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The Final Distance	By : Resting-Madness Category: Final Fantasy Games > Crossovers Views: 924 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimers: I do not own a single character, location or bit of input that creates the Final Fantasy VIII and VI worlds. I simply do this for fun, so there's absolutely no money in it for me.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Current present March, 2022.
While Irvine, Setzer, and Edgar along with Squall, Seifer, and Terra are headed for Balamb Garden; there are other members of the Returners who're unaccounted for.
"I so can't wait to take courses at Balamb if he's an instructor," a girl, age 15, with banana peel yellow hair whispered infatuation into her lemon yellow haired friend's ear.
The two blonde cadets looked at Zell with one thing on their mind, and it surely wasn't for learning the finer points of keeping one's hand bones intact if they were ever to bareknuckle fight with an enemy of man or beast.
"Balamb has an extensive library, you can even get the latest Weapons Monthly," he stands before a showcases of magazines, and tablets for a low rental cost of a quarter. "You can't take them out, but you're allowed photo copies,"
A few up-and-coming cadets murmured about looking through a siblings Weapons Monthly, and that's how they decided which weapon they wanted to work with. Zell hated to burst their bubble that it doesn't often work out as planned; with weapon assignments, it goes by what you're skilled with, not by what you enforce upon yourself because you want the latest model of Gunblade or axe. Seifer once told him about the work that went into Gunblade use, and how he and Squall were the only ones that year to master it. Seifer never pats anyone but himself on the back, so it attest to just how hard it is so not just anyone can work with it. He personally hated weapons classes, preferring his hand-to-hand skills to be his partner in battle. He's never without his fists.
"Well, that concludes the tour. Feel free to explore on your owns, but responsibly. You don't want to be expelled before you've ever attended." Some cadets chuckled as if that was a joke comment, but Zell was serious. Bad little cadets get the boot fast. They don't need slackers, they need elites. "We meet back at the courtyard in an hour," he informed them, speaking over their excitement of freedom. "Did everyone hear me?"
There was a flurry of "yes" or "yes, sir". `Sir`… Zell liked that. He also liked their enthusiasm to explore the school on their own, last year the group of new recruits practically yawned and fell asleep at the front entrance. He thankfully was in no position of showing those cadets around, that had been SeeD Townsend at the time. He's good, but not the best at tour guide. Much too efficient to make it seem like any fun could be had along side the work of a mercenary.
Exiting the library, he waved to the girl who once wore her hair just in a single braided pigtail.
She blushed only a bit and waved back; her crush has waned since her getting together with cadet Sergeant, but she'll still blush at attention from her long standing crush. And Zell, doesn't have clue about it, she hoped. What good could come from having a crush on a guy who's into guys?
Zell stretched his arms over his head, his hands locked them together like a hoop, and showing off his flexibility from years of training he lowers the human hoop down his back before releasing the hold.
Checking his watch he wondered if Seifer was gonna stay over in Winhill tonight, or would he be up for taking him to a movie and to Snap's hot dog shack. The place opened two months ago, and any cadet off duty could be found there, especially if they missed the rush at school- which at Balamb is usually the case. So many afternoons after class were spent licking his wounds over failed linked meat consumption, and he'd be left with lesser foods like pasta, cold mayonnaise covered potatoes- really, who eats stuff like that? Salads or stews. All that stuff just can't compete with the crisp snap of a hot dog in a soft semi-sweet warm bun.
Wiping the back of his hand across his salivating mouth, Zell stops all thoughts of food in place of training. The area always beckons to him, it's as if he can't pass by without the entry way asking him where he's going, and when they can hang out again?
"Hey Quistis!" he called to the efficient secretary, seeing her dressed down and exiting the training area was a new one for the books of Strange but True. "Can I convince you to head back in and join me?"
Quistis's fine brow quirks at the notion and seeing the cheesy pleading grin on her friend's face, his hands clasping her's for an anticipated `yes`, she caved. It has been a while since she's really hung out with anyone, her filing job as headmistress Edea's secretary can be all consuming sometimes. It's a relief that Xu is her second, or she'd always be tied up in the office. How had her friend done this alone for so long as headmaster Cid's secretary?
