Anticipation built in Rinoa's chest as the airship approached Edea's house. She could feel it already: the giddiness, the exhilaration, the sweet release awaiting her. She reached out and scratched Angelo behind the ears, and tried not to squirm in her seat.

"Bet you guys are pretty excited," Zell shouted over the sound of the engine. "A weekend away from Garden, some quality time together. You really deserve this break."

"It's not a break," Squall answered, riffling through a folder across his lap. "We're here so Rinoa can work on her powers, and gauge how much they've changed, then report the results to Dr. Odine."

"Man, why do you gotta be so dull? It's not like you're gonna spend every hour working, right?"

"… Maybe."

"I'm excited for the weekend," Rinoa piped up, feeling the truth of her statement tingling in her legs.

Zell laughed. "Right on! See, Rinoa gets it! I'll bet you just don't wanna admit what you're excited for, huh, Squall?"

Squall's ears turned red, and he cleared his throat and shuffled the papers some more. "Whatever."

As the airship descended, Rinoa couldn't sit still any longer. She unfastened her seatbelt and stood beside the hatch, bouncing impatiently on the balls of her feet as Zell landed the ship and extended the ramp. Once the hatch had opened wide enough for Angelo to squeeze through, she exited and looked back at Rinoa expectantly. Rinoa waited a few more moments, then pushed through, herself.

"Thanks, Zell," she called over her shoulder, then took off running toward the orphanage. Zell's response and Squall's warnings faded away behind her as she sprinted toward the old stone house. She ran past the gate, past the flower field, through the house, to the beach. She felt her pent-up energy rise inside of her, straining against the limits of her body, almost suffocating in its intensity, accompanied by a growing heat between her shoulder blades. She cried out, in surprise and relief, when those ephemeral wings broke through her skin. She leapt into the air and flapped them, once, twice, thrilled at the control she was gaining over them, and glided down toward the ocean.

She skimmed the surface and rose again, wrapping the wings tightly around her body and spinning, higher and higher, before flinging them open wide and unleashing a barrage of spells over the open water.

Fire, ice, lightning. Meteors and holy light. Great cyclones that raised pillars of water and sent them crashing down, flooding the beach with the resulting waves. It had been so long since she'd been able to release this kind of power; her exercises in Balamb Garden's Training Center were tame, toothless, by comparison, relieving immediate pressure but never really satisfying. Here, however, on this beach at the end of the world, she was free. Free to give full rein to the power thrumming through her veins, free to indulge the craving that nibbled at the edges of her mind.

She understood why Edea had chosen to make her home here.

Behind her, Angelo stood halfway down the steps to the beach, barking excitedly and pawing the ground. Minutes later, Squall joined her, and they both settled down to watch the remainder of Rinoa's display.

The surge of power ended suddenly, and a delicious emptiness overtook Rinoa as her wings began to fade and she lowered herself to the ground. The last of the large waves lapped around her ankles, letting water seep in through the eyelets in her boots and cool her overheated body. Sighing, she staggered to the steps and sat on the lowest one, leaning back and welcoming Angelo's affectionate nuzzling.

"You good?" Squall asked, looking down at her. When she nodded, he sat on the step above her, letting her rest against his legs, taking her hands into his own.

"Thank you," she said, "for bringing me out here. I don't know what I'd do if I had to keep everything bottled up forever."

"It's my job. I have to monitor your powers and report back to—"

"That's just an excuse. We could easily do that by reserving the Training Center for a few hours. But then, I'd have to worry: who might see what I can do? What would they think of my power? Of me? Here, I can just let it out, no witnesses, no judgment. I can just be me. So, thanks."

Squall said nothing, but instead, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Rinoa reached up and slid her fingers into his hair, holding him close, enjoying his warmth, and feeling, for this moment, at least, completely satisfied, completely at peace.

Completely safe.

