~Quistis~

My vision blurs around the edges, the endless scrawl of letters on the page morphing together with each passing minute. Glancing up at the clock, I notice the doctor and I have been at this for almost six hours again. Setting the packet I hold down on the table in front of me, I press my fists into my lower back and stretch to relieve the irritated muscles. We've been doing this for almost a week. I scour over pages and pages of notes and tests while the doctor keeps an eye on Ellone's medical state without any sign of improvement. Through the process, I've noticed a pattern in his files when it comes to the young girl; when he wanted any results versus when he wanted to actually study her. To say I found it appalling would be an understatement. I shudder at the thought of being in this man's mind, worried I am losing my basic human nature by reading so many of these notes. There's only so far the continuous reminder of her being a child at the time can take me, before I start to view it as a necessary process to learn how to stop the sorceress wars. The doctor stands beside Ellone with his back to me, gripping her I.V. bag between his fingers.

"Overall doctor," I start to say as I stand from my stool to stretch my legs. The doctor turns away from Ellone to face me with a curious look in his eyes. "Do you recall ever truly understanding what it is she can do? I'm sure you would remember something like that, not need to jot it down to recall later, or wouldn't you?" My irritation at the lack of my own results ringing true in my tone. If he had some sort of miraculous discovery with Ellone, I won't find it in these documents. It would be in his mind, I decide as I watch his face for any signs of recollection. The man grips his hands behind himself and slowly walks over to me, an eerie smile spreading on his face.

"From what I can remember Ms. Trepe, she held abilities beyond our understanding. I attempted to learn more about them by conducting tests and taking samples, ultimately only making the situation worse. My samples taken then were what made the sorceress wars possible in the future. If I learned anything from that time, it was simply this: remember what can happen should your tests and experiments fall into the wrong hands." He stares at me for a few moments, watching my face scrunch up in misunderstanding. I shake my head at him.

"Yes that's all fine and good doctor, but that doesn't really answer my question. Do you recall any specific details of her abilities?" The doctor nods slowly, his creepy smile only growing larger. I stare at the man, waiting for an elaboration, but give up after a few moments.

"Care to share doctor?" I finally ask as my patience dwindles further. Odine turns away from me abruptly, making his way back to Ellone. His fingers slide along the end of the table near her feet as he stares at her sleeping form.

"When it comes to Ellone and her abilities, it is best to ask Ellone about them." The man chuckles, placing his hands into his lab coat pockets and staring off in his own thoughts. Finding his answers uncomfortable along with his watchful gaze on the young girl, I throw my hands up in frustration.

"Alright that's it. Let's go," I announce, striding over to the man and wrapping my arm under his own. As I tug him away from Ellone, the man stiffens at the sudden contact.

"What?! What are you doing?" I ignore his questions and continue to pull him out the door of the lab, heading for the elevator. Odine keeps sputtering questions while stumbling along beside me, his stubby legs failing to keep up with my long stride. If I want answers, there's only one way to get them, I finally decide as we exit the lab. "We can't just leave her unattended!" He finally yells, grinding the heels of his feet against the tiles. I stop and face the man, seeing how reddened his face has become.

"You," I announce while still staring into Odine's eyes. The guards on either side of the doorway turn their attention to me and I point my finger into the room we just left. "Watch her until we come back. If anything happens, contact Kiros and Laguna or someone. We'll be at the palace." Odine stiffens more, frowning at me as I turn and pull at his arm once again.

"What?! Why are we going there?! We have nothing to do there, our work is here!" Ignoring the whiny orders spewing from the doctor, we make our way to the palace where everyone awaits our results.

Bursting through the doors to Laguna's office, I fling Odine towards the couch against the wall and watch him stumble and land on the cushions ungracefully. "Quistis? What's this? Where's Ellone?" A confused president asks as he stands from his desk while Kiros is already moving towards Dr. Odine and watching me curiously.

"She's mad! I told her we cannot leave the girl but she insisted!" Odine releases one of his hands that was gripping at Kiros' sleeve and holds his arm up pathetically, "she almost pulled my arm out of its socket while she dragged me here!"

"Shut it Odine!" I threaten, glaring at the infuriating doctor for a minute before turning back to Laguna. "I sent the guards outside to gather everyone up. I'll explain when they get here, sir." Laguna glances over at his adviser and I notice the shrug Kiros gives the president out of the corner of my eye. "She's fine, sir, I assure you, the guards outside the lab are watching her until further notice." I ease the man's tension, noting how worried he appears. I have to do this, there's no other choice. From what pattern I noticed in his notes, I've got a pretty good chance of ending this.

"Quistis? What's happened? What did you find?" Squall questions me as he enters the room, everyone else trailing behind him. I pinch the bridge of my nose, easing the tension of the situation before I dive into a lengthy explanation, or possibly a debate. Probably a debate, if I am honest with myself. Releasing a sigh, I begin, staring at Squall who now stands beside Laguna.