"Lead the way," she says with a smile to the cheering jumping bean.
…
With the newly done training area It's possible to fight in any location against any regional monster that's been programmed into the system. They've decided on the fire caverns; junctioned for the scorching attacks either by absorption like Quistis or deflect like Zell they battled long and hard until both dropped onto a rock needing a rest, and some water.
Zell squeezed a gulp or five over his head, shaking the water free along with sweat and smears of grey ash. "I needed this," And he meant the workout, not the break.
"It's been a while since I've gone full-on battle mode." She rubbed her aching arms. She had originally been training in the tireless terrain around Timber, fighting mutated birds and Geezards.
"Well, I've had my fun," Quistis declared. Storing the empty bottle in the recycling bin that's hidden in the wall beside the room's control panel, she was about to say goodbye to her battle-buddy when something caught her eye.
Zell, who got up to toss his bottle away, noticed her focus trained somewhere in the room and he followed it. "W- what is that?" He took her arm by the elbow as if to tell her to stay back while he took a closer look, when really he just moved her aside a little for a better viewing angle. "It looks like a man,"
"An unconscious man," Walking over to him, she kneels down, touching his shoulder giving it a shake. "Excuse me? Sir?" Checking his pulse, she turns him over.
He's a young man, possibly in his mid-twenties, if she had to guess; although his hair is a peppery greyish-brown from what's showing beneath a colorful paisley printed bandana. He's still got good color in his cheeks so he isn't dead, he doesn't even look injured, just unconscious. Maybe he fainted from hunger, he is rather thin, could even be heat stroke. She and Zell were heavily engaged for at least 40 minutes. He could have wandered in by accident. But who is he?
"Who do you think he is?" Wondered Zell out loud. Crouching down, he lifts the man's eyelids. "Hwhoa!" He yelped from start when the iris flicked his way. Backing away he then came back into close proximity of the man, he's not a coward after being startled. He's just a man after all.
"Hey, guy, are you alright?"
The dazed stranger seemed a little more present as he began sitting up; rubbing his head he looks left then right, then at the pair beside him. His eyes still a bit unfocused he asks. "Celes, what are you doing here?" He, for the moment, believed he's still in the castle underground.
"Quistis," Zell corrects, pointing at said person with his thumb he then points to himself. "I'm Zell, and you are?"
Rubbing his eyes, he answers the question, processing how he has a dozen which he'd like to ask himself. "Locke Cole,"
"Sounds like a locksmith company," Holding out his hand, he helps Locke up to his feet when it's taken. "How'd you get in here?" He asked then said. "Our school is kinda off limits accept for on parents and visitors' days." And this guy certainly doesn't seem like anyone's parent.
"I don't know. I woke up here, wandered around lost, got attacked and fell into a pool of water." He shrugged his shoulders. "Then I woke up,"
Zell looked at Quistis wondering if they're buying it; she's in her favorite thinking stance, held chin, arm barred across her torso, pensive look, debating that much herself. He doesn't seem violent or as if he's got a hidden agenda of some kind.
"Where am I?" He asked. His eyes nearly sprang from his head when the hologram dissolved restoring the room to its original state of metal and plant life with a river of water running around through it. "I must have hit my head more worse than I'd thought."
"This is Balamb Garden, a military school. You are in our training center." Replied Quistis succinctly.
"How did I get here?" Locke doesn't ever recall such a detour any of the other times the castle has come and gone beneath the Earth's surface.
"You don't know?" Quistis was at a loss now.
"I wouldn't have asked," replied the stranger.
"Hey, here," Zell marched over to the wall and grabbed a bottle of cool water. "Are you thirsty?" Holding it out to the stranger, he smiled kindly to show they're friendly.
Locke eyeballed the suspicious looking canteen, wondering since when did they make them clear, cylindrical, and plastic? Turning the cap he took a long drink from it, paused to catch his breath then finished off the refreshing liquid.
"Thanks."
Offering a thumbs up, Zell took back the bottle crushing it in his hand before throwing it out.
