Descent Into Darkness

Okay just a little filler to the story. It will get good next time. You know the drill; no copyright infringements are hopefully violated. Please R/R if you want or get the chance. I will make the corrections to the first two sections in the next few days. Also thank you to the people who suggested changes on the last sections.

Descent Into Darkness-Chapter 4-6

"I want to have the festival at the beach of the old orphanage. It is the perfect spot, outdoors, little to decorate. It would be a great place to grill some food and relax, something different than the usual formal festival we have here at the Garden," Selphie explained to the festival committee. "We can hang a few lights and build a huge bonfire. It is also fitting to have it on Hollow's night, the power influx of magic and the Gf's."

"Why at the old orphanage? There are other beaches we could crash," asked Darren, a new SeeD who just joined the Garden a month ago.

"It just seems like the perfect place. We can park the Garden and spread out in the area without getting in anyone's way. Do you have the time to decorate and plan a huge party in the next week?" Selphie responded.

The committee just stared at Selphie. Over the last month the carefree girl was slowly disappearing. They looked at each other and quietly shook their heads in unison.

"Thank you. Lets meet tomorrow to discuss food and entertainment at the same time."

The group disappeared from the conference room, except Zell. Zell took a long look at Selphie, she had bags under her brown eyes and was starting to look gaunt. He knew he no longer could procrastinate on this conversation. With a sigh Zell sat down at the edge of the table and looked up at Selphie. "What's wrong? You haven't been yourself lately."

"If you have noticed none of us have not normal lately," was Selphie's response.

"Sure, people change as they get older, but what happened to the Selphie I first meet at the trials?"

Selphie looked at the window and became enamored in a leaf blowing in the wind. "I just don't feel like myself lately. It's like I do not fit into my own skin anymore. At night I dream of places and times I cannot remember. It feels like two different people are pulling me in two different directions. Irvine does not even give me the time of day now since I started having these dreams. I just don't know what to do Zell," Selphie whispered with tears rolling down her checks.

"When did this start?" Zell asked while pulling her into her arms.

"About a month ago."

Silence ensued for a few minutes. "What can I do to help you, where do you want to go?" Zell asked, holding Selphie's head up so he could look her in the eyes.

"I don't know. I think that the answers are going to come soon." Selphie responded, looking gravely out at the window.

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"Oh my, the Great Hyne," Rinoa choked out looking at the woman who stood before her. Closing her eyes, she let darkness engulf her.

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"So where does all this start Matron," Squall asked, looking at the ocean. "You know something that I need to know."

Matron sat down on a rock next to the beach, watching the tide roll in. "Are you prepared to deal with the repercussions Squall? With a glance she took in the stoic boy, no a man. He had survived three sorceresses and was the commander of the garden. The little boy that had come to the orphanage was now a man. Time had slipped by so quickly, always taking the old memories and replacing them with new memories, never ending or stopping, like the tide that rolled onto the beach every morning.

Chapter 5

Rinoa woke up in a full sized bed with a light purple comforter. Stretching she surveyed the room. It was small and cozy with a few pictures of a little girl holding a doll. Turning the picture around she opened the door and stood in the door jam for a second, taking the house in, evaluating it with all of her senses. Walking down the stairs she found a batch of chocolate chip cookies, just out of the oven, invading the house with its sweet and tempting smell.

The living room had more pictures. A little girl at the beach, a young woman in a red dress smiling at the camera, a man with long black hair with a devilish smile. Conflicting emotions ran high in Rinoa as she walked towards the back door of the house. The door emitted a soft creak as the door inched open. The backyard was filled with rose bushes. Next to the fire and ice roses a woman sat, delicately trimming the wilting roses off the bush. Without hesitation her voice rang out.

"Welcome home daughter."

Chapter 6

The garden slowly made its way towards the southern continent's coast to the old orphanage where all of Balamb's heroes grew up. At the helm, Xu watched the scenery roll past. This was her favorite spot. She could control her world without much interference and think about the past and events to come. She was excited to go back to the orphanage to see Cid and Edea. After the time off to see to Edea, Cid was going to return to the garden.

Down below thing were not as peaceful. In Dorm B a young woman was drenched in sweat, unable to wake up from her nightmare. Selphie found herself on the beach. In front of her stood a hooded character armed with a Shooting Star. Without a sound the figure aimed its weapon and pressed the trigger.

"No!!!" Selphie screamed. A crash came from her living room and a curse. A figure burst in the door and grabbed her, crushing her with his arms.

"What's wrong Selphie, did you have another nightmare," Zell gasped.

"She is going to kill us all," Selphie cried out. "She is going to kill us."

"Who?" yelled Zell.

"Rinoa."

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"You are not my mother," spat out Rinoa. "My mother died in a car crash a long time ago."

"How I wish that was true." Julia looked up from the dead rose she held in her hand. "You are my little angel, I remember when you got your first kitten and you named him General after your father. There was the time you brought in mud pies for the dinner we had for the President. You told me you wanted to marry a man with dark hair and blue eyes like your father before I die…. left you. The night before I left I gave you the angel doll and told you she would watch over you if I could not." Do you remember that night Rinoa?"

Rinoa just stood in the middle of the garden, no words coming to her, no screams, no emotions. Julia held open her arms and announced "Come here Angel."

"It is you," Rinoa whispered while throwing herself in her arms of her mother with tears streaking down her checks.