Enjoy, thanks for reviewing Paine of Spira. For your reading pleasure.

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Balamb Garden hovered gracefully over the grassy plains of Balamb. Taking it's occupants to the area surrounding the Fire Cavern, new SeeD candidates being taken to pass yet another rigorous exam.

None aboard knew what horrors lie just beyond the forest, just waiting to tear into the delicate peace inside. The occupants sleeping peacefully, waiting for the sun to rise and to greet them with a pleasant morning.

Cloud Strife stood silently, watching the ancient Centra machine slowly make it's way. His mind quickly thought of Cid, he knew the older blonde would have been impressed with the flying building.

Regret found it's way into his heart, his blue eyes lowering for a second. He had almost beaten him to death. All because Cid had spoken out against the killings.

He had been the only to question him after all the many years of killing. Spitting the words of truth in his face.

"No more Strife, I've had it up to here with killing," the pilot had spat, "You really are nothing more than a Sephiroth wanna be."

"I am not!" he had screamed, "I am ten times more than what Sephiroth could ever be."

"Damn straight," Cid had locked eyes with him, "Sephiroth may have been insane but he didn't go around slaughtering kids."

He had barely kept from striking Cid with his weapon, he had no right to compare him with Sephiroth! Sephiroth was a complete monster, he had killed many innocent people.

"He killed Aeris," Cloud hissed.

"Ah yes, let's not forget about her," Cid had hissed with as much friendliness as a snake, "Heavens for bid if we do."

"She's dead, get over it or the next thousands years are gonna get real old, real fast."

Cloud had back handed the older blonde across his cheek, drawing blood. Both stood silently in the marbled room, Cloud seethed with hate.

"Never ever, say that if you want to live," Cloud spat.

"She wouldn't want you doing this," Cid had pushed, knowing full well that if he pushed hard enough, he would get punched or even killed.

"Cid," Cloud suddenly turned rational, "If you really want, you can leave."

"Without consequences? Just like that?" Cid's voice sounded hopeful, "You'd let me leave, along with my daughter?"

Cloud smiled, "Yeah, none."

Hours after that conversation, Cloud and Barret had had a few 'words' with the blonde captain. Cloud had ordered Vincent and Reeve to throw him out of a portal. Banishing him from ever returning.

But, before Cid had left. He had asked Cloud one question, spitting blood in the younger leader's face as he did.

"Why? Look deep in the ice crystal that's your damned heart and really ask yourself, why the hell are we doing this?"

"Because we have to do it," Cloud muttered into the sea smelling air.

Reeve walked up behind him, "Do what?"

Cloud froze before answering, "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Talking to yourself is a sure sign of madness you know," Reeve offered politely, "The first usually looking for hairs on the palm of your hands."

Cloud felt another pang of guilt gnaw at his heart. It was just a stupid joke but Cid would of muttered something rude and ease the tension. He shook his head, clearing it of any thoughts.

"So's trying to talk to someone who isn't really listening," Reeve sighed, his dark eyes gazed sadly at the Garden, "Hope you can forgive us Aeris. Hope those kids can too."

The former Ex-Soldier walked away ignoring the dark haired feline like man, heading towards the gathered and waiting army. It was an impressive sight, only hidden by the dark of night.

The former heroes had employed the army because they were ruthless. Not one among them had any qualms about killing children, they were monsters. They would ransack the Garden and then, Esthar would fall. The city an affront to the planet.

It's scientists had destroyed the delicate balance of nature there, drying out the once plentiful and peaceful lake. Monsters long ago forgotten had arisen when the lake had became barren.

Cloud listened to the soft breeze, waiting to hear the birds sing and to waited to see the sun rise.

"As soon as the sun rises, we strike," Cloud ordered the gathered forces.

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Hotel room, Deling.

It had been a good few hours since he had escaped from the Garden with his two young hostages. Squall had been a little harder to control than Quistis, he had to be sedated more than once.

Vincent shoved the young male roughly onto the chair, ignoring any type of protest. The words out of Squall's mouth weren't very flattering and he was going to get them all in a lot more trouble. Cloud had spies and contacts all over the planet.

"Do that once more you chocobo screwing, mother…," Squall was cut off by a slap from Vincent, "…ow."

Squall's grey eyes watered in pain, his captor had used that rather freaky claw. He couldn't even use his hands to rub his cheek and to check if it was broken.

"Don't hurt him!" Quistis cried out, "Please…"

"Never thought I would hear those words uttered by a Highwind," Vincent stated as he made a make shift gag for the SeeD leader.

"I'm not a Highwind. My name is Quistis Trepe, " the blonde girl had stated yet again.

"You're adopted yes?"

Quistis nodded, "Yeah…how did you know that?"

"Taken to Edea Kramer's sea front orphanage when you where a young baby right?" Vincent placed the gag tightly around the now silent SeeD leader, smiling sadly as the teen bore daggers with his eyes into his.

Again, Quistis confirmed the fact. Her voice getting more and more shaky as she went on.

"Yeah…but…you could of read my file," she whispered.

Vincent tapped Squall on the forehead, he spotted tears of…fear? No, not fear, pain. At least it would stop him from struggling and interrupting him while he explained himself to Quistis.

"No. To answer a question put by the brunette here a few hours back," he sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for the young woman to follow him.

He's going to rape me and Squall will have no other choice but to watch? Quistis shook her head, desperately wanting to check the damage caused to her friend.

"I won't touch you but I can see you don't believe me," her captor sighed softly, "Look, if I wanted, you two would be dead. You know that right?"

Both teens nodded, Squall frowned but instantly regretted the action. Pain flashed all the way along his cheek and jaw line. It was feeling more and more like a broken bone.

This is all I need, being beat up by a girl. Kidnapped and sedated by someone who is going to kill me and if I lose consciousness, he might hurt Quistis…Squall took a deep breath through his nose, trying to calm himself.

Quistis stood at the faraway bed, "If you were sent to kill us, why didn't you do so back at the Garden?"

"Because the words of your father came back to haunt me," Vincent closed his red eyes for a second and slowly opened them, "I looked deep in my heart a few years later and found that I wasn't a killer…not anymore."

"You knew my father?" Quistis sat on the other bed, wondering how she could gain the trust to undo the bounds her hands had been placed. Her shoulders feeling the pain and cramps.

"Perhaps know," Vincent sounded hopeful, "I hope. I…last I saw him was seventeen years ago but I digress."

"I said that I would tell you how I know you," Vincent pulled the Death Penalty out of it's holster, "The Guardian Forces you use, not all of them are spirits. Some are of flesh and blood."

Quistis shook her head, "No…that's not possible. Living beings, ones that are made of flesh of blood, can't exist within a another. Not with that much power. Not so many all at once. The mind couldn't cope with all that stress. Even SeeD's un-junction their GF's when they don't need them to stop that stress."

"You'd be amazed at what the mind can go through," Vincent ruefully offered, "My mind has at least four different minds residing within it."

Schizophrenic, Quistis closed her eyes.

"Don't look at me like I was some kind of crazed lunatic, I don't have mental issues," he was about to continue when a small ringing noise went off in his pocket.

He pulled the small cell phone out of his pocket and looked at it. The small clear screen stated Yuffie was calling him. He frowned and slowly answered.

"What?"

"Where are you? Why aren't you in Garden?"

Vincent looked at his two captives, "Yuffie…"

"It doesn't matter, as long as you're safe. Cloud's going ahead with the Garden attack. No one is going to be left alive."

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Hmm….the way it's looking kids, I think this might be a Squall and Qustis love fic…we'll just have to wait and see huh?