Chapter 9: The Blooming Struggle
By the time we arrived at the abandoned Galbadian Missile Base, there were no guards in sight belonging to Thasma's group. Yaru said "Good... looks like we got here first. We have to find the other sorceress before they do!" Seifer hardened his expression and nodded and then led us inside. The walkways were just as vacant as before but this time there were lights on inside. Yaru was confused "Wait... why are the lights on? They were off last time we were here..." I sighed and looked down "I have a bad feeling about this... be careful you two." Seifer led us further in and opened a door just ahead of us quickly. We went in behind him and i saw a woman who looked almost exactly like me, but her hair was longer and she wore a white gown that had the same exact design as mine. She turned around to us and smiled, gently clapping her hands in a very ladylike fashion. She started "Bravo, my dears. So well done." She lowered her arms and giggled. Seifer immediately grew wary "Another Sorceress... whats going on?!" She smiled and replied "Isnt it obvious? You two saved me the trouble of bringing what i need straight into my reach." I widened my eyes and backed away cautiously "Thasma....?! Is that you....?!" She suddenly changed her mood, looking at me as if hurt by my response "Ultimecia... dont you recognize me? Have you forgotten the very one you spent generations trying to get back... the very thing you fought for over a million years?" Thasma looked down in a silent pause. I shook my head feeling confused "I dont understand... what is going on? Why do you want every surviving sorceress on your side of this battle?" Thasma grew firm and explained "That foolish band of filthy wenches that fought you destroyed the era that allowed me to live.... not only did they ruin a prosperous time for us, but they also nearly destroyed the very one i gave my life to protect three million years in the past! Am i supposed to do nothing to exact punishment for such a terrible crime?!" I held my head in pain and had a flashback of when my mother died taking a hit from an angry human group and saw myself crying at the sight of it. I was barely even 5 years old back then. Seifer worried "Ultimecia whats wrong?!" I tried to catch my breath after my focus returned, then opened my eyes and studied Thasma carefully. Yaru cried "But what youre doing is wrong, Thasma... i might not know what happened to you, but forcing the other sorceresses to do your bidding with some kind of machinery is wrong! You cant make them pay for whatever youre upset about... its terrible and wrong." Thasma kept her expression hardened but didnt respond. Out of nowhere, i said "Mother....? youre my mother...?" Thasma replied "You remember... thank goodness. Now i dont have to do the very thing i didnt want to do to you. Ultimecia, join me and make these scoundrels pay for everything theyve put us through. We will reinforce time compression together and take back what is ours." Seifer and Yaru were shocked. Seifer asked "Thasma is your mother....?" Yaru was instantly worried but kept silent. I didnt know what to say. I didnt want to fight the mother id missed for so many years. But i didnt want to betray my friends either. I said "Mother... please listen to me. I dont want to fight you... and even if we tried, i cant use my time compression for a long while. I wont be able to for another 200 years. Dont do this... please." Thasma widened her eyes a bit as if shocked and uncertain of what to do but she quickly shook her head and hardened her expression. Thasma threatened "You two... you fools! How dare you corrupt my only child!" She was very angry and the ground started to shake heavily. Seifer panicked "Youve got it all wrong! She wanted help and we are trying to give it to her!" Thasma shouted "Silence! Not another word, lying rat!" Yaru worried "This is getting dangerous... get ready, guys!" I warned them "No! We cannot win against my mother! We dont stand a chance!" Seifer cried "Then what do we do?! Run away forever?!" I explained "My mother's time compression is far beyond the level of mine. Youll be absorbed into the temporal paradox in the blink of an eye if you try to fight her!" Seifer cried in frustration "Youve gotta be kidding me! Dang it!" Seifer turned and ran off and we followed him out of the missile base. Yaru tried to calm down "That was too close... how are we going to win this battle if shes too powerful...?" I sighed and closed my eyes "She wants me back... thats why shes angry and doing all of this." Seifer said "I hope youve got better ideas than just handing yourself over. This is worse than last year... a lot worse." I added "And theres still the other sorceress we have to keep from her... at least we know how the enemy knew i was still alive. My mother knew i survived the attack, even if it was by a thread." I turned to the missile base and within a fraction of a second, it disappeared through hazy, distorted space as if it never existed. Yaru cried "No way! Did Thasma do that...?" I saw her appear from the ground in front of us from a white void "Now that i know the truth about SeeD, i will give you guys three days to do whats right and return my daughter. If you do not cooperate, i can promise garden will disappear as if it simply never happened." Seifer cried "What?!" Yaru started to seem scared and i didnt know what to do either. Thasma continued "First it will be Galbadia Garden... then Balamb will disappear if you do not heed my warning." Thasma looked at me and said "Im not letting these fools