Chapter 40: Rinoa

Squall awoke with a start, crying out in shock. He glanced around, and saw that the formless void had given way to the familiar interior of his room, now darkened in the dead of night. He stopped and paused, realizing he was breathing rather heavily. Finally, after several long moments, Squall rose from his bed and moved to the window, staring out at the glittering ocean as it passed below, and thought about what Ellone had said.

He had asked her to send him back, to when Rinoa had fallen. He couldn't change the past, that much he understood; if Ellone couldn't change things, then neither could he. But perhaps, by going back, he could see something, some clue, some aspect of how and why Rinoa had fallen that could reveal what had happened. With that, there could be a chance . . . .

The likelihood that he'd find anything was slim to none, but he had to try. He had to do something, anything. Squall Leonhart could not sit there helpless and powerless. If there was any chance at all, he had to take it. But the only way he could go back was with Ellone's help.

She said she would contact him again, but when? How? Would it even be in time? Or would Rinoa draw her last breath before he could talk again with his sister from so long ago? That thought jolted Squall, and terrified him more than anything else. If Rinoa died, what then? What would that mean for him? Could Squall even continue on after something so wracking?

Hyne, what was happening to him? Why did he feel like this? Logically, it wasn't his fault or responsibility, but tremendous guilt tore at him, and if Rinoa died . . . the results would be unthinkable. Squall literally didn't know what he would do if he lost her.

He had to move. He had to do something, anything. He knew this. But what? What could he do for Rinoa, now? Ellone was the only chance he could think of, the last thread he could grasp at. But he would have to wait for her to contact him again. Either that, or wait until they found the White SeeDs and their ship.

But there was nothing he could do now, there, standing at his window, watching the ocean fly past. There was only one option at the moment for him, precisely what Edea had told him: pray, and hope for the better.

Squall did just that, standing at that window for hours, as the sky lightened and turned to dawn, and as the sun rose, looking to the stars and the sky, asking for hope and guidance from whoever and whatever could be listening. None truly came to him as he stood his vigil, but finally, just as dawn was finished coming, a knock on the door caught Squall's attention. He opened the door, to see Quistis standing outside.

"Hey," she said quietly. Squall nodded, and opened his door, letting her in. She walked in, slowly, and turned back to face Squall.

"What is it?" Squall asked.

"I went up to the bridge an hour ago," Quistis said after a second, fumbling around with the words. "A couple of minutes ago we spotted a ship. I'm not sure, but I think it fit's the profile of the ship you saw back when Garden was drifting."

"We found them?" Squall asked, his voice reflecting his suddenly renewed hope.

"We're hoping so," Quistis answered, surprised, but pleasantly so, at Squall's change. "Listen, if Ellone is on that ship, we're going to have to keep her safe, or at least as safe as we can. I'm thinking moving her to Dollet, but I don't want to risk a possible invasion from Galbadia, if they're still under Ultimecia's control."

"We'll need to find out more about Adel," Squall replied, moving toward the door. "Esthar may have answers we'll need, and I think I know of a way to get there, too. Let's get to the bridge, quickly."

"Why the rush?" Quistis asked as Squall stepped outside. He paused and looked back to her.

"I need to see Ellone," he stated. "If I'm right, she may be the only hope I've got to save Rinoa."

-----------------------------

Seifer flexed his hand slowly, hearing the minute gears whirring within. Using his right hand was rather annoying, though the doctors assured him that once the skin had finished growing around it, the noise would stop. He certainly hoped so. He was also looking forward to getting back all of his tactile senses; as it was, he could only feel pressure on his hand, not heat, cold, or motion, and certainly not pain.

He glanced down at the hand. The cold metal being seen there was somewhat disturbing, even to him, so he tried to ignore. Still, he couldn't help but glance at it from time to time, to make sure the metallic alloy was not rusting in the ocean's salty mist.

From the ship's bridge, Seifer could see the work progressing. Below, on the deck of the heavy salvage cruiser, Galbadian sailors rushed about as divers went overboard, scuba gear strapped to their backs. Others prepared boats to range outward to see how extensive the structure was, while others readied cranes and underwater sensors. Additional salvage cruisers could be seen in the distance, performing the same operations on the rolling ocean waves.

"How's the recovery progressing?" he asked the ship's captain, who turned away from the screen showing the sonar images of the structure beneath the waves.

"Quite well, sir," the man replied. He turned back to the screen and tapped it. "We're almost done mapping out the width and length of the structure. Quite impressive, I have to say. This is a deep part of the ocean, but this structure is less than two hundred feet below the surface. We're estimating it has to be at least two miles high. Massive, simply massive. Initial reports show that the metal isn't even starting to corrode. Those Estharians know their metallurgy."

"Have you found any access ways yet?" Seifer asked, and the captain shook his head. He tapped another part of the screen.

"One of the other ships had a diver that found a circular depression about a hundred feet down the western side. We're wanting to get a submarine over there to have a look, but we think it may be an entrance."

"Good," Seifer replied, nodding. "Keep this up, and you may get your hands on an armed ship." The captain smiled and went back to work as Seifer strode away, flexing his cybernetic arm once again. He stepped outside the bridge, and into the ocean winds.

"Where are you, Squall?" he asked to the air. "You think I'm out of the game? You think that we're finished? Maybe I'm not as good as you, but I've still got my cards I haven't played. Our little story hasn't finished yet, and I'll make sure you know that when the time's right."

-----------------------------

The White SeeD ship was docked in a small inlet, hidden from prying eyes. Nida had been lucky to spot the ship from his spot, having just barely seen the top of one of the wide, fin-like sails from his high spot on the Garden's bridge. At Edea's advice, Squall had ordered the Garden to move close, at least close enough to be seen, and then had taken a Salamander from the parking garage, so as to be less threatening. Edea had opted to accompany him to ease things; Edea had said that a large group would not be well-accepted. The White SeeDs, she had, said, were very skittish and did not like to be approached themselves.

A dozen of the white-uniformed SeeDs were standing on the front of the deck as the Salamander came in. All of them were armed, though none of them had drawn a weapon, but looked quite willing to do so. Squall stood on the top hatch, at the machine-gunner's position, but stayed away from the weapon, and raised his hands in a gesture of friendship.

"State your business," came a call, and Squall recognized the speaker. It was the captain of the ship, Trent, a man Squall had seen more than a few times in the past.

"My name is Squall Leonhart," Squall stated. "Commander of Balamb Garden."

"I know you," the captain said after a moment, nodding. "The graduation ceremony, correct?" Squall nodded. "What business do you have?"

"I need to see Ellone," Squall stated, and there was a startled reaction from the SeeDs on deck.

"Why?" Trent stated cautiously.

"The war is over," Squall said. "Edea is back to the way she was, before she was possessed. She told us we could find you here.'

"Matron is returned?" one of the other Seeds asked, and Squall nodded.

