“Come in,” Laguna moaned as he sat up on the pre dawn hours. The door slid open and in stepped Zelgadis.
     “I have wonderful news,” Zel said as he took a seat on the corner of Laguna’s bed.
     “You blew up Ultimecia in her sleep?”
     “Nope, but I know where her castle is.”
     Laguna nearly fell out of bed as he leapt from beneath the covers. Zel, on the other hand, lost his precarious seat on the edge of the bed and landed on his butt.
     “You got a map?” Zel asked as he pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself off.
     “Yeah, I have one,” Laguna said as he began to dig through the clutter around his pack. He eventually found a hard case, and upon opening it found a large rolled up map of the world. This he handed to Zelgadis, who unrolled it out on the bed and began to mark places with a spell that Amelia had engineered. After a couple of minutes several glowing spots were formed on several points upon the map.
     “This one is Balamb, and this one is Balamb Garden,” Zel said as he pointed to each spot, “This is Trabia, this one is Trabia Garden. This is where we punched through time and space, and this one down here is Lunatic Pandora.”
     “Which leaves this one near the coast to be Ultimecia’s castle,” Laguna said. The point on the map flashed blood red as he pointed to it. “Wow... that’s really ominous.”
     “We should probably wake the others,” Zel said as Laguna slipped a pair of sandals on.
     “Right.”
     As they slipped into the hallway Laguna asked, “How did you find the location?”
     “Alex came to me in a dream,” Zel replied, “he told me the locations of several things and showed me the locations on a large map.”
     “Interesting,” Laguna said after a moment. And that was the last he said as they parted ways.

     About half an hour later the SeeDs and the Slayers met by the front entrance to the Garden. Lina was exhausted from the previous day’s fight, and was none too thrilled about her early morning wake up call. Zelgadis was somewhat crisper than he had been since Lina hit him with a fireball and Mackenzie used an Arc Pulse tech on him. Mackenzie and Nick were learning on each other in an attempt to stay awake and upright. Celia was bright eyed and bushy tailed since she slept like a log, and also since vampires don’t require much sleep. As for the SeeDs they were more or less awake and alert.
     “Well, now that we’re all here,” Laguna said, “Mister Zelgadis brought to my attention the location of Ultimecia’s castle.”
     Shocked gasps went up all around.
     “How could he find it?” Squall asked, “Not even our teams in Balamb and Trabia could locate it.”
     “Alex visited me on the dream scape,” Zelgadis explained, “he said that Seifer and Irvine were with him, and that it was on a point on the coast closest to Lunatic Pandora.”
     “Very interesting,” Rinoa said, “so he came to you instead of the rest of us. Why is that?”
     Zelgadis blushed crimson, since he wasn’t about to tell of things that people need not know about. Celia noticed this and said, “Because Alex and Zelgadis are really close friends and Alex felt that telling him would mean it would reach all of us.”
     “Which means that all of us can go there together,” Selphie said, “since all of us are friends of those three brave but incredible stupid young men.”
     “There’s no way you’re getting there before we do,” Lina said, a Laguna Blade materializing in her hands. The SeeDs backed together when they saw how unstable the spell was. “And there is no way in hell we’re traveling together. Amelia, hit them with a sleeping spell.”
     “But Miss Lina...”
     “Don’t argue with me Amelia. Just do it!”
     Amelia sighed and against her better judgment cast a sleeping spell. The results were instantaneous, since the SeeDs closed their eyes and dropped to the ground in a deep slumber a moment later.
     “We have the info we need to get to that castle, so here we go!” Lina said as she cast a Ray Wing spell. Zel and Amelia followed in suit, each picking up one of the non flying members of their party. Celia simply floated from the ground and helped Lina to drag Gourry along.
     As soon as they were out of sight Zell opened one eye and looked around. When he didn’t see Lina or her band anywhere he flipped to his feet.
     “Well, for once playing possum worked to my advantage,” he said as he brushed himself off. “I’d best wake the others so that we can try to catch up to them. No telling what kind of trouble they’ll get into on their own.”
     He turned to his sleeping friends, braced his right hand with his left, and called, “ESUNA!”
     Waves of colored light washed over his friends, negating the effects of Amelia’s sleep spell. As the others came to he said, “We’re going to need to hurry.”
     “Why’s that?” Quistis asked as she stretched the kinks out of her back, “and just how did you avoid the sleep spell?”
     “To answer question one, they took off for the castle using high power flight spells. And two, I junctioned sleep spells to a status defense, meaning that there was a 100% chance of me not being put to sleep.”
