The Commander

by Selphie Leonhart

Six months after the defeat of Ultimecia, a new evil threatens the SeeD's, this time as one of their own.

2. Default Chapter Title

The Commander ~ Part Two ~ Under Her Control

By Selphie Leonhart

Part two of the sequel to FF8, in part one Squall left the others to protect Rinoa, and joined Sorceress Oriscala as her Knight.

Rated: 15 for bad language, violence, and adult subject matter.

"I will be your Knight." he said with more confidence. Oriscala smiled at Squall. He looked at her coldly. She stepped away from him as he replaced the gunblade in it's sheath.

"My Knight. Good. Thankyou Squall. Now, you must do something for me." she said softly. Squall gazed at her. He was stunned by her beauty, and felt light-headed in her presence.

"Anything," he said with difficulty. She looked back to the thrones, her long blonde curls tumbling over her shoulders.

"Seifer. Get rid of him for me, Squall." she said in a heartbreakingly sad voice. Seifer, hearing this, stood up. His face was twisted in confusion.

"Of course." he said, giving Seifer a malevolent glance. Seifer stepped down from his throne, gesturing wildly with his gunblade.

"Mistress! What is going on! This is Squall Leonhart!" he said. The Sorceress's mouth curled into an ugly smile which only Seifer saw.

"And he is more suited to me than you are. Squall, get rid of him. I no longer need him." she said in a hissing voice. Seifer gasped, and ran towards the Sorceress.

"Your Excellency...but you said...everything about loyalty, love..." he said, heartbroken. The Sorceress gave a contemptuous laugh.

"Seifer. I told you, you have much to learn. This is your education." she said evilly. His expression turned from one of disbelief to rage. He turned to Squall, slashing through the air with his gunblade.

"You'll pay for this Leonhart!" he cried, lunging forward at Squall. Squall dodged the attack easily, ducking under the whistling blade. He drew his own, and used it to block the lightning fast attack Seifer shot at him. Oriscala watched the battle, a smug smile on her face. Slowly, she retreated to her throne, watching the pair duel.

Seifer let out a cry of rage as Squall slashed his arm, and blood stained the polished wood floor. He aimed a fatal blow at Squall, which missed his neck by inches, but the tip of Seifer's blade bit into his shoulder, ripping through the leather coat and cotton shirt he was wearing. In pain, Squall performed Rough Divide, and Seifer was left reeling from the damaging attack, blood streaming down his face from the slashed open scar on his forehead. He stepped away, blocking one more of Squall's attacks.

"I'll go," he shouted at Squall, anger still evident in his voice as he backed down. Squall glared at him, fire in his eyes. He still hadn't forgotten what Seifer had done to Quistis. Seifer walked briskly out of the hall, slamming one of the huge double doors behind him. Squall turned to Oriscala, clutching his shoulder. She smiled graciously at him.

"Well done." she said sweetly. She looked to her left, to Fujin. The younger girl was pale, and looked slightly sick.

"Fujin?" Squall said in surprise. He was shocked that she hadn't defended Seifer. Oriscala smiled smugly.

"Fujin is my handmaid. She isn't Seifer's little toy any longer." Oriscala said loftily. Squall walked towards the two woman, his bloodied gunblade dragging along the highly polished floor. Oriscala looked at him almost lovingly.

"Squall, my knight, you are hurt. Let me help you." she said, standing and gliding over to him in a swirl of crimson velvet and satin. He stood still, staring at her rich beauty as she laid a hand on his shoulder. He felt a warmth spread through him, and a tingling in his shoulder where the cut was. She removed her hand, and gazed at him with her big amber eyes. He stared back, unable to tear his eyes away from her beautiful, child-like face. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You have served me well. Thankyou." she whispered in her soft voice. Squall made no response, instead gazing wistfully at the lips which uttered those words. Oriscala drew away from him slightly, and turned her back on him, her cascading curls swinging as she walked away. "We have work to do." she said in a bored voice. Fujin immediately stood and followed her. She glanced behind her at Squall, and he thought the girl looked very sad. He followed the pair without a word.

