Chapter 3- A Mutual Understanding

Hours later, Balamb Garden had docked successfully on the shores of Fisherman's Horizon. Squall headed toward the Garden exit, with Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, and Zell close behind him. Irvine had stayed behind in the parking lot to prepare the Garden's vehicles for departure. Squall turned back toward the others.

"You guys are free to roam around the town for a bit but don't go too far. I have a meeting with Mayor Dobe, and we're leaving directly after."

"Oh no, not him again, that old geezer. He really pissed me off," Zell groaned. "Man, they all hate us here, you do know that, right? The last time we were here, we got insulted and shit on!" The blond martial artist slammed on fist into palm. "Buncha warmongers, they called us!"

The SeeD Commander turned toward Zell, his arms folded across his chest. "Just relax, Zell. I'll be the one talking to the mayor, not you." Squall paused, turning his head to the side and looking downward. "Why don't you head to the parking lot and help Irvine prepare the cars for our trip?"

Seemingly relieved, Zell lightened up significantly, did a goofy wave and headed off toward the parking lot. Squall just shook his head and continued down the ramp and onto the docks of Fisherman's Horizon.

As they passed the workers, they couldn't help but notice the dark stares they received from the fellow townspeople, but said nothing and continued on their way. They're still pissed at us? Shrugging off the irritation at such notations that these people chose to believe that Squall and the others were, he decided to ignore it. Though he did wonder if the people of FH knew about them saving the entire world from the threat of the sorceress, and thus, fighting to save their butts in the process.

Maybe this would be something he could discuss with the Mayor once he got there. A rather rude hand gesture came from one villager and another loud shout about how warmongers like SeeD weren't welcome among their kind, that they didn't know how to keep the peace. Squall just shook his head in dismay and continued onward toward the Mayor's home.

"I'm going to go and talk with him. You guys just stay close so I can find you when I'm done."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Rinoa questioned, grasping Squall's arm and looking up at him with those chocolate eyes. Squall gave her a small smile in response and placed a gloved hand over hers, nodding at her.

"I'll be fine. He needs to know we're here and that we need to use FH's road to get to Esthar. We can't pilot Garden that far, and I don't like the idea of taking Garden to Esthar, especially if Lunar Cry monsters are still running rampant. They're much more dangerous than anything in the training center, so I'm not going to risk anyone getting hurt," he explained sounding serious.

"And you were worried about being a leader and taking care of everyone?" Rinoa mused, poking Squall in the ribs. "I think you're doing a pretty good job thinking of the safety of the students and staff." He looked down at her, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks and Rinoa smiled, her dark eyes twinkling lovingly up at him.

"Whatever..." he huffed. "You go with the others, and when I'm finished here, I'll meet up with you in town later," he assured the raven-haired girl. Rinoa leaned up to give him a quick kiss and then turned toward Selphie and Quistis. Selphie was already bouncing on her tiptoes, barely containing her excitement.

"Ooohhh c'mon, Quisty! Let's go watch the master fisherman fish! I love sitting by the water and-," Selphie's over-excited voice trailed off into a chipper mass as she dragged Quistis away from Squall and Rinoa, yammering excitedly about the town. Rinoa laughed, while Squall barely suppressed a chuckle.

"Alright, we'll see you later then, Squall!" Rinoa called to him as she ran to catch up with the other two girls.

Squall just shook his head musing silently to himself about how adorable Rinoa looked racing to catch up with the other two, blue-ribbed duster and dark locks flying out from behind her. It was hard to believe she was such a feared sorceress within Garden. With a slight groan, he now turned back toward the walkway that led to Mayor Dobe's house and with a slight sense of dread, began to head in that direction. Much more sooner than he would've liked, Squall arrived at the Mayor's house.

Approach your target inconspicuously and with caution... Ugh. I really hope he doesn't start whining and complaining about how we're nothing but warmongers.

Before Squall could raise a fist to knock, the door was opened and there stood a short, slightly chubby, older blonde woman. She was wearing a purple knit sweater with white capri pants. Before Squall could even open his mouth to utter a word, Flo was already addressing him.

