[My first fanfic. YAY! This is my favorite game of all time. Constructive Criticism will be well appreciated, story, structure, spelling, grammar, and or anything else you can think of. Thanks!]

I don't own FF8 (mutters long string of explicatives), Square-Enix does. I don't have THAT much imagination. But the end of disk one was left way open. FYI as you are inside the heads of many it may seem jumpy and there are many references to things that players learn later on, so if you haven't played the whole thing there are a lot of allusions to things that may have not yet been revealed.

Ice Piercing a Cold Heart

Quistis, Zell, and Selphie watched Irvine make the shot. They heard a loud ping. They saw across the square Squall jump from the roof taking out several soldiers in his dissent. He hopped in a car, the crowd made way, and they saw him swing the car up next to the gate, then they could not see below, but they could hear the grinding of metal upon mettle.

"Let's go." Quistis ordered. Not needing to be told twice, or even at all, Zell and Selphie followed down the ladder in hast. Quistis jiggled the door knob, Selphie tried magic, Zell tried physical force, and Quistis tried picking the lock. But it was held firmly in place and in one piece despite Selphie's best attempts to blow it up.

"The sewers?" Zell suggested. Selphie immediately descended further with the others following close behind.

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"You're losing it Seifer." He stared down at his rival. He did not look up, waiting for the death blow to follow him, fulfilling his disgrace to his sorceress. It did not come, however Edea swept him to the side with the movement of a finger, not that she needed any visual to do so, it was an old habit to break, making one's wants visible.

Squall listened to Edea speak, noticing her voice sounded slightly familiar, but all the more foreign.

"A SeeD… Planted in a run-down Garden."

His rage began building, a silent rage, one no one else would see, one only he knew of, and tapped into for extra power alone. Yes rage brought power, most would say happiness did too, he wouldn't know. He heard footsteps coming.

It's about time Quistis got here.

This thought was cut short for the ones who showed up next to him, were not of Balamb Garden, nor where they enemies. Edea gave off a short burst of maniacal laughter. He looked at Irvine.

Irvine gave a resigned and accepting look.

I guess I fight you anyways, Matron. Why?

Squall glared at Rinoa.

Please let me help. You saved me, you told me to stay close. Let me show you, I can fight if I'm not alone…

"I can fight, if I'm with you… That's why I'm here." She whispered barely loud enough for him to hear, he wouldn't have were it not for his junctions, the crowd was wild and rioting. He accepted this, he fully admitted taking a sorceress on was not on his list of priorities to do before he died, let alone, taking one on by himself. It may not have been his chosen companions, but any help was worth it. He felt a sharp pang and glanced at Rinoa again.

Hyne! I just saved you, and now you jump right back in, what are you thinking?

He glanced at Irvine one more time, the gunner nodded his readiness.

"I have to redeem myself" The gunner stated.

And one last thought entered Squall's mind.

Where are Quistis, Zell, and Selphie? I hope they're alright… I… I hope?

He had no more time to question his own thoughts.

"The Accursed SeeD" The battle began.

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Squall was grateful, for a slight breather however much pain there would be after her next attack, all three were worn out and once again he wondered where his other comrades where.

They would be here if they could be. I know that… Don't I?

"Impudent SeeD's" She was clearly fed up with this. It wasn't going very far considering. They had barely hit her and they were all battered, bruised, and a bit bloody.

Who where we to think we could defeat a sorceress? Why are we holding on? NO! We must succeed, it is our duty, it is our mission, it is…

The thought remained unfinished. He watched in awe as Edea's sorceress powers allowed her to pull moisture out of the air, turn the specks into ice as they slowly wrapped around her body. The dust all converged at the tip of her finger and grew into a massive Ice javelin that split into several pieces. She waved her hand back then forward sending the javelins flying. Irvine sprung out of the way. He saw one flying toward Rinoa.

GET OUT OF THE WAY!

His scream went unsaid, lost in his head. He saw two javelins coming his way. If he did not move he would be hit by both. He could go left and end it as one flew through his heart and the other passed him by, or he could go right and just have a lung pierced,

Not much chance for survival, but it's better than dying. Or will this just result in a more painful longer death. NO! I cannot die…

There was no time, he couldn't jump one way or the other but he leaned right, he saw in his peripheral vision that Rinoa had turned out of the way. A wave of some emotion was cut short as his javelin made contact. He heard the sickening sound of bone shattering, flesh and muscle tearing, and he could not breath, both from pain too strong to let him inhale and from the fact that one lung was now nearly obliterated. He could not move. His head lowered a little from the impact and he saw the javelin and its massive size piercing his body.