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Selphie tried to comfort Rinoa as she sobbed. It was difficult, Rinoa seemed to possess strength she had never had before, and was able to fling her friends across the room whenever they came too close to her. Instead, Selphie stood a few feet away, talking to her softly.

"Rinoa...please tell us why you are upset. Squall will come back, don't worry," she said desperately. It didn't work. Selphie looked helplessly at Zell and Irvine.

"Yeah...Rinoa, It's not like he's gonna leave us," said Irvine awkwardly. Rinoa made no response, but sobbed even louder. Irvine shrugged. Zell didn't even try to say anything, instead he stared at the double doors they had just came out of.

"Hey, guys, I think somethings going on in there...." he said anxiously. Selphie glanced at the door, and heard a cry of rage. Her emerald eyes widened.

"Oh my God," she murmured, running to the door. "Squall! Squall!" she cried, trying her hardest to open the door. Zell and Irvine rushed to her, both trying in vain to open the door. It wouldn't open, however hard they tried. Selphie looked around at the others with frightened eyes.

"Squall's in there, alone with the Sorceress and Seifer. We have to help him!" she cried. Irvine looked at her helplessly.

"I can't open the door. There's nothing we can do, Selph," he said to her. She sighed in frustration, and shook the doorhandle again. They could hear the clash of gunblades from the other room.

"Sounds like he's doing okay for himself," said Zell, trying to reassure Selphie. She made no response. Suddenly, there was another cry, followed by silence.

"That wasn't Squall," Selphie said quietly. They all stepped back from the door, and waited expectantly. Eventually the door opened wide, and Seifer stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Selphie confronted him.

"What the hell is going on Seifer?! Where is Quistis, and what's happened to Squall?" she demanded of him. He stared at her as if he had never seen her before. Then he turned away, and looked at Rinoa who was standing still, staring at him. Then, the others watched in shock as she walked over to him, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Rinoa!" cried Selphie. Rinoa didn't budge, Seifer, surprised, put his arms around her, and rubbed her back gently. She rested her head against his chest, without speaking. Seifer stared down at the beautiful girl in his arms, not really knowing what was going on.

"Rinoa! What are you doing?!" Selphie yelled again. The smaller girl was very stressed, which was rare for her, because she had a sense of everything suddenly being beyond her control. Rinoa actually responded this time. She drew away from Seifer and gazed at him.

"He's no longer with her. He's one of us now." she said in a dream-like manner. Seifer shook his head.

"I don't know what you are talking about Rinoa." he said. She smiled at him.

"Seifer. You know now, she is evil. Squall had fallen to her. You..." she trailed off, and shut her eyes. Seifer took a step towards her. "Rinoa?" he asked. She exhaled sharply, a shudder running through her body. Then she collapsed, for the second time that day. Selphie, Zell and Irvine rushed to her side as Seifer knelt next to her.

"Rinoa, please wake up," he said, patting her cheeks lightly. There was no response.

"What a fool I was," whispered Seifer, mostly to himself. Selphie heard him.

"Wow, you've realised at last." she said sarcastically. He ignored her, and lifted Rinoa's fallen body.

"I wanted power, and glory, and I thought only an even more powerful Sorceress could give it to me. One who ruled with hatred. Because I thought that was stronger. But now I see, you can't depend on someone like that. I put all my hope into her, and she just used me to bring Squall here. God, I haven't even got Fujin anymore," He said sadly. Selphie felt a twinge of sympathy for him. She watched him as he tenderly carried Rinoa's body to another door. She walked up to him.

"Have you really changed Seifer? Can we depend on you? Or is this just another plot to destroy Garden, and for you to get everything?" she asked flatly. He gazed at her, searching her deep green eyes for a trace of understanding.

