"Hey, doc!" Selphie called cheerfully as she walked through the doorway into Odine's lab, juggling a gleaming white crystal orb in her hands. Her brown pigtails flowed wildly behind her as she strode in the lab.
"Vat?" Odine barked as he turned away from his assistant and his face lit up at the sight of the young, voluptuous woman walking gracefully toward him, "Ah...Selphie, you come here to zee me?" he asked with a slight tinge of lechery.
Odine noticed Zell was close behind the woman, his hands in his coat pockets, his eyes glaring menacingly at the doctor. Odine gulped, knowing full well what that expression meant. "Er...you have brought ze Guardian Grid, yes?" Odine asked as he looked up at Selphie.
"Yep!" Selphie said as she handed the short man the grid, "And look what else!" She threw the crystal in the air one more time before catching it with her left hand and sticking it in front of the doctor.
"Oh!" Odine mused, looking first at Selphie's exposed cleavage and then at the crystal in her hand. "Very good! You have found ze NegativeZero! Ver did you find it?"
"In the Excavation Ruins," Zell said as he walked toward Selphie and Odine, making sure the perverted scientist aimed his eyes directly at him, "It was in a spring where we thought a draw point was."
"Yes," Odine said as he frowned at the blond haired man, "Ze Grid Crystal give off magical frequency as draw point but much stronger."
"No wonder we thought it was some type of powerful magic," Selphie said as she handed the crystal to the doctor. "Lucky you gave me my own grid, doc. I would've been dragon food if you hadn't!"
"Dragon?" Odine asked and looked to Zell for an explanation.
"There was a pretty formidable blue dragon in the ruins," Zell replied, "Something we weren't expecting in a place like that."
"Vat? You vant me to answer? Go away!" Odine barked and turned around toward his assistant, "I vill fix ze Guradian Grid but no answer for you!"
"Then how about me?" Selphie asked smiling. She knew the doctor would be turned on once again.
"Vell..." Odine said as he turned slightly, his red and white ruff slightly blocking his upturned grin, "...Ze monster you encounter probably a result of fragment Crystal Pillar left behind. Monsters attraction iz only natural."
"So, occasionally big, giant monsters like that gather around the ruins," Selphie said, "But what about the new crystals?"
Odine turned, a look of interest rather than attraction on his face. "Vat do you mean?"
"Well," Zell began, "We saw a bunch of crystals coming out of the ground, like they were newly produced. Do you know anything about it?"
Odine looked at Zell then placed his left thumb and index finger under his chin, pondering quietly. Finally, with a shrug, he answered, "No idea," and turned around to hand his assistant the Guardian Grid.
Selphie sighed as she looked back at Zell. "Well, that lead's a bust," Selphie said, "So much for finding out what's going on down there."
Zell looked at Selphie, shaking his head. "You sure Odine's telling us the whole truth?"
"Yeah," Selphie said and looked over at the doctor, "As perverted as that man is, he doesn't lie very often to women. I can tell."
Odine felt eyes bearing down on his form and turned to find Selphie smiling at him. The doctor smiled back and waved at the young woman, nearly dropping the crystal orb he held in his hand.
* * *
"The Guardian Grid works a bit like the Junction system," Odine's assistant explained to the trio in the lab before they left Esthar almost two days ago, "Only instead of using your mind as a point of origin, their powers inhabit these," and the assistant held up a glowing blue orb no greater than an inch around between his right thumb and index finger at the finish of his sentence.
"Ooh!" Selphie said, her eyes instantly lighting up at the sight of the sparkling crystal, "It's so pretty!"
"Doctor Odine has termed the name 'Grid Crystals' for these orbs. The ether samples you provided the doctor proved very useful. This one crystal, known as ThundaStorm, holds a fraction of raw power of the GF Quezacotl and all forms of electric element magic." The assistant handed Squall the crystal orb, a gentle current of electricity passing between his hand and the crystal as he handed it to the young man in front of him.
"This eliminates the current shortage of magic," Squall said as he studied the crystal, noting that it was glowing a bright blue primarily because millions of currents were rushing about inside the core of the object.
"Ze crystal does more zan zat!" Odine chime in from his terminal, "Show zem!"
"Yes, of course," the assistant replied and immediately snatched the crystal from Squall's hand, which surprised Squall a bit. "This is the Guardian Grid," the assistant said as he revealed a small silver tablet pocked with several circular indents that looked to accommodate the crystal, "And when you place a Grid Crystal inside any of the markers..." and as he said this he placed the orb into the top indent, "...the transaction is complete."
"Use magic like normal!" Odine exclaimed, "Like with GFs!"
"Yes, normal magic used is the same manner as before when using the junction system. Just focus on the equipped crystal and you'll get your magic. You may have more of a delay since the magic is not directly linked to your subconscious mind, but only by a few milliseconds at most."
"What about higher level magic?" Zell asked, "We can't go around using just first level spells all the time."
