Ultimecia never had a chance to explore New Deling City, although she had promised herself that someday she would return. Callie had insisted on taking the first train back to Esthar the very day after the nominations. The whole process had been a blur, and all Ultimecia could remember seeing on their way out of town was the steady procession of unremarkable buildings.

The train they rode was a bit less luxurious than the one they arrived in Galbadia on, but Ultimecia didn't care. She had since let her mind wander while watching the scenery of the world unfold before her. Staring listlessly over the ocean that rolled beneath the train, the child could do little else than think about the brief history of Sorceresses that Llnaya had given her. She had delivered it with so much spite and malice that it was clear she disliked the very idea of sorceresses altogether.

Another thought that occupied her mind was the notion of SeeDs. She had no clue what they were or why they made Callie so mad, but if it made her mad, then they couldn't be good...

...Or could they? Llnaya hadn't seemed evil to her. Quite the opposite; she seemed quite nice. She was much nicer than President Udine, a man who now embodied the very spirit of evil in Ultimecia's mind. Whatever Callie's views, Ultimecia decided that she wasn't going to form an opinion on Llnaya until she found evidence to condemn the beautiful SeeD with.

Llnaya... Udine... Deling... Hyne... Edea... all of the names flooded together in her tired mind. At her age, she had already determined that nothing was as it seemed. This thought stayed with her as her eyelids began to droop. She didn't realize what was happening until it was too late, but when she did, she was overjoyed. She was back on the beach.

The sun was as warm as ever, and the cool ocean breeze tickled her skin as she looked down toward the old house that sat on the dunes. Squall would be there, she knew.

Instead of running to find him, though, she sat on the beach, letting the gentle waves tease her feet. She hadn't been able to enjoy New Deling City, and the water was so cool and inviting... Squall would find her. She knew he would. They had promised each other. Closing her eyes, Ultimecia relaxed as the sun held her in its ethereal embrace. Here she was free from all worry, a place apart from the rest of the world.

Suddenly, a shadow covered the light of the sun, and even through her closed eyelids, she knew what had happened.

"I knew you'd be here," she said, almost absently. There was a rustle, and she knew that Squall had sat beside her.

"I promised you I would be," he replied, and then let out a small laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ultimecia asked, sitting up and looking over at him. He looked back, smiling broadly.

"You knew it was me before I even said anything."

Ultimecia scrunched up her nose, as she was often wont to do. "Why is that so funny?"

"Its not really funny," Squall answered, "but it's like we've known each other forever. It just...feels funny."

"Oh really?" Ultimecia replied playfully, pushing Squall teasingly back. When he fell, he did not get up, instead looking up at the clouds. He was so secure, having no other thoughts or cares. To Ultimecia he looked so serene, so at peace. Looking over him with the eyes of an innocent love, her heart skipped a beat. How could she leave him again, one who had just appeared in her life and fit without rhyme or reason? She belonged there, he belonged with her...

"You know," she began, "sometimes I feel so scared..."

Squall sat up and looked over to Ultimecia, whose gaze had moved out to the ocean. "About what?" he asked.

"I sometimes feel like I don't deserve everything I have been given lately... it's stupid, I guess..."

"No!" Squall interrupted, "nothing you say is stupid! Just tell me what it is."

A tear formed in Ultimecia's eye, and it fell down her cheek freely, catching the light of the sun as easily as any precious metal. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, yet she didn't know why. Everything else was so simple for her to learn, but the feelings she had for Squall were so different. She couldn't even tell what they were, and that frightened her.

"I feel as though everything I've come to know will be taken from me. It has been a year since I left the alley, but I worry that someone will come and take it all away from me. I want to be able to stand, but I can't stand by myself. I try to hide it from myself, but I'm scared of falling back into that alley. Do you understand?"

Squall nodded thoughtfully. "I think I do."

Standing, he drew her up by her hand and lightly turned her head so she could look into his eyes.

"You want someone to protect you."

"Yes..."

"Someone who will be there for you..."

"Yes..."

"I could do that!"

She smiled at him, her knees suddenly weak. She could barely stand, so tremulous his gaze made her feel. He wouldn't let her fall, though. When she was with him, she could tell that she never would. All she wanted to do was stand there with him... hold him. He could be the strength that she was searching for.

"You know," she said, her smile growing wider, "I once read that a Sorceress was supposed to be protected by her knight... someone who would swear his life to protect her."

"A knight..."

"Yeah," Ultimecia said, blushing suddenly. "He loved his Sorceress more than anything else, and she loved him even more. I want someone to be my knight."

Straightening himself up, Squall adjusted his tattered tee shirt and saluted, his face suddenly grave and serious.

"Then Knight Squall is reporting for duty!" he said, his voice soldier-like and stern. He looked so silly that Ultimecia began to laugh, and she fell into his arms as she did.

"You sounded so silly!" she said, wiping more tears from her eyes. Feeling Squall's arms wrap around her, she could hear him say, "But I'm still serious."

She hugged him back, lost in his arms, but not caring if she ever found her way out. She could be as incoherent as she pleased, and Squall would always understand her, just as he did then, holding her with the arms of a knight.

"Griever looks really good on you," Squall said suddenly. He turned the ring as it sat loosely on her finger, catching a bit of sunlight that gleamed as pleasantly as Ultimecia's tear.

"It does, I guess," answered Ultimecia. "Thank you." "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true," replied Squall. "You have a good spirit. Griever really likes you."

