"Vinzer Deling," she rasped in a surprised yet controlled statement. Callie's great-great grandfather was standing before her in perfect health, as smarmy as his photographs had revealed. "Destiny is on my side." "What do you plan to do, kill him?"

"No... not yet."

"What could they possibly do for you? You are obviously more powerful than them! Let them go!"

"Hmm… no, I don't think so. I require their assistance."

"I don't understand what you are doing!"

"You most likely never shall."

"What do you intend to do here?"

"I need to speak with this man..."

"He will not listen to you."

"I think he will. He had best. I will make that quite clear."

"How?"

"He would not listen to the Benign One, but he will listen to Sorceress Edea!"

The president merely stood off to the side as his guards surrounded the sorceress. With a satisfied grin, he walked toward Edea/Ultimecia and offered her his outstretched hand.

"Edea Kramer," he purred, "what an exquisite pleasure! I am very surprised to see you here. Perhaps my accommodations for you were... not to your liking?"

He received no response, Ultimecia standing still, yet amused by the small man. He had no idea who he was dealing with.

"You are looking quite tired. Perhaps you might join me for..."

"STOP THIS ALL NOW!" Edea shouted within her own mind. She was becoming quite bothersome, and Ultimecia knew that if she were to keep control over Edea, she would have to keep the Benign One as a slave. Kicking Edea once with a sharp thought to the back of her mind, Ultimecia immediately began to pour out all of her learned social charms from childhood. They would serve her better than her powers... for the moment.

"I would love to," she said smiling, and taking the offered hand, she was led into a small reception room with many comfortable sofas, chairs and love seats. The carpeting deep and luxurious, she sat on one of the chairs while two guards closed the doors and positioned themselves on either side of the room. President Deling sat opposite Ultimecia and looked her over briefly. He seemed unconcerned with her appearance, seeing an opportunity rather than a filthy woman.

"I wonder," he began instantly, taking out a cigar and clamping it in the left corner of his mouth, "if you would be able to explain something for me."

"I shall try," Ultimecia answered, composing herself modestly on the chair. Folding her hands in her lap, she awaited the president's question with a dignity to rival her finest childhood etiquette instructors. It mattered not that she was dirty from her stay in prison, nor did it matter that her odor was less than pleasant. She was in total control of the discussion.

"Why have you come back here?" the president asked. "Why didn't you escape while you had the chance... and the obvious ability to destroy this entire continent?"

She smiled once more, unable to hide a sharp edge in her eyes that belied a hint of contempt. Callie's great-great grandfather was disappointing. His death was inevitable, she knew, which made her mission all the more important. If she destroyed him, Callie would never exist, and time compression would be the only way to erase her pain.

"I hold a desire to see this world unified," she replied after some thought, "and if it must be under the arm of Galbadia, then so be it. I know my place."

"And that would be...?" the president prodded.

"I am your icon. Fear will motivate people to follow you, a fear that only I can generate with my lineage."

For a while, President Deling merely sat smoking his cigar, puffing occasionally to denote a sense of contemplation.

"You would make an excellent politician..." he noted. Ultimecia narrowed her eyes at what she perceived to be an insulting remark, but continued her statement.

"You have been too lax in your efforts at subduing this warring planet. History will judge you harshly. Your military efforts must be accelerated."

"This," Deling replied, "is quite a change from the timid woman who stood before me but three days ago in tears at the very idea of killing a single soldier..."

Ultimecia smiled cruelly. "That was then, this is now. I have had time to rethink my position."

With a snap of the president's fingers, one of the soldiers strode over to him, ready for his ruler's orders.

"See to it that the Sorceress is given the Imperial Suite and a clean change of clothing..." Looking her over, he added, "Something black."

"So this interview is over?" Ultimecia asked. "Frankly, I expected you to be more careful."

Vinzer Deling smiled his poster-boy smile and leaned back. "When you have been in politics as long as I have, you learn to trust your instincts. My instincts say that having you around will be, for lack of a better phrase, good for business."

He stood up and added, "the guards will show you to your quarters. I will talk with you again, I am sure."

He began to walk out, but turned back once more, looking the Ultimecia/Edea over.

"Hmm..." he remarked absently, "Cid Kramer is a lucky man."

