"My children..."

"You... what are you doing here?! This is MY place!"

"It was once mine as well..."

"What do you mean?"

"That isn't important. What matters is what you have just done... have you no soul?!"

"I thought I had already answered that for you..."

"Ultimecia... why have you done this?! Why not live your life in peace?"

"It is too late for me, I told you! I cannot go back... I cannot feel anymore like I used to..."

"That is not true!"

"And what gives you so much insight into my life, Edea? You have no idea what pain is like... true pain that never leaves you alone, torments your every thought, permeates your very soul... I can feel it tear at my sanity daily, waiting for me to die so that eternity may torment me evermore..."

"You fear death?"

"Of course! Why else would I seek time compression? I could use it to be alone... to sort out my soul... to be the only living thing... and then..."

"End it all?"

"Yes... rest forever as nothing... no pain, no fears, no thoughts..."

"No love, no family, no friends..."

"How is that different from my "life" now, hmm? How is it that you put so much stock in love when it has brought you nothing but disappointment and misery?"

"It hasn't. I will always carry the love of all my children with me forever... and I will carry a pure Sorceress's heart until the day I am relieved of it..."

"You bitch! How dare you flaunt your purity before me!"

"No, Ultimecia, I was not..."

"Shut up! Oh Edea, when I am finished with you in the past, I will have you ripped asunder, I so swear it!"

"...you poor girl..."

Ultimecia shook her head, pushing Edea from her thoughts and wiping the tears from her eyes. As she regained her vision, she focused on the bodies before her. Boys and girls... children used by the cowardly Balamb governments to seek out those they feared and loathed for no reason other than ignorance. She almost pitied them, their predestined lives cut short just as they stood within the presence of their morbid goal. She looked out over the water and smiled, ignoring he corpses and striding down to the beach. On a mere whim, she sank the SeeDs craft into the water, plunging them from her sight. Once her view was clear, she sat on the sand and looked out over toward the water, her soul for a moment alone with the presence about her. How incredible it felt to have her mind clear of all doubt and self-revulsion! It only furthered her mind that she must finish with her time compression and find this sort of peace forever.

Her hands lightly brushed the wet sand beside her as the waves lightly tickled her toes. Absently, she formed a small mound of sand to her right. Looking down at it, she smiled and let out a joyous giggle. As a child, she and Squall had built many sand castles. Her hands now covered in wet sand, she could sense him again, as though he was still there, somewhere waiting for her.

"Sand kastles..." she said, a tear rolling down her cheek. It was such a wonderful idea... so wonderful that she got on her knees and gathered a great mound of sand, forming it quickly into the shape that she wanted. It had been years since she had attempted to make a sand castle, but the childish desire resurfaced anew, casting Ultimecia into the innocence of her childhood for a brief instant. As the water crashed into shore, knocking her over and taking the sand back with it, Ultimecia could not help but laugh. Lying back on the beach, she looked into the sky and watched the clouds float above her, blessedly aware of the cool water that now soaked her dress and washed over her refreshingly.

"If I kould make a kastle out of the klouds," she mused, "the water kould never touch it..." It was a happy thought for her, living among the pure clouds, away from the contamination of life. Looking at the deformed sand pile before her, and then to the clouds, she stood quickly and dried herself with her magic. If she were going to build her castle, she would have to do a few things first... then, from there, she could sit and await the end that she would bring without fail.

"I just need a bit more time," she whispered to herself, as though she were afraid that the fates might hear her and ruin her plans. She could feel the energy building within herself... all she needed was Adel and Ellone... they were the final keys...

Chapter 42

When Ultimecia returned to Esthar, she was greeted with a parade in her honor. The military, awed by her utter destruction of the SeeD forces, had held her in higher respect than ever before, and now gloried in her presence as they marched triumphantly down the streets, Ultimecia's float in the middle of the grand procession. The people, either inspired or dejected in her victory, cheered regardless, some genuinely pleased for their ruler, while others did so out of fear for their lives. Rose petals fell in great cascades, a hero's welcome for the great conqueror. Young girls pushed to the front of the lines, eager to catch a glimpse of their new role model, one who pushed aside the concept of male domination and opened the doors to their future hopes.

Ignoring them all, Ultimecia instead focused on her task at hand. She had to get back into the Machine that very night. Her inspiration to finish the job had reinforced her need to continue at a brisk pace. The conflicting emotions within her were growing too strong... too powerful for her to contain for much longer. Soon, she would go crazy and be trapped forever within her own dementia. There could be no reprieve from eternal insanity.

