Chapter 25

Garland

Gerra's group headed on a north-western beeline to Galbadia City, scaling another plateau to shave an hour off the journey, before the capital appeared on the horizon. The land force of the G-Army, matching the Esthari force coming from the south, extended south from the capital. The sea of cars, trucks, tents and weapons of war almost looked like a supplement of the city, placed either side of the numerous railway lines that shot from the capital's south.

In this era, Gerra recalled, the constant tropical storms that battered northern Galbadia meant that it always seemed to be predawn or post dusk around the city. The blinding lights of the inner commercial district gleamed day or night. There were very few clear days throughout the year. When there were, they were usually met with celebration and an outpouring to the coastal resorts to the north. Today was not one of them.

The open battle would be fought a few miles from the Galbadian camp, on a section of the waterlogged plains where the westerners had the higher ground. The Galbadians had initially intended to take a defensive formation covering the south and east of the capital. But with the destruction of the Dollet force, this formation could now be moved to better meet General Zebalga's force from the south. Additionally, the Galbadians could now redeploy critical units north, for when the monstrous Esthari fleet inevitably won the sea battle and their marines came inland.

Thalassa called Colonel Wedge again to warn them of the pod's arrival. She set the pod to auto-land a hundred yards from the camp. The four of them emerged into a light, cooling rain, nevertheless happy to be outside after so many hours cooped up in the pod. They were met at the edge by a G-Soldier wearing a charcoal tactical vest over a blue uniform. Thalassa and Raine both gave him a SeeD salute, but Damian did not follow. Gerra remained immobile; the only salute he had ever known being the one of the gladiators.

'Pleased to meet you all,' the G-Soldier said, returning the salute. 'I've been ordered to lead you to the Colonel's tent.'

Gerra briefly surveyed each soldier that he passed. After Deling's death, the gross mismanagement of the Galbadian military by Sorceress Edea and her Bloodhound had been a major embarrassment and blight on the history of the western superpower. It was those skirmishes, such as the thwarted occupations of Balamb and Dollet, or the Battle of the Gardens, that were freshest in most Galbadians' memories. This new generation of soldiers were eager to redeem their country's name for past defeats. Especially the Garlands. The battles for Timber – Galbadia's only participation in armed conflict since – had been little more than a brief shooting war. After twenty years of licking their wounds, the Galbadians were eager to defend their motherland, which had not been truly threatened since Adel's reign.

Xu had informed their party of the complete destruction of the Dollet force. Gerra could only hope that his interference had been enough to prevent the western continent's fall. One reason he was studying the Galbadians so curiously was because he could still be witnessing the end of an era. Having only read about the great western republic, Gerra felt privileged to behold it.

The middle-aged Colonel Wedge greeted them warmly. He was clean-shaven and still handsome, with grey sideburns and receding hair.

'Good to see you again, Dincht!' he said warmly. 'That tattoo always brings back some unpleasant memories!'

Wedge gave a short, nervous laugh. Raine and Thalassa had saluted Wedge, and this time Damian followed. Gerra imitated the awkward salute as best he could. He quickly dropped his hand as Wedge looked at him.

'You look a little older than the others,' Wedge noted. 'One of Cid's SeeDs, perhaps? What's your name, son?'

'Gerra Phoenix, sir,' he replied minimally.

He believed for now that the less he said, the better. Wedge looked at Gerra's weapon, visible within his unbuttoned trench coat.

'A hand-and-a-half? A fine choice!'

'I prefer a gunblade, sir, but I lost mine in FH,' Gerra replied, elaborating enough to not appear shifty or antisocial.

'I see,' Wedge chuckled. 'I've never liked gunblades. I fought the Lionheart himself a couple of times; I'm lucky to be alive, really! I was demoted twice, and it took me a long time to claw my way back up, but sure enough I did! General Biggs and I plan to cash out our pensions once we've gotten those flashy bastards off our land!'

'Easier said than done, sir,' Gerra said, hoping he had done enough for such a happy ending to come to pass. 'But I trust the two of you have earned every gil.'

'Let's get you all to the Garlands!' Wedge said.

