Author's Notes: I appreciate all the reviews so far, I like to hear them. I'll probably continue to update this regularly, until school starts. Thanks for reading, and please review.

Time's Scars

Chapter 6: Friend or Foe?

Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, and Zell stayed in the small shelter until Squall and Rinoa returned. By the time they got back, Squall looked just fine, like nothing had happened at all.

"Hey, 'bout time you two came! You alright?" Zell greeted them.

Squall sighed, "Yeah. Sorry, you guys. This just really bothers me."

"Why?" Selphie asked

"It's…it's just not right. I almost wish I could do something. Ever since I found out about it…it's just horrible to think that people like us did this."

"People like us?"

"SeeD."

Irvine looked up, "SeeD did this?"

"Partly. I don't know…it's stupid. Let's just focus on what we have to do, okay?"

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"Sir, the SeeD commander is officially out of the area. This is the perfect time for us."

The man smiled, "Good. Destroy the enemy."

The cadet nodded, "Yes, Mr. Nekura. Would you like us to deploy the Uruk-Hai?"

"Yes, send them all, every troop. Balamb Garden stands no chance against them, especially in such a large army. Then, we can focus on the true task at hand."

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Squall stoked the small fire they'd built to combat the cold night air. Everyone else was asleep.

I just have such a bad feeling, like something terrible is going to happen. Am I imagining, or having a premonition?

A heavy feeling had settled on his chest ever since he'd returned with Rinoa earlier that day. Though he wanted to believe nothing was wrong, he knew his gut instinct had never failed him before.

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Irvine and Quistis walked across the desert that morning, going to pick up supplies from Ragnarok. But that was not all they intended on doing.

After boarding the ship, they made their way to the cockpit, turning on the radio transmitter.

"Balamb Garden, do you read?" Irvine said into the speaker.

"This is Balamb Garden."

Quistis gently pushed Irvine aside, "This is Instructor Trepe and soldier Irvine Kinneas. We've been deployed on a mission with the Commander. We need to speak to Headmaster Cid immediately."

"Yes maam'. We'll get him right away."

After a short pause, Cid's voice replied, "Hello, you two. What's going on? Sounded pretty urgent."

"Well, it is, sir." Quistis said

"What's wrong?" He asked

"We have good reason to believe that Squall is an Elf. His pendant matches a carving inside Lothlorien's church, and he had a difficult time when we came in."

Cid sighed. "Do you have any proof yet?"

"Not rock solid," Irvine said, "But it's something of concern. We need to get back to Garden with him."

"Yes." Cid replied, "We'll capture him on arrival and investigate with some DNA testing. We can take no chances. There's no telling what he may do. Squall may be a good kid, but I've always known there was something about him. Tell him we're detecting activity on Galbadian land and that we need him. Instructor, I want you and Mr. Dincht to escort him and Rinoa back to the area immediately, understood?"

"Yes sir." They both replied, shutting the radio off.

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Irvine and Quistis came running back to the camp, looking nervous.

"What's wrong?" Zell asked

After taking a few breaths, Quistis replied, "Cid said there is some suspicious activity in Galbadia and that he needs Squall, Rinoa, and Zell back to Garden immediately."

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Squall questioned.

"He didn't say." Irvine gasped, "But it sounded pretty important."

The three of them rose, ready to go.

"But none of us can really fly the Ragnarok." Rinoa said.

"I know." Quistis replied, "I'll be taking you guys back, then leaving again."

They followed Quistis' lead, in complete trust that everything was going to be fine. Zell knew what was going on, however, and he felt badly. He and Squall were good friends at that point, and he didn't want to betray Squall.

The four of them boarded Ragnarok, and Quistis made her way to the cockpit, while the other three stayed in the flight cabin.

Squall sat down next to Rinoa, muttering under his breath.

"What was that?" Zell asked

"It…isn't it a little strange that Cid would just suddenly need us? Why didn't he say what was going on?"

Zell shrugged, "Maybe they don't know."

Squall sort of nodded, then fixed his gaze onto the floor.

He was worried, and Zell knew it.

An hour into the flight home, Zell couldn't take it anymore. He felt guilty, and he knew he should warn Squall. They'd certainly kill him if it was discovered that he was truly an Elf, which Zell also believed.

"Squall, can I talk to you outside for a sec?" He asked

Squall looked up at him, "Okay."

They walked out and Zell made sure the door to the cabin was closed and that they were far away enough that Quistis would not hear through the elevator shaft to the cockpit.

"Squall, it's a trap."

"What?"

"This urgent call thing, it's a trap. We all know about it."

"A trap for who? Rinoa?"

Zell shook his head, "No, it's for you."

Squall's brow furrowed in confusion, "Why are they trying to trap me?"

"Because we figured it out, Squall. We figured out who you are."

He hesitated for a moment, hoping Zell wasn't talking about what he thought. "Who…I am?"

"Squall, don't lie, okay? You're a runaway Elf, a survivor, aren't you?"

Squall shook his head in disbelief, "What in the world made you think that?"

"We saw a carving in the church wall that matched your Griever pendant. And the way you freaked out when we got there supported our theory all the more. It isn't certain, but Cid is going to capture you to make sure. If you truly are, you've got to get out of here somehow. They'll kill you. I can help you and Rinoa escape."

Squall leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Shit, I didn't even think about that. How do I know you aren't lying to me right now?"

"Dude, you know me, okay? The others wouldn't say anything because they aren't friends with you like I am. I don't want you to get whacked, okay? You have to believe me."

"I'm putting my trust in you, Zell. Don't let me regret it." Squall warned. "We just have to take Quistis out."

"So it's true?" Zell asked.

Squall turned to him, "Well, obviously, Zell."

He nodded, "Okay. What do you mean by 'take out' Quistis? Kill her?"

"No! We're not going to kill her. We're going to knock her out and restrain her so I can divert the flight path and get out of here."

"Right, sorry. How are we gonna knock her out?"

Squall folded his arms, thinking. "I'll go up there and say I'm checking things out. Do we still have those bottles of Valium on the ship?"

Zell nodded.

"Okay, and we have syringes?"

"Yup."

"Good, show me where they are."

Zell led Squall down to the medical bay, which had been unused for some time. Sure enough, the supplies were all there.

Squall grabbed a vial and a syringe. He carefully measured out the dose and flicked the side of the tube a couple of times to make sure no air bubbles were present.

"Okay. I'm going in there. You wait at the bottom of the lift with this." Squall said, handing Zell a length of cable. "Tie her up, ankles and wrists, and lock her in the storage bay, the empty one, so she can't do anything."

"Got it." Zell replied.

Zell followed him out and back up to the lift. Squall turned to him. "Zell, if you aren't here when I get down, or you try and fool me, as much as I hate to do it, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Right." Zell said nervously.

Squall boarded the lift, concealing the syringe in his hand.

Quistis turned to look at him, then turned back. "What are you doing up here? I thought you guys were going to stay in the flight cabin."

Before she could respond, he was right behind her. "We were. But we learned we had a traitor on board."

"Wha…"

Squall clamped a hand over her mouth, quickly jamming the needle into her arm and injecting it. She tried to struggle, but he was too strong. As she began to succumb to the drug, he whispered, "That's right, just go to sleep, Quisty. We're not going to hurt you."