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(First Love)

Squall opened his eyes, he sat up and held his head.

"What did you see?" Rinoa asked, Squall was silent, she looked at Ellone, her head was lowered.

After a long silence Squall began. "Elise...she's trying to kill all of us."

Everyone was speechless after Squall told them what he had seen. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know if the should be angry or if he should feel sorry for Elise...all he knew was that he truly was disappointed.

"The eclipse is today!" Zell said, all heads turned to him. "What time is it?"

Irvine looked at his watch. "It's almost six o'clock."

"That means we only have about two and a half hours."

"We'll need to stop her before then," Selphie said.

Stop her? Squall thought, what are they planning to do to her? We can't simply destroy her as if she were just another enemy...but then again wasn't this the same thing they went through with Matron? He was a SeeD, he had to set his feelings aside...Elise was the enemy. He had to stop her, he was the commander of SeeD, and it was SeeD's purpose to defeat the sorceress. "Selphie's right. We'll need to stop her before then."

Quistis was just as confused and disappointed as Squall, but like him, she knew that she needed to set her feelings aside. "What's the plan then?"

"We'll have to spread out and look for her." Squall said. "Selphie and Quistis, you go together, I want at least two people in each team so that Elise can't get to everyone." He explained. "Zell and Irvine, you're together and Rinoa and Layla you come with me."

"What about me?" Seifer asked from the back of the cell surprising everyone.

"What about you?" Squall said coldly.

"I..." Damn, it was hard to get the words out. How was he supposed to say it? I came to help, I came to try to make up for all I've done, and I came to get even with Elise. Those were his reasons, but he couldn't tell Squall all that. "I...want to repay Elise for what she did to me."

Squall looked at him for a moment, he didn't want to include Seifer, but they were probably going to need his help. "...Whatever. You can go with Zell and Irvine."

"...The hell?" Zell objected. Layla touched his arm and gave him a not now look. "Tch. Fine." He gave Seifer a dirty look, causing him to do the same.

"We all know what to do," Squall said. "One more thing: I want each group to have a radio so we can keep in touch. Let's go."

They looked for Elise everywhere they could think of, the search had gone on for over an hour. By seven fifteen it was obvious that she was nowhere in the Garden.

Squall called off the search; he sat on a bench in the first-floor hallway wondering what to do next.

"Mind if I join you?" Rinoa sat by him. Squall glanced at her and moved over.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, it was an obvious question, but she wanted him to talk.

"What do you think?"

"I know you're thinking about Elise, but I want to know what you're feeling." She touched his hand. "You'll feel better if you talk."

What was he feeling? Anger? No, it was something different. He felt betrayed, but he also felt sorry for Elise he-.

"Hello?" Rinoa waved a hand in front of his face. "Squall, you're in your little world again."

He looked at her for a moment. "...She lied to me. For years she lied to me...but the strange thing is that I don't resent her for it. I feel like if I had just found out that Zell or Quistis had tried to kill me all this time, I couldn't hate them." Rinoa rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't want to have to fight her, but as a SeeD, I know I have to."

"I wish I could say something to make you feel better."

"I have to at least try to talk to her, this isn't really her fault. I can't believe Ultimicia continues to haunt us even after we defeated her." He stroked Rinoa's hair.

"So what are we going to do?"

"There's no way we're going to stop her before the eclipse," he looked at his watch it was past seven thirty. "I'm sure she's going to bring her army, so I have to get everyone ready for the fight, after that we'll just wait." He stood up. "I have to go assign the groups."

"I'll go with you."

They both walked to the Bridge.

Almost eight thirty one, Elise had waited six long years for this moment. She stood in the middle of the circle she had drawn on the ground; her troops surrounded her.

She was dressed differently, she wore a long white dress and her hair was tied back. In her right hand she held her sword, she pointed it at one of her soldiers.

"Twenty seconds." He said.

Elise cut the palm of her left hand with the blade and let the blood drip inside the circle. "The time has come for the fallen sorceress' powers to reach their rightful owner!" The sky suddenly turned black as the moon covered the sun. "May my blood accept this power! Carris! Lord of the Underworld, I call forth thy power! Cast Myrrima's forsaken powers onto me!" With these words Elise's skin began to glow, she closed her eyes, when she opened them again everything seemed back to normal, the eclipse was over. But Elise felt anything but normal, she felt different, like she could accomplish anything. "Now we go." She walked toward one of the cars.

The people around her could sense the difference, there was a power emitting from her. Some of the soldiers looked at each other, fearful expressions on their faces.

Elise turned around, she could feel the fear that surrounded her. "Don't worry, I won't waste my energy on any of you." She opened the passenger door of the car and stepped inside. "Our true goal awaits." All her years of planning and preparation were about to pay off, Elise smiled, she was ready.

After the eclipse Squall knew that his only choice would be to fight Elise. He had assigned attack teams and had decided that rather than participate in the attack he and the others would face Elise. Nida and Xu would lead the attack on the White Army.

They were gathered near the directory; Selphie came running up to them. "The Junior Classmen are safe, Ellone is helping to keep them calm."

Squall saluted her. "Now we just have to wait."

Irvine looked at Selphie, when would he work up the courage to confess his feelings for her? Could he do it now? But everyone is watching, but what if they didn't make it out of this alive? What if he died and never got the chance to tell her how he felt? He would have to tell her now...but he couldn't.

Suddenly Selphie walked up to him. "Irvine, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh...sure."

She led him to the bench by the library. "We're about to fight a sorceress who could be even more powerful than Ultimicia," Selphie began, "and that got me thinking, what if we don't make it out of this alive? Or what if I die? Then I'd never get the chance to tell you that I really like you...a lot. I know you may not feel the same way about me, but I just wanted you to know...it was either now, or maybe never."

This took Irvine completely by surprise, all he did was stare at Selphie.

She looked down at the floor and bit her lower lip, maybe this was a mistake, she thought. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, she hadn't the slightest idea what he was thinking he was just staring at her.

Suddenly Irvine felt like kicking himself, what was he doing? He bent down and kissed her.

Selphie looked up at him and smiled. "I just remembered something."

"What?"

"You were the first boy who ever kissed me."

Irvine looked at her confused.

"Don't you remember?" He shook his head. "My last day at the orphanage I was so sad, I was crying and you came to me and said—"

"Don't cry Seifie, when I'm big I'll find you and then we'll both leave in a train and go far away." Irvine finished. "I remember now."

"And then you kissed me."

"And so here we are again."

"Selphie, Irvine, she's here!" They were interrupted by Squall.

"Well..." Selphie said.

"We better go." Irvine finished.