"Can we come aboard?" he asked, and after a moment, Trent reluctantly nodded. Squall called back down into the ladder shaft, and then leaped from the gunner's position to the deck. The Salamander drifted closer, and finally, Edea emerged from within the ship as it sidled up alongside the White SeeD ship. She stood up in the gunner's turret for a moment, and the White SeeDs stood still, not believing what they were seeing. Finally, after a few silent seconds, Trent bowed, which was mimicked by the other White SeeDs on deck. Then, he moved forward, and along with Squall, helped Edea down onto the deck.

"Matron," Trent whispered, smiling in happiness. "We thought you would never return to us."

"I have, Trent," Edea replied with an equally honest smile. "You have done your duty well, my child."

"You came here seeking Ellone?" the SeeD captain asked, and she nodded.

"I am sorry, Matron," he answered. "She isn't here."

"What?" Squall exclaimed, looking as if he'd been gutshot. "Then where?"

"It . . . It is a long story, Commander," Trent answered. "As I suspect yours is. Come, to my cabin. We can talk there." He gestured toward the aft end of the ship, and the pair turned to follow him as the rest of the White SeeDs returned to their tasks around the ship. They moved across the deck, squall noting that, with the SeeDs' standing down, a number of children had begun to emerge from the cabins at the rear of the ship. They passed under an archway toward the rear of the craft, upon which was the ship's bridge. As they walked beneath it, Squall heard a shout from above.

"Wow! Long time no see, sir!" Squall came to a stop and looked up, to see a very familiar figure bound down the steps arcing up to the bridge.

"Sir, I didn't expect to see you here!" Watts continued. Squall was a bit shocked to see the resistance fighter on the White SeeDs' ship, though he wasn't surprised to see a second familiar figure appear from the bridge.

"Whoa! Look who's here!" added Zone as he came down the steps as well. "Squall! What are you doing way out here in Centra?"

"I could ask you the same question," Squall replied to the two rebels, who he had last seen hiding from the Galbadian army in Timber. "How did-"

"Crazy story, sir!" Watts answered with a grin.

"Oh, yeah," Zone replied, nodding. "After you left, we hid out for a while, but those Galbadian bastards eventually tracked us down. We took off from Timber with them hot on our tails. Managed to make it to a harbor town by the ocean, but they cornered us there."

"I thought we were dead, sir," Watts explained. "Zone went nuts and had this crazy idea to escape by swimming out across the ocean."

"Hey, it was a plan," Zone snapped back. "All you did was whine like a baby. 'We're gonna die! We're gonna die!' And look who jumped in first! You, you numbnuts!"

Squall shook his head as the pair traded insults, wondering to himself how the pair kept on surviving.

"So, after we nearly drowned, me managed to get back on land and sneak on board a fishing ship," Watts explained. "Stole it and sailed it right out of the harbor, with the Galbadians shooting us up even as we escape. We managed to get clear, but then our ship began to sink out on the open waters. We were certain we were going to sink and drown, but that was when the White SeeDs showed up. Ellone managed to convince the boss to save us."

"I'm still not certain why I agreed," Trent answered dryly. "They have proven useful, though. Zone and Watts have shown themselves to be proficient with sailing the ship."

"Not as easy as it sounds," Zone commented. "So, how's Rinoa doing? Where is she?"

Squall didn't immediately answer, and that fact alone made both Zone and Watts glance worriedly at each other. Finally, after figuring out what precisely to say, Squall explained.

"Rinoa was with us when we fought the Galbadian army," he stated quietly. "After the final battle, where we freed Matron from her possession, Rinoa fell. She's unconscious, and resting in Garden. We're . . . not sure what happened to her. I . . . ." Squall paused again, and swallowed his guilt. "I couldn't protect her. I'm sorry."

Zone seemed rooted to the deck where he stood, and then suddenly bolted forward, grabbing Squall by the collar of his shirt.

"You lying bastard!" he roared in Squall's face, the words flying out of his mouth in a furious jumble. "What the hell did I tell you? Huh? What did I say? I told you to protect her! I told you to keep her safe! You promised-"

That was all Zone managed to say before Squall clenched his teeth and struck back, reacting to the venom in the skinny man's words. With almost casual ease, he threaded his right arm in between their bodies and shoved out, knocking Zone onto his rear. Zone scrambled to his feet as Squall stepped back, evenly spacing his feet to absorb any attack. Watts quickly moved between them as Zone stepped forward.

"Zone!" Watts shouted. "Come on, sir! Easy!" He planted both hands on Zone's chest, stopping him in place, and surely keeping him from ending up in a world of suffering.

"Rinoa's safe!" Watts continued. "They just don't know what's wrong with her, that's all! Squall would never give up on her, would he? Huh?" The rebel glanced back at Squall, eyes almost pleading. "Am I right, sir?"

"We're here for Ellone," squall answered after a moment, sliding out of his combat stance. "We're supposed to be here to protect her, but I want to see if I can get Ellone and Rinoa together. Maybe, with both of them, we can find out what happened to her."

"You see?" Watts explained to Zone, who was relaxing, but still obviously angry. 'I told you! Rinoa's going to be fine! Squall's not giving up on her."

"You mean it?" Zone asked Squall, who gravely nodded. "Fine then. But I'll tell you again, if something happens to her, I swear . . . ." Zone didn't finish his threat, but instead turned sharply and stomped up the stairs leading to the bridge.

"I'll try to calm him down, sir," Watts said after a moment. He nodded to Edea, and then followed Zone up to the bridge.

"I'm sorry about that," Trent commented, shaking his head. "This girl, Rinoa, she was very important to him. He and Ellone talked about her a lot." He nodded toward one of the cabin doors. "Please, come inside."

Trent opened the door, and Squall and Edea followed him down into a cabin that was rather large for the size of the ship. The White SeeD gestured toward a table surrounded by chairs, and the pair sat down. Trent pulled up a chair from across the room and sat as well, against the back wall so he could look out a porthole that overlooked the deck.

"I must say it again, I am glad to see you returned to us, Matron," Trent said with a sincere smile.

"Its has been too long since I was last here, Trenton," Edea replied, and the SeeD captain seemed a bit put off by the formal name. "I am sorry I had to leave the command of this ship to you at such a young age." Trent quickly shook his head.

"No, Matron, I understand, and no apology is necessary," he stated. "The Black SeeDs like Commander Leonhart here are eligible at the middle of their teens. Nothing less can be expected of your own personal guards." Trent paused and shook his head. "You aren't here for small talk, though. You want to know about Ellone."

"Yes," Squall replied, nodding. "Where is she?"

"To our best knowledge, Esthar," Trent answered, and Squall nodded.

"How?" Edea asked. Trent took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"As you remember, we picked her up from Balamb Garden shortly after it took off and was set adrift at sea," Trent explained. "We sailed east in an effort to get away from the Galbadian fleet, but they were right on our heels. We neared the coast of Esthar and knew we didn't have much further to run, so we turned back and managed to maneuver between several battle groups, just barely evading them. As we swung by the coast of Timber, those two friends of yours managed to get on board." Squall grunted, obviously not considering Zone and Watts "friends".

