AUTHORS NOTE:
Well, I'm happy that you're enjoying the story so far, Selena. The great
thing is, the best is yet to come. I forget exactly what chapter it comes
in, but.. Well, you'll see!
Enjoy the next post!
Chapter V Curiousity
The late afternoon sunlight came through the sheer white curtains and onto the king sized dormitory bed. Squall sat, lacing up his boots and getting out his Lionheart as Rinoa emerged from the bathroom holding her Cardinal that she had just cleaned.
"You don't have to go, you know?" said Squall as he saw the worried glimmer in Rinoa's dark eyes.
She shook her head and sat down beside him and clutched his hand. "I have to. I want to. I'm worried about Aurora, and I want to everything in my power to help her." She whispered into his ear.
Squall smiled a little and kissed her on the cheek reassuringly.
She smiled at him lightly but still had her doubts and began to sob. "Oh Squall! What if we can't help her? What if we can't get to her.?" she asked through tears.
Squall frowned but knew exactly how she felt. "Rin. Rinoa. don't cry. Aurora wouldn't want that. be strong, she's going to be all right." He said in a less then assuring tone, but Rinoa wiped her tears away and sat up.
"Your right." She said in a defiant voice, unlike her normal one.
"Squall?" said a voice from behind them.
They both turned to see Laguna standing there, holding the door open a crack, he'd just come in. "Yeah?" said Squall.
"Umm, do you have an aircraft that Kiros and I could use to get to Galbadia?" he asked.
"Er. Yeah. you can use one of the Ragnaroks. What do you want to do there, don't you want to go to Esthar?" Squall asked.
"No. we think it'd be better if we didn't go straight back. Besides, we need to warn the president of Galbadia about what's going on." Laguna replied.
"I see." said Squall. "Well, good luck. dad."
For the first time since the funeral Laguna smiled because Squall called him dad. "Thanks," he paused for a moment, ".Son." And with a last glance he closed the door with a small snap.
Squall looked back over to Rinoa who was suddenly smiling. "What?" asked Squall.
"Oh, nothing." said Rinoa.
"Oh boy, we'd better get up there. could I meet you there though? I have to go to the library quickly to read up on something." She said seriously, changing the subject.
Squall nodded. "Sure."
Rinoa left the dormitory room, and Squall sat on the bed for a moment before falling back on to the bed, thinking.
"I wonder if she was right before. I mean, what if it is Ultimecia. does that mean we're gonna have to fight her like we had to fight Edea when she was possessed by Ultimecia? Will she go into a coma like when Rinoa was possessed?" he thought to himself.
"No. it's got to be Adel. there's no way it's Ultimecia." He decided and sat quite rapidly, almost making himself dizzy.
He grabbed his gun blade and looked at it. The times that he'd used it, how it had helped him. it all came pouring into his mind again; but despite his longings to stand there and think, he knew he couldn't. At that he walked straight out of the room, trying not to think to hard about what he was going to do.
As he walked slowly towards the elevator he caught a glimpse of Rinoa heading into the library, but she stopped right outside where Seifer was standing.
Squall stopped for a moment to look. They seemed to be talking about something very seriously and Squall caught some loud words that echoed out of Rinoa's mouth. "No, NOT NOW!"
Squall shrugged and decided it wasn't very important and kept on walking towards the elevator where he saw Dawn, Aurora's friend, standing near the directory with a boy. Dawn ran straight to him.
"Mr. Leonhart! Mr. Leonhart!" she said as she neared him. It was unbelievable how much she reminded him of a young Selphie, actually, when he thought about it, Selphie was still like that.
"Just call me Squall, and what is it?" he said in a sort of exasperated tone, he didn't want to deal with her at that moment.
"Ok, sorry. Mr. Leonhart.er. I mean.Squall." She said awkwardly. "Have you found Dean and Aurora yet?" she asked.
"No." Squall shook his head.