I cannot die, my mission is not complete.

He could not admit it to himself, but mission was plural. Not just the sorceress, but for timber. No, not for timber…

Ultimecia smiled in grim satisfaction. Edea finally breaking her shell of silence screamed in horror. No one but Ultimecia heard it.

Shock crossed Irvine's face.

How can Squall fall. He is our leader, how can he… Its moot he can't, he wouldn't dare. He still hasn't seen sis yet.

Anguish crossed Rinoa's face.

…no…No… "SQUALL!"

Seifer raised his head and looked on with a mixture of fascination and pity and denial.

He was a fool following a fool, now he must pay that price. My good comrade, my closest match and rival, I bid thee farewell. My Gunblade may not have been the one to fell you. So be it. Huh… Similar taste in girls? Backstabbing, dancing, bastard. It doesn't matter now; all that matters is Edea and her will.

Squall kept his eyes forward, he wanted no one to see the fear he felt in his eyes. The actual fear of death, though it slowly turned to resignation.

Death is inevitable; I thought I would have been more prepared for this.

He saw Seifer's look of awe, Irvine's look of… fear, and once again that look of shock in the distance. He saw them in one of the glossy mirrors behind Edea.

Why are they coming out of the sewer?

His eyes began to glaze over, lacking oxygen and losing blood. He felt himself stumble and fall backwards. The float wasn't that big. He would fall to the pavement below.

Goodbye Cid, Quistis, Zell, Seifer, Irvine, Selphie… Rinoa, Sis? Ma… Matron?

She saw in that moment after impact, just from the side of his face; relief, pain, fear, confusion, and regret all crossed his face. Then resignation.

How am I to stay close to you if you…You can't… Please! We need you. I… You led us here; you cannot just leave us here.

She scrambled to the edge as he fell off, attempting to reach out to him. She was going to jump of but a pair of hands held her back.

"Squall! Hold on!"

He heard his name, it sounded like a screech, loud enough and painful enough to split apart his last moments of consciousness. A brief flashback to Dollet hit him; Zell and Selphie yelling at him to hurry and being chased by a machine, only now he was chased by death itself.

Looking up as he began to fall, he saw Rinoa bending over the edge, her hand extended to him, once again calling his name then something unintelligible. He was barely conscious enough to feel himself hit the pavement. He heard a crack as the ice behind him shattered and broke off tilting towards his waist, tilting the rest up towards his head, shattering more bone and tearing more flesh. He would have screamed, but he found the air and energy necessary for such an act to be lacking. His senses began to dim.

He landed on the broken half of the javelin and a pool of his own blood began to form beneath him. The searing pain going through his body and skull, were dim, too dim. Yet two foreign drops of salt water on his face he could feel with clarity beyond words. His eyes open, unable to shut, his vision blurring.

He saw Rinoa She didn't cry when she thought Seifer was going to die, or was dead, why does she cry now? Irvine he looks… sad… Why? He doesn't know me! and Seifer Too far away to tell, smug satisfaction or Regret for not being the one to kill me? All stared down at him.

BEHIND YOU! He wanted to scream.

He felt consciousness slip. Not as before. This wasn't like after he and Seifer had had their last duel and received their mirrored Scars. No, this was like the train and the woods. He hoped that should he die, that he would not be stuck in Laguna's thoughts forever. He thought to himself,

That would be unbearable!

Three more drops of salt water hit his face, the clarity gone. His vision of the present ceased as he heard that moronic excuse for a soldier in the distance. His eyes closed.

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"NO!" Quistis yelled. Selphie whimpered. Zell stood silent. Opposite of their norm, a testament to their shock.

He can't die. Selphie thought

He can't fall. Zell thought

He can't leave us. Quistis thought

Still in shock Zell yawned not noticing until he was on the ground loosing consciousness. Quistis could not take her eyes off the form that lay lifeless on the ground. Selphie could not look to the pavement. Instead she stood staring at Irving trying to keep Rinoa from hurtling herself off the edge of the float. She saw the sorceress. It was too late. They had failed. Rinoa dropped, then Irvine. She felt a pang of concern for this insecure 'ladies man'. Quistis met the surface of the road. Then all was dark as she too, fell to the ground.

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Edea hit them all with sleep spells and told Seifer.

