The Protector

Harry Potter and Final Fantasy VIII Crossover.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything! Not HP or Final Fantasy VIII. If I did Ginny (scary-obssession) and Rinoa (Whinny-perky-princess) would have died a death before they existed.

Summary: Squall meets a strange boy while out training, forming a connection with him. It's a friendship that will turn the tide of war and a love that changes the world. HPxSL. Lion Pair!

Note: Harry is the GF Fallen Mage. A non-elemental based offensive attack and provides protection for the caster(s). Known to KO enemies, he also grants the use of 3rd level magics to his user with the said user not having to have the magic in stock. Eg. Use Firaga even if user doesn't have it in their magic stock.

Warnings: Rinoa bashing, slightQuistisbashing, Boys on boys, kissing, making out. Maybe even (gasp!) sex. Swearing. Power plays. My crazy ideas...

Pairings: HarryxSquall, SelphiexIrvine, ZellxLibrary Girl, slight Irvine-being-a-manwhore-and-flirting-with-Harry...

Thank Saki and Rikki for editing. This one for you girls!

Chapter 9

There's something about you…

~0~0~0~

The ocean breeze was unusually refreshing, Harry discovered. Edea claimed it was the calmness, the peacefulness of the area that made it such. The fact, that one could stand on the rocks just outside the orphanage and stare at the sea for hours one end.

"It's easy to get lost in thought here," Edea murmured as she stepped next to Harry. "The beauty. The peace. The freedom."

Harry just nodded as he tried to imagine what it would be like to grow up there. His own memories of an unpleasant childhood had faded already. He had discovered that over the years he had slowly lost the memories of his life before Magic had taken him. The faces had blurred and faded, and the names had been forgotten as the centuries past. The events though, had remained locked in his memory but the details eluded him.

And he didn't know how to feel about that. Forgetting an important (if not the most important) part of his life, but at the same time, the pain had faded too. And it felt so good to not be weighed down. He had gotten used to the freedom. It was a new start.

"Balamb is back," Edea said, breaking Harry from his thoughts. The Garden was a sight to behold as it approached the peninsula, gliding over the ocean. "They must have found Ellone."

Harry nodded, "Then we must decide our next move. We cannot allow this to turn into a war..."

Edea nodded and smiled gently, "Shall we collect our guards and head towards the Garden?"

Harry nodded and offered his arm like a gentlemen with a smile, "Shall we, milady?"

Edea laughed slightly, "Of course, kind sir." And she looped her arm through his.

~0~0~0~

Squall was waiting at the Main Gate for them as Balamb Garden pulled up next to Trabia and the broken Galbadia.

"Matron, Harry," he said in ways of greeting. His eyes searched their forms for any signs of battle and he saw nothing. He nodded slightly as Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We are holding a meeting now. It seems that Ellone is in Esthar."

Harry cursed and then sighed. "It seems like everyone is gathering in one place."

Squall's arm slipped around his waist as he gently pulled the younger man towards him. Harry could not help but draw comfort from Squall's warmth.

"We need to head to the office," Squall uttered as he guided them towards the school. "A meeting on our course of action is being held."

Harry snorted. "Another one?"

Squall shrugged as Edea laughed at the pair. The two men turned their heads and raised their one eyebrow in unison.

"It's all politics and diplomacy, boys. There's always more paperwork and meetings than real action. You'll get used it."

Harry smirked as Squall groaned. "Or we could just get Xu and Quistis to do all that stuff," Mage said impishly.

They soon arrived at the office and the meeting started hastily. Thankfully, the agenda was almost the same. Repairs to both Trabia and Galbadia had to be completed and a team had to be formed to take over the Galbadia Garden. Edea had to be escorted to Esthar and they had to find Ellone.

Harry sat quietly as the others planned and argued the next move. He contemplated his next move. He knew he had to tell Squall the truth before he left. It was the last secret he held and Squall deserved to know. To understand what loving him meant for the SeeD. Harry grimaced as he stared at his hands under the table. Young and soft hands that lived centuries. Never aging.

"Harry?" Squall's voice broke through his thoughts and the raven's head shot upwards to see the table's attention had turned to him. Harry blushed red and shook his had.

Squall, seeing his love's distraction frowned but summarized the meeting for him. "Trabia is almost fixed up 100% but Galbadia is still down. You said you would handle that?" Harry nodded quickly and Squall continued, "A Balamb team will escort Edea to Esthar and find Ellone while Trabia will take over Galbadia. We were discussing the Gardens next moves."

Harry nodded and sighed. "Well, Galbadia is gunning for Balamb after the assassination. We should use Trabia and Galbadia as our bases while Balamb targets the Galbadian forces."

Most of the table nodded in consent. That had been the general consensus before the Balamb Garden Commander questioned his Vice.

But Squall's gaze was still questioning. Harry swallowed and averted his eyes. For the rest of the meeting he was silent under Squall's heavy gaze.

The group dissipated with a quiet urgency. It was official. The Gardens are now operating under a 'State of War'.

Harry had slipped out of the room before anyone else and he quickly made his way through the Garden. His first stop was the Infirmary.

A wave to the ever-busy Doctor, he slipped into Edea's room. She was sitting on her bed, staring out the window. It was getting late, and the sun's low rays illuminated her pale skin. Her black dress looking more like a funeral shroud as Harry observed her solemn expression.

"It's not the end of the world just yet, you know," Harry murmured, the grin not quite reaching his eyes. Edea jumped as she turned around.

"And you need to make more noise when entering a room," she bit back politely.

Harry inclined his head. They stayed silent.

"The girl... Rinoa... she's still unconscious..."Edea murmured as she turned her gaze back to the window. Harry said nothing. He knew that Rinoa was still fighting for her life. He had a monitoring charm on her.

"I feel that this is my entire fault," Edea continued as her head bent low and she twisted her hands in her lap. "If I hadn't been possessed... If I hadn't received these powers..."

"Then Ultimecia would have possessed another Sorceress. Then someone else would have inherited the power," Harry cut her off, "If there is anything I have learnt over the long years, it's that you can never question the 'if' moments. You just have to deal with cards you're dealt."

Edea fell silent. Harry sighed.

"Matron," he said softly, "sometimes what does happen, happens for the best. If you hadn't taken on the power, one of your children might have. It might have been Quistis or Selphie. You created the SeeD to watch over the Sorceresses. To keep all them in line, including yourself."