"You make it sound as though it's alive!" Ultimecia giggled, and Squall laughed, too.

"We can always pretend it is," he suggested.

Ultimecia scrunched up her nose, the idea seeming rather childish to her. "Why would we want to do that?"

At that comment, Squall merely looked out toward sea. Ultimecia looked out as well, and at once she understood.

"We don't know what is out there," she breathed.

"Griever could protect you, too," Squall noted, rolling the ring between his thumb and forefinger. "Nothing that's out there could hurt you if..."

She drew him to her, hugging him intently and burying her head in his chest. Breathing deeply, she smiled, saying, "You're all the protection I need."

Chapter 10

"Am I?" Callie asked, and Ultimecia looked up, startled. No longer was she on the beach, but rather she was sitting back on the train. Watching her with keen interest, Callie reached over and ruffled her protégé's hair.

"Callie! I was... that is..."

"Don't try and apologize for your thoughts, my child," she said, placing her index finger gently over Ultimecia's lips to quiet her, "they show your beautiful spirit, and that is more than anyone could ever hope for."

"Hmm..." Ultimecia hummed, her thoughts still taking her back to the beach. From the warmth of the sun above the train, she could still feel the waves tickling her toes, and the sweet, soft breeze as it held her in tranquil arms. Most of all, she could see Squall's face, a face she could not even place a description upon. Where was he, and how could she find him? She needed him in her own life, and soon enough her thoughts would not be enough for her to grasp a hold of. Like a spoiled child, she wanted him with her forever... to protect her as her knight.

"Callie?" Ultimecia asked, "how can I find my knight?"

Letting out a small chuckle, Callie moved over to her child and sat beside her. They had the whole car to themselves, it seemed, as no one else was even on the train but the conductor.

"You have been reading far ahead, haven't you," she tittered. "Well, I imagine that in a sorceress' life, they will just know. I never found my knight, you see. I left that up to the romantics." She let out a slight sigh. "No, I imagine that knights are for the young, and if they can keep 'em, God bless 'em! It's hard enough to keep a man in one place long enough as it is!"

"But... what if... what if I've already found him?" Ultimecia's eyes were suddenly cast downward, and Callie looked at her, understanding but uncertain.

"What do you mean by that, dear?" she asked, and Ultimecia looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I found him, Grandma! I really have! I go to him in my thoughts, and he's always there to sit with me and talk with me... he said that he will always be there to protect me!"

Callie was silent for a moment, carefully pondering her student's words. At first, Ultimecia expected for Callie to be mad at her, as though she saw something of her mother in the old woman's eyes just at that moment. However, Callie instead answered in a way she hadn't expected.

"Perhaps I've underestimated your progression, sweetie," she said, somewhat timidly. "Perhaps you are ready to truly learn about the power you hold. I should have known that you would already be seeking out the signs, but I never imagined it would be so soon... but the ring you wear says more than anything you need tell me."

Subconsciously, Ultimecia hid Griever in the fold of her dress, twisting it about her finger through the fabric. "What do you mean," she asked, startled by her grandmother's blatant acknowledgement of the ring.

"What I mean is, I have been treating you as though you were a child. The past few months I have kept you locked away from much of the outside world, and left you entrenched in history. A true Sorceress needs to be exposed to the world so that she may let her powers grow and benefit her surroundings. I have stunted that growth in one of the most early stages... your childhood."

"But I never had a childhood to begin with," Ultimecia said consolingly, "not like the other children I have seen, anyway."

"My point is that you shouldn't have had that happen to you," Callie added, "and I have done nothing but make it worse. From now on, you are going to have a bit more freedom."

"Freedom?" Ultimecia asked, "To do what?"

"To learn!" she replied enthusiastically. "To grow! To meet people and experience new things! Your life has always been so shut in, and now I finally realize that you don't need protection from me, you need support. These past few months have made me feel differently, myself. I want to keep you safe, but there is a power out there that has given you years of that kind of training. I need to help you grow emotionally."

She looked away, her elderly eyes tearing up as she wiped them. "Part of me was just so glad to have a family that I..."

Without a word, Ultimecia hugged her. "I love you, grandma," she whispered.

"I love you, too, my darling girl," she answered as she softly ran her fingers through her silken hair, "I know you will be someone great. I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm going to be a great Sorceress," Ultimecia promised, "just like Edea!"

"Edea?" Callie asked suddenly, "Where did you learn about Edea?"

"Llnaya told me about her," the child stated.

"She did, eh?"

Callie thought about this for a moment. Some hidden thought brought obvious turmoil to her ordinarily organized mind. She shook it away, however, and began to speak once again.

"Sorceresses must begin their training by learning all that they can about the world they live in. Only then can they understand their place in the world. Many have abused their powers, and that is what I have been trying to avoid with you."

"Oh Grandma," Ultimecia laughed, "I won't do anything bad!"

"I know you won't," Callie replied with a smile, "and I know that you will do great things in life. I'm going to start training your abilities next. Already you have discovered some of them, and that power is beyond my comprehension."

"What is that?" Ultimecia asked.

"Your ability to travel to any place you wish in your mind. You can visit any location, regardless of your own experiences, and if I guess correctly, you have already made a connection with another sorceress from another era."

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Callie answered, "most assuredly. I can feel it every time you emerge from your thoughts. You have been to Edea Kramer's era."