⁂

Squall said it looked exhausting, pushing her skills to their limits, and it was, but it was also exhilarating. As they moved through spells by class, Rinoa recognized her own progress over the past two years, in terms of power and control. She could focus a Flare spell on a single rock, or freeze the entire beach with one Blizzaga. Meteor became a beautiful shower of shooting stars miles away, and Holy lit the lighthouse beacon with a pure, white light.

When the tests were complete, and Squall was compiling the data, Rinoa wandered through the old house, Angelo trotting close behind. While Edea remained at Balamb Garden, she and Cid had begun renovating the house, bit by bit, rewiring some rooms and installing a generator powered by conveniently-sourced Dynamo Stones. As such, there was now enough light by which to comfortably read at night, and Rinoa availed herself of the opportunity, as well as of Edea's invitation to look through any books and notes on magic she might have left lying about.

Rinoa found a batch of such materials in a crate in the corner of one room. Though many had been damaged by the elements, they were still legible, and she plopped down on the spot to flip through a book. In addition to information about magic spells, the book also included a list of skills sorceresses could master. Levitation, telepathy, mind control – its corresponding section blacked out by a thick marker, with "Too dangerous!" written in the margin in Edea's hand – and teleportation. Rinoa pored over the information on that last skill, recalling how Edea had seemed to melt through the floor of Galbadia Garden's Master Room before making a dramatic entrance in the auditorium, and pondering how convenient it must be to never have to walk long distances.

Yes, very convenient, and speedy. No longer would she need to sprint to the cafeteria to catch the remainder of breakfast service, no longer would she detain departures with her tardiness, no longer would she have to sit in a chair in Odine's laboratory and endure his tests. She could teleport straight out of there, really tick off old Odine, and negotiate more favorable testing conditions for herself.

This could be very useful.

She read over the instructions three times, in full. Most of them were basic: close your eyes, relax, focus. Envision your desired result – in this case, your desired destination. Focus, again, don't forget to breathe, now cast yourself, like a spell. Open your eyes; you are in a new place.

"It doesn't seem so hard," Rinoa said, looking at Angelo lying beside her. "Maybe I should give it a try, just here in this room."

Angelo made no noise, but moved only her eyes to look at Rinoa, her expression clear: bad idea.

"Just from here to the other end. I learned to fly on my own; how much harder can this be, especially with instructions?" Rinoa rose and dusted herself off, then turned toward the far corner of the room. "Really, Angelo, you're getting as bad as Squall. Now I have two worrywarts to deal with."

Still facing her intended destination, Rinoa closed her eyes, trying to envision herself standing there, trying to imagine the view from that spot. Every other thought drifted to the back of her mind, fading into shadow, until the corner of the room came into sharp focus. There, her target. Now – deep breath – cast.

She heard a crackle, felt a tingle throughout her body, like a very weak Thunder spell, and opened her eyes to see the crate of books she'd rummaged through at the other end of the room. She'd done it! Angelo was on her feet, barking and whining and running in a tight circle, over the open book beside her, tearing its fragile pages beneath her claws.

"Angelo, no! Come here, girl, come here. Look, I did it!" Rinoa knelt to pet Angelo. "I told you I could. It was easy. Now, watch, I'll do it again."

Rinoa stood, closed her eyes, and focused, and teleported back to the other side of the room. Angelo was completely distraught now, barking louder than before, and throwing her head back and howling.

"No, shh, shh! I'm all right, see? All right. Shh, shh! You're gonna worry Squall, and then he'll –"

"Rinoa!" Squall called, opening the door. "Rinoa, what's wrong? I heard Angelo howling, and –"

"It's nothing," Rinoa answered, glancing around for an excuse. "I just … um, I just dropped some of these books when I was taking them out of the crate, and that must've startled her."

Squall frowned. "I didn't hear anything fall."

"Well, I didn't drop them from very high up. Angelo was asleep, though, probably a very deep sleep, and it scared her." She cast a quick glare at Angelo, who did not look repentant at all; in fact, Angelo walked up to Squall and nuzzled his hand, like a frightened child might cling to its mother's leg.