Edea sighed and looked at Harry tiredly. "I heard the announcement. The Gardens are in a SOW?"

Harry nodded.

"Then it begins."

Harry bit his lower lip as he considered his words carefully. "A team will escort you to Esthar. I'm guessing that right now, Doctor Odin is your best bet. I... I have to go somewhere and I don't know when I'll return. If you are uncomfortable with your power, I can temporarily bind it."

Edea turned around completely and observed Harry. After a while she replied, "I would like that."

Harry nodded and moved from the doorway. He held out his hands and grasped hers. With a quiet murmur of words long forgotten, markings appeared on Edea's wrists and she gasped.

"It's like," she rasped, her voice breathy, "I can't breathe. There's the pressure that's almost suffocating me!"

"It will pass. I bound ninety percent of your power after all," Harry said gently, still holding her hands gently in his grasp. "This is only temporally. It will last two weeks at most."

Edea nodded as she calmed down, but visibly paler.

~0~0~0~

After a quick detour to Galbadia Garden and a very large 'repairo' spell, Harry found himself standing alone in the field of flowers behind the orphanage. It was dark, with only the waning moon and stars for light. Somehow, the darkness was comforting.

"He should be done by now," Harry murmured to the sky as he lay on the ground, "I wonder if he'll find me?"

Harry paused and there was this stillness in the air. The stars twinkled above, almost laughing at him. "Who am I kidding? Of course he's coming…"

'And there lies the problem,' Harry thought morosely, 'he needs to know the truth but how can I tell him when I know it will end everything? Maybe… maybe it would be a good idea to stay away for a while after I tell him. Hell. How am I going to tell him? I can't exactly just say, "oh, by the way, I'm not entirely human anymore." He freaked out enough when he found out I was a Sorcerer.'

Harry clenched his hands into fists as he recalled the time were Squall couldn't even look at him. A time when everything could have ended before it even began. The very idea that he would never have known that Squall loved him back was a painful reality Harry never wished to know.

"But is 'loving and lost' truly better than never loving at all?" Harry mused out loud to the night sky,

"Is your secret truly that horrendous that you think I would leave you over it?" a cold voice cut Harry from his thoughts. "That, after everything we have been through together…"

Harry winced as he sat up slowly and turned around. Squall was standing behind him, one hand on his hip and scowl on his face. His eyes were like ice chips and Harry mentally compared them to Shiva's when she was angry.

Harry swallowed and averted his eyes. "It's… It's bigger than being a sorcerer… It's something that could make you hate me." Harry shook his head, "I should have told you years ago, but I liked being treated like a normal person. It was…easier… I've never had the urge, or liked someone enough, to actually…"

Squall sighed as Harry trailed off. The raven-haired boy was refusing to meet his eyes and was almost curled up defensively on the ground. Squall's eyes softened a little. 'Is it really that bad? What could be worse than being a Sorcerer? What other secrets are you keeping Harry? What else have you been lying about?'

Squall sat down next to Harry but remained silent. There was nothing to say just yet. He had to hear what Harry said before he could react.

"I suppose," Harry started quietly, "I should start at the beginning. Please let me tell you everything before you ask any questions. I know it will sound confusing and unbelievable, but everything I'm going to tell you is true. I swear."

He paused. There was only a slight breeze that stirred the flora and no monsters dared to come near the orphanage for some strange reason. The crashing of the waves could be heard in the distance.

"No one else knows everything. I suppose this is my last secret," Harry's eyes met Squall's for the first time that evening. "I was born to a world called Earth. I can't recall when but it was several centuries ago. My family was part of a secret, hidden race. We were magical, wizards and witches. So, I'm not really a sorcerer. I am a wizard."

Harry paused and glanced at Squall.

Squall sat absolutely still. His mind was still trying to process the information he had just heard. He said nothing.

Harry nodded and smiled grimly, "There was a war before I was born. I really can't remember the details anymore and the faces of the people have faded over time. But I do recall that there was an evil wizard that wanted to kill all the non-magical people. The night he murdered my parents, he tried to kill me and failed. I was… famous for surviving that particular curse. I was sent to live with relatives that wished I had never been born. I suppose it's a good thing that the memories have faded. When I was eleven, I was told the truth and that I was a wizard. I was invited to attend a school to learn magic. I made some good friends, two in particular. But the wizard that had tried to kill me was not dead. He was stuck in a spirit form. I faced him several times and when he did get his body back, there was a war. A war I was expected to lead. I was trained to be a warrior. The final battle happened when I was seventeen. It's strange that my clearest memory from all those years ago is how I killed him. The wizard Voldemort. And, how I died when he did."

Squall's breath hitched, "You died?"

Harry nodded, "I remember dying, and then there was this voice. Then my body was burning and I woke up in Paradise. Magic is more than just a power. She is an entity that governs several worlds. To spite her sister, Death, She takes those she favours and makes them immortal. She made us purely magical beings and created a space in the dimensional folds for us to exist."

"Us?"

"This world knows us as Guardian Forces. Beings of immense magical powers that can be called upon those we judge as worthy. We were all powerful in our own right when we were alive. We were Her favourites," Harry was bitter. "And now we are never able to die. Life becomes meaningless when you live forever. It's too painful to live on Hyne and create bonds, only to watch the people grow old and die. We aren't really human anymore. We can take on any form or age as we wish, and live as we want. We choose to lend our 'power' to the deserving. It gives some meaning to our lives."

~0~0~0~

Squall was silent on the trip to Esthar. The team escorting Edea and an unconscious Rinoa were on the train leaving Fisherman's Horizon. It was the only way to get to the mountainous continent. The problem of actually finding and entering the city of Esthar was one Squall didn't even want to think about.

After the second Sorceress War, Esthar closed its borders and all communication. It had disappeared from the world. It was the 'Silent Country'. Many believed Esthar had fallen into civil war and destroyed itself. There had been quite a power struggle after Sorceress Adel fell.

'But that's not my main problem,' Squall thoughts as he stared out the window of the private car. 'Harry… What can I say? How do I respond to everything! You tell me that you were born human on another world and killed in battle only to have Magic turn you into a GF… I can't… You've kept too much hidden. I feel like I don't know you anymore… and yet…'

Squall sighed again. Selphie shifted to his right but said nothing. Squall could see the worry in her eyes— in all their eyes. Quistis was sitting with Matron and Zell was lounging on the sofa. Irvine was reading the Weapons Monthly in the corner with Rinoa on the large sofa.