They followed the Colonel from his tent until they reached a section of camp that seemed to have a natural divide from the rest. The burly men and women outside the tents were speaking little, looking somewhat older and better built than the regular soldiers they had seen thus far. The Garlands must have quickly deduced that they were SeeDs, or had been warned about them beforehand. They did not look surprised and kept a wary reserve of them as they rose as one and saluted Wedge. Although their salute was not directed at them, Thalassa and Raine saluted once again.

They were approached by a tall, muscular man that Gerra assumed was their internally elected leader, Ballad – son of the late Vinzer Deling. Over six feet tall, his tan was a nut brown, his eyes were dark, and his short black hair was faded to the skin around the ears. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his chiselled arms were sleeved in an intricate tapestry of tattoos.

'Thank you, sir,' Ballad said to Wedge. 'I can take it from here.'

Ballad waited for Thalassa and Raine to offer hands, then shook them warmly. Damian and Gerra kept a wary distance. Wedge bade them all a good evening and departed.

Ballad spoke again. 'We might have been SeeD's sworn enemy in our inception, but the world has changed greatly over the last twenty years. We have a shared enemy now, and the Regiment is honoured to have SeeDs willing to fight alongside us, in defense of Mother Galbadia!'

The Garland leader was joined by a hulking, broadfaced 'Trooper' called Siegfried, who was a similar age. Gerra guessed mid-to-late twenties. Siegfried's hair was a spikey blond and he had a brooding look on his face. He wore a long grey coat and had a sawn-off shotgun holstered behind it. Despite the Trabian highlands name, Siegfried's accent was southern Galbadian.

'Ballad speaks for the Regiment,' he said. 'SeeD is welcome among us.'

The only other Garland to introduce herself was a wiry redhead named Nadia, who had some retractable claws on the back of her hands and a scimitar behind her back. As fierce as she looked, she spoke in the classy northern manner.

'I had never knowingly been within fifty yards of a SeeD before Timber! I was a child during the last war, as you all would have been. We would not even exist if not for you. SeeD's reputation is well deserved!'

Damian seemed more willing to drop his wariness and introduce himself this time around.

'As is the reputation of Garland, Nadia!' he returned, grinning broadly. 'I'm Damian Reno, of Winhill!'

'Reno, huh?' Siegfried said. 'I'm from Winhill, too. My family was able to make it to Wilburn, but Mayor Reno stayed to shield the infirm.'

Damian stared at Siegfried for a second, then looked vaguely south. He had been unable to reach his father.

'Then chances are Zebalga killed him!' Damian hefted his axe shaft to his shoulder and walked a few paces. 'At least now I know!'

The rest of the Garlands either bowed their heads or briefly watched Gerra's group before resuming what they had been doing before. Ballad invited the group to sit around a fire with the other two.

'The majority of Zebalga's force has crossed the river,' Ballad explained, 'but won't be here for three days. We feared they would move northwest to put Wilburn under siege, to draw us out into the open, so the Dollet force could take us in the rear and cut us off from the city simultaneously. But SeeD have destroyed the Dollet force – with Garden's help! Half a million troops without a single casualty! We received word earlier today, and our satellites have confirmed it. There are only about twenty thousand Esthari left on the Monterosa now. We'll only be able to stall Esthar in the north, but the land battle will be evenly fought, now!'

'Unless SeeD can do the same to Zebalga's force,' Nadia put in.

Gerra suspected that Quistis had been junctioned with Eden, as Thalassa mentioned that the Elder GF had aided the Children of Fate before. That was the only way Quistis' group could have eliminated such a large force with only one assault. But the power required for such a feat would have been astronomical. It was unlikely Eden would be replenished before the battle. Ultimecia had conquered Eden after winning the war, not daring to face the Elder GF until she had subjugated every last member of his brethren. Eden had been the game changer, as Gerra had hoped. The decider of fate.

Gerra joined Thalassa and Raine as they sat on some supply crates. Damian remained further away, leaning against a stack of pallets.

'You're a White SeeD, aren't you?' Siegfried asked Thalassa. 'Junctioned with Carbuncle? I remember seeing you in Timber. You saved many of us from Domitian, at Redwood.'

'I am,' Thalassa replied proudly. 'I've lived on the White SeeD Ship since I was seven.'

'She was the youngest person ever to earn the White Beret,' Raine heightened.

'After another seven years of intensive training, yes,' Thalassa said. 'I had enough motivation.'