Silence fell, and Ultimecia pondered Callie's words. She understood so little of her own powers, and yet she was so eager to expand on them. Did Squall have something to do with it?

"What does it mean?" she asked finally. Her confusion forced her to scrunch her nose in disgust to her own ignorance, and Callie tried in vain to suppress a slight giggle at her child's comic countenance.

"We may never know," Callie said, "but you must not force yourself to understand. Everything you need to know will come in time. Some things defy explanation... even for a sorceress. For now, think only on what I've taught you, because confusion will get the better of you if you try too hard."

"I want to learn magic," Ultimecia said suddenly, "like Hyne and Edea."

"And you will," Callie promised, "but only if you are patient. All good things come in time."

Ultimecia thought about this and decided that it made a great deal of sense. She decided, however, that she had more questions even after she told her mind to quiet down.

"Grandma," she asked, "why did you nominate Llnaya Alaster for the presidency if you don't like her?"

Leaning back, Callie frowned and looked as though she was choosing her words very carefully. Finally, after considering the subject, she said, "Politics can often mean siding with your enemies. I owed a favor to Llnaya's family, and I certainly didn't want Fenix Caraway to carry the nomination. She was the only suitable candidate who would actually accept my nomination. I would have liked to avoid nominating a SeeD, but..."

"And why are SeeDs so bad?" Ultimecia pressed. She didn't understand Callie's aversion to the mercenary group that had recently become a political machine under the Balamb Parliament. Besides the fact that they were known to vote on a strictly liberal bent, Ultimecia saw no reason for any hatred for their kind.

"SeeDs," Callie began suddenly and without pause, "were predicated on the concept of mindless bloodshed. Their original fortune was made upon the deaths of countless sorceresses, including Edea Kramer. They still practice their disgusting profession without conscience or moral guidance. They are the enemy."

As she spoke, her face twisted into a mask of absolute loathing and revulsion. Ultimecia had never seen Callie's face so full of distaste. Tentatively, she put her hand on her shoulder, which Callie quickly took in her own. Grasping it firmly, she spoke again, this time in a softer tone.

"For now, I just think it best that you keep yourself away from them until you are able to stand on your own. A sorceress cannot afford to be swayed by the errant words of an ignorant militarist. Follow your heart, and you will be fine."

They sat in silence the rest of the way, and Ultimecia knew that Callie would show her the right path. Completely secure in her own limited dominion, Ultimecia put her head on her grandmother's shoulder and rested for the remainder of the trip, the train lulling her into slumber with its ceaseless, rhythmic progression.

Chapter 11

It would have never occurred to Ultimecia that time could move so quickly, yet as the years progressed, they moved faster and faster. Her training, studies, and traveling filled her days with seemingly endless responsibility, and in the end, the path to becoming a sorceress looked to be a lengthy one. Still, she had managed to maintain a sense of her own childhood needs throughout her duties, never thinking twice to enjoy a delicious ice cream cone or simply watch as the clouds floated overhead. Often, she imagined what it would be like to live up in the sky, away from the problems and cares that plagued the world below. Each day progressed normally for her, and it seemed as though life would continue that course for all foreseeable days to come.

For three years, her life had grown even stranger and more wonderful to her. Her days with her mother were well in the past. Callie, it seemed, had rescued her just in time before her mind would have been closed to the gift granted unto her. Her young mind had been spared a lifetime of past regrets.

Now she enjoyed her scholarly life, being taught both the ways of the world as well as the ways of the sorceresses. Between two worlds, her thoughts became more peaceful by the day, and Squall was always there for her. In many ways, she had finally accepted a life that she once believed that she would never have. Politicians called her Madame, servants brought her food, and she easily allowed herself to fall into the comfortable folds of her newly protective life. In-between it all, she managed to find time to study magic, just as Callie had promised she would. Her own powers, still weak in her youth, still seemed limited to her own thoughts.

It was upon her fourteenth birthday that Callie granted Ultimecia the title of Heiress to the Estate, which afforded her control over a fortune that was often compared to the Estharian treasury. From that time, she met with the politicians as an equal, her cultivated lineage a tool of her newfound political arsenal. SeeDs visited her despite Callie's warnings to the contrary, pleading for money for various Garden functions, tuition, or student loans.

During her time in this office, she often met with Llnaya Alaster, the President of Galbadia. As Heiress, Ultimecia had a great deal of control over the family fortune, and as such Llnaya had often appealed to her friend for economic aid.

Now, as Ultimecia had turned sixteen, Llnaya had become her closest confidant, a person she told almost everything about her life. She never mentioned Squall or her thoughts, but in many ways, Llnaya had become like a sister to her. Often, they quarreled as sisters, as well, but in the end, they always made amends.

They also had a competitive streak that found them constantly trying to out-do the other one. When one slipped up or the one beat the other in a sport or game, they kept a constant score. Ultimecia was ahead by three points, but mostly because she was so much better at turning the heads of aristocratic young men than Llnaya was.

Regardless, Llnaya always stuck by her side, and it was she who sat with Ultimecia just then as she poured over her books, looking out the window absently. Callie was away on unknown errands for the week, and Llnaya offered to look in on Ultimecia while she was in Esthar.

