Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XIII The Nightmare Legion Ep 3

The mist flowed slowly, encompassing the lake and finally settling there. One by one Sazh and Light stepped out, the latter, rolling her shoulder trying to alleviate the ache still present after being shot. She couldn't believe they had lost the island lab, and she wasn't looking forward to reporting the failure to their master.

"Now that, is just not fair." Sazh said as he marched towards the waterfall, holstering his duel pistols. "I thought this was going to be easy."

"Maybe that's our problem." Light cracked her neck and walked after him. "We underestimated him, and his new friends."

"We should have killed the kid when we had the chance."

"Whining about it won't change the past. What's done is done." She glared at the ex-pilot as she passed him, walking under the cascading water into the cave beyond.

"Yeah, well. It makes me feel better." Light couldn't believe he was still complaining as hey hopped from rock to rock, heading deep into the natural formation of rock and water, finally setting foot on a sandy bank, illuminated with the occasional torch, leading to a large wooden door.

Light pushed inside, the forgotten temple beyond lined with statues depicting ruthless sorceress' of old, ending with the last of their corrupt line, Adel. She was defeated years ago, but vanquished only recently according to the information she and the others had been fed during their 'rebirth'. Light could almost see the time line of this world, beyond the present, far into the future. She knew of Ultimecia, but also knew she did not yet exist. The parody confused her, what confused her more, however, was knowing she Sazh and Snow, were somehow working to ensure Ultimecia's survival.

The temple corridor opened out into a wide hall, half of which had fallen into the sea below. The walls were damp and coated in green algae which glowed faintly, illuminating the half eroded statue of the 'Mother'. A being all sorceress', craving power, prayed too.

"Where the hell were you?" Light asked, not bothering to hide the angry tone, as she addressed the guy stood gazing into the water idly. Snow turned, his ice blue mask, cracked right down the centre, evidence of his lucky escape a few days prior.

"I got, side-tracked." He explained, leaving Light growing more frustrated with his lack of effort lately.

"We sure could have used your help today." Sazh said taking a seat at the cluster of furniture, located at the driest point of the hall. "The little bastard has an army of his own, and I don't mean like the paper soldiers we can summon."

"They took the lab." Light added, striding towards the taller man, who said nothing. "And we lost Fang." Snow reacted at that, his large hand going to the crack in the mask he wore.

"Hope."

"Yeah. Kind of ironic that he's called that." Sazh grumbled, spinning one of his pistols in his hand, the gesture a sign of his boredom and frustration. "It's too bad you couldn't take that shot when you had the chance, Lightning."

Light glared at Sazh, who just smiled back sinisterly. She was tempted to shoot him there and then but that would have to wait as the water from the underground sea below them, began to churn. Great waves of water sprayed against what remained of the 'Mother', and the three L'Cie stepped back, waiting for their master to manifest.

The stone face before them became animated, using the shimmering veil that had soaked it, manipulating the liquid so it moved, creating the illusion that the stone beneath was actually talking.

"You failed." the 'Mother' spoke, it's voice was soft, but boomed loudly about them, and although it was referred to as 'Mother', Light somehow knew it wasn't female. "And the boy grows stronger, with each one he topples."

"He won't get us." Light interjected. "I'll make sure of it. I'll kill him myself."

"What makes you think you can do now, what you could not do a week ago?" Light scowled, her horned mask crackling with electric hate.

"I can do it! I was…weak before."

Laughter filled the hall. Loud and cruel, Light just scowled darkly and turned away.

"No. I can not afford to loose more of you. So you will wait. There is one I can call on to, remove this problematic boy. And once he is out of the way, we will make our move."

888

Squall slowly pulled on his shirt and sat doing the buttons, scowling down at his boots, wondering how he was going to lace them up, since to move right now caused him quite a bit of discomfort. He technically shouldn't be up and about yet, but he just couldn't stay in bed any longer. He was planning the best way to solve the boot problem, when there was a light knock on the wall, before the curtain was pulled back and there Rinoa stood, smiling.

"I figured you would be getting restless, about now." She said as she stepped into the room, sitting down beside him. She still looked thin, but the colour had returned to her cheeks. "Need a hand?"

"Thanks." He sighed as she sat herself on the floor and started to dress his feet, putting on the socks first. "I need to get out of here and make sure the guys are okay." He rotated his shoulder slowly, before removing the gauze still stuck to his forehead. The gash there was stitched and had stopped bleeding long before now, so he figured he'd be fine without it.

"It's only been a day though, Squall. No one expects you to be up and about this soon. Well, they expect it, but that's only because they know you." She tickled his foot and he shot her a scowl. "Couldn't resist."

"I'll get you back." He warned.

"Oooh, promise?"

"Yeah, just as soon as these bruises heal."

"If I promise to be gentle, can we now?" Her voice was seductive and her eyes wanton as she fluttered those long black lashes. Squall gulped and looked around.

"Seriously?" He asked, but Rinoa just laughed. "Tease." He wanted to scowl, but her laughter just made him smile.

"Oh I'm sorry, that was cruel of me." Rinoa shuffled close, running a hand through his hair and moved in for a kiss. Squall closed his eyes ready for her lips, when the mood was shattered as the curtain was pulled back suddenly.

"Oh, what now!?" Squall grumbled, thinking it to be another of the nurses but his heart sank when he turned, seeing who it really was.

The head of spiky blond hair shrank a little, and the look in his friends eyes was one of mortification.

"S…sorry!" Zell stepped back, shoving the curtain closed once more. Squall stood, hearing Zell's boots hit the polished floor, as he ran from the ward.