Dawn suddenly looked really sad. "Well, if there's anything that I can do. just let me know. both Jem and I can help out." she said glumly as she gestured towards the boy standing at the directory.
"Thank you, Dawn. I will." He said and walked to the elevator. Just as he pressed the button Rinoa showed up panting.
"Whoa! Can't barely run anymore. we're getting old." She said well heartedly.
"Speak for yourself!" Squall said in a sarcastic tone.
Rinoa gave him a funny look but laughed anyway. "Even you can make people laugh in the worst of situation, which is odd! You're the most serious person I've ever met. and not to mention, loved."
Squall smiled and kissed her cheek. "So, I saw you talking to Seifer, what was that about?" he asked, curiously.
"Oh. oh that!" she sounded surprised that he saw them. "That was nothing, he was asking me to help him find a gun blade magazine in there. I didn't have time."
"I see," he said, suddenly understanding why she had said, 'NO, not now!'
The elevator door opened and Squall and Rinoa went up to Quistis's office. As they stepped off Quistis turned around immediately. "You guys ready?" she asked.
"Yes." Said Rinoa definitely, looking at Squall quickly. Squall and Rinoa walked slowly to the lift and went up to the pilot's deck.
In the distance they could see the faint outline of the vast and large Esthar, glittering underneath the sunlight. "Over there." Said Squall to Nida.
"But Squall. That's right near the actual city." Said Nida as he saw where Squall pointed; it was about 1 mile out from the actual city.
Squall nodded and Nida just turned and shook his head, but he kept going until he was at the spot where Squall had pointed.
"Nida, I'm putting it here because if we need backup then we need it right away. Adel may already have the city under her control," Squall explained, "And they would have seen us at the Lunar Base anyway." He added.
Nida nodded, but he still wasn't sure, he had a bad feeling that was stuck in the back of his head, like a constant reminder of danger.
"Ok, let's head out." Said Squall to Rinoa and they stepped onto the lift.
"Squall! Wait!" said Nida, who had grabbed the binoculars and was looking through them. "Look!" he said as Squall and Rinoa stepped off the lift, again.
"What?" asked Rinoa, hardly bearing to wait as Squall grabbed the binoculars from Nida and stared through them.
"Get Quistis!" he said suddenly to Rinoa. Rinoa hesitated, but decided not to argue, so she went immediately down and came back with Quistis and Seifer.
"LOOK!!!" Squall said, frantically.
Quistis took the binoculars and looked through them. About 2000 soldiers, at least, were travelling at great speed down the Esthar ramps and out onto the desert towards the Garden.
"We have to leave, now!" Said Quistis, who had given the binoculars to Rinoa to look through.
After Rinoa had finished with the binoculars, she handed them to Seifer, who'd just arrived; both of them agreed with Quistis, they needed to leave.
Nida switched on the power generator to get the Garden moving, but a faint howling sounded and then died down, and nothing more happened. He frowned and tried it again, this time the howling was fainter and stopped abruptly.
"What's going on?!?" Nida said in frustration.
He tried a few more times, groaning in frustration each time it died; it was hopeless and the soldiers were moving ever closer.
"What's going on?" asked Quistis, looking at Nida expectantly.
"Uh." he said.
"What!" Quistis asked.
"Umm. I think that the Garden's broken." said Nida.
"BROKEN?!?" exploded Seifer, "What the hell are you talking about, broken?" he closed his eyes in grimace.
"Broken." Said Nida. "This continent is too rough for the Garden," he looked at Squall quickly, ".I thought the Garden could take it because we upgraded the system, but I guess that when we landed."
"Oh my." said Quistis.
"Umm.." Said Rinoa who had the binoculars again and was looking through them.
"What do we do now?" asked Seifer.
"Guys?" said Rinoa.
"We fight." Said Squall, simply, yet looking scared in his own way.
"Guys!" repeated Rinoa. "Look!"
