Chapter 4: Otherworld

I've probably said it enough times for even the dimmest of people to get it into their heads, but this is a fanfiction based on a Squaresoft game. Most of it wasn't invented by me, much though I wish it was. Well, you never know, maybe someday I'll make a great game and have people writing fics about it! ...Nah.

I'm really glad that people are reading my fic and giving me good reviews. It's very encouraging, especially as this is my first time writing one. Thankyou all very much.

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The morning was not bright or cheerful. It was wet, dark and gloomy. Purple grey clouds covered the sky, and the rain pelted on the outside of Ellone's window.

('What a day for the first day of the Garden Festival. Red sky morning...Makes me want to go back to bed.')

She turned on the radio while she made a drink.

Good Morning to all our listeners, this is Garden Longwave 228. A very happy Garden Festival to all those students in Trabia and Balamb Garden! Just for you and by a huge number of requests, we have a golden oldie next on the playlist. A real classic, this is Julia Heartily's 'Eyes on Me'

Ellone had only been listening with half an ear, but she recognised easily enough the voice of her Grandmother.

('It's all I have of her, some old photographs and a single song.')

She knew Sylvie would be out having a shower at this time in the morning, so she decided to indulge herself by singing along, something that she would never do when people were around, but couldn't resist.

...You never said my words, wishing they would be heard.

Ellone poured the hot water into a cup and dropped in a teabag.

I saw you smiling at me, was it real or just my fantasy?

Got out a spoon and stirred in a bit of sugar, then fished the teabag out again.

You'd always be there in the corner of this tiny little bar...

She poured some milk.

My last night here with you, same old song just once more,

"Hey."

"Wha? Yagh!? Friggin'! What are you-?"

"I didn't know you could sing."

"Why are you here? What are you-? shouldn't you be having a shower right now?"

"I slept in, it's the Garden Festival and I was up late last night."

Ellone looked extremely angry and embarrased.

"And you were just sat there listening?"

"Hey, you have a nice voice, I couldn't help it. Besides, it's not like I lied to you or anything."

"But it's 8.00 on a saturday, you should be having you shower right now like you always do at 8.00 on a saturday!"

"Woah, everybody! love-and-peace! You know I didn't mean to!"

"Just...don't tell anybody okay?"

"Okay duck, not a soul will know that you sing like Julia Heartily's Grandaughter."

Ellone expressed annoyance by a noise in her throat and by glaring at the kettle.

"...So," Said Sylvie, anxious to change the subject, "Garden Festival today, Which means we have only six days till the play is on, how's your rehersing going?"

"Okay." Ellone didn't want to tell Sylvie that she pretty much knew the entire script by heart. "You're playing Edea aren't you?"

"Yeah, only because I'm the tallest though, no other reason really."

Ellone was quiet for a moment, listening to the music still coming from the radio.

"I'm going to wander around, I think my dad wants to talk to me, he'll probably be somewhere in the Garden."

"I'll find you as soon as I've had my shower."

Ellone nodded and left the dorm. She stopped on her way around to grab a toasted sandwich from the Cafeteria for brekfast. The Quad was pretty empty, the covered half was dark and the uncovered half was being pelted with rain The movement of the garden over the sea meant that the wind was quick and sharp. But there was still somebody sat on a wall watching the sky despite the bitter cold. Ellone didn't pay much attention to who it was, and turned to leave.

"Hey! Leonhart!"

Ellone's blood curdled at being addressed thus, and she turned around.

"What?" She asked. The figure, half in shadow, stood up. Kelli Almasy. She was a little taller than Ellone with straight blonde hair and grey eyes. Her fingers played a tattoo on the pommel of her longsword, sheathed at her hip.

"What are you doing here Leonhart? Looking for your father?"

"Yes, not that it's really your business."

"So rude. One would expect better manners from Squall Leonhart's daughter."

"What do you want? I'd expect a more straightforward question from Siefer Almasy's daughter."

"I just wanted to know what you were doing, that's all, no need to turn savage. You act as if I'm going to pounce on you."