"Damn-it! Zell! Get back here!" Squall yelled, limping out after the teen feebly, Rinoa chasing after him, worry written all over her face. Zell wasn't slowing down and Squall had to stop to catch his breath.

"He's fast…"

"No, you're slow." Rinoa stated bluntly. "Get back to bed, I'll try and catch him."

"No you're-"

"Better than you." She smiled and winked before heading off, leaving Squall lent against the wall, reluctant to go back into the ward having decided earlier to leave.

With a grunt he pushed himself off the wall and started a slow walk through the halls. The buildings in Esthar were really beautiful, each built with the natural surroundings in mind. The hospital was surrounded by gardens and in some places, the gardens were surrounded by the hospital. He had wandered into the quieter part of the building and found a seat. With a relieved sigh he sat down, holding his midsection, which was still heavily bruised from Zell's beating. He made sure to smile at the memory.

"_You hit like a girl, Dincht!"_

Squall had smiled then, as each blow was inflicted upon him, there was no way he was going to give his best friend more reason to get depressed over something completely out of his control. He guessed that's why he wanted to be up and about as soon as possible, to spare Zell more needless hurt and worry. So far, he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he spotted a familiar face being wheeled past and it was his turn to be worried. Without pausing, Squall was up and hobbling across the hall, towards a room labelled 'Recovery', only to be stopped by the nurse at the door.

"I'm sorry, commander, but you can't be in here. This is strictly doctor access only."

"But that's my friend." He indicated Irvine, flat out on the cot as they wheeled him into a segment and darkened the walls. "What's wrong with him?"

"I've not had a chance to look at his chart, but he's probably come from surgery."

"What!?"

"This is where patients are sent to recover from surgery." She explained and gently pushed him away from the door. "Please, take a seat and I'll find out what I can from his doctor." Squall done as she said, there was no point fighting past, in his current state he wasn't able to fight sleep.

"Squall?" He looked up from where he was now sat on the bench, seeing Quistis there holding a cup, steam rising from the contents within. "Should you be up and about already?"

"Not really."

"Here." She handed him the cup she had, and turned. "I'll get myself another." Squall took the drink and sipped it gratefully. Quistis had known him the longest, and by that he meant, she remembered him the longest. It still baffled him that while he had known Irvine, Zell and Selphie his whole life, he could only remember part of that life. Great, gaping holes lay in his memory thanks to his use of the Guardian Forces, a side effect of their taking residence in his mind for so long. Regardless of the holes, they had found each other again and we're as close as any family could be.

"So, what did I miss?" Squall asked, as Quistis returned with another sweet tea.

"Well, apart from giving you the one-two, Zell also managed to put Irvine down. Some how though, he and Hope were able to put Fang down, before any real damage was done."

"Then what's Irvine had surgery for, if that's not real damage?" He tried not to sound too sarcastic. He failed.

"Looks like a busted rib caused a bit of internal damage. The doctors were confident it wasn't as serious as it sounded. Irvine was terrified though."

"Yeah, we all know how much he loves drugs." Squall cringed, that sounded so bad and it earned him a dark look from Quistis.

"Yes, actually. You know he was refusing pain-killer, because he still feels so bad about that entire mess?"

"Of course I know that!" Squall sighed. "But I never know how to react to him these days. I practically accused him of taking again…"

"What!?"

"I know! I just saw him taking an ant-acid and thought…"

"Well that explains his mood for the last few days." Quistis sat back shaking her head. "I know it's hard but you have to learn to trust him again."

"I do, it's just-"

"Let me stop you, before you contradict yourself." She sighed. "You thought watching him go through the with-drawl, would be the hardest part, didn't you?" A silent nod. "It's a mistake everyone makes. I've been helping people like Irvine through times like this, all my teaching life. So much pressure is put on the marksmen, we set up entire support groups, to try and make some of that pressure bearable. That wasn't something endorsed by Galbadia Garden, where Irvine trained. They just wanted results, no matter what the cost. They turned a blind eye to the different ways the kids found, to deal with all that pressure. Drugs abuse, one of those ways." Quistis sat silently and Squall let all that information sink in. He had been there for Irvine, watched him go through a personal hell but, what he never understood was, why his friend had seen that, as the only way out.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the nurse from before, came from the recovery area, smiling kindly.

"I've just managed to speak with the doctor, you're friend is going to make a full recovery. President Laguna issued the use of healing Junction, and that's taken a number of days off his recovery." Both Squall and Quistis relaxed visibly. "He does need a lot of rest, you can visit him tomorrow."

"Not sooner?" Quistis asked, standing before reaching down to help Squall do the same.

"I'm afraid not, he is still very sleepy from the sedative, and he has just been given some strong pain relief."

"I'm his councillor." Squall shot Quistis a puzzled look but she ignored it and continued. "He's not going to find any of this easy to cope with, I need to be there when he wakes up."

"Oh, I read in his file he is a Galbadian covert operations graduate. I understand." The nurse nodded and checked the watch on her blouse. "You can come back in six hours, he'll be starting to come around then."

"Thank you." Quistis nodded politely to the nurse as she left, leaving Squall looking at Quistis curiously.

"You're the one who took on his case?" He asked seeing her nod.

"I knew he would never talk to anyone else, and when I asked if he wanted me to become his sponsor, he said he wouldn't have it any other way. I wanted to help him to get over this, completely." She fixed Squall with a sad look. "That's years, not months."

"I understand. I messed up, didn't I?" Quistis smiled kindly.

"It's nothing you can't fix. Come on, you should be resting up."

"Oh not you too!"

"Oh yes. Me too."