"What do you mean, fight! We can't fight them! There's too many. It's suicide." Said Quistis, completely ignoring Rinoa's comments.
"What else are we supposed to do?" demanded Squall.
"Guys!!!!!!!!!!!!" said Rinoa.
"We run away. or get this Garden working somehow.." She replied.
"HOW!" said Squall?
"I don't know. but we have to figure something out!" said Quistis.
"FOR GOD SAKES, QUIT YOUR BICKERING AND LOOK!" screamed Rinoa. Finally everyone paid attention.
Squall took the binoculars and his jaw dropped. A whole air fleet had taken flight. About twenty aircraft's were flying out of the Esthar Air Station, and from what they could see, more were getting ready.
"Quistis," said Squall and handed the binoculars to Quistis, "Notify the students and SeeD, we're going to have to fight. It's going to be a war." Quistis lowered her binoculars, and looked at Squall, wide eyed, but she nodded, despite the fact that they were gruesomely outnumbered by skilled fighters.
Chapter VI Preparations
"ATTENTION all student's and SeeD personnel." Said Quistis through the microphone in her office, as she stood next to the window, staring at the oncoming Estharian soldiers. Squall stood behind her and Rinoa was still on the Pilot's Deck with Seifer and Nida.
"Quistis. give me the microphone." said Squall. She stared at him and handed it over.
"Attention all garden students. and SeeD. this is the SeeD commander Squall Leonhart." he paused. "We are in a crisis right now. and we need your help."
He waited a moment before continuing. "Our current stance is outside of the Esthar City and our Garden is having technical difficulties. Esthar soldiers are moving towards us."
"There are nearly 2000, if not more. plus air craft. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that we have absolutely no choice but fighting because if we don't, they will take over the Garden. and.." He paused, no able to say what would happen, "However, we do have a plan." He said and Quistis looked up with a surprise look on her face.
"Firstly could I ask for all the junior SeeD members to head to the second floor classroom with the junior students. keep them safe. All Garden student's and SeeD with an ID number ending with an even number head to the directory and all Garden student's and SeeD with an ID ending with an odd number head to the Quad." He said, though, memories of the last battle their Garden had been through with the Galbadian Garden came flooding back, and he remembered giving the same orders.
"Next, I would like to ask any SeeD members with flying experience to come to the second floor corridor. and be careful. remember, everything is going to be. its going to be fine." he finished, and handed the mic back over to Quistis.
"Quistis." he said. "Call out comrades now. We need them for my final plan."
Quistis nodded. "Selphie, Irvine, Zell. please come." she began but before she finished the elevator door opened and they stepped out along with Clarissa and Ellone.
"Oh, there you are." She said and shut off the Mic. "I was just."
"What's going on?" said Selphie, cutting off Quistis.
"Look." Said Squall, gesturing to the office window. Selphie and Irvine ran to look.
"Oh my." said Selphie.
"So what's the plan?" asked Zell, not bothering to take a good look.
"Well." Squall started, but a loud boom interrupted him, causing the Garden to shake violently. Squall ran over to the window and saw an aircraft hovering above them.
"Well. first off we need student's with aircraft experience. we have two Ragnarok's that we can use, one's in Galbadia with Laguna, but we have about 5 other smaller jet's." he said.
Selphie stepped forward. "I can fly." She said. "Irvine and I will handle one of the Ragnarok's." she said and her attention turned to the lift where Nida, Rinoa and Seifer stepped off.
"Me too." said Nida. "I can take a Ragnarok."
Squall nodded. "Alright, we need five other pilot's." he looked around, none of them could be used. "Seifer?" he asked suddenly, "Could you go downstairs and find five suitable pilots, nobody seems to be coming."
"Alright." Seifer left without another word.
"Ok, Selphie, Irvine and Nida. you guys can head up to the aircraft platform and go ahead. we need to get rid of those jets!" said Squall as he felt another jolt from being hit by the jet.