('I don't trust you.')

"...Whatever."

"Instructor Trepe doesn't like me, and now you too. Are you a Trepie, little Lionheart?"

('She's playing with me, trying to get me mad.')

"Would it matter if I was?"

Kelli seemed suprised at this answer, she had been expecting Ellone to get at least a bt angry, she had been sure that her fellow cadet wasn't overly fond of Instructor Trepe.

"...So, you are a Trepie then!" She managed to say, but it had come out too late, and sounded pathetic and a bit stupid. Ellone just left the Quad, with a chuckle that was only just audible.

('That was fun...But worrying, I guess Kelli is still a bully at heart, she just never gets the chance around me normally.')

Ellone didn't bother with the checking in the Infirmary. She remembered that her mother's favoutite part of the garden was the library, so headed there next. The library was quiet and well lit, only one of the staff was on duty right now, a young cadet who was leaning back in his chair reading some gory murder novel. She didn't disturb him, but walked through into the second room of the facility. She found her mother as expected, with the whole group of 'heroes' stood around, speaking in low voices.

"...So how do we get into that little ball of time and see what's in there?"

"I don't know. Odine said something about destroying it."

"Then let's do that!"

"Zell! Put it down! If there is a sorceress in there, she might be hostile!"

"Yeah, and really cranky about being having the time thingy destroyed like that."

"Who cares! We can whup her ass right?"

"...Zell does have a point."

"ALRIGHT! So let's bust it up!"

"Hey! Be care-"

There was a loud smashing noise. Very loud. It echoed for a long time...

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Ellone woke up. Which was odd really as she didn't remember having been asleep. But she was definitely lying on her back, and she wasn't in the library anymore, she was somewhere cold.

('That's odd. I'm not wearing my jacket. What's with these clothes? Yaah! What's with me?!')

She stood up rather unsteadily. She was different, there were small changes, such as that her hair was a shade darker and was cut more neatly, and her clothes had changed, but then there were bigger changes, the puppy fat was gone from her limbs, face and hands, her arms and legs were more muscular and something had definitely happened around her hips and chest.

('Am I somebody else? In somebody else's body? ...No. I'm me, I still have that little scar on my arm from when I got careless around a grat, and the mole on my shoulder. I'm still me, but I'm....older.')

She tried to look at herself better. She was wearing tough black combat trousers with padded knees, and black boots with silver buckles. The reason she felt cold was because her arms were bare, her top half covered by a tight vest top that was pale blue on the front half and black on the back. She was comforted to find her gunblade was buckled firmly to her hip, though that had changed too. She didn't recognise the make it had been remodeled to, it retained the old black handle and silver six chambered gun part, but the blade was now white and in the shape of a long, outstretched wing. She tested the weight, it was perfectly balanced and light enough to wield easily in one hand.

('Cooooool. This is one alrighteous gunblade. At least future me has taste in weapons, if not in clothes.')

Ellone looked around her. She was in a rather decrepid looking old castle, it was very cold, a ceaseless draught blew through the halls. She noticed something by her foot. It was a long coat made from a light material that was deep dusky blue in colour. The label inside the hood read "Leonhart."

('Guess it's mine then.')

She pulled it on. It was well cut, and a very comfortable fit. On each shoulder had been sewn a badge. On her right arm was a SeeD badge, the usual black and white emblem on a sky blue background, and on her left arm was a badge with the same logo, but embroidered in grey and cream on a white field.

('This one means I'm a SeeD. And this one...I've never seen before.')

She began to rifle through her pockets.

('Hmmm, ooh, chocolate bar....a couple of gil, a whistle? ...my SeeD licence, hey, I passed when I was fifteen,and I'm Rank 29, not bad....and a piece of folded paper.')

She brought out the scrap. On it was written a brief letter in her own handwriting.

To me. (that sounds so wierd)

I guess since you're reading this that you're in compressed time and that you're pretty unsure about what's going on. Basically you're in the body of your seventeen year old self, but as far as you know you're still fourteen. Don't worry, you'll go back to normal when this is over, or else you wouldn't have written yourself this note. Cool gunblade huh? It's name is 'Halo Edge,' I won't tell you when you're gonna get it, I'll leave that as a suprise for the future.