"The Galbadian fleet managed to catch back up to us, so we fled south, with the entire fleet on our heels. We managed to lose them in the crater of the northern part of the continent, but then our engine failed on us, due to our running it too much and too hard in the effort to escape. The Galbadian fleet began to catch up with us as we were stuck on open waters, and we prepared ourselves to launch an attack and seize one of their ships. But then, Esthar's fleet intervened.

"They materialized out of nowhere, obviously because of their camouflage technology. They opened fire on the Galbadian fleet immediately, using magnetic accelerator cannons and energy torpedoes. The Galbadians returned fire, but the Estharian navy's weapons were far beyond the Galbadian fleet's. They beat back the Galbadian warships, and one of their ships moved alongside ours. The Estharians told us to abandon ship and get aboard theirs, putting special emphasis on getting Ellone off our ship. Naturally, we refused, and they continued trying to convince us. The Galbadian fleet came back in force and launched a counterattack, and the Estharian ship had to withdraw to reinforce its fellow cruisers. But, as it pulled away, Ellone did something I'll never forget."

"What?" Squall asked, almost urgently.

"She ran to the bow of our ship and called out for the Estharian cruiser to wait. The shi stalled momentarily, then began to drift back toward ours, and then she leaped onto the Estharian cruiser. She almost didn't make it, but one of the Estharian sailors caught her and pulled her on board. They pulled away, and I could swear I saw her smiling.

"By that time, the Galbadians had been badly damaged, and withdrew, with Estharian ships pursuing. However, the cruiser that Ellone had boarded went immediately back into camouflaged mode and slipped away to the east, toward Esthar.

"After they left, we managed to restore our ship to partial operation, and managed to take cover in this inlet. Once we've fully repaired the ship we'll head for Esthar to find her." Trent glanced at squall, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Commander. We couldn't protect her."

"Don't worry," Squall replied honestly. "I understand." All too well.

"So, Ellone has gone to Esthar?" Edea asked, and Trent nodded.

"We believe so," he replied.

"Then its settled," Squall replied, standing. "That's where we're going next."

-----------------------------

A week later, Balamb Garden was docked once again at Fisherman's Horizon, ostensibly to pick up information about the eastern nation of Esthar. What data had been gathered was not promising.

"So," Zell explained, propping his feet up on the table in the briefing room adjacent to Cid's office. Squall and the rest of his comrades, as well as Edea and Cid, were present. "The people of FH are the only ones who have had any contact with Esthar over the last seventeen years. Mayor Dobe led a bunch of engineers and scientists out a while back, while Adel was still in power, and they escaped by train across the bridge, to the old construction rig used back when they built the thing. They're pretty much the only people who have been out of Esthar in the last two decades."

"No diplomatic contact, only occasional contact with the Estharian navy," Quistis added. "Esthar has completely closed itself off. Even that mountain pass you said Laguna used is closed now. Some set off an avalanche to seal that route off. High cliffs around the coasts prevent naval approach, and high mountains cut off land routes. When I asked Nida if he could fly into Esthar, he shook his head and said that the only way Garden could get in would be as a wreck trying to get through the mountains. Estharian fighters will run off any aircraft trying to get inside their airspace."

"Not to mention that Esthar doesn't seem too friendly to begin with," Cid added. "Completely closed off. Even the massive city that's supposed to be their capital is gone, as if it simply vanished. There's nothing there. It's a complete enigma."

"Tough nut to crack," Irvine commented, and Selphie nodded.

"No way to get inside," she said. "At least, no way that won't get us blasted into tiny glowey bits of metal."

Squall sat back and stared into the screen on the far side of the room, showing a map of Esthar, the most recent and up-to-date version available, taken a decade before. He surveyed the wide country, which took up the entire continent. A massive shaded area, nearly a third of the landmass of the continent, indicated a vast urbanized portion of the nation, the capital and center of the nation's power. Other features, such as the mountain ranges around the country, were highlighted. A yellow line indicated where the Horizon Bridge met Esthar's western border, and a white patch between that and the city indicated what was now known as the Great Slat Lake, a lifeless, barren region marked by fossils and white salt flats.

This was Esthar, the place he needed to go to find Ellone. But how to get inside?

There was a knock on the door, and the group glanced up as one.

"Come in," Squall called, and a SeeD from Galbadia Garden opened the door, an excited look on his face.

"Commander, there's news from Galbadia! We just got it from alive feed over FH's HD cable!"

"Patch it through," squall ordered, and the SeeD nodded, moving back out into the hallway.

"What is it?" Selphie asked, equally excited, and moments later, the screen changed to show a rough, grainy feed from a camera outside the Galbadian Presidential Palace in Deling City. A single reporter could be seen, and behind him was a massive crowd of screaming and cheering people, waving flags and, if Squall wasn't imagining things, hurling Molotov cocktails, rocks, bottles, and all other kinds of random objects at squads of sorely pressed Galbadian riot police.

"This is Mike Johnson, Timber News Live, reporting directly from the scene at the Galbadian Presidential Palace," the reporter quickly shouted, ducking as a flaming bottle flew past his head. "The situation is steadily growing worse as Galbadian military officials have been fleeing the building in helicopters. We're hearing sporadic gunfire inside the compound as Galbadian troops are battling one another."

"Could you recap what's going on inside for those who have just joined us?" came another voice, from the studio.

"Sure, Steve," Mike replied. "Roughly two hours ago, Galbadian soldiers began to move into the capital city in massive numbers, apparently under the direction of the former head of the homeland defense divisions, General Hibrom Caraway. This was apparently done in direct response to the absence of Seifer Almasy, acting head of the Galbadian military and current ruler of Galbadia in Sorceress Edea's absence. Large numbers of Galbadian military officials loyal to the government that the Sorceress Edea set up a few weeks ago began to flee the city as this was happening. There have been reports of seizures of command at various Galbadian military bases by regular soldiers, sailors, and airmen, as well as by lower-ranking officers. Higher-ranking officials who were appointed by the late Vinzer Deling or by the Sorceress have either been killed, arrested, or fled the bases with whatever loyal troops they could. Some holdouts remain, but the last bastion of Galbadian troops loyal to Edea's government are holding out inside the compound and-"

The reporter was cut off as a pair of soldiers rushed in, moving in between him and the camera, one stealing the reporter's microphone.

"Freedom for Galbadia!" the soldier roared. "Those bastards that Deling or the Sorceress put in charge are gone! No way in hell is Galbadia going to be a Sorceress' puppet anymore! Down with the Sorceress! Down with Almasy! Down with those bastards that would have us all die for nothing!" Mike Johnson reappeared, wrestling with the microphone as other news crew rushed in, grappling with the two overeager soldiers. It took a few moments to sort things out, before Mike regained control of his equipment.