"That's the real convenience," the assistant said, lighting up at the mention of the subject, "As long as you keep the crystals in the grid they'll upgrade with time and continued use eliminating the need for drawing of any sort. These grids actually feed off of the ether byproduct monsters produce when they evaporate after battle, in effect routing the byproduct to all equipped crystals."
"Makes enough sense seeing as how ether is all around us," Squall said, "But Odine said something about using GFs. How's that possible when GFs no longer exist?"
"Ah, yes," the assistant replied, "I highly suggest you take a few steps back."
The trio looked at one another with odd expressions then stepped away from the man by a few yards...and bore witness to a stunning transformation as the assistant changed into a form that resembled Quezacotl.
"Ze Guardian Grid lends ze power of element magic to ze user and also ze power of ze GF itself!" Odine exclaimed as he slowly walked toward his assistant turned thunder deity, "But, however powerful form iz, it iz not ze true Quezacotl, only mimic. Ze garment proves zis."
"What...is it then?" Squall asked, noticing that Selphie and Zell were too awe-struck to even pose any questions.
"Thunder Spawn," the assistant answered in a haughty voice that crackled with the sound of electricity, "Deity of thunder."
"Zere you have it," Odine said, "Not quite ze real Quezacotl, but one with ze power to conquer many monsters. Zunder Spawn iz ze human ideal of Quezacotl, created from science and magic."
Thunder Spawn sighed suddenly and a bolt of electricity sounded, and in a flash the assistant was standing, albeit not as erect, in front of them once more. He was breathing shallowly.
"Are you okay?" Selphie asked with genuine concern.
"I'm fine," the assistant as he stood tall once more, "I just lack the ethereal faculty needed to maintain an entity such as Thunder Spawn efficiently."
"Because you are not an avid User," Squall said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You lack experience with para-magic so you can't sustain the form for longer than a few seconds."
"Correction," the assistant said as he lifted a finger, "I have NO experience with para-magic. I've lived in Esthar my entire life, why would I need it?"
Squall looked confused as did Zell.
"Ooh! Cool!" Selphie exclaimed excitedly, "So anyone can use this thing?"
"Ah, yes!" Odine exclaimed, "Zis girl is a sharp one!"
"I get it," Zell said as he nodded his head, "We need to be careful when using these things or someone might use them against us."
"Yes," the assistant answered with a nod, "And please remember that even para-magic users such as yourselves may be overwhelmed by this technology at first. Granted, it uses the naturally occurring ether that is all around us but when that is depleted, and mind you it goes fast, it starts using your own energy reserve, which is another form of ether to this device. When it's used too much, your body will force the form away and you'll be left stranded without a guardian or magic, for that matter, so be careful."
"Scary..." Selphie said as she bit her lip but then a thought occurred to her and she lit up like a bulb again. "Hey, doc! If you're using the GF samples we gave you to power this thing, then you must have crystals with all of the forms, right?"
Odine smiled and chuckled giddily. "Zat iz ze catch!" he replied excitedly, "Explain!"
"Doctor Odine did create Grid Crystals that correspond to every GF sample that you gave us," the assistant began.
"But?" Zell asked, arms crossing over his chest.
"But he instructed me to, well, transport each of them to certain areas across the world," the assistant answered.
Squall sighed, "Okay, then tell us where they are. We'll go and find them."
"It iz not zat simple!" Odine said as he walked up the people, "He placed zem at random, never to be remembered!"
Squall frowned and looked at the assistant. "Sorry, man," the robed scientist said, "But the doc wanted to be a little sadistic and had me throw them to the wind like nothing at all. Even if I wanted to go with you to find them, I can't remember where they are anymore. I did that almost six months ago."
"Ooh, that sucks!" Selphie exclaimed as she kicked at the floor, "You mean if we want more magic, we're gonna have to go around the world to find these tiny little things?"
"Yes, zat iz ze rule," Odine answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "You vant Odine's help? You pay ze price!"
"You little..." Zell started as he neared toward the man, but was stopped by Squall's outstretched hand. He looked up and saw Squall slowly shaking his head.
"Vat? You vant to go outside? You vant fisticuffs? You cannot handle zis!" Odine gloated, "Ze Grids. Give it to zem!"
The assistant nodded and produced two more Guardian Grids, one yellow and one black, from the pockets of his robes. "Each grid has a particular setting as well that suits your needs," the assistant said as he walked toward Selphie, "Ms. Tilmitt, your grid is molded after a Specialist and is imbued with the power of healing. In time, your grid will grow to include healing and support magic." The assistant handed the yellow grid to Selphie who eagerly took it, smiling with glee as she studied it.
"Mr. Dincht," the assistant said as he turned to Zell, handing the young man the black grid, "Your grid is the Pugilist grid. I suggest you check your temper or you'll hinder the ether gathered by the grid that increases your physical ability. This technology still requires focus."
Zell frowned at the man and snatched the grid from his hand.
"And Mr. Leonhart," the assistant said as he handed the silver grid to Squall, "Yours is the Tactician grid which uses ether to increase your concentration for future summons, and the only one, for now, to have a Grid Crystal equipped."
