Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]

Grace Barton

Chapter Thirty-Five

As Rinoa's hand touched the sorceress' chest, a powerful explosion ripped through the auditorium. Several bolts of lightning shot out from the impact zone and flashed about the room. They shattered the remaining computer screens and even caused some of the chairs to be wrenched from their bolts and flung them around the room.

As the storm passed, silence returned to the room. On the podium, Sorceress Edea's face was locked in an expression of shock. Her eyes were wide; her pupils had narrowed into pinpoints. Her lips were parted, her mouth open in a half-scream. No sound passed through her lips.

Rinoa's hand was pressed against her chest. Her fingers were splayed and miniscule bolts of lightning continued to dance between them, leaving them numb. Rinoa let out a shaky breath. The Thundaga magic she had cast was so powerful it had affected her, too. Her muscles felt tight, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with a hot, itchy sensation.

Rinoa took a few more breaths, until her muscles began to ease. She withdrew her hand. The last of the flickering bolts faded from her hand.

Sorceress Edea stepped back. Her heel clicked against the floor, creating an echo in the silence. She took another step and then staggered, her heels sliding. The sorceress placed a trembling hand against her chest, over the spot where Rinoa had struck. The sorceress' eyebrows raised high.

"A… Ahhh…"

Her face seemed to crack. It was like a mask was slipping, crumbling into pieces. The sorceress' whole body shuddered, like strings being cut. She keeled over, clutching at her waist.

The ends of her dress rippled and a cloud of purple smoke billowed around her. It grew thick and then rose around her, shielding her from view. The cloud continued to glow and then, with a rumble, burst outwards.

Rinoa was the first to be caught up in the cloud. She raised her arms to defend herself as the cloud swallowed her up.

Behind her, Squall called her name and tried to stand, but then the cloud swept him up as well. The swordsman felt a powerful force fling him across the auditorium. He heard the cries of the others as they too were lifted and thrown away from the blast zone. For Squall the world spun in flashes of purple, grey and white. He hit the back wall, smacking his head against the metal. Then he was dropped, and he slumped onto the floor.

The purple cloud receded. In its wake was a hazy white light. Squall opened his eyes, winced in the brightness of the light. He groaned, closing his eyes again.

What happened… he wondered.

He opened his eyes again. The white light was still there, making everything around him nothing more than a blur. Every so often, whether it was the light or his own vision clearing, he could see a little more clearly.

Squall looked around him. He appeared to be on the main floor of the auditorium, away from the podium. He could not see the others, but he could hear them, somewhere nearby. The only person he could see was Seifer, lying on the floor close to him. The sorceress' knight was on his back, his head rolled to the side and his eyes closed. Squall tried to turn his head to look for the others, but his body felt heavy and refused to move.

My… body…

Movement came from his right. Squall groaned as he forced his stiff head to turn just enough to see Rinoa approaching from the right. She walked slowly across the auditorium floor. Her arms hung limp at her sides and her head swayed as though she was dizzy. Her feet seemed to drag across the floor, shuffling in slow, uneasy steps. She shuffled across the room until she reached the spot where Seifer lay. She paused. Her knees then bent as she sank down onto the floor next to Seifer.

Rinoa… Squall thought, flinching in the bright light.

As he watched, Rinoa leaned over. She placed one hand beneath Seifer's head and lifted it, cradling it in her palm. With her other hand she grasped hold of Seifer's, holding it close to her chest. She leaned over, her dark hair falling over her face so he could not se what she was doing.

Again Squall tried to move, to go to her, but as he moved a shockwave of pain went shooting through him, paralysing him. The swordsman let his head fall back. His eyes rolled into his head, and everything went white again.

When his vision cleared again, Seifer was no longer on the floor. He was standing next to Rinoa, his eyes fixed ahead as though lost in some strange dream. Or maybe it was Squall who was dreaming, the swordsman realised in alarm. He looked over at Rinoa. The woman was still kneeling on the floor, her arms raised in front of her, completely still.

Rinoa… he thought, his lips unmoving. Seifer…

Seifer picked up his gunblade. Without even glancing at Squall, he walked away.

Rinoa remained frozen on the floor. Her body shuddered; her arms fell limp at her sides, her head dropped onto her chest, and she fell facedown onto the floor.

His vision blurring again, Squall squeezed his eyes shut. His head felt thick and fuzzy… was he dreaming? When he opened his eyes again the white light was gone, and so was Seifer. Squall turned his head; it obeyed him at once. The swordsman shifted, his joints cracking, and he hissed in pain.

Footsteps clicked across the floor. In his fuzzy state, Squall was only vaguely away of Quistis running past him and kneeling at the spot where Rinoa and Seifer had been. "Rinoa? Are you all right?"

Squall tilted his head. Rinoa… Had something happened to her? Squall shook his head. It was still heavy and he could not focus. All he could think of then was getting to Rinoa and making sure she was all right. Using only that thought to drive him, Squall forced himself to stand. His body rejected every movement, fighting him, but he fought back until he was on his feet. He staggered away from the wall and was heading towards Quistis when a faint, familiar voice caused him to stop.

"Squall. Quistis. Selphie."

Squall felt his heart skip a beat. He knew that voice. It had laid buried in his deepest memories, but hearing it now brought all those memories to light once more. Quistis felt it too, for when she heard the voice even she seemed to freeze. The former instructor raised her head, looking up at the podium.

Squall did the same. His eyes rose until they rested upon the altar where Sorceress Edea now stood. She was leaning heavily against the altar, as though she was too weak to stand on her own. But there was something different about the sorceress who stood before them now. There was colour in her face, her eyes appeared soft and gentle, and her face was filled with emotion. But it was not hate that filled her. No… It was affection, warmth, and love. Her voice was filled with love, as she spoke the names of the children she had raised.

"Irvine. Zell." The sorceress' eyes filled, and tears began to stream down her smooth cheeks. "You've all grown so much… …and become so strong…" She was forced to pause as her voice broke, overcome with feeling. "I have waited for this day to come," she said when she could speak again. "And also feared this day would come. Is today a joyous day? Or an odious day?"

Again the sorceress paused, her lips trembling. Then the colour drained from her face once again as she looked up in terror. Fighting her own weakness, she gripped the sides of the microphone stand.

"Where is Ellone!" she cried, her voice and body shaking. "Have I protected Ellone!"

Protected… Ellone? Squall shook his head in bewilderment. …I don't understand, he thought. Just what was going on?

"Squall!"

It was Quistis. The instructor was still kneeling on the floor beside Rinoa, who was lying facedown on the cold floor.

"It's Rinoa…" Quistis whispered.

Squall looked over at Rinoa. Her face was barely visible beneath her dark hair, which had fallen over her face when she fell. Angelo was sitting by her head, his head low and whimpering in a low voice.

…Rinoa? What's wrong with Rinoa?

[End of Part Seven]

[Coming Next: Part Eight: Esthar]

[This is the end of the 2nd Instalment. The story will be continued in the 3rd Instalment]