Everything's Under
(her) Control
By Faronon Star Wolf
Author's notes: Written for the 31days prompt for May 16th, "we share our mother's health".
(fithos)
Rinoa, what's wrong?
…it's nothing, Matron.
Yes, it is something. You never call me Matron.
I'm sorry. I just—do you remember what it was like? Being under her control?
…Yes, I remember.
I wake up at night sometimes and I can almost hear her, I can almost believe that we didn't—that she's still there, waiting. That she's just waiting for me to—
That's impossible. I inherited her powers. I was there when she died.
Then she is still here! She's here, in me—I don't—
Rinoa—Rinoa, you need to calm down.
(lusec)
Are you feeling better
now?
Yes, I—thank you. I'm sorry.
It's alright. I understand why you were so upset.
It scares me.
I know. I feel the same. But just because you have her powers doesn't mean that she still exists.
I don't want to be like her.
Rinoa, you have a knight. There's no way that you could.
And Squall's a SeeD. What if—
He's the Commander. The only way that—anything would happen to him would be if the rest of Garden was destroyed.
He's resigning—he just told me last night. And if he's just a regular SeeD, he'll be—he could—
Shh, Rinoa.
(wecos)
Did she lose her
knight? Is that why she wanted to compress time?
It was that, yes—among other things.
Other things?
Garden… announces her existence. The world will hate and fear her, and she will be hunted for centuries, even before her birth.
I have to—I'll tell Squall, and we'll stop it, and—
Rinoa—the announcement is happening today. It's happening right now.
(vinosec)
What will happen to us?
You and I—we will be fine. Garden will protect us.
And the others—if there are any?
…they will not be so lucky.
…I don't want to be like her, but I—
I know, Rinoa, I know. I feel the same.