A/N - All Disclaimers apply.

I do not own Final Fantasy or Square Enix but I do own the characters like Pia or Yubari.

Chapter 16

The train set off from Timber as Squall sat down on the sofa in the SeeD compartment. Irvine and Selphie had been placed into the beds and were asleep, recovering from the attack from Pia and Antony back in the Television Centre.

Seifer, Raijin and Fujin stayed in the hallway. Quistis and Zell were talking strategy in another room. The two of them were in a state of shock at what had happened only a while ago.

"Squall what are you thinking about because if you go back into you're shell then I would hate to try get you out of it again." Rinoa asked as she walked into the room.

"You know Rin if there was one thing I could have done when I was in Time Compression, when I went back to the orphanage and saw Ultimecia vanish into existence. I would have made sure that I never had turned out the way I did." Squall replied seeing Rinoa's face turn into one of surprise at Squall's admission.

"Squall if you changed the past then we most probably never had met and I would most probably still be going out with Seifer." Rinoa said with Squall giving her a look of shock about what she had just said. They both knew that they hadn't actually discussed that part in Rinoa's life three years ago.

"Rinoa I know what you are trying to say and I am grateful for what I have got in the present, I would have liked to see more of the world through eyes other than those of a SeeD." Squall commented, hoping that she knew what he meant by what he had just said.

Quistis then burst into the room with a panic look on her face. Squall and Rinoa looked at her and instantly knew there was something wrong with Zell.

"Squall there's a situation going on in the other room. Zell has just stopped talking and won't even sat a single word. I've even tried hot dogs but that didn't work." Quistis said turning into a state of panic and despair.

"Quistis calm down and tell me everything that you two discussed in there and anything that looked to be suspicious about him to you." Squall ordered her, showing his concern for his friend and comrade.

"Well we started to discuss contingency plans at first and what our reports would be when we got back to Balamb. Then we went onto how we could devise ways to help Pia to fight Ultimecia's control over her." Quistis started showing her worry for Zell and then her anger at what had happened.

"Zell then started to ask me questions about what Pia was like before the fight against Matron and Seifer two years ago." Quistis carried on saying as Squall and Rinoa had then showed a little interest in the subject. They thought way would Zell ask such a question.

"Thank you Quistis, before you go can you tell us as much as you can about Pia?" Squall asked trying to satisfy his curiosity about the Sorceress.

"Well the first time I met her was when I first got my Instructor's license, she was much like you were Squall. She didn't care for friends and all she cared about was her work and graduating as a SeeD." Quistis replied, she had taken note of the interest on Squall's and Rinoa's faces.

� "Miss Jackson, I have told you before about fighting with your fellow students before." Quistis announced as she pulled Pia off the male cadet, who had a bloody face from where she had broken his nose.

"I'm sorry Instructor Trepe, it's just that he called be 'The Ice Bitch' and what was I supposed to do, just walk away like nothing happened.?" Pia asked her, showing her anger still flowing through her body.

"Yes Pia you were supposed to. Have you heard of Squall and how he acts towards people in general." Quistis said, hoping that she would see what she was talking about.

"Yes Instructor Trepe I have heard of Squall Leonhart and he continuous bickering with Seifer Almasy. People say that he is self-centred and doesn't like revealing his emotions to other people." Pia replied realising that she was acting just like Squall does with Seifer.

"That is correct Pia. You and Squall have that in common, neither of you can back down because you both think that you're pride will be at stake otherwise." Quistis comment, making sure that she got the point across.�

"Anyhow everything changed after the battle with Ultimecia. She and Antony started to get even closer, just like you two did afterwards." Quistis replied, noticing how Squall and Rinoa looked at each other and the just nodded at her in agreement.

"So it must of happened during the fight against the Galabadian Garden. Antony must have swore to protect her and then became her Knight." Rinoa replied knowing about the whole Sorceress deal.

They were all standing there when Zell just walked into the room and sat down on the couch. He seemed to have a far away look in his eyes and he didn't move a single inch when after he sat down.

"Ugh where am I?" Irvine said groggily as he started to sit up and tried to get his bearings on where he was. He looked over at Squall and saw a relieved look on his face at him being okay.

"Hey up Kinneas, you're in the SeeD compartment on the train and how are you feeling. Hope it is better than you did at the Television Station in Timber." Rinoa replied showing her relief for her friend.

As she said that Squall walked up to Irvine and openly offered his hand in a way that Irvine knew and just greeted Squall with a hand shake of welcome back.

"Thanks Rin and thank you Squall for making sure I was ok. Hey what's wrong with him?" Irvine asked pointing directly at Zell, who still had not moved an inch from where he had sat down.

"We don't know what's wrong with him, he's been like that since a while ago. To be honest I think he's in too much shock about Pia being a Sorceress and that Ultimecia has taken over her body." Squall replied making sure that he got his explanation across to the whole group.

"To be honest Squall, I think you're most probably right. Me and Zell were their Instructors during the exam and I think he was actually falling for her as well." Quistis replied acknowledging Squall theory on why Zell is why he is for. Everyone looked at her in a shocked why when she said the latter part of it.

A/N - Okay this chapter isn't that good but I needed to do something a fill in before the next chapter,

The next chapter is going to be with them back at Balamb and what Ultimecia is planning to do.