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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Locke Cole kept his head down and thoughts to himself as he waited for the blonde woman, Quistis, he was told is her name, to return from wherever it is that she'd gone. The shorter guy, Zell, sat in the room with him; fidgeting, if his bobbing knees are anything to go by. Locke wanted to say something, make light conversation, but he really doesn't know what to say. His mind is swarming with wonder about the whole situation, and he's already come to the conclusion that he can't get any answers, for now.
"How old are you?" Zell asked. Small talk. It seems the stranger, too, would like to talk but also has nothing much to say.
"26."
"Wow! You look so much younger, I wouldn't have pegged you around my age,"
"How old are you?"
"27."
And Zell thinks he looks young! This guy should have a look in the mirror. There's no way he's older than 17 - he'd give him 19 at the most. They are silent again.
Zell broke it by asking. "What do you do?"
"Hmm?"
"For a living,"
Now that was an interesting question. He supposed what he does could be seen as a job, he is getting paid for it a lot of the time. But, it's never been officialized. "I guess you could say I'm a cartographer."
"A what?"
"I create maps of villages and landscapes."
Wide-eyed with impress, Zell thought about how tough a job like that must be. How does one make a map? Walk about drawing lines on a sheet of paper? Guess they'd have to do it in a way that makes sense to those reading it. For them it's as simple as going online and looking for a location via satellite. Could Quistis's theory be right?
The door slid open and the retrieved party filed into the room behind secretary Trepe. The long table, seated for at least twelve for meetings of any kind, is quickly filled with bodies ready for, not the explanation, but the solution to the unpredicted and strange situation. It's usually made dark in the room so that slides can be seen on projection screens, but the room is as usual with the long row of curtains pulled aside to allow sunlight to shine through the floor to ceiling windows.
Headmistress Edea Kramer is at the head of the table. Her dark gaze shifts back and forth from her children to their strange new arrivals. "My name is Edea Kramer," she began by addressing the strangers. "I run this military academy. We'd like to welcome you travellers to Balamb Garden."
Zell put on a friendly grin, the others remained pensive but polite and gave a small smile or courteous nod to one another whom they haven't yet formally been introduced.
Edgar Figaro was no stranger to formalities, but he wasn't looking for polite conversation held over tea. "Miss Kramer," He had a slight pause when her gaze fell upon him; though she's much older, she's quite beautiful. Her pale skin, slender physique, and long ink black hair peppered with some silver framing her lovely dark brown but somehow hazel eyes, she's just his visual type. Despite his being deeply taken with Locke, a man, he does appreciate the fairer sex's appeals. Restoring his semblance upon a sharp look from his lover, he continued. "We've come to understand that you know what's happened; we'd like to know if you also know of a solution to it?"
"That I don't. I can tell you all that the matter is rather unusual. That, unfortunately, we're at fault for it." This grenade of claim brought about a stir as the Returners murmured in wonder of why and how they managed to pull it off? What was the goal of it? "It was roughly 12 years ago that our world was shattered into millions of fragments in time. Days that were, days of current but hours behind, and a time that hasn't yet happened… All this was done by a sorceress named Ultimecia. She gained a unique ability to open a rip, many of them, in time and with it she'd planned to go back to the past to possess the magic of every sorceress who's ever lived for her dark purposes. A means to an end to civilization, while she ruled what little remained alive in the world she'd build from scratch."
That sounded a lot like someone the Returners knew. Kefka Palazzo, a deranged man who's choice of dress was just as jester as his maniacal laugh. But that is not to discredit the man's insane brilliance. He created the Magitek armor and knights, was a scheming snake under Emperor Ghestahl's reign for years while the supreme figure was none the wiser of his mage's true intentions. The man played with dolls! Who'd ever see him as what he truly was? A murderous tyrant wanting, and momentarily claiming, the place of a God. But, Kefka could never have done anything such as this Time Compression. It sounds outright impossible, yet, here they are.
"When our world began to revert back, the torn open time spaces weren't all closed off; some of them remain open, to this day. We've configured a device that can close them off, and seal them away, however; we haven't yet found all the places still affected."
