Part Twenty Eight

Across The Monorail

Balamb Garden

Fisherman's Horizon

Night had blanketed over Fisherman's Horizon and it provided the perfect cover for Sora to execute his plan. Leon and Cloud were going to retrieve Riku and Seifer from the infirmary before anyone arrived before daybreak. Roxas, Baralai and Ienzo were on board with the plan and they were already outside the Garden on the monorail.

Sora felt bad about doing this but he couldn't just sit around and wait for Squall and the others to make a choice. Both Seifer and Riku were hanging by a thread because of some crazy psycho bitch from the future. The small brunet nodded towards Leon and Cloud when he spotted them in the hallway.

Both swordsmen went into the infirmary and within moments they emerged. Cloud was carrying Riku while Leon held onto Seifer. Sora led them onto the second floor where the balcony was located. Everyone else was waiting on that balcony and then they could walk along the monorail.

By the time Sora and the others got outside Baralai, Ienzo and Roxas were already waiting for them. The moonlight gave them enough light to see by as the group got atop the monorail tracks and they started following them. Sora had been told that the monorail was out of commission and has been for ten years.

At least he wouldn't have to worry about trains coming along anytime soon. The small brunet glanced back towards Cloud and the silver haired teen in his arms. Riku looked so fragile, almost s if he would break at any moment. Sora felt hot tears burn his eyes but he refused to cry. Crying wouldn't help Riku or Seifer now but Esthar would. Roxas, Baralai and Ienzo walked on ahead and the three of them were unusually quiet but that could attribute to their GFs. Sora walked back until he was walking alongside Leon.

"This has to be the stupidest thing I've done." Sora muttered.

"Maybe," Leon smirked at the gobsmacked expression on Sora's face. "But you care about them and that's what matters."

"Yeah but I feel kinda bad for not telling Squall and his friends." Sora admitted.

"They'll thank you when you find a cure for Riku and Seifer." Leon nodded down towards the blond.

"How is he?" Sora asked quietly.

"He feels so cold." Leon replied. "I can feel how cold he is through my damn gloves."

"I hope Donald, Goofy and the others are ok." Sora said wistfully.

"You really miss them." Leon observed with a small smile.

"We went through so much but I don't regret coming here." The small brunet replied. "I mean I probably would've never gotten up the stones to admit I really liked Riku."

"And here I thought Riku would've made the first move." Cloud smirked then he cast a sad glance at the slumbering silver haired boy.

"What?" Sora blushed.

"Riku always liked you Sora. Anyone could see it except you. You're just too oblivious." Leon stated.

"This coming from you?" Sora grinned as his face turned red.

"Demyx!" a shout snapped Sora away from Leon. Ienzo was standing on the edge of the monorail.

"What's up?" Cloud asked.

"Demyx wanted to go swimming." Ienzo grumbled.

"And you let him?" Roxas snickered. "You are so whipped man."

"As if..." Ienzo muttered. Glancing over the edge Sora saw Demyx laughing and jumping above the waves.

"Hey Demyx swim ahead and see how far we are from the continent." Roxas called down.

"You got it." Demyx called back and he dove underwater.

"How's Axel?" Sora caught up to Roxas.

"I'll let him talk to you." Roxas closed his eyes and summoned up the Phoenix. The re head appeared before Roxas, his wings flapping softly while his feet remained off the ground.

"Hi Sora." Axel grinned. "Brilliant plan by the way."

"Thanks." Sora smiled back. Bright green eyes fell on Roxas.

"Roxy I had no idea you were a closet nympho." Axel grinned lecherously.

"AXEL!!!" Roxas yelled as his face tuned as red as a tomato. "That's the last time I let you peek into my fantasises."

"TMI guys." Cloud scoffed.

"I bet you 200 munny Roxas will try to kill Axel by next week." Baralai murmured to Ienzo.

"Are you kidding? I give him three days tops." Ienzo smirked.

The group walked on across the monorail. They stopped after ten minutes of walking to give Cloud and Leon some rest from carrying their quarry. Baralai and Ienzo were practising their magic spells while Roxas refused to talk to Axel after the sex comment.

The red head was now grovelling, his green eyes wide and sad. Roxas looked ready to give in though when Axel pulled off the kick puppy look. Demyx had returned a while ago and he said that the continent wasn't that far from where they were resting. Sora could see the landmass from where he sat.

When they were rested up Sora and the group started moving again along the silent monorail again. Axel was flying ahead to see if any monsters were waiting for them on the other side. The people from Balamb Garden hadn't put in an appearance yet but Sora wasn't sure if he should be relieved of worried.