Anyway, you'll be here a while, and you will have to fight. But don't worry, you have your GF, His name is Valefor, you'll have to junction him yourself, ask him and he'll tell you how Oh, and no, you won't lose your memory, he's a special GF. You can probably cope though, you have powers most people don't, I think it's best that you're told this by yourself rather than somebody else. You are a sorceress. You'll get used to it, you've been one your whole life anyway and never had any problems.

('Well, at least I know for sure now, I wouldn't lie to myself would I?')

One more thing. You will find friends here, some of them you'll know already, but they'll be older like you. You can trust them, especially Sylvie, You can trust Sylvie Kinneas with your life. She is your best friend after all.

('She is? ...Well, I guess she is really. I'd never thought of her as being my 'best friend' before.')

Well, that's pretty much everything you need to know. If I tell you too much it won't be an adventure!

Sincerely, You.

Ellone made a mental note that when she turned seventeen she would have to carry a note like this around for when this situation happened.

('It would have been nice if I'd told myself which way to go. Well, guess I'll head....this way.')

She chose to go in the opposite direction to the draft, and began to walk down a long passageway.

('Hey wait, what about my GF? The note said to ask him.')

"Valefor?" She aked tentatively, and was suprised by the sound of her own voice.

"Yes?" Replied a soft voice, it came seemingly from inside her head.

"You're my GF right?"

"Ah, you told me this would happen. You want me to junction myself?"

"Yes, thankyou." Ellone sensed an image in her mind of a dragon like creature, bigger than a man, with a beaklike head, large brown wings, and soft red scales on it's back and neck. She felt a strange tingling in her body as suddenly she felt the ability to use magic become clear and obvious to her.

"Hmm, I'll sort out the magic junctionning for you, I doubt you know how to do that yet."

"Thanks."

Suddenly she felt a heat in her arms, it was almost painful, but not quite. Her muscles seemed to glow for a second, then stopped, but she was left with a feeling of superhuman power.

"What was that?"

"I have junctionned Firaga Magic to your strength. You will notice you are now physically far stronger than any normal human."

('No wonder SeeDs used to be so feared, even with just one GF you can be superhuman. I can see why you'd risk memory loss for this.')

She stood still whilest Valefor junctionned what he called 'Magic' and 'Vitality,' the first made her feel suddenly more aware and in touch with the stock of magic she had stored within her, and the second gave a feeling of health and wellbeing.

"You are now junctionned, I will be waiting for your call if you need me Master."

"Thanyou Valefor."

Ellone stretched, she was still tingling all over, she guessed it was normal and that she would get used to it. She was already beginning to get used to her altered bodyshape, it felt natural enough, but she was still glad that she wasn't to become a particularly curvacious young woman, she was of an athletic, wiry build and a little below average height.

The passage went on straight for a while, then lead to some steps and an open doorway which allowed access to the castle ramparts. It was raining outside, and the mist was so thick that it was impossible to see what was below the high wall.

('Might as well walk along the wall then, it's wet, but I've come too far to start going back the way I came.')

She stepped out, glad that the wall was thick and guarded from the wind by the ramparts, it was a long way down. She pulled up her hood and tucked her hair into it, then began to trudge through the rain.

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The wall was very long, Ellone began to regret choosing to go up onto it. She had been walking for a long time, and had found nothing.

('Wait! Is that? ....a person. Yeah, it is. Better be careful, might be hostile.')

The figure had obviously also seen her, and was moving cautiously. As it neared, it became clear that it was female, and much taller than Ellone.

"Friend or foe!?" Shouted the mysterious woman through the wind. Ellone tried to keep the rain out of her eyes with a spare hand, but still could barely see.

"What sort of stupid question is that!?" She shouted back.

"Friend or foe!?" Repeated the other woman, angrily.

"I haven't any idea where I am or who you are! How am I supposed to know if I'm your friend?!"

