After the Storm Has Passed
Chapter Two: Into The Battle

My feet hit the ground with such force that I fell. Looking at where I landed there were little craters. I was breathing heavily as I looked around. I didn't know where I was, but if I put two and two together... I would say that the cave near me was the Fire Cavern, which meant I was in the plains outside Balamb Garden. But then again, I couldn't be sure. Until I knew where I was I decided not to make assumptions.

I looked at the scenery. A bleak one to be honest. A few trees, grass, and I assumed beyond the trees was the road. I set off, hoping that I was right heading in this direction. I entered the trees hesitantly. The fact that there were T-Rexaurs in here was present in my mind.

As I walked I tried to make as little noise as possible, while keeping moving forwards. It was difficult to say the least. It was then that I heard the sound of my death. A loud roar that could only be one thing. I turned. I saw the monster running towards me. I screamed and ran as fast as I could.

The T-Rexaur was faster, but it couldn't weave through the trees, it pushed them over instead. I broke out of the forest and threw my arms in front of my face as I ran blindly forward. I couldn't run much further. The T-Rexaur was still following me. I couldn't carry on running. I turned and faced it. I thought for a second then I saw a GF appear.

"Shiva, kill it," A deep male voice commanded. The beautiful ice queen broke out of her icy case and covered the T-Rexaur in ice. I turned and ran as the ice came dangerously close to me. I stopped and then looking back saw that the T-Rexaur was still alive. I watched as the man sliced it into little pieces with his gunblade.

"You okay?" He called. I nodded and jogged back over to him, collapsing at his feet.

"Whew, I thought I was done for. Thanks..." I said, catching my breath back. He crouched down next to me.

"What were you doing away from the road anyway?" It was the first time I'd seen his face. The storm grey eyes, the scar, the gunblade, the lion pendant, all the belts. I swallowed.

"You're Squall Leonhart!" I squeaked, climbing to my feet and looking down at him.

"You killed Ultimercia and saved the world!" I stared at him as he rose. He drew his gunblade and held it to my neck, I wondered what I had said to be that offensive.

"How do you know about that? That's classified information. Balamb never released my name," Squall's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you the person who's spying on the top SeeDs?" I shook my head, I hadn't a clue about that person. Who was Squall on about? I had the feeling I had landed at a bad time.

"I don't know anything about that. I just know things, okay? I am not a threat to you. I'll do anything to prove that to you," I said, as sincerely as I could. Squall tilted his head and put his gunblade down.

"Then you won't mind me handcuffing you?" He said. I shook my head and turned around sticking my hands out behind me. He tightened them, a little too tightly, and then I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. I only remember blankness after that.

*

"Mr. Sakaguchi?" The hesitant receptionist poked her head through the door. He looked up at her and smiled, he had been reading through the promotion campaign for the Final Fantasy Movie. She stepped inside.

"There's the Head of Square-Europe on the phone. There appears to have been a problem..." She raised her eyebrows. Sakaguchi smiled again.

"Put them through..." He replied. He picked up the phone and the man on the other end seemed to be having a nervous breakdown.

"The OtherWorld Glove, it went haywire. It didn't send our agent through, but a seventeen-year-old girl named Karena Dove. Her parents don't have a clue what happened. They say the power went out, that their daughter was gone. The door was locked, but her key was inside. All the windows were locked and none were broken. They say there was a white feather in her bedroom and that's it," The man blurted out. Sakaguchi took a deep breath.

"Does this Karena Dove know any martial arts? Anything that means she could succeed in the mission set for Miss Jeflin?" Sakaguchi asked. The man at the other end seemed speechless for a moment.

"You cannot be serious? Sending an untrained person into the OtherWorld system, and letting her loose? She could destroy the whole system!" He then remembered he was talking to his boss. "I really don't think it is a good idea..."

"Final Fantasy was going to be my final game, hence the name. If Final Fantasy ends with Final Fantasy VIII-2, I won't mind," Sakaguchi said, although he knew it would be a blow to him. He had hundreds of ideas.

"Sir... I'll e-mail our agent on the inside, he'll look after her..." The man then hung up. Sakaguchi raised his eyebrows and picked up the promotional campaign for the Final Fantasy Movie. Doctor Aki Ross, the Seer, the alien... Hm...