Again this caused the Returners to stir as they thought about such a reality. Pockets of time that are a cluster of anything and nothing all at once. Such power. Wherever they are, this place is to be greatly feared, if it is not an ally.
"The four of you must have somehow triggered a warp and were brought here due to the compression."
"My castle," Edgar muttered to himself in a low tone.
The hidden home so deep underground that it's actually above ground, due to a crater like opening in a canyon, could be counted as a means of going beyond the earthly realm. A portal could have been waiting for them underground during the shifting ride to and from the grounds. But, they've used it for at least a year plus. Why now would such a problem arise? Could it be that these people were trying to close it but failed?
"I'm sorry?" Edea asked when hearing Edgar having said something.
The King of Figaro explained to them about his castle in the desert attached to the one underground; the SeeD instructors were surprised that such advancement exists for the oddly dressed bunch, especially if they truly are from the 1800s.
"I see… There is a way to get you back home, to your own time period. However, the means to send you back need to be created lest you end up trapped in Time Compression for all eternity. A fate, I'm sure you can all agree, you don't want."
Locke, feeling like he truly was in school with robbed scholars preaching at him as they had when he was a boy and staying at the castle with his new friends, he raised his hand for attention, speaking when the calm but sharp-eyed headmistress looked at him. "What do we need to do get this thing going? Can we help in any way?"
"I'm afraid not; we need the help of a scientist who lives in Esthar. If anyone can help with this matter, he may can."
Edgar chimed in. "If it's a machine that needs to be built, I happen to be a brilliant mechanic. I've made many specialized weapons for myself and others during the Magi war. I can assist this scientist."
"If he'll let you. I see no harm in it."
"That's it!" Zell looked around at the startled crowd, he didn't think his outburst was that loud or sudden - especially since he stood up before he said anything. "That's where I've seen you all before!"
"I'd placed it, too," Quistis added.
"Will somebody buy me a vowel, 'cause right now this conversation is beginning to sound like 'Nell'," Irvine referred to a film about twins who only spoke together, simultaneously, one with vowels the other consonants to talk like any other person. But when speaking separately, it was quite the mess of alphabet soup to the ears.
"Looks like someone needs to brush up on their History class," Quistis rose from her seat and with a hand in said person's direction, she says. "They are the war heroes of the 1800s, when a War of the Magi was waged between humans and Espers. The very first guardian summons - even before the people of the ancients."
Quistis mystified those involved with her knowledges of their personal lives, frightening them a bit. She knew of Kefka and his betrayal, Edgar's double lives, even about when their peaceful world came to ruin. There are a ton of finer points missing but the overall was well put by the studious secretary.
"Cool. War heroes," Zell ogled them in awe.
"You're one, too," Seifer reminds his boyfriend. "Put your eyes back in your head."
"Aha, oh yeah," He grinned, sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he snickered. "I forgot,"
Seifer supposed that was due to it having been twelve years ago that the horror befell them, while he was playing puppet to anyone who could get their hands on him. He'd only wanted to be by Matron's side, her knight. Not get controlled into becoming public enemy number one by half the planet. Not to mention nearly killed in his stay as a sorceress' Knight. It seemed so damned cool in the movies, the loyalty and devotion between the retainer and his liege.
His green gaze glanced at Matron, who looked back at him and smiled fondly.
"I will contact Dr. Odine from here; as for all of you… I'm not sure what to do." She rose from her seat with the grace of a feather ascending in the wind. "You're all welcome to stay here; I'm sure my students will give you the utmost hospitality."
She excused herself to her office to call Odine about the aforementioned situation, leaving behind a room of confused awkwardness.
"I suppose this isn't an overnight sort of matter," Quistis began. "Squall, Irvine, you two should show our guest to a vacant home in the barracks."
