Chapter 24

In the Past

(Squall)

The western coastline of the Esthar continent ended in a sheer wall of rocky cliffs, several stories high. They were gray and blue and purple and coated with fine white salt blown from the Great Salt Lake in the south. There were no beaches, no slopes, no bays, no easy access for a boat to dock anywhere on the continent, making the whole nation nearly impossible to approach from the sea.

Or, at least, that is what the nation of Esthar had tricked the world into believing.

More than a decade previously, the Esthar navy—working together with their Engineer Corps and scientists—carved a number of artificial caves into the sides of the cliffs, and then covered these openings with the nation's state-of-the-art hologram panels, so that the cliff walls appeared unbroken to all outside observers.

The ship that carried Squall and Rinoa back to the city approached a cliff wall, charging straight towards the stone without slowing or stopping. The bow of the ship rose and fell with the turbulent waves. Salt water spray formed a fine mist in the air.

Inside the wheelhouse, the captain of the ship pushed a button on a wireless remote near the steering column, sending a signal to the hologram panels in the cliff, ordering them to retract. At once, a wide section of the cliff located at sea level turned flat and gray as the holograms ceased projecting their artificial textures. Then the panels angled inward and withdrew to the sides, allowing the ship to gain entry into the cave.

The vessel slipped cleanly inside, traveling down the manmade tunnel at top speed. The waters were calmer inside the cave, so the bow no longer plunged up and down. As soon as they passed the entrance, the captain pushed the button again, triggering the holographic panels to return to their default positions, sealing the wall closed behind them.

Once the panels were back in place, a long row of ceiling lights flickered to life, illuminating the ship's course as it snaked through the winding tunnel towards the heart of Esthar.

There wasn't much to see in terms of scenery or landmarks at this point. Only the gray and purple stone walls on either side, the dark blue, almost black waters beneath the ship, and the glowing yellow lights above. But still, Squall preferred standing on the deck and watching it all travel past him, rather than staying below or in the wheelhouse with the captain.

(I wonder if I'll ever stop being amazed by Esthar technology…)

Unless he became a permanent resident of the nation, he doubted that he would ever grow tired of it. Since he didn't live among such wonders, didn't see them every minute of every day, he still retained a tourist's sense of awe and astonishment. Everything to him was fresh and new and exciting, and he was always eager to see more of what Esthar had to show him, even if it was nothing more complicated than a hidden seaport.

Rinoa, however, had grown quite bored of it all and had gone below deck a few hours previously, to rest in a small, crowded cabin on a mesh hammock. Squall knew that he should probably have joined her in the cabin. He'd only managed a few fitful catnaps since first leaving Esthar and would soon start to wear down his mind and body from sheer exhaustion if he didn't take a break.

But the events of the past few days and their implications crowded his mind with noise and color, making it impossible for him to get any meaningful amount of sleep. He felt wired, strung out, and determined, and he knew that it didn't matter if he was on deck or below deck, he'd be wide awake either way. Especially now that they were so close to Esthar again.

The ship reached the end of the tunnel, emerging into a massive artificial cave, with a high, vaulted ceiling. Metal support arches spanned the roof, to keep the rocky ceiling from collapsing. Rows of bright yellow lights were strung along the supports, making the inside of the cave as bright as an office building.

The cave functioned as one of the last remaining Esthar ports. There used to be many more, servicing both the military as well as the civilian sectors. But after the Sorceress War, when Esthar retreated from the world stage, merchant ships and private vessels were no longer permitted to use any of the nation's docks for various security reasons. Most of the major ports were soon after demolished, and what remained of the Esthar navy was transferred to a handful of hidden docks scattered on the western coast of the continent. All part of the greater plan to cut off Esthar from the rest of the world.

A number of ships ranging from small scouting vessels to larger, turreted battleships crowded the steel docks. Esthar sailors marched around the cave, performing routine maintenance on the ships and conducting various tests and emergency drills, keeping themselves and their equipment in perpetual battle readiness.

Behind Squall, inside the wheelhouse, the captain muttered a few things into a handheld radio. A voice on the other line read off some numbers, and the captain was cleared to dock a short distance ahead. The ship eased to a stop at a vacant dock between an intimidating gunship and an armored cruiser. The side of the hull lightly tapped the side of the dock once as the captain killed the engine and let the ship drift. Immediately, four sailors leapt off the deck and moored the ship to the dock with heavy ropes.

Squall turned and headed below deck. He saw their personal car, still parked and waiting in the ship's hold, and moved past it towards a metal doorway. He politely knocked, waited a moment, did not hear a response, and then slowly opened the door.

"Rinoa, we're here," he said softly, poking his head into the door.

She moaned out a response that he couldn't understand.

He opened the door wide and stepped into the dimly lit cabin. Rinoa was curled into a ball on a gray-mesh hammock strung between two walls on the far side of the room. Her back was to him, the little white wings printed on the back of her shirt were visible in the gloom.

He approached her and set one gloved hand on her shoulder and shook gently.

"C'mon," he said. "We gotta get up."

"Yeah," she mumbled. She uncurled herself, stretched, yawned, and then closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Squall put a hand on his hip. "Don't make me flip the hammock."

Rinoa ignored him.

"I'll do it," he said. She grunted something that he couldn't understand.

(Guess I have no choice.)

He sighed, then grabbed the side of the hammock and pulled up slowly to show her that he was being serious about his threat. Her limp body rolled with the hammock as one side steadily rose in the air. Still, Rinoa didn't stir.

Squall continued up lift up the hammock slowly, slowly, until a certain tipping point was crossed. Gravity took over and the hammock violently twisted to the side, spilling Rinoa onto the floor, where she landed on her hands and knees with a yelp and a thump.

"I told you I would," Squall said, smirking playfully.

"Owww…" Rinoa mumbled. She rubbed her knees, then looked up at Squall. "You told me you would what?"

He extended a hand down to help her to her feet. She took it, and he pulled her upright. She brushed herself off and shook the sleep out of her head.