"As you can see in the studio, Steve, things are pretty crazy around here. We're hoping to be able to set up an interview with the former general Caraway so he can explain why this sudden revolution is happening, and also speculate on where the Galbadian loyalists are fleeing to. More when we can get back. Hey! Get those guys away from the camer-" The visual and sound went dead.

"Well, this is unexpected," Irvine commented. "I knew the soldiers were dissatisfied with the leadership, but I didn't expect a revolution."

"One less problem we have to worry about," Quistis interjected.

"Does this mean that we're not at war with Galbadia anymore?" Selphie asked, and Quistis nodded.

"We should see what we can do to contact the General, and find out what we can," Cid stated. "This is very, very good news, for everyone. With the Galbadian army out of our enemy's control, things are looking very up. What do you think, Squall?"

Squall sat back, and said nothing for a moment.

"There won't be any interference with us getting into Esthar, now," Squall finally said. 'I agree that we should contact the General right away. Quistis, put together a team to go intoGalbadia and meet with the General, and provide any support he needs to finish the takeover. We should send our best. He may have intelligence that can help us get into Esthar, as well." Squall sat forward.

"This is an opportunity we can't let pass," he added. The others nodded quickly, and plans began to be laid out to contact the general immediately.

Squall let the others handle things, instead sitting back and staying out of the conversation, except to put in that he should remain behind at Garden to keep an eye on things. They quickly laid out plans, understanding that he would need to stay here, not the least reason of which was because of Rinoa and his hesitance to leave her.

Squall wondered how eager they would be to go on this mission if they knew that he was taking advantage of that for his own reasons.

-----------------------------

Two days later, Squall approached the door to the infirmary. It was in the dead of night, the Garden silent and still, excepting the occasional guard patrol which were conveniently elsewhere in the building due to certain orders Squall had made that morning. The garden itself was largely empty, as Xu had taken a group of Salamanders laden with SeeDs on a mission to Galbadia to assist the revolution and meet with General Caraway. Her departure had left things quiet around Garden, quiet enough to do what it was he had realized he needed to do.

The SeeD slid his personal ID card into the security lock for the infirmary, and stepping inside. Sometimes, it was good to be the Commander. He crossed the darkened area, and moved into the room where Rinoa lay, her figure softly lit by the faint lights that the Doctor had left on when she had left for the evening.

He paused over her bed, and stared down at Rinoa's still form. After another eternity of waiting, she took a single shallow breath, and Squall released a sigh of relief. Quietly, he reached down and took her hand.

"Forgive me," he said quietly. "Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Quistis . . . Everyone, forgive me. This is the only way. The only way to save myself."

Then, without a whisper of noise, Squall lifted Rinoa up by her arms and cradled her in his hands. She was so light; how much weight had she lost just laying there, wasting away over the last weeks? A sudden sense of urgency gripped Squall at that moment, and he looked around the infirmary, before stepping back outside, quietly locking the door behind him and moving out. He ran quickly through the Garden, only pausing to ensure that the patrols between the infirmary and the parking garage were where he had planned for them to be, far away from him. Once he was through the main structure, Squall used his keycard again to open the doorway into the garage and slipped in.

Normally, Squall wasn't this duplicitous. But, in all honesty, this was the only thing he could do to keep his sanity. Rinoa's illness was tearing him apart, and every day she kept wasting away, descending deeper and deeper into this coma or suspended animation or whatever the hell it was. And as she wasted away, so too did Squall. Nothing could be done, except the single slight hope he had with Ellone. Only with Ellone's help could Squall understand what was happening.

Squall also knew that getting into Esthar would be damn near impossible. More likely than not, he was going to get killed trying to get inside. So be it. But he couldn't let his comrades come with him on something that was so obviously a suicide mission.

But if that was the case, why try to bring Rinoa with him? He wasn't certain. Maybe, deep down inside, he believed he could get her through with him. Maybe he wanted her presence with him to remind himself of why he was doing this. But for whatever reason, he was bringing her along with him.

That was the reason why he had deceived everyone. He had set up the mission to go to Galbadia in an effort to get some of the SeeDs out of Garden, and it had worked. Xu and a large force had departed for Galbadia, but the principals of Garden, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and Zell, as well as Cid and Edea, were still there, meaning he had to be careful. Moving at night, manipulating the patrols, everything was done for this moment, to get Rinoa out of Garden and to go along with him on the only route he knew that would allow them into Esthar.

The Horizon Bridge spanned an ocean, but Squall knew he would walk it to get to Esthar if need be. If it was the only option to save Rinoa, he would gladly take it. Squall opened one of the garage doors silently, and looked out over the still city beyond, before hefting Rinoa once again and stepping out onto the dock adjacent to the garage.

"Come on, Rinoa," he whispered. "Ellone is waiting for us."

-----------------------------

Hours rolled by, and night had begun to turn into day. Squall had moved through Fisherman's Horizon and out onto the Horizon Bridge, and had moved quickly, tirelessly, almost jogging at times. The Guardian Forces within him gave him tireless energy, and Squall had packed enough food and supplies around his waist and inside his jacket to survive for a while. He didn't stop at any point during the night, and moved on until the morning. Rinoa had been shifted onto his back, Squall bending forward and putting her arms over his shoulders, lifting her up by the thighs with his hands. That position made her already light weight almost negligible, and Squall was able to move on deeply into the night and into the first pink rays of dawn.

As morning came, Squall began to slow down. During the night, he had thought only of each step, steeling himself for the long, long journey he would be making. He put one foot after the other without hesitation or regret. Deep down inside, the SeeD felt somehow liberated, and the guilt and helplessness that had been weighing him down was simply gone, vanishing as quickly as garden had over the horizon. In its stead was nothing but iron determination.

Rinoa's head rest on his shoulder, and each breath she took washed over his cheek, and reminded the SeeD of what it was he was doing, of who he was fighting for. Who he was giving himself up for.

As dawn's first rays stung Squall's eyes, the distant sun rising in the east, he finally realized how much he cared for Rinoa. How far he was going for her. No one, not even Ellone had inspired this much loyalty and devotion in him. Squall was still uncertain of what had happened to him, of what Rinoa had done, and even more importantly, of what Squall had done to himself. He just knew, deep down, that he had changed dramatically from the man that had first seen Rinoa on that dance floor months ago.

The sun had risen completely above the distant mountains when Squall finally decided it was time to stop. The light of the new day was chasing away the stars above, the pink sky slowly changing to white and what would soon be blue. The SeeD stopped next to one of the light poles along the side of the bridge, intended to light the path and give workers illumination as they walked, and set Rinoa down slowly, gently. He crouched beside her as he propped her up against the pole, and looked into her still, peaceful face. He brushed one hand along her cheek before rising and looking around, over the ocean stretching away to the north and south. After a moment, Squall stepped toward the edge of the bridge and sat down on the concrete, staring out over the water rushing below.