Squall cocked a brow wondering what made them the kings of the barracks just because, once upon a time, they lived out their raising their adopted son until they got an apartment in town. "I can't. Seifer and I have to return to what we were previously doing,"
And he says this not even realizing just what sort of pissed off situation they'd left behind in Winhill. The innkeeper was in a tizzy over the mess, that's now got third degree burns added to it! She could only speculate as to why. What? Did they think they had to renovate the place by fire? Did they come across a nest of termites or carpenter ants?
Squall can already feel the strain in his arms from having to now tear away most of the place instead of a handful of rotten boards. Hyne.
Seifer didn't argue, he simply followed Squall to the door. Zell stood up, after following his lover's exit with his gaze and he excused himself, hastily saying. "I'd love to do it, but I'm still on tour duty with the visiting cadets." He had a great break with Quistis in the training center, but he really should have been back on call at the front directory twenty minutes ago.
"It's fine. You can ditch me to do it alone," Irvine informs. "I've got a free day," he shrugged his shoulder. "Come on, follow me to the garage and I'll drive you out there,"
"It's really cool to have you guys here," Zell was saying on his way out. "Sorry I can't help ya anymore today; I've got a ton of questions."
The Returners smiled politely at the chipper, albeit a bit too excited, blond's sincerity; although they really don't know what sort of interest he could possibly have in them- they're strangers! At least they should be, that dark haired woman seemed to know a great deal, they all do really. And yet, the time travellers know nothing about them. Seemed an unfair disadvantage, if anyone was keeping score.
"Seif'," Zell called when he was almost caught up to his boyfriend and best friend. The two seemed to be speaking about something in low tones. "Hey," he slapped him between the shoulder blades, then draped his arm around Seifer's shoulders, odd as the angel had to become for the ex-knight as he had to tilt to accommodate his lover's shorter height. "Wanna go out tonight? I mean, if you're back by then,"
"I seriously doubt it, we really beat that place up," replied the knight. "We're probably gonna have to stay over,"
'No "probably" about it, I'm not gonna keep running back and forth,' Thinks Squall keeping his pace beside the pair. 'We don't even know if we're fired or not.'
"No kidding? What did you guys do all while you were there- goof off?" Releasing Seifer from the awkward hold, he rests the back of his head into his finger-folded palms. "I was kinda hoping we could get some dogs at Snaps."
"Mooch off somebody else, you leech," Quickly pecking his 'mooch' lover on the lips he got into the elevator and he and Squall went to the first floor.
"Mooch?" he repeated the word that gave his pace a pause and kept him from boarding the elevator so they could all travel down together. Curse them, now he has to wait. It'll be too full with Irvine and their unexpected guest onboard. But they seem to be loitering in the meeting room.
"Miss…" Edgar began, unsure of how to address Quistis since they haven't been formally introduced.
"Quistis Trepe, your Majesty," She may as well go with the formality, the man is a bonafide king after all.
Edgar held up a hand to the sentiment. "Edgar is just fine, miss Trepe,"
"Alright. If we're dropping formality, you can just call me Quistis."
"Charmed." He grinned handsomely, earning a blush from the studies secretary, who adjusted her glasses to gain her composure.
She hasn't had a man smile at her like that since Nita thought he had a crush. Clearing her voice, she introduced herself to the others, they shook hands, along with Irvine's since he waited around to escort them to the barracks.
"Quistis, I was wondering if there was any word of my brother's whereabouts?"
"Your twin brother, prince Sabin?"
The show of knowledge was again unsettling, but Edgar nodded.
"No one's said anything so far about a stranger hanging around. Maybe he wasn't brought here with you,"
'That would be fortunate, at least someone doesn't have to endure this abnormality.' Thinks the king.
"I'll put out an amber alert, just incase." Quistis informs.
"Thank you." Although he doesn't know what it means, he's sure it's something of use to the situation.
The Returners received and gave a fair share of staring; students of all shapes, sizes, and kinds rubbernecked like a circus act in order to get an eyeful of the strangers. The rumors were spreading about who they could be and why they are at Garden. All sorts of nonsense to sensical speculations from acting troupe to secret agents.