888

Caplin peered through the microscope, concentrating hard as he adjusted the magnification, so the cells came into a clear focus. The recent blood tests he had done on Hope had come back clean and the boy's vitals were perfect, but he had still not woke from his sleep. Satisfied with the latest results, Caplin got up and pulled his glasses back down, over his eyes before heading into the next room. He had set it aside as an examination room. It had a comfortable bed and a large window that was open letting in fresh air. Hope was tucked up comfortably, an IV running into his right hand feeding him fluids. Caplins assistant was busy fussing over the boy again, and the old doctor just sighed, ignoring the look she gave him.

"The president called again, wanting to know if you've made any progress." She said and Caplin rolled his eyes.

"I do not understand, why that man insists on having me repeat myself."

"He's just concerned about the boys welfare, as you should be." He ignored her remark. He was here to do a job and as far as he was concerned, he was doing that job.

"If there's nothing else Aelsa…"

"No, nothing else, Doctor." Her tone was curt before she took her leave, dropping the latest observations on the table beside him, which he ignored.

Caplin worked late into the night, ignoring the phone when it rang and when its disturbances became to regular, he unplugged it. Each test he ran, each secret he unlocked proved just how special this boy was and he found himself willing Hope not to open his eyes, until his thirst for knowledge was sated. Being a scientist, that would never actually happen.

888

Laguna slammed the phone back into its place and sat back rubbing his tired eyes. He had so much work to get through, and all he wanted to do was make sure his boys were okay. He smiled sadly to himself. He hadn't just found a son, he'd found an entire tribe of kids he just wanted to protect.

He'd been told Squall had discharged himself, that wasn't exactly a surprise. Zell had also been released, passing a physical and metal examination, but was now missing. Laguna knew why. Irvine had come through the surgery okay and was now recovering, but he just couldn't get through to Caplin to find out about the youngest member of the team.

Hope had slept solidly the entire journey back to Esthar, and the old president was worried. Hope was their key weapon in fighting and defeating the commanders of Legion, and if he was incapacitated, their chances of surviving an attack were worse than zero. The sheer numbers these Legion commanders could summon, was staggering.

He sighed and ran the little glass bottle between his finger tips, lost in thought. He had seen these things before, many times, and in great quantity. It was annoying him that he couldn't remember and so putting it on his desk, he decided the best cure for such a metal block, was to get some sleep.

He settled down, pillow over his face to block out the light and he sighed as his aching old bones creaked and popped, his muscles relaxing, his eyes closed. Comfortable. His awareness was starting to slip away, falling back into the blissful cushion that was sleep, when his mind suddenly decided to release the information he had been searching for.

He sat up, quickly. To quickly and just as the revelation hit him like a jolt, so to did a spear of agonising pain, lance the base of his back and he called out. The sound changing from a celebratory 'eureka', to a strangled cry of complete and utter hurt.

"Dad?" Laguna, who had rolled on the floor, not able to straighten out, looked up through the bangs of hair that had curtained his face and just yelped.

"Squall…I think, I just…put out my back!" The teen looked concerned and went to help, but his son was in no fit state to help this crippled old fool. "No, no! I don't want you to hurt yourself. Just go, and send for Caplin."

"I'll call him." Squall stated, striding to the desk.

"No, he's not answering."

"Okay, just…don't move."

"No fear of that happening." Laguna mumbled as the lad left. It felt like an eternity but eventually the doctor arrived, looking down in distain at the man currently on all fours. "You are alive!" Laguna snapped followed by a restrained cry of 'ouch'.

"Are you the one who has been constantly calling me?"

"Are you the one who…gah!" Caplin actually smiled at that and Laguna just glared.

"My apologies, Mr President. Had I known you were actually in need of my services, I would have come long before now." Caplin sounded apologetic and Laguna's anger died some-what. It died more when Caplin administered a relaxant into the base of his back and he felt the muscles relax, taking most of the pain away and he could move again.

"Oh thank you."

"You're welcome, now if that is all, I have-"

"Actually, I would like a word." Laguna stood and hobbled towards his desk, allowing Squall to take a seat on the sofa, while Caplin remained stood.

"I might have known this was just a ruse, to once again question my actions regarding Hope. You asked me this morning how the boy was, I told you, his condition has not changed."

"I can accept that." He sat slowly, his back still tender. He reached forward and took hold of the little glass bottle, showing it to the eyes in the room. "This is the same kind you use, doctor."

"That's correct. Hope had been poisoned, I produced an antidote."

"It's also the thing responsible for his rather lengthy nap, a convenient side-effect considering the amount of research you've been able to do, while Hope has been in this state."

"What are you implying? That I am deliberately keeping him sedated, so I can perform terrible experiments?"

"Is that an admission?"

"Hardly. I will not deny the fact that Hope's incapacitation has been beneficial in advancing my research, but I am not responsible for his state. Directly anyway. I warned the boy there maybe unforeseen side-effects, it's the chance he had to take to be cured of the toxin he had been infected with."

"I don't recall being briefed about this."

"Nor should you, there was little time to explain it to Hope himself, never mind you."

"Regardless of that fact, this should have been brought to my desk, before you went off and used an untested substance, on a boy of fourteen!"

"I honestly can not see why you are so angry. Hope is alive and well, would you prefer him to be dead instead?"

"From a poison only you, seem to have details of."

"I can show you the results, if you wish."

"No, you will share all of your data regarding Hope, with the rest of the department, and any more decisions you make regarding his health, will go through me first, is that understood?"

"You hired me to unlock the mysteries of the masks that plagued our people, you also hired me to produce a solution the Junction shortage, now you want to hinder my progress by tying me up in red tape?"

"You're lucky you still have this job, Doctor." Laguna fixed the man with a steady gaze.

