All of the names, places, and characters in this story belong to Square Enix. I own nothing.
Rinoa sat on the cold stone, cursing her minimal attire. The wind was vicious around the high towers of Ultimecia's castle, and her thin top and short duster were doing little to shield her. She huddled closer to Squall, nestling her face against the warm fur of his jacket. Though it reeked of sweat and blood, it gave her great comfort; her knight was still here, protecting her.
She looked around at the rest of their team, her friends, all exhausted from seemingly endless battles. They had faced creatures from all over the world, in addition to Ultimecia's personal minions. Zell's Ehrgeiz gloves were ragged and thin, and even the boy himself seemed to be drained of energy. The usually active Selphie was slumped in a corner, her loud breathing muffled by Irvine's cowboy hat. The gunslinger was reloading Exeter, occasionally muttering something about Pulse Ammo and Iron Giants under his breath. Quistis was leaning on her elbows, looking out at the massive grounds. They had defeated every living thing in the entire castle, regaining their lost powers from Ultimecia's "servants." Now all that remained was the sorceress herself, she who had compressed time and sought to eliminate all life but her own. Rinoa could feel her powers emanating from the next room, yet she had made no move to attack. She was waiting for them, daring them to continue their journey.
While everyone seemed to be looking toward the future, Rinoa herself kept thinking back. She had done her best to fight alongside these SeeDs, these mercenaries who lived and breathed combat. She didn't want to be the weak member that cost someone their life. But ever since Adel had kidnapped her and junctioned with her, Rinoa's entire perspective had changed. The things she had heard during that battle, the memories, the visions…they couldn't be real. Could they? Rinoa tried to sleep, still haunted by the recollections of that day.