Final Fantasy 8: Future Bound

by Darsar

The continuation of the events of Final Fantasy 8, shortly after the conclusion of the game.

31. Chapter 31: Let's Go

"You must fight to the end! Even though it may bring tragedy to others!"

Chapter 31

Let's Go

(Quistis)

"You should have known better," Mireya said. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "Why would you think that Trabia Garden would be safe? It's only logical to assume that the G-Army would search the other Garden when looking for us."

Quistis seethed, trying her hardest not to allow her annoyance to show on her face.

(We've only just begun and I'm already angry at her.)

"I didn't call you in here so that you could berate me about my decisions," Quistis said. She fought to keep from balling her hands into fists. She crossed her arms—still a negative body posture, but at least a little less hostile. "I asked for your advice. That is all."

Quistis tightened her jaw. It had taken all her willpower and her humility to ask Mireya for help in the first place. Admitting that she wanted—that she needed—Mireya's support was distasteful to the point of being nauseating. If she had a choice, Quistis would arrange it so that she and Mireya never crossed paths again. If Trabia Garden was still whole or if G-Garden wasn't their enemy, Quistis would have seriously considered forcing Mireya to transfer to one of the other Gardens.

But Quistis had no choice, so she bore her anger with as much grace as she could manage. SeeD's safety was paramount, and Quistis was willing to sacrifice herself and her own feelings to ensure that the school escaped its current predicament intact. If Garden's survival meant that Quistis had to call for aid from people like Mireya, then so be it.

(I wish there was another way.)

But despite Quistis' efforts, another way had not presented itself.

After Garden first became immobile in the ocean outside the Trabian peninsula, Quistis and Nida waited on the bridge for several minutes, expecting to see the Galbadian pursuit rise over the mountaintops, to see the Galbadian missile launchers emerge ready to finish their job. But that had not happened. They had turned to face the ocean, waiting for the G-Navy to come in force to crush Garden. But that had not happened either.

When Quistis finally decided that the Galbadians were not pursuing them—at least not yet—she used the intercom to inform the rest of Garden of what had happened, and to explain the current situation. Once that was accomplished, she descended down into Cid's office to discuss possible options with the Headmaster. All during that time, Quistis expected to hear word that Galbadian ships had been sighted on the horizon. She was tense constantly, expecting news of their imminent destruction at any moment.

Several hours passed, and no such news came.

Quistis and the Headmaster spoke extensively about the situation, but neither of them could find a solution. Their first idea was to call up the tech team and then send them down into the MD levels, where all the machinery that controlled Garden was located. The tech team gave a thorough examination of the equipment and found extensive damage to multiple locations, with numerous critical parts that were ruined beyond repair. Several key parts had been destroyed and the only way to access those sites was to go underwater and fix them from outside. Garden lacked the ability or the tools for such underwater repairs. And since the machines were composed of Centra technology—rather than the more familiar Galbadian—no one on the tech team had any idea how to replicate or replace the broken parts.

As everyone talked out possible solutions, Garden continued to drift, carried by the ocean currents further south and west, away from the shorelines. The mountains to the north faded in the distance and finally became invisible. Even the shoreline to the east was growing hazier. Soon it too would be beyond their sight.

(Good. The further we drift to sea, the less likely we'll be found by Galbadians.)

Cid and Quistis discussed ways to create alternative sources of thrust, using magic or machinery to do the job, but every plan they conceived of failed in some respect or another. Quistis put forth the idea that they could use para-magic in the form of water and wind spells in order to move Garden forward and at least get it out of the general area, maybe push them closer to Balamb, where they might be able to get help from a passing fisherman.

But as they considered this idea, they realized it was impossible. The para-magic that SeeD used was specifically designed for combat. The spells were organized to provide short, powerful bursts meant to kill or disable an enemy. Even if they could figure out a good system, the magic would be too erratic to effectively control Garden, and the students would exhaust their magic reserves long before Garden reached a safe haven. So the idea was scrapped.

Next they considered using traditional methods, taking scavenged resources aboard the school in order to fashion a crude rudder and sail. This idea managed to gain some traction and reached the early planning stages, but then Nida pointed out that the air was completely still. Quistis didn't need to step outside in order to confirm his observation. She could tell by the absolute glass-like stillness of the water. There were no waves in the sea, and barely even ripples on the surface.

Nevertheless, Quistis ordered a team to sew together sails using spare bed sheets and blankets taken from storage. The team worked quickly and efficiently, and suitable sails were constructed and mounted outside the school in under an hour. At current, they were hanging limp off the exterior of Garden, waiting for a breeze that showed no signs of coming. Quistis tried having students cast wind magic to at least get the school moving, but the relatively weak para-magic couldn't muster enough sustained force in order to overcome Garden's massive size and weight.