"Let's go," Squall said. "They're waiting for us."

"We're here?" Rinoa said, rubbing her neck.

Just then, an Esthar soldier marched into the room, stopped at the threshold, and stood stiffly at attention.

"You're clear to leave," the soldier said. "Also, the president has been notified of your return. He's expecting you in the palace. We've prepared you a car and driver to take you to the Presidential Palace. It's waiting on the dock."

Squall nodded at him. "Thanks. And extend my thanks to the rest of the crew, and your captain as well. Sorry we brought you all the way to Balamb for nothing."

The soldier waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. This was the closest thing we've had to a real mission in months. It was good to get outside for a change. Anyway, I should go."

The soldier nodded at the pair, then stepped outside the cabin and disappeared from sight. Squall gripped Rinoa's hand and guided her out of the cabin and into the ship's hold. He gave her fingers a light squeeze which she returned.

"What about our car?" Rinoa asked, looking at their vehicle still parked in the hold.

"We'll worry about that later," Squall said.

As promised, there was an Esthar soldier behind the wheel of a hovering Esthar car waiting for them at the dock. Out of habit, Squall opened the passenger side door and started to sit down, until Rinoa tugged his arm and pulled them both into the backseat together.

(Oh, right.)

(I guess this works too.)

"Ready?" the driver asked.

Squall nodded and the driver started the engine and drove up the ramp and out of the ship.

The driver drove slowly at first as he traveled along the crowded docks. Sailors who weren't carrying anything in their hands stepped out of the way to let the car pass, while the driver in turn stopped to allow sailors who were hauling heavy equipment have the right of way.

At the far end of the dock was a tunnel. Unlike the steel docks, the tunnel was paved with the iconic blue glass of Esthar. There was a black-and-yellow striped gate at the entrance to the tunnel, manned by a couple of armed guards. One of the guards pushed a button to raise the gate and the waved the driver through.

No longer in danger of running over any sailors, the driver increased the car's velocity to highway speeds, cruising quickly down the long, featureless tunnel. The road began to slant upwards, steadily rising up and up until it broke through to the surface in a splash of sunlight. The city of Esthar appeared before them like a massive sparkling firework. The driver, who was intimately familiar with the road system, merged on and off various skyways effortlessly, taking Squall and Rinoa deeper into the massive city, always heading closer towards the enormous golden structure in the center.

In only a few minutes, the car arrived and drifted to a stop in front of the Presidential Palace. Squall and Rinoa exited, thanked their driver, and walked down the pathway to the floating platform at the entrance. They both took a seat on the platform, which then rose a step or two above the ground, encased itself with a pink bubble, and then shot off into the building. When prompted, Squall pushed the button on the floor of the platform to send it to the president's room. The platform obliged, hurtling them up through a high shaft and into to a hallway before stopping.

They exited the platform, walked down the stately, ornate hallway, all the while passing doors guarded by stiff Esthar soldiers. They crossed the glass hallway with the frightening transparent floor and arrived once more at the president's office.

Squall and Rinoa paused at the door. The two guards that waited there regarded the pair solemnly, and then one stepped inside to alert the president. The other glanced down at Squall's gunblade, but didn't make any comment.

(Well… we're back here again.)

The soldier returned from inside a moment later and nodded at the pair. Squall stepped through the sliding door first, with Rinoa right behind him.

Almost nothing about the room had changed since their last visit. The massive black desk was still crowded with paperwork, Kiros and Ward still watched over the president—both wearing their traditional Esthar robes, and the purple walls still pulsed with a strange energy.

But there were two differences now: this time, Laguna was wearing a pastel red polo shirt, so pale it was almost pink. Also, Ellone was in the room, standing behind Laguna's desk. Well before arrival, Squall had asked the captain of the ship to call ahead and make sure she was prepared to meet them in Laguna's office. He had wondered if Odine or someone else would object to it, but apparently there had been no issues in allowing her to visit.

Laguna looked up from his paperwork and smiled devilishly. To Squall, his enthusiasm seemed cartoonish and excessive, considering the fact that the pair had been gone for less than twenty four hours. Yet Laguna acted as if they had left months ago, and were finally returning after ages spent away.

"Guys!" Laguna said, jumping to his feet and throwing his arms wide open. He managed to avoid slamming his knee into the desk as he popped up, but this time he accidentally slapped Kiros in the chest with the back of one hand. Kiros grunted and frowned, but didn't say anything. Laguna didn't seem to notice. He rushed around the desk and approached the two.

"So," Laguna said, grinning. "You said you had important news?"

Laguna's cheerful manner made the process of giving report even more awkward than it already was.

(Bad news is difficult enough as it is.)

(It's even harder when the person receiving it is grinning like an idiot.)

Still, Squall gave it quickly and professionally, as he had been trained to do for his entire life. For the sake of Rinoa's feelings, Squall didn't bother to mention that Caraway was her father, but he still detailed the assassination, as Caraway's death and Martine's election were possibly important to Esthar's interests.

After a few minutes, he caught up to the present. He raised a hand and shrugged. "And that's what we know so far. Garden is gone somewhere, and Galbadia is in turmoil, with a rogue sorceress somewhere out there."

Laguna crossed his arms and nodded thoughtfully. His brow furrowed into an exaggeration of contemplation. He looked, Squall thought, like a bad stage performer, overacting his scene.

(Even when he's trying to be serious, he's still silly.)

"Yeah, that does sound pretty bad," Laguna said. He unfolded his arms and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "And I'm gonna help you guys whatever way I can. That's what friends do, right? But I don't really see how this affects Esthar right now."

"If Galbadia is really serious about hunting sorceresses," Squall said, "Then they're gonna turn their sights on Esthar at some point. Remember, the last time Galbadia had any contact with Esthar was during the war with Sorceress Adel. Eventually they'll make the assumption that the nation that harbored Adel might be harboring other sorceresses. Once they start thinking along those lines, it won't be long before they start poking around Esthar to see what's going on here."

