In Balamb Garden’s control room people sat and waited for something other than noise to permeate the air. A few seconds later they regained audio feed from the trucks.
     “You guys so totally aren’t going to believe this,” Anessa said over the radio, “Our people just defeated the mother of all monsters and phantoms.”
     “Is Tenal and everyone else all right?” Tiskili asked excitedly.
     “Yeah, they’re fine. I don’t know which end is up, though. That last shockwave flipped and spun us around a few times and there are people everywhere.”
     An alarm began to sound in the background as a student called, “The rift is set to collapse any minute.”
     “What was that?” Anessa asked, “What did he say?”
     “He said you guys need to haul haunch out of there NOW!” Kili replied.

     “What’s going on?” Boomer asked, leaning over the back of her seat to see what Anessa was doing.
     “The rift’s closing and we need to get back home or be stuck here!” Anessa cried, “Boomer, put this thing into gear and get us home!”
     “We’re not upright,” Zell said, “otherwise we could be going home now.”
     “Truck one calling truck two,” Spark’s voice said over the radio, “how’s everything on your end?”
     “Stuck upside down with the rift closing,” Boomer sighed, “and no idea which way is up.”
     The truck lurched sharply to the right, and a moment later it bounced onto its wheels. “You guys need a pick me up?” Adderson asked as the dust around them cleared to reveal those who were closest to the blast site. All eight who had the power armor were back to normal clothes and leaning on each other or others for support.
     “Imagine that,” Lina giggled before yawning, “I’m totally out of power.”
     “Can we just go home now?” Fam asked, “I’m tired.”
     “Hop in,” Tina said, rolling her window down, “we’re going to try to get out of here.”
     “Rift closure in two minutes,” Deka announced, “better get going, since when that rift closes we’re going to be in trouble.”
     “This place has become unstable,” Karna said from inside the truck, reading the latest data from Balamb. “When that rift closes the energy expended will send this dimension into a black hole implosion.”
     “Yuck,” Celia said as she strapped into the Mustang. “Alex, put this car into drive!”
     The Mustang’s engine grumbled, whirred, and clunked before belching a monstrous cloud of sand and smoke. Alex patted the dashboard before putting the car into drive to test how everything was working. After rolling a couple of feet he put it back into park so that Seifer, Guile, and Zelgadis could slide in.
     “Deka, where’s the rift?” Alex asked as he put the car back into drive and pressed the accelerator to the floor, a large dust cloud kicking up in their wake.
     “Left... no, right,” Deka replied shakily, “Oh hell, I can’t find it.”
     “We’ve got the coordinates,” Jessica said over the radio as Truck 02 took the lead. “Follow us.”
     “One minute until rift closure,” Deka and Anessa reported.
     “Distance to the portal is a little over two clicks away,” Squall reported.
     “Damn it darling, we need maximum burn,” Alex said, patting the gear shifter on his car. He flicked the top of the shifter open, a glowing red button rising out of it. He pressed this, expecting a massive kick of speed. Instead he heard a loud whirring followed by nothing.
     “Forty five seconds,” Anessa reported.

<music: Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins>
     “Damn it. Thrusters must have been knocked out when the car tumbled.”
     “You guys have to floor it,” Tiskili and Reyark shouted over the radio. “Put the pedal to the metal!”
     “We’re redlining!” Nick and Tina shouted in unison.
     “Thirty seconds and one click to go,” Spark reported.
     Something rose up in their path, and everyone at the wheels turned sharply as two large monsters rose out of a ravine to ambush them.
     “Shit!” Seifer cursed as he was thrown against the door. “Where’d they come from?!”
     “Don’t know, but they’re gone,” they heard Boomer shout as her truck transformed. “Weasel array... TOTAL ASSAULT!”
     The cannons and missile launchers on Truck 02 opened up with a seemingly endless barrage of missiles and cannon shells that reduced the monsters to dust in a matter of seconds.
     “Fifteen seconds,” Reyark reported, “Why aren’t you guys out of there yet?!”
     “Damned monsters and damned detour!” Tina and Alex cursed in unison, “Where the hell is our exit!?”
     “Seven seconds,” Deka said as the cars screamed towards the rift, which was beginning to close. All around them the landscape began to change and vanish into multiple black holes.
     “Six...”
     The vehicles shot towards the rift, which was quite visible. Celia reached out with her mind to keep it open, only to feel backlash on such a mega level that her vision went black for a moment and her head began to throb.
     “Five...”
     Frantic screaming from everyone in the vehicles. Assorted prayers to various deities. Zell cried for his mother.
     “Four...”
     Alex tries the thrusters on the Mustang again, only to have his engine cough up more sand and crud.
     “Three...”
     Boomer’s truck is the closest to the rift, and even that’s not close enough. The land around and behind them is rapidly vanishing into the void.
     “Two...”
     Seifer leans over the seat and kisses Alex one last time. Celia gets a kiss as well from everyone in the car. Guile takes his mask off and rubs his eyes.
     “One...”
     “Where’s the damned reset button when you need it?!” Del cries, which echoes for a moment before the rift slams shut. His words are heard in the control room of Balamb as Reyark and Tiskili pray for a miracle.
     “It’s been real,” Guile sighed as the vehicles all skidded to a stop, “But we’re fu...”
     And then there was darkness and silence.