'His name sounds so familiar, I'm almost positive I've seen his face before, too,' Quistis looks the familiar man up and down. It was sure to come to her, for now they have to figure out where this guy came from and get him back there, he's breaching the rules about outsiders. He really could be a spy, a damned good assassin even. They aren't needlessly hostile either, with the way Galbadia attacked them, and Trabia Garden, out of the blue as they had. "Mr. Cole, would you please come with me, I'd like to help you but we should do it in a more formal setting."
'She must be the princess of this land, or a female vassal.' He figured. Putting on a smile he complied to her lead and followed the pair from the mystifying area.
The street allowed smooth passage from town towards the school for the sniper, the gambler, and the King.
"Alright, we're still here!" Irvine cheered to himself when pulling up to Garden in the rental car.
Seeing the large portable school brought a smile of relief on the gunman's face as the huge building is currently planted in the ground in its usual place, which is perched onto a spacious field of land that's far enough away from the town named after it that one can't walk to it without needing a break, but close enough that if one wanted to travel the 49 minutes walk, they could.
Edgar went from marveling at the car to marveling the oddly shaped building. They're definitely not in Figaro anymore.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to our headmistress," he walks through the front gate across the courtyard; his guest in tow.
"I've accepted that we're no longer on familiar ground, and that this is no lucid dream," Setzer is saying to Edgar. "But, I can't figure out how we got to wherever it is that we are,"
Edgar can only agree. "I can't figure it out either, unless of course this is some sort of alternate realm, Cyan once spoke about these demonic sprites that held him captive in a dreamland. This could very well be something similar,"
"That means Irvine could be a demon?"
They eyeball the sharpshooter's back as if the broad before them can tell no lies; then they lean into each other and begin whispering.
"We have no weapons; how can we attack him?"
"My brother has forced many hand-to-hand combat sessions onto me, I can certainly strong-arm a stick figure such as he."
Impressed by that declaration, Setzer assures. "And I'll be your second,"
On alert, they continued following the kindly stranger.
Seifer pulled up to the bulbous building, parking right beside the car parked just outside of the front gate. It doesn't have the school's seal so it must also be a rental. Climbing from the car when he killed the engine; he was happy to realize that the automated pick-up truck will retrieve both vehicles without question or hassle.
The forever self-deemed Knight's green gaze spots a familiar gaunt on up ahead, and he says to his rival, "Hey, there's lover boy,"
Squall showed no reaction on the outside, but inside he smiled. He lost his composure of cool by speeding up his pace to catch up to him. It looks like he's in the middle of showing around two older instructors, except that they're dressed strangely. They must be drama teachers, they showed up in costume, ready to dazzle the students but they got lost before ever getting inside the building.
Terra beat Squall by a long shot as she suddenly sprints forward past him.
'Shit! She is an assassin!' Squall and Seifer raced after her, ready to brawl again until they heard her calling out names.
"Setzer! Edgar!" her pace slowed as she caught up to the trio who stopped and turned around. Throwing her arms around her fiancée, she then took Edgar's hands when releasing him.
There was a flurry of greetings and questioning if one or the other is intact, all viewed by the mercenaries who'd brought them.
"This is getting spooky," Irvine says, smiling at the group elation as he took them in with arms crossed and happy-for-them to match demeanor, he adds. "Do you all have amnesia?"
The trio looked at the sniper as if he'd lost his sanity. They don't have amnesia.
"What are you talking about? We don't have amnesia," Setzer replied.
"You don't? Then how do you explain those weird clothes, and the lack of memory?"
"It might be-.." Squall began but was cut off by Quistis, who suddenly appeared behind them.
"Time compression."
'No sense in me saying it, because she already did,' Thinks Squall who, during the drive back to Garden, began to piece the strange situation together.
How else do you explain someone from an ancient race suddenly existing? Nothing else makes sense unless it involves the poisonous ruin that sorceress Ultimecia brought upon the planet. Since that war has come to an end, they've been playing seek-and-destroy with an invention created by Dr. Odine that would seal up the rips in time. There are so many that it's been a handful of years and they still get hits on the tracking device whenever they're in an area. They once had to blow a hole in the side of a mountain to gain access to the portal.
It's a good thing for mad scientist always experimenting to create things that no one's asked for or ever thought they'd need. Those portals could be dangerous. And seeing the three strangers here now, proves it.