"My husband has been expecting you. He received word you were coming back here," she eyed him in a way that made Squall feel somewhat uncomfortable, but he just cleared his throat as the woman turned away from him. "Well, come on then. Let's get this over with. We don't want you here any longer than you need to be. Not after what happened last time."

Damn... what a way to greet somebody... Was that really necessary?

Squall followed Flo without a word as she took him to the top floor of their home where Mayor Dobe sat on the floor, his salt and pepper hair slicked back on his head, wearing his usual button-down shirt, shorts, and sandals. Flo excused herself, leaving the two alone and Squall could tell that the mayor's wife didn't want to be near him at all. Squall crouched down to Dobe's level, ready to address the Mayor, but Dobe surprised him by speaking first.

"Hmm, the scarred boy."

...Scarred boy? Squall absentmindedly touched the scar, a battle with Seifer had left him with over a year ago, on his face. I have a name you know...

"To be honest, I had hoped I'd never have to see you again. I felt that way for quite a while after you guys showed up here dragging your baggage along with you," The Mayor began without missing a beat.

Squall glanced to the side. Hmph... the feeling is mutual.

"Those Galbadian soldiers showing up here, wrecking part of my town, fights breaking out. Back then I thought you were all just a bunch of warmongers," Dobe continued, not breaking stride.

He sure is getting to the point... just like before. He doesn't sound much different than he did last time. Maybe Zell was right...

"Mayor Dobe," Squall started, rising to his feet, resisting to refer to him as Mayor Idiot instead. "Understand that this isn't the reason we're here now. We have nobody on our tail chasing us. There will be no fighting this time around. I can assure you of that. We're only trying to get to Esthar as quickly as we possibly can."

"Well, I can't say if I believe you or not, but what I do want to say is that something you said to me that day stayed with me. Do you remember, after you fought that battle with the soldiers and that horrible machine, what you said to me?" The Mayor questioned the young SeeD Commander?

Squall folded his arms across his chest, turning his head to the side once more to glance downward, thinking back to his last meeting with this man. "I told you that I wish you could be a little more understanding about us. That we're not just a bunch of warmongers. I told you that it was hard for me to explain, but that I wished everything could be settled without resorting to violence. I told you that it would be wonderful if things could be settled by discussion alone, but unfortunately, not everyone is willing to just listen, so fighting is going to be inevitable at times."

The Mayor nodded his head. "That's right. You did. You also told me... that you think the world needs both people like you and myself. Originally, I didn't agree with you, until after I heard word that you defeated another sorceress threat that loomed over our world."

Hmm... So he knows then. Saves me the trouble of reminding them just who saved their sorry asses in the end anyway.

The mayor continued. "I was angry at the time. Perhaps I was in denial, or just fooling myself into believing that every conflict could be solved with peaceful discussion, I'm not really sure, to be perfectly honest."

Squall's eyes widened at the Mayor's words. It certainly wasn't something he expected. The Mayor continued on.

"As you already know, I'm not a fighting man myself. I'll personally never fight to reach a conclusion or solve an issue, but as much as I hate it, I spent some time pondering your words, young SeeD. I understand that it will be inevitable at times. I understand that peace cannot always be reached by talking things out. I was wrong to judge you."

"I-I, well...," Squall reached up to rub the back of his neck, unsure of what to say the Mayor, but he had to admit, he felt somewhat relieved that Mayor Dobe could now at least appreciate the reason why people like he and his comrades existed in the world. "Thank you." Was all he could say, but he had to admit that he was appreciative of the Mayor coming to somewhat of acceptance to what he and his kind were like.

"No, I should be thanking you, this time. I didn't listen to you the last time, nor did I thank you for protecting our town. I was too caught up in my own emotions and anger at the situation." Mayor Dobe shrugged his shoulders, lifting his hands and shook his head. "You're human beings too. I had to tell myself that. Human beings, just with a different thought process, then us here in FH. I've come to realize that fighting doesn't make you inhumane. It's just a part of who you are and what you have to do sometimes to keep the peace."

