Quistis shut the taxi door and turned to the familiar sight of Balamb Garden entrance. A slight smile played over he features, eyes gliding other the sights, students enjoying the fresh spring air, chatting about lessens, gossip, anything. It had all been so simple then.
She glanced towards a red haired girl, she looked a little familiar, and seemed to be stepping towards them, though a little unsure, no doubt nervous about talking with two instructors, Quistis was about to smile, when a boy, obviously the same age gripped her wrist, leaning his face close to her hear, whispering softly.
"Instructor Trepe, and team would you please come this way?" Qusitis blinked startled, her attention quickly diverted to the cadet standing to attention in front of them, he looked even more nervous than the girl had before, his pale green eyes darted over the three of them. "Headmaster Cid, asked me to escort the er… five of you to him."
Rinoa smiled, "Well there's only three of us arriving today, so if you could just lead us to Cid." He saluted, poorly, but not one of them was going to point that out, turned abruptly, and walked at a slightly increased pace, leading them towards the central elevator that would take them to the Headmaster's office.
***
"Rinoa if you channel power into Ellone, as she utilises her ability then we might see some improvement to it's use." Edea explained to the assembled room, Ward listened adamantly; it was all he could do. Kiros' attention was so intent he wasn't paying attention to any sign language. Ward didn't want to point that out to his friend, he didn't want to make him feel guilty over it. "Now, Ward and Kiros, have agreed to be sent back to some mission they were on before…"
"The Centra excavation sight," Laguna interrupted, with a grin. "It shouldn't be too hard for you, since the memory has been used one before." Edea glared at him. Not many could with stand Edea's glare when they were in the wrong. Laguna's interruption was considered wrong,, after a few moments he looked away.
"Now, the difference Ellone, is that while, Kiros will be viewing event's as Laguna, Ward will be viewing them as Ward." Ellone nodded her understanding.
"Mommy, how can Kiros be Laguna?" the little girl, Ayisha whispered, from where she sat in Selphie's lap, nestling contently against her. The whisper was one of a four year old however and as such rather louder, that intended.
Selphie looked down fondly at her child, trying to think of a way to explain it. Kiros was more interested in the conversation, asking, "I'm not sure I understand but, aren't there theories that playing around with time can be dangerous?"
"That's why I haven't experimented much…" Ellone murmured quietly. Looking down at the plush red carpet in Cid's office, not wishing to meet anyone's gaze. Ward sighed, everyone looked at him, waiting for him to say his part, his fingers signalled.
"He asks, If you have any idea what the effect of being in his own mind might be." Kiros translated, everyone shook there heads, no one had a clue, that's why the experiment. "Anyway, if we're doing this we might as well get to it, right Ward?" Ward nodded his agreement.
A second later, his eyes went out of focus the myriad colours within the room, swirled together mixing to form a single shade. A loud piercing sound blotted out his second sense, his large form collapsed forwards landing on the carpet, his awareness now in the past.
***
Laguna went down on one knee, fingers pressed against the boulder, then it was rolling away, Ward heard his voice ask, "Must you always go touching everything like a child?" It was odd, almost a detached viewpoint. He didn't have his thoughts, but he could predict them. Odd didn't even begin to describe it.
"Hey, not only did that get rid of the boulder, it also got rid of the Esthar soldiers down there. Two Pigs with one stone… pure genius I tell you."
"Pigs?"
"You mean… birds?" Kiros questioned.
"Whatever-man!" Laguna replied, and then he was running off down the crystal corridors, closely followed by Kiros. Ward knew he was following, he had even thought of following, but it was odd to know if he weren't there, he would still have followed. This is so strange… interesting, but still strange.
Laguna stopped at a cross section, looking at the possible ways he could lead them, Ward recognised it, one way lead to the ocean, the other round in circles risking even more battles. Then again, risking is possibly the wrong word… since we made it.
"All this because you brought the wrong map!"
"Quiet, come on this way!"