"Come with me." Quistis instructs, going full instructor-mode on them all.
This wasn't a game, this was official business. Seifer couldn't be happier, it meant they might get to do something worth it today other than to organize some lazy bastards shambled hotel.
0 0 0
Esthar, year 2012.
The electric city was buzzing with life, they seemed to be preparing for a festival of some kind; balloons giant and regular size are marking street lamps with their colorful strings tied to the posts. Kait can't believe how well-behaved the children are to not have either stolen them for theirself or released them to be a troublemaker. But, not many people are disrespectful- not in Esthar. Since his grandfather became president the place is less militant and chaotic and more relaxed and carefree. It's like all the continent became a youthful peace-lover, like Laguna Loire. Not to say they couldn't go beast-mode, if need be.
"We should rent a car," Hyland says when spotting a dealership as they exit the train station.
"Rent a car? We've got good strong legs," Kait replied. "We can walk… to a lift and hitch a ride."
"A lift?"
"I don't have any money to rent a car, do you?"
Hyland groped every pocket on his person, then shook his head.
"Then we take a lift."
It's a bright, picturesque day. The walk was a bit far, but at last it isn't raining, snowing, or hailing balls of fire from the world trying to swallow up all of humanity to end a clear-cut winner undecided war situation. Okay, so that's a bit dramatic. But, Kait's in too good a mood from knowing he doesn't have to kill himself to not exaggerate a little, now that his fears have been put to rest.
He can just see it; the smiles and pride of appreciation when he and Hyland return to the new future and all is well. Wait? Will anyone know of what they've done, if the initial problem is prevented? Travelling through time is definitely something that needs further looking into by the professionals. Youngins like Hyland and himself have no business messing around with such things.
From the station it took them an hour, and a break at a wraps stand for a wrap and a lemon iced tea, before they reached the lifts. If it weren't for the man with the food stand, they'd surely be at each other's throats by now from travel lag. The brightly lit streets glow their path, seen even in the light of day, but it's steadily pushing early evening. Twenty or so more minutes and they'll be at the science center, then on their way home.
Kait, for as little attention as he wanted to pay his rival, couldn't help but notice how quiet he's been. He must be keeping something from him. That, or he's trying to get in his good graces by not pestering him anymore. There is a god, if that's the case. It won't win Hyland any real favors beyond friendship, but that he's trying in such a manner is good. Who is he kidding, it's unnerving!
'Say something dammit! Anything! Come onto me! Make a grab to start a fight,' Kait hollars in his head. "But don't just sit there like you're hiding something worse than death." The Kinhart teen's eyes widen as he realized he just said that last part out loud. "Was that my outside voice?" He laughed it off.
Hyland seemed to ignore the outburst, and remained quiet, although he did spare his rival a quizzical glance. So he's not gone completely android on him.
"Hyland, is something up?" Direct approach, always good. "Because, you seem… distracted."
"I am distracted."
"Why?"
"I'm just thinking about how brave you are in some ways, but cowardly in others."
Asshole. He never should have bothered. Going quiet himself, the pair ride the lift from zone to zone getting off when reaching the area of the science labs. The building looked like a person would go in and come out altered- unwillingly altered.
The teen's march straight for the receptionist desk; with the way she eyeballed them they knew that there would be no access without clearing it by her first. Her smile was all sugar and kind, getting her words of rejection and upset ready for automated play for whatever it is that they planned on asking for or wanting after.
"Hi, ma'am," Kait greeted with a sweet grin that would have made his pop, Irvine, proud. "We're here for the student tour, we were told to sign up at the desk,"
Hyland's fine black brows furrowed. The what? All this fear and nervousness was starting to make Kait's sanity roller coaster, because the guy was obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic. What student tour? And then his light hazel gaze fell upon the small flyer behind the secretary desk. They are indeed doing student tours this week. Maybe he hasn't lost his marbles after all.
"Just the two of you? Where's the rest of your classmates?"
"Or school didn't make it a force, it was optional for those who wanted to come. Can we not, just the two of us, take the tour?"
"Of course you can," she informs them then mumbles. "You'd be the first pocketprotectless teenagers who're actually interested." Standing, she hands them a sheet of paper stuck to a clipboard. "Sign your names here, then head straight through that door and down to the left, it's the second door. The guide is in there."