Yet no one said anything. No one questioned where Harry had gone or why he had left. Why he never said a word to them. Squall swallowed. He knew he had to say something…

"Harry…" Squall started, and immediately all attention was focused on him. "He went back to his village. He thinks that they might be able to help us. That they might have information on what's happening or how to stop it. Or at the very least, how to bind a sorceress's powers without having to freeze her body and mind."

Selphie frowned, "But… he didn't say goodbye…"

Squall looked away at that but didn't say anything.

"Secrets," Edea suddenly said, "can destroy even the perfect relationship. I know it almost destroyed my marriage. Sometimes, we don't tell the ones we love because we want to protect them or because, sometimes, no matter how strong we seem…"

"It's not… What he…" Squall tried to express what he was feeling, "it changes everything!"

"Does it?" Edea asked with a small smile, "Does it change everything? Does it change your feelings? The truth of your feelings? A person may change on the outside. They may change in an unexpected way. But does their sincerity change?"

Squall's eyes widen as Harry's words floods his ears. 'You have to believe me when I say that I didn't intend to lie to you. The day we met was not planned but I was drawn to you. I can't explain why. Maybe I was lonely and tired of living a half-life. The others never allowed me to live on Hyne. I was the youngest. But I couldn't resist the chance at being your friend. No one has ever caught my interest before you! I admit I lied about who I said I was. But I have never lied about how I feel or who I am as a person. I wanted to tell before. I've just never found the courage to let the words leave my tongue.'

Squall shook his head, 'I fell in love with my best friend. My talented, human best friend. The Harry who made me smile and want to protect him. The man I fell for is one I have always felt inexplicitly drawn to…'

"When Cid discovered I was a sorceress, he was terrified of me. He thought his wife had perished and a monster had taken her face. I didn't tell him. I was scared of how he would react. Looking back, I think that if I told him, it might have lessened the shock of seeing his wife perform magic," Edea smiled slightly. "And yet, he was willing to listen after he realized that I hadn't changed much, even with my new power."

"How did he know you were still, well, you?" Zell asked with interest.

Edea laughed lightly, "Because I still loved him. I believe I had told him, many years later, that he would know when to send SeeD after me as a Sorceress. He would know because I wouldn't love him anymore. I wouldn't recognize him as the man I swore to spend my life with." She paused. "I may be overstepping the line but I think it needs to be said. The way Harry looks at you, he is honestly in love with you. I don't know what he has kept from you but is it important enough to throw your relationship away?"

"What about trust?" Squall shot back.

Edea merely smiled. "He told you, didn't he? He willingly told you."

Squall froze. 'I've never meant to hurt you in any way!' Harry had pleaded. 'I know this a lot, so I'm going to Paradise. They might have information and... It might be better if I stayed away for a while. Squall. I've never granted my power to anyone before…'

Squall touched his Griever ring on his necklace. Harry had touched it and there was a light. Light that Squall had seen many times before. The Light of a GF. And he had said, "I know you may never want to see me again, or at least for a while. But if you need me, if you find yourself in need of more power, call on me. I will always come, if I'm not by your side already."

Squall could feel the slightly familiar presence in his mind. Like the other GFs, but strangely different at the same time. 'I guess it all boils down to: is love enough? Can I trust him again despite everything? And if I do, will he forgive me for how I acted?' Squall winced.

~0~0~0~

Harry sighed as he opened his eyes to the perfect paradise that he called home. He was in his room, which seemed rather drab after all his time on Hyne. He hadn't returned to Paradise since he started living at Balamb Garden.

"Welcome back," a voice said from his doorway. Harry smiled.

"I knew you guys would be watching me," he said as he turned around. "Hi Shiva."

The dark haired woman smiled and opened her arms for her customary hug. Harry, for once, felt like he needed the comfort her cold embrace offered. After everything that had happened between him and Squall…

Shiva sighed as she enfolded the younger GF in her arms. "I am sorry."

"He needed to know," Harry replied, albeit muffled, "before we fell any harder, he needed to know the truth."

"Come on," Shiva replied as she withdrew her arms, "the others are waiting. For once, we are all here. I think some of them rejected summons to be here."

Harry rolled his eyes. "So, just how much do you guys know?"

Shiva smirked, "Everything. I doubt there was a time when one of us weren't watching you."

That caused Harry to stumble and blush bright red, "All the time? You can't… I mean! Please tell me you…didn't…Oh sweet Merlin, help me…" he spluttered.

"Oh yes dear. I believe I have to have a little talk with the two of you about rushing things…physically…" Shiva replied nonchalantly.

Harry groaned and hid his face.

Before they reached the Garden, Harry sighed and quietly murmured, "I don't think you will be having that conversation. I don't think Squall will want me anymore…"

Shiva sighed as she stopped and turned to face him. "This in one of the reasons none of us live down there. There is nothing but heartbreak and disappointment for us. But… but I would believe that Squall loves you enough to overcome this. But even if he loves you, you do know you will just end up breaking your own heart?"

Harry was silent as he looked away.

"Harry. Squall is mortal. He will die, eventually. You will have to watch that, knowing you will never join him in the Beyond. Knowing that as he ages, your age is just an illusion. There is no happy ending for a GF."

"But," Harry said with a sad smile, "what's the point of living without being alive? I mean, maybe this one life will give me the strength to keep going? I can't fall out of love with him. There was always something about Squall."

Shiva said nothing as they entered the courtyard with the viewing crystal.

"Harry!" came the cries of joy and the unmistakable feeling of family. Siren's arms strangled him as she hugged his to near death. That is, if GFs could die.

"Good to see you too, Siren," Harry squawked.

"You should have summoned me more," she chided as she withdrew from him, allowing Ifrit to ruffle his hair. Harry rolled his eyes at her.

Harry was passed around to be hugged, hair ruffled and petted in strange and numerous ways. No one comment on the sad look in his eyes.

"You need to know about Ultimecia," Diablos finally said. Harry nodded as the plushie form of Carbuncle sat on his lap. The Ruby Light GF was truly like a teddy bear. Soft and small with light blue fur and large black eyes. "Magic came to us a little while ago. She's not worried about what is going to happen. It's a time conundrum."

Harry raised an eyebrow as Diablos continued, "The Sorceress that passed on her powers to Edea was Ultimecia. In order for that to happen, the time compression has to occur and the SeeD must battle her. Magic said to just trust in the humans, that they would fight for their world."