take what matters most to me without a fight... Ultimecia, please come back to Desturtia with me... dont let them fool you..." She looked hurt again and disappeared after that causing a shockwave through space where she had stood. Yaru shook her head sadly and looked down "Ohh... shes so strong... do we really have any options here...?" I sighed "She wont rest unless she has me back... but if i left now, then..." Seifer looked down "I dont want to let you go Ultimecia... isnt there some way we can counter her time compression so she cant obliterate garden...?" I replied "The only way to stop something that great is with another sorceress with the same ability. A typical magic barrier wont do a thing against time compression." Yaru said "Can you try to do it...? Please Ultimecia...." I shook my head "I hardly have a choice at this point but to try. Even if captain Squall tries to raise the protective barrier around garden it wont do anything against time compression. Especially from my mother." Seifer added "And this place she called 'Desturtia'... does it sound familiar to you?" I replied "Desturtia was the name of the land i hailed from in my former era where time was compressed across the entire world. Its also where my castle once stood before i fell in battle to Squall's team." Yaru was confused "But if its only supposed to exist in such a far away future how did it end up in our time?" I turned to her and said "Im not sure... there could be some kind of falling out in the stability of time that occured when i almost died earlier this year." Seifer suggested "Or your mother brought it to this time with her power before your era was destroyed..." I nodded "That might actually be correct... compression of time being undone has caused all sorts of abnormalities despite it being so far from this time. My mother's return is also likely linked to the strange events as well... and as for the rumors about holes appearing in the sky?" Yaru grew shocked "Theyre true....?! No way!" I nodded "Most likely, yes. I believe my mother may be responsible for those sightings. She probably pulled the entire region of Desturtia through those time warps. And time itself only knows what else she brought into this past." Seifer shook his head in disbelief "She can pull an entire land mass through a time warp? You cant be serious..." Yaru also seemed overwhelmed "How are we supposed to bring down such a powerful sorceress...? If shes stronger than you are theres no way we can..." I hardened my expression "We wont take her down. I want to help her return to her normal self that i remember as a child..." Seifer asked "You sure that will even work? She doesnt seem like she wants to listen to anyone." I replied "I dont know but after all that work i have to at least try..." I continued "But for now we need to find the other sorceress. Based on what happened during our first encounter with her, i dont think my mother has her yet." Yaru hardened her expression "Good... then theres still time. Lets go." I nodded and Seifer led us back to garden.
We met with Squall again in the main hall and i explained everything that happened even though we couldnt find Matron. Squall said "So Thasma is your mother? And she plans on making both Balamb and Galbadia Garden vanish if we dont give you to her?" I nodded "If you raise the barrier it wont do anything against this power. Only my time compression could clash with hers to hopefully prevent this sort of tragedy..." Rinoa asked "But why? If youre inside youd disappear too. Doesnt she realize that...?" I answered "She can make sure that i dont disappear with garden... thats how time compression works. It wont erase anything the sorceress desires; only what she sees as an enemy or threat to her goals and wishes." Squall hardened his expression "I never wouldve thought our enemy is another time mage... this is very bad..." Rinoa added "And Ultimecia said shes the strongest sorceress in existence. How are we supposed to win against such horrid power...?" Squall said "Theres no way we can win in a head on battle against Thasma. We either give her what she wants or kill Ultimecia." Rinoa kicked Squall hard after hardening her expression "Squall!" Squall cried "Oww, ow ok!" Squall held his leg in pain but then shook his head to focus after letting go. Squall said "I hope youre as strong as you were during that fight, Sorceress Ultimecia... you cant fail this. If you do then everyone here dies." Rinoa asked "How do we even see something like this coming? I mean you cant see time so how do we know the warning signs?" I replied "Only the special senses every sorceress has can give the knowledge of this type of danger approaching. Edea should be able to warn me when my mother prepares her deadly attack." Edea nodded and kept silent. Squall said "We need to do something about the missing sorceress as well... find her before Thasma gets ready to attack garden. We only have three days to prepare for this incoming disaster. Edea, you should go with them. We need to also warn Galbadia garden about the attack and someone needs to be there to defend them from Thasma's time compression." Edea nodded then argued "But there are only three sorceresses... and Sorceress Ultimecia is the only known time mage who isnt with the enemy." Squall put a hand to his face and sighed "I know that, but... find the other sorceress first. She might be able to help with this shortage of defense for this kind of situation." Edea nodded and so did I. We all left the garden following Seifer once again to continue the search for Matron.