Squall graciously took the grid from the man.
"If you vant ze hint...too bad!" Odine laughed and walked toward his terminal, "Out of my lab!"
The assistant turned to make sure Odine wasn't watching and then whispered quietly, "If you have the time, I suggest you go to Balamb to find one of the Grid Crystals. Obviously there are over a dozen more, the rest of which I can't remember, but...well, if you were willing to find all of the GFs in the first place then you can do this, too."
"Thanks," Squall replied with a nod and watched as the assistant turned to join Odine at the terminal. Turning to his two companions he stated confidently, "I guess this means we don't have to worry about not having magic any more."
"Great! I can't wait to use it," Selphie exclaimed, running to Zell to look at his grid, "Wow, yours looks cool, Zell!"
"Yeah, I know!" Zell boasted confidently.
Squall made a short smile at his excited friends but he could not help thinking deeper into the assistant's hint on where the next crystal was...
* * *
"I don't want to go back there," Squall said to himself quietly as he walked along the pristine blue skyway of Esthar City.
The evening sky was a mix of violet and crimson red, a byproduct of the Lunar Cry that occurred three years ago. Even though the rogue monsters had been exterminated from the city, their magical properties had triggered a change in the atmosphere over the entire continent that changed the color of the sky. Many scientists estimated that the sky would not return to normal for at least a century.
To Squall, it was just another interesting to look at amidst the backdrop of an entirely foreign country. Despite the fact that he had been to Esthar multiple times since the conflict, it was still a major shock to see such advancement amongst these xenophobic peoples. The strange and unique architecture that stretched yards into the skies, the long stretches of skyways that twisted and turned throughout the city, and the numerous subdivisions and districts that spread as far as the eye could see. Squall could live in this place, if not for one person...
"Oh!" a voice said beside Squall, startling him to attention. Squall turned his head quickly, and saw the middle-aged man staring at him, his sky blue shirt and distinctive khaki pants instantly registering in the young man's mind. He looked at the face and nearly wanted to punch it silly.
"The hell..." Squall grumbled, "Why are you here?"
President Laguna Loire smirked as he took a hand behind his head and scratched his neck feverishly. His entourage of armored guards, eight in total, were lined on all sides of him, scythes in hand, erect in posture yet ready to strike at a moments notice.
Squall gasped as he soon realized six more guards had emerged quietly beside him on his right. Was I that out of it, Squall thought as he looked around at the suddenly assembled group around he and Laguna.
"They have a knack for sneaking up on people," Laguna said with a slight chuckle. He turned to the closet armored guard, apparently the leader of the entourage and asked quietly, "Could you give us a little time?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. President," the guard said in a gruff voice and with a wave of his arms the group of soldiers began to back off until they were a good five yards away from the duo, although the leading guard remained stationary, simply turning his back on them so they could feel some form of privacy.
"Impressive," Squall said dryly as he looked toward the cityscape once again, "So, what do you want?"
"Well, I..." Laguna said as he placed his arms in front of him, "...I just, um, wanted to talk to you. You know, chew the fat, shoot the breeze, let it all..."
"I get it," Squall sighed and shook his head. Man, this guy's more annoying than I remember, Squall thought.
"Uh, sorry," Laguna said, "It's just that Selphie said..."
"Selphie?" Squall said, whirling around to face the man, "Selphie put you up to this? Oh man..." Squall said as he placed his hands on his hips and chuckled dryly, his lips upturned into a vicious grin, "When I get my hands on that little..."
"Squall, I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think you really needed to talk," Laguna said, "I know that we've been in a weird place lately, but..."
"No," Squall said as he looked up at Laguna, "We've never been anywhere, ever. Stop trying to say we were."
"Sorry! Sorry..." Laguna said, watching as his son's burning eyes flashed him an evil gaze, "You know, I had a pretty difficult childhood myself..."
"Oh, here we go," Squall muttered, yet audibly enough for Laguna to hear, "Another tale from some old person that I have nothing in common with."
"Hey, I'm not so old!" Laguna protested, "And, if you'd listen you'd know that I'm trying to relate to you, man."
"Well, don't," Squall replied as he looked out at the city once again, "I don't need your stories, especially when I don't even care much about anything you have to say. I know too much about you as is."
"Hey, you don't mean that," Laguna said with a bit of hurt as he looked at his son.
"Actually, I do, Laguna," Squall said, not turning to look at the man this time, "Now don't get me wrong, I've come to respect you, I was even starting to like you, but...then you went and gave me that stupid ship..."
"That was a gift to Balamb Garden," Laguna said with a smile, "But I'm glad to see you using it."
"I didn't have much of an option," Squall said angrily but he kept his composure, "I didn't want to use the ship that you try to buy me off with."
"What? No," Laguna said, his smile fading, "You got it all wrong, man! I was only..."
"Save it," Squall said as he turned to face Laguna, "Save your stories for someone who actually has respect for you." Squall turned the opposite direction to leave, but Laguna ran toward the young man and grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, wait a minute, Squall...!" Laguna cried, but his hand was instantly swatted away by the young man's strong right arm.