Through the murmurs some words could be made out, jeers, disembodied voices saying certain people were hot or weirded looking. It was all brushed aside by them, as they had their wild ideas and opinions about the student body. This wasn't like any school any of them have ever been in. Machines, fountains, a mote- what school has a mote?
Irvine pressed the disarm button for the alarm of a dark blue sedan. "Load in, everybody;" he opened the door of the driver's seat. "Y'all are gonna like the barracks, it's like a small apartment house, ya know the kind two to each stack."
Locke shrugged his shoulders to the glances they exchanged with each other. Apartment? Two-stack? What? That wasn't the only thing throwing them; or at least, at this point, throwing Locke who had yet to be inside of a car. Needless to say, his motion sickness on boats transfers to moving machines. Unlike a train, the car took hills and twists and turns and before he knew it they had to make several stops along the way so that he could empty what little he had in his stomach onto the road. Give him a map for a nice walk any day of the week.
After showing them how everything works, Irvine left the time travellers to their own devices while he left to pick up some dinner for them. Locke was laid out in bed, groaning now and then in his exhausted state, waiting for his insides and sanity to catch back up with him. Edgar sits beside him, tenderly caressing his hairline to sooth him.
"I'm worried," Edgar states to Setzer who passed by in the hall; he saw him through the open door.
"It's a bit of motion sickness, I'm sure he's well used to it by now," replied the gambler.
"I meant about Sabin, we have no way getting word back home to see if he's there. We don't know for certain if he's anywhere here. My brother could be lying dead in a hole someplace. Did you see all those strange things in the desert and out in the field as we passed through?"
Giant insects, some weird thing that just couldn't possibly be an animal of some sort, and if it is, it's disastrously fused with some other creature.
"You're right," He leans in the open doorway. "With any luck this Amber will find your brother, she must be rather good at what she does if she's the only one looking."
Edgar can only hope Setzer is correct. He honestly thought his gambling friend would have more empathy. He and Sabin have spent a vast amount of time together in the past, he even once believed they were seeing each other as an item, as he is with Locke. But, neither admitted to it, and no real evidence has been shown. Perhaps the king has just been projecting his own past experience with his and Locke's budding love onto his brother?
A whistle turned the healthy pairs head. The tea that Terra said she'd make announced that it's ready.
"I'll bring you both a cup," Setzer says before disappearing.
Locke raised his noodle for an arm as a thanks, he'd really appreciate it. Edgar smiled at his punch-drunk lover, leaning forward he kissed his cheek. "How are you feeling?" He whispered.
"Like everything I've eaten since breast milk is lying in a field," with a grunt, he sits up to take the offered tea mug.
Edgar eyed the borish design of the cup, having never seen one in this shape that wasn't made of metal. It must be a poor imitation of their fine bone-ware. But, the drink was strong and sweet, having steeped just the right amount of time to produce the light floral taste mixed with a kiss of honey.
Setzer lowered his mug after taking a sip. "This place is strange, but it has so much about it that I'd like to explore. Those cars are a must emulate; I've never designed a shell casing, but I'd be well at the engine."
The king would have liked to match the gambler's enthusiasm, truly, he is fascinated by the cars as well; however, he can't get past his worry about his brother. Where can he be?
0 0 0
Kait spat out the taste if dirt that's filling his mouth and nostrils to the brink. It felt like his skin was in the midst of recovering from a severe burn, but upon feeling up his bare arms and along his neck he can't make out any blemishes, rashes or other indications that he's been subjected such conditions.
'What happened to my jacket?' He wonders while attempting to stand. "Hyla-" he broke into a coughing fit, preventing his calling for his rival. When he found his bearings, he rubbed the dirt from his eyes then tries again. "Hyland, where are you? Can you hear me?"
"I can hear you, but can you see me?"
"No, I've got dirt in my eyes," he uses the bottom of his shirt to wipe them clean. "Do you see my jacket anywhere? If my dad's find out that I lost it, I…" his words tampered off as his vision cleared and he saw himself eye level to the point of a spear's blade.