Harry sighed and nodded, "But how is that going to happen? And how do we suppress a Sorceress's powers?"

Eden, the Holy GF, replied, "Odine has two artificial procedures. One procedure is where the Sorceress is cryogenically frozen. The other method is one using the completed Odine's Bangle. But this one is temporary. Edea's best chance is to have a dozen or so Knights. That should ground her power. But it wouldn't matter if Ultimecia is killed."

Harry nodded but froze in mid nod. His eyes softened and he wore a sad smile on his lips.

"Oh. My. Magic!" Phoenix shrieked. "You lent him your power!"

Harry chuckled but still had this far-off look in his eyes. Like he was listening to something no one else could hear.

That caused all of the GFs to tackle Harry again. And for the first time since he told Squall the whole truth, Harry smiled.

~0~0~0~

The train ride was unusually quiet as the group had left Squall to his thoughts and Rinoa was unconscious. Edea was battling her fatigue that the bindings on her power brought forth, and often rested.

They arrived in Esthar station and made their way at a moderate pace towards the general destination of the Esthar City. From old information Cid had given them, the city was located near the Great Salt Lake. The problem was, when they arrived at the lake, there was nothing. Everything was dried up and barren. The ground was dusty and the lake was bordered by sheer cliffs. It was like the city never existed.

Edea sighed, "Looks like we are in for a long trip."

Zell smiled and pump his fist, "Everything'll be all right, Matron. We'll all be by your side all the way!"

"Thank you Zell," Edea murmured as she raised her hand to her face. The heat was getting to her and she was not used to being, or feeling, so weakened.

Selphie frowned, as there was a shift in the air. Quistis tensed. Squall heard it before the others. He turned around, whipping his gunblade while shouting a warning.

"Get down!" He released what should have been a Fira. Instead, Firaga burnt away at the undead monster, Abadon.

Quistis glared at the beast and unleashed a Curaga at it. "Curative magic will harm it due to its zombie status!"

Selphie and Zell grinned in unison as they stated to pound the monster with magic.

Squall shifted his gunblade in his hand as he felt something enter his stock of magic. To his surprise, all his secondary magic had been upgraded and he even had a few Holys and Ultimas in stock. Without remorse, he cast Holy on the monster and watched it die in the bright light.

"Wow!" Zell practically yells in Squall's ear, "when did you get Holy?"

Squall shifted as his eye caught a flicker on the wall. "I earned a new GF. But more importantly, there's something here." He reached out and touched the hole only for it to expand.

Following the tunnel, they had encountered a lift of some sort. Trusting their guts, the party stepped onto the lift and departed towards the City of Esthar. In a shocking discovery, they discovered that Esthar had been in plain sight, just hidden behind panes of mirrors, technology and illusions. It was a futuristic city, and what a city is was!

Tall buildings loomed overhead and cars hovered as if held by Aero. Glass, metal and science shone in the direct sunlight that lit up the city.

"...Judging from their technology, they must know we're here," Squall said, somewhat grimly. He was feeling pessimistic about the world at the moment. "It's possible we might encounter some hostility, so stay alert."

And then it hit them. The familiar high pitched whistling and the sleepiness overcame Squall "No...not now!...This...isn't good..."

Edea gasped as Zell and Squall collapsed onto the ground. Quistis sighed and cradled her head, "Not again."

Irvine had taken a lunge forward and caught Selphie in his arms as she went down. He looked at Quistis sharply and demanded, "What's going on?"

Quistis gave another sigh as she moved to make Squall and Zell comfortable on the floor. "Very well. It starts with Ellone and her ability…"

~0~0~0~

Squall jerked awake, his hand going to his gunblade. He swallowed as he tried to separate Laguna's memories from his own.

"Back from your adventure, Squall?" Quistis teased as Selphie sat up and she shook her head. Zell was grumbling but standing.

Squall said nothing as he stood.

"He found her. Laguna found Ellone," Selphie said in a small voice. "I'm glad he did. After everything he went through…"

Zell nodded, "I know. They escaped that place and somehow got caught up in the resistance against Adel."

"But," Squall cut in, "now I'm worried about this Doctor Odine character. He kept Ellone as an experiment and he used to work for Adel. Can we trust him?"

"True," Zell nodded, "and if Odine is here in Esthar, why did Ellone willingly come here?"

The group fell silent.

"Maybe," Selphie said slowly, "and this is going to sound… crazier than usual, but what if they made Laguna their leader after the rebellion. I mean that guy was saying that Esthar needed a leader like Laguna…"

"And Laguna would keep Ellone safe." Squall finished.

"Well," Irvine cut in as he tensed, "we can discuss this later. We have locals coming."

A car arrived and four Esthar soldiers stepped out.

"Sorceress Edea?" questioned, who they guessed was, the Squad Leader.

Edea nodded and stepped forward, hands at her sides, "Yes. We came here to see Dr. Odine."

"And Ellone," Squall added.

The man raised his eyebrow, but nodded as he eyed the past on Rinoa.

The car sped along the roads of Esthar, giving the team a closer look at the great city. And it was quite magnificent. 'Harry would have loved it,' Squall thought without realizing, and then winced. It feelings regarding the boy he loved was more conflicted than ever. But, from the depths of his mind, there was a soft feeling of…… Squall jerked back to reality, eyes wide as he brought a hand to touch his temple. A move he often did when summoning a GF.

"We are arriving at the Presidential Palace shortly," the Estharian said, breaking the silence that had descended the back seat. Edea exhaled deeply as Zell shifted Rinoa slightly on the seat.

The car stopped and they were herded into the grand building that seemed to go on forever. Another man met them as they walked inside, and directed them into a waiting room. It did not escape anyone's notice the amount of guards stationed in the Palace.

The door opened behind them almost immediately and a short man in a lab coat walked, trailed by two more men.

"You vished to see me, Sorceress Edea?" the short man spoke in a heavy accent. Squall stiffened, and his team tensed. They would keep an eye on the man, just in case.

Edea stepped forward, "I wish to be free of Sorceress Ultimecia's control. A… specialist said I should bind my powers as he already exorcised the Sorceress. I was hoping you had something that could… freeze my powers."

The doctor nodded furiously. "Zat will be easy! Zer is nothing the Doctor cannot do!"

Edea smiled and gave him a short bow. "I leave everything in your hands."

"We need to see Ellone," Squall cut in as Odine made for the door. The stout man stopped and stared at Squall. His gaze drifted towards the unconscious Rinoa.