"Don't...!" Squall started, but the young man was stopped silent when he saw several of the guards, including the leader guard, pointing their guns at him.
"Touch him again and you'll die where you stand," the leader said, deadly serious in his threat.
Squall slowly lifted his hands by his head, signaling that he wasn't a threat.
"Please!" Laguna said as he turned to the guards, "He's my son! Put those things down, now!"
"Son or no, Mr. President," another guard said from the back group, "Our duty is to protect you, and we'll kill anyone that tries to harm you."
Laguna sighed as he looked on at the group of guards behind him and then back at his son, the group of guards behind him also holding their guns toward him as well.
"Well," Squall said, "I guess this means I should go."
"Yeah," Laguna said as he looked into his son's eyes, "Come back again sometime, okay? We really need to talk about this."
"Okay, Dad," Squall replied sarcastically as he turned to leave, pushing past the guards as he retreated into the night.
Laguna sighed as he began to think that maybe, just maybe that airship wasn't such a good idea after all. Turning, he looked at the leading guard with no expression on his face.
"Mr. President, I..." the guard started but was stopped by Laguna's shaking head and a smile.
"Don't worry about," Laguna said, "I guess I'll just have to this in my own time."
The guard seemed to smile as well behind his odd red-eyed armored mask as he allowed his president to walk ahead, the entire entourage surrounding them as they made their way back to the Presidential Palace.
* * *
"It iz fixed!" Odine called from his terminal and gave the three distinctive Guardian Grids to his assistant who, in return, walked toward Zell and Selphie and handed them their grids. "Zer should be no more crying to Odine about ze exhaustion! Grid ezer consumption haz been regulated."
"Great!" Selphie said as she took her grid from the assistant.
"So, uh..." Odine said as he made his way toward Selphie, "Vat vas it like to experience ze power of Shiva? Good, no?"
"Oh, it was so cool!" Selphie beamed, "I felt all of this power running through my body, more than any magic could ever do. But it was strange, I changed into someone that looked like Shiva. What's up with that?"
"Ah, yes," Odine said, "Ze crystals have different effects on ze person. One may wear ze garment while one may actually take on ze form of ze GF. I...designed zem for zat particular purpose?"
"Was there really a need for that?" Zell asked frankly, looking at the doctor as he pocketed the grid.
"Vat? Vat do you mean?" Odine asked quickly and turned his back to go away but before he left he said quietly, "I vould like to zee you as Shiva zometime, Selphie..."
"What?" Selphie asked innocently, walking behind the little man and kneeling beside him, smiling cutely.
"Err! I-it iz nothing!" Odine stammered and ran toward the stairs leading to the higher portions of his lab, slamming the door behind him.
Selphie stood up and giggled lightly, walking back toward Zell.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Tilmitt," the assistant said, "You'll find that many, if not all of your future GF forms are, well...rather scantily clad."
"Oh," Selphie said as she bit her lip, "Well, I guess that's okay."
"Doctor Odine is a brilliant man, but he is also has a penchant for women's bodies," the assistant replied as he placed a hand over his head, shaking it slowly. Looking up, he smiled at the two and said, "Give Mr. Leonhart my regards and come anytime you need any help with the grids."
"Thanks," Zell said and the duo turned and began to leave the lab.
"Well, I wanted change..." Selphie said with a nervous chuckle, "...but maybe not so much now."
"Hey, you've got a great body, Selph," Zell said as the stepped out into the elevator hall and sat down on the stool-shaped seats, "Just try not think too much about it."
"Hey! When you grow breasts you try saying that to me with a straight face!" Selphie said, watching the blue force field form over their heads.
Zell chuckled lightly as the platform made its way toward the first level of the lab.
"Anyway," Selphie began again with more chipper, "I just hope that Laguna and Squall patched things up. I told Sir Laguna where to go. He shouldn't have much of a problem."
"I thought I told you not to interfere," Zell said as he watched the platform begin to descend slowly to the floor below, "If Squall finds out you had anything to do with it..."
"Squall's too deep into his own world and his own problems to notice anything," Selphie said as the platform landed gracefully on the floor and the force field began to dissipate, "If anything, he'll think it was just a coincidence!"
The two people stood up and they saw Squall's form standing inside the doorway, leaning against the left wall. He looked up, stared at Selphie darkly for a long time, eyed Zell, and then returned his dark gaze upon Selphie.
Selphie shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms, her nunchaku jingling quietly on the strap of her belt, "D-did it just get cold in here?" Selphie asked.
"Nah," Zell said as he turned to the young woman and made a knowing smile, "That's just Squall." With a chuckle, Zell left Selphie to marinate in his statement for a moment.
Selphie watched as Zell walked beside Squall and then watched as Squall, with a final look of darkness, turned his back on her and followed the blond man out the door. Selphie gasped, her eyes wide as she placed her hands over her mouth. "Oh no!" she whispered with dread, "He knows!" she began to creep slowly after the two men into the crimson darkness of Esthar, "Ooh, I hope he just kills me this time..."