"Are you sure that's all it was? Nothing outside? Nothing with you?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine here. Angelo can be a silly dog, sometimes … you know?"

Squall looked at Angelo and petted her head, then turned back to Rinoa with narrowed eyes. "Not very often," he said. "You're sure nothing is wrong? Absolutely certain?"

"Of course! Why would I lie?" Realizing her denial was her getting nowhere, Rinoa dialed up the charm. She slunk towards Squall and took his Griever pedant into one hand, tracing its details with the index finger of her other and glancing up at him through her lashes. "Especially if it distracts you from your work. It's our last night here, and I want you to finish as quickly as possible … leave a little time just for us."

The color mounted in his cheeks, and she knew she'd escaped his interrogation this time. "As long as you're sure," he said.

"Absolutely! Now, go and finish up. I'll be waiting." She kissed him on the cheek and nudged him through the door, then shut it quickly and leaned against it. "Thanks a lot," she hissed at Angelo. "I hate lying. I'm no good at it!"

When she was certain Squall had returned to his work, she returned to practicing, teleporting back and forth across the room. Angelo, utterly defeated, lay down, whimpering, and covered her face with her paws.

⁂

Rinoa enjoyed her new ability, and used it often, in the privacy of her Garden dorm, learning to focus more clearly, reducing the sound and sensation until they were hardly noticeable, teleporting with – what she hoped was – incredible stealth.

She couldn't know that for sure, though, until she tried it out in someone else's presence.

"Come in." Squall motioned Rinoa into his office when he noticed her lingering in the doorway. "Everything all right?"

"Mostly," Rinoa replied, closing the door behind her as she entered. "I need to talk to you … about my magic."

"What is it?" He immediately shoved aside the papers he was reading and looked at her through wide eyes.

"It's gotten pretty strong. But not too strong, right?"

"You have it under control."

"So, a new skill wouldn't seem strange, then, would it? It wouldn't be, like, a red flag, or a trip straight to Dr. Odine?"

"Depends on what it is."

"It's … interesting."

"What new skill, Rinoa?"

"Well –" She closed her eyes, and teleported behind Squall's desk, near his right elbow – "this one."

Squall stood and scrambled backwards, tipping over his chair. "What the –? Where the hell did you learn to do that?!"

"Edea."

"Edea," Squall repeated, righting his chair. "And when did this happen?"

"Recently."

"I can't imagine she'd remember that skill fondly, considering how Ultimecia exploited it in G-Garden."

Rinoa shrugged.

Squall sighed. "Where did you really learn it?"

"Like I said, Edea …" she trailed off as she met his glare, and let her shoulders slump. "Edea's house. It was in one of the books I found. I tried it, and it came pretty easily. That's why Angelo was freaking out that night. I'm sorry I lied to you about it, but I wanted to perfect it before showing you, and I didn't think you'd want me to continue if you knew."

"You're right. I'd rather you not continue now."

"But it's so useful! By the way, did I make any sounds? Any funny visuals?"

"None. But I think you're forgetting the position you're in. You are the only known sorceress in the world right now, which pins you as Ultimecia's predecessor. Everyone who knows that is going to be looking for traces of her in you. Unusual skills, strange behaviors." Squall shook his head. "What might Odine say? What might Cid say?"

"I'm not her, okay? Just because she might – might – inherit my power centuries from now doesn't mean that she got her evil from me, too. You said it yourself, there have been many good sorceresses. Sorceresses who probably weren't afraid of having a little fun with their powers now and then."

"Sorceresses who weren't under intense scrutiny. Sorceresses who didn't live among the very people trained to hunt them if they got out of control."

Rinoa walked back around the desk and sat in the chair, swinging her feet in front of her. "I know," she said at last. "But I'm not out of control; you saw so, yourself. And this teleportation skill, it's not even a spell. It can't do any damage, it can't hurt anybody."

"I realize that, but –"

"I promise, I won't use it in crowded places. I won't use it around people who don't already know me and trust me. They'll understand it's not bad."