When she arrived back at the palace, she was tired and disheveled, and her handmaid came instantly to her side with a blanket. Wrapping it about her Sorceress's shoulders, she led her to her chambers, warding off the nagging ministers of court and telling the other servants to go about their business, leaving her to the charge of their ruler. After getting her into a new set of robes, the handmaid went to find something for Ultimecia to eat.

Ultimecia, however, was not about to wait for something as trivial as food. Rising quickly, she dashed to her library and got in the elevator, hoping to find Catoblepas still guarding the Machine. She was not disappointed. When the great beast saw her, it bowed lowly on its forelegs and grumbled, "Welcome back, victorious one. The Machine is ready for you."

Without so much as a nod, Ultimecia stepped back into Junction Machine Ellone. If she did not find Adel at least, she would not be able to complete her task. She had to act more aggressively... she had to get to Laguna Loire's Esthar. Looking into the darkness above her as she always did before using the Machine, Ultimecia let out a silent, wordless blessing for her goal. Then, she was carried back into Galbadia for what she hoped would be the last time.

Chapter 43

By now, the process of changing time periods had become routine, and without any fanfare or ceremony, she materialized in Edea's mind, a bright flash of light signaling her arrival. She could feel herself take hold in the mind, each nerve tickled as she found her way comfortably into the new body. Her hair cascaded behind her as her mask began to fade into the oblivion of time she left behind her.

As she awoke in her alter ego, Ultimecia sensed something amiss. She was still sitting in her commencement room that was adorned with silken drapes, and the noise outside signified that the masses had assembled for the parade. All was as she had planned. In a few moments, the Galbadians would finally receive their hearts' deepest wish: the overthrow of President Deling.

Still, something was wrong. Leaning back, she focused her mental energy and slowly freed herself from the avian mask. The mental energy that it held in check even affected her somewhat, so she sighed with relief as it dematerialized. Standing, she could feel another in the room with her. It was a young girl about her age, black hair, and she held with her a device that emitted a definite magical inhibitor. Thinking nothing of her at first, she threw back her arms, and her ceremonial adornments flashed into being, singing into life like a whispering wind-chime, each jutting from her back like castle spires.

(Leave her alone...) Edea pleaded from within the deepest recesses of her own mind. Ultimecia ignored her and pushed past the doorway to the balcony that sat above thousands of cheering Galbadians. It shimmered as she made her way through to greet those she would soon rule. She cared not who was in the room with her. Nothing was going to deter her from this event.

President Deling stood by a podium that overlooked Deling Square. He smiled and applauded as Edea slowly approached the microphone. Without regarding him in any way, Ultimecia looked over the people assembled to hear her words as the "Ambassador" to the peace talks. How the cheering masses disgusted her! To think that these same people had sent the Sorceresses of the world into hiding in this generation! They fought against them with all of their might, fighting against a force they little understood... a force of such beauty that they could never fathom its presence.

(They are mortal... they are not perfect...) Edea said, hoping to alleviate Ultimecia's anger.

(I care not.) Ultimecia thought back. (They will all meet the same fate.)

She sneered as she scanned the crowd, her lips curling back as if to spit down upon them all, her words soft but deadly missiles of dynamic reproach. This was her moment, and she would prove to herself then and there that she was capable of her goal.

"Lowlifes..." she began, almost a whisper into the microphone before her, "...shameless, filthy wretches. How you celebrate my ascension with such joy, hailing the one whom you have condemned for generations!" It mattered not what she said. Just as in Esthar, the people were under her spell, captivated by the archaic powers of Hyne like millions before them and millions to come. Ultimecia smiled inwardly, but would not betray her displeasure even to herself. They would all pay for their ignorant lives... but for now, she decided to let them cheer.

"Have you no shame?" she asked them, knowing very well that they did not. They knew nothing more than what she told them to think. "What happened to the evil, ruthless Sorceress from your fantasies; the cold-blooded tyrant who slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations? Where is she now?"

In a grand gesture, Ultimecia stretched out her arms in exultant triumph, as if to grasp the very heavens and force them under her subjugation. She wanted eternity itself to bear witness to her supremacy, a force of unrivaled strength that would in time end all forever!

"She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler! HAHAHAHAHA!"

President Deling shuffled to her right, but Ultimecia barely paid any attention. She would deal with the little man in a moment.

"A new era has just begun!" Her voice carried her glee over the crowds and throughout the city-proper, grasping hold of ever ear in Deling City with precision clarity. Her declaration, fed through the powers of her ancestry, was met with the exuberant, joyous mania of the people. Down in the streets, the masses pushed about in religious frenzy, each shoving another to get a better glimpse of their ruler. It was more than she could have hoped for. After seeing their weaknesses, Ultimecia now more than ever wanted to end them.