     In Claremont, near the rift, Sylphiel was running low on power, yet kept her shield erected. When the rift suddenly slammed shut the energy expended crashed her shield, causing her to drop to her knees.
     “Miss Lina and the others must have done it,” she gasped. “But, where are they? Was... was the destruction of the rift the end of... of...”
     She broke down in tears, sobbing loudly. When the dust cleared and nobody was by the rift point she screamed, “NOOOO!!” her cry echoing for miles around as a new day dawned.

     “Squall? Guile? Rinoa?” Tiskili asked, punching through all the bandwidths on the board. “C’mon guys, answer me. Damn it, answer me!”
     “Laguna calling Balamb teams, can you read me? Over. Please respond.” Laguna said as he too punched through the transmission frequencies. ‘Guys, you haven’t failed me yet. Don’t fail me now.’
     Silence fell over the control room as all broadcasts from the vehicles in the pocket dimension ceased.
     “Sir, they can’t... they can’t be.... dead? Can they?” Tiskili asked, turning from her terminal to look at Laguna, whose face was frozen in shock.
     “Nothing on any of the scanners,” Reyark reported. “Sorry Kili, it looks like they didn’t make it out in time.”
     “No. They can’t be. They can’t be gone. I... I won’t let them be gone until... until I take Tenal on a date!” Kili cried, tears streaming down her face.
     “Is that a promise?” a familiar voice crackled over the radio.
     “Yes. I promise to go on a date to Balamb with Tenal if he makes it back alive.”
     Tenal’s face popped up on several screens. “I’ll see you at eight tomorrow night then,” he chuckled. Kili looked up and blinked.
     “Tenal? You’re alive?” she asked as Tenal waved to her.
     “Yup. Not just me darling, but the rest of our group as well. We can thank Adderson for the gravity well we’re currently in.”
     The transmission flickered for a moment before Squall’s face blinked onto the screen. “Hope we didn’t scare anyone too much with that stunt. We’ll be back soon, so no worries and no more tears.”
     The last part was directed more to Kili, who dried her eyes, than anyone else. The transmission ended a moment later, leaving silence in the control room once again. A split second later the air was filled with loud cheering and much rejoicing.
     “They’re coming home!” Kili and Reyark cheered in unison, hugging and bouncing about. Kili bounced away from Reyark and pounced on Laguna, kissing him on both cheeks before bouncing off.
     “Looks like our students and professors had one heck of a victory to rack up,” Xu said as she stepped up behind Laguna. “Wouldn’t you say so?”
     “They get stronger every day Xu,” Laguna sighed. “They’re really making Cid’s and Edea’s dream come true, now more than ever.”

     “The gravity well won’t hold for much longer.”
     “There are no suitable weaknesses anywhere in the area.”
     “No, there’s one, but it’ll take our combined will to punch through. Think you can handle it Celia?”
     “Of course I can. I’ve taken us through time and space before. I think I should be able to handle a little thing like a stubborn piece of cosmic fabric.”
     “On three we do this. One... two... three!”
     A small crack of light opened in front of them in the darkness. The crack spread and spider webbed off, allowing for more light to enter.
     “You guys are doing it,” Seifer cheered, “we’re going home!”
     The crack broke open, allowing a glimpse of the world beyond the doomed pocket dimension. More weakened fabric broke away, and a moment later a hole large enough to drive a car through opened.
     “Next stop, Balamb Town!” Boomer cheered, slamming her truck into drive.