What was everyone else doing? He had left so suddenly, without warning. But it was what he had to do, to keep them safe. He wondered whether they were laughing at him for his stupidity. No, that wasn't like them at all. More likely than not, they were angry, especially Quistis. For some reason that idea comforted Squall, to know he had friends who would be angry at what he'd done.

After a moment, Squall glanced back to where Rinoa lay, making sure she was safe, and then reached into his jacket. He uncoiled a short, thick black cord and bit off the end of it, chewing the jerky-like material. He frowned at the taste, but didn't complain. Protein rope was made for SeeDs on long term missions, and was designed to be both portable and nutritious. The two foot length of protein rope he had on hand would, if carefully rationed, keep him in fighting shape for three weeks. He finished chewing and swallowed, and replaced the rope, before drinking a few sips from a bottle of energy drink, designed to restore nutrients and provide water for his body. Once he was done, he slowly rose, and glanced back to where Rinoa lay again. He started to move toward her when he heard the sound of an engine in the distance. He recognized the whirring noise of a fast-moving ship's electrical engine, and ducked, moving further into the bridge behind cover. Moments later, he spotted a Salamander moving across the ocean in his direction. Squall stayed out of sight, but the Salamander didn't even slow, the speedy blue-green ship flying past over the waves toward the east. A few minutes after it had passed, Squall rose.

"Searching for me," he whispered, frowning. He shrugged, and scooped up Rinoa again, placing her on his back.

"Sorry," he said to the distant Garden and the patrolling Salamander. "I have to do this alone."

Squall continued walking for the rest of the day, and as the sun dipped to the horizon behind him, he kept walking, never stopping, except once again for less than a minute, to take another bite from his protein rope and drink some more.

Night fell, and the lights around him failed to go up. That was understandable, as no one had used the Horizon bridge in decades, so no maintenance crews would need the lights. Still, the darkness made things a bit difficult for Squall as he walked down the tracks, Rinoa on his back. However, the lack of lights did give him one good thing: without the lights, the stars above were as clear as they ever could be. It was a dazzling mosaic of shimmering lights and a perfect, clear moon hanging overhead. Squall only wished Rinoa was there to enjoy it with him.

As the night wore on, Squall thought he spotted something ahead of him on the tracks. He wasn't certain what it was, not until he came much closer. But in the moonlight, he could finally see that there was an ancient train, decades old, sitting on the right tracks leading directly to Esthar. He ran up to it quickly and set Rinoa down, before trying one of the doors on the three-car vehicle. The door opened easily, and he stepped inside the old train. He glanced around, seeing nothing but rich appointments covered with thick layers of dust.

This would make a decent shelter for them to rest in, he figured, and brought Rinoa inside. He set her down in one of the chairs and looked around further. He didn't find anything useful in the old, abandoned train's passenger cars, but when he moved into the engine room, he was a bit surprised. Wile everything was just as dusty and forgotten as the rest of the train, there was a faint light still on, on the console. He wondered what was causing that. Did the train still have power? It couldn't be from a battery, no battery lasted this long. He quickly glanced back to the train door, and nodded, understanding. There was probably some kind of sensor in the door, that powered up the train when it was opened up. That made sense, he supposed.

But if the train was powered on, did that mean it could run? Squall wasn't certain, himself, and even if it could, how could he operate it? He was a soldier, not a train driver. Still, he poked around the engine room for a few moments, stopping only once to check on Rinoa again, and after about ten minutes managed to find an old operations pamphlet lying underneath one of the consoles. He couldn't read it in the dim light, so, rather than do anything with it, he went back to where Rinoa lay and sat down beside her. Squall rested his head back, and closed his eyes momentarily.

Twelve hours later, Squall was up, only somewhat angry that he'd fallen asleep. He had been more tired than he'd expected. He chewed some more on the protein rope as he ran over the information in the operations pamphlet, and, after some memorization, figured he could at least turn the train on and run it without making it explode or anything. He saw that the train itself had an old diesel engine, and a quick check of the fuel tank showed that it was in working order and almost full. Under normal circumstances the train lines would have gotten power from Fisherman's Horizon, but they included these engines as backups. Squall, with a few pressed buttons and turned valve, switched the train over to the diesel engine and started it on a rough, loud, rumbling trip to the east, toward Esthar.

The sun was rising the next day when Squall finally saw land break above the horizon. As he approached, he made certain to ready his weapons. He didn't expect he'd get inside Esthar easily. Once he was certain all his gear was in place, he went back and checked on Rinoa again. She seemed to have gotten paler since he'd last looked, and her breathing was slowing down even moreso. Squall's heart was gripped by a sudden, furious urge to get her to Ellone as quickly as possible. He turned around and returned to the engine car, keeping an eye on the horizon and the steadily growing continent of Esthar.

-----------------------------

"Mr. President?" came a call over the burst-transmission radio, one of the few methods of non hard-line communication still available inside Esthar. The President nodded.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We've just gotten a contact from the passive sensor array you had set up at the old train yard a few weeks ago. There's someone there, and it looks like one of the old abandoned trains is on the way too. It'll be at the station in about an hour."

"Do you have descriptions of the intruders?" the President asked.

"Ghost Squad Twelve has some snipers already moving in. We should have visuals on-" the man paused. "Bingo. We've got them. Transmitting now." A holographic image appeared before the President, and he frowned.

"SeeDs," he muttered. "Those are SeeDs."

"You want us to pick them up, sir?" asked the voice.

"No," the President replied quickly. "No, General. Keep an eye on them. See if they get near the wall. If they can . . . Well, we've been isolated from the world for too long. Its time to step outside our cocoon."

"Yes, sir, we'll keep an eye open."

-----------------------------

Squall had a rough idea on how to stop the train, and as it neared the station, he engaged the brakes. The train shuddered and squealed but slowed as it neared the ancient, rotting wood and rusted metal of the old train station. It didn't stop precisely in front of the station, instead coming to a complete halt about a few hundred feet from it.

"Close enough," Squall said with a shrug, and he went back to where Rinoa was resting. He hoisted her up onto his shoulders and moved toward the door, when it swung open.

Squall froze, one hand dropping to his sheathed gunblade, when a head poked into the train. A very familiar head, sporting a familiar tattoo.

"Hey, Squall!" Zell stated, bounding up into the train. "You're late, man!"

"What are you doing here?" Squall asked. He intended to repeat the question, adding a "how" onto the front, but Zell waved it away and gestured for him to come outside. Squall sighed and did so.

"Everyone's here," the brawler explained. "Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, and Matron. Irvine and Selphie went out ahead to scout around. Me and Quistis stayed here with Matron in case you two showed up."

"How long have you been here?" Squall asked as he stepped out into the morning light.

"Since yesterday," Zell replied. "Selphie had to get here fast, so she pushed our Salamander so hard the engines almost went out."