     “Very useful,” Rinoa said through a yawn, “I wish I’d thought of it.”
     “We’ll discuss this later,” Squall said as he picked up his gunblade, “right now there’s a sorceress who might need our help.”
     “Which one?” Selphie asked, “Lina or Sylphiel?”
     “Lina when she finds out that Ultimecia is in Sylphiel’s body, and Sylphiel when Lina gets pissed off about having her friend’s body invaded in such a manner.”
     “The chocobos are all harnessed and ready for you to go,” Jessica said as she popped her head outside of the stable.
     “Thanks Jess,” Selphie said, “we owe you one.”
     “Just make sure you come to visit more often,” Jessica said as Selphie and the others mounted up.
     “Sure thing. And maybe you could take some time to visit Balamb as well. It’s a lot warmer than it is here.”
     “I will. Good luck.”
     The SeeDs turned their chocobos in the direction of Ultimecia’s new castle and spurred their mounts on at full speed, the cries of the birds echoing through the air as they moved on through the snow. In the distance they could barely make out Lina and her company as they sailed through the skyway towards the castle. As they came over a hill they also saw the outline of the castle in the distance, and what an ominous castle it was, for no light seemed to penetrate the cloud cover above it or the blanket of fog surrounding the grounds.
     “That’s Ultimecia’s new castle?” Zell said in awe, “It’s immense!”
     “I sense great evil within those walls,” Rinoa said, “If those guys go in alone they won’t make it out in one piece.”
     “Well, we shouldn’t just sit around,” Quistis said when she saw Lina and her group circling for final approach.
     “Onward,” Squall said, spurring his Chocobo onward. The bird’s cries filled the air as it ran, the castle looming up before them.
     After many minutes they pulled their mounts to a stop near Lina and the others, who stood frozen in fear before the castle, for it was encompassed on all sides by an army of demi - humans and other monsters of varying sizes, shapes, and abilities.
     “We need to break through,” Rinoa said as she fired an Ultima spell into the midst of the army. The spell exploded into a wave that felled a large amount of the army in a circular area.
     When Lina saw the power in Rinoa’s spell she snapped out of her trance and shouted, “Let’s show these guys what the Slayers are made of!”
     “Let’s GO!” Gourry shouted as he drew the sword of light, “Light come forth!!”
     “Astral Vine!”
     “Visfarank!”
     “Ragna Blade!”
     “Goddess Blade!”
     The Slayers were armed in a matter of seconds, Gourry with his glowing sword, Zel with his sword charged with astral power. Amelia’s fists were encompassed in boxing gloves of astral power. Lina held a glowing black blade of the Lord of Nightmares, and Celia held the pure white blade of Shining Goddess Rashkala.
     “Onward!” Squall commanded, bringing his left arm forward to spur everyone on, “Let’s go and help our friends!!”

     The following day the three were brought before the sorceress, each one being slapped awake in a rather rude manner. Long strings of cursing, followed by screams of anguish, filled the halls as this was repeated three times.
     “It’s nice to see you’re all awake again,” the sorceress said, smiling pleasantly enough with an evil sparkle in her eye, “I would hate to start the proceedings without one of you with us to watch.”
     “Can it you snot assed little...” Seifer began to mutter. A moment later his left arm was nearly wrenched from its socket.
     “Hold your tongue, you knave,” the sorceress said as she stepped up to him. She took his chin in her hands and tilted his face towards hers. “It’s nice to see you again, my beautiful red crosse knight.”
     “Whoever said I was yours?!” Seifer growled, hate flashing through his ice blue eyes.
     “Know your place in the grand scheme of things,” she said, releasing his chin before moving towards Irvine. She took his chin in her hand and said, “You are another gorgeous example of the male species, and I would love to have you working for me.”
     “Get crucial lady,” Alex said before Irvine could say anything, “both of them work for me.”
     His outburst got him a shoulder that was nearly dislocated instantly, and his cries echoed throughout the halls of the castle.
     “You seem like a feisty one,” she said, moving from Irvine to him. She didn’t even need to touch him to sense that he was guarded by a greater power. “You possess great skills in magic,” she said, smiling at him through Sylphiel’s face, “why don’t you join me and rule with me?”
     “You have got to be joking,” Irvine said, “why would he join you?!”
     “Silence,” Ultimecia growled. The demi humans holding Irvine wrenched his arms up behind his back before punching him in the gut. His head pitched forward a moment later, his hat dropping to the ground.
