Argh! It seems it was a bad choice for me to change the order around at the last minute... Ah well.

Ramza lay awoke at Nate's side in the hotel bed. Her brain was busily thinking and assimilating all the information that was presented to her in her dream and all the events that had been happening.

"It's awful strange... Why would that McNally guy hire me for trying to assault one of his students? It doesn't make any sense!" She thought. "There has to be something behind it... If I saw that happening, I'd call the police!" The voice in the back of Ramza's mind was speaking to her. The little voice that caused her so much grief.

"Shut up." She hissed to the little voice. "I can run my own life. I don't need some pseudo-mother watching over me."

"I'm more of a mother than you think." Ramza's eyes widened at the response. She shook her head and rolled over. It was six thirty. Time to get up. Ramza rolled over again and tapped Nate on the shoulder. "Time to get up, Nate." Nate groaned and rolled over towards Ramza.

"What time is it?" He asked tiredly. Ramza pointed at the clock. Nate sat up and squinted at it. "Six thirty!? Why are we up this early?" His voice was incredulous, as he was used to waking up at noontime.

"We have to go to our temporary jobs. Remember, as long as we're here, we need cash. This is an easy way to get it. All the guy said we had to do was stand in the hall." Nate groaned again, and got off the bed.

"I still think this sounds kind of fishy. Last night I was thinking... It's very odd that a school principal would want to hire someone for threatening a student..." Ramza cut Nate off.

"I had the same feeling too... This is _very_ wrong. I think we should start asking some questions..." Ramza shuddered visibly. She turned her head over to Nate. The color was still fading from his brown eyes. They looked more like a blackish brown than the dark rust that they normally are. "Hold me..." Nate nodded and hugged Ramza.

"I want to go home..." She had her arms around him in a tight embrace. Nate took his hands, and rubbed Ramza's cheeks. They were very soft and gentle.

"You know, you need a haircut." Nate took his hand and grabbed a substantial amount of blonde hair. "When was the last time you were at a hairdresser?" Ramza laughed.

"Not since... last year. You're right, I've got to cut off this mop. Or at least braid it." Ramza giggled and put her hand on her mouth as she did so. Nate smiled. "You find that amusing?"

"Yeah. Come on, we gotta go." Nate picked up the pair of pants that was lying on the ground, and proceeded to put them on. Ramza picked up the pair of jeans on the floor, and went into the bathroom. "Sheesh... Can't put pants on out here with the rest of us, huh?"

"Shut up!" Ramza yelled from the bathroom. She came out, radiant as ever. Nate wondered to himself how he should handle her. He knew, deep in his mind, that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. They couldn't ignore it. It was love, plain to see.

"They will be here soon... yes... today.. will be the day..." Inside the office of Douglas McNally sat a mysterious man. His brown trench coat covered a muscular body. His blonde hair was waving around in his face. A tattoo on his arm had a fox with a dagger in its mouth; the words FOX-HOUND imprinted on it. "Curse that FoxDie! It had to send me to another dimension when I died! Argh!" The chair spun around, and Liquid Snake grinned wildly. "No matter... those two will be here... they will assist me in returning to defeat Solid Snake... Ha, ha, ha!" Liquid Snake clenched his fist. "Huh?" He cocked his head to the left, and heard footprints. "Better turn this on..." Liquid pressed a button on a remote control, and his body changed. Liquid Snake's body was changing to that of McNally. "They'll never know he was gone... It should be worth killing him to get those two." Suddenly, someone opened the door.

"Mr. McNally? We want to ask you a few questions." It was the two. The blonde woman and the tall, spiky hair man. Good.

"Yes?" Liquid asked.

"We want to know... It sounds awful weird that you want us to act as disciplinary people when you saw me threaten one of your students." Liquid raised his eyebrows as this woman asked this question. He knew she would ask it eventually. She and the man were too smart.

"You'll find out today after lunch. Just keep yourselves busy." The woman looked at the man. Liquid pondered these two. They must be married or something. They look like they love each other. No matter. They would both be tools by the end of the day. "I really ought to learn their names," Liquid thought to himself. "By the way, what are your names?"

"My name is Ramza, and this is Nate." The woman responded. Ramza and Nate. Odd names. Liquid waved them out of McNally's office. After the both of them left, Liquid pressed the button again. His blonde hair grew back, and his body reverted to its normal shape.

"This is really taking a toll... Solid Snake, you're mine..." Liquid let a roaring maniacal laugh.

Liquid Snake stood in the auditorium. Those pesky teenagers would be coming soon. They were all just tools. So were those two. Yes, they would serve him well. Both of them were sitting in chairs across from his podium. Yes, they would serve him quite well. As soon as he found Solid Snake they would assist him in destroying him. The students came pouring in. A wide grin sewn itself on Liquid's face. Yes, they will all fear him. A school is a great place to get resources. Child laborers. A whole thousand of them. And three individuals to keep them in place. The students settled in. Good.

"Students! Today is a day of change! See these two?" Liquid pointed at Ramza and Nate, and they stood up immediately. "They are your new discipline officers. Take every order they give you! You will be working for me to help me destroy Solid Snake!" Liquid took the controller and pressed the button. He reverted to his normal body, and everyone, including Nate and Ramza, gasped. A dark, British accented voice erupted.

"NOW! You two! Get them into order!" Liquid pointed at Nate and Ramza. Both of them stared at Liquid. "What are you waiting for!?" The teens started to riot and attempt to escape, but the auditorium doors were locked. Liquid ran to Nate and Ramza, and grabbed Ramza. "DO WHAT I TELL YOU!" He took his fist and reared it back. It connected with Ramza's head, and she collapsed backwards. Nate watched this happen with hatred in his eyes.

