How in a cavern of ice may one light the way? Flame will melt the road and reflected light will blind you. Walking up the icy slop takes you three steps forward and five paces back--that is what the Prophets say.

At the core of Truth lies Delusion. Rain is formed around the specks of dust--the cleanest things are founded in uncleanliness. When you go to the centre of the crystal, you see not the reflection but the grain.

If this planet is the centre of its universe, what hope is there?

-

The Lunatic Pandora was an impressive sight, even ruined as it was. It had crashed shortly after Time Compression had taken hold and now lay on the ground, largely cracked and shattered--it stretched out nearly five kilometres across the plains, still higher than any number of Esthar buildings. As the field transport approached it, it was like moving into the night--the shadow it cast across the plains was deeper than anything else in sight. A tangible chill took hold of the air as they drew closer and closer.

The entrance was little more than a tall crack in the black surface leading into one of the corridors, easily wide enough to drive the transport through and so tall that it dwarfed them. The corridor itself was only about six metres high, but the crack continued upward across the surface of the monolithic building. It was daunting, to say the least.

The SeeDs--and Seifer--got out first, checking the area quickly to make sure that there was nothing dangerous. The Esthar Science Team came out next, pulling their equipment behind them. Seifer glanced over it--he suspected that the scientists themselves didn't know what half of it did.

"Right," Quistis said smartly, catching everyone's attention. "Odine pointed us at this area of tunnels for a reason. It's all pretty much self-contained, and the hallways--as far as we know--are intact. We're advised not to stay in this area too long, so let's get what readings we need and get out."

The scientists got going, talking excitedly amongst themselves and beginning to calibrate the equipment as they moved. There was no sign of danger.

Seifer wandered over to stand next to Quistis, surveying the team. "Taking command, Instructor?"

Quistis frowned, trying to think of a way to defuse the encounter before it went anywhere she didn't want it to go. "Just making sure everyone knew what they were doing," she said.

"Good job. Maybe you could tell me what I'm doing here," Seifer said--and evidently Quistis looked rather confused, because he followed it up with "it's never really been made clear to me."

"From what I understand," Quistis explained cooly, stepping after the scientists, "you're to provide information and direction in case we come upon anything related to Time Compression."

"So if Ultimecia appears, I'm supposed to tell everyone why she wears her hair like that and kill her, basically?" Seifer's words were tinged with acid.

Quistis sighed. Trust Seifer to make everything more complicated that it had any right to be.... "I honestly don't anticipate Ultimecia returning, Seifer."

"Yeah, because she was so anticipated the first time." Seifer ran his hand along one wall absently, staring into the confused muddle of reflections inside the Lunatic Pandora. "Leonhart said this was Laguna's idea. Was it?"

Quistis nodded. "He's trying to help you, you know."

"I don't need help."

"Have you told him that?"

"Many, many times." Seifer dropped his hand, glaring at the back of one of the scientists. "What are we looking for, in here?"

"Anything." Quistis motioned vaguely. "This place is like nothing Esthar's ever seen. Reactive, paramagical crystal. Odine spent a good time studying it before it was dumped in the middle of the Ocean, but now that Time Compression's run through it, he wants to study it all over again." She sighed. "This is probably the first of a long line of expeditions."

"How exciting," Seifer deadpanned.

Quistis shook her head. "I wouldn't expect you to be interested," she said. "As I recall, you were never into any of the natural sciences...."

"Excuse me," one of the scientists called from up ahead. "There's something here one of you may want to take a look at."

Conversation cut short, Seifer and Quistis hurried over to where the man had called from. He was standing at the edge of what looked to be a deep gash in the ground--pointing warily to a small, black something on the wall across the drop.

"What is it?" Quistis asked.

"That's what I was holing you could tell me," the man said. "I thought it might be some kind of panel...."

Seifer walked carefully around the sheer drop, approaching the far wall. He put a hand out, running his fingers over the device as if he was trying to remember what it was. The scientist waited patiently, not wanting to distract him.

One of the gauges on the device clicked on, a light flashed through the cavern--and a glint of recognition flashed in Seifer's eyes. He took a step back from it warily. "This is--"

The ground gave way beneath him.

What had looked to be solid crystal split and disintegrated, caving down into whatever space was below the walkway. Seifer barely had time to do so much as glance downward--

--and then he was gone.