Voila! Chapter Douze.

Disclaimer: I still have no ownership. You all know, this is a very long story, and I have made it very clear that I don't own any of it but the plot, a certain place, and three characters. That's it. I hope you all know that by now.

Chapter Twelve

"Uncle Laguna?" Ellone walked into Laguna's office. "Why are you still up? It's after midnight."

"I can't sleep, Elle," Laguna answered. "I'm worried."

"About what?" She sat in a chair in the front of the desk.

"The usual. Squall and Rinoa, Selphie, Quistis, Irvine, and Zell. I'm afraid something is going to happen. Something bad."

"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone gasped. "Selphie told me that if you think bad things, they tend to happen."

"I know. Kiros used to say that too. But I'm still worried."

"Well don't be. Squall and Rinoa will be fine. Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine will be fine. For goodness sakes! They're SeeDs! They're strained for this kind of thing!" Ellone exploded.

"I know, Elle, calm down." Laguna cracked a smile.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"I can't believe it!" Zell exclaimed. "How does she know? How does Ultimecia know what we are doing?"

"I've no clue, but it's making me angry," Irvine replied bitterly.

"Guys we better get back," Selphie sighed. "This is so confusing."

They carefully climbed back down the cliff and walked back to the city.

"Ultimecia must be following us somehow," Quistis said. "Either that or she's just randomly destroying crystals and we're somehow following her."

"Well, whatever she's doing it's starting to bug me!" Selphie retorted angrily.

"Don't I know it," Irvine agreed. "How is she doing that? Can she read minds or something?"

"I doubt it. Mind reading is very, very uncommon. This is probably just a coincidence. We're starting to jump to the wrong conclusions." The Instructor frowned.

"Quisty is right guys. It probably is just a coinky-dink," Selphie said. "Let's just forget about it for now and concentrate on the crystal."

"And food!" Zell interjected. "I'm starving!"

"Zell," Irvine turned to the martial artist. "Honestly, what else is new? You're always hungry."

Selphie and Quistis just couldn't help but laugh. Zell's face turned crimson.

"So what if I am?" Zell yelled. "At least my main thoughts are about something other than women!"

"Well," Irvine wriggled his eyebrows. "I am an expert woman observer."

Selphie was hit with a huge giggle fit, but Quistis did not find that in the least bit amusing. She rolled her eyes.

"Irvine, is that ALL you ever think about? Women?" Quistis demanded of the cowboy.

"You're forgetting guns. Guns and women. My specialties," Irvine added with a grin.

"It's a shame no woman will take you," Zell sneered. "Looks like it's just you and the guns."

"Chicken Wuss." Irvine muttered as the only comeback he had.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Zell jumped in Irvine's face, his fists clenched, knuckles white.

"Nothing, nothing." Irvine kept walking. "Chicken Wuss."

"Why I outta…" Zell's face was not a color too short of purple. He punched the air.

"Guys! Guys! Will you both stop acting like little children?" Quistis asked, her voice rising in that big sister tone.

"C'mon Quisty, they can't help it," Selphie replied. The other two nodded in agreement. "They're men." She giggled.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Irvine crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's enough guys." Quistis opened the hotel door. "We have to get back to work."

"Can we eat first?" Zell's stomach growled.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, Zell!" Quistis rolled her eyes. "I guess so."

The four of them ate at the hotel's restaurant. Zell ate more than the rest of them combined and finished eating about an hour later. They walked up to their room and finally got back down to business.

"So, where do we look next?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah, we've had no luck at Tears' Point, the Deep Sea Research Center or Deling. So now where?" Zell asked, finishing up the sentence with a yawn.

"Well, let's think, what places are normally dark and damp? Caves, right? Well what places have cave?" Selphie paced the hotel room.

"Caves are everywhere, Selph." Irvine told her not quite sure where this was going.

"But lots of caves! Where are there lots of caves or damp places?" Selphie stomped her foot.

"I'm not sure." Quistis looked over at Zell. "Let's ask Mr. Know-It-All-Zell. Zell!" She leaned over to look at him better. "Oh, boy, he's asleep."