Squall nodded his head in agreement. "The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with different perspectives between people, so long as it's not something taken personally. It makes it easier so we can just move on with our lives."

"Alright then. I'm glad we could reach an understanding on this," the Major responded, rising to his feet now and extending his hand to Squall. "If you'd like to use the train tracks to get to Esthar, feel free. Since the trains no longer run on them, you should be able to take your own vehicles safely over them if you would. That walk is quite a distance."

Squall nodded his head and accepted the mayor's hand. "Thank you. We appreciate it." The young Commander turned to leave the house but was stopped once more by Dobe.

"Young SeeD. You never did tell me what your name is?"

Squall paused and turned to look back at him. "It's Squall."

"Well then, Squall. I hope you and your comrades have a safe and peaceful journey to Esthar."

Squall nodded his head in acknowledgment and exited the house feeling somewhat better than what he had earlier. At least the meeting with Mayor Dobe didn't go as bad as what he thought, and it felt... kind of nice to know that the Mayor finally had some semblance of understanding on what he was all about. He walked up the long pathway toward the train tracks where he spotted two of Garden's cars now sitting on the tracks. Irvine and Selphie seemed to be having some sort of argument, while Rinoa tried to step in between them. As he drew closer to his friends, Squall could hear the whine in Selphie's voice.

"But I wanted to be the one who gets to drive! Irvine, that's not fair!" Selphie stomped her foot on the ground with her fists at her sides in frustration.

"Selphie, calm down. Irvine just wants to get you safely to Esthar," Rinoa tried to interject, but Selphie continued to complain while Irvine was almost pleading with her to listen.

Squall approached the group and almost immediately Selphie and Irvine's quarreling stopped. Now it was time to play the boss. "Selphie, Irvine will drive you and Quistis." He glanced toward his former instructor and gave her a 'you-can-keep-them-under-control' expression. Quistis nodded her blonde head in affirmation. "I will drive myself, Rinoa and Zell. Irvine, we'll go first and you can follow us in your car. We should reach Esthar in just a couple of hours from now. It's not that far."

"Ohhhh, maaaaan!" Selphie whined as she snapped her fingers and slumped her shoulders, following Irvine and Quistis to the vehicle awaiting them. "I was really wanting to be the one to drive!"

"Lighten up, Selphie. You're going to get to see Laguna again, remember? So let's see some cheer, okay?" Quistis reassuringly told the younger SeeD and almost as instantly as her face gloomed, it brightened and her green eyes shone with excitement.

"I can't wait to see Sir Laguna again! Tee-hee! He's such a nice man and he sure is cute!" She skipped in the direction of the car, choosing to ignore the grunt of protest Irvine made at those words, calling out 'shotgun!' before they ever reached the car.

Quistis just shook head and followed the both of them. "See you there, Squall."

Squall turned toward Rinoa and Zell. "You guys ready?" They both nodded their heads and made their way to their vehicle. Rinoa took the front seat next to Squall, while a grumbly, displeased Zell took the back.

"Oh don't complain, Zell," Rinoa chided. "Look at this way. You have the whole back seat to yourself. Why don't you take a nap?"

Zell just glared at Rinoa, before thumping down in the backseat, his arms folded across his chest in an evident pout. Squall just shook his head at the two, started up the engine and began driving the vehicle down the tracks in the direction of Esthar. The ride remained silent for the most part, suggesting that Zell had definitely fallen asleep, and soon enough, soft snores could be heard from the backseat.

Squall thought a lot about what awaited them in Esthar. He thought about the monster extermination the president was requesting them for.

Is it really that bad? So bad that they needed SeeD's special forces to help clear out the city? No, there had to be some other reason, right? One would think this is something the President of Esthar could handle on his own without needing SeeD. Then again, maybe not. I suppose it depends on how bad the monster infestation is.

Yet, Squall couldn't seem to shake the same unnerving feeling that had came over him earlier after he found out that they were being hired by Esthar. Something about this just seemed not balanced. Rinoa let out a loud sigh, distracting Squall from his thoughts, as she glanced out of the window.