Nida suggested building boats and sailing to shore. While that option would save the students, it would leave Garden empty and defenseless. If Galbadian found Garden floating in the sea, they would only have to get inside the school in order to gain total control of Garden. They could then use G-Garden to tow the school back to Galbadia, and then repair it, fill it full of G-Army soldiers, and convert the whole school into a weapon against SeeD, giving Galbadia the combined might of two functioning Gardens. Whatever happened, Quistis refused to yield Garden over to the Galbadians without a fight.

Still, there was some merit in the idea of sending the younger underclassmen into boats and sending them to shore. But then Cid pointed out that there were no towns for a long distance in any direction. The students would only be able to carry provisions for a few days at most. If they did not find help before they ran out of supplies, they ran the risk of dying from exposure in the harsh Trabian wilderness. Everyone agreed that it was safer aboard Garden than out on the peninsula, especially for the youngest students.

With no other options remaining, Quistis called up Mireya to Cid's office, so that she could possibly come up with a fresh perspective. This maneuver accomplished two things for Quistis. First and most importantly, if Mireya had a good idea, it could possibly save all of Garden. But although Quistis would have gladly allowed Mireya to take full credit for saving Garden, Quistis was convinced that there was nothing Mireya could say that hadn't already been considered. Which brought up Quistis' second reason for calling Mireya: to embarrass her when she failed to help.

Quistis knew better than to mention this second reason in her discussions with Cid or anyone else. She barely even wanted to admit to herself that the thought occurred to her. But, although she hated it, there was a part of her brain that recognized that there was a chance to gain a political advantage in this situation. By asking Mireya for help and advice in a situation that was almost certainly impossible, Quistis could turn the tables on her tormentor and recover some credibility. Mireya would be forced to either admit that she didn't have a solution, or she would have to put forth a flawed or untenable idea.

In either case, Quistis would have a chance to take Mireya down a notch from her perceived superiority and once again restore them both to level ground. Up until that very moment, Mireya had always had the advantage of hindsight. Quistis was the one making and executing the plans in real time, while all Mireya ever had to do was observe the plans and then complain about them if they didn't go perfectly, or if they had unintended consequences. Mireya didn't have to think, or guess, or take the better of two difficult choices.

But by including Mireya in the planning process, it took that advantage away from her. Now Mireya would have to come up with a plan that wasn't guaranteed to succeed or else she would have to admit ignorance. Quistis would gain an advantage either way.

And if, by chance, Mireya had a great idea that saved the school? Then that was good as well. Quistis would personally lose a lot of respect among the students, and Mireya's constant boasting would gain new credence, but at least the school would be safe. Quistis was not so arrogant that she would wish for harm to befall the school just for the sake of spiting Mireya.

(Still, the fact that I'm even considering the political angles is distasteful.)

(I didn't want it to be like this.)

As far as Quistis could see, there was nothing to be lost and everything to be gained if she invited Mireya to the table. And so she did.

"Well, you asked for my opinion," Mireya said. "And my opinion is that we should have never gone to Trabia in the first place."

"Yes, thank you," Quistis said. She glanced at Headmaster Cid, to see if he was as annoyed as she was. But the Headmaster remained professional and calm, and his face betrayed none of his thoughts. "But what do you think we should do now?"

Mireya sighed. "Our first priority should be to devote as much of our resources as possible to fixing Garden."

Quistis shook her head. "The tech team already looked at it. The problem is beyond them."

"That's unacceptable," Mireya said. Her eyes flashed with stern anger. "Send them down again. Send more people. Send anyone who has ever fixed a toaster or changed a car tire. As long as Garden is immobile, we're vulnerable. We don't need to completely restore the system to full operation. We only need to get moving again. That shouldn't be hard."

(She has a point.)

Quistis narrowed her eyes. But before she could respond, the Headmaster raised a gentle hand and spoke. "I'm afraid Garden is nothing so simple as toasters or car tires."

"Obviously, Headmaster," Mireya said. "I was being sarcastic. But my point still stands."

Cid smiled and nodded, showing far more patience with Mireya than Quistis could possibly muster.

(How does the Headmaster do it?)

