If we liberate your prisoner we want one thing in return, that is if the prison is indeed a floating fortress." Thor pointed out.
"What is it?" Zell asked.
"An Estharian Airship."
Xu and Zell looked at each other and sighed. They nodded with silent confirmation. "We don't have one, but we do know who has." Zell sighed.
"But if you help us liberate Princess Tilmitt and give us this floating fortress of yours we can guarantee that you'll get your Estharian airship." Xu pointed out.
The trio looked at each other and unanimously agreed silently nodding. "You have a deal." Thor pointed out.
"All right." Xu smiled. "Lower the rope." She yelled to one of her fellow resistance cell member. "Time for Operation Onslaught to begin." She smiled.
"Operation Onslaught?" Thor asked with confusion.
"Let's just say we've been planning the rescue of Princess Tilmitt for a long time." Xu replied with a devilish smile.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Thor sighed ominously climbing out of the hole.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Final Fantasy Genre (specifically Final Fantasy VIII (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [2] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous clause, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.