"I'd rather you not, but I can't stop you." Squall crossed his arms on the desk and leaned forward. "Just be careful. If anyone thought you might be turning … I'll never hurt you, but I really don't want to have to fight the rest of Garden."

Rinoa grinned, then saluted. "Sure thing! I'll be careful, I promise." She rose and walked to the door, pausing before she opened it. "But, just in case … I think we could easily take on the rest of Garden, if we fight together."

She winked and laughed, then ducked out of the office before Squall could stammer out a response.

⁂

"Whoo-hoo! Super cool!" Selphie perched on the back of a bench in the Quad and clapped when Rinoa teleported a few feet to the side. Next to Selphie, seated properly, Quistis smiled and nodded.

"Impressive," she said, "but are you sure it's safe?"

"One hundred percent," Rinoa replied. "It doesn't use any magic spells, and it doesn't have any other physical effects. It's just a matter of focusing."

"Focusing, huh?" Selphie said. "Does that mean anyone can do it?"

"I'm not sure. Theoretically, I guess it does."

"Ooh, I wanna try! Okay, Rinnie, walk me through. What do I do first?"

Rinoa relayed the instructions she'd read in the book. Selphie closed her eyes tightly and screwed up her features, turning red with concentration.

"Remember to breathe," Rinoa said.

"Uh-huh. Breathe, yeah. Breathe, breathe, yikes!" Lost in concentration, Selphie leaned too far back, and, to prevent herself from falling off the bench, flung her weight forward and tumbled off in that direction.

"Considering Selphie's result," Quistis said dryly, "I'd adjust your claim to ninety-nine percent sure."

"I wasn't comfortable," Selphie said, inspecting her hands and knees for scrapes. "It's hard to concentrate and balance at the same time. Okay, Rinnie, let's go again."

"Perhaps we'd better not," Rinoa said. "You might hurt yourself."

"Don't worry about me! A few cuts and scrapes are nothing to a SeeD!" She smiled at Rinoa, but when Rinoa refused to give in, she shrugged. "Well, you told me all the steps, already. I guess I can practice on my own. Just think, popping in on Irvy at all the worst times! If that doesn't cure him of his naughty magazine obsession, I don't know what will."

"I wish I could at least feign surprise that that was your first thought of how to use this," Quistis said, grinning and shaking her head, "but it's pretty standard Selphie."

"I'm nothing if not reliable!" Selphie sat back on the bench. "So, Rinnie, do we get another demonstration?"

"Sorry, but no," Rinoa replied. "I promised Squall I wouldn't use this skill in crowded places –"

"Crowded? We're the only ones here! Everyone's in class."

"Or at work," Quistis said, glancing at her watch, then to Selphie, "as we both should be. See you later, Rinoa. Come on, Selphie."

"Aww, I wanted to see that neato trick again," Selphie whined, but bid Rinoa farewell. "I just gotta know how it works!"

Rinoa watched her friends approach the Quad exit, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. After a quick look around to make sure no one else was nearby, she closed her eyes, focused, and met them, and their startled cries, at the exit.

"There," she said, hands on her hips, triumphant. "Happy now?"

"You bet!" Selphie laughed. "Wow, Rinnie, you're just full of surprises!"

⁂

Indeed, she was. And she kept surprising herself by discovering just how far the teleportation range extended. There seemed to be no limit to where she could go, aside from her own visualization skills and Squall's warning.

She couldn't help using it to her advantage from time to time, like teleporting out after curfew to procure snacks from the cafeteria's vending machines, or a new book from the library when she'd finished her current one. She was always careful to move quietly at her destination, and to properly check out the book the next morning, figuring that, so long as she caused no trouble, no one would have any reason to suspect her.

Within the month, teleporting became second nature to her, and an endless source of entertainment for Selphie, who challenged her to reach otherwise inaccessible areas, or a number of destinations within a time limit, checking in at each via a two-way radio.

