Disclaimer (applies to all chapters of the story): FinalFantasyVIII and related concepts are property of Squaresoft. Future characters of Breezy, Charvin, Heyla, Gella, and Kem belong to Harper and are used with permission.


The day, like this story, started the same as any other.

It was a blithe, lighthearted day in Fisherman's Horizon. The air was warm with a spring breeze, and the sharp smell of fish lingered in the early morning air. It was the kind of day when everybody's troubles seemed to melt away under the bright sunlight. It was unfortunate for Heidi that pregnancy wasn't a trouble of the melting-away variety. The date was March seventeenth, or more importantly, the six month mark of Heidi's pregnancy. Predictably, Rodney was nowhere to be found. He was nervous and unsure of what to do and how to act around his pregnant wife, so mostly he took to just staying out of her way. At the moment, he was probably off fishing or haunting the pub. So inconsiderate. It's likely that if Heidi hadn't been so preoccupied with Rodney's shortcomings, she wouldn't have stepped on a rut in the pier, and the whole thing wouldn't have happened the way it did. Heidi, unaware of the impending series of events, took a fateful step and faltered. Gravity seemed nonexistent for a moment, but a second later it returned, stronger than ever, and nothing could have stopped Heidi from plummeting into the brisk water. She felt the ocean's icy grip and flare of pain in her stomach. Trembling and shivering, she managed only a weak "H- help. . . P-please. . ." before everything went black.

Later, a doctor told Heidi that she had been lucky. In all honesty, a part of her would have liked to know how lucky he'd feel if he were sliced open and sewn together again; however, deep-down she realized he was right. A whole slew of other things could have happened with each result unluckier than the next. Considering the circumstances of her premature baby boy's birth, they'd both been pretty lucky to survive the ordeal. The baby was so tiny and fragile that he looked heartbreakingly small compared to the huge world around him. He was handsome as babies go, and his hair was clearly the same as his father's-- wisps of blonde hair with a funny little spiked cowlick in front. As much as his hair resembled his father's, though, his bright blue eyes were Heidi's. Despite all the similarities to his parents, his set of lungs was unique. He was screaming and bawling as loudly as he could. Granted, that wasn't very loud, but the effort was outstanding anyway. He'd clearly turn out to be a zealous child. Zealous, that had a nice ring to it. She'd just have to change it a little bit. . . The "ous" sounded too much like "Jealous", so scratch that, and maybe if the A was another L. . .? Zell? Yes, that was the perfect name for the little imp. I wonder, my Zell, what the future has in store for you . . . Heidi thought as she drifted into an unsettled sleep.

A ring of energy surrounded Heidi. She was holding onto her baby for dear life, but there was another baby there also that seemed to be in danger of being swallowed up by the mysterious ring. Heidi knelt and picked up the infant with her left hand, still holding her own baby. The baby she had just cradled on her left squinted. It seemed to be sneering at her. Its eyes shone brightly for a moment, and when Heidi looked closer, its eyes were the same green as a cat's. Something flickered to Heidi's right, and she turned her attention to Zell. Looking closer, the left side of Zell's face was shining with a silvery light that faded to reveal a distinct design emblazoned there. There was a shimmer in the energy, and images flashed onto the walls of her perceived prison. Two children, merely twelve or thirteen stood facing each other in conflict. The smaller boy looked familiar to Heidi. She realized he had her Zell's eyes: questioning bright eyes that even she couldn't interpret. The taller boy's eyes were the eyes of a bully: scornful, derisive, and filled with anger, but at the same time filled with hurt. The image was replace with another, then another, then. . . The images were flashing too fast to keep up with now, faster and faster they raced around the ring, whirling together, forming a swirl of color and then a single tunnel of light. The sound of cruel laughter mixed with a high-pitched noise- then silence and whiteness overtook both.