     “I’ll have to consider things like that,” Alex said as he bowed his head in thought.
     ‘What are you doing!?’ screamed in his mind, ‘You can’t take her up on her offer. It’s insane!’
     “Well,” Ultimecia said after an awkward pause, “what do you say?”
     “What I say,” Alex said very quietly and calmly, “is NO WAY!!”
     “What?! Why?!”
     “One, I don’t like the fact that you took over Sylphiel’s body. Two, you’re too powerful and power hungry for your own good. And three, I just don’t like you, and I like you even less for what you nearly did to Seifer last night and still less for what you’ve done to us since you dragged us in here.”
     Ultimecia listened with growing anger. Alex, on the other hand, finished his spiel with a very Lina like smirk. “That is why I could never join you. You’re just not a people person.”
     “Why you... you... you...” she fumed, her rage peaking as her eyes began to glow red. “You shall be severely punished for that.”
     “Oh crud,” Alex exclaimed when he saw this, “I think we’re sunk!”
     “Now what?” Seifer asked, “You got us into this mess, how do we get out of it?!”
     “No... idea,” Alex said in fear as he turned to look at Seifer.
     The hum of an incantation filled the air as Irvine slowly lifted his head, a wry grin on his face.
 “... As thy words of pledge, obey me and give me power. Dare Brando!”
     The land beneath their captors buckled and exploded, freeing them instantly. Irvine bent down and picked up his hat, brushing it off before setting it atop his head. From the dust around them stepped the sorceress, her eyes glowing, her hair blowing wildly.
     “You have mocked me for the last time,” she said, a force wave striking the three. Alex sailed through the air and into a wall, remaining semi - conscious as he nursed the lump that was growing on the back of his head.
     “Feel my power,” she said, staring into Seifer’s and Irvine’s eyes, her voice filled with hypnotic power, “be my slaves and do my bidding.”
     “What’s going on?” he asked as he sat up to see Irvine and Seifer being given their weapons by some demi humans. “Guys, what’s happening?”
     Irvine and Seifer turned toward him, their eyes glowing an unnatural red as they grinned evilly in his general direction.
     “Guys, it’s me, Alex. You know, the mage, the one who you care for so much,” he said, slowly backing towards the door.
     “It’s no use,” Ultimecia cackled  mockingly, “they’re under my control now, and will do whatever it is I bid, and right now I bid them to kill you.”
     Seifer drew his gunblade and Irvine cocked his shotgun, filling the chambers with explosive rounds of ammunition. Alex barely had time to block his face with his arms before the two opened fire upon him. Clothing disintegrated and burned as the shots struck, a glowing aura of protection surrounding his body beneath. The force of the blasts knocked him onto his butt, and he scooted towards a corner that might offer some protection from the onslaught.
     “Kill him! Make him suffer!” Sylphiel cackled, “Put him out of my misery!”
     The two advanced upon him as he backed into the corner, his arms covering his face to protect it. Seifer’s gunblade burst into flames as he unlocked his Fire Cross attack. Flames swept over Alex’s body, singeing his hair and clothes.
     ‘What the hell is happening?’ his mind raced as he fought to maintain his last defensive barrier, ‘Why are they fighting for her and not against her?!’
     “You shall soon meet your end,” Sylphiel cackled in Ultimecia’s voice, “You shall feel the pain I have felt for the past three years, being buried alive and left for dead, plotting revenge every single day with no way to carry it out.... until I felt the dimensional flux. Then I dug myself out, through the debris and decay, to use the last of my power to influence the mind of this Sylphiel girl and bring her here. The rest was easy.”
     “If you think... that you’ll make the pain go away... by finishing me off.... you’re wrong,” Alex said as he struggled to stand underneath the barrage of gunfire. He slumped forward, catching himself before he wound up sprawled out on the floor. ‘I gotta fight her without injuring them or without hurting Sylphiel too much. But how to do it... that’s the question.’
     “Just hold still and it’ll be over quickly,” Irvine said, loading armor piercing ammo into his shotgun, “Otherwise it’ll be quite messy and painful.”
     Irvine took aim and fired, his ammunition meeting resistance from a well placed protection barrier as Alex leapt from his corner, flipping through the air. He went down into a roll that took him between Irvine’s legs. Once on the other side he quickly rolled to his feet, turned around, and delivered a sharp kick to the sharp shooter’s hands, sending his gun flying into the air. Seifer came at him, slashing wildly, flames wafting about his sword, making it hot for his opponent. Alex flipped backwards several times in rapid succession, pressing his body to the ground when a wave of flames sailed at him. He rolled to the left when Seifer slashed downward in an attempt to cleave his head in half, the gunblade striking scant inches from the side of his head, directly where the center of his face had been seconds before.