"Vat?" Odine barked as he turned away from his assistant and his face lit up at the sight of the young, voluptuous woman walking gracefully toward him, "Ah...Selphie, you come here to zee me?" he asked with a slight tinge of lechery.
Odine noticed Zell was close behind the woman, his hands in his coat pockets, his eyes glaring menacingly at the doctor. Odine gulped, knowing full well what that expression meant. "Er...you have brought ze Guardian Grid, yes?" Odine asked as he looked up at Selphie.
"Yep!" Selphie said as she handed the short man the grid, "And look what else!" She threw the crystal in the air one more time before catching it with her left hand and sticking it in front of the doctor.
"Oh!" Odine mused, looking first at Selphie's exposed cleavage and then at the crystal in her hand. "Very good! You have found ze NegativeZero! Ver did you find it?"
"In the Excavation Ruins," Zell said as he walked toward Selphie and Odine, making sure the perverted scientist aimed his eyes directly at him, "It was in a spring where we thought a draw point was."
"Yes," Odine said as he frowned at the blond haired man, "Ze Grid Crystal give off magical frequency as draw point but much stronger."
"No wonder we thought it was some type of powerful magic," Selphie said as she handed the crystal to the doctor. "Lucky you gave me my own grid, doc. I would've been dragon food if you hadn't!"
"Dragon?" Odine asked and looked to Zell for an explanation.
"There was a pretty formidable blue dragon in the ruins," Zell replied, "Something we weren't expecting in a place like that."
"Vat? You vant me to answer? Go away!" Odine barked and turned around toward his assistant, "I vill fix ze Guradian Grid but no answer for you!"
"Then how about me?" Selphie asked smiling. She knew the doctor would be turned on once again.
"Vell..." Odine said as he turned slightly, his red and white ruff slightly blocking his upturned grin, "...Ze monster you encounter probably a result of fragment Crystal Pillar left behind. Monsters attraction iz only natural."
"So, occasionally big, giant monsters like that gather around the ruins," Selphie said, "But what about the new crystals?"
Odine turned, a look of interest rather than attraction on his face. "Vat do you mean?"
"Well," Zell began, "We saw a bunch of crystals coming out of the ground, like they were newly produced. Do you know anything about it?"
Odine looked at Zell then placed his left thumb and index finger under his chin, pondering quietly. Finally, with a shrug, he answered, "No idea," and turned around to hand his assistant the Guardian Grid.
Selphie sighed as she looked back at Zell. "Well, that lead's a bust," Selphie said, "So much for finding out what's going on down there."
Zell looked at Selphie, shaking his head. "You sure Odine's telling us the whole truth?"
"Yeah," Selphie said and looked over at the doctor, "As perverted as that man is, he doesn't lie very often to women. I can tell."
Odine felt eyes bearing down on his form and turned to find Selphie smiling at him. The doctor smiled back and waved at the young woman, nearly dropping the crystal orb he held in his hand.
* * *
"The Guardian Grid works a bit like the Junction system," Odine's assistant explained to the trio in the lab before they left Esthar almost two days ago, "Only instead of using your mind as a point of origin, their powers inhabit these," and the assistant held up a glowing blue orb no greater than an inch around between his right thumb and index finger at the finish of his sentence.
"Ooh!" Selphie said, her eyes instantly lighting up at the sight of the sparkling crystal, "It's so pretty!"
"Doctor Odine has termed the name 'Grid Crystals' for these orbs. The ether samples you provided the doctor proved very useful. This one crystal, known as ThundaStorm, holds a fraction of raw power of the GF Quezacotl and all forms of electric element magic." The assistant handed Squall the crystal orb, a gentle current of electricity passing between his hand and the crystal as he handed it to the young man in front of him.
"This eliminates the current shortage of magic," Squall said as he studied the crystal, noting that it was glowing a bright blue primarily because millions of currents were rushing about inside the core of the object.
"Ze crystal does more zan zat!" Odine chime in from his terminal, "Show zem!"
"Yes, of course," the assistant replied and immediately snatched the crystal from Squall's hand, which surprised Squall a bit. "This is the Guardian Grid," the assistant said as he revealed a small silver tablet pocked with several circular indents that looked to accommodate the crystal, "And when you place a Grid Crystal inside any of the markers..." and as he said this he placed the orb into the top indent, "...the transaction is complete."
"Use magic like normal!" Odine exclaimed, "Like with GFs!"
"Yes, normal magic used is the same manner as before when using the junction system. Just focus on the equipped crystal and you'll get your magic. You may have more of a delay since the magic is not directly linked to your subconscious mind, but only by a few milliseconds at most."
"What about higher level magic?" Zell asked, "We can't go around using just first level spells all the time."
"That's the real convenience," the assistant said, lighting up at the mention of the subject, "As long as you keep the crystals in the grid they'll upgrade with time and continued use eliminating the need for drawing of any sort. These grids actually feed off of the ether byproduct monsters produce when they evaporate after battle, in effect routing the byproduct to all equipped crystals."
