Welcome back!! I know I just updated, thanks for reading, by the way, but I had to get this chapter up. It was originally two chapters but I smushed them together. Why? Cuz I know you'll review! Thanks to my readers in Ireland and India. Special thanks to anyone that has a big enough heart to review.

Enough talk, more reading!

Don't want to let it lay me down this time.
Drown my will to fly.
Here in the darkness I know myself.
Can't break free until I let it go.
Let me go…

--Lithium, Evanescence

Chapter Eleven: Revelation

For the months that followed, it seemed that order was finally prevailing throughout the region. The demand for SeeD was decreasing, but that wasn't such a bad thing. It meant less time being spent fighting and more time being spent with family and friends. Timber was still a hotspot, of course, but even the Galbadians were unusually quiet. Selphie and her committee had once again pulled off another Garden Festival in honor of this time of peace. Afterward the group disbanded temporarily; Quistis had left to visit the family that had adopted her, Selphie and Irvine had left for Trabia, and Zell was to leave the following morning with Phoebe, the girl with the pigtails. He said she wanted him to meet her family.

Rinoa lay in her bed looking up at the ceiling and played with the two feathers that were securely braided into a lock of her hair. Before she left, Selphie had intertwined them into her hair with the assistance of black yarn. Reflecting upon the months that had passed, she smiled to herself when she remembered that Ellone was coming from Esthar to visit and would arrive within the week. Squall still stuck around and worked, as expected, but at least she was seeing him more often. She had to admit that things were finally settling into a kind of normalcy despite everything they had endured during the Sorceress War.

Finally turning off the lights, Rinoa slipped under the sheets and fell to sleep, dreaming of things to come…

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Later that Night…

Kirsten sighed with relief as the Training Center doors shut behind her. She had finally found the 'Secret Area' and, after it hadn't lived up to her expectations, decided to work on her magic skills. On her way back to the dorms, she caught sight of Rinoa and went to catch up with her, until something caught her attention. Something about Rinoa seemed… off. She thought maybe she had an overactive imagination, but it looked like Rinoa was sleepwalking. She looked like she clearly knew where she was going, but her head was drooped to the side as if she weren't alert. Kirsten knew that trying to wake her was potentially dangerous, so she decided to follow her to make sure she didn't hurt herself.

She followed her from the Cafeteria all the way to the Main Entrance. Kirsten stopped following for fear of violating curfew, but Rinoa continued trudging through the entrance and toward the nearby Rinaul Coast. She watched Rinoa until she disappeared from her view. I guess she'll be okay out there. she thought to herself. She probably wasn't even asleep at all, right? I'll tell someone about this in the morning.

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For once Rinoa hadn't awakened at the Rinaul Coast, but she wasn't far away from it. Unlike the countless dreams she had before that were quiet and serene, she found herself looking up at a darkened sky. Black clouds swirled around each other angrily and the quickening wind blew her hair into her eyes. A terrible storm was in the near future and she was caught in the middle of it.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" She heard a familiar voice say behind her.

"What's going on? Why has everything changed?" Rinoa asked.

"This is what you would call the calm before the storm. A turning point, so to speak."

"I don't know who's worse with riddles, you or Matron!"

Her companion laughed. "Let me clarify things for you. I helped you, and now I need your help in return."

Rinoa folded her arms. I knew this was coming. "Okay, you did help me out, so…what is it you want?"

Her crimson lips curled into at smile. "My request is simple. I want to be with the one I love again."

"What? I'm sorry, but I-"

"If you had lost someone you loved dearly, wouldn't you do anything to be with them again?"

"…I guess if it was possible. But I can't go back into the past. I can't help you with that. I'm sorry."

"But you know someone who can."

Thunder grumbled in the background as the realization of what was being asked of her hit Rinoa. She narrowed her eyes. "You're a sorceress, aren't you? That's how you keep invading my dreams."

"Well, it took you long enough, but maybe you're not as naïve as I thought."

Rinoa shook her head suspiciously. "That's impossible! I'm the only one left."

A smirk was the only response Rinoa received.

"You do know that no one but you can survive Time Compression? Or is that really what you want?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's just a myth. How can you take the word of someone who has never experienced what their talking about? When time becomes compressed, I'll finally get to be with him again, not just look at him through another's eyes."

"And how do you know that what you say is true? You haven't been through it either!"

The woman chuckled and shrugged. "Just call it a hunch."

Rinoa was infuriated. It was like Ultimecia all over again. Just when things are going fine, someone always comes along to tear her sense of security to shreds.

"You aren't a sorceress. You're a monster that wants to compress time for her own selfish reasons, destroying everything and everyone in the process!"

"Monster?! Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"I would never drag Ellone into anything like that!" Rinoa yelled.