His gaze, widened from panic, found its way up the length of the spear to the person holding it. A tall, muscular man covered in silver armor; his face is hidden by a helmet, nothing exposed beyond his mouth.
"On your feet, stranger," says a rough voice that doesn't, in Kait's opinion, fit the man's appearance.
Raising his hands up, as if he's being arrested by the police rather than an extra from a Mid-evil movie, he slowly rises to his feet. Glancing at Hyland, who's pose he's now mimicking, although his rival's guard is a sentinel compared to his own, he then looks back at the guard threatening his own life.
"We haven't done…" he flinched when the tip of the blade advanced on his Adam's Apple.
"Tch. Tell that to our missing King, scoundrels,"
"We don't know anything about that,"
"It's no use, they won't listen to reason," Hyland muttered; having had the same dialogue not five minutes ago. His guard gave him a black eye.
Kait was shoved at the shoulder, forced to spin around to allow the guard to grab hold of him. The Kinhart teen grunted as his arm was held behind his back at a painful angle; Hyland was treated in the same. The pair are then lead away, further into the desert than where they woke.
'At this rate they're gonna bust my arm,' thinks Kait, tired of being shoved along in such an uncomfortable position. Mumbling an incantation, he casts double then a safe blast of Aero on his and his rival's captor.
The guards cried out as the blades of wind sliced at them, the time travelling teen's broke free with ease and hurriedly made a run for anywhere but their current place.
"Why, all of sudden?" exclaimed the first guard. "What's this wind?!"
"After them! They're getting away!" he rubbed wind blown sand from his face. "They could be heading to their hideout," commands the brawny guard. "his majesty could be their!"
"If you would just listen to us, you'll realize we don't have a clue as to what it is you're talking about!" Kait called over his shoulder. "Whoa!"
He went toppling over having tripped on a dune of sand.
"Kait!" Hyland was trying to be careful, but the guards are gaining on him.
Skidding down through the banks of loose footing, he caught a sinkhole which made him stumble forward and over and over after his rolling friend. The guards were better used to the hostile terrain, and merely sat back and allowed the sand to pull their weight down the slope as a slide.
Kait's journey came to an end and he coughed and spit out ridiculous amounts of sand; grunting in pain when his rival sailed right into him back first, legs up over his head kicking him unintentionally.
"I'm missing my chakrams right about now," Hyland righted himself, with help, and they take off running again. "Fuck, I'm tired," he wheezed.
The high sun is brutally pouring down on them, but they seem the only ones affected by it, the guards may as well be playing through a field of flowers, on a lovely spring day. Which is how they managed to catch up with the pair so quickly.
The Strand teen called upon a means of advantage, using Slow to keep their threat at bay.
"Grrr… what did they do?" asks the scrawny guard, noticing his movements are slowed and not by his doing so.
"This feels like magic,"
"Are they Espers?"
They struggled through the gluey feeling of the spell; fighting with all they had but to no avail. Good thing reinforcements are on the way. And not a moment too late. Chocobos with riders came charging through with conviction. The time travelers were barely able to catch their breaths when they stops a few dozen yards from where the considerably slow guards are stunted, when they're roped and dragged to the shifting sands. A futile attempt to get away only earned laughter from the reinforcements, as they pulled in their catch of fish from the sand sea. Throwing them over the large birds bodies, they rescued their comrades as well, before carting the pair away.
...
"Let me the hell out of here!" Hyland hollered as he slammed his shoulder into the cell bars.
The scrawny guard chuckled. He loves it when they're aggressive, it makes them easier to break; and he will break them. They must know where his majesty is, along with the others. It's the only lead they have on king Edgar's disappearance. It was a dark day twelve days ago, when the castle came up but the king did not. None of them had. They thought it must have been a ghost in the machinery, that the elevator just operated on its own. But as days went by… the king and the Returners remained missing.
A search party was sent down into the catacombs to look, but it turned up empty. They remained nowhere around. Just as they began to form another search party these two strangely dressed travelers showed up within the slippery sands of Figaro's vast desert. It all started adding up, the king disappeared but then here are these strangers. How can they not be guilty? If king Edgar or is friends are hurt, they'll make them pay.