"I understand what you're saying," the Headmaster said. "But you seem to be misinterpreting the problem. It's not that we don't know how to fix the engines. It's that it's simply impossible to do so. I have visited the MD-Levels on several occasions in my spare time in the past few weeks, just to get a feel for how the Centra technology works. And it is fair to say that the Centra loved to build… let's say, 'eccentric' technologies. Whatever could be done simply, they did complexly. If they needed a gear or a lever, they built a network of grids and gadgets that I can't even comprehend. The parts that are broken are parts that cannot be easily replaced because they are so very unusual that they have no comparable doubles. For example, I'm told that there is significant damage to the main drive shaft and—if I recall correctly—the main drive shaft is a series of interlocking spheres stacked one on top of the other. I haven't the slightest idea of how to build replacement parts for massive, spherical gears, and neither does the tech team. Do you?"

The Headmaster lowered his head and peered at Mireya from over his glasses. Mireya's lip twitched in annoyance and she looked away from his gaze. Quistis couldn't help but feel a small triumph, seeing Mireya visibly stumped.

(Ha! Not so easy, is it?)

"No, I don't know," Mireya said. She looked back at the Headmaster with a firm and unflinching gaze. "But it's no use giving up either. We have to at least try."

Cid nodded. "True. We'll have the tech team and all other able-bodied SeeDs continue to investigate the situation."

Mireya softened a little. "Good. But in the meantime we need to prepare for battle. Galbadia will find us eventually, and we should be ready for them when they arrive."

"Agreed," Cid said. "However, there is not much that we can do that we have not already done. Every SeeD in the school already has an assigned battle station, as well as a list of responsibilities and duties in the event of a conflict. There is not much more that we need to do once we sound the alarm."

Mireya crossed her arms. "Then we need to get creative. We need to turn the school itself into a weapon."

Cid raised an eyebrow, somewhat skeptically, but also a little intrigued. "Oh?" he said.

"I have some ideas," Mireya said. "First, the cars in the parking lot are currently useless as long as we're at sea. So we should bring them into the school."

"You mean drive them down the halls?" Cid asked.

"Yes," Mireya said. "There's no sense in just leaving them in the parking lot. We can use the armored cars as mobile fortresses. It's a tight squeeze, but even the largest armored cars should be able to move up and down the main hallways. We can put teams of four into each car and use them to cast magic against Galbadians without exposing ourselves to gunfire. Unarmored cars can be placed in defensive locations at key locations, like doorways and such, to slow the advancement of the Galbadian troops and provide cover for our students. The gasoline can be taken out of any car that doesn't need to drive anywhere and used to make firebombs."

"Interesting…" Cid said.

"You're plan depends on the Galbadians attempting to invade the school directly," Quistis said. "What if they choose to destroy us instead? They have surface-to-air missiles, so what if they choose to bomb us into oblivion rather than fight us?"

Mireya shook her head. "They won't for two reasons. One, they're still hunting Rinoa. They want to either capture her alive, or at least have a confirmed kill. Simply sinking Garden into the ocean won't satisfy them. But more importantly, they want to control Garden. Imagine how powerful the G-Army could be if it had both G-Garden and Balamb Garden under its control. Martine isn't going to squander his chance to massively strengthen his army."

(So she's recognized that possibility as well.)

"You're making a lot of assumptions," Quistis said. Mireya had never made it easy for Quistis, so she saw no reason to be easy on her either.

"Yes, but they're good assumptions," Mireya said. "Galbadia wants power. Galbadia fears sorceresses. We know these two things for a fact. From there, we can make assumptions like the ones I have just made. It's not much of a leap."

(She's right.)

This conversation was not going well for Quistis. Not only was Mireya not shaken by the steep odds laid against them, Mireya seemed to be thriving under the pressure. She didn't have a cure-all solution, but she did have ideas that were sound and helpful. Meanwhile, Quistis was looking more foolish with every second.

(Perhaps it's true…)

(Perhaps I'm not fit to lead.)

Quistis bit her lip, while Mireya continued on. "The monsters in the training center could be used to our advantage as well. Using sleep spells, we should be able to transport them to certain locations around the school to provide a front line of defense."

"You want to use monsters to protect us?" Quistis asked. She scoffed. "That's absurd."

"Not if we use them properly," Mireya said. "All of the classrooms on the second floor pose massive security threats. The windows are easily broken, and large enough to admit several G-Soldiers at a time. We can't adequately defend the classrooms, because there are too many windows, and we'd spread ourselves too thin to guard every one. But if we put monsters in the classrooms, then Galbadia will have to fight their way through the monsters to get at us, which will weaken them and slow them down before they reach the second floor hallway. And all we lose in the exchange are some pesky monsters. No big loss."

Quist frowned, but nodded her head in agreement.

(Damn it… I like that idea.)