Squall did not know about these games. He would have put an immediate stop to them, if he had. In retrospect, Rinoa wished he had discovered them.

Then, she wouldn't be in her current predicament.

"Rinnie," Selphie shouted into her radio, "where are you, now?"

"Hallway," Rinoa responded, though she had little time to tell which one before her surroundings changed. "No, dorms … parking lot … restroom – ah, wrong one!"

"Get out of there!"

"I'm in the Quad, now. I think it's calmed down … nope, second floor, now."

"Well, at least your radio's going with you."

"A lot of help that is!" Rinoa was aware of the commotion building around her as students left their morning classes and discovered their resident sorceress popping up in random locations, only to disappear just as suddenly.

"Rinnie, calm down. I think you're making it worse."

"I'm trying! Nothing's working."

"Remember to breathe. Breathe, with me. In … out … in … out …"

"I'm back in the Quad … Infirmary … Training Center…"

"How did this happen?"

"I wish I knew! I was trying to complete one of your silly challenges, then I just couldn't … oh no, the front gate."

"Don't leave the Garden!"

"I don't plan to!" Rinoa grasped one of the bars of the gate and tried to steady her mind. Selphie had challenged her that morning to make a round of Balamb Garden in less than two minutes. With each of the key locations in mind, she'd been successful, but before Selphie could congratulate her, she'd unintentionally teleported again, this time to the third-floor office, right in front of Xu.

She'd panicked. She immediately tried to teleport anywhere else in Garden, but her frenzied mind couldn't settle on one location. As Selphie's list looped through her thoughts, Rinoa was unable to focus on one place, and so continued shifting about, her distress only exacerbating the problem.

The cool wrought-iron bar in her hand pulled her back to her senses somewhat, and she was preparing to teleport back to the safety of her dorm room, when her radio crackled and Selphie's voice came across, loud and shrill.

"Don't leave, Rinnie! Come back, please!"

Rinoa started at the sound, panic running hot through her limbs once more, and found her ordeal far from over. She eventually threw the radio into the pond in the Training Center, and tried to focus her thoughts again, struggling to block out the excited chatter around her, the faces contorted in confusion and fascination.

She took a deep breath, and visualized her dorm room. She imagined her bed there, Angelo curled up at the foot of it; she imagined the way the sunlight filtered through the blinds, the way the drawer on her nightstand wasn't perfectly aligned. She imagined the relative silence it provided, and she imagined crawling under the bed and hiding there for the next year, if not forever.

Angelo's cold nose against her leg brought her back to the moment, and Rinoa fell to her knees and hugged Angelo in relief. Then, before she had a chance to teleport outside again, she rummaged through her drawer and slapped an Odine bangle on her wrist.

Instantly, a fog descended on her mind, dulling her senses and the details around her, and making it nearly impossible to muster the concentration necessary to cast even the weakest fire spell.

She sat on her bed, holding Angelo close, and listened for any activity around her. She heard a few students pass by, chattering excitedly, followed by footsteps and a light knocking on her door.

"Rinoa?" Quistis' voice came from the other side. "Are you in there?"

"Come in," Rinoa called back, as loudly as she dared.

Quistis opened the door and stepped through, relief and amusement playing across her features. "You caused quite a stir out there," she said, then raised a radio near her mouth. "Trepe to Leonhart. I found her. Dorm room."

"Copy." Squall's voice came back, distorted by static.

"So," Quistis continued, sitting on the foot of the bed, "what's the percentage of certainty now? Fifty?"

Rinoa smiled weakly. "More like five."

"Any idea what happened?"

"Xu scared me."

Quistis laughed. "I hear that a lot."

"I teleported into the third-floor office by mistake, and she saw me. I panicked, and … I guess I lost control."

"But you were able to regain it." Quistis nodded to the Odine bangle. "That's what's important. You can still take care of yourself."

Rinoa groaned. "I just hope Squall sees it that way."

"I think he'll come around. Once he gets that big lecture out of his system."