At the mention of the name Cid, Edea once again became an active force in her own mind. Shrieking with fear and pain, Edea was fighting back, and Ultimecia fell to the ground, clutching at her head. Inside, she searched out Edea, but could not find her. She attacked from the shadows of a mind she knew far better than her futuristic adversary, and it was enough to drive Ultimecia mad.

"Edea, what is it?" Deling asked, his face twisted in concern over his newest weapon. Kneeling next to her, he motioned for his guards to bring her to her feet. For a brief moment, she regained control, and with tears welling in her eyes, Ultimecia looked to the president and asked harshly, "Do you have anything to suppress mental functions? Anything at all?"

"We have cerebral crowns for moderate brain-surgery in the residential hospital..." he offered, confused and bumbling. Ultimecia could not wait for the small man to collect his wits. Grabbing him by the collar, she shrieked at him, "Then bring one to me immediately!"

Deling nodded to his guards as Ultimecia released him, and they ran to find one of the crowns. Bringing her over to a chair, Deling let her down and paced impatiently as Ultimecia clawed at Edea's head frantically. The pain was becoming intense, and she hoped that the idiotic soldiers would be able to accomplish their one simple task quickly.

"Are you alright?" Deling asked.

"I will be fine when you get me that crown," Ultimecia hissed through clenched teeth. It seemed like hours before the soldiers actually returned, carrying a rather garish device of cold steel.

"Ugh!" Ultimecia groaned when she saw the thing, "such a barbaric thing... hurry up and give it to me!"

They did, and she placed it over her head eagerly. As she did so, the noise quieted down considerably, although Edea's voice was still quite distinct. She couldn't inflict pain anymore, however, and that was the important thing.

"Perhaps we can pretty that up before we present you to the public," Deling joked, and Ultimecia stood to meet him. Already tired of his brutish manners, she decided that she had best retire for the night... or at least, retire Edea's body.

"I will be taken to my quarters now," she insisted, and Deling nodded slowly, suddenly frightened by the intense, demonic look Ultimecia was able to bring out in Edea's tranquil eyes. He stepped aside, brushing her demeanor aside, and allowed the soldiers to escort her to her room. She looked back once and glared at Deling, who was already sitting in his large, comfortable chair, puffing his cigar in imagined triumph. He would soon receive his.

Chapter 29

In her chamber, Ultimecia found a black dress and a hot bath waiting for her. Although Edea herself would feel the relaxing waters rather than Ultimecia herself, she appreciated the idea that she would no longer smell of the D-District Prison. After cleaning up, she put on the dress and sat in a chair overlooking the city square. It was deserted, save the various soldiers that stood guard over the peaceful streets. The crowd that had assembled must have been quickly dispersed. Playing with the ring on her finger, she could hear Griever purring gratefully under his sorceress's hand.

After sitting for a moment, she soon realized that she had best go back to her own era. It would ill suit her to lose control over her own realm... especially during a war. Within Junction Machine Ellone, she was extremely vulnerable. Also, she did not trust the nerves of her scientists to keep her whereabouts a secret should the battle fall within Esthar's borders.

"So you must leave..." Edea's voice said, anticipating a time when she could retake her own mind.

"Yes," Ultimecia said, "but please do not think that I have not thought this far ahead. The cerebral crown will hold you at bay... even without me here."

The idea of sitting alone in her body, unable to move, terrified Edea, and she began to struggle in vain against the crown's psycho-magnetic fields.

"You can't leave me like this!" she protested, struggling with all her might to regain control. Convinced of the crown's stability, Ultimecia felt comfortable enough to relinquish control and find her way back to her own time. Letting go of her psychic hold on Edea's battered frame, she felt herself slowly slip away. Closing her eyes, she knew that when she opened them again, she would be in the underground laboratory in Esthar, ready again to assume her role in destiny's cruel drama. She let her thoughts fall on Squall as she returned, Griever growling softly through the breadth of time.

Many of her days were consumed within the confines of Junction Machine Ellone. Forsaking food and sleep, she created herself anew within Edea Kramer as a fanatical monster. She made many trips into the past, sometimes spending as many as four days at a time without ever going back to her own realm. During these times, Catoblepas and Tiamat would guard her. She would then be compelled to return, the machine having drained her to total exhaustion. As if addicted to some drug, she would then return as soon as she had regained enough of her strength.