"Keep your rival alive, he still may yet have use. Take the five to the dessert detention center and torture them yourself if you must. I must know the true meaning of SeeD." Seifer nodded.

"Yes my sorceress… The sixth?" The assassin?

"Return him to General Caraway. He is Galbadian and was only following orders. He will know nothing of the true SeeD." Edea's husband will know, not that idiot headmaster in Galbadia's Garden. She let him live as a small gift to her host.

"The girl? She is Caraway's" She did not mean much to him now, but he still cared for her, perhaps as a friend, no she would not befriend me, I will not her, she fought Edea. As to of how she got dragged into this failed mission, I can blame only Squall. What WAS he thinking?

"A small punishment to his involvement, he will be further punished later, but I'm sure you can use her as leverage." Clearly she had feelings for the boy; perhaps he had some in return.

"Understood." Though I do hate to use her, and Squall won't even understand why he feels the way he will feel. Pending he does at all. Perhaps that Ice heart IS too cold to melt. Perhaps not.

"Good. Also, I know this may be hard as it was once your home, but Garden must pay. Have the Missile base prepare a set for Trabia and Balamb Gardens." Annihilate my enemies.

"It will be done." Sorry my friends. Rajin, Fujin. Make it out of Garden safe. You must. You deserve it.

The guards had gathered the three out on the street, and Squall on the pavement, and were now gathering Rinoa and Irvine.

He walked over to Rinoa

I hope you're happy with the Ice heart you seem to want.

He walked down and stood in front of Squall as Edea melted the ice, uttered an incantation he was unfamiliar with, then she gave him a massive dose of Full-Life. Still under the sleep spell, his bone, muscle and flesh healing Seifer looked at Edea with interest.

One with so much power as to rule on life, even if they are at the brink of death, is… is for lack of anything else, very worthy of serving.

Even then Edea continued with a repairing incantation of sorts and his t-shirt and that Hyne-forsaken jacket of his began to repair itself. He looked at her questioningly.

"All of one self and belongings must be in top shape for the method of torture to be seen as anywhere close to humane." She explained in almost a motherly voice. He smiled at Squall in anticipation.

"I look forward to torturing you; you will be hard to break. But I know your weak points, even if you don't."

The technicians must have solved the problem in the arch as the gates lifted. The prisoners were already being put into the prison transports and the cowboy was being stuffed in a police car. A military vehicle now came up to him and took Edea and Himself back to the palace, leaving the float to be moved by others.

"As you will be in the dessert, I will begin moving forces to be set against the Galbadian Garden. They too must be punished. But their Garden holds far more use to us intact. Upon your return, you will lead our army against them. It's Capture shall be your redeeming act."

"Thank you, I am forever grateful." A chance to redeem myself, no punishment for my failure? She is kind.

"Enough of this talk; enjoy your work at the prison my knight." He smirked.

"I will." Don't doubt that. I WILL! The vehicle stopped outside of the palace. "Wait here!" He told the driver and escorted his sorceress to her throne room.

He grabbed a few things in his room, headed back outside, and got back into the vehicle. He was on his way to the Prison, on his way to break his rival, on his way to redeem himself, always on the way to fulfilling his dream.

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Edea ascended to her throne, rather Ultimecia did. Edea was mourning quietly in a hidden corner, she had nearly just killed Squall, how much older he had looked, and how strong he had become, Irvine so accurate and deadly with his shot. Zell, so quiet in shock, Selphie so sobered, Quistis so stricken. Her sadness grew to rage, at herself and her occupier. She had thought of them, now Ultimecia knew. Though the witch could only ascertain what Edea wished her to, in her moments of despair she did want her to know the pain of striking your own children down. They may not have been her children, they may not remember, it was so long ago, they may have moved on, but she still saw them as the grown children she had once raised. Edea desperately wanted to punish Ultimecia by exposing her to this debilitating pain. In doing so, Ultimecia ascertained the position of the orphanage, and the meaning it held for her and her children.

Edea screamed in dismay, though to any onlooker, where any allowed in, would have only seen a silent statue, standing, looking out upon the streets of Deling City. The scream pierced none but her own heart. She screamed again and again begging for forgiveness.

Cid, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Squall, Seifer, Ellone, Forgive me… Please. She inwardly sobbed as Ultimecia again pushed her will down so she could not regain use of her body. Edea cursed herself for saying Ellone for as the witch pushed her down, she also pried, but she would find nothing, it was the only thing she could do for her child, for that child's brother, for all of her children, for the world.

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Fin