Selphie, Irvine and Nida all left too. "Zell." said Squall.
"Yeah!" he said, as if that was the best thing that ever happened to him.
"I need you to head down to the quad and ready the student's for battle. Rinoa and I will handle the directory student's until we head into Esthar with Quistis and Seifer. we're leaving the battle in your hands." Squall said.
"I could handle the directory student's, Squall." said Clarissa who was usually quiet.
"Thank you." Squall said to her, realizing that it would be of much help for her to do that for them. Zell and Clarissa left.
"What about me?" asked Ellone.
"Ellone. we need you for something much more important." said Squall. "Only if your up for it though." he added.
Ellone nodded and Squall continued. "We need you to get into Aurora's head."
Ellone said nothing. "I know it's dangerous but we need you!" Rinoa said, hastily, staring at Ellone, hoping that she would agree to do this.
Ellone nodded slowly and numbly.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Squall who was beginning to have doubt's, himself.
"I'm sure." She said and Squall nodded as Seifer came up in the elevator with four students.
"This was all there was." he said.
Squall looked at them all; they were all SeeD's. "You guys can head up to the aircraft platform." He said to them. "Good Luck to you."
They all left and Seifer walked forwards. "So what exactly is the plan?" he asked Squall.
"We go into Esthar." Squall replied simply.
"What! That's suicide!" said Quistis from somewhere behind Squall.
"Hear him out!" said Rinoa angrily.
"With the battle going on, I don't think they'll see us head in. we just have to sneak around. We'll go to the parking lot and take a car to the other side of the city and go in that way. then we head right to the presidential palace." Squall said, though feeling as if it wasn't right to leave the Garden. but they had to. and he knew it deep down.
"What do we do when we get there?" demanded Quistis.
"We find Aurora and help her. that's why we need Ellone. we'll hide somewhere while she communicates with Aurora. if they stay together long enough hopefully it will drive Adel out and we can defeat her once and for all." Said Rinoa, continuing what Squall would have said.
"It's not impossible." said Ellone.
"I guess." said Seifer.
Quistis said nothing but just shook her head. "Let's just hope that this works then.", a smirk crossed her face.
"Let's go." Said Squall and started forward.
"Wait Squall! What about the Garden. shouldn't we have someone repairing it?" said Quistis, looking worried, and Squall turned around. "I mean, we may have to withdrawal. what would happen if we can't because the garden is broken?"
Squall thought for a moment. "Your right but who can do that?" he asked.
"I can!" said a voice from the back of the room. Squall turned to see Sirus, Dawn and Jem standing outside the elevator.
"Who can?" asked Squall.
"I can," said Jem, "I have experience with fixing machinery, this can't be much different."
"I can fly!" said Dawn.
Squall smiled a bit. "Good thing you guys showed up! Jem, head down to the bottom level and get started! Dawn. you can take the last jet and go. if you want." He said.
Dawn smiled and saluted him. "I know I'm not a SeeD yet, but I can do this!" she said with much confidence and left with Jem. It amazed Squall how much she was like Selphie!
Sirus stepped forward. "I can help you guys." he said, though, he was biting his lip nervously.
"Sirus." Squall started.
"Don't make me stay here! I can help you guys. I think I know what you want to do. You want to find Aurora, just as much as I do!" Sirus said defiantly, "I would be her knight." he said quietly.
Squall stared at him. He sort of saw himself in there, the feelings that he once felt. Squall saw how he feels the same way about Aurora as Squall felt about Rinoa when she was in trouble. Squall frowned, and was silent for a moment but finally said, "Ok."
"But Squall! He's only 16!" said Quistis.
Squall held his hand up as if to silence her and turned around to face her. "Quistis, if you remember correctly we were only 17 when we defeated the most powerful sorceress of all time. literally!" said Squall. "I've seen Sirus's abilities, he can do this, he could be a big help to us!"