"Very well." Caplin turned to leave, obviously not at all happy with how the meeting had went, and Laguna felt his back twinge, like some final protest on Caplins behalf. Squall had stood and after watching the door close he turned back to Laguna, who was trying to rub away the tension behind his eyes by massaging his temples.

"You really think, he would do that to Hope?" Squall asked and Laguna honestly couldn't say for sure.

"I don't know, Squall. All I know is that kids all alone here, having to do and cope with things, no one his age should have to."

"He is exceptional. I've never seen anyone able to use magic like he does, not even Rinoa." Laguna nodded and looked at his son smiling.

"You look like…"

"I know, bad."

"No." Laguna stood, slowly. "Better." He smiled and pushed his hair away from his face. "You had me worried."

"You should worry about yourself, what was all that back business about?"

"Oh don't even think about poking fun at that!" He warned, hobbling off at an angle. "I happen to know that back problems, are hereditary."

888

The Esthar coast was really pretty but the scene done little to lift Zell's mood. He sighed and kicked a lone rock into the surf before shoving his hands deep into his pockets, and started walking. He wasn't going in any particular direction, he just wanted to stay out of everyone's way for a while. It was hard facing what he did, and while he hadn't called the shots, he had certainly threw them. He had trained his whole life to be a good, strong fighter, to defend the weak and protect the ideals his mother had taught him to believe in, for him to almost kill…hurt…

He felt sick. Actually sick with the memory. He rested his hands on his knees and dragged in a couple of steadying breaths, but that didn't take the feeling away and he fell on his ass, gripping his stomach.

"_You're so, pathetic Dincht."_

Zell looked up, staring at a point just beyond his foot. His eyes didn't see anything but sand, his mind however saw his friends, and how they would view him, if they were there.

"_Maybe Siefer was right, all along."_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up." His hands clasped his head, his right hand steadily beating himself as he spoke the mantra.

"_Looser."_

"No!"

"_He's gonna die, and the other one won't ever forgive you!"_

"No! Stop it!"

"_Admit it, you enjoyed it!"_

"STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" He screamed his fury into the night, his voice echoing off the large rocks to his left. He was standing again and the sheer force of his scream left him dizzy and breathless. He swayed, moaning pathetically, not seeing the figure who approached quietly from behind him.

"Zell?" He spun, hearing Rinoa and quickly tried to hide his tears. He forced a brave face, even started to bounce on the balls of his feet.

"H…hey, Rinoa. D…didn't hear you there." He sniffed and started adjusting his gloves in a nervous way.

"Why did you run?" She asked and Zell just shrugged.

"I…I done enough damage. Then I go and interrupt you guys-"

"Don't be silly." She laughed softly and came closer, her hand resting on his shoulder. "We are so, very worried about you."

"Me?" He tried to sound surprised. "Nothing wrong with me." He pulled away and started tugging at his gloves once more. "Fighting fit in fact. Didn't you see my handy work?"

"Zell…"

"I know exactly how to hit, and where. I could kill a man, with one punch if I wanted to." He started bouncing, throwing his fists out before him, shadow boxing, snapping each fist out quickly and snapping it back even quicker, coiling back like a spring ready to launch again. "It's not about force, it's about location and pressure." He spun, his anger and self loathing all encompassing, he was now facing Rinoa, barely able to see her through unshed tears.

He threw punch after punch her way, not really sure what he was doing anymore, sounding off each hit with a memorized mantra, that his instructor used to dictate, until it sunk in. Each time, his fists came a scant few centimetres from actually connecting, but then he had control over every gesture, over every movement. And through it all, Rinoa simply smiled. Not once did she flinch, or even blink.

"That was impressive." She said as Zell just stood there, fist hovering right in front of her nose, posture perfect, his centre of gravity equidistant to each point of his body, weight evenly distributed to each foot. "You really do know what you're doing."

Zell's snarl melted away, and the disciplined stance he wore, collapsed into a shaking wreck.

"Yeah, I do!" He sniffed, falling to his knees, no longer able to hold his misery back. "I almost killed them." He sobbed, not able to look up at Rinoa, who he could feel watching him. "I can still…see it happening. I know every punch, it plays back in my mind in sickening slow motion, and I'm screaming, STOP!" He punched the ground, the sand where his fist landed, spilling into the air to scatter, leaving a crater behind.

His shaking became more violent as he felt her hand reach for his shoulder and suddenly she was there, kneeling before him, smiling.

"How can you not hate me?" He asked, and she actually laughed.

"How could I hate you?" She smiled and shook her head. "You are the most gentle person I have ever met. Noble, kind and brave. How many people have you helped? How many times would the world have to thank you, because of everything you helped to accomplish?"

He shook his head. "I should have been able to stop it."

"Nobody's perfect, Zell." Rinoa pulled closer and then next thing he knew, he was leaning into that embrace. "Are you okay now?"

"No."

"What if I buy you a hotdog?"

"I don't know." He pulled back and wiped his eyes. "Can I have seconds?"

Rinoa smiled, blinking back tears of her own.

"If you smile, I'll even throw in an ice-cream."

888

Squall really hated sitting around. Laguna was trying his best to help keep his mind occupied, but he was still getting restless despite his many bruises and aches. It was dark now and Quistis had left an hour ago to be with Irvine when he woke. Rinoa was still out there looking for Zell and Squall was getting really worried about them. He felt like the entire situation was out of his control and that wasn't something he was comfortable with.

The soup Laguna had sent for, now sat cold on the table, Squall stirring the contents with his spoon.

"It's supposed to be eaten." Laguna said, taking the bowl away to reheat it.

"Sorry."

