Hello! Welcome to chapter three XD

KazeNoTsubasa: I'm not too sure what the Rinoa=Ultimecia theory is...but if it's something about the Knight basically keeping a sorceress from losing her sanity, and that if there is no Knight a sorceress turns evil, then yes XD Exactly. And due to popular request, this chapter is a bit longer. I hope it is satisfactory :)

Evil StormSister: I'll have to read yours once I'm finished with this :) Squall is my favorite XD And I upped the word count a bit on this one due to you and KazeNoTsubasa's request :) Did you mean everyone but Squall dies? Or did I just get confused...? That's always a possibility ^-^ Hope you enjoy :)

On we go.

The knock on the bulkhead drew Squall's attention from the readouts in front of him. Laguna stood there, dressed in his president's uniform and wearing a small smile on his face. The pleasant look, however, was undermined by deepened worry lines and dark shadows. Squall would have to try to be gentle with him, even if he was an incompetent moron. It was hard on him, too. "Sorry it took me so long," Laguna apologized. "I was with Ansem."

Squall frowned, but didn't otherwise reply to the statement. He noticed the older man's eyes were dulled and his skin was pale. He looked like a dead man walking.

Laguna approached and pulled a chair up to Squall's bedside, causing the commander a bit of discomfort. He had never liked feeling as weak as he did, and hated it even more when other people saw him like that. Especially people like Laguna.

"How do you feel?" the President asked, running a hand through his long dark hair and planting his elbows firmly on each knee.

"Fine," Squall said brusquely in an effort to prevent his father from acting like his father. Even now, years after finding out who Laguna was, he wanted no part in the relationship. Squall was a mercenary commander, and Laguna was the president of a nonexistent country. That was the end of it. "What's the situation?"

Laguna sighed, like this had been the answer he had expected. "Same as yesterday. Ansem sent a few ships out to see what was left of our planet. Now they're looking into making us permanent residents of Radiant Garden."

Squall noticed how he glossed over the results of the scouting mission. And by the "permanent residents" comment, that probably meant there was nothing left. No one was left,

Rinoa was gone for sure.

Reading through the list of survivors had been a bleak task. There were so very few, and so many names that weren't on the list that Squall had prayed would be on the list. Ellone, Ward, Cid, Kadowaki… What he did have were fourteen SeeDs, seven cadets, two janitors, a biologist, a cook, and a librarian. The other ships had mostly diplomats and other people of "importance", two scientists and several members of the President's Guard. All the people left of their world could fit into the Ragnarok's storage bay.

"What are our options?" Squall asked, trying to massage away the headache that was slowly growing behind his left eye.

"Well, Ansem has offered all military personnel jobs, as well as any scientists we may have. I'm afraid that everyone else is out of luck, as far as working at the castle goes."

"Where would they go?" Squall asked. He wasn't going to just leave the rest of his people out to dry.

"Ansem said he could get them houses and a start at a farm, or jobs at facilities according to their former professions," he informed. "But I'm not going to sign anything without you. These are your people, too."

Squall nodded. Laguna knew Squall wouldn't be happy with him taking over in this situation.

"I also brought someone to meet you…"

At this, Squall frowned. Who could he possibly want to meet now? "Who?"

Laguna smiled and rose, then walked over to the doorway. "You can come in now," he said into the hallway.

Squall did his best to sit up more before she walked around the corner. She had green eyes and wore a white dress with blue trim, ugly boots and long auburn hair pulled back into a braid. She wasn't exactly gorgeous, but she was pretty, in a unique way.

"Hello. I'm Aeris," she said, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling. "I'm a Healer."

Squall relaxed a bit. "Healer?" he asked.

She nodded. "Lord Ansem told me you were wounded. I came to help." She sat down in the chair Laguna had vacated and pulled herself closer to the bed. "May I?"

Squall glanced at her outstretched hand before dipping his head once in consent. Anything to get off this ship and out with his team. A break from the pain would be nice, too.

"Okay. You might feel an uncomfortable tingling, but then it should be over. Ready?" she asked. When he nodded again, she placed her hands over the bandages on his chest. At first, nothing happened. Then, a green energy began to radiate from her palms. She moved her hands, focusing it on the hole in his chest. He could feel the tingling she had described; it was an itching from the inside, running to the core of his body and knitting him from the inside out. He could feel the tissues and bones melding back together and blood began to soak into the bandages before those wounds closed too.

