Time's Scars

Chapter 12: Miracle

Cid shook his head in disbelief. He knew how strong Orcs were, especially Uruk-Hai. Even with all SeeD troops dispatched, there was no chance.

Still, he didn't know how many Orcs there were.

Nida came running into Cid's office. "Sir, all SeeD troops are in position."

Cid nodded, "Thank you, Nida."

"I brought the binoculars. We can only see the Orcs on the horizon. Would you like to take a closer look?"

Cid took the binoculars from Nida, putting them up to his eyes.

He was the first to see the horror they faced.

In shock, Cid stumbled back. He had to support himself by leaning against a bar on the main pilot deck. In his surprise, he almost dropped the binoculars.

Nida's eyes went wide. "Sir? What did you see? Is it that bad?"

"It's worse. Look."

Nida carefully looked through the binoculars to see the same sight Cid had. Balamb's mayor had not been exaggerating. The amount of Orcs was uncountable. They seemed to go on forever.

He put the binoculars down slowly. "We don't have a chance!"

"No, we don't. We need a miracle."

Suddenly, a familiar voice from behind them spoke. "Well, I guess you lucked out, then. A miracle you have."

Cid and Nida turned around to see Squall. Only now, Squall looked much more Elvish. His clothing was traditional Elf clothing. His hair was longer, and his ears were not covered. On his back hung a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"What? How…"

Squall smiled, "Elf magic can do a lot. I changed my looks, didn't I?"

"Wow." Said Nida.

Squall's smile turned serious again, "Let's get back to business. When we heard about the Orcs, we knew Garden would be utterly destroyed if you weakling humans tried to fight. So, we decided to help, despite past problems."

Cid regained his composure quickly. "Why would you help us after all we've done?"

"Humans and Elves once fought side-by-side. For thousands upon thousands of years, we helped each other. That all ended after the first sorceress war, when a few humans got greedy. Still, being a peaceful people, we feel we should help. Even after all you humans have done, we have decided to give you a chance. Besides, Nekura isn't gone, not even close. If we sit back, he'll use these troops to destroy the entire planet."

Nida looked confused. "Where is Nekura? I thought you all killed him."

"Hardly. He isn't so easy to destroy. Like Ultemicia, he can take over bodies. He uses these bodies as a host to his spirit until the body expires and he must find another."

"Only Sorceresses can do that!" Cid exclaimed.

Squall nodded, "And Sorcerers."

"Sorcerers?" Nida asked, "There aren't any!"

"Or so you think. A wizard once tried this attack. It was thousands of years ago, and his attack was thwarted. But even though his body may have died, his spirit did not. A powerful spell keeps him alive, and allows him to take over bodies as he pleases."

Cid swallowed hard. "Saruman?"

"Yes."

Nida put his hands up and shook his head, "Wait, wait. Are you telling me that Nekura is Saruman in another form?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you."

Cid's eyes widened in shock. But, as unbelievable as it seemed, the story made sense. Saruman was a powerful wizard. He could easily have done something like this.

Squall waited a moment for them to take it in, and continued. "Look, that can be discussed later. We don't have much time."

Cid nodded, "Right. So, what are you all going to do?"

"Will you allow us to help you?"

"Of course. Squall, I'm putting you back in charge. Your heritage doesn't matter anymore. You are a fantastic commander, and this Garden's only hope."

Squall smiled, "Thank you, sir. But I want you to promise me one thing."

"What is that?"

"You humans will never again be hostile towards us. We need to be united if this is going to work. We Elves never planned on overthrowing you. If you are hostile again, we will retaliate, and it will not be a good thing for you."

Cid sighed, "Of course. Okay. I'll try my best to keep that promise."

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It was an amazing sight. Thousands of Elves lined up along the mountain passages that surrounded Garden. All were well trained warriors. However, because of cultural beliefs, only male Elves were fighting.

Squall stood near the center of the lineup, up a bit higher than the rest. The oldest mortal Elf stood next to him, prepared to give advice. Squall had never seen a real Elf battle before, so commanding an army of Elves was a daunting task. But he could do it, everyone knew that.

The only female among the Elves was Rinoa. She stood on the other side of Squall.

And the Orcs were very visible now. They approached Garden, prepared to mercilessly destroy it.

A/N: Yay! I finished another chapter! Sorry for the delay. I've been working on another unrelated story, and school has made it more difficult to find free time. I will finish this story, I promise! And, hopefully, there won't be such time gaps between updates.

Special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate it. Reviews are one of the best things about writing fanfics. Please drop your comments by. I do read every review and take it into consideration! But no flames. Flames will be ignored entirely. Constructive criticism is welcome, but not insults.

Thankies! Have a good day!