Swirling darkness, it was all around her suffocating her, smothering her senses, charring her alive. Was it smoke? She couldn't breath. She couldn't see anything except those eyes burning into her very soul. A laugh cut across the silence and echoed around the darkness. Suddenly she could see her whole face, a distorted smile plastered on it. Then the witch's entire body appeared. "Look, look at what you have done," her voice echoed maniacally.

Rinoa tried to closer her eyes but the images would appear behind her lids as well she knew this yet she had to try. "No, no I didn't do this!" She screamed. "You did this."

"Who's body is that? Who surrendered her mind?"

"I didn't know, I didn't know what was happening and you lied to me," she whispered.

"You were weak. You are weak. You couldn't even fight me for your family. You are pitiful, lowly, disgusting."

"No, No, No, NO, NO, NO!"

"Rinoa, RINOA! Wake up!" Someone was shaking her she realized vaguely. The room was still dark but the darkness now was not so absolute. "Rinoa are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?"

Rinoa moved to face the origin of the voice as if she'd only just realized it was there, which was mostly true. "Squall?" she whispered into the dark.

"Yes, it's me," he answered. "What happened?"

"It was… a nightmare," her voice sounded unsure and had a far off quality to it as if she was talking to him from the other side of a telephone.

"What was in the nightmare? Can you tell me?" She stared at him blankly. It had been a week since that night on the balcony where he had kissed her, where they were still heroes and the glory of their triumph was still fresh in their minds. A week since the nightmares had started. She had told no one. In truth she believed some of what she was told in these nightmares. The guilt was all hers. It had been her who had destroyed much of Esthar, who had killed innocent people by allowing the lunar cry flow down so freely and she was the one who released Adel…

"But I didn't do it. You made me. You did it!" She screamed.

"Rinoa? I didn't make you do anything. What did I do?" Squall asked confused by her sudden outburst.

"Squall?" she asked again as if she had forgotten he was there.

"Yes, Rinoa. The dream what was it?"

"It was her…"

"Who?"

"Don't make me say her name. That witch. She made me do it. It wasn't me Squall. I would never…. You know I would never…"

"Rinoa, it's okay. No one blames you," Squall answered finally understanding the problem.

She stared up into his eyes pleadingly. He tried to smile back at her to calm her but his face didn't seem to want to obey him. Suddenly she sprang at him barring her face in his chest. "Squall can I please sleep with you?" her voice was muffled from her proximity.

He didn't know what to say, so instead he wrapped his arms around her hoping she would understand that he was there for her. "Rin, I-I don't know if…" she pulled away to look him in the face again. Her eyes were watery and she looked so desperate. "Sure, Rin you can stay with me tonight," He said with a real smile.

"Thank you," she whispered standing slipping her hand into his. He went ridged for a moment from the foreign contact. She looked at him expectantly. He slipped off of the bed and led her across to the door, into the hallway and across to his room.

She immediately went to the bed and settled down on her chosen side. The light stayed on at her request that he left it on until she fell asleep. It didn't take long for her to be sleeping peacefully, but he left the light on longer. He had leaned against his desk watching over her as she fell into slumber thinking about her fragile state of mind when he awoke her from the nightmare. She seemed terrified to the point that she was acting almost like a child. Rinoa what is it you saw? He asked himself silently. He knew it must have been her, after all she had possessed Rinoa, forced her to do things she would have never done on her own. It was amazing that it hadn't taken affect on her before.

He took one last look at Rinoa. Peaceful, he thought. Then he turned the light off and laid down beside her making sure there was a little gap between them.

I know the summary was kind of weird, but this will be a linear story and it will all be part of the same story not a series of one shots. So this is chapter one and just fair warning there will be some weird pairings along with cannon and this story focuses on friendships as well not just romantic relationships. Also you can expect Seifer to show up sometime too. It's going to get interesting. Well I would appreciate reviews if you wouldn't mind. Of course if you don't feel like it deserves a review you could tell me why please? that would help too. Also if there is a pairing you are just dying to see if you tell me I might make it fit into the story so let me know.