Finally, she pulled back, a sheen of sweat covering her pale face. "There," she smiled, her voice a bit shaky. "That should do it."

Squall blinked a moment, then sat up. No pain. He pulled off a layer of bandages to reveal smooth, new skin under a smear of blood. Even his headache was gone. "Thank you," he murmured.

Her smile stayed in place. "Of course." She looked up at Laguna. "Didn't you have a message to give him?"

"Oh!" Laguna looked at Squall. "Yes, well, Lord Ansem wants to know if you and your people would like to be his temporary guests in his castle until matters have been settled. That way you would be closer when discussions are held."

From the sound of it, Laguna had probably already accepted the ruler's offer. "I'll consult with my officers and let him know in the morning." Squall carefully pulled himself to his feet, noting the stiffness in his muscles from so many days in bed. "Please tell Lord Ansem that I would like an audience with him at his latest convenience." The formal words fell from his lips smoothly from years of putting up with bureaucrats and other elites that only politicians should have to deal with.

Aeris smiled. "Of course. I'll come tomorrow for your answer and with Lord Ansem's reply."

"Allow me to walk you out," Laguna said, gesturing ahead of him with an arm. Together, they left the room, leaving Squall alone once more. This time, however, he didn't plan on staying put.

He discovered the tattered remains of his clothing in a storage bin, along with Griever, his necklace, his gunblade holster and his belts. He took anything still useful and abandoned the rest before going in search of something more suitable to wear. His search ended in the locker room, where he was able to locate a musty T-shirt that would have to do. While he was there, he showered to remove the blood from his pale skin and peeled away any remaining bandages.

A half hour later, he was standing in the empty cockpit of the ship. He hadn't seen a single soul on the ship since Laguna and Aeris. Where was everyone?

"I told your people to go out and have a little fun for a while," Laguna said, coming up behind him. "They needed it. I told them that me and my guards would watch the place while they were gone."

Squall glared. "You have no business ordering my people around."

The president didn't seem to wither as much as he usually did under Squall's gaze. In light of all that had happened, Squall's disapproval probably wasn't that big of a deal. "They looked like zombies. The town's safe, and Ansem gave us some local currency. I told them to have a good time. You could use a break, too."

Squall turned to look out the viewport. The rolling plains of Radiant Garden stretched out before them. He saw a girl and a man, both riding chocobos out in the distance, heading for a glint in the fading light. Must have been Aeris and an escort, heading for the town.

Laguna took Squall's arm and put a handful of gold coins into his palm. "Get out of here, Squall. If nothing else, just get some fresh air. There're a few chocobos tethered outside. You can take one."

Squall glanced at the money in his hand before returning his eyes to Laguna's face. "I have more important things to do than taking a vacation."

"You can't accomplish anything without anyone here," the president insisted, crossing his arms. When had Laguna become so stubborn and so demanding? "C'mon, Squall, it's just a few hours. Then everyone will be back here and you can plan and plot to your heart's desire."

Squall scowled, but shoved the money in his pocket. He did have something of a point. That didn't mean Squall had to like it, though. At least this would be a chance to scope out the city for himself. "Fine. I'll be back in two hours."

Laguna grinned, allowing a glimpse of his usual carefree attitude. "We'll be expecting you."

Squall reined his chocobo into the crowded streets of Radiant Garden. There appeared to be some sort of festival going on, with the main square filled with booths and crowds. Entertainers took their places on several stages and a man juggled fire in the center of the square. Bright banners and streamers hung from flagpoles and windows. People were laughing and children chased each other through the crowded streets. The air was alive and people danced and laughed and ate. It was getting late enough that several bonfires were being lit.

The city wasn't too alien. The homes and businesses were built predominantly with gray stone. Not many buildings seemed to be over three stories high. The architecture was solid and not much into extravagance. The castle that hovered over the city, however, was about the opposite. The protective white-stoned walls towered over the city, trimmed with angelic, marbled figures and intricate designs. Tall spires and elegant sculptures stretched high into the air, giving the place a regal and arrogant feel. Squall took an immediate dislike to it.