"Interesting," Cid said again. "What else have you come up with?"

"The quad is a massive weak point in our defenses," Mireya said. "G-Garden has already focused its energy there both times in each of its prior attacks, and they'll do so again. It's too large and open for us to easily defend it, so we can leave traps throughout the quad. The main defensive unit will stay in the hallway outside the quad, where there's a choke point. The Galbadians cannot get into the school from the quad without going through that hall, so that's the area we need to focus on. The quad itself can be laced with booby-traps to increase Galbadian casualties as they work their way to the hall."

"What kind of traps?" Quistis said.

"The Galbadians have launched motorcycles at us on both of their last two attacks," Mireya said. "So we can lay down spikes to pop their tires. That will force them to abandon their bikes and continue on foot, drastically reducing their combat effectiveness. Abandoned motorcycles will then clutter the quad, making it even harder on the G-Army to advance. In addition, we can put down status ailment items, like sleep powders and poison powders, and rig up basic tripwires to detonate them. If we do all of that, then we can effectively neutralize Galbadia's first wave without losing any SeeDs or even exposing them to danger. Monsters and traps will do all the fighting for us at first."

"You sound like you've been thinking about this a lot," Quistis said.

"Indeed I have," Mireya said coldly. "Why haven't you?"

Quistis bit back a retort.

"Now, now," Cid said. He lifted his hands and stepped between the two before any arguments could start. "This is not the time for that. I like your ideas, Mireya, and with the Commander's leave, I will order our students to begin making these preparations."

"Wait, why is it my decision?" Quistis asked.

Cid smiled. "Once again, this is a matter concerning SeeD's battles. Therefore it falls under the jurisdiction of the SeeD Commander. Which is you."

Quistis waved her hand. "Yes. All right. Let's implement these plans."

"I have more ideas as well," Mireya said. "We won't survive long on defense alone. By sheer attrition, the G-Army can wear us down with their numbers. We need to plan a counter-attack strategy, and I have a few suggestions for that as well."

"Then we will discuss them as we work," Cid said. He clapped his hands together. "Now, let's turn this school into a deathtrap."

Because the undertaking was so large and required the whole school to work in concert, the group was broken into teams and the various tasks were divided amongst them.

Zell and Ami were put in charge of transporting the monsters from the training center up to the second floor and securing them in the classrooms. They did this by using a lot of sleep spells and careful maneuvering through the halls. Because they were limited by the size of the elevator, only grats and other small monsters were able to make the transition. T-Rexaurs were allowed to remain in the training center undisturbed. Zell was glad of that.

"Man," he said. "How'd you even carry those things?"

Mireya was put in charge of the quad, where she organized the students and built an intricate series of traps to hopefully crush Galbadia's first wave of attackers. Someone in her group suggested that they freeze the floor to make it slippery, and this idea was quickly approved. Using water from the fountains in the middle of the school combined with ice spells, the team turned the quad into a skating rink filled with iron spikes and status traps. Even the students themselves feared venturing out into the quad. Once the preparations were complete, the area was cordoned off to prevent accidents.

Quistis was in charge of securing the inner defenses, which meant using the cars from the parking lots and creating strategic barriers. She created a barricade of sedans behind Mireya's front lines at the quad, as well as secondary and tertiary barricades behind the first so that the front line of defense would have additional places to fall back to when the Galbadians pressed forward. She also created a few outposts in the other sections of the school, on the off-chance that soldiers managed to break through the dorms or the cafeteria or some other unexpected place. She created teams of four to command the armored cars, which would act as mobile assault stations as well as mobile barricades.

Cid worked closely with the tech team down in the MD-Levels of the school, as they all tried their best to come up with some way to get Garden moving again, even if they had to resort to drastic or bizarre methods. Edea went into the basement and was in charge of protecting all the junior classmen and all non-combatants. Xu's unconscious body was wheeled to the basement as well, in case the fighting spilled into the infirmary.

Despite the fact that most of the ideas being implemented were Mireya's, Quistis actually found herself enjoying the proceedings. It wasn't that she liked the prospect of fighting. And the fact that they were tearing apart her beloved school—irreparably, in some cases—was heart-wrenching to her. But amidst all the construction and the weaponry and the battle strategy was an element of growing hope. With every new trap laid, every defense planned, every contingency prepared for, SeeD's chances of survival increased.

(And that's all that really matters.)

Hours passed, still with no signs of the Galbadians. Quistis was concerned about this for a while, wondering what the Galbadias could possibly be up to, until she realized that the G-Navy was likely marshaling their forces, gathering together for one massive assault. Just because the attack was delayed did not mean that the attack wasn't coming. She continued to work, knowing that the alarm could be sounded at any moment.