<music: Jayce & the Wheeled Warriors end>
     “Yeee - Haw!” Spark cheered, slamming his own truck into gear, the tires squealing as he screamed after Boomer.
     “We’re finally going to get a vacation!” Alex chuckled as his car tore through the opening. Following close behind were Tina and Nick, both of whom had cars in desperate need of repairs.
     The moment they were out of the rift it slammed shut, creating a shockwave that battered the cars, shattering the windows as it passed. In unison three people cursed every deity and whatever spawned it. Adderson simply sighed and chalked it up to a collapsing gravity well.
     “May it be ever so mobile,” Seifer said as he slid out of the Mustang, “there’s no place like home.”
     “What’s he talking about?” Tina asked as she slid out of her car, “all I see is miles of wilderness.”
     “You need to look up,” Zelgadis said, pointing out the large building floating about 100 meters above the ground. “That is Balamb Garden, home to Seifer, Irvine, Quistis, and a bunch of others. A school of sorts.”
     “Stunning,” Cassi beamed as she hopped out of the Cobra.
     “More and more beautiful every time I see it,” Celia said, looking up at Balamb as it flew over them.
     “One question for those of us not familiar with this dimension,” Del said.
     “Go ahead, ask away,” Quistis said as she stretched a kink out of her back.
     “Just how do you enter when it’s floating so high up?”
     There was silence as those familiar with the area pondered the situation. A moment later they were all getting back into the cars in order to catch up with Garden, horns honking and lights flashing.

     Several hours later the extra large group of Warriors, Slayers, and SeeDs were relaxing in the cafeteria, enjoying good company and good food, courtesy of Lunch Lady Doris and the rest of Garden’s cafeteria staff. Tables were set to overflowing with food of all types and varieties. Something for everyone’s personal tastes, as well as desserts by the ton.
     “This is one hundred times better than tech food,” Del said between mouthfuls of dinner. “Make that a thousand,” he added, taking a bite of victory cake. “Triple chocolate fudge. I’m in heaven.”
     “With the number of chocoholics at this table maybe we I should have baked another cake,” Lunch Lady Doris said as she approached the group. “At least I know our efforts are appreciated, judging by the way that you guys are eating.”
     “Muchly appreciated,” Lina said, taking a moment to pause between courses. “You guys here know how to throw a celebration.”
     “Well, I don’t like to brag...”
     Halfway down the table Alex appeared to be more down in the dumps than in the spirit of the celebration. “This is a wonderful way to spend my vacation,” he sighed, “back at school, and after I graduated from college.”
     “We’re on summer break, ya know,” Selphie said, rising and leaning across the table. “There’s plenty to do around here too. I mean, we live near the ocean and Balamb town, and if we can borrow the Ragnarock there are so many places around here to visit and shop at or just go to relax and whatnot. We’re not just gonna sit around bored, ya know.”
     “Plus you’re not spending a cent on food and lodging,” Irvine added, “and Meltdown, Boomer, and Spark are fixing up the cars, free of charge, since you’re honorary SeeDs now.”
     “Good friends are here as well,” Seifer said, wrapping an arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulling him into a hug. “You can’t forget that everyone here’s your friend in one way or another.”
     “So no complaining,” Rinoa and Quistis giggled. “And if we here any more of you being mister down - in - the - dumps we’re going to throw you into the harbor and send Seifer and Irvine in after you.”
     “Well, it’s not the vacation that I had planned,” Tina smiled, “but it’ll do, since this cake is so good that I’ve had three slices all ready.”
     “Water temperature reports are in,” Deka squeaked from Alex’s wristband. “The water’s great in the Balamb harbor area, so grab your swim suits all you groovy cats and moondogs ‘cause it’s time for a beach party!”
     “All right!” everyone cheered, leaping up from the table to go and get changed.
     “Make sure you wait half an hour before going in the water,” Doris called after the retreating forms.