"Thanks," he signed his name on the paper, handing the pen to Hyland who does the same.
"And have a nice visit." The woman bid them in their departure.
"We will, and thanks."
Hyland tried to keep up with the act, but he had nothing to offer aside from a lukewarm fist in the air to cheer their access.
"I can't believe she's not gonna see us to the room, what a lax security she is," Kait mused.
"Good thinking with that; we'd probably still be back their waiting for a guard to throw us out on our asses is we'd of insisted on getting in."
"You don't have to tell me,"
Kait looked down the hall left the right. Scratching the back of his head, he shook out his dismay. "I wonder where his office is?"
"Beats me; I barely remember where the lab is from before, I was just following you."
"That's helpful."
"Maybe we should buddy up with a tour guide, we could happen upon doctor Lecter during it."
"That's not a bad idea," And it really isn't.
Falling back, their trek leads them to the guide room; they pushed open the door getting met with the pairs of eyes.
"Well, we have the first of many in our midst,"
'Euw, science nerds,' Hyland grimaced to meet their eager-to-teach smiles.
'This is awesome, science jocks!' Kait met their grins happily with his own.
The tour was extensive. It was amazing what went into something as simple looking as microwave. They boasted on how they planned to improve it so that it can have a top item and bottom item cooking at the same time like an oven. And to the, surprisingly interested Hyland's question, the men answered that neither item would lose cook heat because the door contains individual door slots attached to the main frame.
The two was nearly an hour and a half in before they finally happened upon their target. Dr. Odine was buzzing about the lab blustering about this and that. He was right smack in the middle of chewing someone's head off for misplacing lab sheets when the mini-tour group arrived.
"And this is the mastermind of the whole enterprise, Dr. Eustis Odine." Says the female guide, beaming proudly at her leader.
"Yes, yes, marvel at me. You can post a snapshot on your vlogs later. Isn't zat vat you kids are into zees dayz?" Throwing his hands up into the air, as if to shout 'what else is new' to the ceiling, he adds to the insult. "Zen you'll wash it all down vit that shallow insult, 'science nerd' for a laugh and a 'Like'," he made sure to roll his eyes, which practically took his whole head with them.
"Actually," Kait shook his head to disagree. "we are very interested in scientific technology, Dr. Odine." When the man snorted an unspoken 'yeah right' he verbally corrects him. "It's true! Especially in the realm of time travel,"
That comment was heard thankfully before the boom of a scratched record hit the airwaves, the reaction caused an uproar of laughter from the white coat men and women. All but Odine, who eyed the pair suspiciously.
"Vat would a couple of wasted brain cells like yourself vant to know about zat for?" His stink eye cast on them never wavered in its suspicion.
"What if I told you that we're from the future? A future where your machine sent us back to the past?"
Odine blinked. His stink eye became a curiously quirked brow, then his face looked grotesque as it sagged into a grin. "I'd say zat I'm more amazing zan ever!" Eyes twinkling, he says with glee. "Tell me more,"
…
"Dr. Odine, you're incredible!" Kait's big blue eyes expressed the disbelief that only shock could bring over the fact that he's staring a computer graphic image of the machine that brought them to the past in the first place. "And this, you can build one of these?"
"I obviously can, ozavise I would not have built on of zem."
"Right, of course."
"Mere child's place the construction, even zis nitwit could build it."
Hyland bit his tongue. Best not to come down on the person holding his fate in his hand.
"How long will it take?" asked Kait; already in full bloom of anticipation of seeing his current family once more, reuniting over some good eats and laughing at the story of trauma he'd like to share. A laugh at how Hyland actually wanted them to take their own lives. What a hoot!
"...Von year,"
Both teens synchronized with each other as they lean their ear in the man's direction asking. "Come again?"
"Von year,"
"But we can't stay here for 'von year', we need to get back to our time now!" Kait griped.
This was madness. A year! A year?! A year alone, living like thieves in the night to avoid being recognized. Learning fast and hard how of exist without assistance. Slag. A year... with nobody but Hyland Strand for company.