"You all have your orders?" Quistis asked a group of cadets who were hunkered down behind a blue car, parked right in the middle of the hallway leading to the quad. The cadets hopped up to their feet and saluted.

"Yes, Commander," one of the cadets said enthusiastically. "We're ready for 'em!"

Quistis nodded. She went through the groups, making sure that everyone had a job and that everyone had what they needed to accomplish that job.

(Is there anything else we can do?)

Her thoughts drifted from room to room, relying on her memories of each place as she went through all the possible objects contained in each room and the strategic value of each. Eventually, she remembered the basement and the fact that NORG's defensive pod was still locked down there. She turned away from a small group of SeeDs and cadets who were checking their weapons and their junctions before battle. She headed for the elevator.

Zell, along with three other SeeDs, were busy pushing a sleeping grat down the hall using a modified dolly. Zell grinned at her and waved, and she paused to let the group with the grat go through first. Zell and the SeeDs gently hauled the grat up the steps and to the elevator, then rode up to the second floor.

(He looks like a very strange delivery boy.)

Quistis waited, then pushed the button to call the elevator back down. When it arrived, she entered and pushed the button for the basement.

Until very recently, the basement had always been something of a mystery to her. It required special permission to access, so she had only been down there once or twice before Garden became mobile. Even now, there was little reason for her to visit.

When the elevator arrived, it struck Quistis that the basement looked very much like the president's office back in Esthar. The walls glowed and pulsed with an alien, purplish light. The metal design of the floor did not match the architecture of the rest of the room. She wondered if this was a part of the original Centra design, or if NORG had altered the room to fit his personal tastes.

(I suppose I could ask the Headmaster.)

She stepped out of the elevator. During NORG's life, the basement had been used as his home and his office, but was now a playground for those students too young and too inexperienced to be part of the battle. Students as young as five years old ran around the room, playing imaginary games drawn on the floor with crayons, skipping rope, or hiding from each other. The older students—just on the edge of being combat ready—studied their textbooks, did floor exercises, or staged imaginary battles between each other, using guns and swords fashioned from small tools.

But altogether, the scene was rather sedate. Though the children were young and easily excitable, they had grown up in the military environment of SeeD, and were far more organized and well-behaved than one would expect. The loudest noise was the occasional laugh or frightened shriek, but even those were rare. The kids running around the room did so softly. Edea and three other SeeDs were able to easily maintain order among the dozens of junior classmen without having to use much discipline or raise their voices.

(I wonder what kind of SeeDs these children would grow up to be.)

First, before these children could grow up to be anything, Garden would have to survive the next few battles. Quistis reminded herself of her purpose and strode into the room. Among all the children, it was easy to spot Matron in the crowd, as she stood twice as tall as most of the junior classmen. Her long black hair was, by itself, taller than most of the children in the basement. Edea smiled warmly at Quistis as she approached. A blond haired boy stood at Matron's knee, watching Quistis with suspicion and concern.

"Yes, Commander?" Edea asked, gently folding her hands in front of her.

Quistis gave a shy smile. "You don't have to call me that, Matron."

"It helps build good habits among the children," Matron said. "Respect for authority. Best they learn these lessons now, rather than later, when they will be punished for such oversights."

"I suppose," Quistis said with a shrug.

"Is there something I can do for you, Commander?" Edea said.

"I wanted to look at NORG's pod and see if we could use it in our defenses somehow," Quistis said. She turned and looked at the massive, hulking structure in the corner of the room. It was dimly lit at the moment, and hard to see, but she recalled its shape well.

"Oh yes," Edea said. "Please do something about that. It's a weapon, correct? I'm worried that one of the children will set something off and get hurt."

"Shouldn't be any danger of that happening," Quistis said. "Not unless they get in the cockpit. But I'll do my best."

"Thank you, Commander," Edea said, with a formal bow. Quistis almost blushed with embarrassment. Here, the woman who had raised Quistis from a child, was now treating her as a superior. It made Quistis dizzy just to think of it.

(She's practically my mother.)

Awkwardly, she excused herself and walked towards NORG's pod. Behind her, the boy at Matron's knee whispered, "Who is that?"

"The SeeD Commander," Edea said. "She gives orders to all the SeeDs in Garden."

"Alllll of them?" the boy said in amazement.

Matron chuckled. "Yes, alllll of them."

Without realizing it, Quistis straightened up as she walked. Her footsteps carried an air of greater importance and purpose. The junior classmen paused their games and stepped aside as she passed. She nodded curtly—but not unkindly—at them. They looked at her with awe.