"Wait, that Salamander?" Squall asked, and Zell nodded as they walked toward the train station, a pair of figures visible, approaching them as well.

"Yeah, you saw it? We were trying to keep an eye out for you, but we didn't spot you on the bridge. Anyway, after we got here, we saw that the cliffs were pretty high, but Irvine and Quistis are pretty handy with ropes, and the four of use were pretty good climbers. We got ourselves and Matron up pretty well, and we camped out here. We figured you'd show up sooner or later."

"Why?" Squall asked. Zell blinked once, confused. "Why come out after me? After us?"

"Because," Zell replied. "You're skull's too thick." Squall narrowed his eyes.

"Zell is right, Squall," Quistis called as she and Matron neared the them. "You may not realize it, which wouldn't be surprising, but Rinoa is our friend too." As they neared, Quistis reached out and tapped Squall's forehead. "If you'd thought about this, you would have seen that we would have been willing to help you regardless."

"I couldn't risk you too," Squall replied, shaking his head. "Going into Esthar is dangerous. I don't want you to lose your lives because of my stupidity."

"Hello?" Zell said loudly, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound. "Last time I checked, you weren't all that hesitant to lead us into an army of pissed-off Galbadian soldiers."

"That was different-" Squall replied, but Quistis shook her head.

"We're still going to follow your lead, Squall," she said. "Face it, you're a leader now, like it or not. We'll follow you wherever you go. Even into Esthar." Squall sighed, before finally nodding, conceding to them. He turned to Edea.

"Matron, why are you here?" he asked her.

"Esthar is the home of Doctor Hans Odine," she replied. "While my powers are diminished, it is possible that Ultimecia could seize control of me whenever she wishes. I cannot live with this power as long as she exists, but I believe that Doctor Odine can help me." Squall nodded, well aware of the Odine brand of magical weapons and equipment that were so sought after in the western nations.

"If anyone can help Matron, it's the Doc," Zell added.

"Once Selphie and Irvine get back, we should be able to move out," Quistis added, and paused as a pair of figures appeared in the distance, closing quickly. She nodded, smiling. "There they are now!"

Squall set Rinoa down in the relative shade of one of the old, decaying buildings as they waited for the pair to close in. A few minutes later, Selphie and Irvine arrived, the sharpshooter huffing and puffing while Selphie seemed hardly winded.

"I need to give this junction thing a try," he muttered as they slowed down. "Either that or lay off the doughnuts."

"Squall!" Selphie squealed when she saw him. "You're finally here! And you brought Rinoa too!"

"That's kind of the point," Squall deadpanned. "Zell and Quistis said you'd scouted out the area ahead?"

"As best we could," Irvine replied. "All we had was a pair of electric binoculars, but we managed to survey about a twenty mile radius north, south, and east of here. From what we could tell, there nothing north or south, just rocks, dirt, and plants. Not much of those either. But the east looks real interesting."

"Salt flats," Selphie explained. "As far as we could see. Though the ground seemed kind of weird. After a few miles it started to seem kind of like it was wavering or something."

"The terrain seemed to change shape when we weren't looking," Irvine added. "Not sure how to describe it, but it was only after a certain ridgeline. There's something weird going on out there, and I think it may be our ticket in."

"Sounds like a plan," Squall replied. "Irvine, Selphie, you two take point, and keep your eyes open. We don't know what we'll run into out here, especially since it is Esthar territory. We'll be right behind you."

-----------------------------

Less than an hour's march to the east of the station saw the lightly grassy plains and ancient dirt roads give way to steadily more and more barren ground. Then, abruptly, the dirt and grasses transformed into white salts and rough, jagged terrain as they entered the salt flats Irvine had mentioned earlier.

"This place is not natural," Edea commented as they advanced through the bone-white landscape of broken ridgelines, ravines, and hills. "I have heard rumors that Adel used this place as a testing ground for her weapons. This terrain would also make it difficult for an enemy army to advance into Esthar."

"Something wrong?" Squall asked as he hefted Rinoa easily on his back.

"I have a strong sense of foreboding," she replied quietly. "We are being watched, and I do not think it is just by Esthar."

"Ultimecia?" Quistis asked, and the group grew silent.

"You must remain ever vigilant, my children," Edea added after a moment. "We do not know when Ultimecia may decide to return. If she does . . . ."

The group remained silent for a long time, the air around them getting heavy and ominous. All of them understood what Edea was asking of them, but to turn on their Matron again, so soon after regaining her, it was almost too terrible to think about.

"There's an old superstition," Squall said after a moment. "Its that, if you speak about something bad, its going to happen. I don't really believe in superstition myself, but right now, I'm not sure. Let's not talk about this right now." The rest of the group nodded and continued on their trek.

The group continued to move through the bone-white flats, their boots and shoes pounding into the pale ground beneath their feet. Salt began to cake on their shoes as they passed massive, ancient fossils, frozen in place by whatever disaster had created this region. They navigated among the narrow confines and rising and lowering terrain, constantly keeping their eyes open and guard up for a threat. As the hours passed, none presented itself, but no member of the group slackened their vigil. They had begun to agree with Edea about the dangers present here. Something was watching them, waiting with hushed anticipation, but what it was remained a mystery.

They continued pressing forward, moving across the salt flats, until they came up on a high cliff that overlooked a never-ending range of salt flats, ridges, and hills. Squall shook his head as they saw the terrain stretching off in the distance.

"How much further are we from the disturbance?" Squall asked, and glanced to Irvine.

"I think we're at it," the sharpshooter replied. "This is about twenty miles from the station."

"So, if we're going to find it, its right here," Squall said, and the Irvine nodded. Zell stepped forward, toward the edge of the cliff, and looked out.

"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked as the others began to do the same thing, spreading out and taking in their surroundings.

"Anything weird," Squall stated as he began t crouch to set Rinoa down. Quistis moved to the edge and began to lean over, to look below, when she suddenly stopped, backing up, putting a hand to her head. Her eyes widened as she looked up.

The air before her seemed to waver, and a clearly electrical burst of static could be heard as the landscape before her grayed out momentarily, revealing a hexagonal outline, complete with a ladder leading up to emptiness about fifteen feet above her head.

"Squall!" she shouted, reaching forward and grasping the ladder as it faded away, the entire image returning to the barren flats. However, Quistis belied the false image, as, despite the appearance of the never-ending flats, she still gripped the edge of the ladder. The rest of the group converged on her position as she felt around inside the illusion.

"Its fake," she said quickly. "There's a wall here!" The others quickly moved forward, touching against the wall, feeling the illusion and the solid, unyielding metal beyond. Edea made a gesture toward the wall, and directly in front of her palm, a roughly three foot wide region grayed out, showing an opaque metallic wall directly in front of her. She moved her hand along the wall, and stopped as she came across a small box set into the wall. A tap opened up a small panel with a trio of buttons. Uncertain, the sorceress touched one.