For now all that mattered was getting to the hidden city. By the time they made it to the other side the sun was beginning to peak over the mountains along the continent and Axel had taken care of most of the beasts. Charred bodies littered the ground around the monorail.

The monorail ended at a station lying on the edge of the continent. The place was deserted and the station itself a mere ruin. The landscape was rocky and dull. There wasn't a pact hog grass for miles to see. The place was a wasteland. Cloud and Leon scanned the area for anymore dangers but it was a miracle that anything could last out here. Roxas called Axel back into his mind when it became clear nothing was going to attack them just yet.

"So where should we go to now?" Roxas asked.

"Let's follow that road." Baralai pointed to a dirt road going between a rocky valley.

"Stay close everyone." Leon warned before they walked off.

They walked along the dirt road at a steady pace. The valley was low and the cliffs on either side looked oppressive. Out of anxiety Baralai cast Protect and Shell on the group. It didn't hurt to be cautions and they were in alien territory after all. After ten more minutes of walking down the road they came to a vast clearing. Before them was a large valley that looked big enough to hold a city. Aside from that there was desert as far as the eyes could see.

"Now what do we do?" Roxas asked.

"We were told the city vanished right? Maybe it's just hidden or cloaked or something." Sora suggested.

"We can't go across that desert without supplies." Baralai said.

"Well we can't exactly go back to Balamb." Cloud stated. "I don't think they'll appreciate what we did."

"Guys, I hear something." Ienzo spoke up.

"What is it?" Baralai turned to his friend.

"There you are!" a familiar female shouted.

The group tuned to see Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Edea and Squall emerging from the dirt road between the valley. Sora gulped when he saw the cold fury in Squall's eyes but he held his ground. He wasn't going to just go back to the Garden without helping Riku and Seifer in some way.

And just how the hell did they get here that fast anyway? Sora glanced upwards when he heard the sound of the Garden flying. Well that explains it. Edea approached the group, her hand held up and a warm smile on her face.

"We're here to help you." She said gently.

"Yeah. It took us a while to catch up to you guys." Selphie said. "You can really move fast."

"How are they?" Zell gestured towards Riku and Seifer.

"Still the same." Leon replied. "So how are you gonna help us?"

"Before we followed you from the station I sent a message to the city." Edea explained. "I told them about my powers passing on. If the President of the city has any sense he'll let us into Esthar."

"How do you know the city is here?" Ienzo questioned.

"I came here once when I was a young girl." Edea replied sadly. "I learned that I was to become a Sorceress."

"Thanks Edea." Sora smiled.

"And next time tell us when you plan on stealing two patients." Selphie giggled.

"Kadowaki nearly had a seizure." Irvine nodded. Squall was quiet but his eyes were fixed on Seifer.

"Is it me or can you guys see shimmering?" Roxas spoke up.

Turning towards the desert the group stared at the shimmering across the sand. The shimmering got bigger and larger until it took the shape of towers. After a few moments the city itself became visible from its cloaking shield. The city was massive, twice as big as Radiant Garden maybe even bigger.

Sora stood open mouthed at the sight while Edea stepped forward towards the second road that would take them down towards the front gates of the high tech city. The towers reached towards the sky and Sora could see vehicles moving around the buildings.

"Follow me and let me do the talking." Edea instructed.

"I've never seen anything like this." Sora breathed.

"The city reminds me of Zanarkand when it was still standing." Baralai mused.

"This is just so cool." Selphie cheered.

"Squall, are you ok?" Quistis asked when she noticed the Commander staring off into space.

"I'm fine." He replied tersely.

"Can I rest for a moment?" Leon questioned. He gently sat Seifer against a smooth rock wall.

"I'll go on ahead to see if they shall admit us." Edea said. The SeeD agreed to go with her while Squall remained behind with Sora and his friends.

"Why won't he wake up?" Squall sounded lost.

"He will wake up." Roxas stated firmly. "We just need to get him into the city."

"You're right." Squall bent down and gathered Seifer into his arms. "We'll worry about Ultimecia soon enough."

"Squall..." Sora glanced towards the man. "Thanks for coming."

Squall said nothing but he nodded and walked down the dirt road towards the city gates. Cloud followed closely behind with Roxas, Baralai and Ienzo behind him. Sora glanced at Leon then the two of them followed the others down the pathway and into the city gates.

Edea was conversing with three men at the large white gates. By the time Sora and Leon reached everyone else the gates were open and Edea lead them into the city.