"It's fine, you have company anyway." Laguna smiled and as he exited the dining room, Zell entered followed by Rinoa.

"Finally!" Squall stood and walked over. "Where the heck have you-"

"Walking!" Rinoa interrupted shooting Squall, 'that' look, and he quickly curbed his temper. Not that he was angry, just overwhelmingly relieved his friend was finally here so it could finally put the whole situation to rest.

"Oh, well. Nice night for it I guess." He tried to ignore how sub-burnt Zell was and figured he'd been out walking most of the day, too.

"Yeah." Zell spoke softly, his eyes fixed on the floor and Squall scrubbed the back of his head not knowing what else to say.

"Zell…"

"Squall, I'm sorry man, I…I almost…"

"No, you didn't. Which is what we've all been trying to tell you. I know that wasn't you in control and I know you wouldn't ever do that, so does Irvine." Zell nodded but didn't look up. Squall rolled his eyes and done the only thing left. "Stand to attention!" He snapped seeing the usually excitable teen quickly stiffen, head high, hands rigid by his side.

"Sir!"

Squall ignored the look Rinoa was giving him, and continued.

"I will not have any member of my team in such a slobbery state! You're SeeD! Not some, abused little boy!"

"Sir!"

"Do you think the enemy is going to care about your precious little sensibilities, or that your feelings have been hurt!? No! They're going to try and kill you, are you going to let that happen?"

"No, sir!"

"Are you going to let them think that Zell Dincht, is weak?"

"No sir!"

"That's right! You're going to show them what you're made of! You're going to fight them with every breath! You're going to beat them into a big, bloody pulp and come out of it screaming, YEAH! That's what Zell Dincht can do!"

"YEAH!" Zell was pumped, and so was Squall, his own voice full of enthusiasm and determination. He almost wished there was something to hit. Zell was no longer standing to attention and Squall no longer cared as they clasped their left hands together in a brotherly shake, before closing the gap for a manly hug. Squall hit Zell's back hard and his friend done like-wise. It hurt, but Squall just growled the pain away as they pulled back. He'd just managed to get Zell back to his old self, the last thing he wanted to do, was remind him why he was in such a funk to start with. "Oh man I wanna hit something!" Zell said, slamming his right fist into his left hand.

"Training centre?" Squall said with a smirk, and collected his Gunblade from the locker in his room.

"Now you're talking!" Zell started bouncing and before Rinoa even realised what was going on they were rushing out of the doors and down towards the military base, Squall to pumped to care he was still quite sore. Besides, there was nothing like fighting through pain for a bit of male bonding.

888

Hope blinked up at the ceiling confused. He felt sleepy but he knew he'd been dreaming for a while. He kept dreaming of Light, trying to reach out to her. Talk of dreams and being trapped in them, made him wonder if he could talk to Light, despite the apparent distance.

He became aware of a figure to his right, his eyes were still to unaccustomed to the light around him, to make out who it was. They wore a white coat, and had dark hair. That much he could ascertain through the blur. They were speaking and Hope strained to hear, but his concentration was broken as he felt a sharp scratch on his left hand and tried to pull away, but a hand firmly pinned him down.

"Oh, don't be a baby." The voice was distant now, like they were speaking from the end of a very long tunnel and getting further away. He tried to hold on to consciousness, but it was no use. He was slipping back again, calling for the one person he trusted and cared for the most.

Light.

888

"I want Hope moved, now." Laguna said slamming the phone down before standing. It had been three days and Hope was still out. He knew something was going on. He pulled on his jacket and exited his office, running into Squall who had just returned from Balamb with Zell.

"Whoa, in a hurry?" Squall asked as he steadied the older man.

"Most definitely. I'm glad you're here actually. I think it would be better if we moved Hope to Balamb."

"We came to see you about that same thing."

"I've just had a call from an anonymous source. They said they have proof Hope's being sedated to keep him out longer, so Caplin can study him."

"Anonymous?" Zell asked. "Why? I mean, why not just come out and just say what's going on, and call Caplin out?"

"Not every one is as honest or as brave as you guys. It doesn't matter, I can now over-rule that guy and step in. You better give Kadowaki a head's up." Squall shook his head before explaining.

"She was the one who sent me here for him." Laguna nodded.

"I know she only has the bare-minimum facilities, but anything she needs just let me know."

"Sure." Squall turned to Zell who nodded and jogged over to the computer to make the call to Balamb. "We'll get ready to receive Hope, I think any treatment he needs from now on, should be done right there."

"I agree." Laguna sighed, a bit worried this meant he would see less of the boys he'd grown fond of. "I can't believe this is happening…" Laguna started his walk again shaking his head. "I mean, he's just a boy and all that bastard cares about is what he can discover to further his own carrier."

"Just be glad you found out when you did, before Hope's suffered any real damage."

"Define real. Being doped up for days, doesn't exactly sound like fun."

"I guess." There was a brief pause till Squall shot him a rare smile. "Want me to beat him up?"

"Now that's, an idea I like."

They rounded a corner, their pace brisk, both eager to dish out their own brand of justice to the man who had been abusing his position and their trust. The science lab was busy as usual, with the staff working had on the massive amount of data they had only recently acquired, from the boy sleeping in the private room just down the hall.

While Laguna had done his best to limit the time alone Caplin had with Hope, the rest of the department were just as eager to unlock the secrets within the boys body. The one consolation was that they too, seemed to be concerned with Hope's current state. They took one look at the president as he passed through the labs and nodded. They knew what he was there for.

"Mr President," Laguna turned seeing Aelsa stood there, one of the nurses assigned to the lab to help care for Hope. She was definitely pleased to see him. "Am I right in thinking you're hear to sort Caplin out?"