"Makes enough sense seeing as how ether is all around us," Squall said, "But Odine said something about using GFs. How's that possible when GFs no longer exist?"
"Ah, yes," the assistant replied, "I highly suggest you take a few steps back."
The trio looked at one another with odd expressions then stepped away from the man by a few yards...and bore witness to a stunning transformation as the assistant changed into a form that resembled Quezacotl.
"Ze Guardian Grid lends ze power of element magic to ze user and also ze power of ze GF itself!" Odine exclaimed as he slowly walked toward his assistant turned thunder deity, "But, however powerful form iz, it iz not ze true Quezacotl, only mimic. Ze garment proves zis."
"What...is it then?" Squall asked, noticing that Selphie and Zell were too awe-struck to even pose any questions.
"Thunder Spawn," the assistant answered in a haughty voice that crackled with the sound of electricity, "Deity of thunder."
"Zere you have it," Odine said, "Not quite ze real Quezacotl, but one with ze power to conquer many monsters. Zunder Spawn iz ze human ideal of Quezacotl, created from science and magic."
Thunder Spawn sighed suddenly and a bolt of electricity sounded, and in a flash the assistant was standing, albeit not as erect, in front of them once more. He was breathing shallowly.
"Are you okay?" Selphie asked with genuine concern.
"I'm fine," the assistant as he stood tall once more, "I just lack the ethereal faculty needed to maintain an entity such as Thunder Spawn efficiently."
"Because you are not an avid User," Squall said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You lack experience with para-magic so you can't sustain the form for longer than a few seconds."
"Correction," the assistant said as he lifted a finger, "I have NO experience with para-magic. I've lived in Esthar my entire life, why would I need it?"
Squall looked confused as did Zell.
"Ooh! Cool!" Selphie exclaimed excitedly, "So anyone can use this thing?"
"Ah, yes!" Odine exclaimed, "Zis girl is a sharp one!"
"I get it," Zell said as he nodded his head, "We need to be careful when using these things or someone might use them against us."
"Yes," the assistant answered with a nod, "And please remember that even para-magic users such as yourselves may be overwhelmed by this technology at first. Granted, it uses the naturally occurring ether that is all around us but when that is depleted, and mind you it goes fast, it starts using your own energy reserve, which is another form of ether to this device. When it's used too much, your body will force the form away and you'll be left stranded without a guardian or magic, for that matter, so be careful."
"Scary..." Selphie said as she bit her lip but then a thought occurred to her and she lit up like a bulb again. "Hey, doc! If you're using the GF samples we gave you to power this thing, then you must have crystals with all of the forms, right?"
Odine smiled and chuckled giddily. "Zat iz ze catch!" he replied excitedly, "Explain!"
"Doctor Odine did create Grid Crystals that correspond to every GF sample that you gave us," the assistant began.
"But?" Zell asked, arms crossing over his chest.
"But he instructed me to, well, transport each of them to certain areas across the world," the assistant answered.
Squall sighed, "Okay, then tell us where they are. We'll go and find them."
"It iz not zat simple!" Odine said as he walked up the people, "He placed zem at random, never to be remembered!"
Squall frowned and looked at the assistant. "Sorry, man," the robed scientist said, "But the doc wanted to be a little sadistic and had me throw them to the wind like nothing at all. Even if I wanted to go with you to find them, I can't remember where they are anymore. I did that almost six months ago."
"Ooh, that sucks!" Selphie exclaimed as she kicked at the floor, "You mean if we want more magic, we're gonna have to go around the world to find these tiny little things?"
"Yes, zat iz ze rule," Odine answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "You vant Odine's help? You pay ze price!"
"You little..." Zell started as he neared toward the man, but was stopped by Squall's outstretched hand. He looked up and saw Squall slowly shaking his head.
"Vat? You vant to go outside? You vant fisticuffs? You cannot handle zis!" Odine gloated, "Ze Grids. Give it to zem!"
The assistant nodded and produced two more Guardian Grids, one yellow and one black, from the pockets of his robes. "Each grid has a particular setting as well that suits your needs," the assistant said as he walked toward Selphie, "Ms. Tilmitt, your grid is molded after a Specialist and is imbued with the power of healing. In time, your grid will grow to include healing and support magic." The assistant handed the yellow grid to Selphie who eagerly took it, smiling with glee as she studied it.
"Mr. Dincht," the assistant said as he turned to Zell, handing the young man the black grid, "Your grid is the Pugilist grid. I suggest you check your temper or you'll hinder the ether gathered by the grid that increases your physical ability. This technology still requires focus."
Zell frowned at the man and snatched the grid from his hand.
"And Mr. Leonhart," the assistant said as he handed the silver grid to Squall, "Yours is the Tactician grid which uses ether to increase your concentration for future summons, and the only one, for now, to have a Grid Crystal equipped."
Squall graciously took the grid from the man.
"If you vant ze hint...too bad!" Odine laughed and walked toward his terminal, "Out of my lab!"