("She gives orders to all the SeeDs in Garden.")

(I can't let them down.)

(I must be strong.)

She reached NORG's pod and stopped. It was a great, hulking dome of metal, like an ornamental turtle that reached almost up to the ceiling of the high, vaulted basement. She had never seen the device in action—she had been at the Galbadian Missile Base with Irvine and Selphie when Squall and the others fought NORG—but the way the armor plating was designed revealed the seams where the shell could open up and reveal the cockpit, giving her a clue as to how to open it.

(Now, how to get inside?)

She rested a hand on the outside of the shell and traced her fingers along the gaps and the cracks in the shell, taking a long walk around the perimeter. She looked for a control panel, a switch, or a hidden button that would open the shell, but quickly came to realize that her search was in vain. NORG built the shell to be impenetrable from the outside, and she was unlikely to find an easy access to the cockpit just sitting out in the open.

(But NORG needed a way in and out, didn't he?)

She continued to look for a few minutes, then gave up.

(Perhaps he always left the cockpit open when he wasn't using it.)

That possibility seemed likely. In any case, Quistis' best option was to try to track down some members of the tech team and see if she could convince one of them to have a look. Maybe, if they couldn't find an entry point, they could just get one of the blowtorches and burn a hole through the shell. That would be a last resort.

But before she could continue along this thought line, the intercom chimed. All the SeeDs in the room stopped what they were doing and listened. Most of the junior classmen froze as well, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for the announcement. Only the very youngest and least disciplined children continued their games, but even they knew better than to play loud or roughhouse at the moment. The tension in the air throbbed along with Quistis' heartbeat.

(Nida is the only one on the bridge, and he's looking for Galbadians.)

(If he's calling, that means…)

Nida's voice came over the speakers. "Commander Quistis, please report to the bridge. It's… it's not Galbadians. But you should still have a look at this."

Quistis frowned as the intercom shut off.

(Not Galbadians?)

Urged on by her burning curiosity, Quistis strode quickly to the elevator and pushed the button. It arrived, and she went up to the third floor, crossed Cid's office, and rode the lift up to the bridge.

Nida stood by the control column, holding a pair of binoculars up to his face and peering out into the horizon. When Quistis approached, he turned and handed her the binoculars.

"Look out there," he said, pointing. "It's getting closer and I can't tell what it is."

Quistis brought the binoculars to her eyes and looked. On the horizon and approaching quickly was a gray mass of some sort. The binoculars were blurry and out of focus. Quistis twisted the lenses on both sides to get a better view.

When she finally found the best adjustment for the lenses, she still had no idea what was approaching them. There was a circular gray disk cutting through the ocean, like a gigantic hockey puck. There were no designs or architecture that identified it as belonging to any particular nation. On top of the disk was what appeared to be broken metal and rubble. She also spied a number of brightly colored squares and rectangles, though she had no idea what any of them signified. Moving through the cluttered mess atop the disk were dozens of people in civilian clothes. A few were wearing uniforms, but Quistis couldn't identify them from that distance.

It wasn't until she focused on the very center of the top of the disk when she noticed a purple-and-white decal emblazoned on the floor of the disk. At first, she had trouble focusing on the decal, and then—when she could see it clearly—she had trouble believing it.

"It can't be…" Quistis said. She lowered her binoculars in confusion. The disk was now close enough for her to see it with the naked eye.

"Can't be what, Commander?" Nida asked.

(It can't be…)

She raised the binoculars and looked again. There was no mistaking it. Quistis had seen that decal hundreds if not thousands of times before. The only difference was that she was accustomed to seeing it in blue-and-white for Balamb Garden, or red-and-white for Galbadia Garden.

(But purple-and-white means…)

"It's Trabia Garden," Quistis said, once she was completely sure.

"You're kidding," Nida said. His shock was quickly replaced by excitement and wonder. "You mean they're mobile now?" He laughed incredulously.

"Apparently so…" Quistis said, still watching the other Garden's approach.

(But how?)

Thinking back to the ruined, empty circle that stood in the mountains where Trabia Garden used to be, Quistis realized that it made sense. That empty, freshly churned earth was remarkably similar to the crater left behind in Balamb Island when B-Garden first became mobile. It wasn't that T-Garden was completely destroyed—leaving nothing behind—but that the whole Garden had lifted up, taking everything with it except the perimeter fence.

(That explains what we saw earlier.)

