Squall was running as fast as he could to find any remaining students that were still in the ruins. Ahead he could see the brown haired boy and a girl running, "hopefully that's the last of them"

Squall had to hurry, the magic was getting more intense and his shell magic was wearing off. He felt the vibrations of another earthquake spell and he instinctively tumbled to avoid the falling pieces of rock, he got up once it passed but ducked at a magic spell that headed his way. He looked ahead to see Nida throw Odine inside the airship and speed toward newly fallen ruble where the boy was desperately trying to save the girl he was running with. Squall broke into a run again; if he got there faster he could help. But soon the girl was out from under the ruble. Nida grabbed her and ran for the airship, the boy right on his heels.

Squall was almost there when a ringing came to his head. He fell down screaming in pain. Sweat started to drip down his face not only from a fear that had crawled up his spine, but the fact that the ruins seemed to finally give in to the intense magic and had started to implode. Squall stumbled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his head, and ran off. He saw the brown haired boy up ahead, on the ground in the same manner Squall had been just moments before. Squall scooped the boy up up, setting his sights on the airship that was starting to take off.

Squall never thought he could run so fast, especially with extra luggage, but before he knew it he had leaped into the airship with both he and Kain banging their bodies hard on the cold metal ground.

"Are you alright?" Squall could hear voices call to him. He took a deep breath and replied with a nod, but he wouldn't look up. Sweat dripped down his face.

Quistis knelt down and placed her hand on his forehead.

"You're burning up!"

"Yea, well look what he just dodged!" Nida exclaimed from behind the cockpit. Everyone turned to look at his view, except Squall who was still on floor. The entire ruins were ablaze with a fierce light, if Squall were only a few seconds slower two morel ives would have been lost.

"So that's four" Xu said slowly, a grim look on her face.

"Four?" said Squall slowly rising to his feet with difficulty, he was abnormally lightheaded.

Xu picked up Kain, who had become completely unconscious, and laid him on a seat in the other room.

Her expression seemed to have become more gruesome after she came back out.

"Only four made it out alive"

"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone said happily as she walked into his office. Laguna was sound asleep at his desk with his head resting on what looked like very important documents.

Ellone put her hands on her hips and sighed. She wondered why Kiros and Ward weren't keeping an eye on the president.

"Sir!" a Palace Guard said breaking into the room, not only scaring Ellone out of her mind but Laguna out of his seat.

The President got up with a dazed look on his face "What is it?" he asked the soldier, completely confused.

"There is a visitor here for you, he requests to see you personally. Shall I let him in?"

"Uh…Yes!" Laguna said, climbing onto two legs.

"Could that be Squall?" Ellone suggested.

"Maybe" Laguna said rubbing the back of his head "But I could've sworn he was on another SeeD mission today"

The president shrugged it off and ruffled Ellone's hair before saying "I'll be back in a minute, wait for me here, ok?"

Ellone nodded and smiled.

Laguna smiled back and left. He turned around when he was halfway down the hallway, someone had called his name.

"Be careful" his friend Kiros said with Ward not too far behind, Laguna gave him a puzzled look.

"The visitor looks a bit suspicious to me" he said trying to ease his friend's curiosity "Follow me"

He led Laguna to the front gate where a young man, about Squall's age, stood waiting for the president. He was dressed in a black uniform that looked similar to the Garden's attire. His hair was just as dark and swayed in front of his cold gray eyes. The man had broad shoulders and his face was emotionless.

"Hello," Laguna greeted with a smile "what brings you here?"

"We need to talk" the young man demanded, "Can we go somewhere… private?" he eyed Kiros and Ward from behind the Esthar president.

"Sure!" The president said still smiling to hide his doubts.

Laguna led the man, and his two friends, down to a spare room in the palace.

"Alrighty then, what is it you want to talk about?" said Laguna still cheery.

"We've come for her, please hand her over and no one will be harmed"

Laguna's face hardened, he could feel Kiros and Ward tense up behind him.

"Who?" said Laguna trying to sound confused.

"Don't lie President," the man said calmly but sternly.

"I'm sorry but I can't help you there, 'she' could mean anyone, Anna…uh.. Kimberly…Justin…a?" Laguna tried his best to lie, but he was awful with girl names.

"Don't say we didn't warn you," the man said taking out a pistol and aiming towards a glass window to outside.

A noise shattered the window, glass flew everywhere in the room. It was then that Laguna realized the man had not come alone, but with an entire army of kids dressed exactly like him.

They invaded swiftly, it wasn't long before the sound of shattered glass and screams were heard from other parts of the palace.

Laguna's thoughts turned to Ellone, he had left her alone in his office, and he knew it wouldn't be long before the black clad teens would reach her. He unconsciously moved to go find her but the barrel of the young man's gun collided with his temple.