"Rinoa?" Squall said her name, glancing in her direction, seeming to break Rinoa from her own silent reverie.

"Laguna knew my mother," She began, reaching down to clutch her small hand around the rings on her necklace. "You know, I never really got to just sit and talk with Laguna before. I'd love to know more about her."

Squall nodded his head. Granted he couldn't fully understand why Rinoa would want to know more, he accepted the fact. Growing up without parents himself, Squall never really knew what it was like wanting to know more about his parents, and he idly wondered what his mom and dad might have been like. Rinoa's mother had died when she was very young, so she had very little memory of her, but he had no memory of his parents at all.

"You know, when Ellone was taking our consciousnesses back into Laguna's past, into the 'dream world', I saw your mom," Squall began, eyes still fixed out of the front window, concentrating on his driving, one gloved hand lay lazily on the steering wheel. Rinoa gasped slightly, looking over at him. "A long time ago, Laguna and Julia actually had a sort of... well you can't really call it a romance, but they had a 'thing' for one another."

"Laguna and my mom?" Rinoa asked, incredulous. "Wow, how did that one happen?"

Squall just shrugged his shoulders. "Not really sure. He used to go to the hotel bar that Julia used to play piano at every night, just so he could sit and watch her." Rinoa started to say more, but Squall interrupted her as they drove into the pale terrain, noting the bones left behind from undead monsters they'd battled once before. "We're here."

This time, however, the city wasn't invisible. The invisible ladder he had climbed while carrying an unconscious Rinoa on his back the first time, and the metallic tunnel that it led to were there and clearly visible. He pulled the car up and stopped. Irvine and the others, who were close, stopped just behind them. Zell abruptly awoke with a snort in the backseat, grumbling about hotdogs and wiping some drool off of his chin. They all got out of their cars and began following Squall to the familiar tunnel that led them to the futuristic city of Esthar.

If only we still had Ragnarok... this would've been so much easier, and we wouldn't have to go through all of this nonsense.

They all climbed the ladder, crawled through the tunnel and ended up on one of Esthar's elevator transports. The sheer mechanics of Esthar's technology was still mind-boggling to Squall and the others as they gaped around, mouths slightly open. Rinoa, more than anyone, was stunned and she held onto Squall tightly, almost as if she were afraid she'd fall and he put a comforting arm around her, feeling her body tense and tremble slightly. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of surprise and fear.

That's right... the last time we were here, Rinoa was asleep. She wouldn't remember taking this lift.

Turning his face into Rinoa's hair, Squall whispered to her. "It's okay. Don't worry. You won't fall. This is how we got here the first time. I didn't let you fall then. I won't let you fall now." Rinoa just clung tighter and turned her face into Squall's chest.

"I don't really like this," she admitted with a small, nervous laugh, and he placed a gloved hand on the back of her head.

Rinoa... and people think you're a fearful sorceress, and yet you're terrified to ride on a mechanical lift.

He had to fight back a snicker, at this, but instead just opted for a small grin.

Within moments, the mechanism was lowering them down to the city's entrance, and just as Squall suspected there would be, one of the futuristic, Estharian vehicles sat waiting for them. As the lift stopped, they stepped off and the side doors of the vehicle rose upward, like the old-fashioned Delorians that Squall remembered reading about once before in the library. None other than dark-skinned, Kiros Seagill, one of Laguna's Presidential Advisors and dearest friends, dressed in his formal, Estharian attire of white robes, greeted them.

"Welcome to the city, guys. It's very good to see you again," he waved a hand heartily at the six of them. "I'll be escorting you to the Presidential Palace. You should all fit just fine in here." He held out at a hand as the SeeD group climbed into the vehicle, and Squall sat himself in the passenger's seat. Kiros followed the others into the car and seated himself into what Squall assumed was supposed to be the driver's seat. There was no steering wheel.

Instead, a cool, robotic, female voice resounded. "Destination?" It asked. "Presidential Palace," was Kiros response, the doors slid shut and before they knew it, they were gliding along the ethereal streets of Esthar.