<music: ‘Vacation’- Vitamin C>
     <Credits roll as the camera follows several members of the group to their rooms, going split screen X4 to show Alex, Squall, Lina, and Celia entering their rooms and closing the doors. It repeats with Seifer, Zelgadis, Tina, and Mina. In sequence eight doors open and the now bathing suit clad group makes their way out o the building to the motor pool, and from there to Balamb town. The camera then pans up to the sun and focuses there for a moment.
     Camera pans back down to Balamb Harbor, where everyone is either splashing in the water or relaxing on the dock in the sun. Mina, Lina, and Naga are relaxing atop inner tubes, sunglasses on and reflecting the sunlight. A wave washes over them, drenching them and flipping them off of their seats. All three surface, hair a dripping mess and glasses askew, in time to see Alex, Nick, and Mackenzie hopping onto the tubes. Alex grins at them before Lina begins to fume. She casts Sea Blast, blowing all three high into the air. She smirks to herself as all three splashdown in deeper water, and flashes a victory sign to those on the dock, all of whom sigh and bow their heads.
     Camera pans a short distance to focus on a makeshift water volleyball court, where Zelgadis, Celia, Amelia, and Will are playing mixed doubles. Amelia serves the ball, sending it spiraling off towards Boomer, who’s laying back in a floating chair. The princess face faults as the ball makes contact, knocking the mechanic out of her chair and into the water. A very angry and very wet Boomer surfaces and fixes her gaze upon Amelia, who ducks behind Will as several plasma bombs explode around him. That half of the court is blown up as Boomer hops back into her chair and adjusts her sunglasses, a contented grin on her face as Amelia and Will float away.
     The final camera pan focuses upon the dock, where Kelly, Seifer, Squall, Rinoa, Ihrie, and Irvine are laying back and relaxing, catching a few rays. Rinoa’s immersed in a romance novel, and doesn’t even flinch when a splash of ice cold water hits her in the head. Seifer and Irvine are out cold, Seifer laying on his stomach, Irvine laying on his back, and both in the process of getting sunburned. Squall’s enjoying an action novel, which he takes a break from now and then to look around. This leaves Kelly and Ihrie, who are sort of spacing out.>
     “Say Ihrie, just why did you guys change your armor activation codes?” Kelly asked, sitting up and sliding her sunglasses up on her head.
     “Well, it’s sort of like this,” Ihrie said, crossing her legs while crossing her arms behind her head. “That whole ‘Digi Armor Augment’ was just too much to say, and the synchronized hand and arm motions were mega embarrassing. When we heard ‘Charging UP!’ on an anime we decided to go from there to change our activation codes. And saying ‘Charging UP!’ is so much easier and less time consuming than the old codes.”
     Kelly took a moment to absorb all this data. “O.K.. So here’s my second question. Who gave us these powers?” She looked at her wristband while asking the question. “I mean, is there some greater force at play or what?”
     Ihrie sat up and slid her glasses down. “Don’t you think you’re reading too much into this?” she asked, giving Kelly a serious look. “We’re on vacation. We also used those powers to defeat a major force of evil. I don’t care who gave them to us, as long as we have them when we need them. Now relax lest I get Fam to cast a water spell upon you.”
     Kelly sighed and returned to relaxing, not noticing the dark shadow that fell across them until somebody cried, “Incoming tidal wave!” followed by Alex’s frantic cries of, “Oh NOOOOOOO!!!!”
     As the wave crashed down and splashed everyone in the area Mina’s and Cassi’s cries of, “You are soooooo gonna die!” echoed across the land.

     “Hey, shouldn’t someone call Sylphiel?” Gourry asked. “I mean, she’s been by the rift all night.”
     “Shit,” Lina cursed as she fished out her D3 from her bag. It was about an hour since the tidal wave had washed over them, and everyone was more or less dry and no longer waterlogged. “I totally forgot.” She clicked on the transmitter and put it to her lips. “Lina calling Sylphiel.”
     There was a crackle of static, followed by a long string of curses, bad language, and name calling. Those who could hear it all turned pale, since when Sylphiel got angry she got angry. Several girls from Balamb burst into tears when they heard all the cursing, and one old man fell into the water off of the end of the pier.
     “Sylphiel, it’s not like we meant to forget,” Lina explained, “we just got caught up in other things.”
     “Miss Lina, I thought all of you were dead! Do you have any *censored* idea what that can do to a person?!”
     “Did she just say...” Seifer asked. Lina nodded. “Oh boy.”
     “Celia, why don’t you go and give Sylphiel a lift here,” Alex suggested as yet another string of curses filled the air. A sweat drop formed on his head when he heard some of the creative combinations that Sylphiel was using. “The sooner, the better,” he added, digging through his bag to find his walk man.
     “Back in a flash,” Celia said, vanishing into a cloud of crimson smoke. She reappeared a moment later with a very angry Sylphiel in tow.
     “Lina, run,” Celia said seconds before Sylphiel began a flare carrot assault on those within range. The vampyress managed to teleport, and many people dove off of the pier before the shrine maiden could target them. Lina, however, was the primary target.
     “You owe me a vacation and lots of pampering, Miss Lina Inverse!” Sylphiel cried, chasing after Lina, who had begun to flee. Everyone else sighed as Lina’s apologies echoed through the town.

    -The End

     “Don’t stray too far from where you’re sitting, because Slayers Fantasy is far from being over. Up next is a little side story featuring Tenal and Tiskili. What happens when these two go on a date? And how does Anessa fit into the equation? And what about Kirinis? Stay tuned for the next episode, titled ‘Far Too Many Girlfriends’. It’s positively electrafrying.”
    -In progress now.