"Step aside," the young man said. Laguna backed off and the man proceeded down the hallway.

"Laguna what are you doing!" Kiros said looking at Ward's expression.

"I've got a plan guys! Let's hope this works" they all nodded and ran after the man.

"No let me go, please!" Ellone said trying to keep her sash wrapped around her arms. The teens had already gotten inside Laguna's office and were shoving Ellone out the door.

One of them let go of her arms when another crash from outside startled him. Ellone took the pause to run out of the room.

"Uncle Laguna! Uncle Laguna!" she cried looking left and right for him. She saw more people in black coming from the other direction. Ellone took countless turns to find her way out of the palace, which had now become a deadly maze. Finally she came to a halt at an empty intersection to catch her breath.

It was a short break however as more uniformed kids had found her and were making their way towards her from all directions. She backed away, she knew more teens were waiting for her even if she got out of there. She was at a loss of what to do. Suddenly a black rock fell down in front of her face. It seemed familiar to her. She shielded herself as it blew up on the ground, injuring a good amount of the people in front of her. The ones that were not affected still came after her.

"DESPERADOOOO!" cried a voice. Laguna dropped down from the ceiling, his old but trusty machine gun clenched tightly in his hand. He swung around shooting like he was in an old western and jumped down in front of Ellone. Wincing on impact, instantly a hand went to his leg.

He turned to Ellone, "Get outta here!"

"Uncle Laguna…"

"Let's go"

Ellone turned around to see Kiros and Ward. She nodded and followed them down the now empty hallway, but more teenagers waited for them at the end. Ellone's bodyguards stepped in front of her. Kiros loosened his body and his robe went flying as the two hand blades he was hiding went to action, Ward took off his robe as well. Both had their old attire on.

Kiros and Ward were doing a pretty good job at fending off the intruders. There were now only two of them standing. They took off in a blink of an eye and dodged every one of Kiros's attack. Ward stood back to protect Ellone, his harpoon was too slow to catch up to the kids.

Both of the black clad kids stood with sinister looks on their faces, together they summoned magic out of their hands. Ward, caught off guard, was instantly on the ground. Kiros was trying his best to keep in the fight but his world was spinning while he had the sudden urge to sleep. They had been doubled with confuse and sleep magic.

Both of Ellone's protectors were on the ground, she stood frozen before the attackers.

As they came near her she closed her eyes, her face became serene but seemed to be concentrating. The female in front of her began to hold her head as the male next to her fell to the floor.

Ellone opened her tear filled eyes. She promised she would never use her powers again. But she also promised she wouldn't get kidnapped, and thanks to Squall she could send anyone she just met into another's mind.

Her moment of relief was short however, a strong hand gripped her from behind and she met with the gaze of bitter gray eyes.

"You can't run forever," he told her

Ellone hesitated, but before she knew it a sharp pain came to her stomach and her world went dark.

"I just can't believe it, only four?" Doctor Kadowaki said to Quistis and Squall in Balamb Garden's infirmary.

Quistis nodded "Xu's taking it really hard" she said looking into one of the occupied rooms.

"I don't blame her!" Kadowaki exclaimed.

Quistis sighed "this is horrible…" she quoted Xu on the airship "five candidates dead, and the other four in critical condition! This is the worst field exam in the history of Garden! The headmaster will have me for sure!"

Squall was actually quite glad that the written exam was harder, it had put less lives at stake. He himself had a difficult time escaping, a lot worse than on his exam that was for sure.

"Are you going to file charges against this Odine character?" the doctor asked, hands on her hips.

Quistis shook her head "It wasn't his fault, he never could have predicted anything like that" she sighed "One in critical condition from tremendous magic, once badly burnt and bruised, one with a probability of never walking again, and…."

Kadowaki spoke up "Yes that boy, Kain, he's been sleeping for quite a while, are you sure he's alright?"

"He's fine" Said Squall speaking for practically the first time since they got back from the ruins "He's just unconscious"

Quistis thought for a second before watching Kadowaki leave the infirmary for supplies. The blonde decided to find out what was really on Squall's mind.

"Back there, at the ruins, did you…. hear anything in your head?" she asked

Squall nodded "Yea, it said SeeD must die…"

"Could it be Ultimecia? Really, but I thought we had defeated her"

"I saw her die" Squall said solemnly "I saw her pass her power to Matron. Before I got on the airship I heard…ringing"

"The dream world?"

"Felt like it, but it was…different" Squall said looking at the ground in deep thought.

"What in the world's going on here?" Quistis sighed, her expression perked up "Oh and I forgot to tell you, you're not going to the meeting tonight. Laguna called, he needs to talk to you. He says it's very urgent"