Laguna nodded and rubbed his chin dramatically. Squall had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

(Can't you ever be serious?)

"Hmm… Right, right," Laguna said. "You got a point there. So whaddya you think we should do?"

(You're the president. You decide.)

Squall sighed. "Nothing just yet," he said. "At least, nothing too obvious. You don't want to alert Galbadia that anything's wrong. I'd start preparing your defenses and drawing up plans for a possible war with Galbadia, but those—I hope—are still distant concerns."

(I thought that Timber was a distant concern too. Now look at what's happened.)

(Nothing's going as planned.)

"Really?" Laguna said. "You think it'll come to war?"

Squall shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. Still, it's better to be prepared than caught off guard."

Laguna nodded cheerfully. "Right! It's better to be productive rather than reductive! That's what Grandma used to say."

Kiros sighed loudly from the other side of the room. Ward shook his head and threw up his hands.

(… I don't think anyone says that.)

"But I mean," Laguna said, frowning, "I still don't see how you get war out of this equation. Seems like we might have some arguments with Galbadia, but not a full-out war, you know?"

Squall put a hand on his hip. "Here's how I think the scenario might play out. Galbadia comes sniffing for sorceresses around Esthar. Eventually they'll get too close to your territory and you'll be forced to respond in some manner. If we're lucky, they'll back down right away and that'll be the end of it. But I think it's more likely that they'll want some kind of proof that you aren't harboring sorceresses before they leave. Short of letting the Galbadian military search every individual home in Esthar, you can't prove that you don't have any sorceresses. So then, naturally, you'll refuse to submit to a Galbadian search and, naturally, they'll assume you're hiding something. Then they'll come back with soldiers and it will escalate into war. It's practically inevitable, once it reaches a certain point. So we have to make sure it doesn't reach that point."

(It may already be too late.)

Laguna nodded, his jaw slightly slack. "Huh. Good point. I could use you as an advisor."

Squall crossed his arms and looked away. "I've already got a job."

(I've got more than I can handle.)

"So…" Laguna said. "You came an awful long way just to deliver that message."

"We're actually here for Ellone," Squall said. Laguna seemed a little disappointed. "We need to find the current location of Garden, as well as the rest of our friends. I think the fastest way to track them down would be to use her power to find their nearest pasts." He turned to Ellone. "You think you can do that?"

Ellone brought a hand to her chest and thought about it. "Well…" she said. "If it's people I know, then yes. Anyone from the orphanage should be easy enough to find."

Squall nodded. He turned to Laguna. "Where's a good place for us to do this?"

Laguna grinned. "There's a cool little bedroom in back of here, in case I ever want to take a secret nap when I get tired of doing paperwork and running a country. Here, I'll show you."

(A secret nap?)

Laguna brought them to the side of his desk where, cleverly hidden behind a pillar of bizarre Estharian technology, was a door leading into a quaint resting room. The room had only one small window looking out over the city, and a circle of glowing lights on the ceiling. At the back was a comfortable-looking but relatively ordinary bed, a table and chair for reading and writing, as well as a video communicator built into the wall.

(Not bad.)

"Here ya go," Laguna said, sweeping his hand across the room. "My little hidey-hole. Take as long as you need; no one ever comes in here except me, so you'll have your privacy."

"Thank you," Squall said, nodding to the president. Laguna grinned and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Squall looked first to Rinoa, then to Ellone. Then he looked back to Rinoa.

"Do you want to go under, or should I?" Squall asked.

Rinoa shook her head. "No. You do it. I've had enough of diving into the past for now. Anyway, you know what you're looking for. I'd just end up missing something important."

Squall nodded without comment. He set his gunblade down on the floor, then went over to the bed and stretched out on it, letting the bottoms of his boots dangle over the edge so he didn't dirty the sheets. He crossed his hands over his chest and took a deep breath. Ellone pulled up a chair beside him, while Rinoa turned and gazed at the scenery outside the window.

"So, Squall," Ellone said. "Where would you like to go first?"

His mind went through the possibilities.

(Anyone from the orphanage, eh?)

He wanted to go first to the person he felt would provide him with the most relevant information. Selphie and Irvine were probably still in Trabia, well out of the conflict—if they were even aware of it—so they were unlikely to be much help. Zell would probably be aboard Garden, so he might have some useful information buried in his past. But Quistis was the person Squall had left in charge. Knowing Quistis' current status would give him a good insight on to the health and safety of Garden as a whole.

"Quistis," Squall answered. "Her nearest past to the present."

Ellone nodded, pleased. "Quisty should be easy. All right, here we go."

Squall closed his eyes. Although he'd experienced the sensation of Ellone connecting him to the past several times before, it had been over a month since his last trip. As such, the growing stab of pain in his head, the shrieking whistle in his ears, and the wave of dizziness that hit him came as somewhat of a surprise, even though he had been expecting them.

All at once, the pain stopped and he found himself in a version of the past that was so recent it was almost the present.

Quistis looks down at the shrinking pile of paperwork on her desk. The current document she's reading is—according to the heading at the top—"From the desk of Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer." The document is entitled, "Possible Refuges for Garden: Commander Quistis' Eyes Only."

The paper goes on to describe a number of places in the world where Garden can stay for an extended period of time. Each location is rated according to how easy it is to access, how friendly the locals are to Garden and SeeD, the availability of natural resources in the area, and the ability of Garden to defend that location in the event of a battle.

As her eyes near the bottom of the page, it becomes clear that there isn't really a safe haven anywhere in the world for Garden. The most isolated places are also the most barren, and would be inhospitable for any long-term stays. Conversely, the places best suited to support a group as large as SeeD for an extended period of time also happen to be currently under Galbadian control or within easy access of the G-Army. Esthar would be a good choice, but Garden cannot clear the barrier cliffs that encircle the nation, making it utterly inaccessible to them.