"Selphie, I know I've been wrong. I guess there's no way I can reassure you. But isn't it obvious? Squall is with her now. You need a leader, and Rinoa needs a knight. Oriscala told me she was a Sorceress, and she felt uneasy about her. Maybe Rinoa is a threat to Oriscala. In that case, she needs protection. I will be her Knight." he said, with a tight smile. Selphie didn't look happy, but nodded all the same.

"If it's alright with you guys," she said, turning to her two friends. They shrugged, and Zell looked at Seifer suspiciously.

"I don't want to trust him, Selph, but it doesn't look like we have a choice."

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The Sorceress floated out of the room, leaving Squall and Fujin feeling empty. Squall shut his eyes, and tried to figure out what was going on. He was startled to feel a hand on his shoulder.

"Fujin?" he said softly. The girl nodded to him, gazing into his eyes with her own colourless one.

"Squall, what's happened to Seifer?" she asked sadly. Squall frowned. He was surprised Fujin hadn't left when Seifer had. He shrugged.

"I don't know." he replied. Fujin sighed.

"I want to be with him." she said softly. Squall looked at her, curious.

"Fujin, why do you devote yourself to him, when he doesn't appear to care for you at all?" he asked. He wasn't being nasty, or trying to upset her, he just wanted to know. She sighed again.

"I just....he's my leader. He needs me, even if he doesn't know it. I belong to him. I didn't chose it, it just happened." she said sadly. Squall felt sympathetic to her.

"Fujin, I'm sure he's alright. He always could take care of himself," Squall said with a hint of bitterness. He was remembering what Rinoa had told him about Quistis.

"Fujin, what happened to Quistis?" he asked her. Fujin looked at him strangely.

"She is Quistis. The Sorceress. Didn't you know?" she asked, surprised. Squall nodded.

"Yeah, I knew that. I just want to know all that happened to her before it. For certain." he said. Fujin looked uncomfortable.

"She...we took her from the classroom, and brought her here. She was kept tied to the bed in one of the rooms, and Dr Mitchell put the Crystal Ashen inside her stomach. That's what gives the Sorceress her powers. And what keeps Quistis alive. That's the downside of the Crystal. Dr Odine had thought that the Crystal would get rid of the previous person completely once the Sorceress took over, but it doesn't. It just stores them, inside the Crystal. Without that person still alive, the Sorceress would die. The Crystal Ashen only works if the woman it is in feels great anger, pain or frustration. It feeds off negative energy, and grows. Quistis...she felt all of those." Fujin told him emotionless. Squall nodded, restraining his own anger.

"Seifer. What did he do to her?" he asked in a controlled voice. Fujin looked at him calmly.

"You know what he did, don't you?" she said. Squall angrily hit his fist on the arm of the chair Fujin was sitting in. She didn't react.

"Damn him." he said with gritted teeth. She looked at him with a hint of sympathy.

"I can't say anything to make it better for you. So don't make me." she said flatly. He didn't look at her.

"I should have killed him when I had the chance." he muttered. Fujin sighed.

"You weren't meant to. If the Sorceress had wanted you to, she would have not let him escape. As it is, he is now with the other Sorceress. The one inside the body of your Rinoa." Fujin said coldly. Squall closed his eyes, remembering the terrible urge he had to kill Rinoa when he saw her. It made him feel so guilty and powerless.

"Does Rinoa know she is possessed?" he asked Fujin. The younger girl shrugged.

"I don't think so. Quistis doesn't." She replied in an uninterested voice.

"But she spoke to me...she begged me to protect her. Wasn't that Quistis?" he asked. Fujin nodded impatiently.

"Yes. From time to time, the Sorceress inside Quistis will fade for a while, and Quistis will come through. When she asked you to become her Knight, that was Quistis. She was asking you to protect her."

"From who?!" asked Squall. Fujin bit her lip.

"From Rinoa." she replied.

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Rinoa woke up in Seifer's arms. For a minute, she thought he was Squall, and smiled to herself. Then she realised who he was, and jumped to her feet.

"What's going on?!" she cried. Selphie looked at her from across the other side of the car.