'You mean the SeeDs that Sorceress Edea used our navy to search for, all over the world?' Nadia wondered.

It was not widely understood among Galbadians why the heroine of the First Sorceress War had disappeared from the world stage, only to remerge as a cruel and power hungry tyrant two decades later. Although the war that followed had been a brief conflict lasting only a few months, it had been bloody and significant enough to be called the Second Sorceress War. Apart from a single sea skirmish in Centra and a brief sortie into a silent Esthar with the salvaged Lunatic Pandora, everyone thought that war had ended with the Battle of the Gardens. Only a few knew that the Children of Fate continued the fight against its architect, the Ultimecia of the future.

What most of the older Galbadians did not like to admit was that they had revered Sorceress Edea during her brief stint in power. Largely because they did not know the fate of Adel after Esthar isolated itself from the rest of the world. Edea reappearing in the west meant they no longer had to fear their old enemy. But as Vinzer Deling's entire cabinet had been killed, Edea had been succeeded by her Knight after the war. The eighteen-year-old Seifer – rumoured to be in league with a new Sorceress called Ultimecia – had inevitably run the nation into the ground. Seifer disappeared shortly after the Esthar assault, and Ultimecia was never mentioned again.

Fury Caraway had reversed the country's downward spiral. Although he had seized power initially, he was now serving his fourth democratically elected term. In the long run, Edea had done Galbadia a favour by ridding them of Deling, as they were now a much prouder and happier nation all around, with very little political unrest and the second mightiest military in the world.

Thalassa seemed to think carefully before defending Edea.

'Sorceress Edea was my Matron, and she died saving my life! She wasn't herself during the last war, she was being possessed by Reina!'

That was stretching the truth somewhat, but it was not a lie, either. The Garlands knew that Reina was controlling Selphie, which Thalassa probably hoped made her statement more believable.

'Oh, at the Centran orphanage?' Nadia inquired quietly. 'I heard about that. You were there?'

'I was,' Thalassa replied. 'I managed to get away, but I found Edea and Cid's bodies later.'

'How old were you? That must have been horrible!' Nadia commented, and Thalassa told her.

Ballad had been staring into the flames as soon as Edea was mentioned, and it had taken Gerra some time to make the connection, that Edea had killed his father. Yet his face was expressionless, and it wasn't until silence took the group that he offered an opinion.

'It would make sense if Reina was possessing Edea,' he commented. 'Edea was the Saviour of the West in the First Sorceress War, by far her biggest threat. Reina would have been a similar age to the Children of Fate during the Second.'

'Edea and Cid changed the course of history with the founding of SeeD,' Siegfried stated. 'Without SeeD, there would be no Garland.'

'And don't you forget it!' Damian said.

Gerra knew that the treasured Garland of Galbadia was swiftly trampled under Esthar's sheer numbers in an unaltered timeline. He wished the Garland he was now among would continue to thrive, a true rival to SeeD in a brighter future.

Ballad went to his tent and returned with a bottle of matured Dollet bourbon. He cracked it open and took the first mouthful, offering the next to Damian, who finally joined them around the fire. The matured spirit helped to ease the apprehension of a battle that would not take place for some days, and they began sharing stories before playing Triple Triad. Spirits around the entire camp were high after the defeat of the Dollet force. The evening sunlight seeping through small cracks in the clouds almost seemed like rays of hope, replacing what had before seemed like an unlikely chance of victory.

When the midnight hour approached, they all agreed to retire for the night. Thalassa used Carbuncle to purge all the alcohol from their bloodstreams, and they all slept soundly in their tents.

Leo was by the Empress' side, having fulfilled the ambition he had forever been denied in the future. The Sorceress and Knight silently watched the ocean and the skyline through the single, encircling window surrounding the Valkyr's bridge, looking to the western horizon. The Valkyr was one of a dozen identical airships in the sea invasion fleet, flying in an even formation. This way, the Empress was not an obvious target for the defending force, which, while paltry, was expected to include Galbadia Garden and both SeeD ships. They were on course to reach the northern Galbadian coast at the same time as the naval force.