"Not even if you had lost Squall?"

That silenced Rinoa, as expected, making her rival laugh evilly. As if on cue, the thunder rolled again "Cat got your tongue?"

Rinoa lowered her head, her hair shielding her face. She clenched her fist hard and willed her control to return. "…If it was his time to go, I would just have to accept it and move on." she replied quietly.

"You don't sound very convincing, Rinoa. I think otherwise." The woman began walking slow, taunting circles around Rinoa as she spoke. "As a matter of fact, I know otherwise. If Squall had been killed, you would do everything in your power to bring him back. Even if that meant compressing time."

"I'll never help you do that. And neither will Ellone!" Her growing fury caused her to tremble uncontrollably.

"Oh, you'll help me, in fact, it'll be you who initiates it."

Her head snapped up revealing angry eyes. "What makes you so certain that I would do anything like that?"

The woman smiled and shrugged again. "Call it a hunch."

"That's it! I am fed up with the crazy dreams, the riddles, and the mind games! How do you know all of this, and for the last time, who are you?" she yelled.

Just as before, the woman turned to leave. "See for yourself. And this time, wake…up…"

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Rinoa awoke from her dream abruptly by a loud thunderclap. It was still dark, and instead of turning on a light and hurting her eyes, Rinoa felt her way to her bathroom to retrieve some aspirin. Her dream had given her a splitting headache. When she reached the sink, she turned on the cold water and attempted to wet her face, only to find that somehow she had managed to wrap herself in her sheets. Or so she thought.

Opening her eyes, she found that it was actually morning, and that the dark fabric covering her head had blocked the light. She looked down toward her feet, expecting to see her white sheets wrapped around her body, but instead she found herself wearing a dark cloak. She had nothing like this in her closet, yet the garment was eerily familiar. Fear instantly crept into her as she remembered their conversation and the woman's parting words. (Who are you?… Have you looked in the mirror lately?… You're a sorceress, aren't you?… This time, wake…up!) With trembling hands, Rinoa slowly lifted the hood…and was met with her own eyes. Like a scene from a horror movie, her mind's eye replayed everything about the mystery woman, every subtle hint; her eerily familiar voice, the shape of her body, the feathers in her hair that were identical to Rinoa's. Even the fact that she knew what would happen when their bond was complete. What was once such a mystery was now so painfully obvious. Oh Hyne, this can't be happening! That woman, that monster, is…me!

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"Commander Leonhart, Sir?" Squall heard a small voice call through his thick office door.

"Come in." he said in a gruff tone. Things were so slow that, for once, he had finished all of his paperwork and was in the middle of a heated round of internet chess and didn't want to be disturbed. When his door opened, he was surprised to see a young cadet. He knew it wasn't Rinoa before the door opened, but usually the cadets, especially the younger ones, kept their distance.

"Sir, um, I-I just came past t-to say that…that I…"

Squall leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk, still listening to the girl's incessant rambling. He was becoming more irritated with every word, but said nothing. Rinoa often scolded him on snapping at cadets. Damn Rinoa.

_____________________________

Rinoa stared into the mirror in disbelief. The tears that had welled in her eyes spilled over as she let out a piercing scream and smashed the mirror with her fists. Shattered glass slashed and punctured her flesh, yet she couldn't feel the pain.

______________________________

"I mean it was past curfew, b-but I was training, and then-"

"What is your student ID number?" he cut in.

"Um, 92-1648...sir."

Squall typed the numbers into the computer database. "Kirsten Wilco?"

Kirsten saluted. "Yes sir."

"Starting Monday you are to begin Public Speaking as an elective, and for you, it is mandatory. Now slowly tell me what you have to say."

"Okay. I think something is wrong with Rinoa."

"What do you mean? What's wrong with her?" he said, instantly rising from his chair so quickly that it startled Kirsten.

"Uh…uh, it's j-just that, that night when I was training… I-It could have been nothing…"

"Slowly!"

"O-ok… Does Rinoa sleepwalk?"

________________________

Rage, fear, contempt, confusion, and helplessness all fought for dominance in Rinoa's mind. In a blind fury, she tore the cloak from her slender frame. With strength previously unknown, she ripped its thick fabric into jagged pieces, screaming incoherent phrases and obscenities at it through her sobs. Although it offered a release, her ire wasn't yet satisfied.

__________________________

Squall shifted his eyes and thought for a second. Kirsten watched as his eyes flitted from the now forgotten papers on his desk, to the computer screen, the door, and several other places. Squall's mind worked frantically yet he could recall no instances of her sleepwalking. The only time that it looked like she was sleepwalking was when…

…When she was possessed.