The outline Quistis had seen earlier returned, along with the ladder. Edea tapped a second button, and the illusion returned. She hit the first button again, and the illusion returned. The third button caused a square doorway to open at the top of the ladder, leading into a dimly lit tunnel beyond.

"What's that?" Selphie asked. Zell bounded forward, hopping up onto the ladder and scrambling up. He peeked into the tunnel, and went inside.

"Whoa!" he shouted. "Guys, get up here, check this out!" The others quickly followed, squall bringing up the rear after hefting Rinoa onto his back as stably as he could. He reached the top of the ladder and entered the chamber beyond.

The room was massive, stretching off into the distance on either side. The room itself was dimly lit, excepting the catwalk spanning the two hundred foot distance between their entrance and a distant door. Below, and to either side, as far as the group could see, were thousands and thousands of gray hexagonal panels, partially transparent.

"What is this place?" Quistis asked quietly, and no one answered. Irvine and Selphie took point again, leading down the catwalk toward the far end. As they drew closer to the far end of the catwalk, they spotted a rack of the hexagonal panels sitting to the left of the catwalk, a computer terminal in front. Selphie approached the terminal, curious, and activated it by tapping a large button that was clearly marked as the "on" button.

The air in front of her shimmered, and light shaped itself into a series of complicated, angular characters in front of her face.

"Holographic projectors," he said, fascinated. Zell stepped up beside her, looking over the script.

"Estharian," he muttered. "I can't read it-"

The second he said that, the script shifted, reforming into the familiar blocky characters of western script. The brawler took a step back, surprised at the sudden shift.

"Camouflage system test," Selphie read. "Its got some options here. Color, camouflage, opaque, transparent . . . ." She reached forward and tapped an arrow pointing down,a nd she saw an icon indicating system specifications. She tapped it, and information scrolled up the holographic image before her.

"Oh, wow, I see," she said. "There's a massive computer network designed to keep this thing running and operating. They have an artificial intelligence dedicated to keeping this camouflage system making the illusion that there's nothing here." She exited out of the specs and scrolled up, tapping the camouflage button. The panel before her darkened and then lightened, transforming into a blue sky. Dozens of options scrolled down the screen in front of her, showing what amounted to hundreds of options toward camouflage. A few taps showed the panel changing to show deserts, cloudy skies, oceans, even a modern cityscape. Another tap showed the terrain changing to match the salt flats outside.

"So, they set these up to make it look like there's nothing here," Irvine commented.

"But why?" Quistis asked. "Why would they go to such elaborate measures just to hide?"

"I have the feeling we're going to find out," Squall commented. He nodded toward the door beyond. "Let's go have a look." The others nodded, and they moved forward, toward the door. A lock at the center of the door rotated as they approached, and the door split apart and opened into a chamber beyond. The group stepped out onto a platform suspended from a quartet of narrow struts extending high into the distant, dimly lit ceiling. No sooner than the entire group had gotten on, than the platform began to move to the right down a tunnel with a faint humming sound.

"I gotta bad feeling about this," Irvine commented. Squall said nothing. He simply stood there, waiting for the elevator to reach wherever it was headed. He honestly didn't care right now, as long as they were moving forward. They were on the edge of something, something big, and he wanted to keep moving. Every second made them that closer to Ellone.

The elevator stopped moving horizontally and began to rise. Several moments passed, and each second saw the elevator rising more and more quickly.

"Were are we going?" Selphie whispered, barely audible over the hum of the machinery.

"Hell if I know," Zell commented. He glanced at Edea, who shook her head.

"I haven't the slightest clue either," she replied. No sooner had she said that than the elevator jolted to a halt. Everything was still and silent for a moment, and then a hexagonal doorway opened toward the front of the platform, a short catwalk leading from the platform into the passage. They moved forward, out onto the platform beyond, which was shrouded in darkness.

"Another elevator?" Zell groaned. Then, the darkness peeled away before them, and the group stood in awe at the panoramic view that opened up.

From the left to the right, as far as they could see, structures rose up before them. Thousands of buildings, the smallest taller than the largest structures in the western nations, rose up from the ground far, far below. Pastel pinks, yellows, reds, and blues marked the huge, rectangular structures, all of the buildings rounded and curving as opposed to hard and angular. Hundreds of multicolored roads and avenues curved and rotated between the thousands of buildings, seeming to posses both complete chaos and yet a strange sense of order that defies the newcomers' sensibilities. Distant people, clad in white and green and brown robes and strange headgear wandered the streets, while pod-like vehicles buzzed along the streets. Other vehicles and platforms laden with people flew through multicolored tubes stretching throughout the city. Hundreds of flying craft buzzed throughout the city, like so many insects flying around a massive, bustling hive. And this was just what they could see in this tiny segment of a massive city that stretched into the horizon. A single massive structure towered many miles away across the city, rising up above the metropolis below like a massive mushroom or tree, dominating the skyline of the city.

"What in Hyne . . . ." Quistis breathed.

"Esthar," Edea added, and Squall slowly nodded. This was indeed the city he had heard so much about. Still, descriptions he had read or herd of the fabled megalopolis of the east paled in comparison to the massive urban sprawl beyond.

The platform suddenly shifted, and a pair of rails shot out to either side of the group. A clear transparent barrier of glass split apart before them, and the group was struck with a blast of fresh air, tinged with a thousand different smells from the city beyond, and then the platform began to move. It shifted forward, flying ahead and then descending rapidly, dropping down into the city.

A massive airship shot by overhead as they curved down and around a huge cylindrical tower. They passed through a series of streets, with curious onlookers glancing down their way, and then the platform weaved among a network of red, green, and blue tubes as vehicles shot through them.

"This is Esthar?" Irvine asked, looking around in wonder.

"Damn, never heard about this in the history books," Zell commented as the platform moved into one of the buildings, passing into a darker chamber that steadily lightened. They came to a stop inside a wide room made out of gray gunmetal, looking distinctly military in design. The device clicked to a stop, and the group moved out, onto another platform directly in front of a heavy door.

"Now what?" Quistis asked quietly.

"Judging by their technology, and what we saw outside, they probably know we're here," Squall answered. "I don't want to have to fight them. Maybe we can reason with them-" He stopped suddenly, feeling his head go fuzzy. His eyes widened momentarily as he recognized a feeling of drowsiness wash over him.

"No!" he hissed. "Not now . . . ."

"Squall!" Quistis began to say, and then Selphie began to yawn widely.

"Shit," Zell muttered, his voice slurred. "Not again." He dropped to the floor.

"Bad . . . timing," Selphie added as she sunk to her knees. Squall fought to stay awake, and managed to feel Rinoa fall off his shoulders. He turned sluggishly toward her, to see Quistis manage to catch her before she fell to the deck. His knees hit the metal floor beneath him, and darkness rushed up to grasp the SeeD as he fell to the floor, Ellone's mysterious power sweeping over him once more.