At the bottom of the page, Cid notes that while there aren't any true safe havens in the world, he feels that the island of the Shumi or somewhere else in the Trabia area would be the best locations, at least until the winter comes. After that, Garden would probably have to find another place to stay to avoid the cold weather.

(Everything seems to be as expected.)

(Sis… take me out.)

Squall's eyes snapped open. It was disorienting. One moment he had been in Quistis' office, staring over her desk and her paperwork, the next he was stretched out on a bed, staring at the strange purple ceiling of Laguna's personal bedroom. He still felt a lingering fatigue and the remnants of a headache, but overall he was fine.

Rinoa turned from the window and glanced at him.

"Anything?" she asked.

Squall shook his head without raising it from the pillow. "Not really. Garden is on the run from Galbadia, which is what I expected. I don't know where they are, but they seem to be safe at the moment."

"That's good," Rinoa said.

Squall turned his head to face Ellone.

"Send me a little further back with Quistis," Squall said to her. "Maybe I can pick up a clue about where Garden is."

Ellone nodded and closed her eyes. All at once, the shriek returned to Squall's ears. He winced at the pain in his skull. Soon he was not laying in a bed, but walking down a hallway.

Quistis' boots click on the hard floor as she walks down the hallway. By the large purple stripe down the middle of the floor, Squall recognizes it as the hall to the infirmary. Quistis stops before an automatic sliding door and waits for the sensor to register her presence. The door opens and Quistis steps inside.

In the infirmary, Dr. Kadowaki sits behind her familiar desk, filling out a chart and putting a carefully measured number of pills into a bottle. In front of her, a cadet with a bandage over his head sits patiently.

Dr. Kadowaki finishes writing on the chart and then hands the paper as well as the bottle of pills over to the student.

"These will help with the pain," she says. "Take one after every meal. If you experience any side effects, or if you think the pills aren't strong enough, come straight to me first. Don't adjust your dosage without my permission. And you do know the rules about having prescriptions on campus, correct?"

The student nods. "I understand. I won't even tell anyone else that I'm taking them."

Dr. Kadowaki eyes the student sternly. "You don't have to go that far. Just don't give them away to your friends. It's immediate expulsion if you do. Seriously. Don't do it."

The cadet nods again. "Understood."

Dr. Kadowaki dismisses the student, who then collects his pain medicine and the chart and shuffles past Quistis and out of the room. Dr. Kadowaki looks up at the Commander, at Quistis' questioning face, then she leans back in her chair and sighs.

"I'm sorry, Quistis," Dr. Kadowaki says. "There's still no change in her condition."

Quistis closes her eyes. For a moment, the world goes black for Squall.

"What do we do now?" Quistis asks. "What can we do?"

"We wait," Dr. Kadowaki says. "We've reached the limits of magic and science. Either Xu will wake up soon, or she won't wake up at all. It's up to her now."

(Wait, what happened to Xu?)

Quistis keeps her eyes closed, but Squall can feel her muscles tensing. Her hands ball into fists, and her eyes grow hot. Quistis fights the emotions down, steadies her voice, and asks her next question.

"If she wakes up…" Quistis says, struggling for composure. "Will she be okay?"

"Permanent brain damage is definitely a concern," Dr. Kadowaki says. Her words are clinical, but there are traces of emotion in her voice as well. "And the longer she's out, the greater chance it will be. But there's no way of knowing anything for sure at this point. All we can do is wait. I'm sorry."

"No… it's not your fault," Quistis says. She opens her eyes. She bows to the doctor, respectfully. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Do you want to see her before you go?" Dr. Kadowaki asks.

Quistis pauses and considers it. Finally, she shakes her head.

"No. I… I have work to do," she says. With that, she turns and exits the infirmary.

(Let's get out of here, Sis.)

Although he was concerned about Xu's health and safety and wanted to learn more, he couldn't help but feel voyeuristic, like he was invading a piece of Quistis' private life. Quistis had been best friends with Xu for as long as Squall could remember, and Xu's injury must have been devastating for her. He felt it was appropriate to exit that particular memory, allowing Quistis some privacy.

Squall opened his eyes.

"Damn it…" he muttered.

Rinoa spun around, suddenly panicked. "What? What is it? Did something happen?"

She took a step closer to the bed, clutching a worried hand to her chest.

"Xu is seriously injured," Squall said. "From what I heard, it sounds like she's in a coma. Maybe head trauma. I don't know for sure."

Riona bit her lower lip. "That's awful. She was always so nice to me."

"Yeah," Squall said.

(I don't know her that well, but she seemed very professional.)

There was a long silence between the three. Finally Ellone sighed and spoke up.

"You want to go a little further back?" Ellone asked. "With Quistis? I felt like we were getting somewhere."

Squall thought about it. Upon further reflection he realized that he wasn't likely to learn Garden's whereabouts from randomly poking about in Quistis' past. He figured that Garden was somewhere in the ocean and currently on the run from Galbadia. Even if Quistis happened to look out a window, he'd only see the endless blue ocean, which wouldn't help him any. The best he could hope for would be to have Quistis mention their next destination in a conversation, but that might take hours of combing through her past and Squall didn't want to invade her mind that much.

(The Headmaster's report mentioned that they might go to Shumi Island or Trabia. We can check there later.)

But what was really pressing on Squall's mind at the moment was anxiety. Seeing that Xu had been wounded in battle suddenly raised the possibility that his other friends had been wounded as well. There had been a battle and people had been injured—maybe even killed. He decided to stop digging into Quistis' past for the moment and start checking in on his friends, to make sure everyone was okay.

"Let's see Zell," Squall said. "His closest past to the present."

"Okay," Ellone said.

The third trip into the past was the easiest so far. The pain and dizziness seemed only momentary.

Zell scratches the back of his head.

"You look… erm… really good," Zell says. Squall can feel an intense wave of heat flush over Zell's face. His palms are sweating and his mouth his dry. His voice quivers as he speaks.