"I was 18." Quistis grumbled under her breath but nobody heard her.
"Ok! Let's go!" said Squall and they all left.
Chapter V Curiousity
The late afternoon sunlight came through the sheer white curtains and onto the king sized dormitory bed. Squall sat, lacing up his boots and getting out his Lionheart as Rinoa emerged from the bathroom holding her Cardinal that she had just cleaned.
"You don't have to go, you know?" said Squall as he saw the worried glimmer in Rinoa's dark eyes.
She shook her head and sat down beside him and clutched his hand. "I have to. I want to. I'm worried about Aurora, and I want to everything in my power to help her." She whispered into his ear.
Squall smiled a little and kissed her on the cheek reassuringly.
She smiled at him lightly but still had her doubts and began to sob. "Oh Squall! What if we can't help her? What if we can't get to her.?" she asked through tears.
Squall frowned but knew exactly how she felt. "Rin. Rinoa. don't cry. Aurora wouldn't want that. be strong, she's going to be all right." He said in a less then assuring tone, but Rinoa wiped her tears away and sat up.
"Your right." She said in a defiant voice, unlike her normal one.
"Squall?" said a voice from behind them.
They both turned to see Laguna standing there, holding the door open a crack, he'd just come in. "Yeah?" said Squall.
"Umm, do you have an aircraft that Kiros and I could use to get to Galbadia?" he asked.
"Er. Yeah. you can use one of the Ragnaroks. What do you want to do there, don't you want to go to Esthar?" Squall asked.
"No. we think it'd be better if we didn't go straight back. Besides, we need to warn the president of Galbadia about what's going on." Laguna replied.
"I see." said Squall. "Well, good luck. dad."
For the first time since the funeral Laguna smiled because Squall called him dad. "Thanks," he paused for a moment, ".Son." And with a last glance he closed the door with a small snap.
Squall looked back over to Rinoa who was suddenly smiling. "What?" asked Squall.
"Oh, nothing." said Rinoa.
"Oh boy, we'd better get up there. could I meet you there though? I have to go to the library quickly to read up on something." She said seriously, changing the subject.
Squall nodded. "Sure."
Rinoa left the dormitory room, and Squall sat on the bed for a moment before falling back on to the bed, thinking.
"I wonder if she was right before. I mean, what if it is Ultimecia. does that mean we're gonna have to fight her like we had to fight Edea when she was possessed by Ultimecia? Will she go into a coma like when Rinoa was possessed?" he thought to himself.
"No. it's got to be Adel. there's no way it's Ultimecia." He decided and sat quite rapidly, almost making himself dizzy.
He grabbed his gun blade and looked at it. The times that he'd used it, how it had helped him. it all came pouring into his mind again; but despite his longings to stand there and think, he knew he couldn't. At that he walked straight out of the room, trying not to think to hard about what he was going to do.
As he walked slowly towards the elevator he caught a glimpse of Rinoa heading into the library, but she stopped right outside where Seifer was standing.
Squall stopped for a moment to look. They seemed to be talking about something very seriously and Squall caught some loud words that echoed out of Rinoa's mouth. "No, NOT NOW!"
Squall shrugged and decided it wasn't very important and kept on walking towards the elevator where he saw Dawn, Aurora's friend, standing near the directory with a boy. Dawn ran straight to him.
"Mr. Leonhart! Mr. Leonhart!" she said as she neared him. It was unbelievable how much she reminded him of a young Selphie, actually, when he thought about it, Selphie was still like that.
"Just call me Squall, and what is it?" he said in a sort of exasperated tone, he didn't want to deal with her at that moment.
"Ok, sorry. Mr. Leonhart.er. I mean.Squall." She said awkwardly. "Have you found Dean and Aurora yet?" she asked.
"No." Squall shook his head.
Dawn suddenly looked really sad. "Well, if there's anything that I can do. just let me know. both Jem and I can help out." she said glumly as she gestured towards the boy standing at the directory.