She needn't fear for herself while she was away, either. No one dared to interrupt the Sorceress. One scientist had gotten too close to Ultimecia as she conducted her business in the past. Tiamat had found him; no one else ever did again. In fact, many had met a similar fate for doing as little as bringing food down to their ruler out of pity for the sweet young child she had once been. Catoblepas and Tiamat, however, cared not for such motivation. They had their orders, and they followed them exactly and without allowance.

Not only did her mannerisms change, but her total appearance as well. Her eyes, before narrowed upon the advent of Callie's murder, were now ablaze with the fierceness that come to those who have denied sanity in favor of a more obsessive enterprise. The pursuit of time compression was her only goal, and she ignored the pain that her endeavors caused; her inner-self was writhing in agony over the grief she still stockpiled within the diseased pit of her soul. Possessed with an otherworldly desire to end her own hidden agony, she pressed onward, tasting the end of her torturous existence within her grasp.

The few moments spent in her own time were like a dream to her. She spoke to no one, handing over the war effort to her Council. She never slept there, the dreams and thoughts that would haunt her being too great. Growing thinner, Ultimecia had become a shell in her own world, a figurehead of power in the Estharian government, for her psychic hold had begun to wane the more time she spent in the past. The war with the SeeDs progressed, many of them dying, but still pressing forward with the same tenacity they had during the first days of the struggle. It was only the fear of her unpredictable reprisals that maintained her position as ruler - that and her chosen guardians who watched over her as she brooded, ate what little she would, or was within Junction Machine Ellone.

Ellone. That was a name she grew so weary of hearing, even though it was her own lips that brought its foul sound to her ears. She had been unsuccessful in all attempts to find the child that the history books spoke of, and it had driven her beyond rage that every time she came up empty-handed. She could sense the child nowhere and lacked even the slightest idea of what she looked like. Were it not for the existence of Junction Machine Ellone itself, she would have guessed that such a person had never even lived.

Of course, no one dared to speak to her after awhile. The look in her eyes and her gaunt face halted any such notion. For a time, she would go weeks without so much as bathing, preferring to spend her time, as she would tell herself, "more productively." Her usual activities had been replaced with the ritualistic behavior of one driven by a self-imposed need that met a darker wish for destruction. Many times, she caught herself before she could swallow poison, a vain attempt to still the horrible sensations that her sorceress powers only magnified to an almost unbearable degree. All of those acts were useless, she would try and tell herself. She knew that the only way to rest without fear of the void was to destroy the void itself, and there was only one way to do that. She had to compress time into one simple moment... a moment that would not end until she chose for it to. Realizing this, she would fall to her knees in tears, clawing at her hair in utter torment. Junction machine Ellone had brought her so close, but the closer she got, the more impossible her task seemed. It was all happening too easily, and the Galbadians of the past were too ready to follow her every whim. Something was going to go wrong.

It was during one of the stormy nights in Esthar that Ultimecia found herself unable to sit still, let alone sleep, so she decided to continue her time with Edea in the past. Escorted by Catoblepas, she walked slowly, dragging her feet in weak steps toward the only thing that could bring her a small bit of respite. She was very close to having total control over the Galbadians. After that, she would have her own way with the military and their vast resources. It would be a simple matter to find Ellone, then.

"You are tired, my Sorceress..." Catoblepas said, its gruff voice twisted in concern. "Please, ride upon my back and I shall take you where you need to be."

Ultimecia turned her head toward her guardian and smiled weakly. In a small way, the altered politicians of Esthar had become her most loyal followers. She could still, surprisingly, muster up enough time to speak with those who had proven their worth.

"No," she answered, "I would fall asleep too easily."

Confused, Catoblepas asked, "But would that not be a good thing, my Sorceress? You are so tired, and I grow more concerned for you day by day."

"I need to stay fokused," she said, her accent blurring her words as she pushed herself onward. How she wished that she could still see Squall! She wanted to bury her head in his chest, to hide from the terrors of the world. Not even her own dark power could comfort her now. He was gone, and now she wanted him like she wanted nothing else. Even a denial of her existence would prove unnecessary if she could but hold him again. Her knight was dead, and she felt as though, by all rights, she should be, as well.