To Be Continued...
By the time we arrived at the abandoned Galbadian Missile Base, there were no guards in sight belonging to Thasma's group. Yaru said "Good... looks like we got here first. We have to find the other sorceress before they do!" Seifer hardened his expression and nodded and then led us inside. The walkways were just as vacant as before but this time there were lights on inside. Yaru was confused "Wait... why are the lights on? They were off last time we were here..." I sighed and looked down "I have a bad feeling about this... be careful you two." Seifer led us further in and opened a door just ahead of us quickly. We went in behind him and i saw a woman who looked almost exactly like me, but her hair was longer and she wore a white gown that had the same exact design as mine. She turned around to us and smiled, gently clapping her hands in a very ladylike fashion. She started "Bravo, my dears. So well done." She lowered her arms and giggled. Seifer immediately grew wary "Another Sorceress... whats going on?!" She smiled and replied "Isnt it obvious? You two saved me the trouble of bringing what i need straight into my reach." I widened my eyes and backed away cautiously "Thasma....?! Is that you....?!" She suddenly changed her mood, looking at me as if hurt by my response "Ultimecia... dont you recognize me? Have you forgotten the very one you spent generations trying to get back... the very thing you fought for over a million years?" Thasma looked down in a silent pause. I shook my head feeling confused "I dont understand... what is going on? Why do you want every surviving sorceress on your side of this battle?" Thasma grew firm and explained "That foolish band of filthy wenches that fought you destroyed the era that allowed me to live.... not only did they ruin a prosperous time for us, but they also nearly destroyed the very one i gave my life to protect three million years in the past! Am i supposed to do nothing to exact punishment for such a terrible crime?!" I held my head in pain and had a flashback of when my mother died taking a hit from an angry human group and saw myself crying at the sight of it. I was barely even 5 years old back then. Seifer worried "Ultimecia whats wrong?!" I tried to catch my breath after my focus returned, then opened my eyes and studied Thasma carefully. Yaru cried "But what youre doing is wrong, Thasma... i might not know what happened to you, but forcing the other sorceresses to do your bidding with some kind of machinery is wrong! You cant make them pay for whatever youre upset about... its terrible and wrong." Thasma kept her expression hardened but didnt respond. Out of nowhere, i said "Mother....? youre my mother...?" Thasma replied "You remember... thank goodness. Now i dont have to do the very thing i didnt want to do to you. Ultimecia, join me and make these scoundrels pay for everything theyve put us through. We will reinforce time compression together and take back what is ours." Seifer and Yaru were shocked. Seifer asked "Thasma is your mother....?" Yaru was instantly worried but kept silent. I didnt know what to say. I didnt want to fight the mother id missed for so many years. But i didnt want to betray my friends either. I said "Mother... please listen to me. I dont want to fight you... and even if we tried, i cant use my time compression for a long while. I wont be able to for another 200 years. Dont do this... please." Thasma widened her eyes a bit as if shocked and uncertain of what to do but she quickly shook her head and hardened her expression. Thasma threatened "You two... you fools! How dare you corrupt my only child!" She was very angry and the ground started to shake heavily. Seifer panicked "Youve got it all wrong! She wanted help and we are trying to give it to her!" Thasma shouted "Silence! Not another word, lying rat!" Yaru worried "This is getting dangerous... get ready, guys!" I warned them "No! We cannot win against my mother! We dont stand a chance!" Seifer cried "Then what do we do?! Run away forever?!" I explained "My mother's time compression is far beyond the level of mine. Youll be absorbed into the temporal paradox in the blink of an eye if you try to fight her!" Seifer cried in frustration "Youve gotta be kidding me! Dang it!" Seifer turned and ran off and we followed him out of the missile base. Yaru tried to calm down "That was too close... how are we going to win this battle if shes too powerful...?" I sighed and closed my eyes "She wants me back... thats why shes angry and doing all of this." Seifer said "I hope youve got better ideas than just handing yourself over. This is worse than last year... a lot worse." I added "And theres still the other sorceress we have to keep from her... at least we know how the enemy knew i was still alive. My mother knew i survived the attack, even if it was by a thread." I turned to the missile base and within a fraction of a second, it disappeared through hazy, distorted space as if it never existed. Yaru cried "No way! Did Thasma do that...?" I saw her appear from the ground in front of us from a white void "Now that i know the truth about SeeD, i will give you guys three days to do whats right and return my daughter. If you do not cooperate, i can promise garden will disappear as if it simply never happened." Seifer cried "What?!" Yaru started to seem scared and i didnt know what to do either. Thasma continued "First it will be Galbadia Garden... then Balamb will disappear if you do not heed my warning." Thasma looked at me and said "Im not letting these fools take what matters