"Not exactly. I'm just looking out for Hope." Her eyes seemed disappointed, her mouth opened to continue speaking but she seemed reluctant. He turned to Squall. "Why don't you go and tell them to get Hope ready, I'll be along in a minute."

"Sure."

He turned back to Aelsa who seemed glad they were now alone. "Thank you, I…Its hard to know who to trust here. The lab is split right down the middle. While we don't agree with Caplin's methods we're all fascinated with the discoveries being made, it makes it hard to know who's actually against him completely."

"I understand, I think, but, what do you want Aelsa?"

"Well, you said you were here for Hope…"

"I am."

"But you see-"

"Dad, he's not here." Laguna turned as his son came back into the lab, worried. He turned back to Aelsa.

"Where is he?"

"Dr. Caplin took him."

"What! Why did you let that happen!? I made it abundantly clear that Caplin was not permitted to do anything…"

"I know, sir. I only found out this morning when I arrived." She shook her head. "I was the one who called you last night. I noticed some markings on Hope's arms. Fresh puncture marks, and I knew. I was going to confront Caplin directly, but…he scared me." Laguna listened as the young nurse shifted uncomfortably before continuing. "I walked in on him while he was on the phone. I heard him mention, how he wished he could just be left alone, to get on with his work. He was talking about a log cabin in the mountains, when he noticed I was there. He slammed the phone down and started screaming at me. I was so scared, I thought he was going to hurt me." Aelsa was crying now and Laguna rubbed her arm.

"It's okay. Don't upset yourself. You done the right thing calling."

"Does anyone know the location of this log-cabin?" Squall asked, pulling out his phone ready to make a call.

"I don't know, I'm sorry." She sniffed.

"Do you think you could find it?" Laguna asked Squall as he dialled the number for the hanger.

"I won't stop till I do." Squall stated as he strode from the lab.

888

Bird song filled the room, and a clean, crisp breeze drifted in from the open window, the white net curtains danced softly, their curves graceful, movements lazy. They fluttered back into place, set against the frame of the window and Hope watched them. For a while he was content to just do that, till he became curious and started to examine his new surroundings.

There was a desk just under the window, littered with paper, pens and a few high-tech pieces of lab equipment. The walls were wooden, the floors much the same, old and stained, but clean, well lived in. A large mat covered most of the floor, a single rocking chair upon it before a open fire, complete with large cooking pot and a battered old kettle.

The smell of something tasty drifted over, and the young L'Cies stomach growled. He groaned as the act was almost painful, like he hadn't eaten for days. He rubbed his noisy tummy, trying to reassure it that he would eat, as soon as he could help himself to the contents of the pot, but lifting and moving his arm required more effort than it should, which had Hope worried.

He couldn't remember much at all, and the parts of his memory that were clear enough, didn't offer him any explanation or reason for his current state. Nor did it enlighten him to his whereabouts.

He grunted as he pulled himself up into a seated position, and held himself like that till the room stopped spinning. His mouth was so dry and his head felt like it was going to float away. As the floor at his feet finally settled to a complete stop, he noticed his arm. It was dotted with tiny, pin-point marks. He lifted the limb and a hazy memory came flooding back. He'd been medicated, more than once. Each time he had only been partially conscious, but he remembered fighting, or at least trying to.

He sucked in a shaky breath and gripping the edge of the bed, before pushing himself to his feet, the wooden floor was cold, and rocking like a boat as he slowly stood straight. He groaned and closed his eyes tightly, opening them slowly once again finding the sickening motion to have finally stopped. He wasn't sure he could walk yet but, waiting for his captor to return and put him out again wasn't an option. With a hand holding out for the foot of the bed he wobbled towards it. As expected the room tipped to the side, almost at a ninety-degree angle, Hope grabbed the wooden bed post and held on, his legs shaking.

He didn't like this but he bit back a his fear, pulling himself straight using the bedpost and waited, once more, for the room to cease it's rocking. The door was just a couple of steps away, but Hope was aiming for the desk just beyond it. He took a calming breath and slowly put one foot in front of the other, ignoring the vertigo and the constant swaying of the walls. He concentrated on feeling his feet and their position on the floor. He stopped briefly, now he had hold of the wall and using both hands, he felt his way along till he was finally standing over the desk, trying to find any clues as to where he was, and who he was with.

It was harder than he thought, he couldn't read any of the papers, they were to out of focus, but apart from that the writing was strange. He couldn't read it. He was about to give up when he noticed something else. A pair of familiar spectacles.

"Doctor…Caplin?" He muttered the name, surprised by how slurred his words were and he shook his head. "But why?" Hope whimpered as his legs shook violently and the more he tried to stop them, the more they trembled, till they finally gave up and down he went, clinging desperately to the top of the desk.

His fall was well timed as now he noticed the man in question through the window. He was coming back inside.

Quickly, or as quick as he was able to, Hope shuffled under the desk and held his breath as the door flew open. There was a pause and he imagined the old Doctor stood there, noticing the empty bed. Hurried footfalls echoed off the wooden beams as the confused man strode towards the bed.

"Hope?" Caplin called for him, but the terrified teen just huddled closer to the back of the desk. There was a shuffle and a creaking of old bones as Caplin got down to the floor and looked under the bed. "Damn-it." The curse was muttered, but Hope heard it.

More shuffling and more footsteps, this time coming closer. Hope's heart was pounding loudly in his ears as Caplin was now stood right in front of the desk. He could see his boots. Covered in wet earth, like he had been walking through mud.

