Chapter Three
In which even more characters are introduced!

Beatrix stood on the bridge of the Red Rose, gazing out at the Mist-shrouded landscape. She turned to her lieutenant, who was standing next to her. "I think our patrol is done now. Set course for Alexandria." The lieutenant saluted and moved off to speak with the pilot. Suddenly, Beatrix heard a soft buzzing noise that grew steadily in pitch and volume. She turned to another of her commanders. "What is that noise?" The commander looked at her. "General? I hear nothing out of the ordinary." Suddenly, the buzzing reached its peak, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

She floated in blackness for a moment before becoming aware of a pressure at her back. She opened her eyes to find that she was laying against a set of stairs. She stood and looked around. The building she found herself in was like no other she had seen in her life. According to what Her Majesty Queen Garnet had entrusted to her, the area slightly resembled some portions of Terra. However, there were extreme differences. At the top of the set of stairs was a circular bench. A hallway stretched off into the distance in the other direction. She examined the bench, campared it to the rest of the hall, and thought "That is an odd place for a bench." She stepped up onto the base of the bench, and leaped back in surprise as it settled a little to accomodate her weight. She cautiously examined it from all sides, determining that it did not touch the ground. She nervously climbed onto the platform again, flinching a little as it settled, then sat down. The floater immediately lifted off the floor and shot into a tube. A violet shield formed around the bench as it shot through the tunnel. Beatrix leapt to her feet, her hand immediately going to her trusty Save The Queen. She then sat down again when she saw that this was only a form of conveyance, like the Neptune Statue at Alexandria Harbor or Gargan Roo. Soon, she was just sitting back and enjoying the ride. Soon after, the floater exited the Presidential Palace and the shield disappeared. Beatrix climbed off, staring at the Esthar Soldiers that stood around.

She walked over to the nearest one and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and looked her up and down. She said, "Pardon me, this probably seems silly to you, but I don't know where I am. Could you give me some directions?" The soldier chuckled. "Ma'am, I'm used to dealing with lost tourists. Since President Laguna broke the bluffs and reinstated the rail program, Esthar has been the tourist destination of choice for thousands of people! Anyway, you should go that way if you want to get to the Shopping Area. If you go far enough in any direction from the Presidential Palace, You'll come to the exit. You can use the floaters to get around faster. However, if you're looking to see the visual glory that is Esthar, you really should hoof it." Beatrix bowed slightly. "Thank you. You've been most helpful. I really must be off. I have to find my... tour group." The soldier waved as Beatrix walked off.

She talked to herself as she walked in the direction that the soldier had indicated as the Shopping District. "Esthar? President? Hmm, this is most definitely a strange area I have stumbled into. I must find out what is going on." She looked up at the rain clouds overhead. "Oh my, it's worse here than it is in Burmecia!" After a while, she came to what was evidently a shopping area, but she saw no shopkeepers around. She saw a small family walk away from a screen and decided that would be the best way to find out what they sold. She stepped up to the screen and a message appeared. "DO YOU WANT TO SHOP?" She cautiously touched the "YES" panel. A menu then appeared, giving a list of stores. She first checked the Item Shop. A message suddenly popped up. "Here You Go!" A door slid open next to her, and she removed a small bottle. "Megalixir? Wow." She continued leafing through the menus, pleasantly surprised that they used Gil. When she finished, she had a nice collection of Potions, Pheonix Downs, and other travel essentials. She was also fairly short on Gil. She took her goods and stowed them in her pockets. Turning, she strode in the direction of the exit. Arriving at the Esthar Entrance, she decided to catch a bus to the train station. She would explore this new world, and try to find a way back home.

* * *

Ace drove his motorcycle through the driving rain towards Balamb Garden. Today would see the fulfillment of his lifelong dream. He would clear his family's name by becoming a SeeD. He rode into the Garden's parking lot, parked his bike, and stepped off. He pulled a sword from a sheath on the side of the motorcycle and slid it into a scabbard on his back. He then made sure his gunbelts were riding securely on his hips, brushed some leaves off his trenchcoat, shook the water from his hair, and turned to enter the Garden. He turned back to the motorcycle when he realized he had forgotten his duffel bag. He seized the duffel and headed into the Garden proper. He headed towards the Dormitory, found an empty room, and tossed his bag on the bed. He then headed for the central elevator. He climbed on with a pair of chatty female SeeD trainees who paled and shrank against the back of the elevator when he shot them a look. Those two got off on the second floor. Ace rode the elevator up to the third floor, then walked over to the girl at the desk. "I'm Ace. I came to see Headmaster Cid." The girl flipped through her messages. "Yes, Mr... Ace. We have you right here. The Headmaster isn't doing anything right now, go on in." Ace pushed the door open. Cid sat at a desk, with a few SeeDs standing on either side. The Headmaster looked up at Ace. "Ace, is it? Sit down." Ace chose a chair at a distance from the desk.