Zell was snoring quietly in his chair. His belly was full, and he was tired. A very bad combination.

"Zell?" Selphie walked over and shook him. "ZELL!"

"What? Is it morning?" Zell jumped up looking around.

"No, Sleeping Beauty," Irvine sarcastically informed him. "It's still night."

"Zell, we were just wondering: Where do we go now?" Quistis explained to him. "Do you have any ideas?"

Zell shrugged. "How about Winhill?"

A/N: Okay, reading over this I realized that this may be a little confusing. I have the whole legendary energy crystal thing b/c 1) I didn't want to invent a new item and 2) I had a hard time getting them for Squall's Lionheart. So I wanted to do something with them. Plus, the name just sounds so cool! "Energy Crystals…" Yes, I am entertained very easily. I should also explain that Irvine and Zell won't really get along very well b/c they didn't seem like the type of guys with those types of personalities who would get along. So yeah, there will be a bunch of little arguments.

Oh, hey! A heads up: There will be quite a bit of straying from the main plot in the first 20 some chapters. I will type up the chapters that I have so far and then let that hang in the air for awhile. TGO will probably be neglected until a) I finally get an idea b) I'll get stuck on TLR and will switch over to TGO or c) My editor takes her M16 and holds it to my head and forces me to finish it. (J/K) So that's the plan right now. TLR will be on hold for about a week or two until I can get all of TGO out of the way. Our Spring Break is next weekend and I am hoping to get all of the chapters posted by next weekend. And TLR will probably go a little slower than I would like b/c I am having a hard time getting in touch with my editor. (I have two different editors. One for TGO and another one for TLR. I have to make things difficult, don't I? NO COMMENTS, MEGAN!)

Oh, believe it or not, but this story originally had an ending, but I had figured that my English teacher, Mrs. West would have a cow and then some b/c she really liked the characters and told me that I would meet an untimely end if a certain character lost his/her life, so I changed it. But I am starting to believe that a certain character's end in inevitable. But this story is by far my favorite and the best that I have ever done in my opinion, All I ask from you all is to read it, it goes by fast, and review to tell me if certain areas need work or whatever. Just please, I beg of you, no horribly mean flames. I'm nowhere near as good as Ashbear and don't plan to be. (Yes, I am a big fan of Ashbear.) So yeah, that was my little speech that I have been meaning to put in. Sorry if it took so long. Later Days!

(By the way: TGO Time Goes On and TLR The Last Reality. I have a hard time with typing accurately, so I'm saving my editor and myself a BUNCH of headaches.)

Oh, and about this little war thing, it's just for fun and it's just a bunch of jokes and jeers. If it bugs anyone, let us know and we'll do what we can. And people, I am going to win the war. She can have the battles! I have many tricks up my sleeves! I just have trouble getting started sometimes…

E/N: Oy, you give me a headache anyway! And there's no way you're going to win this war missy, mwahahaha! I'm commenting on that anyway, by the way: Yes, you do make things difficult! But you STILL aren't picky enough on the things I want you to be picky on (cough)picture(cough). Well whatever, eh? R&R guys, before ze editeur threatens your dear author with Plan C. ;) (joking!)

A/N: That was meant as a joke b/c I seriously doubt if you will be able so inflict me with any type of fear. You are way too, what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah, nice. He he he. I luv ya, Megan! I am going to win this war b/c I have already made a public announcement and it would look awful bad if I lost, ya know?(I just love Raijin!) So I HAVE to win and I will or I ama pretty shabby author indeed. And what do you mean by I give you a headache anyway? Woman, I am SAVING you headaches. I think that you are tres, tres confused. But you can't help that, can you? Your hair color works well with you Megan!(No offense to anyone who gets the joke intended.) He he he. I am enjoying this a little more than I should. Oh, well. And dear, you do not want me to be picky b/c I will be so picky that you will want to tear that picture up into itsy bitsy little bad guy villian pieces. So there, Miss-I-Don't-Know-How-To-Walk-In-The-Hall-With-My-Boyfriend-And-Walk-At-The-Same-Time! (Editor:1 Author: 50 million.) LOL!