"My Sorceress...!" Catoblepas protested, but Ultimecia cut him off before he could continue.

"You will be silent now! I will not suffer such insolent insubordination! When I say no, that is precisely what I mean!"

The beast never spoke again, the sound of its great breathing the only sound loud enough to dare and pierce the Sorceress's veil of voiceless introspection.

They neared the great doors to the laboratory in which the machine was housed. Using its great bulk, Catoblepas pushed it open for its master. Bowing slightly on its forelegs, it stepped back into the shadows to guard Ultimecia as she went about her work.

Lowing softly, it held its own concern for her in reserve, not wanting to arouse the anger of the most powerful being on earth. For all of her weariness, the one who could feel the power of Ultimecia the most were none other than those that she herself had created. Catoblepas could sense her strength, a strength that was infinitely greater than the day it had been reborn into its horrific form.

Now, however, all it could do was wait as it watched its tired master torture herself within the confines of the giant machine. A flash of blue light was its indication that its master no longer had any idea as to what went on about her. Here, she was most vulnerable, and here he would protect her until doomsday, if needs be. Settling down in the dark corner of the great room, it stayed immobile but alert, ready at any moment to strike for the sake of its Sorceress.

Chapter 30

Ultimecia awoke within Edea's mind, conscious of the cowering sorceress deep within the recesses of her own mind. There was no longer any pain, Edea being too weak after so many takeovers to offer any resistance to her. Ultimecia paid her no heed, as the crown was doing its job well enough. Looking about her, she was still sitting within the chair that she had always sat herself in before going back to her own era. It was dark, the silvery curtains that hung in rivers of shimmering fabric reflecting the light from the streets below her. For a moment, within the luxurious accommodations the Galbadians had prepared for her, Ultimecia found a small bit of peace.

It did not last long, however. She had only begun to shut her eyes when there was a knock at her door. Opening it with her powers, she sat still, waiting for the worthless creature that had broken her own bit of tranquility to speak whatever bit of nonsense that he or she had on their pathetic mind. How fortunate for them that they had arrived when they did, as the runic spell she placed about Edea's body would have incinerated them had they approached her while she "slept."

"Oh Great Sorceress Edea," came a timorous female voice, "the President bids me to bring you to him. It is almost time for the broadcast."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ultimecia remembered Deling's idea to take over the Dollet communications tower and broadcast his intent at uniting the nations in a peace conference. His juvenile pursuits only held remote interest for the Sorceress, as she had been thinking about how to use the broadcast to her own advantage.

"I shall be down within the next ten minutes," she said. Standing, she turned to face the servant who brought her the message. Letting out a startled cry, the young girl dropped her serving tray. The red, bird-like mask that covered the face of the Sorceress had startled her. It had been added with Ultimecia's own powers as a way of decorating the hideous cerebral crown. Along the one side of her head where the device had been the most garish, a conch shell had been added. The pain that it caused Edea must have been great, as the device had been further implanted into the skull to increase its effectiveness. Dressed in the finest black dress of Deling's late wife, Ultimecia looked very much the image of the witches history had made the sorceresses out to be.

"Ye... yes, Sorceress Edea... I shall tell the President," the servant girl muttered, and she quickly ran away. Not even noticing the vast amounts of food that had been laid out for the Sorceress for breakfast, Ultimecia left the room, heading for Deling's study.

Walking down the halls, she passed guards and servants who quickly removed themselves from her path and bowed hastily. If there was a conversation being held, it was halted until the Sorceress was gone. As it was, the air of the manor was very subdued, everyone being careful to not say or do the slightest thing that might incur her wrath. As in her own realm, many servants had died for simply disturbing "Edea" during her contemplations.

She reached Deling's sitting room, and without a word, the soldiers that guarded its heavy oak doors opened them for their mysterious guest. Closing them quickly behind her, they sighed in unison when they finally lost sight of her.

Ultimecia looked around the room when she entered. With the President were two soldiers, one obviously of a lower rank in a blue uniform, but the other well armored in red. All were sitting around Deling's massive desk, but rose to greet her as she approached them.