The girl in front of him beams, her long pigtails reaching down to the shoulders of her fresh SeeD uniform.

"You think so?" she asks. She looks down at herself, examining every part of the uniform. She raises her legs, twisting around to view herself from as many angles as possible. "You don't think it's too… dark? I kinda liked my cadet uniform better."

"No, no, no!" Zell said, waving his hands. "You look fantastic."

Zell's eyes linger on her long, bare legs. He gulps.

(Get it together, Zell.)

(Jeez.)

Squall thinks for a moment, trying to remember who this girl is and why Zell seems so nervous around her. He searches his memory, but cannot immediately come up with an answer.

"Has Commander Quistis set a date for the graduation ball yet?" the girl asks.

Zell shakes his head. "Naw, nothing. I think things are still too crazy. She wants us all ready for battle in case Galbadia sneaks up on us, you know? We can't let loose and party until we're safe."

The girl frowns a little and sighs. "I guess. I was looking forward to it. I wanted to dance with you on the ballroom floor."

Zell nearly collapses.

"I… erm," he coughs. "I-I'm a really bad dancer, actually."

"I don't believe that," the girl says with a shy smile. "To be a good fighter, you have to be light on your toes, right?"

"I… well… yes, but," Zell stammers. "It's totally different, you know? I mean… what I'm tryin' to say is… uhh…"

(This is embarrassing.)

(Sis, let's get out of here before I vomit.)

Squall awoke to the sound of Ellone's gentle laughter. She had one hand lightly covering her mouth. Her shoulders rose quickly up and down.

"Zell hasn't changed much, has he?" she said softly.

"I don't think Zell can change," Squall muttered, staring at the ceiling. "He's a force of nature."

(Him and Selphie both. Probably Irvine too.)

(They'll always be the same.)

"Why?" Rinoa asked, turning from the window. "What was he doing?"

Squall shrugged. "Talking to some girl," he said.

"His girlfriend?" Rinoa asked. She raised an eyebrow.

Squall frowned.

(Girlfriend?)

"Since when does Zell have a girlfriend?" Squall asked.

Rinoa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Squall. You're the worst friend ever. He and Ami have been flirting for ages. How could you not know about them?"

"Ami?" Squall said. He narrowed his eyes. "Is that her name?"

Rinoa let out a frustrated sigh and spun around, facing the window again. Squall shrugged and relaxed onto his pillow.

"Let's check out Selphie," Squall said to Ellone. "Just to make sure everything's all right with her."

Ellone nodded, and Squall closed his eyes.

(Can't believe Zell has a girlfriend.)

(Well, I guess it was bound to happen event—

—ually)

Even with the freight door wide open and warm air rushing inside the car, the smoke still stings Selphie's eyes and lungs. She glares at the small fire in the middle of the floor. Squall can feel her jaw clenching, her hands repeatedly opening and closing into fists.

The train car sways gently side-to-side as the rails clatter beneath her. Irvine stands beside her, fanning towards the flame with his hat to keep the smoke out of his eyes. He has his sleeve pressed to his face.

"I know you hated the uniform, Selph," Irvine says. "But didya have to burn it?"

"Yes," Selphie says. "Only fire could kill it."

She continues to gaze at the base of the fire, watching the edges of the Galbadian uniform blacken and curl as they burn. A helmet sits on top of the crumpled uniform. The linings inside are burning easily enough, but the hard exterior resists the heat.

"You coulda just thrown it out the door, you know," Irvine says.

"No. It needed to burn."

Irvine throws his hands in the air. "Now you're just talkin' crazy. I'll be up front if y'all need me."

"'Kay. I'll be here," Selphie says.

"Stay away from my uniform, Selphie," Irvine says as he walks towards the front of the train. "We might need it later."

"No promises."

Out of her line of vision, Irvine opens a door and disappears. She continues to watch the fire. Squall gets the feeling that Selphie is considering something, turning over something in her mind, but Ellone's power doesn't give him a perfect view of her thoughts, only a few vague impressions that Squall is unable to interpret.

(Let's leave, Sis.)

"Irvine and Selphie are okay," Squall said to Rinoa, once he woke up. "They're on a train though… which is peculiar."

"They're not in Trabia?" Rinoa asked.

"No," Squall said.

(Why aren't they in Trabia?)

(Why is Selphie burning a uniform?)

After a moment of thought, Squall decided that there were only two reasons why Irvine and Selphie would leave Trabia. Either they had voluntarily left in order to help SeeD with the mission in Timber, or they had been forced out by Galbadia.

He didn't think the first option was very likely. Trabia had been having trouble establishing communication with Garden and the outside world, which would have made it difficult for Irvine and Selphie to hear word about the conflict. Furthermore, the time required for this theory to hold up didn't make sense. Trabia would have had to establish contact almost immediately after Squall and Rinoa left for Esthar, and then Irvine and Selphie would have had to leave right away for Garden. It wasn't impossible, but it was improbable.

The second option was both more plausible and more worrying. There was a good chance that Galbadia had come through Trabia Garden on their sorceress hunt. Squall couldn't figure out exactly what sequence of events would have played out in that scenario, but he could imagine a situation where Irvine and Selphie got somehow entangled in the overall conflict and thus left Trabia independent of the conflict in Timber.

(I need to know why they left.)

"Send me further back into Irvine's past," Squall said to Ellone. "Not a few hours back. I want to go several days in the past to see why they left Trabia."

"Okay," Ellone said.

Squall settled into the bed and closed his eyes.

Irvine's eyes scan through a thick layer of glass at a row of Galbadian students, finally reaching the end of a long metal bench, where Seifer sits, his hands resting on his knees. A sardonic smile crosses Seifer's face.

"Well, lookee here," Seifer says. He stands up and approaches the glass divider that separates Irvine and Selphie from Seifer and the other Galbadian students. "Are you two my rescue squad? Am I finally saved? My prayers are answered."