Llnaya looked back at Ultimecia and smiled, clutching at the presidential seal that hung from the lapel of her black suit-coat. Ultimecia was wearing her own exquisite dress of red and silver that shimmered even as she sat still. Her hair had been pulled back and fastened with silver hairpins with etched glass chocobos on the ends. She appeared very much the picture of royalty, the aristocratic blood of Callie's family almost a natural bond rather than one of choice. What were out of place were the books on her lap, old and musty. With the quizzical look on her face, she looked like a fashionably dressed librarian, especially with the way she crinkled her nose.

"You seem puzzled by something," Llnaya noticed. "What is it?"

Slowly raising her head with dignified poise, Ultimecia formed each of her words carefully, an exaggerated accent of the upper classes teasing each of her Cs, giving her an almost smug air.

"I kan't for the life of me understand the politikal history of your nation..." she replied, using her pet name for Galbadia. "There is little reason why the kountry had not been destroyed years ago! They fought against every nation, lost three wars, and have insulted every person on this planet with their ridikulous reforms!"

Llnaya almost interrupted, mentioning that it was her ancestry that had started those wars and instituted those same reforms of which she had previously mentioned, but held her tongue, knowing the pride of the aristocratic families to be great to the point of obsessive. Without prodding her further, Llnaya merely nodded and smiled, the child's intelligence still a great wonder to the young ruler of Galbadia.

"The Dissertation on World Peace by Laguna Loire only affirms this..." Ultimecia continued, her eyes once again focused on the historical words before her. "There is no point to war at all, and yet so many have followed its meaningless path..."

"A lesson to be learned, for sure," Llnaya said, and she sat down next to Ultimecia. "I suppose it is human nature to fight."

"It is not," Ultimecia countered, "the nature of the Sorceresses."

"What about Adel?" Llnaya reminded her friend. The mention of the Odious One was not meant to be an insult, but from the tone her voice implied, Ultimecia certainly saw it that way.

"Adel was a fluke," she hissed. "That was proven when Loire deposed her and exiled her to spatial kontainment. Were she righteous, she would have prevailed."

"I see..." Llnaya said, deciding to change the subject. "You know, I have an urgent need to ask for personal funds. Government funds cannot be used in what I am about to mention."

The essence of mystery that shrouded Llnaya's last phrase intrigued Ultimecia, and she forgot about Adel.

"Really? Now we get to the reason of your visit!"

Llnaya nodded and continued on. "Yes, the Galbadian government has for some time been investigating a religious cult in the Centra region. It has until now been harmless, but a rash of mysterious deaths in the region have triggered great interest in the Parliament. We want to send troops in two days, but the money would have to come from Esthar. We cannot afford that kind of publicity now, especially with President Udine's executive inspection fast approaching. The whole maneuver will take no more than three days."

There was a silence for a moment as the young heiress considered what had been told to her.

"And you want me," Ultimecia reasoned, "to fund your investigation... interesting."

"Well?" Llnaya asked.

"Well what?" Ultimecia asked. "You want me to make a decision without having even konsulted my grandmother?"

"She is no longer in command of the Deling fortune," Llnaya reasoned. "Besides, you know that my dealings with her were concluded on the night of my nomination as Galbadia's President! How am I supposed to convince her that any military funding will be necessary?"

Shrugging, Ultimecia knew that Llnaya was right. There was no way that Callie would support private funding for a military exercise, especially when it was the idea of Llnaya Alaster. However, she could sense that there was something else that the president wasn't telling her. Ultimecia could always tell when she was not being told the whole truth: her thoughts twisted uncomfortably within her, making her nauseous and ill tempered.

"Is there something that you haven't mentioned?" she asked her friend.

"Well," Llnaya said, squirming slightly, "I think that there is one detail that neither you nor Callie would approve..."

"And that is?" Ultimecia asked impatiently. She never appreciated it when someone tried to dodge the issue. She had, after all, made it a point to be completely honest with Llnaya at all times. Political life was already stunting the former SeeD's manners.

"Well, the Galbadian military cannot be involved in this mission... we have a treaty with New Balamb in Centra to forego all attacks. That is why I have contracted outside help."

Ultimecia's eyes narrowed somewhat, comprehension hitting her as Llnaya's nervousness increased. She knew perfectly well what she was asking, and the very idea was enough to make her slam her book shut.

"You want me to pay for SeeDs." she spat, her own contempt for the organization having grown with Callie's own, despite her economic dealings with them. "You want me to assist the murderers of the Sorceresses..." She trailed off, not wanting to insult Llnaya. Because of her desperation or her friendship with the young heiress, she said nothing. Instead, she waited for Ultimecia to calm down. When she did, she had tears in her eyes.

"Is this another witch hunt?" she asked. "Are we still fighting against the Sorceresses after all of these years?"

Llnaya's eyes widened, aghast at Ultimecia's outburst. "No, no, no! This is merely an investigation! I am not authorizing any engagements of any kind. We will merely be sending in SeeD to investigate the issue. Their armaments will just be a precautionary measure."

Ultimecia sat back, folding her arms in contemplation. There was no reason for her not to support Llnaya. As much as she tried, she could feel nothing more from her friend, as her own powers were still very weak. Callie, she reasoned, might even be proud of her if she could make such a momentous decision on her own. Within moments, she had made up her mind.

"Alright," she said, "you will have your funds. Leave the transfer number and the gil will be processed by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Ultimecia," Llnaya said. Glancing at her watch, she said suddenly, "Oh! I have to get back! My train will be leaving in less than thirty minutes!"