For the longest time, Caplin didn't move and Hope was getting dizzy from holding his breath. Finally he strode back out of the cabin and Hope relaxed, slowly getting his breath back again. He had to get out of there, but he knew he wasn't strong enough, he couldn't even concentrate to cast. He felt so helpless.

He waited a minute to make sure Caplin really was gone and not coming right back before he shuffled from his hiding place. The breeze coming through the open window made him shudder and he realised all he was wearing were a paper thin pajama set that barely covered his arms and stomach.

He wasn't sure whether it was the fact that the medication was slowly but surely leaving his system, or the adrenaline, but he felt more sure of himself as he wobbled towards the door. He pulled it open and peaked outside, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun. The cabin was nestled in a little glade, surrounded by young trees and bird song filled the air. Right outside the door, down a little path was a garden, the mud neatly turned over and the vegetables growing there well cared for. A spade with fresh dirt sat propped against the fence that surrounded the patch, but Caplin was no where to be seen.

He silently thanked his lucky stars and stepped outside, still using the wall for support but eventually that came to an end and he was now weaving left then right as he attempted to walk straight, down that path that continued into the little wood. It was bright and smelt good. It was a lovely place but the scene betrayed the locations sinister purpose.

Hope's feet were now very dirty and sore from walking on the woodland path with no shoes. If he had been thinking straight, he would have searched the cabin for his boots.

"Hope?" A voice called out from behind him and Hope turned, seeing Caplin stood there holding a gun. He gasped and tried to run, but his feet got confused as to where to place themselves and he fell with a yelp as his scraped his knees, arms and face off the rough floor.

"No!" He whimpered desperately trying too crawl away as Caplin ran closer.

"Hope, what are you doing?" Caplin asked, kneeling down beside him and Hope knocked his hand away.

"D…don't touch me!" Caplin's expression hardened and Hope felt a bit scared.

"I don't have time to handle you with kids gloves, anymore." He knocked Hope's arm away and reached under his shoulders to drag him up, lifting him off the ground and over his shoulder.

"Put me down!"

"Do as he says, Doctor." Hope knew that voice and while he couldn't see Irvine, he knew that the expert marksman had Hope's kidnapper firmly in his sights. Hope could feel Caplin tense and slowly the lad was lowered to the floor. He wobbled but refused to fall. "Drop the gun, and put your hands on your head where I can see them."

Hope staggered back as Caplin done as instructed.

"You're making a big mistake." Caplin declared calmly.

"I don't think so." Squall appeared from no where, Hope blinked trying to focus on the taller figure but he had gotten himself so worked up, it was still really confusing and his head swam. He stumbled, turning to run away but Zell was right behind him waiting. He was swallowed up by Zell's arms as the teen saved Hope from another tumble in the dirt.

Hope panicked, not trusting his senses or anyone around him yet.

"Easy, little-bro." Zell said softly, getting down to one knee so he could look Hope right in the eyes. "I'm all better now, see." Hope flinched as Zell gently scrubbed his hair, the act bringing back happier memories of their rough and tumbles and he finally let himself relax. "I got you." He heard Zell say as Hope just gave up and rested against the older teens shoulder.

888

"What the hell did you do to him!?" Zell demanded as he scooped Hope from the ground and held him to him, Hope's arms around his neck, holding on weakly. Zell could feel his small hands gripping his shirt while the rest of his body seemed to melt against him.

"This is your handy work!" The deranged doctor snapped, now in cuffs thanks to Squall.

"Me!?" Zell pulled a face. "You're off your rocker."

"If you hadn't have been so weak minded as to be controlled by that woman, you would never have poisoned him to start with!"

"Poison?" Zell looked to his two friends shaking his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about you old coot. I remember…everything I did." His voice trailed off briefly as memories of him having beaten his two best friends came flooding back. "I didn't do anything to Hope."

Caplin's eyes widened and he turned from Zell's accusing eyes.

"Face it, doc." Irvine stepped from the shadow of the trees around them, his rifle still trained on Caplin. "This jigs up. We know you're the one who's been pumping drugs into the kid, so you can research his power."

"That's not true!" Caplin struggled against his bonds but Squall shoved him onward down the path and back to where they had set the Ragnarok down. "While I took advantage of his condition to conduct a number of tests, I did not and would not harm him."

"Then why kidnap Hope?" Squall asked calmly.

"I was trying to protect him! While his state was advantageous to my research, I would have to be blind, not to realise it was hardly natural for him to be out for so long. I noticed his arms last night and the fresh marks there. Someone in the department was drugging him!" The three friends didn't know what to think, their only possible witness to either clear or condemn the man currently in their custody was out cold again. "Please, take me back to the cabin, it's not far. I can prove I've been trying to help Hope."

Squall looked first to Zell, who still held on to Hope and then to Irvine who despite a brave face was flagging, favouring his right side.

"Okay, you've got ten minutes. You better have hard evidence to prove what you're saying."

"I assure you, I only ever deal in the facts."

888

Just as Caplin had said, the cabin wasn't far and Squall ushered the man inside, keeping a close eye on the doctor, wary he might try to make an escape, but once again, Caplin was as good as his word and went simply towards the little desk, littered with papers and a few pieces of equipment. On the wall were charts and test samples of what appeared to be blood. Zell laid Hope on the bed, which was unmade and Squall realised this was probably where Hope escaped from.

"Stay with him, Zell. I don't want him waking and freaking out." His friend nodded and sat himself at the foot of the bed, close enough to reassure their little friend should he wake and try to flee again.

Irvine limped into the cabin, removing his hat and made straight for the rocking chair, sweat evident on his brow and Squall made a mental note to say 'told you so' when they got back.

"So, where's this evidence?" Squall asked and Caplin indicated the numerous notes and samples lining the wall to his right.