"What of her?" Odine asked. Squall ignored the man and repeated his statement.

"We need to see Ellone, now!"

"Do as he says. I give ze permission," Odine said after a moment, "But under one condition. You must let me observe this girl. She is coming into her power, is she not?"

Squall nodded as Edea placed a hand on his arm. "Accept their offer, Squall."

Odine left with one man leaving the other with them. "We need some time to prepare before we can take you to Ellone. Please leave this girl with us."

"You better not do anything to Rinoa!" Zell threatened as he got into the man's face, shaking a fist.

The lab assistant nodded. A guard entered. "I'm here to escort Sorceress Edea to Odine's Lab."

Edea stepped forward with a slight smile. "Thank you." She followed the guard out of the room.

"So, what do we do now?" Selphie asked as she stretched.

"We'll take the girl there," the lab assistant replied, "There's nothing to worry about. Just head to Lunar Gate"

~0~0~0~

Squall found himself going into space, of all places. He and Quistis were place in the 'cold sleep' along with Rinoa and launched towards the Lunar Base.

Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Edea watched the capsules be launched into space only to encounter another problem. As they left the Lunar Gate, a rumble rocked the land.

Rushing outside, Zell cursed as he saw a huge structure with propellers over them. The giant structure looked like a floating city with Esthar's symbol emblazed on it.

"Uh-oh!" Selphie said in a small voice, "I have a bad feeling about this. We should go check on Dr. Odine."

Edea nodded, "He might know what's going on."

The group rushed towards the city, keeping half an eye on the looming, flying, thing. They made their way to Odine's lab and entered quickly.

It was chaos. Lab assistants were rushing around as equipment went haywire.

"Why iz Lunatic Pandora here now? Who iz moving zat thing!" Dr Odine demanded, jumping up and down.

"Galbadians, sir." An assistant replied, "They're the ones who salvaged it. We must sound the alert in the city now!"

Doc Odine shook his head, "It will not attack us. This city iz not ze target. But Tears' Point...Hmm?"

"What's going on?" Zell demanded as he stepped forward in the chaos.

"It's been a long time since I last saw Lunatic Pandora," Odine replied mysteriously.

"That Lunatic...whatever, that big thing! What the hell is that! What the hell is going on!" Zell ranted again, this time getting agitated.

Doc Odine clapped as he finally took notice of the team. "Oh! You vant to hear my story? Zat iz nice. I would be happy to tell you. I've been investigating ze Pandora since it was excavated. So we serviced it...And investigated..."

Selphie pulled out her numchucks, "It would be best if you got to the point, Doctor. What is going on? What do we do?"

Zell raised an eyebrow at Selphie while Irvine whistled. "Remind me not to get on her bad side."

"Zat iz what I'm about to..."

Zell growled as he punched his fist into his hand.

"Short, eh? Are you sure about zat? Zat is too bad. Yes, this could be very bad. You vant to go inside to stop it? Then look at zis."

Odine pulled up a map of the Esthar region on a screen. It showed the Lunatic Pandora's current location and its projected course. "It will pass over the city as it heads towards Tears' Point."

"To stop it you must get on it," Odine explained. "It vill take 20 minutes to pass over ze city. Zer are three contact points where you can board zit. But ze problem is…"

Zell nodded, "Alright, alright...! We gotta get goin'!"

And the team dashed out of the room. Edea glanced at the markings on her arms. 'I hope it will be enough for now. Whatever this Lunatic Pandora is, we must stop it. Especially if Galbadia is controlling it.'

Finding the first point, Zell makes the jump onto it. He is followed closely by Selphie and Irvine, who is helping Edea. Once inside, they could only stare at the strangeness.

"Hey..." Selphie pipes up, "Laguna was inside of this once!"

Before anyone could comment, a strange device lowers down. They exchange glances before rushing up to it. Before they can reach the lift, something freezes them.

"M...My body...I can't move!" Zell exclaims in a panic before the whole party is expelled from the Lunatic Pandora. They fall towards Esthar city and land with a thud. No one moves.

Esthar soldiers evacuate the city and in the chaos, they don't notice four people lying on the ground, injured and bleeding.

~0~0~0~

Squall and Quistis awake to find themselves floating. Neither can quite believe that they were in space.

"I hope we are getting a bonus for this," Squall muttered as he tried to get himself upright.

"Lock on to rotation ring unit," a voice sounded, followed by a mechanical whir.

"Lock engaged. Generating artificial gravity."

Squall, Quistis and the unconscious Rinoa float downwards slowly as a scientist enters the room.

"Here's the letter of introduction from Esthar's ambassador," Squall says as he offers the letter to the scientist that entered first. More people enter the room and Quistis can't help but keep a sharp eye on Rinoa.

"We need to move her to the Med lab," the scientist informed them. "We can talk there." Squall gives a jerky nod as they follow him out of the room. Two orderlies carry a stretcher with Rinoa on it.

They make it to the room easily and Rinoa is laid on a bed.

"I've talked to my crew. Everything will be all right. She can rest here," the scientist, Piet says, "Come, let's go to the control room."

As they walked towards to the control room, Quistis had to ask, "What is this place?"

Piet smiled slightly, "This is the Lunar Base. It was built for one reason. We observe the sealed Adel from here. When we sealed her away 17 years ago, we launched her into space. She cannot receive any junctions out here. We keep her under constant surveillance. Esthar cannot let Adel escape. The terror from her last reign ensures that. We live up here for 6 months at a time."

"That's… incredible," Quistis finally managed to answer as she tried to take in the shock. 'All of this to stop one sorceress…'

Squall, in the meanwhile, was taking in the space station. The view was amazing. Hyne was on one side and the moon on the other. But the amount of activity that was happening around them unsettled him. His instincts screamed that something was happening, and it was not good.

They reached the Control room and the controller immediately called Piet over. "We have a problem. The monsters' are acting abnormally and there are fluctuations in the gravitational forces. We think it's happening…"

"What's going on?" Squall questioned as he stepped forward. On one of the screens, he would see a surging red spot.

"The lunar world is a world of monsters as you know. As you can see, the monsters are gathering at one point. History's about to repeat itself. The Lunar Cry will be starting soon," the controller replied.

Piet sighed. "I was going to escort you but I will have to handle this. Ellone's room is on the second floor. You can go see her at anytime."

Squall nodded and turned to Quistis.

The blond shook her head, "I'll stay here. This phenomenon has not occurred in one hundred years."