"You....became a Sorceress again, and blacked out. Really, Rinoa, do you choose the most inconvenient moments," she said with a smile. Rinoa wasn't amused. She whirled around to face Seifer.

"What happened? Where's Squall?!" she asked. Seifer looked at her incredulously.

"You don't remember? Squall decided to become Sorceress Oriscala's Knight. He left you guys for her and Fujin." said Seifer bitterly. Rinoa gasped, feeling a hollowness inside her.

"Why?" she breathed in a barely audible voice. Selphie, sensing her friends distress, stood to help her.

"Rinoa, come and sit down," she said gently, leading Rinoa to the seat next to her.

"Why did he leave us, Selphie?" she asked softly. Selphie shrugged.

"Quistis....she asked him to protect her." Selphie said. Rinoa bit her lower lip to stop it trembling.

"But he...he promised me...he would always be my Knight." she said, feeling her heart physically ache. Selphie felt awful.

"Rinoa, I don't know what is going on. But something wasn't right there. Whatever that was, it wasn't Quistis. And Squall wasn't acting like himself." she said. Rinoa looked at her angrily.

"Then why did all of you leave him there!" she cried. Selphie winced.

"We didn't have a choice. Squall made his decision. He fought Seifer, and we were locked out. We had to get you away from him." Selphie said reluctantly. Rinoa looked confused.

"Why?" she asked Selphie shut her eyes.

"Because he would have killed you."

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Fujin stepped over to the couch Oriscala laid on, her golden hair tumbling over her gently rising and falling chest as the Sorceress slept. Fujin sensed a change in her as she watched. Suddenly the Sorceress opened her eyes. They were a clear blue. Fujin breathed in sharply.

"Quistis?" she said quickly. Quistis looked around her with frightened eyes, gazing down at herself, pulling at her long curling hair questioningly.

"Fujin? What...what's happened to me?" she asked in a scared voice. Fujin looked at her coldly.

"You have been possessed by Oriscala. The only reason you are here is because the Sorceress is sleeping. Quistis, don't try and fight it. It is useless. There is no chance for you or your friends to win." Fujin said dryly. Quistis stared at her.

"Where are my friends?" she asked, horrible images going through her mind.

"They were here. To rescue you. They've left now." Fujin said smugly. Quistis felt tears of despair falling down her cheeks.

"They....they've gone?" she asked shakily. Fujin nodded.

"Except Squall." she said. Quistis' eyes lit up.

"Squall? He's still here?" she asked. Fujin smiled tightly.

"He's decided to become your Knight. Well, Sorceress Oriscala's Knight." Fujin said almost happily. Quistis opened her eyes wide in horror.

"He's under her control?!" she said. Fujin nodded, then a shadow passed over her face.

"He fought Seifer. He and Seifer...I guess they swapped places. He is now with your friends. Squall is with you. I suppose now they are enemies." She said thoughtfully. Fujin hadn't realised that before. She wondered whether she would end up having to fight Seifer. For some reason, the thought didn't inspire as much horror in her as it would have usually done. Quistis on the other hand, looked devastated.

"This is it...without Squall...they have no hope," she murmured. Fujin felt uneasy.

"Just go back to sleep. Make this easy on yourself." she ordered. Trying to get rid of the chill which had suddenly come over her.

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Back in Esthar, Laguna was furious. And it was terrifying. Even Ellone was hiding in a corner, and the various servants were keeping out of his way. No-one had ever seen the President of Esthar angry before.

"You just went and left him there! What kind of friends are you!?!" he yelled at Irvine and Zell. Selphie and Rinoa both seemed close to tears when faced with Squall's shocked father.

"We...we didn't have a choice. He decided to stay with Quistis. We couldn't stop him." Irvine explained. Selphie stepped forward.

"There was something wrong with him. He was acting out of character. He almost killed Rinoa." she said to Laguna. He shook his head.

"I can't believe you just left him there..." he said, but there was no anger in his voice any longer. Rinoa pushed past Selphie.

"We have to get him back." she said softly. Everyone stared at her.