"You can't keep us in here, we didn't do anything wrong!" Grabbing the bars he gives them a thorough shaking; they didn't even creak from the rough attention. The cell is sturdy; unyielding to such pathetic attempts. He grabbed his hair and growled, kicking the bars he decided to drop it- for now. Slumping down beside Kait, he sighed then closed his eyes to block it out.
Kait furrowed his brows, side eyeing the worked up frenemy. He must have acute claustrophobia.
"They called us Espers,"
Hyland tipped his head back, bopping it into the solid wall behind him. "What?" His voice was gruff with agitation.
"The guard, he called us Espers."
"So? He thinks we killed or kidnapped some king," he shrugged his shoulder. "The guy clearly has a screw loose."
"Espers, Hyl', Espers… you remember we learned about them about them in history class."
"So what,"
"So, don't you realize what this means?" Turning on his hip, he shakes Hyland by the knee. "We've gone back too far, we're not even in the same century anymore."
If it were possible, the strand teen became more pale than he usual looks. His hazel eyes widen in realization of what that means. Not being within your own time frame not only runs the risk of keeping you lost in the wrong era, but you can also risk ever being born. They've got to get back to the time rift.
Back on his feet, he begins going after the bars again; slamming his shoulder into them before trying to squeeze through them, taking advantage of his thin frame.
"Please stop. We have to reason with them, tell them what happened. Maybe they'll understand,"
"Right. Because time compression makes sense in the stone age."
"This isn't the stone age, this is the victorian era and judging by the sound of this place it's late steampunk. They may not fully understand, but they'll at least be open to it- especially with there being magic around." Gently pushing his rival away from the bars, he tries his hand at appealing to the guards. "Excuse me, officer," he shrugged when hearing Hyland scoff. Well, he doesn't know! He's never had to address a royal guard before, he doesn't know what to call them.
"Are you talking to me, brat?" The man left his post by the door to stand before the cell. "Want something before your questioning? Your mom can't save you, by the time the messenger bird gets to your house, we'll have all we need to get our king back and you… well…" He shrugged his hand.
He has zero tolerance for trespassers harming king Edgar. The man saved his family, he used to be a brat on the streets himself. He sold drugs on the black market and stole a fair share of merchandise. But, just when he was about to be punished for a crime of theft by losing not one but both hands, king Edgar swooped in and saved him. He asked his father the then King Rowan, Adhemar, Figaro II if he could come on as a young apprentice for guard duty and he was granted that second chance. He's been by Edgar's side for many many years. Now, it's his chance to save his majesty in return.
"I appreciate your being upset, but you've got the wrong idea about us." He smiled sweetly. "My name is Kait Kinhart, I and my dads are also in the business of protecting important people- we're mercenaries." He then points between himself and Hyland. "And this is Hyland Strand, his father works for a bank, but his mother is also in the service."
Hyland wondered what any of that had to do with anything, but the guard does seem to be listening.
"We can use magic, you think that we're Espers, right?" He nods when the guard nods; he can see the whole of his face as he'd removed his helmet once they were firmly locked away, he's got kind green eyes, but a mouth set in a crude sort of disposition that doesn't seem practiced but an appearance since birth. "Well, don't Figaro and Espers get along; and haven't they since the Magi war?"
The guard remembered very well when the war was going on. How magic just suddenly began to appear everywhere, along with strange creatures making even stranger occurrences, like flames or mountains of ice just appearing out of the thin air. At some point even his majesty was doing it! It seemed so natural how it was happening, but so freakish that it was happening. All because of some shards created by a compressed corpse's soul. However, that was a year or so ago, they've all vanished, died off, save aside from the half-breed Esper girl. Could there have been more survivors? There must be, otherwise these boys couldn't be able to use magic.
"Why are you dressed like that?"
"Like what?" Hyland looked himself over seeing nothing wrong with his attire. Everyone their age wears chains and jewelry.