"How did they do it?" Quistis muttered to herself. She was still perplexed, but she couldn't help feeling a growing sense of excitement. For the first time since Garden had lost its mobility, Quistis saw a way out of their predicament that didn't involve bloodshed.

(We might still get out of this alive.)

Quistis bit her lip in anticipation.

"Should we try to call them on the radio?" Nida asked.

She thought about it, then shook her head. "No, Galbadia might still be nearby, listening in. We don't want to alert them if we can help it."

"Right," Nida said.

On board Trabia Garden, several of the students got together and raised a white truce banner, crudely constructed out of bed sheets. The students waved at the Garden, showing that they intended no harm. Quistis regretted that Garden was currently unable to reply with a truce banner of their own to show the Trabians that they meant no harm either.

"Nida, the intercom," Quistis said.

He flicked the switch, and the microphone chimed and went live.

"Attention," Quistis said. "Trabia Garden is approaching us quickly from the west, flying a truce banner. I'm going down to speak with them now. I don't expect any trouble from them, but Galbadia could be right on their tails. Everyone stay at your posts until further notice."

She nodded, and Nida killed the intercom.

"Stay here and keep watch," Quistis said. Nida nodded solemnly, obviously not thrilled to be stuck on watch duty again, but he knew better than to complain. Quistis turned and headed down the lift, then crossed Cid's office and went down the elevator to the second floor. Waiting for her there on the crosswalk to the classrooms was Zell and Ami.

"Yo, Quistis!" Zell said as soon as the doors opened. He waved. "Was that true? It's really Trabia Garden?"

"Yes," Quistis said. "I saw their insignia on their…"

(Deck? Floor? Ship?)

"… on the top," she finished. "I saw some of the students as well. They seem to be wearing the proper uniforms."

"You don't think it's a trap or anything, do ya?" Zell asked.

"It would be quite an elaborate trap if it were," Quistis said. "Come along with me and find out."

"Awesome," Zell said. He pumped his fist.

He and Ami fell into step behind Quistis as she walked around the curving second floor hallway. As she moved, she spared glances into the classrooms. Most had already been packed full with grats and other lesser monsters. Students stood by each door, ready to hold back any monsters or invading Galbadians, whichever came through the doors first.

"How is it been going up here?" Quistis asked.

Zell shrugged. "Not too bad. Couple'a grats got loose once, and sometimes they wake up when we're tryin'a move 'em, but they're nothing we can't handle."

"No injuries?" Quistis asked.

"Nothing Ami couldn't heal," Zell said, nodding to his girlfriend. "We did have to kill a couple monsters that got too uppity. Sorry."

Quistis waved her hand. "They're expendable. That's why we're putting them on the front here."

(I still wish it was my idea, but oh well.)

The three reached the far door that lead up to the balcony. Quistis would have preferred to meet with the Trabians out at the front gate, but as long as Garden was out at sea, then the front gate was partially submerged. Opening it would flood the whole Garden. The balcony was the only other option—aside from the quad, which was currently an icy deathtrap.

They stepped out into the warm salt air and walked to the outer wall that encircled the balcony. Trabia Garden was now quite close, close enough for Quistis to make out individual people walking along the top. She raised both her arms up as high as they would go and waved them slowly, guiding them towards the balcony. Zell and Ami repeated this motion.

As the other Garden got closer, Quistis was able to see how the vessel operated. Welded at the back of the ship was a tall, fin-like rudder that dipped into the water. A couple of students maneuvered the rudder back and forth to steer it. She couldn't see what was driving it forward, but there were no sails aboard the ship, which implied that the engines were still functioning.

Trabia Garden steered itself alongside Balamb Garden and parked just outside the balcony. With most of the top of T-Garden having been sheared off by the bomb attack, the Trabians were a full story beneath the SeeD's balcony. Quistis had to rest her hands on the railing and lean forward in order to see down to the other school.

"Hey up there!" one of the female T-Garden students called. "What's going on?"

(Might as well give them full disclosure.)

"Our engines were hit by Galbadian missiles," Quistis said. "We're stuck out here."

"We seem to have the exact opposite problem," the student said with a chuckle. "Everything but the engines were hit by Galbadian missiles."

Quistis did not approve of making light of their situation—either of their situations—but she went along with it.

"Can you help us?" Quistis asked.

"We can try," the student said. "Come down here and we'll figure something out."

Quistis frowned, trying to think of a way down to the other Garden. It was too far to jump, and with all the twisted metal and wreckage aboard T-Garden, it would likely be fatal if she made the attempt.

"Zell, get some rope," Quistis said.

"Aye, aye," Zell said. He jogged across the balcony and headed for the door.