The vehicle flowed so smoothly underneath them as if they were riding a boat on a crisp, watery surface. He caught glimpses of Galbadian soldiers and Estharian soldiers alike, roaming around the city, and here and there fights with monsters breaking out, but nothing too overwhelming like he thought it would be. The city certainly was not in shambles.

In fact, it seemed as though the restoration of the city had already begun. Many people were scattered about, repairing and working on the Airstation lifts, and he could see the people of Esthar providing help in the clean-up. It left Squall wondering that if they had this all under control, what did Laguna really need SeeD for? Much too soon, sooner than Squall would have liked, the vehicle came to a gliding halt in front of the colossal, magnificent Presidential Palace, right in the heart of the city. Squall peered out of his window and he could see Ellone and Ward, standing guard like a massive giant next to the petite woman.

As Squall and his friends exited the strange car, Ellone came running up to Squall and the others, her face breaking out into a smile. "Squall! Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Rinoa. Everyone! It's so wonderful to see you guys are okay and safe after everything that happened!" Ellone went up to Squall and took his hands in her own squeezing them.

There were genuine relief and happiness in Ellone's eyes, and it made him feel momentarily nostalgic. He could remember parts of his childhood when Ellone would hold Squall's hand, tell him how happy she was or proud she was of him for various things, that same expression in her childlike eyes. Squall could feel his posture stiffen at Ellone's affectionate gesture, making him feel somewhat awkward, but he relaxed, reminding himself it was just Sis. This was no different than what she did for him when they were children.

"It's good to see you too, Sis," Squall responded, giving Ellone's hands a slight squeeze before letting them go.

"Well the city isn't in too terribly devastating shape," Quistis observed, gazing around. "Squall, I'd like to go and take a look around, survey the city. See exactly what we might be able to do to help. I'd like to talk with some of the soldiers as well. Would that be alright with you?"

The young Commander nodded his head. "Sure, that would be fine. Why don't you take Selphie, Irvine, and Zell along with you? Rinoa and I can go meet with the President to discuss what he has in mind for us."

Zell brightened up, thrusting an excited fist in the air. "Awesome! That way we can get an idea of just how bad the monsters wrecked the place and see what we can do to help! Sounds like a plan to me!"

"C'mon, Irvy!" Selphie said, tugging at Irvine's jacket sleeve. "I love this city! It's sooo neat! Let's go see what we can do to help!"

"Sounds like a plan to me. If the shops are open, we should stop by them too. I'm running low on ammo and stocks of potions," the gunman responded with a tip of his black hat. "Catcha later, guys."

"We'll meet back up with you at the palace once we're done getting our bearings," Quistis told Squall as she waved at him, Rinoa and turned away from them, walking in the opposite direction of the palace.

"Try not to get lost!" Rinoa called out as she and Squall watched their retreating backs disappear into the massive city. The three waved and Squall and Rinoa turned to follow Ellone and Ward into the intensely, futuristic building in front of them.

"Do you have any idea of exactly what Laguna wants us to do," Squall inquired as they moved up the walkway, leading to the front door lift that would take them into the palace.

"Not really. Uncle Laguna doesn't tell me much anyway when it comes to the fighting side of things. Though I do know he has something very important he wants to discuss with you that has nothing to do with the monster infestation," Ellone hinted, unable to meet Squall's gaze.

Squall stopped walking for a moment, pausing to place an irritated hand on his hip. "Ellone, we have better things to do than to make social calls. We didn't come here for a friendly chat."

"Hmmm...," the older girl hummed still refusing to look at him. She placed her hands behind her back, eyes still cast to the ground, watching her shoes with every step.

Is she avoiding looking at me?

"You'll find out soon enough when we get there," Kiros spoke up and almost as soon as they sat down on the lift that carried them inside of the building, Squall and Rinoa found themselves standing inside of cavernous main hall of the palace. And there standing in the center was none other than President Laguna Loire. Squall once more felt that unnerving sensation creeping up his spine. Whether this would turn out to be good or bad, Squall didn't know, and in truth, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.