The assistant turned to make sure Odine wasn't watching and then whispered quietly, "If you have the time, I suggest you go to Balamb to find one of the Grid Crystals. Obviously there are over a dozen more, the rest of which I can't remember, but...well, if you were willing to find all of the GFs in the first place then you can do this, too."
"Thanks," Squall replied with a nod and watched as the assistant turned to join Odine at the terminal. Turning to his two companions he stated confidently, "I guess this means we don't have to worry about not having magic any more."
"Great! I can't wait to use it," Selphie exclaimed, running to Zell to look at his grid, "Wow, yours looks cool, Zell!"
"Yeah, I know!" Zell boasted confidently.
Squall made a short smile at his excited friends but he could not help thinking deeper into the assistant's hint on where the next crystal was...
* * *
"I don't want to go back there," Squall said to himself quietly as he walked along the pristine blue skyway of Esthar City.
The evening sky was a mix of violet and crimson red, a byproduct of the Lunar Cry that occurred three years ago. Even though the rogue monsters had been exterminated from the city, their magical properties had triggered a change in the atmosphere over the entire continent that changed the color of the sky. Many scientists estimated that the sky would not return to normal for at least a century.
To Squall, it was just another interesting to look at amidst the backdrop of an entirely foreign country. Despite the fact that he had been to Esthar multiple times since the conflict, it was still a major shock to see such advancement amongst these xenophobic peoples. The strange and unique architecture that stretched yards into the skies, the long stretches of skyways that twisted and turned throughout the city, and the numerous subdivisions and districts that spread as far as the eye could see. Squall could live in this place, if not for one person...
"Oh!" a voice said beside Squall, startling him to attention. Squall turned his head quickly, and saw the middle-aged man staring at him, his sky blue shirt and distinctive khaki pants instantly registering in the young man's mind. He looked at the face and nearly wanted to punch it silly.
"The hell..." Squall grumbled, "Why are you here?"
President Laguna Loire smirked as he took a hand behind his head and scratched his neck feverishly. His entourage of armored guards, eight in total, were lined on all sides of him, scythes in hand, erect in posture yet ready to strike at a moments notice.
Squall gasped as he soon realized six more guards had emerged quietly beside him on his right. Was I that out of it, Squall thought as he looked around at the suddenly assembled group around he and Laguna.
"They have a knack for sneaking up on people," Laguna said with a slight chuckle. He turned to the closet armored guard, apparently the leader of the entourage and asked quietly, "Could you give us a little time?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. President," the guard said in a gruff voice and with a wave of his arms the group of soldiers began to back off until they were a good five yards away from the duo, although the leading guard remained stationary, simply turning his back on them so they could feel some form of privacy.
"Impressive," Squall said dryly as he looked toward the cityscape once again, "So, what do you want?"
"Well, I..." Laguna said as he placed his arms in front of him, "...I just, um, wanted to talk to you. You know, chew the fat, shoot the breeze, let it all..."
"I get it," Squall sighed and shook his head. Man, this guy's more annoying than I remember, Squall thought.
"Uh, sorry," Laguna said, "It's just that Selphie said..."
"Selphie?" Squall said, whirling around to face the man, "Selphie put you up to this? Oh man..." Squall said as he placed his hands on his hips and chuckled dryly, his lips upturned into a vicious grin, "When I get my hands on that little..."
"Squall, I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think you really needed to talk," Laguna said, "I know that we've been in a weird place lately, but..."
"No," Squall said as he looked up at Laguna, "We've never been anywhere, ever. Stop trying to say we were."
"Sorry! Sorry..." Laguna said, watching as his son's burning eyes flashed him an evil gaze, "You know, I had a pretty difficult childhood myself..."
"Oh, here we go," Squall muttered, yet audibly enough for Laguna to hear, "Another tale from some old person that I have nothing in common with."
"Hey, I'm not so old!" Laguna protested, "And, if you'd listen you'd know that I'm trying to relate to you, man."
"Well, don't," Squall replied as he looked out at the city once again, "I don't need your stories, especially when I don't even care much about anything you have to say. I know too much about you as is."
"Hey, you don't mean that," Laguna said with a bit of hurt as he looked at his son.
"Actually, I do, Laguna," Squall said, not turning to look at the man this time, "Now don't get me wrong, I've come to respect you, I was even starting to like you, but...then you went and gave me that stupid ship..."
"That was a gift to Balamb Garden," Laguna said with a smile, "But I'm glad to see you using it."
"I didn't have much of an option," Squall said angrily but he kept his composure, "I didn't want to use the ship that you try to buy me off with."
"What? No," Laguna said, his smile fading, "You got it all wrong, man! I was only..."
"Save it," Squall said as he turned to face Laguna, "Save your stories for someone who actually has respect for you." Squall turned the opposite direction to leave, but Laguna ran toward the young man and grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, wait a minute, Squall...!" Laguna cried, but his hand was instantly swatted away by the young man's strong right arm.