"Well, Ace. What did you want to see me about? From your phone call it sounded fairly important." Ace crossed his legs. "Yes. I want to become a SeeD." Cid frowned. "A SeeD? I'm afraid that's not possible, my dear boy. You see, SeeDs are trained from a very early age. While I have no doubt that you are skilled in combat, there is more to being a SeeD than just combat skill. One needs to have tact, diplomacy, and a loyalty to your organization. Plus, while looking over your records, I couldn't help but be reminded of a student we had here about a year ago. Nasty business, that was. Seifer Almasy. Last I heard, he had been executed for his role in the Second Sorceress War. Interesting, though. It's the first time I've ever heard of President Loire of Esthar authorizing the death penalty." He shook his head. "Nasty, nasty business. But, although I'm afraid we cannot make you a SeeD, there is a possibility we could hire you on as an independent mercenary. The pay wouldn't be quite as good as a SeeD's of course, but you would get to work side by side with Garden's finest. What do you say?" Ace scowled. "I'll have to think about it." Cid smiled. "Good. You're welcome to stay here until you decide one way or the other. Just try not to get into any fights with the other students." Ace stood. "I won't get into any fights if the other students don't bother me. I'll be going now."

Ace returned to his room and lay down on the bed. "Man, what a letdown. Who the hell does that @$$%*!# think he is?" He scowled at the ceiling. What am I doing? I should be training. He swung himself out of bed. As he headed for the Training Center, he passed the pair of girls he had shared the elevator with. He heard them mutter "Jerk..." as he strode away. He headed into the Training Center and leaned casually against a tree. As he looked up at the rain beading off the skylight, he heard a rustling behind him. He rolled forward, coming up in a ready position, sword drawn and one pistol out. A pair of Grats sidled out of the underbrush, attracted by his body heat. One of them swung forward, lashing out with its tendrils. Ace, taken by surprise at the length of the tendrils, fell backwards. He rose and leapt at the Grat. His sword swung through the air above the Grat's digestive sac, severing two of its tentacles. The Grat hissed and slid away from him. The other Grat slid forward slightly and let loose with a gout of digestive juices. Ace managed to avoid the main mass of the blob, but it splashed around him, spattering him with tiny globules of acid. Smoke rose from his trenchcoat where it hit, and burned and stung when it hit bare flesh. Ace scowled. "Okay, time to stop playing around." He immediately cast Double on himself, grinning as he felt the boost of magic power. He then smacked the Grats with a double dose of Fira. The Grat with the severed tendrils collapsed, burning. The other Grat recoiled, then rushed at Ace. Wrapping its tendrils around him, it dug razor-sharp barbs into his flesh, drawing blood to nourish the plant. Ace stumbled, bleeding from several small wounds. He felt his rage building up.

Ace reached into the depths of his being, calling upon reserves of strength and stamina. He slid his sword into the scabbard on his back, drawing his other gun. "AIR DIVIDE!" He unleashed a ten-shot combo at the Grat, knocking it into the air. He then slid his guns back into the holsters, leaping into the air and drawing his sword. He came down with a full-force swing into the Grat's body, knocking it back to the ground. The Grat collapsed, sliced in half, with digestive enzymes leaking from its sac. Ace twirled his sword and slid it back into the scabbard. He then relaxed against a tree and cast Cure. Refreshed, he headed deeper into the Training Center.

* * *

Rinoa prowled through the halls of Balamb Garden, a black mood enfolding her. Squall had left, saying he had urgent business in Dollet. She had suggested he take her along, but he had slipped off without her, saying it was "Too dangerous" and "He didn't want to put her in danger." He still thought of her as a helpless ditz who always had to be rescued. Well, she would show him! She stalked towards the Training Center.

Suddenly, a bark behind her made her pause. Angelo rushed up to her, wagging furiously. "Angelo! Of course, you're coming with me! I wouldn't dream of going into battle without you by my side!" Angelo whined and hung his head. He still remembered the time she had gone away and not taken him. He would have been more help then that other human Squall had taken with him. Rinoa crouched next to Angelo and scratched behind his ears. "Don't worry. I'll never leave you behind again." Angelo barked and chased his tail for a second before sprinting off in the direction of the Training Center. Rinoa laughed and ran after him, checking her Junctions as she ran. Good, she had plenty of Blizzaga. The Shooting Star rested securely on her arm. She dashed into the Training Center. Angelo had disappeared somewhere. Oh well, he would show up when she needed him. He was a lot like Squall in that respect. She wandered through the Training Center, keeping an eye out for any suspicious movement.