"Each one of those blood samples are dated, timed and in the order they were took. The test paper each drop is on, is designed to check for certain chemicals and substances. The one I used, tests for anything that can cause an anaesthetic state. If the test sheet comes into contact with such a chemical, the paper turns blue as does the sample. From left to right, the left most sample being the one I took the moment we arrived here last night, and the right most sample being the most recent. Work it out for yourself." Caplin shot Squall with a patronising look, but as much as the guy annoyed him, Caplins point was hard to miss.

From left to right the drop of blood on each of the samples turned from a dark blue, to a more natural looking red. He had been monitoring Hope through the night, ensuring the drugs that had been forced into his system, dissipated safely.

"Alright, say I believe you that you're trying to help him, how do we know you didn't cause this problem to begin with. How do I know you're not just trying to cover your tracks?"

"Because I wasn't the one to instigate this."

"You accused me of poisoning him!" Zell snapped angrily.

"You were the likely cause considering your state of mind at the time."

"Well I believe, Zell when he say's it wasn't him." Squall interrupted before Zell could retaliate. "Now the only one who was set to benefit from Hope's condition was yourself." Squall lent over the desk and turned on the computer, sighing when it prompted him for a password.

"I did not poison the boy." Caplin scowled, seeming to get impatient. "I do not know how I can be more clear."

"You can prove it to me. You said you had evidence."

"That I brought Hope here to help him, I have given you that. It is not my problem, that you do not see it as anything other than a feeble attempt to save my own skin."

"No, I'd say, it's your problem. Because if I don't believe you, you're going to be locked up."

"That would accomplish nothing, Hope would still be in danger from someone within Esthar's very walls."

"You know more than you're letting on."

"I know everything I need to." He turned from Squall to look at Hope. "Perhaps more than I should." He looked back at Squall almost sadly. "I fear the attention Hope is getting is largely down to the discoveries I've made, and tried to keep secret."

"Like what?" Squall asked and Caplin sighed before looking up at the ceiling, closing his eyes.

"Hope, has an immense power inside of him, one that can be drawn upon. The magical energy in his body, appears to be unlimited, and in a world where those energies are becoming non-existent, Hope could be used to fuel, whole armies. Imagine, if you will, a world at war, with one side having complete control over the supply of magic."

Squall just looked at Caplin, understanding why this knowledge, if it was ever made public, could be very harmful to both Esthar and Hope. They had always been able to 'Draw' from the world around them, taking magical energy of their own to use in battle, but when those energies started to dwindle, they were left with an increasingly worsening draught of magic. If what Caplin was saying was true, they had access to magic once again, through Hope.

"I fear my computer back at the lab, was compromised. I do not know who made a copy of my work, but all it means for Hope, is bad news."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I didn't want Hope to be, used. He's not from our world, I do not think it's fair for him to be dragged into the political mess that could spark another war. Fighting Legion is one thing, but if Galbadian officials ever learned of Hope, they would see Esthar as having a powerful weapon, that alone could force their hand and they would attempt to invade. President Laguna would have no choice other than to defend the citizens and Hope would naturally help to ensure our safety." Caplin turned back to Squall. "I do not want another war. The only people who suffer, are the innocent. But besides that, Hope is just a boy, but if the wrong people ever got access, all they would see him as, is a tool they can use."

Squall thought for a moment. They were so sure that Caplin was the one responsible for Hope's deterioration but now, he had doubts. He found himself looking at the computer.

"Is your work on this console?"

"Yes, I uploaded it all from the Esthar mainframe before I left."

"Then show me. If what you say is true, all your work will back it up." Caplin's eyes became sad and he turned away. "Or do you still have something to hide?"

"It's not that." He old doctor sighed. "Samuel2712..."

"Excuse me?"

"The password…"

Squall nodded and entered the code.

"An unusual password for a science guy." Irvine said with a smile. "I was expecting the square route of some amazing maths problem."

"It's my sons name, and birthday." Caplin explained.

"I didn't know you had a son." Squall muttered as he opened the file named 'SeeD of Hope'.

"He's dead."

Squall looked up from the console, Caplin was putting on a brave face, but the emotional torment was evident. He didn't press and he quickly hid the picture on the computer desktop behind a now open window. Sure enough all the information Caplin had gained from his tests and studies was there, all dated and named accordingly. Even video journal entries, most of which had been recorded back in Esthar, only one was dated for today and Squall hit play.

Caplin's face appeared on the screen and the way the camera was positioned he could also see Hope on the bed behind him. It seemed dark and Squall realised this was made very early this morning and a quick look at the time in the bottom right hand corner confirmed it.

"Well, it was hard work sneaking Hope out of the lab and getting here with him as weak as he is, but we managed. The first blood test confirmed a huge amount of sedative in his system. I'm no closer to discovering who is responsible for his condition but I'm confident he'll make a full recovery. I'll keep testing his blood through the night and prepare a meal. Hope hasn't eaten since he first closed his eyes four days ago, he's bound to be hungry. Luckily the garden is ready to be picked, I can have a hearty soup ready in time for him waking, which shouldn't be much longer." Squall closed the video journal and turned to Caplin who had composed himself a little.

"You didn't do yourself any favours by keeping all this quiet. In fact, you may have just made this worse us all. In the time we've been chasing you, the real culprit could have ran for it now."

"I am sorry." Squall blinked in surprise, the two with him also a little taken aback by Caplin's apology. Usually he was rude, not caring for anyone or anything other than his work. Squall realised now how wrong they were about him. "But perhaps we can still use this situation to our advantage…"


End file.

Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XIII, Angst, Hurt-Comfort