"Don't...!" Squall started, but the young man was stopped silent when he saw several of the guards, including the leader guard, pointing their guns at him.
"Touch him again and you'll die where you stand," the leader said, deadly serious in his threat.
Squall slowly lifted his hands by his head, signaling that he wasn't a threat.
"Please!" Laguna said as he turned to the guards, "He's my son! Put those things down, now!"
"Son or no, Mr. President," another guard said from the back group, "Our duty is to protect you, and we'll kill anyone that tries to harm you."
Laguna sighed as he looked on at the group of guards behind him and then back at his son, the group of guards behind him also holding their guns toward him as well.
"Well," Squall said, "I guess this means I should go."
"Yeah," Laguna said as he looked into his son's eyes, "Come back again sometime, okay? We really need to talk about this."
"Okay, Dad," Squall replied sarcastically as he turned to leave, pushing past the guards as he retreated into the night.
Laguna sighed as he began to think that maybe, just maybe that airship wasn't such a good idea after all. Turning, he looked at the leading guard with no expression on his face.
"Mr. President, I..." the guard started but was stopped by Laguna's shaking head and a smile.
"Don't worry about," Laguna said, "I guess I'll just have to this in my own time."
The guard seemed to smile as well behind his odd red-eyed armored mask as he allowed his president to walk ahead, the entire entourage surrounding them as they made their way back to the Presidential Palace.
* * *
"It iz fixed!" Odine called from his terminal and gave the three distinctive Guardian Grids to his assistant who, in return, walked toward Zell and Selphie and handed them their grids. "Zer should be no more crying to Odine about ze exhaustion! Grid ezer consumption haz been regulated."
"Great!" Selphie said as she took her grid from the assistant.
"So, uh..." Odine said as he made his way toward Selphie, "Vat vas it like to experience ze power of Shiva? Good, no?"
"Oh, it was so cool!" Selphie beamed, "I felt all of this power running through my body, more than any magic could ever do. But it was strange, I changed into someone that looked like Shiva. What's up with that?"
"Ah, yes," Odine said, "Ze crystals have different effects on ze person. One may wear ze garment while one may actually take on ze form of ze GF. I...designed zem for zat particular purpose?"
"Was there really a need for that?" Zell asked frankly, looking at the doctor as he pocketed the grid.
"Vat? Vat do you mean?" Odine asked quickly and turned his back to go away but before he left he said quietly, "I vould like to zee you as Shiva zometime, Selphie..."
"What?" Selphie asked innocently, walking behind the little man and kneeling beside him, smiling cutely.
"Err! I-it iz nothing!" Odine stammered and ran toward the stairs leading to the higher portions of his lab, slamming the door behind him.
Selphie stood up and giggled lightly, walking back toward Zell.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Tilmitt," the assistant said, "You'll find that many, if not all of your future GF forms are, well...rather scantily clad."
"Oh," Selphie said as she bit her lip, "Well, I guess that's okay."
"Doctor Odine is a brilliant man, but he is also has a penchant for women's bodies," the assistant replied as he placed a hand over his head, shaking it slowly. Looking up, he smiled at the two and said, "Give Mr. Leonhart my regards and come anytime you need any help with the grids."
"Thanks," Zell said and the duo turned and began to leave the lab.
"Well, I wanted change..." Selphie said with a nervous chuckle, "...but maybe not so much now."
"Hey, you've got a great body, Selph," Zell said as the stepped out into the elevator hall and sat down on the stool-shaped seats, "Just try not think too much about it."
"Hey! When you grow breasts you try saying that to me with a straight face!" Selphie said, watching the blue force field form over their heads.
Zell chuckled lightly as the platform made its way toward the first level of the lab.
"Anyway," Selphie began again with more chipper, "I just hope that Laguna and Squall patched things up. I told Sir Laguna where to go. He shouldn't have much of a problem."
"I thought I told you not to interfere," Zell said as he watched the platform begin to descend slowly to the floor below, "If Squall finds out you had anything to do with it..."
"Squall's too deep into his own world and his own problems to notice anything," Selphie said as the platform landed gracefully on the floor and the force field began to dissipate, "If anything, he'll think it was just a coincidence!"
The two people stood up and they saw Squall's form standing inside the doorway, leaning against the left wall. He looked up, stared at Selphie darkly for a long time, eyed Zell, and then returned his dark gaze upon Selphie.
Selphie shivered, rubbing her hands over her arms, her nunchaku jingling quietly on the strap of her belt, "D-did it just get cold in here?" Selphie asked.
"Nah," Zell said as he turned to the young woman and made a knowing smile, "That's just Squall." With a chuckle, Zell left Selphie to marinate in his statement for a moment.
Selphie watched as Zell walked beside Squall and then watched as Squall, with a final look of darkness, turned his back on her and followed the blond man out the door. Selphie gasped, her eyes wide as she placed her hands over her mouth. "Oh no!" she whispered with dread, "He knows!" she began to creep slowly after the two men into the crimson darkness of Esthar, "Ooh, I hope he just kills me this time..."