The gang teleported to the main shopping area of Esthar. Iron Giants, Mesmerizes, Marlboros, Toramas, Imps and all kinds of other monsters were bounding through the archways. Stores were trampled by the monsters. Benches and streetlamps were being sliced in half. Citizens were falling ill to the toxic Marlboro poisons. Squall took charge.

"All right everyone! Remember to equip your Guardian Forces and to junction to your status defenses. Those Marlboros are annoying as hell. Move out!"

Selphie and Irvine headed to clear out the Air Station. Rinoa teleported to Odine's Laboratory. Squall ran to the President's Office. Quistis and Zell prepared to clear out the monsters in the shopping area.

"Ready?" Zell asked, getting into his battle stance.

"More than ever." Quistis grinned.

Zell jumped up and launched a flurry of Meteor Barrets, clearing out all the small monsters while defending Quistis was charging up her Shockwave Pulsar limit break.

Quistis unleashed her Shockwave Pulsar limit break, annihilating all the monsters, but not the buildings! It's such common knowledge that buildings and monuments will never be affected by Shockwave Pulsar no matter how many times you initiate it!

Back to the story…

"Get ready Zell. More may be coming." Quistis snapped her Save the Queen.

"I got it, Instructor." Zell rubbed his Ergheiz gloves together. This was all serious business now.

Off in another corner of Esthar…

Selphie and Irvine were fending off the flying monsters coming in from the Air Station. Selphie was firing Meteor spells by the second. Irvine was trying to be cool by firing his gun while doing flips and summersaults in the air. He got off to a bad jump, screwed up and landed on his head.

"Idiot! What the hell! Stop showing off! This isn't the time!" Selphie shouted through the noise.

A swarm of monsters were making their way to the unconscious Irvine.

"Not on my watch! The End!" Selphie unleashed her ultimate technique, sending the monsters to a garden of flowers.

She ran to him. "Irvine! Irvine!" she cried. Irvine moaned loudly.

"Too…pro…for me…" he whispered. "Damn! My arm, I think I bruised it."

"Bruised eh?" His whole sleeve was soaked with blood. "Stop trying to act so cool Irvine! I love you! You can't die yet!" Selphie managed through choked sobs.

Irvine managed to stand up. "Don't…worry...baby, we've…got to meet up with the…others…" he fell back into Selphie's tear wet arms.

Selphie waited for the tears to stop coming down. She had to be strong. And she knew the right thing to do now would be to take Irvine back to the Ragnarok. She got out her cellphone and dialed Squall.

"Hello?"

"Squall! I've….I've got to take Irvine back to the airship."

"Selphie? Are you crying?"

"I won't be able to continue with the mission…Sorry."

"Something's happened to Irvine? I understand. Stay strong for him Selphie! I'm counting on you!"

"Thanks Squall, we'll be seeing you later." Selphie hang up.

Squall was worried. They were all very strong people. If the monsters could hurt Irvine so bad they'd better be careful. He was almost at the President's Office. A red geezard jumped out at him.

"Out of my way you weak bastard!" He roared and swung his gunblade. The geezard received an oozing wound making it red even more. But it wasn't dead yet. "What the hell? You should be dead! No matter, you'll be dead now!" Squall cast zombie on the Geezard and followed up with a Phoenix Down. The Geezard was no more. He reached the entrance to the President's Office. He burst through and was greeted with a shower of bullets. He barely managed to dodge them. "Holy crap old man! What are you trying to pull?" He heard a whimpering behind the President's desk. He looked in it, and there he was in all his glory, Laguna Loire.

"It was my bad! Sorry!" Laguna flashed the peace sign to Squall.

"Watch where you're aiming you bastard!" Squall was getting angry with this guy.

"…………"

Kiros stepped forward from his hiding spot. "Ward's trying to say that you should forgive him. Laguna's been edgy for the past couple of weeks."

"Kiros is right! He's a man of great wisdom! You should pay more attention to him son!"

"Eff you dad. No offense to you Uncle Kiros."

"Well, your dad IS a klutz I'll have to admit. Let me tell you about the peanut butter and jam situa-"

"Whoa! That won't be necessary thank you very much Kiros! Anyways, Squall; where are the others?"

"They're busy clearing the city of the monsters. I'm so nice I came to protect you!"

"What are you talking about? I've got my handy machine gun!"

"Have you gotten your glasses yet?"

"Well…no."

"Just awesome, you'll surely be able to hit the monsters," Squall jeered in a sarcastic tone.

"Well aren't YOU the happy man." Laguna teased back.

Through all their quarrelling they didn't hear the scream from Odine's Laboratory.

Let's take a pause from Laguna and Squall's quarrel and have a check on Rinoa.

Rinoa appeared in the laboratory and was immediately swarmed by a bunch of monsters. She used her Angel Wind limit break and fired her buffed up Meteor spell in all directions possible. She had to find Doctor Odine. She flew through the laboratory until she reached the main central control room. "Doctor Odine! Where are you!" she called out as she went back to her original form.

"Ugh…" a voice came from under the control desk.

"Doctor Odine!" She discovered him. She looked at the book he was holding. The title read, "Beneath Esthar: A Beast Within?"

"Argh my head…feeling….tired…ugh." Odine fell unconscious, dropping the book on the ground.

Moving back to Zell and Quistis…

Zell and Quistis were like the perfect team. They were taking names and kickin' ass. Blood was all over the ground of the shopping area. Unfortunately, they were getting tired, and when that happens, Quistis can't concentrate on her Blue Magic, and Zell's punches don't do as much damage.

An Iron Giant loomed over them. It swung its mighty sword. Zell leapt at it and punched it. Not too much damage. Quistis smacked it with her whip. But she was too tired and she fell to the ground.

"Quistis!" Zell gasped. The Iron Giant stomped over to her and swung. Blood spurted everywhere, but not out of Quistis.

"Zell…!" she groaned. She struggled to get up. She took a look at him. Down the side of his face and body was a huge gash with blood gushing out. He fell to the ground. Quistis couldn't help falling down either. They both lay there, finished. The Iron Giant picked the two of them up and carried them to its Master's lair.

Switch back to Rinoa…

Rinoa opened the book to the first page and found a mysterious blood-red ruby pendant with something that looked like a reptile's tail. She took it and clipped it on her neck. She found a strange power surging through her. She ignored it for a moment.

Rinoa flipped through the pages looking for something that would help them. She stopped at one page and began reading aloud:

"Our investigators have heard reports of a mysterious dragon beneath the surface of the lands of Esthar…."

She flipped to a different page:

"It is rumored that the dragon is directly under where the Sorceress Memorial stands today…."

She continued on:

"The believed incantation for summoning the dragon is: "O Dragon hear my cry, crush these pathetic insects using thy sorceress powers and by merging with me….""

Rinoa never got to the next part, as the room filled with the red glow of the pendant on her neck. She made a spine-tingling scream.