"Thank you, Dawn. I will." He said and walked to the elevator. Just as he pressed the button Rinoa showed up panting.
"Whoa! Can't barely run anymore. we're getting old." She said well heartedly.
"Speak for yourself!" Squall said in a sarcastic tone.
Rinoa gave him a funny look but laughed anyway. "Even you can make people laugh in the worst of situation, which is odd! You're the most serious person I've ever met. and not to mention, loved."
Squall smiled and kissed her cheek. "So, I saw you talking to Seifer, what was that about?" he asked, curiously.
"Oh. oh that!" she sounded surprised that he saw them. "That was nothing, he was asking me to help him find a gun blade magazine in there. I didn't have time."
"I see," he said, suddenly understanding why she had said, 'NO, not now!'
The elevator door opened and Squall and Rinoa went up to Quistis's office. As they stepped off Quistis turned around immediately. "You guys ready?" she asked.
"Yes." Said Rinoa definitely, looking at Squall quickly. Squall and Rinoa walked slowly to the lift and went up to the pilot's deck.
In the distance they could see the faint outline of the vast and large Esthar, glittering underneath the sunlight. "Over there." Said Squall to Nida.
"But Squall. That's right near the actual city." Said Nida as he saw where Squall pointed; it was about 1 mile out from the actual city.
Squall nodded and Nida just turned and shook his head, but he kept going until he was at the spot where Squall had pointed.
"Nida, I'm putting it here because if we need backup then we need it right away. Adel may already have the city under her control," Squall explained, "And they would have seen us at the Lunar Base anyway." He added.
Nida nodded, but he still wasn't sure, he had a bad feeling that was stuck in the back of his head, like a constant reminder of danger.
"Ok, let's head out." Said Squall to Rinoa and they stepped onto the lift.
"Squall! Wait!" said Nida, who had grabbed the binoculars and was looking through them. "Look!" he said as Squall and Rinoa stepped off the lift, again.
"What?" asked Rinoa, hardly bearing to wait as Squall grabbed the binoculars from Nida and stared through them.
"Get Quistis!" he said suddenly to Rinoa. Rinoa hesitated, but decided not to argue, so she went immediately down and came back with Quistis and Seifer.
"LOOK!!!" Squall said, frantically.
Quistis took the binoculars and looked through them. About 2000 soldiers, at least, were travelling at great speed down the Esthar ramps and out onto the desert towards the Garden.
"We have to leave, now!" Said Quistis, who had given the binoculars to Rinoa to look through.
After Rinoa had finished with the binoculars, she handed them to Seifer, who'd just arrived; both of them agreed with Quistis, they needed to leave.
Nida switched on the power generator to get the Garden moving, but a faint howling sounded and then died down, and nothing more happened. He frowned and tried it again, this time the howling was fainter and stopped abruptly.
"What's going on?!?" Nida said in frustration.
He tried a few more times, groaning in frustration each time it died; it was hopeless and the soldiers were moving ever closer.
"What's going on?" asked Quistis, looking at Nida expectantly.
"Uh." he said.
"What!" Quistis asked.
"Umm. I think that the Garden's broken." said Nida.
"BROKEN?!?" exploded Seifer, "What the hell are you talking about, broken?" he closed his eyes in grimace.
"Broken." Said Nida. "This continent is too rough for the Garden," he looked at Squall quickly, ".I thought the Garden could take it because we upgraded the system, but I guess that when we landed."
"Oh my." said Quistis.
"Umm.." Said Rinoa who had the binoculars again and was looking through them.
"What do we do now?" asked Seifer.
"Guys?" said Rinoa.
"We fight." Said Squall, simply, yet looking scared in his own way.
"Guys!" repeated Rinoa. "Look!"
"What do you mean, fight! We can't fight them! There's too many. It's suicide." Said Quistis, completely ignoring Rinoa's comments.