The woman came closer, she was at least now a little visable. She was tall and pale skinned, dressed in shorts and tall socks, both of which were too wet to tell what colour they were meant to be, and a shirt with elbow length sleeves which was apparently purple. As she walked forward, she drew what appeared to be a silver dagger.

"Look. I'm having a really bad day, and it's really cold out here. Just answer my question please." She growled.

(' 'Please'? This woman doesn't want to kill me. But she's got her weapon out, she must be scared of me or something.')

"I'm not answering a question that I can't answer. If you don't want to hurt me, put your weapon down."

"Put yours down first!"

"Fine." Said Ellone. She brought out the gunblade and laid it in front of her.

"A gunblade!" The tall female immediately looked more comfortable and laid her weapon down. A telescopic metal spear.

('That spear. It's been modified a bit, but, she could be...')

"Are you a SeeD?" Asked the stranger. Ellone saluted with the back of her palm. Her companion saluted back "Take off your hood."

"In this weather? Not a chance, Is there somewhere dry that way?" She pointed in the direction from which the other SeeD had come.

"Fine then, follow me, it's not far. Here, nice gunblade by the way."

"Thanks."

('I wish I could see her properly,') thought Ellone as she jogged behind ('I don't want to ask her if she's Sylvie if she isn't.')

When they got under cover, they almost fell over, being so used to the strong prevailing wind. Both sat down. The other person was younger than she had appeared when in the rain, though she was tall and possesing a mature body, she had a young face, surrounded by brown hair that was quite short and had a slight waviness to it, and most noticably, large green eyes.

('It's her, it has to be.')

"Now will you take off your hood, oh mysterious gunblade wielder?"

('It's definitely her.')

"Miss Kinneas I presume?" Ellone laughed and tugged off the hood, which was quite wet, her hair was damp beneath. She sat for a moment, feeling embarrased while she was being stared at.

"I knew it was you."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Well I didn't see you being aware of who I was."

"You wanted me to jump up and down yelling 'woohoo' or something?"

"Would have been nice...Actually no, I would have been even more freaked out than I am now, I'm glad you're the same old Ella. Did you have a letter in your pocket too?"

"Yeah."

"...Can I read it? You can read mine."

"Knock yourself out." Ellone handed her the letter, and took a note from Slyvie, which had been, rather intellegently, put into a plastic bag.

To Me (Sylvie Kinneas)

This note is to tell you some important stuff for when you're in compressed time. Firstly, you're in the body of your seventeen year old self, but with the memories and knowledge of your fourteen year old self, you might get flashes of memory, and you'll find yourself knowing stuff you don't know yet. When you've sorted stuff out here you'll go back to normal, so don't worry too much, just have fun.

You have a GF, a non memory loss one, his name is Maduin. Call him and he'll help you out. Your spear has been improved a bit, but it functions in exactly the same way as it used to.

You're alone right now I expect, but you will bump into Ella pretty soon, she's in an older body like you are, but you'll recognise her, just look out for a cute girl with a gunblade! (No, seriously, Ellone is really cute now!) There are other friends too, some you'll know, others you won't. Yes, the loud Estharian girl is your friend believe it or not.

So don't panic, head towards the draft to meet a friend, then go back the way you came. Have fun!

Love, You.

Ellone put the letter down just in time to see Sylvie descend on her with a hug.

"Awwww! I'm your best friend!"

('Dammit! I forgot the stupid future me had written that!')

"Aah..."

"You never told me I was your best friend!"

('Did she even read the bit about me being a sorceress?')

"Uh."

"That's so nice!"

"Sylvie, you're sort of strangling me here."

"Oh, sorry." She let go of Ellone, and gave back the piece of paper. "So you've always been a sorceress?"

"Apparently. It would explain the dreams."

"How wierd. Anyway, I guess we should get a move on, find some of these 'friends' we both mentioned. I'm kind of intregued about the 'Loud Estharian girl.'"

"We're going down there?" Ellone pointed down a long passageway, lit by torches.

"Yep. Let's go!"