The Empress had fashioned Leo a new set of armour, mirroring the obsidian set that he had been forced to leave behind in FH. Amongst the ruby-armoured Praetorians – all twelve of which were at the bridge – he no longer looked unusually dressed in such a manner. Leo had also been gifted a GF. Having been junctioned with Bahamut in the future, he had naturally requested Tiamat. The Empress had obliged, settling with Leviathan for herself.

Some of the Praetorians were nearby, others were watching the various screens intently, standing behind the chairs of the airmen. Leo was a curiosity among them, and they spoke to him very little, told only that Leo was of great importance in the coming battle. Despite this, they were ill at ease with someone they knew little about being so close to the Empress, and Leo could not fault them. Furthermore, the Praetorians had all earned their place as members of the Twelve, but would have loved the distinction of being ordained as the first ever Knight of the Empress. Especially Reinhardt, who had been among her original Twelve. As had Ialantha.

They were perplexed as how to a Centran mercenary could have leapfrogged the Adel Unit and changed the Empress' resolve never to take a Knight. Reinhardt gave Leo repeated looks of contempt, perhaps unhappy about not been bestowed with Leviathan, as he ordinarily was during battles of great importance. Cullyn now paid Leo no mind, having initially made it no secret he was sexually interested in Leo. The dashing, auburn-haired swordsman had quickly taken Leo's new post and his stonewalled dedication to the Empress as a quick, polite refusal.

Nero was clearly more unhappy than Kain, Rillina and Rubicanta about no longer being summoned to Reina's bedchamber. A couple of the young man's looks had been those of thinly veiled anger and jealousy, his hand creeping ever closer to Murasame's handle. Leo wondered if Nero had believed his former intimate encounters with the Empress to be the prelude of something more, whether he had got emotionally attached. Unfortunately for Nero, Leo knew of the black-haired Praetorian's impending demise, well familiar with this incarnation of the Twelve, provided Gerra's meddling had not altered their fates. If the hormonal fool drew Murasame on Leo, then his life would end that much sooner.

After a time, Leo glanced at the Empress, appreciative despite her being back in her 'human' image. She defiantly displayed Leviathan's magicite from her necklace despite telling her officers not to do the same. But even if her enemies freed Leviathan, she still had her sorcery, and Selphie answered only to her.

At heart, Leo did not like the affect the Empress had been having on him. Although she claimed to be placing no fascination spell upon him during their nightly entwining, Leo knew that she was amplifying his desire to that of an adolescent, maximising his pleasure. Then she would put him into a blissful sleep so that he was revving to go again with the sunrise. Though Leo had pushed his misgiving to the furthest recess of his mind, the lovemaking the only thing that lessened the black loneliness he faced at never seeing Alanis again. Even though Alanis would have parted him from his member for his unfaithfulness, and Leo would not have raised a hand to stop her.

Back in the future, Leo had no doubt that he never would have lain with another. Not even the Empress. And Alanis must think him to be dead, along with Gerra, Odine and Vargas. To everyone he had known in that era, General Christophe was gone. He could never return. That was the only way Leo could begin to rationalise his actions.

Some nights, the Empress was almost completely silent. Leo had never known her future self on a personal level, but the present-day Empress turned out to be introverted and reflective. Leo would not presume to know how bearing Hyne's whole Half and ruling across generations could affect one's mind. The Empress maintained that she had never known love until fate brought Leo before her. She was still relatively young, around his own age. Perhaps she was still somewhat impressionable. She would ask him about a good many things, and Leo would politely return questions. Yet the Empress would volunteer little.

Last night, one the eve of their departure, she had said more than a few words as Leo caressed her. They had lain sidelong on top of her scarlet duvet, Leo's back to a roaring fire of the same colour as her raven wings were wrapped around him.

'Leo, I told you that I never once doubted the success of my conquest, but to know it is foretold is another thing entirely. I am eternally grateful for what you have shown me. Though we must be clear that now you are my Knight, I expect nothing less than the elimination of those who seek to prevent my ascension.'

As Leo looked into the yellow of her eyes, his mind was untroubled. He knew if he only shut his own, he would be in a deep sleep within seconds.

'Ultimecia,' he said, for she had given him leave to use her future name in private. 'I will slay the Undying Fire and the Abadon of Adaryn both when I encounter them on the plains.' Without a GF, Gerra was now no match for Leo. But Leo would meet his rival on an even field; his honour would not allow otherwise. The Abadon was living on borrowed time. 'Although I believe the death of the others should be left to their natural course,' Leo added.