     “You’re quite talented for such a scrawny brat,” Ultimecia cackled, “I applaud your tenacity and ingenuity.”
     “I’m just getting warmed up,” Alex said as he ducked and dodged several volleys of pulse ammo from Irvine. ‘I gotta maintain my calm. I can unleash the power of my rage as soon as I make sure these two are safe.’
     Seifer came at him swinging fast and furious, gunshots going off as he activated the trigger of his gunblade, the added attack mixing with the flames already engulfing it. Alex flipped over Seifer’s head, planting his hands on his friend’s shoulders, a magical glow surrounding his hands. Seifer cried out moments before he slumped over unconscious.
     “Gotta love a well placed and well timed sleep spell,” he said as he took Seifer’s weapon and clipped it to the back of his belt. “Sleep well my friend.”
     “You still have me to contend with,” Irvine said, loading Ultima ammo into his gun, “and our dear mistress gave me some new toys to play with. So why don’t you just do us a big favor and DIE!”
     As he pulled the trigger a blue glow surrounded the barrel moments before a wave of energy tore through the air, the smell of burning ozone quite detectable. Alex flattened himself against the ground as the beam struck the wall behind him, burning a hole clear through it, the smell of burning and melting metal adding to the already detestable smell of the ozone. Alex flipped to his feet moments before another shot struck the floor before him, melting the metal near his shoes.
     “Oh brother, she deals with some dangerous equipment,” he said before back flipping away from the rapidly fired shots from Irvine. When he met resistance from a wall he cart wheeled to his left and dropped into a crouch, his limit skill unlocking. A silver glow surrounded his fists as he summoned the energy of his power into them. Bracing his right wrist with his left hand he formed the energy into a globe, which exploded into a beam when he shouted, “GIGA CRISIS!”
     The results were instantaneous, since the beam struck Irvine’s shotgun, shorting it out and knocking it halfway across the room. Irvine looked a little shocked as Alex dove towards him, delivering a punch to the stomach that toppled the cowboy instantly. Alex caught his friend as he fell, easing him to the ground.
     “Alex... what... what are you doing here?” Irvine asked, his mind restored.
     “I’ll tell you all about it later,” Alex said, kissing him on the forehead, “Right now I have a queen bitch to take care of.”
     “It’s not going to be that easy, you little brat!” Ultimecia said, striking Alex with a force wave that pinned him to the fall wall. As Alex struggled to remain conscious, the sorceress said, “If you think I’m going to finish you off quickly, don’t bet on it. I want to make you suffer, so that you know real pain, but how shall I accomplish that? I know, why don’t I take away those who are dear to you? Then you’ll know real pain!”
     Alex stared in horror as Ultimecia left Sylphiel’s body, which slumped to the ground and shriveled like a raisin. The evil sorceress was reborn, and her first order of business was to take hold of Irvine and Seifer and drain their life energy, leaving them to collapse to the ground as shriveled up husks.
     “How does it feel to watch them die like that? I bet you’re in agony right now.”
     Tears streamed down his face as memories of the happier times flooded through his mind. He muttered a few obscenities under his breath before he cried, “You.... you BASTARD!! How could you? How could you do that to them?!”
     “I’ll tell you how I can do that to them, since Irvine was one of the ones who originally defeated me, and I feel better now that he’s out of the way. As for Seifer... he was an unfortunate bystander and a wonderful pawn the first time around, but he became such a pain since he straightened up and became a SeeD. Now I have their energies within me, and that just gives me the right to be as much of a bitch as I want.”
     ‘I feel your energy surging,’ was spoken into his mind, ‘don’t hold back. She deserves whatever you’re going to give to her.’
     “After I absorb your magical powers I’ll go to Garden and destroy everyone there, then use the power of the Guardian drive to make myself Queen of the Universe!!!”
     “I don’t think so,” Alex said under his breath. “You won’t hurt anybody else, and you will be banished for all eternity.” he added, lifting his head to face Ultimecia’s shocked stare, “It’ll be the end of the world as you know it, and I feel fine.”
     Angel wings unfolded from his back as he held his right hand to the sky, the jewel in his ring glowing. “Saturn Cosmic POWER!”
     White light and angel feathers engulfed him, filling the room with blinding light as a new transformation took effect.