Rinoa would have liked it, though. She was like that; despite her practicality, she had always enjoyed pretty, elegant things.

He turned his mount down a side street to escape the crowds and the stifling, jovial atmosphere. In his current mood, he didn't feel like seeing so many happy people.

The street seemed to be a back alley of sorts, upon closer inspection. Crates of supplies stacked up behind stores along with piles of debris. A cat startled and leapt over a fence as he traveled through.

The bird under him twittered restlessly, swaying her head this way and that. Squall urged her on with a tap of his heel. Through the passing buildings, he could easily see the castle in the distance, probably over a mile away. He wanted a closer look.

He traveled through the city quickly, avoiding crowded streets and congested alleys. It took him about forty-five minutes to arrive there, but instead of approaching it, he stopped his mount and observed from across the wide street. Guards dressed in bright red marched up and down the gates and on the walls above. Squall immediately noticed weaknesses in their formation. It seemed they were there for show more than safety. Perhaps Ansem had a more subtle means of protection?

Further observation revealed nothing. Either it was well hidden, or nonexistent. Interesting. So this Ansem was more about appearances than function. That, or he felt completely safe inside his city.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

Squall nearly jumped out of his skin, and in turn startled his chocobo. The bird warked and jerked the reins and Squall had to fight to regain control. Once his mount was settled, he turned an annoyed glare on the new arrival. "What do you want?"

The man smirked. He was tall and extremely thin and clothed in dark pants and a red sweater with combat boots. He had green eyes with strange inverted teardrops tattooed underneath and unbelievably spiky red hair that shot straight back from his head. The smirk on his lips seemed like a permanent addition. "Nothin'. Just admiring the sight," he drawled, shifting his gaze back to the castle.

Squall continued to glare down at him from atop his chocobo. There was something seriously off about this man, but Squall wasn't able to put his finger on what, exactly. Perhaps it was just his disconcerting, almost demeaning, smirk. In any case, Squall would satisfy his unease by making the other man uneasy.

"Well, well, aren't you the friendly type?" the man continued, looking up at Squall with mild interest, in the same manner he might observe a mentally ill goldfish.

So much for intimidating him. It was rare for Squall to meet a man he couldn't glare into submission. "Who are you?" Squall demanded.

"Name's Lea. L-E-A," he spelled. "Commit it to memory."

Squall's frown deepened. "Why are you here?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? I work here."

"Doing what?"

The man's smirk widened. Any wider and it'd split his face apart. "You ask a lot of questions. Am I under interrogation?" Before Squall could defend himself, the red head interrupted him. "I do a little bit of everything, but I'm mostly the palace chef."

"Chef?" Squall asked. This man looked nothing like a chef.

"I make a mean omelet," he said with a grin.

His tone of voice made it seem like he was making no attempt to convince Squall of his occupation. It was an obvious, blatant lie.

"And if I'm not mistaken, you're one of those refugees, aren't you?" he didn't wait for Squall's reply before he continued, "Word in the castle is that Ansem the Wise offered you a job."

"Yes."

"Are you accepting?" Under his flippant, casual tone was a hidden edge that, in turn, put Squall on edge. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Maybe. Why?"

Lea turned away, his smirk slipping off his face to make room for an almost serious visage. He narrowed his eyes at the castle and his tone became much more subdued. "There's something going on under all those pretty white walls. Something nasty."

Ice crept up Squall's spine. "Like what?"

The red head shrugged. "You got me there. Whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for us."

"Us?" Squall asked.

Lea shrugged. "Just watch your back," he said, shoving off the wall that he had been leaning against and began sauntering off.

"Why do you care?" Squall demanded with a frown at the man's retreating back.

Lea stopped for a second, long enough to turn over his shoulder and smirk again. "I don't." On that note, he continued up through the open gates of the castle and disappeared inside.

Lea is such a creeper XD

Well, obviously I've delayed Ansem's real introduction until the next chapter. And we only met Lea...who already looks like Axel looks like. What's up with that? Well, we shall see later XD

Next chapter (in theory) we meet Ansem. In theory. Maybe my outline isn't ridged enough...

Please review, if you would. Helps me update faster :)

God Bless,

-RainFlame