Once again, his mind worked overtime to come up with some other explanation, yet in his heart he knew the painful truth. As much as she wanted to deny it, she is still a sorceress and, therefore, is still vulnerable.

The young cadet was becoming increasingly nervous with the Commander's silence.

"…S-sir? Are you-"

"When did this happen?" he cut her off.

"Just last night. I-I saw her leaving the campus, but I swear I didn't take a step out of-"

"Did you say anything to her?"

"Um… I was going to, but-"

"Did she say anything to you?"

Kirsten shook her head. Squall found it harder to breathe with every passing moment, and his heart and throat constricted with his next question…

_____________________________

Shards from the ceramic glass she kept at her sink flew through the air when Rinoa flung it into the shower wall, one of them slicing her delicate cheek. She angrily pulled down the shower curtain, its thin and brightly colored plastic tearing easily. Having used so much force to pull it down, she tumbled to the floor when it gave way. Rinoa curled into a ball on the cold linoleum and pondered whether or not she had finally gone mad as thoughts of suicide entered her head for the first time in her life…

__________________________

"How did she look?" Squall asked, his voice wavering. He watched in horror as she mimicked what she saw Rinoa do the night before; her head was limp, her body slouched, and most disturbingly, her eyes vacant.

"…Like this." Just like how Rinoa looked on the Lunar Base…

"Tell no one of what you saw. Dismissed." Without a second thought, he fled the room, leaving a confused Kirsten in his wake.

_____________________________

Squall barely waited for the green light to signal that Rinoa's door was opened before he stormed inside. It had taken him several tries with his master key to open her dorm, the fear of what he would be faced with when he entered causing his hands to shake. At first glance everything looked normal, until he saw the few pieces of broken glass littering the floor by her bathroom. He quickly moved to the door. The sound of glass breaking under his footsteps and his pounding heart were deafening in the silent room. When he reached the bathroom, he prayed that the GF's would take away this memory.

Rinoa lay in a crumpled heap on the floor with her arms crossed protectively across her chest. She was surrounded in broken glass and shredded clothing material. Her gaze was unfocused, her expression blank, her lips mouthing something indecipherable. What was most disturbing of all was the blood that was smeared on her arms and face. Spots of blood also stained the walls.

…What the hell happened?!

______________________________________________________________________

"Ow!"

Rinoa yelped when Squall pulled another shard of glass from the side of her hand with a pair of tweezers, and tried unsuccessfully to pull her hand away from his grasp. Being the stronger of the two, Squall held fast and glared at her through narrowed eyes. Instead of arousing any suspicions from Dr. Kadowaki, he decided to tend to Rinoa himself. He was trained in first aid, after all, and didn't have time to answer any questions as to how Rinoa had gotten injured.

"This wouldn't hurt so much if you would keep still." he mumbled. His brow was furrowed as he concentrated on removing the last of the glass from her hand. When it was finally removed he gently cleaned the dried blood from her wounds. Rinoa watched as he carefully dressed her hand in gauze. "Leave that on for a few hours until the bleeding stops. After that, just be careful when you wash your hands. If it starts to hurt too bad just take some aspirin."

Rinoa mumbled her thanks and moved to get up but was still caught in Squall's grasp. "I'm not done." he said in an angry tone. She had been dreading explaining to him what had happened. He had taken so long to ask her that she actually thought she was off the hook. Sitting back down, she lowered her eyes and prepared for the coming lecture. Instead he lifted both of her bandaged hands to his face and, to her surprise, tenderly kissed each one. Rinoa closed her eyes at the gesture and willed her sudden tears not to fall. He would be an excellent father. If only he could live long enough for it to happen…

"What are you hiding from me?" Squall's voice sounded pained and it sent a shiver of guilt through Rinoa's body. There was no point in trying to lie to her Knight because he already knew, so she did the next best thing: avoided the question.

"I was expecting you to yell at me." she said softly.

"Why do you think I've been silent for the past hour? I've been trying not to yell at you. Stop avoiding the question."

"What makes you think I'm hiding something?"

Squall sighed hard. She always picked the perfect times to be difficult. "Because I haven't heard your thoughts in my head all day. You're trying not to think because I'll pick up on something. Stop avoiding the question! What is it?"

In her heart, Rinoa knew he was right. She had been trying to mask the reason behind her breakdown. The perks of their bond were sometimes a blessing and a curse. Sometimes her heart would melt when she found out that all the times he would stare at her for no apparent reason he was really marveling at how much he loved her, and other times like now, she wished their minds were still closed to one another. At least then she had privacy. At least then she could hide.

Rinoa looked into his eyes and began. "Would you do anything for me?"

Squall tilted his head. He wasn't expecting to hear something like that. "Yes."