Moving to the door, Ultimecia curtsied slightly and bade the Galbadian President farewell.

"Goodbye, Llnaya."

"Goodbye, Ultimecia. I hope to see you again soon!"

Smiling, Ultimecia nodded sagely and said, "You most certainly will."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Llnaya. The look in the child's eyes was mischievous, and suddenly, she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

"I plan on akkompanying the SeeDs to New Balamb."

Llnaya was about to protest, but Ultimecia would hear none of it. Quietly, she began to push her softy out the door as she overshot the president's protests with her own arguments.

"I have full rights to oversee any matter that involves Deling monies, and I fully intend to be there when the SeeDs arrive on the Centran shore. There is no need for koncern. I will stay on the boat and you kan be reassured that I will only be along for the ride. Thank you, Llnaya, good day, and au revoir!"

As she closed the door on Llnaya's protests, she smiled, imagining that she had won a great victory. She would be back well before Callie was expected to return from her mysterious errands. In the end, she would prove to be the perfect Deling, and Callie would be so proud! Slipping back into her futon, she closed her eyes. It was time for her to consult with her Knight.

Chapter 12

"Squall?" Ultimecia called out when she found herself on the beach. Her accent faded while in her otherworldly sanctuary, she cried, "Where are you?"

From behind her came a pair of arms that wrapped about her waist, hugging her gently. She didn't jump or gasp in surprise as she might have not four years earlier, but instead brushed them gently with her hands. Laying her head back against his chest, she knew that Squall had come. She squinted against the sun, but for all of its heat, she melted only when she heard his deep, aged voice.

"How is my Sorceress faring?" he asked, kissing her shoulder ever so slightly. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of his handsome smile.

"I am wonderful, now," she said wistfully, turning her body to hug him back. "I had to come back and see you!"

They began to walk along the beach, arm in arm, the scent of the salty ocean air sending cascades of glittering surf against the distant rocks that sheltered the lighthouse. It seemed an eternity before Squall spoke again.

"Something is about to happen, isn't it?"

Caught somewhat by surprise with the sudden outburst, Ultimecia stepped back slightly and look her knight in the eyes.

"You seem to know a great deal," she hinted slyly. "Indeed there is something that is going to happen..."

"And what is that?" he asked.

Ultimecia rarely talked about the realm in which she normally resided, but Squall knew enough about it to understand what she told him. As she related Llnaya's request, he nodded occasionally. When she mentioned the name SeeD, his eyes narrowed as hers had, feeling nothing but anger toward the organization that would dare to offend his Sorceress.

There was also something else, though. His eyes were not only narrowed, but glossed, as if by tears. When she looked again, however, they were gone.

"There is something wrong," Ultimecia noted, holding Squall's hand. "What is it?"

He looked away, a sudden hint of fear playing across his face. Mumbling, he replied, "Nothing... nothing at all."

Ultimecia had learned to read Squall's face over the past four years. She had, after all, grown up in her new life with him constantly in her thoughts. She had struggled often with the concept of his actual existence, until finally she realized that he was indeed real... he was only somewhere else. With that realization came her understanding of him, and when he was sad, she could feel it ten times greater than she could anyone else.

"Why are you upset?" she asked, leading him to sit with her along the shore. He was still looking away, staring out to sea.

"Something else is going to happen. I can feel it."

Smiling, Ultimecia placed a placating hand on his shoulder. "You worry too much." Placing a kiss on his cheek, she leaned against him. "What is it that you feel?"

Squall shrugged. As she looked up at him, she could see how much he had changed.

"I feel...worried."

"Worried? About what?"

Again Squall shrugged and threw a pebble out into the water. It skipped three times before it sank, sending a series of glittering ripples across the water.

"I'm worried that maybe I'm not the one for you. Maybe we aren't meant to be together..."

Ultimecia stopped, her heart suddenly feeling as though it had fallen into her stomach. What was he trying to say?

"I have known for the past three years," Ultimecia said, "and never once have I doubted it. Soon, I will find a way to be with you forever. That is why I will become a sorceress. I want to be with you!"

"You have to do for yourself, first," Squall said. "That is the important thing."

"In a way, this is for me," Ultimecia countered. "My one wish is to be able to always be with you... to hold you and never let go!"

"How can you be sure that I am the one, though?" Squall asked. "I can't be sure... I am too young, but I really want for it to be you..."

"Are you trying to say that you've been leading me on this whole time?!" Ultimecia asked incredulously. "Why did you say that you loved me if you do not?"

"I do!"

"Then what is the problem?"

Neither one could look the other in the eye. Both had shed too many tears to see straight, and both wiped at their eyes ashamedly. Despite herself, Ultimecia clung to Squall tightly, her tears running down his back as they fell from her cheek to his shoulder.

"I don't know what is happening, Ultimecia. I am just getting a feeling. I don't know if you are the one that I need, and I need time to be sure."

"Have I not shown you enough faith? Have I not loved you enough?" Ultimecia sobbed. "What have I done that has changed things so much?"

Squall lifted her chin gently with his forefinger, so that he might look her in the eyes. Softly, he whispered to her.

"It is nothing that you have done. You are such a wonderful spirit, and your love is so powerful... so powerful that sometimes it scares me. You are still so young, like me, but you are somehow so committed..."

"It's called love, Squall!"

"...but I don't know how to take it! How can I? I have never had any reason to trust anyone before. Now I have to discover things on my own..."