"You don't do that to her! EVER!" The rust color returned to Nate's eyes. He took his palm, and grasped Liquid's face.

"ARGH! Get off!" Nate started clenching his fingers, and the grip on Liquid's face tightened. Nate's hand began shaking as the force increased to the point of him taking his hand off in pain. There was a large imprint of a hand on Liquid's face, and he was screaming in pain. Nate ran over to Ramza.

"Are you okay, Ramza?" Nate stooped down, and helped her up.

"Yeah... I'm fine... It's a riot! Where's Liquid?" Nate pointed to Liquid, who was screaming in pain. Ramza looked at Nate's eyes. The rust color had returned. She knew something was better. "Uh oh." Liquid looked like he had recovered, and was now genuinely pissed.

"You'll pay for that!" Liquid charged towards Nate and Ramza, but they jumped out of the way as he ran by. A blinding flash occurred, and Ramza flicked her head to the left. She found a large black hole with lightning coming from the side.

"Nate, we have to go in that." She tugged his shoulder, and he looked over where Ramza pointed.

"Why?" He asked. Ramza shook her head.

"I don't know why. I've got some premonition or something. Just run into it!" Nate nodded, and both of them turned. Nate sprinted and jumped into the black hole, while Ramza ran into it as fast as she could. Liquid saw this, and did not like it.

"You're not getting away THAT easily!" Liquid ran after Ramza after she jumped in, and just after he jumped in the hole closed.

Ramza saw that place again. The purple clouds and green lightning echoed around them as they floated amidst dimensions. Ramza saw Nate. His eyes were shut, and he limply lay floating. Ramza turned her head, difficult as it was, and saw Liquid Snake swimming after them. Ramza's eyes widened, and she pushed Nate towards one of the holes, and she swam after him. Liquid kicked as hard as he could and followed them into the hole Ramza pushed Nate into.

Ramza fell out of the hole. Her body fell onto hard, rocky ground. Groggily, she sat up, and looked around. Liquid was nowhere to be seen. Nate was next to her, but he was knocked out. She laid her head on top of his chest, and proceeded to drop to sleep.

Ramza awoke next to a tree. Grass was around her, and Nate was nowhere to be seen.

"/Us... and them... and after all we're only ordinary men... Me... you... God only knows what we would choose to do.../"

"Nate! NATE!" Ramza shouted. No answer. She stood up and looked around. There was a person leaning next to a tree, their back to Ramza. She walked over to the person, and tapped it on the shoulder.

"/Forward he cried! From the rear! And the front ranks died! The general sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side./"

"Hello?" The person turned around, and Ramza gasped. "Mom?" Sure enough, Elena turned and looked at Ramza. Elena stood up, and hugged her.

"/Black... and blue... And who knows which is which and who is who... Up... and down... And in the end it's only round and round... around.../"

"Hi, hon..." Ramza looked oddly at her mother.

"Yeah, I know I'm dead. But my spirit remains with you. It was that time shift that allowed me to talk to you. I've been around you since the Highwind blew up. I can talk to you in your dreams." Ramza looked at Elena and backed away.

"/Haven't you heard? It's a battle of words! The poster bearer cried. Listen son, said the man with the gun, there's room for you inside./"

"You've been... watching me?" There was a tone of fear in Ramza's voice. Elena gave a chuckle.

"Well, not in that sense. I've been around you. I can talk to you know. Ask me anything." Ramza scratched her head, and then an idea came to her head.

"/Down... and out... It can't be helped, but there's a lot of it about... With... Without... And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about./"

"Mom, was I an... an accident?" Elena took a step back with these words, but grasped herself.

"...In what sense?" Elena replied nervously. Ramza rolled her eyes.

"/Out of the way, it's a busy day, I've got things on my mind. For the price of tea and a slice, the old man died./"

"In the sense that you and dad didn't mean to have me?" Elena fidgeted, then sighed.

"If you think of it that way, yes. I never wanted to show you this, but..." Elena walked a few feet away, and waved her hand. The scene changed, and Reno and Elena were at a house. The real Elena stood next to Ramza, and Ramza watched the scene unfold.

"Well, we're married... You know... I have to tell you. I knew when I heard about... this, I couldn't leave you." The Elena in the scene looked at Reno.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because... I can't. It just doesn't make any sense. My mind is too confused. I can't ditch you like this. It's my baby too, you know." Reno moved closer to the Elena on the couch. "And besides... I've always liked you." Elena's cheeks blushed and she gave a small laugh.

"Mom... This still doesn't answer my question. If I'm an accident, why didn't you put me up for adoption?" The real Elena shifted in her position.

"Because your dad wouldn't want that either. He's bound by honor, Ramza. Being in the Turks made him that way." Ramza shook her head.

"You're that little voice in my head, weren't you?" Elena nodded.

"Why didn't you come out and say you were there?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Look." Elena pointed at the Reno and Elena on the couch. "See your father and I? We love you. Even before you were born." The Elena on the couch was talking to Reno, and they were showing affection to the unborn Ramza by singing and touching Elena's rippling stomach. "Never think that you were an accident or that we don't love you. It's more on the contrary. You're the best thing that could have happened to us." Elena looked at Ramza, and saw a single tear roll down from her eye. "Oh, don't cry hon. I mean it."

"I know you do. I'm just so confused." Elena waved her hand, and the scenery reverted to the grassy plain. Ramza sat down, and Elena sat next to her.

"I just don't know what to do anymore..."

-----=------------=-------------=-----------=-----------=------------=------------=-----------

Author's Notes

I know this is a short chapter, but quite a bit happens in it. I like Liquid Snake being the villain. It should give you a hint. I also liked the scene between Elena and Ramza. The song in the background is Us and Them by Pink Floyd. Sorry for the delay on this one folks.

Kefka Floyd