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Happy New Year's people! Here's a gift to all my wonderful fans!

This chapter was a lot longer than I anticipated. In al honesty, I knew it was going to cover a lot of stuff, but dayum. I think its about as long as one of my epic battle chapters at the end of Book Two. Things kept rambling on and on as I wrote them, and I couldn't find a good part to end this chapter. Besides, I always felt the part between the fourth interlude and the final one seemed to be one chapter in its own right. I would have split them up, but I felt that doing so would result in a couple of chapters that were a bit too small for my tastes.

So, here you guys have it. The heroes are in Esthar, and we're on the doorstep of the final Laguna interlude! Some of the truly best parts of the plot are just around the corner, only a few chapters away. I'm itchin'!

Random commentary. The "protein rope" Squall eats was inspired by The Chronicles of Riddick. On the Director's Cut DVD, one deleted scene involved Riddick chewing on something called protein rope, some kind of ration. It sounded like a cool idea, so here it is in my fic. Also, this is the first instance we'll see of a lot of Halo-ish technology and sci-fi appearing in this fic. Expect a lot of Covenant/UNSC-style technology to appear, such as AIs, holographic technology, gravity technology, plasma weapons, energy shields, etc. The moment Esthar begins, FFVIII takes a real dive into sci-fi parts, and I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.

Oh, I almost forgot. I added in that part about the Galbadian revolution, both for fun, and to show what else was happening in the world. I mean, Galbadia does seem to take a backseat toward the end of the game, except when they launch their final invasion. I wanted to show what was going on in Galbadia at this point in the game. Writing that bit was tremendous fun.

Okay, time for the shout-outs of epic crunchiness and sweet sugary goodness!

-Angelo di Desiderio: The joke there was that Laguna, being Laguna, added an unnecessary suffix (or is it prefix? God, I hate grammar.) to the word. Thus, Kiros says that the "un" part wasn't needed. Just usual Laguna mistakes and his friends' banter in response.

I'll add that thing to my profile, if I can remember inside my scatterbrained fool head of mine. XD Poke me if I don't respond and add that to my profile later on.

-Daniel Wesley Rydell: Hey, you have a happy New Year yourself. And that goes for all of you people. All of you. Yes, even you, in the corner back there. You have a happy New Year, or I'll sic Alucard on you, dammit!

-Virulent Enmity: I actually had some trouble writing that scene. I'm glad people liked it.

The writing tournament is at Random Insanity. Link in my profile. I'm writing as His Badassness himself, Alucard. XD

-DBZ Fanfiction Queen: YES! Another convert to the awesome ways of Hellsing! "In the name of God, the impure souls of the living dead shall be banished to eternal damnation! Amen!" XD

I'm going to approach this from the angle that Laguna believes both Raine and his son died in childbirth. He doesn't find out until Ellone is much older that Squall is actually alive, and, well, he can never get around to meeting with him or anything because both the extreme discomfort that would cause and because he's got such an important position.

Hope you get done with The Omega soon! Great stuff, badass writing. Daz is all FFVIII fanfic writer's lord and master.

Yeah, I'm not sure how it runs much myself. Haven't had much time to devote to it, either. Heh.

-Kaiser-kun: Damn, I didn't know it was that complicated. Then again, I'm learning Japanese, so, yeah… Languages are tough. XD So, what I'd probably be aiming for would be "siempre fieles" then.

-OniRazz: Always loved Laguna. I wish I could have seen more of him in the second disc. He's a great character, and I always love writing for him.

-Lizardios: There's a link in my Favorite authors (or maybe stories, not sure) that leads to a writer named Peter J. Marcroft, who is writing a badass FFVII novelization. You may want to check it out. Kind of bloody and definitely has some interesting deviations from the game. Worth having a look.

-Jamielike: O.o That's a long review. XD -cracks knuckles-

Yeah, jeez, sometimes its hard to imagine I wrote 46 chapters. Wow. I'm giving Synthesis a shot, but I've been so wrapped up in Gunblade that its fallen by the wayside. I must rectify this! This is actually a good spot to stop and have another shot at Synthesis. My inspiration has returned in full force, too.

Yeah, people tell me I own all the time. I don't know why . . . .

When I write combat, or at least, complicated scenes like Seifer and squall duels, I often act them out on my own, like a stunt choreographer. The constant summonings of the three principal Gfs is mostly because they are among my favorites, and they are the good old standbys. Most of the situations I've had the characters in call for them, and yeah, I know I haven't used Pandemonia or Siren at all. Maybe later on.

Squall is . . . Interesting. Bits and pieces of him come from a million different sources and characters. Aragorn, Master Chief, Riddick, Wedge Antillies and Drizzt Do'Urden are just a small number of the characters I've composed Squall from, not to mention there is a healthy bit of my serious side thrown in there. Laguna is my goofy side, Squall is my serious side. So, his fic is somewhat a reflection of myself, in both major characters.

The Squall/Rinoa relationship, I feel, had to be a little bit smoothed out. It was beautifully developed, but there is a lot of subtlety some people miss in the storyline that I tried to bring out and expand upon.

I always imagine Selphie as a technical/demolitions/vehicle expert, and she came off that way to me in the game anyway. I just expanded upon that, though she grated every now and then on me from time to time. Nonetheless, I loved writing her different specialties. Like here, for example, she knows a lot about computers. Selphie is easily one of my favorite characters.

Han Solo was a major part of Irvine from the get-go, I decided way back when I first wrote for him. I originally imagined him without junctions for a while, then maybe getting some training in their use later on. But, as time progressed, I decided that it would spice things up to have someone who doesn't use junctions. Thus, I made Irvine someone who, like Han Solo, doesn't use magic or supernatural powers, except in very specific circumstances. Adds more to him, I believe.

Equilibrium rocked, though I thought the Gun Katas, despite their coolness, was the silliest thing imaginable. Considering I'm somewhat military (and we use the real Gun Katas XD) that came off as silly to me. The director obviously didn't know crap about how real guns worked. XD

As I've always said, Guardian Force stones came from Amanda Anderson's fic "Sowing the SeeDs." Have a read, it rocks the boxes.

Cerberus made no sense from a storyline perspective, at least to me. As I approach Gfs, he wouldn't have made any sense to be summoned, and there was no readily understandable reason why he was summoned. Since Sorceresses don't need GFs, he wouldn't have belonged to Edea, so, yeah, I had to cut him out.

Yeah, Seifer's going to get better. He got better in this chapter! I can't wait 'till the final battle between him and Squall. I've got some hardcore stuff planned there.

Oh, I still haven't done the first kill bit, haven't I? I need to write that, I really do. I was going to put it in The Art of War, but I forgot to do so. So much stuff here slips my mind….XD

Well, that's that. Time to get back to the old word processor and kick some ass, take some names, and make FFVIII fanfiction history!

Until next chapter!