"You mean, you want to see other girls?"

"No!"

"THEN WHAT!? Why are you doing this to me?" She could not hold back. She was almost to the point of hysterics, her nails close to digging into Squall's back for support.

"I have always been able to tell things about you, Ultimecia. I cannot always be there for you. There will be times in your life that are going to be very painful, and I won't be able to help you. There will be heartache, and for some reason, I can tell that you will not... handle it well."

"But..."

"And when those times come, I don't know if I will know who you are anymore..."

"I love you!"

"And I love you! You have to believe that. It is not that I want to find someone else, its just that I'm scared of what you might become. One day you will be here, and the next you will be somewhere else. I know that something is going to happen. Will you still be you when it is over?"

Chapter 13

"Yes!" Ultimecia cried, awakening to her dark room. She was clinging to her blankets, large lacerations made from her nails. One of them, she could feel, had broken to the quick. Climbing out of bed, she walked over to the window. As she watched the late night traffic, she thought about her promise to Llnaya, trying to atone in her realm for the unpleasant thought she had just had.

Picking up the phone, she dialed the President, knowing that she would be back in Galbadia by then. After three rings, Llnaya's voice greeted her.

"Hello?"

"Llnaya, it is me."

"Oh," Llnaya replied, "how are you, Ultimecia?"

"I have changed my mind," she said. "I won't be going with you to New Balamb."

"Why is that?" Llnaya asked, sounding obviously relieved.

"I'm not sure," Ultimecia answered. "I just don't think that it would be a good idea."

"That's fine. I must be going now, Ultimecia. I have a meeting with the senate in less than ten minutes."

"Take kare, Llnaya," Ultimecia said.

"You too, darling."

As soon as she hung up, Ultimecia rang for the doorman. Within moments, he stood before her, ready for his orders.

"See what you can do about securing a boat for me," she said. "I will be traveling to New Balamb in the morning."

He left, and Ultimecia congratulated herself on her cleverness. Certainly, it would be much more efficient to oversee the operation when Llnaya had no idea that she was being watched. Secure in the knowledge that she had taken care of Squall's concern, she returned to bed, ready to see just what Llnaya had planned. Besides, this would just be one more point for her.

Chapter 14

New Balamb had been dedicated as a sort of tourist attraction that had grown into a small city around the old Centra Ruins. The land had been desolate for long after the first Lunar Cry had struck. Now, it had been artificially revived and made into one of the most prosperous nations independent of Estharian control. It was considered by many to be the perfect place to live, affording beautiful, majestic ocean side living with contemporary comforts that rivaled that of the mighty Eastern power.

Ultimecia's boat approached the eastern harbor that New Balamb overlooked. It was a sprawling city that covered the coast like a festive blanket. She knew from many maps that it continued far inland, although the actual live-in population was comparatively small. The tropical clouds, bright and puffy, sat like enormous balloons overhead. The scent of the salty waters filled the air as the small craft kicked up a fine mist behind it as it traveled along.

"Kaptain," Ultimecia said in a small receiver phone, sitting in a high-backed chair on deck, "please put into port diskretely. I want no one to know that we have arrived."

"Yes, Miss Deling," came the response, and Ultimecia relaxed and sat back, admiring the ocean sky as she tanned herself in a red bathing suit. Sipping lemonade from a tall, frosty glass, she put the task of spying on Llnaya toward the back of her mind. She was well ahead of her opponent as it was. It would also give her some time to relax and focus on gathering her powers.

After a few moments rest, they arrived, and Ultimecia rose to greet the new town. Taking in a deep, appreciative breath, she stepped off of the boat and looked about her.

The port town was teeming with life, people selling, buying and milling about the various vendors and side booths. Several sidewalk cafes offered their tantalizing dishes to passers-by, while children played among the people, dodging in and out of the crowd with reckless abandon. It was hot, but a cool wind from the ocean helped to balance any discomfort.

Ultimecia walked with four family servants behind her, each carrying a suitcase or travel bag, while still two more went off into the city proper as per Ultimecia's orders. They would find out what Llnaya would be up to, and hopefully locate the "cult" that she had spoken of before they did. More than anything else, Ultimecia wanted to avoid the tragic mistakes of Galbadia's previous raids, and although she trusted Llnaya to an extent, she did not trust fate. The vacation she was taking was the best cover she could manage on such short notice.

"Bring my bags to the hotel," she commanded her servants, and they bowed as much as their heavy loads would allow before departing. She had decided to take up a room even though she only intended on staying through the night. In any event, she would talk with Squall before she met with them again. Walking down on the beach, she found a quiet spot and sat out on one of the many beach chairs that the New Balamb tourist bureau had set out for its visitors. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift into her thoughts.

Chapter 15

The beach was darker this time, as though it were awaiting a great storm in mid-day. The waves crashed upon the shore with such force that they dragged back with them great amounts of sand. Frightened, Ultimecia looked about herself frantically. The lighthouse light was at full strength, lying in wait for any ships that might have been caught out in the typhoon. It had never been this chaotic in all the time that she had visited Squall... never.

"Squall!" she cried out, running against the wind down the beach, rain stinging her eyes as she hurtled herself forward. "Where are you?"