"Fine," Squall said with a nod before he exited the room and made his way to the second floor. He knocked before entering the room. Ellone was standing before a large window that faced the huge metal structure that sealed Adel.

"Squall, I'm so happy to see you again," Ellone said with a smile as she turned away from the window.

Squall smiled slightly, "Me too."

Ellone looked around, "Where's Harry?"

The brunette looked away, unable to face his 'Big sis'. "We've… had an argument. He's… gone away for a little while."

Ellone shook her head. "You've helped me by enduring those hardships. Please let me help you."

Squall shook his head, "So we did help?"

"Of course! You were my eyes. Thanks to you guys, I was able to see how much I was loved. I couldn't change the past but just seeing it was more than enough. Thank you so much. Now stop dodging the question. What happened between you and Harry?"

Squall struggled for words. "We've… become more than friends."

Ellone rolled her eyes and giggled slightly, but smiled encouragingly.

"But… it seems there's a lot I don't know about him. He has… secrets. He's been lying to me for years!" Squall said, frustrated as he sat down on a nearby chair. "And I know he's been keeping secrets to protect himself, and to some extent, me. A part of me feels like I don't know him, and I'm angry. And yet, I can't stand the idea of losing him… I don't know if I can trust him and, at the same time, I refuse to let him go. He just has so many secrets; told so many lies…"

Ellone nodded as she sat down across from him. "Think of it this way, Squall. If you were in his position, what would you do?"

Squall was silent. 'I'm not sure…'

"Squall, you're like my little brother. I have always watched over you, even when I wasn't physically there. That is actually how Odine discovered my powers. I was making sure everyone was safe. But you've been happy these last few years. I worried about you but after you met Harry, you started smiling. You need to trust yourself. Trust your own feelings if you feel that you can't trust Harry."

Squall sighed. Ellone bit her lip, hesitating to say her next few words.

"The president of Esthar is here, you know. It's Laguna."

"I thought so."

"Squall, I don't know if you've realized-"

"He's my father. Raine was my mother. I figured it out."

"…You should meet him..."

Squall shook his head. "He's had seventeen years to find me if he wanted me."

Ellone closed her eyes to hide her tears, 'Oh aunty Raine. I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, Laguna would have been your side. Squall would have had a father. Instead, Laguna chose to chase me, never knowing his child.'

"He doesn't know." Ellone murmured, "When he found me again, he sent me back to Raine. She died shortly after that and we were sent to the Orphanage. Odine had left Esthar and found me again. Edea and Cid built a ship and had the white SeeD for my protection. I've only just met Uncle Laguna again but I don't think he knows you, Squall."

Squall shook his head. He had long given up on the idea of blood family. He had created his own family. Before he could respond, the shrill of a klaxon ripped through the space station. Immediately, he was armed and alert.

"What's going on?" Squall demanded as he searched for the threat.

"I don't know. We should head to the control room," Ellone replied as she, too, stood.

Squall nodded, "Stay close, just in case."

The pair rushed through the chaotic corridors to the control room. Piet was yelling orders over the com unit and Quistis was tense.

"What's going on here?" Squall demanded as the color drained from Piet's face.

"Med Bay sounded the alarm. The Sorceress woke up and disabled them. She's got the Deactivation Device for Adel's tomb. No one can touch her, let alone stop her! There's only one seal left! She's going out there! The last seal is on the tomb itself!"

Piet was near hysterical. The memories of Adel's rule were burnt into his memory. The fear and terror was something he never wished to experience again. He wished that his children would never know what he lived through.

"Then we have to stop her," Squall said cursing. "We told Odine! Damnit! Quistis, keep Ellone safe. I'm going to stop Rinoa!"

"You can't!" Piet shouted, as he tried to stop the SeeD from leaving the room. "The Lunar Cry is starting. The monsters are going to hit the tomb! We just got word that the Lunatic Pandora is over Tears' Point. It will draw the monsters to that point and pull Adel's tomb to Hyne!"

The Moon started glowing strangely, and its face was almost completely red, with a blue center. This center was full of monsters, growling viciously. They are all headed in the same direction. The blue center began to create a bulge. It reached out from the moon and pointed at Hyne.

"Oh my Hyne…" Quistis gasped as Ellone muttered a prayer.

The bulge seemed to burst and the monsters rained through space towards the planet in a spectacular blood-red pillar.

"That won't matter if Adel awakens!" Squall snapped. "Adel is the key to something much worse!"

Squall left the room in a rush, making his way towards the astronaut's locker room.

"We need to alert Esthar," Quistis intoned in a level voice. "Then we need to evacuate."

Piet nodded jerkily.

~0~0~0~

Squall gritted his teeth as he chased the possessed Rinoa into space wearing a space suit. 'Hellfire, I'm too late!'

He watched helplessly as Rinoa deactivated the last seal and unlocked the tomb. Just a few feet away, he shuddered as Adel's eyes opened and glowed in an unholy light. The smile that fell across her lips was pure evil.

And then it struck. It was almost like Adel summoned the Lunar Cry to her, the monsters rushed towards them. In a last desperate effort, Squall released some oxygen to push forward and grab Rinoa out of the way. The stream of monsters engulfed the tomb and head straight for the Lunar Base. Squall watched in horror as the escape pods were launched moments before the monsters ripped through the base.

'We are moving away from the station,' Squall thought numbly, 'we only have twenty minutes of oxygen, and our only base is destroyed. We are stranded…'

Squall tightened his grip on the unconscious Rinoa as his mind whirled around their predicament. 'There's no way out… Oh Shiva, we are going to die out here.'

Squall swallowed at the thought as he wondered how much oxygen he had left. To his surprise, he felt tears trickle from his eyes as they drifted through space. His mind whirled through what should have been different. Anger filled his veins as he felt the unfairness of everything. 'I still need to ask Laguna why. Why he never came for me. I need to ask Ellone where she has been all these years. Cid needs to tell me why he believes I have this great destiny ahead of me. I can't fight for world to continue. I can't stop Ultimecia. I won't see the Garden every again.'

Squall paused as a choked cry escaped his lips as the thought he tried to forget, drifted across his mind. "Harry. Hyne, Harry… I'm sorry I can't keep my promise… I've hurt you… so much without really meaning it…"

~0~0~0~

Harry jerked awake in his room as he felt an unfamiliar pull. It took a moment for his mind to understand what exactly was happening.