And he had one. He arrived a few minutes later with Edea, and spent the next forty minutes detailing every rule Rinoa – and Selphie – had broken and emphasizing the importance of maintaining at least the appearance of being in control of her powers, all the while interspersing his reprimand with concerns for Rinoa's safety and assurances he was on her side.

"But you sure as hell don't make it easy," he grumbled.

"I know," Rinoa said hanging her head, "and I'm sorry. Very, very sorry. It's just … it's just so exciting when I learn more about myself, and what I can do, and I guess I got carried away. I thought I had it under control, but one silly little mistake, and I fell apart."

"It takes a long time to master," Edea said, taking her hand. "Even when you seem to have done so, that is only under certain conditions. You must learn to keep a level head in every possible situation. And even I was unable to do that.

"If you would like some guidance, I am pleased to offer you what I can. If you have questions about your powers, or new skills you'd like to try, talk to me. I will try my best to help you. Those powers may not be inside me anymore, but I spent most of my life with them, and I know a thing or two about how they work." She patted Rinoa's hand and excused herself.

Squall sat down at the foot of the bed with a groan. "You really outdid yourself today, Rinoa," he said. "Everyone's talking about it. We'll be in damage control for weeks, if not longer."

"What are you going to tell everyone?" Rinoa asked.

"Side effects. Edea suggested it. You got sick, took some medicine, and it had unforeseen side effects. Cid got Dr. Kadowaki on board with it, so that's the official story."

"Oh." Rinoa bit her lip. "What about Xu? Is she okay with it? I mean, she actually saw me teleport; I don't think that did very much for her confidence in me."

Squall chuckled, lifting one corner of his mouth. "Xu left work early today. She said she wasn't feeling well. I think you scared her."

"Scared her? That's quite a reversal."

"And more than a little satisfying." Realizing he'd said it aloud, Squall looked at her, stern again. "Hey, that's a secret between you and me. Got it?"

"Got it!" Moving Angelo aside, Rinoa leaned against Squall's shoulder. "Thanks, Squall, for looking out for me. I know I can be a pain."

"No, you're just impulsive. And reckless. A little naïve, still, even after –"

"Just accept my thanks."

"Fine. But you're not off the hook."

"What? Seriously?" Rinoa pulled back and looked at him. He was serious.

"I love you, Rinoa, and I'd fight to the death to protect you, but I have to hold you accountable for your actions, too. Selphie's already received her punishment, for her role as an accomplice: a one-rank demotion and six weeks on kitchen cleaning duty."

Rinoa winced. "What's mine, then? A month in the Sorceress Memorial?"

"Don't be absurd. No, it's a month with the Odine bangle. Twenty-four seven. And lessons with Edea."

"Lessons?"

"Yes. While the rest of us are working, you'll go over spells and lore with Edea." Squall shrugged. "You did say you liked learning more about who you are."

"Yes, but …" Rinoa's argument died on her lips when she realized its futility. She sighed. "Fine. I suppose it's only fair."

"Good. You start tomorrow, 0800 hours, sharp."

"Tomorrow? But tomorrow's Friday."

"It's still a workday." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, then let his hand slide down her arm to the bangle. "Don't worry, the month will pass quickly."

"It's a long time to not use magic."

"It is, isn't it? I suppose you'll be rusty." A faint, mischievous grin crossed his lips. "In need of practice. Another trip to Centra might be in order."

Rinoa brightened. "Ooh, the perfect excuse for a getaway."

"Please, though, no new spells or skills or whatever, at least not without consulting Edea first."

"I promise." In response to her excitement, the bangle sent another shot of its active agent into her arm, dulling her enthusiasm. She flopped back on the bed and glared at the bangle as Squall headed for the door. "I really learned my lesson, this time."

She waited until she heard the door close behind Squall, then motioned Angelo close. "Yeah, I learned this lesson," she said with a melancholy smile, "but I'm guessing the world has plenty more to teach. Isn't that right, girl?"

- END -