The man's eyes sparkled with mischief before he began to laugh merrily. "How you like me now, hot shots? A scientist like myself can make jokes too, ha haa! Ze machine you seek, is already built."
Kait would have fainted if it would have done any good. Stupid old fool! How dare he give him such a strain to the heart like that. But how was this possible? Is this guy really that obsessive with advancements in technology? How lucky!
"Let's just hope zat zis is ze last time for my seeing you, young man,"
"Huh?" Kait left the valley of happy relief to hear what the man had said.
"You are Kait Kinhart, yes?"
Kait nodded, his expression growing wary suddenly. Why does Odine know his name? How could he when in this year he's what, five or six years of age? Just when he was going to ask Odine began to move towards the exit, his bony fingers beckoned them to follow.
"I don't know vat trouble your future is in, but this is ze third time for us to be meeting. I wouldn't have noticed on my end but…" He paused outside of a large set of double doors; his sharp gaze cut to the right for them to follow. The teens took notice of a surveillance camera. "I keep track of everysing outside and inside of my facility."
"You… But, there's no way." He now stands before a computer screen that's loading then showing footage of him inside the lab with the scientist. They speak briefly before Kait then goes into the portal. "I… It can't be?" His jaw was so slack as he watched, it was a wonder he could form words.
"Zis young man, however, I've never seen before. Trying somezing new, are ve?"
Kait looked at Hyland and wondered to himself. The proof was there. Was Hyland the wild card? Is this round three and bringing his rival along was his means of trying something new? 'Is that how I knew to come to Odine? Because I've done this before- twice! "Shit." He muttered.
"Take my advice, vatever happens live viz it," Odine says as he powers up the machine. "Because if zis much trouble is sending you back over and over, it must somehow be meant to be."
Hyland took Kait's hand steering him towards the swirling portal that's waiting to swallow them back into the time rift. "Come on, we'll talk once we're inside."
Staggering forward, he's led into the portal.
"What could have gone wrong?" Kait mumbled in wonder. "Maybe I went back to far, or not far enough? Maybe I should have jumped ahead to see the outcome and report back? Maybe dad didn't take it seriously when he read the message. What did I do? What did I do wrong? What doesn't fit?" He's holding back his tears. He's frightened. He's more frightened than he's ever been. What if there is no end to this? What then?
"It's why I told you Kait, you can't exist in the same place at once," Hyland kneels don, placing a comforting hand on his rival's shoulder. "We have to di-..."
"Stop saying that! There has to be another way!"
"There isn't!" Hyland hollered to get some sense knocked into him. Shaking Kait by the shoulders, he continues his barrage. "Why can't you just accept it! I'm not anymore happy about it than you are, but at least I'm realistic. We can either stay here and rot, or we can pick a time and date and let go. ...Our future could already be shaped, we're already existing in it… If we go there, Kait, you have to realize to keep the you that exists now… You're still gonna have to die, because you'll have to murder yourself."
Kait looked shaken to the core at the thought of that. Murder... himself.
"I don't mean to sound insensitive, but you've gotta pick… Look at how many times you've done this, I'm guessing you'd somehow found yourself having to face the reality of it as you tried to return to the future that hasn't yet been made. So… We go back, suicide, we go forward, murder, or we stay here and rot in time space, but there is no living alongside of- even under assumed names."
Behind them a portal opened up. A dark void swirling and glowing, warm, creeping forward towards them as if magnetized.
"What the hell?" Hyland felt his skin burning, he smacked at the sting as if he could stop it by impact. "Oh shit!"
"Huh?" Turning, he looked over his shoulder. "Hyland?" Frantic, he spun this way and that. "Hyland!?"
The swirling void began to suck at the next teen that remained in its path, pulling him swiftly inside to never be seen or heard from again.
x x x
Commentary: That's the beauty of wrap-up stories, they can't be long or short in chapter. It's all good.
I wanted to tell you, that I'll be making changes to original content, mostly I'm changing Kait's name. Originally his real name was Miles Redwing, I forgot and while randomly listening to Resident Evil being played in the background while working I went with Redfield. That's about it, really. So, if you notice, that's why. Thank you for reading, I hope you've enjoyed and will continue to. You're all the best. Have a good week.
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The Final Distance