Author's Note: I hate Seifer. I really do. But I had to make him sweet here. For reasons that will be revealed soon. Insert evil laugh here

Chapter 2: Lost Memories and SnakeEyes

Rinoa stumbled through the dark halls of Balamb Gardens, all alone but for the few night-owl students, many of whom seemed drunk. No one bothered her, though. She looked like one of them, the light and life gone from her black eyes, all sense of worth gone out of her body. She tripped, and stumbled, falling to the floor, not even motivated to try to lift herself again.

Tears could not describe the pain she was experiencing; there was something in Squall's eyes that showed his memories of her were not simply lost, but gone forever.

His grip was like ice…Rinoa tried to remember happy times as she drifted off to a numbing sleep on the Gardens' ground.


She drifted into a dreamless sleep and her next conscious thought, was that her arms and legs were swinging as if she was being…carried. Two fingers pressed on her forehead causing her to slowly open her eyes and face a pair of sky blue ones.

"Hello." He whispered in his rough voice, "You gave them all quite a scare, wandering off like that…" She knew who he was, she just couldn't seem to say it, and instead she stared at him, blankly.

"I heard what happened. I'm sorry." He murmured in her ear, not sounding very sorry, "But a girl like you shouldn't be out this late. Even if we are at a school." Rinoa understood what he was trying to say:

"A girl with a rack and an ass like yours, wearing the clothes you're wearing, shouldn't drop your guard around a bunch of hormonal, teenage guys."

"I'm sorry…" She replied, her voice barely a whisper on the wind, but he seemed satisfied.

"Ah! There they are!" He said, cheerfully, his pace becoming brisker, "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"RINOA!!" Screamed a girl, whose voice Rinoa also recognized, "HE'S FOUND HER!! Where was she?"

"Calm down Miss Gainsborough." He soothed, "She was just laying on the floor by the dorms. Nothing big." Her name struck a chord in Rinoa's soul; she knew a 'Miss Gainsborough'.

"Aerith…" She whispered, "Yuna…"

"Oh yes! It's me! You remember!! Yuna!! She called for you!!" Aerith cried. It seemed like hundreds of hands were on Rinoa soon afterward, and she twisted toward the man who held her. She heard Yuna's mild voice calling her sweetly,

"Oh, Rinoa…Thank Yevon you're safe…" And Tifa, gently whispering to her,

"Hey, you're okay, right? You're our tough girl, huh?" And then Quistis,

"Thank you for bringing her to us, Seifer." Rinoa jolted. Suddenly it was as if the fog had cleared from her head, and she saw the world clearly for the first time in hours. She twisted her head, and saw Seifer smiling at her with his teeth and his eyes, his blond hair a bit disheveled from lack of sleep.

"My pleasure." He said, staring at her with fondness, sympathy, and, what looked eerily like, desire. But strangely enough she was happy to see him.

"I'll take her." Said Zell, pulling her into his arms, but her arms stretched out for Seifer and his familiar hold on her. He ruffled her hair with his hand and his cool breath tickled her nose,

"Sleep Rinoa…Go back to sleep…"

"Draw, Sleep." Whispered Selphie, probably drawing a sleep spell from Seifer, and then the darkness claimed Rinoa again.


She awoke in one of the dorm beds, Aerith on one side of her, Yuna on the other. Aerith was so peaceful when she slept, but Yuna was fitful, and her expression was worried. The alarm clock on the bedside stand read 2:30 P.M. and Rinoa squeaked in surprise.

"We stayed up till three A.M. looking for you." Tifa laughed, making her presence known, "Not that it matters. I got up at five anyway…"

"Why?" Asked Rinoa.

"Because, back in Edge, I gotta clean up the bar from previous night and I wanna say bye to Cloud if he leaves, before he does." Tifa shook her head smiling, "Sometimes he'll leave for a month, and I won't get to hear his voice cause he doesn't answer his phone. So I guess seeing him off is the best I can do." Rinoa could hear the burning passion Tifa had for her childhood friend underneath the seemingly innocent words, but she wasn't focusing on that,

"N-no, why did you all come looking for me?" Tifa smiled, melancholy, but beatifically,

"Rinnie, we love you! We can't stand to see you suffer and hell!" Rinoa jumped as Tifa's mood swung to frustration and she stomped her foot on the ground, "And hell, if I can't win the man I love, then, dammit, I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure you get yours!" Rinoa grinned briefly and looked to where Tifa's foot had left a long crack on the floor,

"Wow, you really love him, huh?" Tifa sighed, and, with great difficulty, crossed her arms over her chest,

"More and more every day." Both girls jumped, as there was a hard knock on the door, and Tifa ran to answer it.