That's the wrong, way, I know it's the wrong way. The Sea's in that direction, over that way. Go that way! Ward pointed towards the ocean passageway, "I think we should go that way, I… I think, it's towards the ocean" Kiros and Laguna exchanged a glance, and then Laguna shrugged. "ok then." he said and ran off in the direction Ward pointed.
Wait, I know that never happened, we're supposed to run around this place completely first, that's what I remember happening… what's going on. Did I change something? Did Kiros? The three Galiban soldiers ran out onto a ledge, they were rewarded with a view of the ocean. A pleasant site after the enclosing tunnels.
"Ward the human compass!" Laguna laughed, then they heard the foot steps, and slowly turned to face there foe. "Oh, don't tell me…"
"Of all the worst possible…"
"Situations." Ward finished and then the first soldiers, rushed forwards, Kiros rushed to meet them, his Eighteen-inch daggers swinging round in welcome, his Catlike dance among his rivals began with the slitting of a throat. Next to Ward, Laguna's stepped to increase his balance, legs wider apart, finger squeezed the trigger, offering cover fire for his two companions.
Ward instinctively rushed forwards after Kiros, wheedling his custom anchor-pole-arm, what he lacked in speed he made up in strength, and an unsuspecting Esthar soldier's head caved in under the impact of a downward swing, blood splashed against there uniform, both the lilac of Esthar and the blue of Galibana. Is it my thoughts then, or now that lead my actions?
"Flash!" Laguna's voice shouted over the sounds of battle, Kiros danced backwards away from the main throng of battle, Ward heaved himself clear, at the same time, may of the Esthar soldiers closed there eyes ready for the "flash" grenade, the explosion took them all blissful unawares.
Now, get the damn anchor up and ram it hard as you can forwards! Ward hefted the anchor took a step back arms leaning his back away from the thrust, he tensed as an Elite Esthar soldier, impaled himself, eyes going wide beneath there helm, at the shocking speed the large man could muster.
"So you can move fast when you want to," Kiros panted from where he lay on the ground, recovering from the sudden ordeal. Laguna helped him to his feet, then pushed him over the edge, he neatly somersaulted as he fell.
Laguna was then at his shoulder, helping him towards the edge; he's going to push me… But he'd already started the descent before he could react, he was tired from the fight. "Hey do you guy's know how high this cliff is? Man, your brave you two are…"
"Oh shit! ... No way!"
***
Kiros squinted as his eyes opened, he shook his head to clear it, then looked to where Ellone sat, she gave him a weak smile, which he returned. The brief connection between them passed when Laguna asked, "So Kiros, how'd it go? You think Rinoa made any difference?"
"Maybe… Ward being Ward sure did."
"Yeah…" Ward's quiet voice agreed groggily, every turned to stare at him as he pushed himself to his feet, "I could change things, if I thought about them hard enough…"
"Woa…" Laguna was the first to speak; he was after all the only other one present who had ever heard the voice before. Then his black eyebrows drew together in thought, "Now wait a second, I remember Ward talking all the time now… and it's … hard to remember that he couldn't…"
"Of course…" Ellone murmured in a subdued voice, "If he changed history so he could speak again, that is what we would remember… curious." she added, "I think I could repeat that without Rinoa's help." She glanced to Laguna and Quistis, nodding once, "I'm ready to try again."
"You're sure?"
"No… but I want to explain the dreams. I… need to find out what they mean. This might be a way to do that."
"What happens if it doesn't work?" Quistis asked calmly, the slightest hint of fear showing through. Kiros blinked, why would she be afraid. She had done this before after all.
"I don't know," Rinoa admitted slowly, her brow set in deep concentration, she never finished the sentence, Kiros watched as Quistis and Laguna slumped in there chairs, then he turned to towards Ellone and Rinoa. Both looked tired, almost exhausted, similar determined faces however remained on each.
"What's happening?" Ward asked quietly.
