Quistis sat at the table in the cafeteria, drinking coffee with Irvine and Selphie. They waited for the others to arrive to discuss the situation at hand. That situation being Squall. Like everyone else, she was worried. The possibility that Ultimecia was still alive was a terrifying thought, but knowing that she was after Squall made it ten times worse.

She had wanted to wrap her arms around him when he told them all about his nightmares, feeling a desperate need to comfort the man she was still in love with. Squall belonged to Rinoa, and nothing was going to change that. She kept her true feeling for her long time friend to herself, keeping it all inside until her heart ached with it. She had tried to fight her feelings, but it was a losing battle.

“Hey,” Zell said as he sat down to join them. “Any ideas about what we should do?” he asked hopefully.

“No, not yet,” Irvine answered, picking glumly at his breakfast. He dropped his fork with a sigh. None of them seemed to have an appetite this morning.

“Do you guys think that she might actually be alive?” Zell asked. No one wanted to respond, and an uneasy silence settled over the small group of friends.

“Hello,” Edea said, walking up to the table with Laguna at her side. They sat to join the group, and she looked at each of them in turn before speaking. “Laguna has informed me about what is happening, and I want to help in any way I can. If Ultimecia is still alive, then she is truly more powerful than we thought.”

“I think that’s what scares us the most, Matron. It took everything we had to fight her last time,” Quistis said, to the somber agreement of the others.

“You’ve all become stronger as well, and I know in my heart that you could defeat her again if came to that,” Edea said.

“We have to do all we can for Squall’s sake,” Laguna continued for her. He looked better rested than he had yesterday, and Selphie was the first to take notice.

“How did you sleep, Laguna?” she asked.

“Very good actually. I didn’t have any nightmares for the first time since this began.”

“Maybe it was being here closer to Squall,” Quistis suggested.

“Maybe,” he agreed.