"Squall!" he gasped. His body obeyed the summons, shifting into pure energy as he raced from Paradise to Hyne.

Harry shimmered into being, hands reaching for Squall. He paused as he took in the scene. They were in space. Squall was wrapped around Rinoa. They were unconscious.

And for a moment, Harry didn't know what to do. Behind the floating pair, the giant red spaceship caught Harry's attention. Making a snap decision, Harry grabbed the pair and headed towards the ship.

Inside, Harry changed his form into his solid, human one. The air was musty but breathable. Looking around, he noted that the ship but have been abandoned for quite some time.

Sighing, Harry pulled off his two companion's helmets. He sighed in relief as both of them were still breathing. Casting a Curaga for good measure, Harry shook Squall lightly, "Squall?"

Grey eyes fluttered open, locking onto green ones for a moment before Squall's brain clicked. He bolted upright and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry stiffened for a moment and then melted. His moment of fear had been nothing to worry about.

"Oh Hyne, Harry!" Squall all but gasped into the raven's hair, "I thought…"

"Squall?" Harry questioned as he stroked Squall's hair, "I told you I would come…"

Pulling away, Squall forced Harry to meet his gaze. The gray was now filled with a steely determination. "I thought I was going to die and my only thoughts were filled with things I regret. And my biggest one was— is— letting you go."

"Squall?" Harry questioned as the older boy pulled him close.

"I don't care. Not really. All those secrets just made me angry. It felt like you didn't trust me when I trusted you with everything."

"But -" Harry tried to cut in but Squall covered his mouth with a gloved hand.

"But, just now, when I thought I was going to die, you have no idea what I would have given to have one more day with you. One chance to say goodbye and to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being mad enough that you felt that you had to leave. Because the last thing I have ever wanted is to drive you away. There has always been something about you—something that has always drawn me to you. And it all comes down to one thing." Squall paused as he took a breath, "Do you love me Harry? Because I damn well love you."

Tears poured from emerald eyes as Squall removed his hand from Harry's mouth. Harry swallowed—eyes full of heartbreak. A shaky hand reached for Squall's face as Harry leaned forward, "I love you. I love you Squall! And don't you dare doubt that, ever!"

"Harry?" Squall asked when Harry didn't stop crying. The mage shook his head.

"You don't get it. I love you, knowing that I will watch you die. I will spend the rest of eternity alone. But if nothing else, I will have the memories of one lifetime that is filled with love. So please, don't doubt how I feel about you."

Squall's eyes softened as he reached to pull his love into a kiss. Harry was slumped in his arms, his body just giving into the relief that Squall didn't hate him.

In an instant, Harry pulled away from Squall, hand thrown out as he cast a spell at the dragon monster that wondered into the room. It fell, dying instantly as it was struck by lightning.

The pair stared at were the monster had been and then at each other. Silence reigned for a moment before Harry burst into laughter with Squall chuckling quietly. And in that moment, it seemed like everything fell away and it was like the old times. The good times before all the craziness began.

"What were you doing with Rinoa anyway?" Harry asked slyly as they caught their breath. Squall rolled his eyes but tightened his grip on his lover.

"She woke up, possessed on the Lunar Base. She was going to release Adel so I chased after her. I didn't reach her in time and Adel was awakened. The Lunar Cry started so I grabbed her and moved out of the way," Squall explained.

Harry nodded but his eyes were sad as he looked at the unconscious girl. "The backlash of the possession knocked her out. She needs to recover mentally. She really got caught in the middle of this mess."

~0~0~0~

"What a mess…" Quistis muttered as the group sat in the Ragnarok conference room. The space ship had been lost in space for seventeen years. It had been one of the ships to take the sealed Sorceress Adel into space.

When Harry had found it, it had been overrun by monsters. With Rinoa unconscious, Harry and Squall had eliminated all the monsters on board to unlock the safety protections on the cockpit. In the darkness of space, the pair had found the time to try and repair their fractured relationship. It had been hard going, but everyone on the team could feel the ease in the tension that had been drowning the pair since Timber.

Squall had made contact with Esthar and they were instructed on how to return to Hyne. Upon return, Esthar had demanded for 'Sorceress Rinoa' to be handed over to have her powers sealed. Reluctantly, they agreed, knowing that the danger of her being possessed again was too great.

Quistis then rejoined them, reporting that Galbadia had taken Ellone from the rescue pod. Esthar soldiers also brought Zell, Selphie, and Irvine to the Ragnarok. They brought news that the Galbadian army was piloting the Lunatic Pandora. They had instigated the Lunatic Pandora, using it to bring Adel down from space.

And so the team was down to Squall, Harry, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine.

"Galbadia have Ellone and Adel," Harry said, frustrated as he paced. "We need to stop Ultimecia, but how can we fight someone that doesn't exist yet?"

Quistis and Zell traded looks but said nothing. The power was rolling off Harry in his anger.

Selphie was quiet as she sat at the table. "Was it alright to let them take Rinoa?"

Quistis winced. "We had no choice. She could be possessed at any moment…"

"We promised her," Squall cut in, "we promised her that as soon as Ultimecia was dealt with, we are coming to get her. Harry said he could bind her power, and that as long as she had a compatible knight, she would be fine. We told Matron the same thing."

Selphie sighed in relief. She looked over to Harry and smiled.

The door slid open to reveal Zell. He had a determined look on his face as he approached Squall. "We got radio contact from Esthar's Presidential Palace. They have a plan to defeat Ultimecia. They want to hire SeeD to execute it. Cid and Pres deferred them to us."

Squall sighed and nodded. "Set a course for Esthar, and please don't crash the ship Selphie."

~0~0~0~

The Presidential Palace was as grand as ever, even if the atmosphere around the city was tense. Knowing who was waiting on the other side of the door, Harry slipped his hand into Squall's glove covered one. Family had been one of the many things they had discussed whilst traveling in space.

They entered the room, slightly on edge. The familiar figures of Kiros and Ward were already there. Laguna stepped forward from the back of the room, a smile on his face. And no recognition in his eyes.

Squall swallowed.

"Hey there!" Laguna greeted in his obnoxious cheerful voice, "Been waiting to meet you guys! You guys are the ones who were inside my head, right? Ellone told me. It was like there was some kind of wave running through my head. They gave us so much power during battle. We thought they were some kind of faeries flying over us. So I'm Laguna. President Laguna Loire of Esthar. Pleased to meet ya."