"Edea, welcome!" Deling smiled, and he gestured toward the soldier in red. "This is Lieutenant Biggs of the Seventy-first Battalion, G-Army Special Forces. They were responsible for taking Dollet's tower."

Lieutenant Biggs offered his hand, but Ultimecia merely looked past it to Deling and said, "When was this operation going to be brought to my attention? I was just recently informed of any action against Dollet." That Deling would go behind her beck, even though she had already heard of the operation, was appalling. Her plans must not be confused, and she knew that soon Deling would mess them up for good if she didn't take power herself.

"Should I have mentioned it?" Deling asked, himself confused. "I'm sorry, Edea, but it didn't seem as if it were so important as to bother you with it." He let out a small chuckle. "After all, people have been, well, dying for even mentioning less to you."

"Never mind," Ultimecia hissed, totally ignoring the two soldiers, "what is your intention with this broadcast?"

"Ah, that is precisely why I have asked you to come here this morning!" he announced cheerfully. "I wish to make an announcement to the world for our desire for peace, and to introduce you as Galbadia's Ambassador of Peace."

"Me," Ultimecia emoted, more of a statement than a question. She understood Deling's rationale; no one would ever argue against Galbadia's right to sovereignty over all of the nations if she were to present her own nation's demands. It would be a peaceful conclusion to the war, but a peace bought with fear. Indifferent to Deling's strategies, she sat herself down and waited for the despot to continue.

"We will be making the broadcast today from Timber. I see that you already look marvelous for the camera, too!" He gave Ultimecia another one of his plastic smiles and waved Biggs and his subordinate out of the room. After they had left, Deling lit one of his cigars and reclined in his chair, blowing smoke rings as he spoke to the Sorceress.

"I am sorry that this has been such a long wait for you," he said apologetically. "We took longer in taking the tower than I would have liked. There were... unforeseen complications."

Ultimecia narrowed Edea's eyes. "What sort of complications?"

"Well," Deling said, "we ran into some resistance with the Dollet Parliament, and the occupation was met with force."

"What kind of force?" she pressed, her voice edged in exhausted fury. "I do not want there to be any resistance to our efforts!"

"Lieutenant Biggs's report states that they were engaged with Dollet soldiers and SeeDs dispatched from Balamb Garden."

"What?" Ultimecia shrieked. Bolting from her chair, she went to the window and ran her lengthened nails down it in consternation. Shuddering from the ear-rending noise, Deling tried to placate his icon.

"Now, now, now, I have already seen to this matter, and the SeeDs have withdrawn. The Dollet Parliament has agreed to our temporary occupation, and we were able to save millions of gil in military efforts. I think that this constitutes as a successful operation on our part."

"We must act quickly," Ultimecia snapped. "If SeeD has been involved, then they must be destroyed! We must strike back, counter with every available man we have! Not one SeeD can be left alive! We cannot lose face with the fools of this world! I... we... must have total autonomy, and every door must be opened to us! There is no time for these meaningless skirmishes!"

Deling knitted his brow in concern. The one whom he perceived to be Edea had certainly changed radically from the beautiful, kind young woman that he had seen from a distance. Now, she seemed like a tired sociopath, her actions and words making little sense to his finely tuned political instincts. Even with all of her powers, he wondered if he had made a mistake in inviting her to join his campaign. Seeing the President's apprehension, Ultimecia relaxed slightly and put on a small, mischievous smile.

"We will have to act fast, that is all. I cannot imagine losing ground so early in our plan. Galbadia will cover the earth, but only if we use our heads and show the world that no one can stop us... not even the SeeDs!"

"Oh my," Deling said nervously, glancing at his watch, "our train is leaving soon! We'd best get ready to depart. It is a short ride to Timber, but there is much to do before we go."

Ultimecia took that as her dismissal, and with her slow, methodical stride, she again wordlessly secluded herself within her chambers. Alone, she sat in her chair and looked out toward the simple people below her. In many ways, she envied the meaningless lives they led. They did not have to deal with long-dead fools like Deling. They did not carry with them so much anguish as she herself did, and they certainly did not have to deal with the responsibilities of a Sorceress. Before she could think further on this thought, however, sleep overtook her. For a few blessed hours, she enjoyed a dreamless slumber.