"Not here?" Selphie's shoulders slouched with disappointment. "Well, where is he?"

Xu looked across the table at Selphie as oblivious students bustled around the cafeteria nosily. The pair had picked a quiet corner to sit at almost as soon as Selphie had arrived, and Xu promptly put all other Garden business on hold, grabbed two drinks, and began catching up with the ex-Garden student.

"He's gone to Esthar with Quistis," Xu paused and wet her lips as she took a nervous glance down into her cup, "…to see Ellone."

Selphie became very excited about this. "Ellone! Wow! I haven't seen her since-"

"Shh!" Xu suddenly snapped, and Selphie fell quiet with surprise. Xu sighed. "Look, there's been a lot going on since you left to pursue your singing career. A lot which, I assume, you haven't heard about."

Selphie didn't say anything, but her confused frown forced Xu to continue.

"First of all, Squall is the Headmaster here now," she explained slowly. "Quistis is an Instructor again – or at least, that's her official title. As you've probably noticed, there are barely any students left here. After the Ultimecia War, they all left to seek other jobs. There's really no point in training people up, what with no Sorceress to fight – so really, Quistis is more of an assistant to Squall, while he tries to work out what would be the best to do with Garden. He gets a lot of suggestions, but hasn't decided on a final one yet.

"Ellone has been the President of Esthar ever since Laguna took off and left her in his place. Everything was fine for a few months, so peaceful … but, seemingly overnight, she just turned. Developed a great hatred for all Sorceresses, demanding that more Tombs be put up, and Sorceress be sealed into them. As you would know, this includes Rinoa, of course." Xu rolled her eyes with exasperation. "So Squall and Rinoa have lost contact, all thanks to Ellone. Anyway … Ellone has proposed to Squall that Garden become some sort of mobile tomb, I don't know … I don't think he agrees, but he's gone to visit her all the same. I think he hopes Laguna might be there."

Zell, as you've said, has been with you. Cid retired and went with Edea to live back at the old orphanage – they've renovated it, quite a nice job I hear … and Irvine, well … you already know."

Selphie stayed very quiet and showed no emotion as she absorbed all of this information.

"What do we do now?" was all she could manage to say. Xu didn't say anything. All she could offer Selphie was a helpless shrug, just as Zell approached them with a delighted and friendly grin.

"Xu!" he boisterously shook her hand with one hand, and slapped the other on her back roughly. "Man, how long's it been since I've seen you? Hey, where's Squall? And Quistis?"

"Sit down, Zell," Selphie said gently, tugging on his hand. "There's been some stuff going on that we need to tell you…"

"Would you like a drink?" Quistis asked in what she imagined was her most gentle and sweet voice. Squall barely even glanced up from his massive book.

"Hmm?" he muttered gruffly. "Oh, no thanks."

Quistis sharply rose from her seat and stomped over to the mini bar in a very unfeminine way. She couldn't help but grind her teeth together and she roughly poured herself a small drink and gulped it down. When she imagined spending over two hours with Squall in a romantic-looking and peaceful train carriage, she had pictured long, intelligent conversation, witty jokes, and making toasts to their future with tasty, refreshing drinks in expensive glasses…

"Pah," she laughed at herself under her breath for her naivety and as she went to pour another drink. As she lifted up the heavy bottle and began pouring, the whole train began rocking back at forth.

"Woah!" Quistis couldn't help crying out as she stumbled sideways. Both the glass and the bottle flew out of her hands and smashed on the floor, leaking flammable liquid all over the carpet. "What's going on!"

Squall clutched onto a nearby safety rail and pulled himself from his seat, his book clattering to the floor. There was a deafening screech as the entire carriage swayed fiercely before the train finally ground to a sudden halt – and Quistis and Squall were flung at the walls as it did.

Quistis rocketed into a heavy door headfirst, and the window above her smashed. Pieces of glass rained down onto her still body as she collapsed into a heap on the floor. Luckily, Squall has softened his fall by sliding across the floor on his feet and the train stopped. He felt a few bruises on his legs, but he was generally fine, apart from a little shook up and surprised. Just as he noticed Quistis lying unconscious, blood seeping slowly from a nasty wound on her head, the cabin door opened slowly and a person stepped in.

"Ellone!"

The President of Esthar eyed her brother, then the peach-coloured heap in the corner.

"Hmm," she mused. "I shall have to ask my driver not to stop so suddenly next time."

A horrible sickly smile spread across her face as Ellone clicked her fingers, and four bulky Esthar soldiers stepped in. Squall tried to rise onto his feet.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Have you been on this train the whole time!"

"Correct," Ellone smiled, and took a step forward. "You see Squall, I know you'd never surrender Garden to me willingly – no matter what I wanted to use it for. I also knew you'd keep the train tickets, so you could come and see father. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Squall. Laguna's not at Esthar, nor is he coming."

"But what I didn't know," Ellone changed her tone of voice as she eyed Quistis again, giving her a prod with her foot, "Is that you'd bring someone. I thought the proud lone wolf Squall would come alone. Obviously not. Now I have to resort to kidnap to get what I want. And that's Balamb Garden."

Ellone laughed proudly as Squall's dismayed face. "I've already sent Xu a message from 'you', telling her to get Garden's mobility mechanism up and working. It's going to become a tomb, just like the rest. That's right, Squall. Balamb, Galbadia, even the freshly restored Trabia Garden. The more Sorceresses I can seal, the better."

"You're unbelievable! Why are doing this to us all!" Squall questioned her. "Rinoa's not even-"

"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!" Ellone roared suddenly, in a voice that wasn't her own, while raising up her hand high above her head. With a loud crackle and many popping noises, a black energy ball began to form in Ellone's hand. Suddenly something on her wrist caught the light, and in a split second Squall saw a large silver bangle as her hand came down and the black energy flew towards him. The bangle that Ellone wore had a marking on it – a name.

Odine…