A flash of lightning illuminated a lone figure perched upon a rock a few feet above the raging waters. Squall sat hunched over, his knees drawn closely under his chin. He shivered greatly as the water occasionally doused him, but otherwise he did not move. Ultimecia ran to him and tried to climb up on the rock. She slipped many times, and cried out to Squall to help her up, but he ignored her, watching as the waves ravaged the coastline.

She fell, the waves catching her and pulling her under. Struggling against the fierce current, Ultimecia would have drowned were it not for a piece of the rock that jutted out like a handle. Grabbing hold, she allowed the water to recede before she attempted to pull herself up.

At last, Ultimecia climbed up on the rock with Squall, but rather than hug him, she sat staring at his back, shocked at his inattentions.

"Why didn't you help me up?" Ultimecia said, tears forming against the rain that already streaked down her face.

Turning slowly, Squall looked at her sadly and said, "What does it matter? If you die here, you wake up in your own world as though nothing happened. This is just another place for you to go. For me, this is all I have, and you are destroying it..."

"What?!" Ultimecia spat in disbelief. "What are you saying? I couldn't cause such a storm..."

"Yes," Squall answered in dead-pan fashion, "you can. You have been ever since you began your training. That is what I could sense. If you become a sorceress, then I am lost... all of this is lost."

"Why?" Ultimecia asked, her voice weak against the thunderous sky. "Why is that destroying this world?"

Squall shrugged indifferently. "How should I know? You're the sorceress, remember? All I know is that you are opening up something that should have been left closed."

"You have to help me stop it, Squall! What should I do?"

"You could stop training to become a sorceress..."

Ultimecia forgot the storm that raged before her, struck to her very core. "What?!"

"If you let your powers grow, then I am gone. There will be no more room left for me in your life... your knight cannot be of another plane."

"How do you know all of this?" Ultimecia begged, hoping that Squall would suddenly turn and hug her and forget that this ever happened. Even in the face of such destructive power, the only thing she cared about was him

"I have been listening to you talk about all of it for years now... and I have had time to ponder it all between your visits."

"So what should I do?" she asked, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing to hold on, as though he would disappear at any moment.

"You must not become a sorceress... or I won't be here when you come back... none of this will."

"Then my whole life will have meant nothing..." Ultimecia breathed, more to herself than to Squall.

"I mean nothing?" Squall asked, his eyes never moving from the ocean. "You would not be happy with me?"

"I don't know!" Ultimecia shouted. "I have been raised as a sorceress, and I don't even know what that really means yet! I don't know what I am meant to do! I want you and I want to be a sorceress... I want to do what is right!"

Squall turned his head, his face a mask of sadness that wrenched at Ultimecia's heart. She could not possibly leave him... not now, not ever.

"I won't, then..." she whispered while choking back a sob. "I will be here waiting for you. I promise."

She awoke against her own will, the sun beginning to set on the horizon. The beautiful colors and hues did nothing to calm her nerves. All she could see were the storm clouds of Squall's world... all she could do was cry as she sat alone on the beach, alone except for one who stood behind her.

"Madame?" came the voice of one of her servants. "Madame, Miss Alaster's team has arrived on the southern shore. They have set up a camp of sorts. Do you need us to do anything else?"

"No," Ultimecia replied, wiping her eyes, "I shall take kare of this now. Just get me a kar to take me to the southern shore."

The servant bowed and left, leaving Ultimecia to her own devices. She would have to go and get changed, and then she would follow Llnaya to see what was going on. Suddenly, she regretted coming all of the way to New Balamb to spy on her. What had begun as a sisterly game was beginning to seem more and more dangerous, and yet she had little idea as to why. All she knew was that Squall was in danger, and she could literally do nothing to help him.

She found a small booth for changing and put on one of her loose-fitting gowns and tied back her hair. She didn't know what she was going to find when she met with Llnaya again, but she somehow knew that she wouldn't like it.

Chapter 16

The Southern Shore was a glittering gem in the moonlight by the time Ultimecia had arrived. The ride had been uneventful, her mind beginning to create various scenarios, a vain attempt to prepare her for whatever Llnaya had been planning. Something was wrong, and since Llnaya had no idea that Ultimecia was in new Balamb, she could not block her thoughts. The Galbadian President was planning something sinister.

Getting out of the taxi provided for her, she bid the driver to leave quietly and without his lights, as not to alert Llnaya of her arrival. Then, focusing the little bit of power she had, she bent the light about her to blend in with the land. According to her servants, the camp was less than five hundred yards from the Eastern Shore border.

Walking slowly, she tried to admire the peaceful night sky, but was unable to shake her unease. Her coming here had been stupid, she thought. Nothing could be gained by her presence...

There was an explosion somewhere to the north. Running, she tried to find where it was coming from, and sure enough, a bright orange flash erupted over one of the sand dunes. Climbing quickly, she looked down on what was a small settlement of beach shanties and small, makeshift living structures. Flames danced about as the primitive buildings began to erupt into chaotic pyres, each burning with a fevered intensity. People ran about screaming, some clutching children as they ran toward the shore. Not far behind them were soldiers in white uniforms. SeeDs.

Horror settled over Ultimecia's face like a heavy blanket. She watched helplessly as they caught up with the terrified mass of people. There were perhaps fifty of them, running with all of their strength, some falling as the gunblades of the SeeDs cut them down in place. Men, women, children... all fell methodically as the butchers from the North slew them wordlessly.

One old woman caught Ultimecia's attention immediately. She ran, holding a small child in her arms, trying to out-distance her pursuers. It was Callie.