Squall nodded. "I'm Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden. This is my team. Vice-Commander Harry Mage. Captain Quistis. SeeD, rank AA: Selphie, Zell, Irvine."

There was a flash of pain in Laguna's eyes when he heard Squall's surname. Kiros narrowed his eyes as they were filled with a sudden suspicion.

"You said you had a plan to defeat Ultimecia?" Harry cut in.

Laguna nodded. The door opened behind them and Selphie had already drawn her numchucks. Doctor Odine waddled in.

"Iz it my turn?"

Laguna nodded, "Yeah. Make it short and easy to understand."

Odine rolled his eyes but remembered the look of an irritated SeeD. He decided to keep it simple. "Sorceress Ultimecia comes from ze future to possess ze sorceress of present day. Meaning she leaves her body in ze future and sends only her consciousness here. Does zat sound familiar to you?"

"Ellone," Quistis murmured, eyes wide.

Odine nodded furiously. "My first guess was zat someone in ze future with an ability like Ellone was sending ze sorceress back here to our time. But no! Zat is not ze answer. It iz because of me, Odine! I researched Ellone's power long ago. I made out a pattern from ze electric current running through Ellone's brain. Once ze pattern was determined, it was easy to mechanize. Which means there iz a machine which imitates Ellone's power. 'Junction Machine Ellone'!"

"So," Squall said slowly, "Sorceress Ultimecia came to know about Ellone, from that machine."

Laguna nodded and threw a glare at the short doctor but bit his tongue.

"There iz only one way to defeat Ultimecia. You must kill her in ze future."

Harry rolled his eyes, "That we know. But how do we go to the future? And how far in the future is she?"

"There is no way to jump to ze future under normal circumstances," Odine agreed but he had a sly smile. "But there iz still a way! It iz because Sorceress Ultimecia plans to compress time. In order for Ultimecia to exist in this time, she must take over ze body of a sorceress from ze present. But ze machine must have a limit. Ultimecia probably needs to go back further in time to achieve time compression."

"Only Ellone can take her back further into the past," Selphie summarized.

"Who is telling ze plan here?" Odine demanded with a huff. "We must take advantage of Ellone's power. There are three sorceresses in our time. Sorceress Rinoa, Sorceress Edea and Sorceress Adel. Of ze three, Adel has not awakened yet. Once regeneration is completed, neither Laguna nor I will be safe. Sorceress Adel is probably in ze process of awakening inside Lunatic Pandora. Ultimecia will want to possess Adel, if Adel wakes up. If Adel's consciousness wins over Ultimecia, Adel will first destroy this era. So we must use Sorceress Rinoa to inherit Ultimecia's powers."

Laguna nodded, "You must go to Lunatic Pandora. Ellone's probably being held captive inside, so rescue her first. Then kill Sorceress Adel before she awakens fully. Then we allow Ultimecia to posses Rinoa so Ellone can send both Rinoa and Ultimecia into the past into another Sorceress. Ellone can choose Adel or Edea."

"And once Ultimecia is in the past, she will begin time compression. Ellone pulls Rinoa back to the present and Ultimecia to the future, creating a bridge through a time compressed world. We would be able to travel to the future," Harry finished with a sigh.

"Exactly! You are a smart one!" Odine exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Squall questioned as Harry massage his temples. The attention of the room shifted to Harry.

"It won't work," Harry started, "Edea is mentally too weak to fight off Ultimecia. We could lose here completely. And Rinoa is still suffering the backlash from the last possession. Not to mention, both are sealed right now, safe from Ultimecia."

"We have no choice. We need a safe target for Ultimecia to take the bait," Laguna argued. "We can't risk using Adel."

"I agree with you there," Harry shot back, "Adel needs to be defeated. But in order for Ellone to bring back our Sorceress to the present, there must still be an intact mind. Otherwise, we would just be bringing Ultimecia back."

"But we don't have another Sorceress!" Odine argued.

Squall froze as he realized what Harry wished to do.

"Harry," Squall said grimly, "no. I won't allow it."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked past Squall to Laguna. "We may not have a Sorceress but Ultimecia won't ignore the chance to possess a sorcerer."

One could hear a pin drop in the silence that befell the room. Odine's eyes grew three times its natural size and everyone's gaze was glued to Harry.

"Sorcerer?" Odine questioned, rushing forward.

In one shift movement, Squall stepped forward, gunblade drawn and protecting Harry. "No one touches him."

Odine stopped.

"And you," Squall said, rounding on Harry, "you want to open your mind to Ultimecia. That's what everyone has been trying to prevent!"

"It's our only chance! I've had the mental training. I can let her think she's overpowered me and then kick her out! Then, I can stay here, keeping the bridge open while you guys go through time and fight her."

"What if we need you when fighting Ultimecia? You're the one that took out Edea!"

"The stronger the Sorceress magically, the weaker she is mentally," Harry explained, " judging by how Ultimecia can travel through time and still act sane enough to carry out her plan, I would say she is weaker than Edea. You're strong Squall. Don't ever doubt that. And you won't be alone."

Harry's eyes spoke the truth. 'I will always come when you summon.'

"Plus, you know that I'm not allowed to travel through time." During his short stay in Paradise, Magic had appeared to give them strict orders. The GFs were not to assist in the time compression. They could be summoned but they could not use their human form. That had been directed towards Harry. The very nature of the time compression, with the magic Ultimecia would be using would be able to tear apart the magic holding the GFs together. It seemed that when creating a GF, time compressive magic had been used. So the beings weren't pure energy per say, but frozen in an endless moment in time, allowing their natural magic to be compressed into one single instant, giving them the illusion of being all powerful.

Squall swallowed, as he too recalled the confusing and convoluted conversation that had occurred in space. It had taken them 14 hours to return to Hyne after all.

Squall turned to Laguna. "I need a guard to protect him while we are fighting Ultimecia. I will call in some SeeD but I would rather be safe than sorry."

Harry opened his mouth to argue but closed it when Squall shot him a look. "It's my job as your Knight to ensure your protection even when I'm not by your side."

Kiros stepped forward at that, "We can arrange our best squad."

"Alright!" Laguna said as he clapped his hands, "Let's go! We'll get aboard Ragnarok! I always wanted to ride that thing. Plus the name sounds so cool!"

~0~0~0~

Please leave a review! We are almost at the end!

Chapter 10: "I'll be waiting for you. If you come here, you'll find me. I promise."

Chapter 11: Epilogue.

Amira Devant