"Odine is wasting my time, wasting our time," I fold my arms over my stomach and wait, watching the eyes of the room shift from me to him. The tiny man's eyes grow wide for a second his face brightens in anger.

"Lies! She's lying. How am I wasting time when we are going over my notes from over a decade ago-" I shake my head and point my finger at the man.

"No, I am going over your notes from over a decade ago while you just stand around near Ellone!" I intentionally bait the man, hoping to further irritate him.

"Quistis, that hardly qualifies as wasting time. There could be important information in those notes-" Squall interrupts our argument but Odine hollers over him as he stomps his feet.

"I am not just standing around her, I am keeping an eye on the subject's vitals and-"

"The subject?! She is not a subject Odine! She's my daughter!" Laguna yells at the newly agitated man, snapping Odine's attention to the president. Odine holds his hands out at Laguna in a surrendering gesture and begins to backtrack.

"A slip of the tongue sir. My apologies. I am a scientist, I am used to subjects and using the term-"

"Tell me how after almost a week she has shown zero sign of returning to consciousness! When Squall came back mere hours after the last episode? Why is that Odine?" I continue berating the man to stop him from regaining his train of thought, knowing that is the only chance I have at slipping him up is to keep attacking him. Odine snaps his eyes back to mine, seething for being interrupted again.

"How should I know? Nobody knows what is happening now with-"

"You do know sir, you just refuse to inform the rest of us as to what is happening, by busying me with paperwork which all holds no merit to our current situation, correct?" He scowls at me for belittling his research.

"How dare you assume I know more than I say and how dare you disparage my work-" I interrupt him again and his scolding against me ceases.

"You yourself just said we do not know what is happening now, meaning there is a difference between then and now. So anything in those notes will be irrelevant to what is happening now. Is that not what you are saying?" The doctor stomps his foot again, frustrations elevating at the continuing interruptions. Turning his attention back to Laguna he stabs a finger towards me.

"She is putting words in my mouth Mr. President! I did not say looking through my notes would solve what is happening now, it is just an option to help us find out what is hap-"

"You did say that it is best when it comes to Ellone's abilities to simply ask Ellone about them though, did you not sir? Just moments before coming here?" I question him further, quoting him almost verbatim from when we were in the lab a short while ago. The man bristles again for being interrupted, starting to argue with me before realizing that was what he had said.

"N- Well, yes that's correct."

"But we can't do that while she remains unconscious, can we sir?" Before he can respond, I turn towards a baffled Squall and Laguna, standing at ease as if I were being briefed for a SeeD mission.

"She remains unconscious because this man is keeping her unconscious, thus not allowing us to find out from her what it is that is happening to her."

"That is an outrage! I am doing no such thing!" Odine jumps in, defending himself as Kiros grabs his shoulders to keep him from attacking me. I keep my eyes forward and continue to address our leaders.

"I witnessed him without his knowledge, using a syringe, injecting her I.V. with some sort of liquid I believe is keeping her unconscious." I now turn to Odine and point my finger at him once again. "A syringe filled with blue liquid which is still in your pocket, isn't that correct?"

"No! That is a lie! It is pink!" The man announces, gripping the syringe from inside his pocket and holding it up to Laguna and Squall as evidence of my lies. He faces me and sneers, thinking he has won just as the room erupts in shocked gasps.

"My mistake," I sarcastically remark, Kiros tilting over above Odine and taking the syringe out of his hands. Realization of being duped spreads over Odine's features, and worry sets into his pupils, stuttering as he tries to talk his way out of being caught.

"You're keeping her asleep?!" Laguna directly asks him, Squall placing his hand on the man's bicep to hold him back. The doctor shuffles away from Kiros, his eyes scanning over all of ours like a caged animal realizing it is trapped. Trapped indeed he is, since Selphie and Rinoa are guarding the door as Zell, Irvine and Seifer all begin to corner the man. Once cornered, the guys grab each of his arms and stand up, hoisting the short doctor a good foot at least off of the ground. Odine continues to stutter out an explanation as Laguna approaches but the president ignores it all, holding his hand up to stop him from further lies.

"These men will escort you back to your lab where you will wake her up immediately before you are thrown in jail, understood?" The president instructs the flailing man with all the authority he holds in his tone. Before Odine can reply to him, he nods to Seifer who turns with Zell, both holding Odine's arms and Irvine leads them out of the room, pressing the button for the door to open and keeping his finger on it for an easier exit. Laguna directs Kiros to follow so that once Ellone is given the drug to awaken he can lock Odine up.

"Good work, Quistis," Squall states, his actions are unsure of how to show his appreciation and ultimately falls back on a SeeD salute. I return the gesture with a weary grin while Laguna turns his attention back to me.

"I don't understand, if you saw him use the syringe, why did you say it was blue and not pink?" Squall turns towards Laguna, a shadow of a smile on his lips.

"She didn't see him do it," he tells the president, watching me to see if he is correct. I nod at the two before explaining.