"Grandma!" Ultimecia shouted, and she ran toward her, hoping to catch her before one of the SeeDs did. The shoreline was rockier than it was in the East, and many times Callie tripped, slowing her progress.

One SeeD nearly caught up with her, but Callie instinctively turned and made an odd motion with her hands. The SeeD was instantly turned to fire, writhing on the ground. In response, several of the SeeDs held out their hands toward her. There was a bright purple flash, and she fell to the ground. The SeeDs had drawn her magic from her, and the force of the simultaneous draw had proven painful. The child, a young girl of about five, went sprawling to the ground. One of the SeeDs grabbed her and took her out toward a boat that had newly arrived on the shore. Within minutes, all of the people lay dead except Callie, the SeeDs slaughter being so effective that not one had even soiled their uniforms.

"Are all the sorceresses dead?" a familiar voice from the rear of the SeeDs called out. A confirming report was given, and one gestured to Callie.

"This one still lives, Sir." came his report.

Ultimecia watched as the leader stepped forward, a confirmation to the worst of her fears. It was Llnaya, dressed in proper SeeD attire.

"I see," Llnaya replied, her tone cold and calculating. "I shall handle this one. Clean up the area and report back to me."

The other SeeDs, about thirty in all, saluted and carried out her orders, running back to erase the evidence of their presence. Llnaya strode over to Callie, the sole survivor of the raid, and knelt before her. Ultimecia was still too far to help her, but ran as fast as she could. All the while, Llnaya spoke to the wounded sorceress, placing her gunblade at Callie's chest.

"It appears that I was right," she said. "The sorceresses always congregate somewhere during the year. This time, I have found you all... with Ultimecia's help, of course." A satisfied smile crossed her lips. "A successful conclusion to my seven year campaign against your kind."

"You... you used us all..." Callie stammered, her eyes mixed with a combination of sadness and anger.

"I did, but I also rescued Ultimecia from a terrible fate. How could you subject her to becoming a freak like yourself?"

Callie said nothing, but instead turned her head, resigned to death.

"Nothing to say? Fine. That just makes this all the more easy."

Llnaya raised her gunblade, and Ultimecia forced the magical camouflage that she wore to vanish.

"Stop, Llnaya!!" she shouted, but it was too late. The gunblade fell, and Ultimecia could only watch as it sank into Callie's flesh. Llnaya looked over to the child and stood in shock, her own blood freezing even as Callie's oozed from her body in ragged spurts.

Chapter 17

Llnaya didn't drop her gunblade, didn't take her eyes from the stunned young girl in front of her, didn't even breathe. She merely stood there, shaking as the tears formed in Ultimecia's horrified eyes.

"I..." the SeeD managed to utter, her own throat choking as the word barely made its way out of her mouth. "I was..."

But Ultimecia could not hear her. All she could hear was Callie's heart, sputtering erratically as it tried to correct the wound dealt to her. It only made things worse, as the blood was quickly set free, soaking her dress and running in small, crimson rivers down the rocky coastline.

"Gram... Grammy!" Ultimecia cried out, losing her snobbish accent in her surprise. She ran over to Callie's side, dropping knee-first into the puddle of blood pooled about the old woman.

"Grammy!" Ultimecia shouted once more, grabbing her head and clutching it to her chest. She sat there, sobbing lightly at first. As she rocked in place with her grandmother's head in her lap, the child began to cry hysterically, tears flowing without end. "No, no, no, no, no, nononononononono!"

She was stilled, though, when Callie's hand lifted from her and brushed her granddaughter's cheek ever so slightly. Looking up, Ultimecia watched as Callie opened her eyes and smiled weakly.

"My little girl..." she said, her voice frail and distant, "...don't cry. You can't... you can't let this rule you. I... I need to... give you... something."

"What?" Ultimecia breathed softly, clutching Callie's hand in her own. "I don't want it if it means you have to leave! I want you to stay here with me!"

The old woman smiled again. "Oh, child, you... you have to... you have to think. I have to... I... have to leave you."

"NO!" Ultimecia shouted. "You can't leave me!"

"Do you remember... do you remember the song?"

Ultimecia nodded slowly, her body wracked with shuddering sobs.

"Why don't... why don't you... sing it for me now...?"

Without thinking, Ultimecia obeyed her teacher, softly singing the words she had sung all of those years ago, each one marred by her continuous crying.

"Fithos, lusec, wecos, vinosec..."

"Callie," called out Llnaya in a tremulous tone, "what are you having her do...?"

Neither one heard her words, though. As Ultimecia sang, Callie relaxed, a pinkish mist forming around her body.

"Reflect on..." Callie gasped, "reflect on your... childhood."

"...lusec, wecos..."

"Your sensations..."

"...vinosec..."

"Your words..."

"Fithos, lusec..."

"Your emotions..."

"Stop her now, Callie!"

"...lusec... wecos..."

"These are your power..."

"...fithos...lusec..."

"Shut her up!"

"All that you'll need..."

"I'll have to kill her!"

"Time... it will not wait..."

"...wecos... vinosec..."

"...no matter how hard you hold on..."

"Callie! Stop her now!"

"...it escapes you..."

"Don't make me hurt her!"

"...fithos..."

"The Succession...."

"...lusec..."

"...of..."

"NO!"

"...wecos..."

"...the..."

"...Vinosec."

"DON'T!"

"...Sorceresses..."