"Would you… If it were to protect me… Would you kill for me?"

His voice lowered. "Yes. I already have."

Rinoa looked away and fell silent as her mind's eye flashed to dozens of slain Galbadian soldiers. She knew this was no memory of hers, but that of Squall's. Suddenly the future sorceress's actions didn't seem as monstrous as she had first believed. How many soldiers had Squall killed to protect her in Timber, in Deling City, in Garden itself? Her logic was warped, but she wasn't a monster. Once upon a time, she was human. A human that loved deeply and would do anything for the one they loved, even kill another.

Just like Squall.

Just like Rinoa.

"Rinoa?" His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts and back to the conversation.

She lifted her eyes to meet his and the tears she had been trying to hold back escaped.

"Would you… die for me?" she asked, her voice nearly inaudible.

Just as vehemently he answered, "Yes."

Why did Squall feel like the time bomb sitting in his stomach was about to go off?

"I-I think you… I wish you wouldn't, Squall, but I can't stop it because…" She couldn't find the strength to finish. How do you tell someone…

"What, Rin?" He placed his hands on her shoulders and made her face him. "Tell me what?"

How do you tell someone…

"Because it's already happened."

…That they're going to die?

_________________________________

Squall's hand paced the length of Rinoa's back, effectively settling her. Finally she had fallen into a fitful sleep and he wished he could follow behind. How could he sleep now after hearing what he had tonight?

Rinoa told him everything. Every dream she had, everything she was told by this mystery sorceress. Even about her knight's untimely death.

"What?" was all he could manage to say. His Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to swallow the bile that suddenly rose in his throat. What the hell did she mean by that?!

"You don't make it, Squall." Her voice wavered with every word. "You were murdered while trying to protect me."

He wasn't afraid of death. Many SeeD's weren't. There was a morbid joke of Garden's that 'all SeeD's have an invisible expiration date on their packaging'. Besides, he didn't concern himself with what would happen in the life after, he had enough worries in this one. He even figured he would die in battle anyway, unless he retired before that could happen. But what happened to everything going right after Ultimecia was defeated? His life, their lives, were finally starting to go right, and now 'he's not going to make it'?!

"I refuse." He said angrily.

"What?"

"I refuse to believe that, and you should too!"

Instinct made him hold her closer as he remembered the fight that followed. His Rin was not a monster. She wasn't Ultimecia, no matter how much the rumors said otherwise. Someone else wanted to compress time, not Rinoa.

"How can I choose to ignore that, Squall?! She knew about our bond!"

"So because she knew one thing, you're taking everything she says as truth?"

"Why would she lie about something like that?"

"Hyne, Rinoa! Do you hear yourself? You're damning me to die!"

He couldn't recall ever yelling at her the way he did tonight. And now thinking back on it he felt terrible. She didn't deserve it, being the messenger and all, but he had to get through to her somehow. He refused to believe it, and he needed her to feel the same.

"That's not how it is and you know it!"

"Ok. You may not wish me to die but you sure are taking some random bitch's side instead of mine!"

"That bitch is me, Squall! We are the same person-"

"You are not the same!"

He couldn't recall ever cursing around her either, or her cursing around him for that matter. He didn't know she knew how.

"You mean to tell me you believe that, Rin? You believe that you and that… woman, are the same?"

Her breath caught in her throat and he could tell her tears would soon follow. She didn't answer.

"You do believe it, don't you?" He asked solemnly.

Rinoa wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. Her voice thick with emotion, she muttered, "What other explanation can their be?"

Squall walked toward her, removed her arms from around her waist, and wrapped them around his. Almost instantly he felt large teardrops slide down his chest.

"Listen, Rin. I know you're scared of what may happen, of what may happen to me or of what you could become. But I need you to believe in me. Believe in us!"

The apology that followed was unspoken, but understood. Fear masked in rage had caused both of them to say things more harshly than necessary. But they needed to be said. He had protected her before, and he would do it again. He may not have a plan, but he wouldn't lose. He couldn't lose.

"I can't protect you if you don't have faith in me. I can't do this without you."

Somehow they had ended up in her bed. He couldn't remember exactly how, but the trail of clothing they left told their own story. They were both afraid of what the future held for them, and found comfort in forgetting, if only for a while. They found comfort in each other.

Squall felt Rinoa's awareness rising as she woke from her place on his chest. They smiled tiredly at each other as blue light slowly swirled around her, then disappeared into her body, followed by Rinoa whispering something that he would thank her for later.

"Sleep."

His body instantly relaxed into the bed, his head falling to rest on top of hers.

***

Betcha didn't see that one coming! (ok maybe you did, but you weren't sure, were you?)

As always, have a heart, please review!