"What else are we supposed to do?" demanded Squall.
"Guys!!!!!!!!!!!!" said Rinoa.
"We run away. or get this Garden working somehow.." She replied.
"HOW!" said Squall?
"I don't know. but we have to figure something out!" said Quistis.
"FOR GOD SAKES, QUIT YOUR BICKERING AND LOOK!" screamed Rinoa. Finally everyone paid attention.
Squall took the binoculars and his jaw dropped. A whole air fleet had taken flight. About twenty aircraft's were flying out of the Esthar Air Station, and from what they could see, more were getting ready.
"Quistis," said Squall and handed the binoculars to Quistis, "Notify the students and SeeD, we're going to have to fight. It's going to be a war." Quistis lowered her binoculars, and looked at Squall, wide eyed, but she nodded, despite the fact that they were gruesomely outnumbered by skilled fighters.
Chapter VI Preparations
"ATTENTION all student's and SeeD personnel." Said Quistis through the microphone in her office, as she stood next to the window, staring at the oncoming Estharian soldiers. Squall stood behind her and Rinoa was still on the Pilot's Deck with Seifer and Nida.
"Quistis. give me the microphone." said Squall. She stared at him and handed it over.
"Attention all garden students. and SeeD. this is the SeeD commander Squall Leonhart." he paused. "We are in a crisis right now. and we need your help."
He waited a moment before continuing. "Our current stance is outside of the Esthar City and our Garden is having technical difficulties. Esthar soldiers are moving towards us."
"There are nearly 2000, if not more. plus air craft. I'm afraid. I'm afraid that we have absolutely no choice but fighting because if we don't, they will take over the Garden. and.." He paused, no able to say what would happen, "However, we do have a plan." He said and Quistis looked up with a surprise look on her face.
"Firstly could I ask for all the junior SeeD members to head to the second floor classroom with the junior students. keep them safe. All Garden student's and SeeD with an ID number ending with an even number head to the directory and all Garden student's and SeeD with an ID ending with an odd number head to the Quad." He said, though, memories of the last battle their Garden had been through with the Galbadian Garden came flooding back, and he remembered giving the same orders.
"Next, I would like to ask any SeeD members with flying experience to come to the second floor corridor. and be careful. remember, everything is going to be. its going to be fine." he finished, and handed the mic back over to Quistis.
"Quistis." he said. "Call out comrades now. We need them for my final plan."
Quistis nodded. "Selphie, Irvine, Zell. please come." she began but before she finished the elevator door opened and they stepped out along with Clarissa and Ellone.
"Oh, there you are." She said and shut off the Mic. "I was just."
"What's going on?" said Selphie, cutting off Quistis.
"Look." Said Squall, gesturing to the office window. Selphie and Irvine ran to look.
"Oh my." said Selphie.
"So what's the plan?" asked Zell, not bothering to take a good look.
"Well." Squall started, but a loud boom interrupted him, causing the Garden to shake violently. Squall ran over to the window and saw an aircraft hovering above them.
"Well. first off we need student's with aircraft experience. we have two Ragnarok's that we can use, one's in Galbadia with Laguna, but we have about 5 other smaller jet's." he said.
Selphie stepped forward. "I can fly." She said. "Irvine and I will handle one of the Ragnarok's." she said and her attention turned to the lift where Nida, Rinoa and Seifer stepped off.
"Me too." said Nida. "I can take a Ragnarok."
Squall nodded. "Alright, we need five other pilot's." he looked around, none of them could be used. "Seifer?" he asked suddenly, "Could you go downstairs and find five suitable pilots, nobody seems to be coming."
"Alright." Seifer left without another word.
"Ok, Selphie, Irvine and Nida. you guys can head up to the aircraft platform and go ahead. we need to get rid of those jets!" said Squall as he felt another jolt from being hit by the jet.
Selphie, Irvine and Nida all left too. "Zell." said Squall.
