Author's note: Would've updated earlier, but or my computer was royally fucked up so...

to shadow-Seraph : Don't kill me if there's a slow phase somewhere, okay? Please? 'Cause if you do, you'll never find out how the story ends...

Welcome to kannas-twin!

to Lizzie : Argh, I hate wandering 'round Esthar, especially since my comp's so slow the game won't run perfectly and the whole city's one big maze and argh.. Well they'll eventually have to notice that Delray's missing :) You'll see when we get there :P

to Iskander : Well don't hold your breath but.... A promise is a promise. So I'll try my best :)

-Seifer's POV-

"It's just that...." She sighs. "I'm afraid I might be possessed again. That's why I'm going to Esthar. There's a man there who can help me."

"Who's that?" Selphie asks.

"A great professor. I've heard he's quite... ugh.. peculiar, but very skillfull."

"So what do you think can be done?" I ask her.

Matron spreads her thin arms helplessly. "I don't know. I'm leaving it all up to him."

"Alright children, return to your dorms," Cid says from the door.

The whole Orphanage Gang surrounding our beloved Matron stands up.

"It's late," Cid says, taking a place by his wife's side. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Why?" Zell asks.

"We will be reaching Fisherman's Horizon by the morning. I will tell you the rest then. Good night, everyone."

"Fisherman's Horizon? Why are we going there?" Squall asks.

"I don't know. Coffee?" Quistis asks.

"No thanks, I can't sleep if I drink coffee this late."

Quistis shrugs and turns to me. "How 'bout you?"

"Sure. I think we're going to FH because the shores of the Esthar continent are too high for Garden."

"But what does it help to go to FH?"

"There's an old abandoned railway there that leads to the Esthar continent."

"Huh," Squall says. "So we gotta walk?"

I shrug. "Apparently."

Quistis sits next to Squall by his kitchen table. "Did you know Ellone was here at Garden a couple of days ago?"

"Yeah, we saw her."

She looks at me, sorta surprised. "You did? Oh, I didn't get a chance to even say hi."

"But we're hoping we'll get to spend some more time with her soon," I say, glancing at Squall. He's taking this really hard, but after all, I think he was the closest to Ellone when we were growing up.

"Did Cid tell you why she was here?"

"So that we could guard her in case the Sorceress attempts anything," Squall says. Am I imagining or does he sound bitter...? "But Cid didn't think we were good enough for that, so he gave her up to the White SeeDs." Yup, he's bitter.

"The White SeeDs, huh...?" Quistis says thoughtfully. "Well, I hope she's in good hands. Hyne knows what the Sorceress might accomplish if she was able to use Ellone's powers for her wicked plans."

"I've heard she's like trying to junction Ellone's time traveling powers," I say. "And do this thing that will mess up the whole time concept and create this world where no one else can exist but her."

Quistis nodds. "Yeah, I guess that's the case. But why would anyone wanna do that?"

"Hey, she's a messed up megalomaniac with too much power. Who knows what's going on inside her head."

"Yeah, but the thing with powerful people is that... They want servants. They want people obeying and respecting them. Why would she wanna kill everyone else? There'd be no one left to fear her."

"Good point," I mumble. "But hey, like I said, no one knows what's she thinking. Clearly, nothing rational."

"Coffee," Quistis says and stands up. "I don't know, maybe you're right, Seifer. But maybe...." She turns to me, holding a mug with a chocobo picture on it. Why does Squall have a mug like that?

"Maybe she hates people too much," she continues. "Maybe she sees everyone else as a threat. Maybe she wants to... Oh I don't know." She gives me a mug which has a pic of two Moombas playing. Hyne, Squall has some weird mugs. "I don't think we know enough about the situation and our opponent at this point to be going thru this kinda speculation."

I shrug. "Maybe. But it's better than sitting 'round, twiddling our thumbs."

"Yeah, gotta keep your mind going, s'that what you mean?"

"Pretty much. Otherwise we'd turn into mindless senseless killing machines."

"I think we already are," Squall mumbles.