'Tell me,' Ultimecia had responded forcefully. 'Does Edea's Bloodhound die in the coming battles?'

'Yes, he does. As does the Cyclone and the Thunderstroke. The trio confront you after you prevail over the Children of Fate, but are defeated, leaving the Torama Fang as the only free GF bearer; a final hope for SeeD that is swiftly crushed at Wilburn. But the Torama Fang's sacrifice was to ensure the survival of White SeeD, who reach the other side of the plateau.' Leo paused. 'Intriguing, really. Historians oft speculated if you could have been defeated in Galbadia, if only the Bloodhound had ignored his pride and fought with the Lionheart.'

'And what of the Dreamweaver?' Ultimecia asked, referring to Ellone.

'It was believed she escaped with White SeeD,' Leo answered. 'None ever heard of the Dreamweaver again, after the war. But she was not a Sorceress, despite her unique magic. She would have died over a century before I was born.'

'I thought so,' Ultimecia said. 'Ellone was the only friend I had before I went into hiding. The only one I have ever known. I pitied her when I saw her at O-Lab, and my mother allowed me to visit her. Adel never mistreated Ellone, you understand; she did not allow Odine to use her as a guinea pig every medallion of the hour. Ellone must have kept my existence a secret from the Cowardly Lion in return for my kindness. Had she not, I may have been discovered early.' Her tone became abrupt. 'Imprisoned by the Moon, opposite my mother, with only the centenary Lunar Cries for entertainment!'

Leo murmured in understanding. He was about to shut his eyes when Ultimecia spoke again.

'So, if the Bloodhound is fated to die soon, then Ifrit is Gerra's ancestor.' Suddenly, Leo felt wide awake. Ultimecia's words had a sharp intonation of inevitability. 'The boy will have to die, too,' she declared.

Surely not. Seifer's son would have seen no more than ten namedays. Barely big enough to lift his father's gunblade, Ifrit was incapable of posing a threat to any grown warrior at present, let alone a Sorceress. Such an atrocity would irreversibly soil Leo and forever besmirch his honour.

'Can we be sure that killing the boy will affect Gerra in this era?' Leo asked cautiously.

'We can't,' Ultimecia replied. 'But if anything, it will put an end to the traitorous Almasy line.'

Leo hesitated. 'Before the boy himself has betrayed anyone, if he ever does? It was his father and his descendant that were disloyal. I would prefer to just douse the Undying Fire myself.'

'The Undying Fire,' Ultimecia repeated. 'I would be curious to meet him before he dies.'

'An unacceptable risk, Your Grace,' Leo said immediately. 'He could have joined forces with the Lionheart by now. If he procures a free Guardian Force, the thrust of his Hyperion need only be true.'

Ultimecia silently pondered upon this, and Leo took that as her leave to close his eyes. But before restful sleep had taken him, Leo had heard Ultimecia softly speak again.

'I would seek out the Blue Mage first, even though you say she is killed by Selphie. Quistis is said to be the most proficient of the three Sorceresses, yet she fled Dollet with her Knight two years ago. I must put an end to her before Eden's power is restored.'

Back on the Valkyr, Krysta called from the terminals at the front of the bridge.

'We will be within sight of the coast in two hours, Your Grace!'

Originally, Leo did not offer any input to the invasion plan. To do so could risk what would otherwise be a guaranteed victory. The strategy was only slightly different from what Leo himself would have done. However, the loss of the entire Dollet force unsettled him. That had not happened in the original course of the war and could only be the consequence of Gerra's interference. Leo did not need to assume the worst; they had watched the whitewash from their satellite feed. The Undying Fire had rallied the free GFs.

So, for the first time, Leo had offered his input. Esthar had lost GFs, albeit not true ones. They had lost half their land force but still outnumbered the western allies. They had Selphie to even the odds against Rinoa and Quistis. The success of the campaign was now in question, but still likely. On the eve of conquest, the Empress would not call it off.

Leo believed that, should Ultimecia prevail, she will have earned her position more than she had in his timeline, unwavering in the face of adversity and meriting more admiration and tales of triumph. It was better this way, and the outcome of the Third Sorceress War would be the same.