"Yeah!" he said, as if that was the best thing that ever happened to him.
"I need you to head down to the quad and ready the student's for battle. Rinoa and I will handle the directory student's until we head into Esthar with Quistis and Seifer. we're leaving the battle in your hands." Squall said.
"I could handle the directory student's, Squall." said Clarissa who was usually quiet.
"Thank you." Squall said to her, realizing that it would be of much help for her to do that for them. Zell and Clarissa left.
"What about me?" asked Ellone.
"Ellone. we need you for something much more important." said Squall. "Only if your up for it though." he added.
Ellone nodded and Squall continued. "We need you to get into Aurora's head."
Ellone said nothing. "I know it's dangerous but we need you!" Rinoa said, hastily, staring at Ellone, hoping that she would agree to do this.
Ellone nodded slowly and numbly.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Squall who was beginning to have doubt's, himself.
"I'm sure." She said and Squall nodded as Seifer came up in the elevator with four students.
"This was all there was." he said.
Squall looked at them all; they were all SeeD's. "You guys can head up to the aircraft platform." He said to them. "Good Luck to you."
They all left and Seifer walked forwards. "So what exactly is the plan?" he asked Squall.
"We go into Esthar." Squall replied simply.
"What! That's suicide!" said Quistis from somewhere behind Squall.
"Hear him out!" said Rinoa angrily.
"With the battle going on, I don't think they'll see us head in. we just have to sneak around. We'll go to the parking lot and take a car to the other side of the city and go in that way. then we head right to the presidential palace." Squall said, though feeling as if it wasn't right to leave the Garden. but they had to. and he knew it deep down.
"What do we do when we get there?" demanded Quistis.
"We find Aurora and help her. that's why we need Ellone. we'll hide somewhere while she communicates with Aurora. if they stay together long enough hopefully it will drive Adel out and we can defeat her once and for all." Said Rinoa, continuing what Squall would have said.
"It's not impossible." said Ellone.
"I guess." said Seifer.
Quistis said nothing but just shook her head. "Let's just hope that this works then.", a smirk crossed her face.
"Let's go." Said Squall and started forward.
"Wait Squall! What about the Garden. shouldn't we have someone repairing it?" said Quistis, looking worried, and Squall turned around. "I mean, we may have to withdrawal. what would happen if we can't because the garden is broken?"
Squall thought for a moment. "Your right but who can do that?" he asked.
"I can!" said a voice from the back of the room. Squall turned to see Sirus, Dawn and Jem standing outside the elevator.
"Who can?" asked Squall.
"I can," said Jem, "I have experience with fixing machinery, this can't be much different."
"I can fly!" said Dawn.
Squall smiled a bit. "Good thing you guys showed up! Jem, head down to the bottom level and get started! Dawn. you can take the last jet and go. if you want." He said.
Dawn smiled and saluted him. "I know I'm not a SeeD yet, but I can do this!" she said with much confidence and left with Jem. It amazed Squall how much she was like Selphie!
Sirus stepped forward. "I can help you guys." he said, though, he was biting his lip nervously.
"Sirus." Squall started.
"Don't make me stay here! I can help you guys. I think I know what you want to do. You want to find Aurora, just as much as I do!" Sirus said defiantly, "I would be her knight." he said quietly.
Squall stared at him. He sort of saw himself in there, the feelings that he once felt. Squall saw how he feels the same way about Aurora as Squall felt about Rinoa when she was in trouble. Squall frowned, and was silent for a moment but finally said, "Ok."
"But Squall! He's only 16!" said Quistis.
Squall held his hand up as if to silence her and turned around to face her. "Quistis, if you remember correctly we were only 17 when we defeated the most powerful sorceress of all time. literally!" said Squall. "I've seen Sirus's abilities, he can do this, he could be a big help to us!"
"I was 18." Quistis grumbled under her breath but nobody heard her.
"Ok! Let's go!" said Squall and they all left.