"Bare arms? Chains at the hip."
Kait couldn't help but think that his arms wouldn't be exposed if he still had his jacket. Reminded that it's gone, he looked about the cell hoping he must have missed it, if one of the guards threw it in with them, but it's nowhere in sight.
"We're time using Espers, you felt it. Hyland slowed your movement down back there in the desert," Getting a shrug of hand for that explanation, Kait went on to better explain. "We can travel through time, is what I'm saying. We're young and new at this, so we sorta got lost." He laughed, small, fake, but jovial hoping the man would go along with it and show some compassion. He does not laugh along. "We're from the future, I know it sounds weird, but we are. We were trying to help our people in our time by going back to stop the problem before it starts."
"And we took a wrong turn," Hyland jumped in seeing where Kait is going with it.
"I see." Nodding, the guard resumed his emotional guard towards them. This could all be a lie, and anyway they still haven't explained what happened to the king and the others. "What does that have to do with King Edgar's disappearance; you're saying you want to go back to retrieve him?"
"We can't. Being here is an accident, but maybe if we return to our time he'll come back,"
"How?"
"...I think maybe we're involved in a time displacement." Hyland says, saving Kait from an answer of 'I don't know', because he surely does not.
"Displacement?!"
Nodding, Hyland replies. "It's possible that, by accident, our being here has placed your king in our time. Displacement of bodies." He sighed, if that is the case they really are screwed. They can't move forward until the others begin to shift back. They can only hope something is being done on the others' end in their era.
Understanding nothing about magic, the guard is quiet for some time absorbing it. Just as one of them was about to ask what he was thinking or going to do with them, the guard opened the door.
"I'll let you out, but you're under lockdown until we can figure out what to do about this." He mumbled, his tone has changed, he sounds like a kinder person than the enforcer he wanted to come off as earlier. "We have to get our king back, and you two are the only means of doing so."
"And we'll at it, as hard as we can," Hyland assures them.
How hard could it be?
Present day of March, 2022.
Irvine arrived at the barracks with their, unintended, visitors' meal. The white and yellow bags garble in his placing them about the table.
"So like," he began unpacking the meal, along with paper plates and plastic cups and tableware. The barracks aren't stocked with such items, merely pre-furnished for ready inhabiting. "I'm pretty sure y'all are used to eating the finer things, but I wasn't sure where I could find it on such short notice, but, this is the nearest best thing." Setting a bucket filled with grilled chicken atop the table before the sides and bottles of water, he beams triumphantly. "Kashkabald Fried Cockatrice- eh, it isn't real Cockatrice, it's just a gimmick, this is regular old chicken."
Three of the four weary travellers enter the small living room near the kitchenette, taking a paper plate from Irvine.
"How's your friend?" He asks when seeing Locke isn't with them.
"He's using the facilities." Replied Edgar while examining the unusual make of plate. 'This is paper?' He could see the disastrous mess as food collapses to the floor after holding onto it for zero seconds. "He's fine now."
"Oh. Well, eat at your leisure," He walks to the door, smiling when he sees Locke emerge from the hall. "Hey! There he is!"
Surprised by the cheer, and volume, Locke nodded a greeting. Something smelled great, and now that he's washed up a bit, he could definitely eat.
"We don't know for how long you'll be staying, but, we can get you something to wear tomorrow." Holding it up to show them, he then set it down on a hook by the door. "This is the key to the place; and I'll, or some one of us from Garden, will see you in the morning."
"Good night." Says Edgar.
"Night." He felt he had to say something before leaving, some words of comfort. "It ain't so bad here, but, we are gonna get you all back to when you came from; and, if he's here, we'll find your brother, your majesty."
It gave him little comfort, but he accepted the gesture with a court nod.
Irvine closed the door, leaving them alone for the night.
x x x
Commentary: Thanks for reading! I can't decide whether or not to put Sabin in the present with them or if he should remain back in the past and help out the yoots ahaha, so I guess I'll flip a coin and see how it goes.
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The Final Distance