It's Thursday night, and it's right after wrestling. I'm 1 for 1 so far. And here is where the third disc begins.

QueenAdreena: As long as The Whore learns her lesson in the most painful way possible/necessary, I'm good.

pinklove: Uhh…I was just guessing on what an ass feels like.

jasmine32: Worth it, eh? Wait until the battles with Adel, Ultimecia, and the final confrontation with Seifer. I plan to pull out all the stops.

Lady-Rinoa: Wait no longer.

WildfireDreams: Uh…Ok.

nightfighter642: Good to see someone new. I hope you keep reading and catch up with me.

And now, I present, the beginning of the third disc.

CHAPTER 34: WHO IS ULTIMECIA?

A night had passed since the battle between the two Gardens. Since most students in Balamb Garden had a GF or two juntioned, their losses were not so bad. However, all their hearts went to the 9 SeeDs and 11 cadets who had lost their lives fighting in the battle. Rinoa went out after fighting Edea for some reason. Good News was that she was still alive, but the Bad News was that she was in a coma.

The Galbadian's had suffered heavy losses. Approximately 879 Galbadian soldiers were killed, and over 1,500 more wounded at the hands of the SeeDs, and mainly the GFs. Each GF survived, since they could not be killed.

Seifer had taken the helm of Galbadia Garden and took it back to the spot where it once sat, about 200 miles from Deling City. It seemed that the retreat was mainly to come up with a new plan of attack, as he said that he had to find something on his way out. Either way, Seifer was still alive, and still a threat.

Squall was in the infirmary, but not because he was hurt. For some reason, he hadn't left Rinoa's side since she went into her coma. He felt helpless because there was nothing he could do. Suddenly, Quistis' voice came over the intercom.

"Squall, head to Edea's house at once! Matron is back at the orphanage." Squall hated to leave Rinoa, but maybe Edea could tell him what was wrong. He met his four teammates at the front gate, and proceeded to the old orphanage. As they entered, Headmaster Cid stood right inside the door.

"Many thanks for your hard work." Cid told them. Each of them remembered how Headmaster Cid mysteriously disappeared once Galbadia Garden appeared.

"Are you angry with me?" Cid asked. "I don't blame you. I was in a no-win situation. Your defeat would mean the end of you. Your victory would mean losing my wife. I couldn't bear to face either outcome. I don't care about me, but please forgive Edea." Cid led the five of them outside, where Edea was standing, looking over the ocean. Once she noticed the five of them, she turned around and approached them.

"My children. Please forgive me." Edea said. "I raised you as my own, yet still, I..."

"It's OK," Squall said. "We feel the same way."

"We fought, knowing full well you were our Matron." Zell said.

"You are SeeDs," Edea said. "I know that you cannot back out of a battle. However, it's not over yet. At anytime, I may..."

"May what?" Irvine asked.

"The reason for all of this..." Edea began. "I have been possessed all this time."

"Possessed? What do you mean?" Quistis asked.

"I have been at the mercy of Sorceress Ultimecia." Edea said. "Ultimecia is a sorceress from the future, a sorceress many generations ahead of our time. Ultimecia's objective is to find Ellone for her mysterious power. Ultimecia's heart is filled with anger and hate. I couldn't let her get one of my children. So I had to surrender my soul to her and lose control of my mind. That was the only way I could save Ellone. The sorceress that appeared in Galbadia was Ultimecia inside my shell."

"So, is Ultimecia gone now?" Selphie asked.

"Not by a long shot." Edea said. "Ultimecia doesn't have Ellone yet, and will not stop until she does. I believe she may use my body again to carry out her plans. I plan to make a stand this time, but if I fail, I may have to face you in battle again."

"We understand." Zell said.

"There's more." Edea said. "Have you all heard of Sorceress Adel before?"

"She ruled Esthar with an iron fist during the Sorceress War 17 years ago." Irvine said. "But one day, she just stopped making the news and Esthar has been pretty quiet the last several years."

"Exactly." Edea said. "I believe I am just a temporary shell for Ultimecia, and the one she truly wants control over is Adel. However, Sorceress Adel has a very strong mind, and could give Sorceress Ultimecia some difficulty, perhaps even reversing the effect, and having Adel possess Ultimecia instead. Sorceress Adel is one who will not hesitate to use her power for her own selfish desires. Should Sorceress Ultimecia and Sorceress Adel combine, their power would be unimaginable!" Squall had other things on his mind right now, but tried his best to listen to Edea anyway.

"Matron, do you know what's wrong with Rinoa?" Squall asked.

"Rinoa is the girl in light blue, correct?" Edea said. "I remember vaguely, what happened to her?"

"She was with us when we fought you." Squall said. "After the battle, her body was cold. She didn't move."

"Did Rinoa DIE?" Cid asked.

"NO!" Squall said.

"I'm sorry Squall," Edea said. "I don't think I can be of any help."

"It's alright." Squall said. For some reason, all he could think about was Rinoa, and he didn't know why. He remembered when he first met her, at the SeeD ball, then again in Timber. He remembered about how they had arguments at first, but then things began to change.

"Ultimecia's objective is to find Ellone." Edea said. "She is after Ellone's power, sending one's consciousness back to the past."

"What does she want with Ellone's power?" Irvine asked.

"I get it, Ultimecia wants to send her consciousness back from this period further into the past!" Quistis said. "But what's she going to do in the past?"

"Time Compression." Edea said.

"Time Compression? What's that?" Zell asked.

"It's time magic." Edea said. "Past, present, and future compressed together."

"Why do something like that?" Irvine asked.

"I can't even imagine a world where Time is compressed!" Selphie said.

"Squall, are you listening?" Quistis asked.

"So basically, all we have to do is prevent Ultimecia from getting to Ellone." Squall said. "We're going back to the Garden. We have to let everybody know."


"That about covers the update." Squall said into the mic. "And...Sorceress Edea is back at her home. She's probably not our enemy anymore, so let's just leave her alone." Squall then headed to the infirmary, where Rinoa hadn't moved an inch.

"Rinoa, you feel so cold." Squall said, placing his hand on her forehead. "Are you going to be like this forever? Isn't there anything I can do? I feel so helpless." Squall couldn't say another word, for he got an Idea as soon has he heard a familiar whistling sound in his head. His idea would have to wait until after Laguna finished whatever it was he was doing. He felt two others going with him, Quistis and Irvine.