"Do we have rope?" one student asked another student aboard T-Garden. The second student nodded. "We have rope!"

"Never mind, Zell," Quistis shouted. Zell stopped running midstride, spun on his toe, and jogged back.

The students aboard T-Garden gathered together a long coil of thick rope. They weighed one end down with a small piece of charred metal—to provide a weight—and then tossed it up to the balcony. Zell plucked the rope out of the air, then quickly tied it to the railing on the balcony. Quistis tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure, then hauled herself over the edge of the balcony and climbed down the rope.

She dropped down onto T-Garden, her boots banging hard on the warped metal. All around her was the smell of saltwater and the faint odor of burnt steel. Now that she was there, she recognized that the mysterious colorful rectangles she'd seen from the bridge were actually a number of tents, pitched haphazardly around the top of the school. Aside from the tents, the students had no other forms of cover, and were completely exposed to the elements.

(Must have been a rough trip getting here.)

"Hey, welcome aboard!" the student said. She had long brown hair and was dressed in warm, mismatched civilian clothes. She extended her hand, which Quistis shook gratefully.

(She's familiar…)

(Oh!)

"You're Selphie's friend, aren't you?" Quistis asked. The student smiled and nodded. Quistis searched for her name, but couldn't recall it.

"Yup. I'm Tomomi," she said. "Is Selphie aboard with you?"

Quistis shook her head. "No. We haven't seen her since she left for Trabia. You mean she's not with you?"

Zell climbed down the rope and dropped beside Quistis. He began dusting the bits of rope off his clothes. Ami climbed down after him.

"Huh uh," Tomomi said, shaking her head. "G-Garden came by and picked them up a few days ago. We haven't seen them ever since. I'm… really worried, actually. I'm starting to think we shouldn'ta let them go."

(G-Garden? Why?)

Quistis had so many questions, she could barely figure out where to start. Ami dropped down from the rope and landed beside Zell. She rolled her ankle a bit on a loose piece of metal, and Zell steadied her before she fell. She smiled at him, embarrassed.

"Gotta be careful," Zell said.

"Yeah," she said.

(I suppose we can ask questions later.)

(But for now, we need to get moving.)

"Anyway, as I said," Quistis said. "Our engines are shot. Do you think you could give us a tow somehow?"

"Yeah," Tomomi said. "I mean, I don't know how we'll do it, but we're definitely willing to try! Right guys?"

The other students cheered in agreement. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Galbadia sucks!" starting a wave of merry laughter among the students.

(They seem rather calm and laid back.)

(Very unlike the other two Gardens.)

"So I suppose you're the leader here?" Quistis asked.

"I guess so," Tomomi said. She shrugged. "We haven't had a real leader since before the bombs." Her voice softened on those last three words, but then perked up again after. "I guess I got made leader by default when I became a sorceress."

Quistis, Zell, and Ami froze. It was as if the word was a spell that hit the three of them simultaneously. Quistis felt as Zell and Ami's eyes focused on her. Tomomi noticed this, and her smile dropped from her face. Immediately, the air became thick with tension. Even the other students aboard T-Garden quieted down and listened.

"Umm… should I have not said that?" Tomomi asked.

Quistis thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I'm glad you mentioned it now. You see… it's a long story, but there are people in SeeD right now who don't have a high opinion of sorceresses."

"Oh…" Tomomi said. She grimaced.

"We're not one of them," Quistis said. "And we'll work to protect you and your secret. But it isn't something you should admit so freely. Even to SeeDs."

Tomomi bit her lip. "Oh… I didn't know that. I mean, I know that a lot of people don't like sorceresses, but I didn't think it was that bad."

"It's gotten worse lately," Zell said. "President Martine has started like, a world war against sorceresses. So you really gotta be careful!"

"President who?" Tomomi asked. Her face scrunched up in confusion.

(Oh dear…)

"It seems we have a lot to discuss," Quistis said. "But the majority of it can wait. For now, I have two questions. Is Galbadia nearby, and can you tow us away from here?"

"Haven't seen any Galbadians," Tomomi said. "And I'm sure we can find something to tow Garden with. Just give us some time."

"We are deeply in your debt," Quistis said, with a small bow.

"Hey, no worries," Tomomi said cheerfully. "Always willing to help our sister school. Especially since they sent us such cool ambassadors. Now, let's see about getting you guys moving again!"

Although Quistis was excited about the prospect of getting Garden mobile, she could already sense that there would be trouble ahead.

(I need to tread carefully.)

(Any mistake could cost us dearly.)

With that, Quistis and the others got to work.