A tree shook, and a T-Rexaur stepped onto the path. "Ah, just what I was looking for." Before the beast saw her, she had raised the Shooting Star to shoulder level and loosed it at the monstrous beast. The razor-edged disc sliced into the T-Rexaur's thick hide, then returned to Rinoa. The enormous lizard turned and roared, sending a wave of foul breath washing over Rinoa. The T-Rexaur swung its tail around, slamming it into Rinoa. Rinoa flew back, landing on the floor a few feet away. She stood, then collapsed again as she realized her leg had been injured. She scooted back along the floor as the T-Rexaur advanced, growling hungrily. She raised the Shooting Star again, and launched it almost directly into the gaping mouth. The blade arced across the dino's face, slashing its eyes. Blinded, the beast lunged for Rinoa, but missed. She took advantage of its confusion by pounding it with Blizzaga. Ice crystallized around the beast, trapping it for a moment before it burst free of its cold prison. Stumbling, it stepped on Rinoa's leg. She screamed as pain flared through her body. Angelo, hearing his mistress scream, dashed toward her. As he ran, he gathered speed, then leaped straight through the T-Rexaur, performing Angelo Rush. He then slowed and returned to Rinoa's side. "Good boy, Angelo! Now, here's a bone. You know what to do!" Angelo took the bone and leaped high into the air, his form limbed against the moon, sending mystical beams of doggy love to enfold Rinoa.

Rinoa's form turned semi-transparent as she felt the power of the Invincible Moon take hold. Angelo landed and ate the bone, then ran off. The T-Rexaur lunged and bit at her, its teeth scraping ineffectually off the barrier afforded by the power of the Invincible Moon. She carefully tested the leg, and found that it was broken. She cast Cura on it, only to find that she had forgotten that the Invicible Moon nullifies ALL actions. Rinoa realized she would be in trouble when its effect wore off. She took a deep breath and took the action she had been dreading.

"HELP!"

* * *

Cloud awoke to someone sponging his brow. He groaned. The sponge moved away, to be replaced by a hand. A woman's voice said, "Just relax. Your fever's gone down, but I think you should rest for a little while. Here, drink this."

A cup of something warm and fragrant was brought up to his lips. He took a cautious sip, and found it to be slightly spicy chicken soup. He gulped the rest of it, only then realizing he was starving. The woman's voice chuckled. "Take it easy. You were unconscious for several days. You're probably dehydrated and malnourished. Just take it slow and simple, and you'll be all right."

Cloud nodded feebly and lapsed back into sleep. He awoke later and sat up. He looked around, taking in the modern kitchen and living room. He also noted the absence of Mako conduits. Either they were hidden in the ceiling, or somehow he was in a place that didn't use Mako. The girl came down a set of stairs into the room. She started when she saw Cloud sitting up, then hurried over to him.

"Are you all right?" She put a hand to his forehead. "Your fever seems to have gone down. Pupils are normal. Heartbeat and respiration regular. You seem fine. Now seems to be the time for introductions. My name is Abyss. What's yours?"

Cloud, taken aback, stuttered for a moment. "I-I'm Cloud. It's a pleaure to meet my savior."

The girl laughed, throwing raven-black tresses out of her eyes. "Ah, it's a pleaure to meet the man I ministered to for three days. You were really sick. I don't know how you got here, but you must have sustained some mighty injuries to stay asleep that long. Funny thing, your body was practically unmarked when I found you."

Cloud shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know how I got here either. One minute I'm sitting in Tifa's bar, the next I'm lying here. Where is here, anyway?"

Abyss sat down on the edge of the couch Cloud was lying on. "You're on a farm just outside of Timber. I found you out in my Gysahl Green field."

Cloud scratched his head. "Timber? I've never heard of it. But I do know about Gysahl Greens. You feed those to chocobos."

"You've never heard of Timber, but you know about chocobos? Where did you come from, anyway?"

"I was sitting in Tifa's bar in Kalm, last thing I remember."

She blinked. "Kalm? Now there's a place I've never heard of." She stood and headed into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving!"

"You think you could handle solid food? I've been spooning soup into you in your more lucid moments. Did you know you talk in your sleep? You kept crying out for someone called Aeris or Aerith."

Cloud blushed. "I had no idea I talked in my sleep." He glanced around the room and saw his sword leaning against a chair and his clothes stacked neatly next to it. Abyss came back into the room with a pair of plates. Setting one down on the coffe table in front of Cloud, she pulled up an overstuffed chair and began to eat. Cloud dug in with gusto. They ate in silence for a little while, then Abyss began quizzing Cloud about where he came from, and Cloud did the same with her. Soon, Cloud learned enough that he now knew this was not the world he was born in. Some details were the same, such as chocobos, but he had never heard of GFs or sorceresses. Likewise, Abyss only knew about Materia and Lifestream from ancient legends. Full and satisfied, Cloud settled back onto the couch and drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.