"Seifer?" Selphie asks. "What are you doing here?"

Seifer shrugs and motions his hand around the room. "Figured I'd try to be the first person to get locked up in all three Garden detention rooms. Two down, one to go. Or… wait. Does Trabia still have a detention room, or just a pile of rubble now?"

"Hey! Not cool!" Selphie says. She waves her arms and stomps her foot.

"Doesn't matter," Seifer says. "Just point me at the pile of rocks that used to be Trabia's detention center, and I'll stand in it for a couple minutes. A symbolic act, you might say."

"Shut it, Seifer," Irvine says. He clenches his jaw and tightens his grip on his shotgun.

"Yeah, we're the only ones who can get you out of here!" Selphie says. "So be nice!"

(What's Seifer doing in a Galbadian Detention Center?)

(Sis, back out of here.)

Squall awoke with a sense of urgency. Even though Ellone had explicitly told him that he could search the pasts of anyone from the orphanage, the thought of checking into Seifer's past had never occurred to him until that moment. Because of their longstanding rivalry—as well as Seifer breaking with SeeD to join Ultimecia—Squall never really considered Seifer to be one of the kids from the orphanage. He barely considered Seifer at all, unless Seifer was getting in Squall's way.

(Which he often is.)

But apparently, things were more interesting in Seifer's past than they were in everyone else's. Squall's mind reeled, trying to put the facts together. There had been a battle in Timber. Xu had been wounded. Irvine and Selphie were involved somehow, and now had a train of their own. Seifer had been captured at some point as well. Squall hadn't heard any mention of Seifer in any of the news reports, but it was possible that either Galbadia didn't care or the news wasn't worth printing anywhere.

(So much has happened…)

"Can you search Seifer's past?" Squall asked Ellone.

"Seifer?" Rinoa asked. She perked up and turned around. "What do you want with him?"

"He may be up to something," Squall said. He considered the facts.

(Too much has happened for this all to be coincidence.)

(I bet Seifer's involved somehow.)

"There's a chance he might be involved with the Timber Sorceress," Squall said. "But I don't know for sure yet."

Ellone nodded at him. "Seifer should be easy enough. He's probably a little tougher than the rest of you, because he's been distant lately, but we do still have a long history together, so it shouldn't be a problem. You want to go into his nearest past?"

"Yes, if you could," Squall said.

"All right," Ellone said. "Here we go."

Electricity.

Agony.

Seifer's arms are stretched out and bound on either side of him. His legs below are chained to a wall. Through the metal chains, an intense electrical charge runs into and out of Seifer's body, making every muscle in his body clench with searing pain. Because of Ellone's power, Squall is spared the worst of it, but he is still uncomfortably aware of it.

(I know this place.)

The interrogation room in D-District prison. Last time Squall was there, it had been Seifer doing the torturing, while Squall was strung up with electricity coursing through his body. Although the tables have now clearly turned, Squall gets no pleasure in watching the suffering of his enemy. What is happening to Seifer is cruel and unnecessary, and Squall firmly believes that no one deserves to be tortured, regardless of their crimes.

(Well, maybe Seifer deserves it.)

(But it's still cruel and unnecessary.)

The current shuts off and Seifer goes limp. Despite his efforts to control his breathing and seem unaffected by the pain, his breath comes out wheezing and rattling. Sweat runs down his brow and into his eyes.

"I was… promised…" Seifer says in gasps. "A… torture chamber. This… this is just… ANNOYING."

(Sarcastic to the end.)

A D-District guard, the one responsible for turning the power on and off, casually strolls up to Seifer. With Seifer chained high up to the wall, the guard barely comes up to Seifer's shins. He looks up at the panting teenager with a sneer. Sunglasses obscure his eyes.

"See now," the guard says with a smile, "You misunderstand. A few minutes of shock therapy, naw, that ain't torture. That's just a punishment, like when your daddy whips you with a cane for talkin' out of turn. Naw, the torture doesn't really start until we get around the one hour mark. When your body starts breaking down. When even a wannabe tough guy like you runs out of sarcastic comments. When you start BEGGING me to stop. Then it's torture. This is just the warm-up. Let me tell you, I got enough juice in these circuits to light up every prisoner in this joint for days without stopping. How long do you think you can last? Hm?"

"Are we… making a bet?" Seifer says with a grin.

The guard laughs. "Yeah, sure! Why not? We'll get all the guards together and start a betting pool. We'll let you in on it too. It's only fair, right?"

"I got…" Seifer says. "Five thousand… that says… that I break out and snap your damned neck. That I kill every… every last one… of you sons of bitches… Every… last… one of you."

The guard's grin slips, but traces of it still linger on his face.

"I'll take that bet," he says. "And I'll do you one better. Another five thousand says the sorceress breaks too."

"You… bastard…" Seifer says.

"String her up too," the guard says to the others. "No sense in letting him have all the fun."

Seifer looks up. There, in the corner of the room, is a short, blonde-haired girl in ragged clothes and a stained red bandanna. In the gloom of the interrogation room, it takes a moment for Squall to recognize her face. Then he remembers seeing pictures of her in the news reports, as well as her video declaring Timber's independence.

(The Timber Sorceress!)

(Ciel!)

Ciel fights off her guards as well as she can, but she's short and small, and with the anti-magic field in the prison, she is reduced to nothing more than just a regular girl. No magic augmentations, no spells or trickery left to her.

The massive guards quickly overpower her and drag her over to another cross-shaped section of the wall beside Seifer. Within moments, they have both her arms chained to the wall. Her feet are bound a second later. The chains clink as unseen pulleys hoist her up into the air until she's level with Seifer. The guard in sunglasses stands off to the side, next to the large switch the controls the current.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," he says. He places one hand on the power lever. "Place your bets."

He flips the switch and a current runs through Seifer and the sorceress.

Squall sat up quickly, so fast it made his head spin. He tried to climb off of the bed, but the aftereffects of Ellone's magic still clung to him, making him unsteady. He took a moment to pause and recover, breathing deeply and shaking his head. He put his feet on the floor and struggled for composure.