"E-Edea?" President Deling's voice cut in to Ultimecia's reverie, "Are you alright?"

She turned her head slightly to look at him, her eyes blazing with an energy that caused the President to jump back slightly. "Ede...!"

Reaching into President Deling's chest, Ultimecia lifted him into the air with ease, his body glowing as she forced his heart to still itself.

"This is reality," she said to both him and the crowd. "No one can help you. Sit back and enjoy the show!"

With one last pleading look, Vinzer Deling fell silent, his head hanging uselessly from his neck. Ultimecia threw him from her hand, his body thudding against the concrete rise of the balcony. With that action, the Sorceress gained control over Galbadia. Waving maniacally at their new ruler, the people began to shout louder, their voices a cacophony of zealous ovation. Once more, Ultimecia turned her attentions to them.

"Rest assured, you fools, your time will come. This is only the beginning. Let us start a new reign of terror. I will let you live a fantasy beyond your imagination!"

She looked over the cheering throngs, a thin and sickly smile dancing across her lips for a short moment. In a little while, she would descend from on high to bring her glory to her new nation, a nation that would put all of its resources into helping her meet her goals in this new time period. Turning away from the podium with slight demure, Ultimecia stepped lightly, heading back into the Presidential Residence with all of the nobility that she could display with the mere act of walking. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a girl dressed in blue, one whose aura matched that of the intruder from before. She could serve a purpose after all.

"Let's end this ceremony with a sacrifice," she cooed, the idea most appealing. After all, any true goddess deserved offerings of blood... a testament to her power as ruler. Moving her hands in a manner known only to those who have tapped into the ethereal powers, Ultimecia focused, and as two snarling, reptilian beasts came into being by her mere whim, she sighed contentedly and moved on. They were waiting for her at the gates of the palace to begin her parade.

Chapter 44

The parade began with Ultimecia's own ceremonial float sitting within the manor gates. As she looked through the bars at the masses, she felt a slight disturbance move throughout the crowd. A familiar presence, one almost to faint to detect, but there all the same. Before her, lavishly costumed dancers moved into position, beginning their enchanting movements, the steps each in fact an ancient tribute to the Mother Sorceress, Hyne. As soon as the presence faded, though, Ultimecia lost interest in the dancers and thought more of the sandcastles she had built with Squall... so tiny and insignificant now, but back then they had been impressive monuments to invention and the cooperative love she and Squall had felt. Was that all truly lost now? As she sat there, facing the unnecessary ceremony, she began to wonder... what was she doing?

And then, the gates opened, and she could see the smiling, cheering faces before her. Within that moment, her purpose rushed back to her. She could not afford to lose sight now, not when she was so close! After this was done and she had gained the support of the people, she could begin her military strikes against the SeeDs of this era, wiping out any resistance to her efforts. That completed, Ellone would be as good as hers.

The float began to move, and Ultimecia turned Edea's ornamented head to look over the crowds. Such weak things people were to her. Cheering their new ruler... NEEDING a new ruler... had they no pride? No self-reliance? No self-discipline? Of course they did not. That was what separated her from them... what made her their superior in every way. They were the enemies to the true order... it was their place to be exterminated along with her... no longer passing their contaminated genes throughout the ages and polluting the time streams with their incessant selfishness.

Little girls cheered, much as they did in Esthar, looking to "Edea" as their new hope and inspiration. Men waved their hands in the air wildly, cheering like children... all bowed their heads as she passed, but not before snatching one quick look at their Sorceress. The dancers moved onward, and she sat back. Only the sudden, smug motion of a hand running through his hair reminded Ultimecia of Seifer's presence on her float. Looking at him with a smile, she wondered how the pathetic worms about her had ever distracted her from the magnificence that was her new Knight. Gunblade in hand, he looked every bit the youthful general as he surveyed the crowds with assured confidence.

"Such a beautiful sight," she muttered to herself. He would serve her well... she knew it. Even as he stood there, she admired his poise, his dignity... he was the perfect Knight, as though even from common lineage he had been groomed for the task. Looking back at her for a moment, Seifer let out a wry grin, the mischievous glint in his eyes at once an invitation and a show of absolute respect and awe.

The float rounded the corner, making its way thought the main drags of the city proper. Millions waved to her as she passed, their cried now a deafening cacophony of wretched, ecstatic voices. She tried to block it out, but it was impossible in Edea's form where her powers were weakened by the many trips into the past. At least, she noted, the main gate was coming up, which signaled the end of the parade. It was, however, that very sight which triggered another thought... this one unmistakably that of someone in the crowd...