"In his old research, I noticed his patterns were to keep her conscious and ask her repeatedly about her abilities and what she knew of them, but when he wanted to conduct his own research he would put her to sleep by injecting her I.V. I didn't see him do anything of the sort now, but I had to assume he was since he hovered over her, constantly messing with her I.V. bags and staying by her side instead of trying to find any answers in his notes." I sigh, pinching my nose again in frustration at the lost time and my failure to discover this sooner. "Why he kept her asleep now, I'm not sure since he wasn't taking any samples from her to research. All I know is any answers we are looking for can only come from Ellone. His own words today confirmed it." Squall leans to one side, resting his hand on his hip as he stares at the ground in deep thought.

"I wonder how much she knows, if anything at all," Squall questions aloud, the three of us all pondering the same thing.

"President Laguna," the voice of Kiros breaks our concentration as it crackles over the intercom on Laguna's desk. Striding around to the other side of it, the president presses a button on the golden metal box to respond.

"Yes, what is it Kiros?"

"Sir, we have a situation outside the palace; one that requires your attention," Kiros warns as a scuffle could be heard coming through the speaker. Laguna frowns, glancing at the two of us before looking back at the box.

"Can you not handle it?"

"It's the issue we've been dealing with sir, it-it's only getting worse." Laguna sighs loudly, agreeing to meet Kiros then rubbing his hands on his face in frustration.

"What is it?" Squall questions the peeved man, frowning himself at the interruption of current issues. Laguna shuffles around the desk, shoulders slouching briefly before he straightens up to his duties.

"There's been an ongoing issue here I wished to discuss with you soon, but I'm afraid soon has become now," the man pats his hand on Squall's shoulder and offers a timid smile. "Looks like Esthar may need to recruit some SeeD members," He states over his shoulder as he makes his way out of the office to Kiros, Squall and I following behind.

~Ellone~

"Wake, child...can you hear me?"

An intriguing voice filters into my dreams, wrapping itself around my mind like a warm blanket despite my chilled exterior. Chilled? I notice my frigid fingers are clutching my green shawl around my body, secretly wishing it were a blanket instead to cover me entirely. My eyes refuse to open, keeping me drenched in darkness.

"Do you know who I am, child?"

A frosty breath floats across my cheek as I realize the voice isn't coming from my dreams, but actually an unknown figure near me. The voice holds no malice, so I refrain from fearing what stands so near that I cannot see. I clutch the shawl closer for comfort, shaking my head towards the direction I assume it is standing.

"Soon you will, my dear, but for now you must have questions…"

Immediately my mind fills with the obvious: Who are you? What are you? Where am I? But I hold my tongue, attempting to sort through them to find the right question. Aside from not being able to open my eyes, my senses still react to my surroundings. I am not conscious, I decipher quickly as I recognize the weightless void overall, but it still feels different than any other time I have attempted to go into my dream world.

"Speak…"

I gasp, having opened my mouth for the first time and becoming overwhelmed by the heavily iced air. "What should I ask about?" I manage to mumble, failing to arrange my swirling questions. What does it have answers to? Anything? Everything? The figure suppresses a laugh, probably at my expense. This entity, creature, figure or whatever it is holds vast knowledge I could never begin to understand, that I am sure of solely based on the voice itself. But what does it wish to help me with?

"You know what it is I refer to... Ask."

My misunderstandings of the current events taking place in reality immediately jump to the forefront of my mind. Without further hesitation, fearing it might irritate the voice, I begin. "What is happening to me?" I sum up with a generalized question, hoping it isn't too vague. The voice morphs from slightly louder than a whisper to simply speaking when it answers me, revealing it actually is a woman.

"Soon child, you shall have a visitor of an unusual kind. This visitor will forcefully gain the attention of many, but only truly seeks the attention of you…"

The darkness surrounding me suddenly morphs into a horrendous thunderstorm and fills with images of people grouped together and chanting, showing what appears to be a timeline of what is to come; the group of ten to twenty people eventually becoming hundreds, storming through the streets of Esthar towards the palace.

"When the time is right you must leave the sides of the others to follow the visitor and find the answers you truly seek…"

My vision slowly creeps above the drenched heads in the crowds to the palace entrance, showing Squall and the others she was referring to in their fighting stance to defend the building and all who reside within. I see myself standing beside Squall with my hands wrapped around his arm but he mouths words to me I am unable to hear and shoves me backwards where I land in a puddle. I note how my face suddenly shifts into realization, my eyes widening despite the rain drops pelting my cheeks when I notice something. After a brief glance at the dripping backs of the SeeD members, I quickly race off.

"You must follow Umbra, child, or the chance will be lost…"

The whole scene billows and bubbles until it disappears, shifting into only a darkened gray sky drizzling rain and booming with thunder.

"That is all I can offer you for now, my child, just remember Umbra and remember… your mind's sky must become cloudy before it can clear."

The thunderstorm I was watching quickly dissipates into a calming blue sky without a cloud to be seen and the chill I felt throughout all of the scenes before finally begins to ease.