Distressed by his reaction, Rinoa rushed to Squall's side.

"What? What is it?" she asked, placing a hand on Squall's shoulder. "What did you see?"

"Seifer…" Squall said. The memory of the electricity still coursed through his body. His limbs twitched with phantom pain. "And the Timber Sorceress. They're at D-District. They're being tortured right now."

"We have to go get them!" Rinoa said immediately.

(I agree.)

Squall immediately realized that there were logical reasons to send a rescue operation to D-District. Galbadians had somehow captured the Timber Sorceress and were currently torturing her for information. What exactly they were trying to learn, Squall could only guess. But there was no telling how much information Ciel possessed, or how much damage that information could do to SeeD or the other sorceresses of the world. In any case, the less that she told Galbadia, the better for everyone.

Furthermore, Squall saw merit in the idea of rescuing Ciel simply because she was a sorceress and a potentially powerful ally. The more magical women Squall and the others had on their side, the better their chances of putting an end to the conflict with Galbadia.

Seifer, Squall knew, possessed sensitive information as well. He knew the inner workings of SeeD and Garden. He knew Squall and Rinoa by name. He knew at least something about Esthar and Ultimecia and time compression. In short, he knew too much for Squall to be able to safely leave him in Galbadia's clutches. Squall had no great desire to protect Seifer, but if helping Seifer meant hurting Galbadia or strengthening Garden, then Squall would do it.

(I don't have much of a choice.)

Unsteadily, Squall rose to his feet and shuffled across the room, with Rinoa holding his arm to help balance him. Ellone seem less affected by the ordeal and didn't need any help following after the pair and returning to the president's office.

As usual, Laguna was busy with paperwork. Kiros was leaning over his shoulder and pointing at a document.

"No, Laguna," Kiros sighed. "It says, 'requisition,' not 'inquisition.' They're asking that we deliver extra supplies to the sector. They're not going to interrogate the supplies."

"Ohhh…" Laguna said, scratching his head with the back of a pen. "Is that what 'requisition' means? Huh. This paper makes a lot more sense now."

Squall frowned.

(They seriously leave Laguna in charge of the whole country?)

Laguna noticed the three enter the room and instantly lit up, his paperwork immediately forgotten.

"So how was it?" Laguna asked. "Anything good?"

"We need to get to D-District prison as quickly as possible," Squall said.

As he spoke, Squall realized that he didn't actually have a plan in place. He only knew that it was of the utmost importance that he rescue the Timber Sorceress and Seifer as quickly as possible, before Galbadia was able to extract any usable information from them. But now that he was thinking about it, he was beginning to realize that this was a very difficult mission, one that would require a lot of careful planning and foresight.

(I need to calm down and think.)

"No problem!" Laguna said. "If it's an emergency, you can take the Ragnarok."

Squall was taken aback. "Really?"

Laguna smiled and shrugged. "Of course! What's the point of bein' president if I can't give spaceships to my friends?"

Kiros sighed and crossed his arms. "Laguna, the military just finished processing the Ragnarok. They're going to be upset if we give it away to civilians. Imagine how they'll react when they find out we gave it to—not just civilians—but outsiders."

Laguna waved him off. "Ahhh, they're always complainin' about somethin' or another. This sounds really important, and it's not like we're using it right now anyway. We can spare the 'Rok for a little while."

(The 'Rok?)

Kiros gave the most fatigued, defeated sigh that Squall had ever heard. "Fine. Have it. But we'll be up to our necks in furious Generals and Colonels by this time tomorrow."

"Well, I'm president!" Laguna said, striking a dramatic pose. "And what I say goes. And I say Squall and his pretty girlfriend get a spaceship!"

"Um… thanks," Squall said, with a polite nod.

(With the Ragnarok, we can be at D-District in a few hours, rather than a few days.)

(This trip back to Esthar is proving to be well worth our time.)

"So what's the plan?" Rinoa asked.

(Right.)

He took a moment to try to organize his thoughts, prioritize his needs, and figure out a logical chain of events. Then he spoke.

"First, we take the Ragnarok to D-District and free the sorceress and Seifer," Squall said. "And then…"

He paused and crossed his arms, staring at the floor

"What are we going to do with them once we get them?" Rinoa asked.

"Good question," Squall said. He frowned and rubbed his forehead.

(We can't take them to Garden, because we don't know where Garden is.)

(And it seems like everywhere else in the world is dangerous for sorceresses right now.)

"Laguna," Squall said, looking up at the president. "Mind if we bring the sorceress here?"

"Here?" Laguna asked. He pointed down at the floor. "Like, into this room? I dunno. Security wouldn't like it."

(He must be joking.)

(No one is this dumb.)

"I mean here in Esthar," Squall said. "Dr. Odine should have the capability to handle her, right?"

"Oh, of course!" Laguna said. He nodded. "That guy can do like, just about anything. I'm sure he can handle anyone you bring."

"We're also bringing back Seifer too," Squall said. "I can't say for sure, but we may need to lock him up somewhere. He could be dangerous."

"I umm… errr…" Laguna said. "Well, we'll figure something out. So are you busting people out of jail or something?"

"Basically, yeah," Squall said.

"Well then I'll throw in a few soldiers to help out," Laguna said. "You'll need backup, right?"

(Can't hurt, I suppose.)

"In fact!" Laguna said. He snapped his fingers. "That's brilliant! I'm a genius! Of course you can have some soldiers with you!"

Kiros looked at Laguna dispassionately. "Care to elaborate?"

Laguna, beaming, turned to him and said, "If we send soldiers on the Ragnarok, then we can say it's an official Esthar mission thingy! Instead of having the army all up in my face for giving the 'Rok to a couple of civilians, I can just say that those civilians—meaning you two," he said, nodding at Rinoa and Squall, "are there for support. That way the army brass can't get upset! Really, I astonish myself sometimes!"