Meanwhile, Rinoa thought how much she would love to be Tifa, not for the body, or the beauty, or her natural grace, but how the man she loved cared about her even a little.

"I would give anything…" She whispered, "Anything if you just remembered me, or even held me…even if it was just for a moment…" Tifa ran back in,

"Hey Rinnie. It's Seifer. He says he wants to talk to you." Rinoa nodded and leapt quietly over Aerith, only stopping to drag a brush through her hair,

"I'll see you later, Tifa." Tifa nodded.

Seifer stood in the doorway in his signature long white coat, even though it was still fall in the Gardens. As soon as she saw him, it felt like Rinoa's spirits lifted just the slightest bit, and she half-smiled at him. He returned it with one of his blazingly white, devil grins that Rinoa used to love.

"Nice to see you conscious and feeling better!" He said, happily. Rinoa's face fell a bit,

"I'm not really I'm just happy to see yo--."

"You know what will do that good?" Asked Seifer, interrupting her, "Fresh air! What do you say to a walk with me?" Rinoa already felt lighter just being around him, and she liked it. When she was around Seifer it felt like she was on top of the world and she could do anything. It was nothing compared to the feeling of warm longing she felt with Squall, but it was better than her numbing sorrow.

"Yes." She said, to his excitement, "Y-yes, I do believe a walk will do me some good." Seifer offered her his arm, but she politely refused. He didn't seem deterred and the two of them began to walk off. Tifa stood in the window, staring at Rinoa's fragile smile and at Seifer's expression.

He reminded her of hungry snake. Like Sephiroth's expression when he saw his 'mother'.

"Be careful, Rinnie." She said with slitted eyes, "I don't trust that man any more than I do Don Corneo…"


Rinoa was feeling marginally better as she walked through Balamb Gardens with Seifer, but her good mood shattered as instantly as it had come. Selphie and Zell, both bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, flanked Squall as he walked through the Gardens, ignoring everyone. His eyes narrowed with dislike when he saw Seifer, but he put on the airs of being polite,

"Seifer you know the rules… No--."

"I know, I know!!" Complained Seifer returning the hostility, "No guys or girls from outside campus can go on dates with students in the Gardens! I think I've written that rulebook twenty times in detention thanks to you…" Rinoa felt like her heart, or what was left of it, began to crumble again, as Seifer continued.

"But this is a health-related exercise. She needs fresh air and good company to regain her health, right?" He asked, putting a protective arm around her. Squall sighed in anger,

"She has a poor taste in company, but whatever. Just don't shirk your duties because of her, Almasy." Seifer mocked a salute and the two groups passed each other. Rinoa thought she might collapse, as Squall didn't even send her a backward glance and Seifer sensed her anguish,

"C'mon. This place is so damn stuffy. Let's go outside." Rinoa didn't even have the will to protest, even if she had wanted to.


The two reached the fields outside the Gardens around 3:30, but Rinoa was still feeling like stake was jabbed into her heart. Seifer seemed less confident as well, and kept looking at her as if she might break any minute. She finally did, her legs buckling under her. She would have hit the ground, had Seifer not pulled her to his chest to steady her.

"I-I'm sorry…" She sobbed, "Y-you were so nice trying t-to cheer me up, but I…" He stroked her hair,

"It's okay. I understand. He hurt you badly…" Rinoa nodded, and suddenly his tone became serious and husky, "Hey, the real reason I asked you out here today, was because I wanted to ask you something. Do you think we could start up what he had again?" Rinoa froze in shock, but thankfully a huge explosion from the Gardens interrupted her train of thought.

Agony washed over her as her mind screamed, 'SQUALLLLLL!!"