"Rinoa's trying to create… constructs to house, there minds in the past. The magic is sound, I'm just not sure if it will work in the past…"
"And there trying to do this, why?"
"I assume," Edea whispered, "That not only will they be there rather than in someone else, but like Ward they will be able to change the past. " She paused, letting that little sentence, with all its wild implications settle in, they sat silently in the room for a long time.
***
Quistis looked down at her hands, then the fingers went to trace the lines of her features. It was as if she were there, here. What was to say she wasn't? Blue eyes turned to at Laguna, he too was a perfect copy, a few streaks of grey at the temples, of otherwise raven black hair. He put his thumb up to say he was alright.
"Where are we?" she whispered for his ears only. he looked around, eyes settling on a black, well kempt motorbike. He recognised it, at once, quickly looking up, there was Squall, a small black mark on a rockface.
"We're in the same Squall memory I was sent to before…" he said uncertainly. "I mean… we're in the same past… or something." he paused, "Now that I come to think of it, how did Edea know we should try this? And that it would work?"
"She has been a Sorceress," Quistis replied, but doubts had arisen in her mind now as well, how did Edea know what suggestions to make, and which to be dismissed? The contemplation was interrupted as Squall, pushed off from the cliff, somersaulting once in the air, hopefully he hadn't seen the two of them. Then he was free falling.
He pulled the parachute cord, and slowly finished the descent, as his feet touched the ground, he slipped the parachute from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, it didn't matter, there was no wind, it wouldn't go anywhere.
"Maybe he felt us watching him…" Laguna mussed to himself, as Squall turned towards the bike, and flipped the Laptop up, reading a message. Laguna looked to Quistis wondering if she had been the girl striking at Squall. Ready to stop her, if that was the case.
Quistis blinked, someone had materialised, possibly another construct? Her eyes widened as she reconsised the girl, shoulder length red hair, she'd seen her earlier that day… she was armed with two wooden sticks. Proper fighting weapons, each about two foot in length. Her use of them was professional, striking swiftly at Squall's head.
Then a strike on the spine, Quistis watched as Squall struck out blindly with his foot, his right hand came up to guard, and was pulled away after another well placed strike, a moment later he fell forward a second blow had knocked him unconscious.
Quistis moved to stand, ready to attack this attacker, to defend her friend, but Laguan's hands clamped over her mouth and wrist, pulling her down again, "It's already happened, Instructor, you know it turns out alright, so be still and observe."
They both stared as she knelt down next to him, checking the pulse, making sure he still breathed, that he would be alright. Unusual for an attacker, more unsual she then kissed im lightly on the cheek and stood, the magical construct she was in had begun to dissipate fading away into the surrounding air. "Be well Father." she murmured and was gone.
"Father?" Laguna said, jumping to his feet, "The hell was that about?" Quistis slowly stood next to him, thinking, the cadet she had seen early that day was obviously the same person, there was no mistaking it. Yet, the age difference…
"She could be from the future." Qusitis suggested a little unsurely. That seemed impossible… yet here the two of them were standing, in there past, why couldn't someone else do the same? Because Ellone and her abilities were unique… right?
Laguna's brow drew together, he chewed slightly on his lower lip, thinking. After a while he said, "I see, that's possible I suppose, why then, would she try to knock him out? Why did she even bother coming to the past?" he stopped, took a breath, "Who was she anyway?"
"I don't know the answers, Laguna," Quists responded, "But I do know, that girl is at Garden, When we get back, we should go talk with her." Quistis suddenly had a worrying thought, how did they get back? If they were in any one's mind, she assumed it was Squall, yet he was lying unconscious and they hadn't left yet.
"She is?" Laguna repeated stupidly, "In which case, I think it would be better if just the two of us went to speak with her, if Squall found out about this… and it's true, that could really mess around with history." he looked off into the distance, "I wonder how long we're going to be here…"
= = = = =
Author's note: Ah hah! A revelation, all though you probably predicted some of this… I hope there are some twists you hadn't guessed as well. *Shrugs* I try.