(But…)

"On second thought, we can't accept the offer," Squall said. Laguna's smile dropped. "If we take the Ragnarok as well as a bunch of Esthar soldiers into a Galbadian prison to free two of the most high-profile prisoners there, it'll cause a war almost instantly. We can't do that to you."

"He's right," Kiros said. "The Ragnarok is very recognizable. We're the only nation with that level of technology. As soon as the Galbadians see it, they'll know we were involved in the operation. They'll look to retaliate."

Laguna grimaced and scratched the back of his head. "Ahhhh… Makin' everything so complicated!" He sighed, crossed his arms, and stared into the distance. "You know what? Do it anyway. Take the ship and the soldiers. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

Squall shook his head. "It'll be war for sure. I think it's still possible avoid a war between Esthar and Galbadia, but not if we go through with this."

"Well I've been thinkin'," Laguna said. He looked around. "Yeah, I've been thinking. It's surprising, I know. But I have been thinkin' and realized I don't care. Seventeen years ago, Adel went around the world looking for potential sorceresses to be her heir. She killed a bunch of people, like Ellone's parents. And now, Galbadia is goin' around the world lookin' for sorceresses again. It's the same kinda evil, just with a different nation this time."

"But this time we're helping a sorceress," Squall said, "Not fighting one."

"Yeah, true," Laguna said. "But that's not important. It's evil either way, you know?"

(Hm. At least his heart seems to be in the right place.)

"Esthar isn't prepared for a war," Kiros said. "We've been depending on our secrecy to protect us. Our military isn't ready to handle Galbadia in a direct conflict."

"Psh!" Laguna said with a dramatic wave of his hand. "Galbadia's the ones who ain't ready to handle us!"

(It won't be that easy.)

"Are you sure about this?" Squall asked.

"Positive!" Laguna said. "Take the 'Rok and some soldiers and kick Galbadia on the shins!"

Squall thought about it. If Laguna was aware of—and willing to accept—the consequences of his actions, then there was really no reason for Squall to refuse. He took a moment to consider the relative strengths of the two nations. Although Galbadia had invested a great deal into their military, Squall couldn't imagine how the G-Army could take down Esthar in a fight, especially not after the two decades of massive scientific advancement that Esthar had undergone.

(It'll be war.)

(But, then again, it was probably going to be war anyway.)

"All right," Squall said with a nod.

Rinoa poked him on the arm. He turned to look at her.

"I'm a bit worried about bringing another sorceress here," Rinoa whispered.

Squall narrowed his eyes. "Hm? Why?"

"The Lunatic Pandora," Rinoa said. "Hyne's Fount. I'm still worried that someone is going to try to get at that power and use it to do something bad. Especially with Seifer around."

Squall puzzled it over for a few minutes. She had a point. If anyone was going to misuse the Lunatic Pandora, it would be Seifer.

"Esthar is still the best place for them," Squall said at last. "This is the only country with the technology and the personnel that can deal with sorceresses. I don't really like it either, but we don't have a choice. There's nowhere else to go."

"All right," Rinoa said, looking disappointed.

(That reminds me…)

Squall turned to Laguna. "What's the status of the Lunatic Pandora?"

"Hm?" Laguna said. He bit his lip. "I uh… dunno."

"Still being serviced," Kiros said. "Last we heard, the repair team said they could have it online tomorrow or the day after."

"So it's not here in Esthar yet?" Squall asked.

Kiros shook his head. "No."

(Well, that makes things a little better.)

"Umm… can I come too?" Ellone asked, a bit sheepishly. "On the mission to D-District?"

(What? No!)

Squall turned to her and shook his head sternly. "I really don't think that's a good idea," he said. "We'll be doing some fighting and I don't know what Seifer will try to do if he gets too close to you."

(Or what the sorceress will do, for that matter.)

(There's a lot of variables.)

"But, hear me out," Ellone said. "I've been thinking about other ways to use my power. When I send someone back in time, they go unconscious and become helpless. I've been wondering if I can use that power to subdue someone. Like, what if Seifer attacks you? Or what if the sorceress attacks you? I can put them to sleep before they hurt anyone, without resorting to violence or magic. Can you think of a better way to safely transport a potentially hostile prisoner like Seifer?"

(She may have a point.)

"Then why don't you just stay here?" Squall asked. "We'll contact you by radio if we need your powers. There isn't a range limit, correct?"

Ellone shook her head. "That would work for Seifer, but not for the Timber Sorceress. I don't know who she is. I need to come with you, so I can meet her and learn more about her. Hopefully that will be enough for me to form a connection strong enough to send her back in time if necessary."

(It's risky.)

(Really risky.)

But Ellone didn't relent. She came up with yet another reason as well. "Plus, we already know that my power isn't affected by D-District's anti-magic shield. I was able to send you and Zell back in time while you were locked up, remember? Without me, you'll only have your weapons to fight with, and you might end up hurting or killing Seifer or the sorceress."

(Damn it… she's right.)

Squall sighed.

"All right," he said. "You can come with us. But you need to promise to stay out of the battle as much as possible."

"I promise," Ellone said.

"Elle?" Laguna said. He rubbed his neck. "You sure this is what you want?"

Ellone smiled and nodded. "Yes. I would like to help. Also, I'd like a break from Dr. Odine's constant testing. This will give me a reasonable excuse to say no to him."

"Hey, if he's buggin' you that much, I can tell him to stop, you know," Laguna said. "You don't need to leave the country to get away from him."

"I want to help Squall and his friends," Ellone said. "I want to make sure that more people don't get hurt. I'd like to be useful, rather than just a novelty for Odine to experiment on."

Laguna sighed. "All right. If that's what you want. Just be careful, okay? Like, super careful. Super ultra-duper careful. "

Ellone smiled and nodded again. "I will."

"All right," Squall said. "We probably don't have much time, so let's hurry."

(I hope this isn't a mistake.)