most to me without a fight... Ultimecia, please come back to Desturtia with me... dont let them fool you..." She looked hurt again and disappeared after that causing a shockwave through space where she had stood. Yaru shook her head sadly and looked down "Ohh... shes so strong... do we really have any options here...?" I sighed "She wont rest unless she has me back... but if i left now, then..." Seifer looked down "I dont want to let you go Ultimecia... isnt there some way we can counter her time compression so she cant obliterate garden...?" I replied "The only way to stop something that great is with another sorceress with the same ability. A typical magic barrier wont do a thing against time compression." Yaru said "Can you try to do it...? Please Ultimecia...." I shook my head "I hardly have a choice at this point but to try. Even if captain Squall tries to raise the protective barrier around garden it wont do anything against time compression. Especially from my mother." Seifer added "And this place she called 'Desturtia'... does it sound familiar to you?" I replied "Desturtia was the name of the land i hailed from in my former era where time was compressed across the entire world. Its also where my castle once stood before i fell in battle to Squall's team." Yaru was confused "But if its only supposed to exist in such a far away future how did it end up in our time?" I turned to her and said "Im not sure... there could be some kind of falling out in the stability of time that occured when i almost died earlier this year." Seifer suggested "Or your mother brought it to this time with her power before your era was destroyed..." I nodded "That might actually be correct... compression of time being undone has caused all sorts of abnormalities despite it being so far from this time. My mother's return is also likely linked to the strange events as well... and as for the rumors about holes appearing in the sky?" Yaru grew shocked "Theyre true....?! No way!" I nodded "Most likely, yes. I believe my mother may be responsible for those sightings. She probably pulled the entire region of Desturtia through those time warps. And time itself only knows what else she brought into this past." Seifer shook his head in disbelief "She can pull an entire land mass through a time warp? You cant be serious..." Yaru also seemed overwhelmed "How are we supposed to bring down such a powerful sorceress...? If shes stronger than you are theres no way we can..." I hardened my expression "We wont take her down. I want to help her return to her normal self that i remember as a child..." Seifer asked "You sure that will even work? She doesnt seem like she wants to listen to anyone." I replied "I dont know but after all that work i have to at least try..." I continued "But for now we need to find the other sorceress. Based on what happened during our first encounter with her, i dont think my mother has her yet." Yaru hardened her expression "Good... then theres still time. Lets go." I nodded and Seifer led us back to garden.
We met with Squall again in the main hall and i explained everything that happened even though we couldnt find Matron. Squall said "So Thasma is your mother? And she plans on making both Balamb and Galbadia Garden vanish if we dont give you to her?" I nodded "If you raise the barrier it wont do anything against this power. Only my time compression could clash with hers to hopefully prevent this sort of tragedy..." Rinoa asked "But why? If youre inside youd disappear too. Doesnt she realize that...?" I answered "She can make sure that i dont disappear with garden... thats how time compression works. It wont erase anything the sorceress desires; only what she sees as an enemy or threat to her goals and wishes." Squall hardened his expression "I never wouldve thought our enemy is another time mage... this is very bad..." Rinoa added "And Ultimecia said shes the strongest sorceress in existence. How are we supposed to win against such horrid power...?" Squall said "Theres no way we can win in a head on battle against Thasma. We either give her what she wants or kill Ultimecia." Rinoa kicked Squall hard after hardening her expression "Squall!" Squall cried "Oww, ow ok!" Squall held his leg in pain but then shook his head to focus after letting go. Squall said "I hope youre as strong as you were during that fight, Sorceress Ultimecia... you cant fail this. If you do then everyone here dies." Rinoa asked "How do we even see something like this coming? I mean you cant see time so how do we know the warning signs?" I replied "Only the special senses every sorceress has can give the knowledge of this type of danger approaching. Edea should be able to warn me when my mother prepares her deadly attack." Edea nodded and kept silent. Squall said "We need to do something about the missing sorceress as well... find her before Thasma gets ready to attack garden. We only have three days to prepare for this incoming disaster. Edea, you should go with them. We need to also warn Galbadia garden about the attack and someone needs to be there to defend them from Thasma's time compression." Edea nodded then argued "But there are only three sorceresses... and Sorceress Ultimecia is the only known time mage who isnt with the enemy." Squall put a hand to his face and sighed "I know that, but... find the other sorceress first. She might be able to help with this shortage of defense for this kind of situation." Edea nodded and so did I. We all left the garden following Seifer once again to continue the search for Matron.
To Be Continued...
