Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 :(

Author's Notes: Thanks to all those who reviewed. Normally, I write comments back to all my reviewers, but I can't think of any responses so just know this…glitter is such a simple thing but often represents a positive, cheerful attitude…your reviews are the glitter of my happiness.

What's this chapter you ask?

Okay, so the following submission is the exact same thing you read in the first chapter…in the correct order. I took out some of the odd tense changes so it works a little better in this form. Once again, hope you enjoy!

Time Compression

"Whoa," Selphie said, waving her hand back and forth. "It's like it's both there and not there at the same time."

It was no surprise that Selphie was the first one to say something after all of time had been compressed into a single instance. She started an overwhelming reaction of replies from everyone that had been, is and will be.

"Who said that?" Someone screams.

"Where am I?" Another added.

"I'm…I'm dying!"

"Help me!"

"Get out of my head!"

"I'm so hungry."

"I'm so full."

"Shut up!"

Selphie grabbed her head and started to panic from all the bodiless voices. She listened closer and started to hear voices that were more familiar to her.

"That's because it is both there and not there at the same time." Quistis replied.

"That makes about as much sense as unedible hot dogs," Zell answered.

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Rinoa chimed in.

"This is rather fascinating…" said Irvine.

"Everybody listen to me and don't say anything. We need to focus if we are going to do this."

Selphie had continued to wave her hand in front of her, but the transparent body part started to hurt her head. At that moment, which was the same as both before and after, her skin started to wrinkle and then it felt odd while her muscles acted as if they had never been used before. 'Whoa, I think I'm gonna explode!'

Rinoa couldn't figure out what she was seeing. Everything was there at the same place at that same moment. It was like a painting being painted with abstract colors. Everybody was converged at that place too, billions of thoughts and words being ran through the same stream. She saw and heard odd things.

If you could put every single thought of every single person along with every single physical object on one table, what would you look at first? But, it didn't just stay "put"…no, it came at you faster than your own mind could produce one single thought.

Irvine took the pleasure in looking directly for the deeper thoughts of any given woman. He saw their desires, dreams and everything else in their heads. At the same time, they could see him staring at their innermost feelings and shuddered. Irvine then came up with the idea of finding Selphie's thoughts. Both after and before watching Rinoa and Squall meet lips, causing Rinoa to blush, he found Selphie who was still waving her hand. 'Whoa, I think I'm gonna explode!'

Oddly, Zell found a drum set. He started to wail on it, playing a slow melody that jazzed up the chatter box in everyone's heads.

"No! Zell, don't!" Squall shouted angrily.

"I would appreciate it if you guys would take care of Ultimecia," Cid remarked. "This is starting to hurt my head."

"Who is Ultimecia!" someone managed to shout amongst the crowd.

"And fast," Cid continued.

Irvine sorted through Selphie's thoughts for only a moment until he found a way to view her as a fully-grown 25 year old and of course, naked. He focused as hard as he could on that so he could feel like he was with her at that very moment. Everyone shuddered once again.

Rinoa came up with an idea, as did many others since they saw it develop in her head. Since Irvine was having such success moving around in this messed up reality, she thought she'd send a little love-thought to Squall, because she felt awfully lonely here with everybody and nobody. 'Squall, I love you.'

'I love you too.' Squall immediately replied.

'Whoa, I think I'm gonna explode!'

"This is hopeless, we'll never be able to stop her in this state!" says Quistis.

Irvine decided he didn't care anymore. He could go wherever he wanted, do whatever he wanted, see whatever he wanted to see. He had become a superhero. Of course, with all his newfound abilities, he just continued to watch Selphie and he'd 'do' whatever he wanted. 'Whoa…I'm so gonna explode!'

Zell felt like dying. It was like something was gnawing at his skin. His bones cracked and twisted. Earlier, he had an epiphany…'was this what happens in his future?' Is what he is feeling now going to happen later even if they did defeat Ultimecia in some raging miracle?

"RAGE," Fuujin replied to the 'raging miracle' comment.

Squall was trying to keep his thoughts to a minimum. He prided on having such deep thoughts that no one else could see. One single slip and everybody would know.

'Ah, so that's why I haven't heard anything from you.' Rinoa said, proud that she had gotten that much out of him.

'I knew you were watching…' Squall said coolly.

Selphie broke into tears. It was all over and starting at the same time. She really didn't like this 'at the same time' stuff. It was quickly becoming really annoying.

Although he seemed like he was totally gone in his own daydream, Irvine came to the crying Selphie, putting his shirt back on.

"What's a matter, Selphie?" he asked calmly.

"We're never gonna do it! We're never gonna be able to stop this!" Selphie exclaimed.

"What makes you say that?" he wondered.

"Because…because…because we just can't!" Selphie shouted, throwing herself into his arms.

'Whoa, she's coming to me!' Irvine smiled and Selphie immediately snapped her head back up at the one person who was really enjoying all of this…except for maybe Zell who seemed lost in his own delusions.

"It's not the 'we' that is the problem." Quistis stated.

"How so? You got some kind of idea?" Squall questioned.

"Every human brain thinks differently based on the events that take place in their life and genetics and whole bunch of other stuff. 'We' is not the problem, but every 'single' person is," Quistis explains.

Everyone started to comment on what Quistis had just said either by saying it out loud or by thinking it. The babble was too confusing to be coherent.

"Irvine," Selphie started, still crying in his arms. "You're the only one who can comfortably move around here…"

…Zell found a world of hot dogs and other tasty treats…

"…help us," she continued.

Irvine had already watched everything play out a hundred times and maybe he was starting to get bored, but he finally decided to actually help and see if he could regroup everyone.

"Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Quistis…Selphie," he said sharply, causing a ping in each person's head respectfully as they each focused on who was talking to him.

"The only way to be somewhere here is simply to be there," he said. Before they could remark, he continued. "Don't speak! Don't Think! It will only cause confusion. Just listen to me and act instinctively instead of thinking about it.

"You can go somewhere, hell anywhere, if you just focus on it. Don't think about it and don't try to over do it. Let's all go to the same place. It doesn't matter which time you go to. Just start with a single place. We'll all eventually meet up at the same time."

'Edea's house!' Rinoa thought.

Irvine thought about trying to say something in response, but she had already spoken -well…thought- and he realized he couldn't think. He had to act instinctively. He focused on Edea's house and was and had been there.

"Okay, we are all here now, right?" Irvine asked.

"What is now?" Quistis asked back.

"Don't ask questions!" Irvine shouted back.

"He's right, we've got to make it to the next step," Squall stated.

"Zell's not here!" Selphie exclaimed.

"We'll have to leave him." Irvine said.

Zell then came around the corner, eating a handful of hot dogs. "Nah, I've been waitin on you guys."

'Why is it that all the simple ones can maneuver through time compression so easily?' Quistis wondered.

"Don't ask questions!" Everyone shouted at Quistis.

"Alright, now let's focus on a time," Irvine commanded.

"Oohh! The future!" Zell immediately decided.

Irvine was going to slap him, but he had no choice, he had to act instinctively and follow as did everybody else.

They all gathered at the back of Edea's house some time in the distant future. They focused hard on each other so they wouldn't get lost again.

"It's a castle!" Selphie noted.

"Ultimecia…" Squall replied. "Come on, everybody. Let's go and remember…stay focused!"

Selphie looked back at her solid hand and started to wave it again. It felt more right. However, during the entire experience, she had seen everything in her own life…from beginning to end. She remembered being born and she remembered dying. She looked at Irvine and shook her head for he had, will, was, oh whatever…he had taken advantage of her in the future. Then she smiled.

"Whoa, I think I'm gonna explode!"