"We can't force him. And anyway, we have bigger problems to worry about," said Zell. Rinoa narrowed her eyes at him.

"Like what?!" she asked him. Zell swallowed.

"Like them." he said, pointing out of the window. Rinoa walked over to it, and gasped as she looked out. The streets of Esthar were crawling with thousands of monsters, some were flying around the palace, and there were no people in sight. The monsters were huge.

"What! When did this happen?" she asked. Laguna sighed.

"A few hours ago. While you were sleeping." he said. "The army is keeping them from invading the palace, but there seems to be an unlimited number of them." he said. Ellone stepped up to the window beside Rinoa.

"I know you are scared for him. I am too. But Squall can look after himself. I'm sure he'll be fine." she said with a little smile. Rinoa turned her face to Squall's adopted sister. The older girl looked sympathetic, and her brown eyes were filled with warmth.

"I hope so," she said quietly.

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Oriscala stepped out of the caves, and into the sunshine. Squall and Fujin followed her. Both were dressed in the same asexual style of clothes, black trousers, black slash-neck pullovers. Because both of them had very striking features, it made them look gothic and in a way ethereal. Both had their weapons, Squall his silver gunblade, Fujin a new platinum pinwheel which was called First Light. They both walked behind Oriscala silently, walking next to each other. They followed her to a carriage, which was surrounded by seven or eight of the dwarves. Oriscala spoke to them.

"My servants. We are going to Esthar Palace. My army is already there, and it is your duty to escort us to the palace. You will not be harmed by the monsters, they know who we are." she said to them. One of them opened the door to the carriage, and the three tall figures got into it, led by Oriscala. Once inside, the door was shut, and the carriage set off. Oriscala smiled at Squall and Fujin.

"You know why we are going to Esthar, don't you?" she asked them, a slight edge to her voice. Both nodded silently. Oriscala smiled. "You, Squall, are to assassinate the President. You will do that for me, wont you? To protect me?" she asked him, clasping his warm hand in her cold one. Squall gazed into her amber eyes, expressionless.

"Of course." he replied.

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Seifer called the others over to the window. "Hey, somethings happening out there," he said, pointing outside. The waves of monsters seemed to be diminishing, and something was coming towards them. Rinoa frowned.

"What is it?" she asked. Irvine stared at the black speck, which was becoming larger as it neared the Palace.

"Holy shit...it's the Sorceress," he said, backing away. Everyone looked at him.

"How can you tell? They're so far away!" said Selphie. He shook his head.

"I'm a sniper. My eyesight is better than yours. Anyway, look closely. There are three people in the carriage. A woman with long blonde hair. It has to be her. And I don't think they are here for a reconciliation." he said grimly. Rinoa bit her lip anxiously.

"I hope Squall is there." she said quietly. Selphie frowned.

"I hope he isn't. Because we'd have to fight him. You do realise that, don't you Rinoa?" she said gently. Rinoa spun round to face her angrily.

"We can't fight Squall! He's our leader!" she cried. Selphie shook her head.

"Look, Rinoa, I love Squall too. But...he's switched sides. It may not be his fault, but he is protecting the Sorceress. And she is evil. He may even be on his way to try and kill us." she said, swallowing hard. Rinoa turned back to the window, putting her hand on the glass as it began to rain.

"I will never fight him." she promised herself, watching the carriage draw nearer. Nervously, she clutched the necklace she was wearing, feeling the comforting coldness of the two rings she wore around her neck. It wouldn't be long now, before she found out whether or not she could save Squall.

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Squall stepped out of the carriage into the pouring rain. He wasn't wearing a belt or a sheath for his weapon, so he had to hold the silver blade constantly. He waited patiently for Fujin and Oriscala to descend from the carriage before walking behind her towards the Palace. He felt totally blank, and empty, the only thought he had was that he was protecting Quistis. Nothing else seemed important.

As they neared the Palace, Oriscala turned to him, and looked at him intensely. "Squall, you know what you have to do now." she prompted him. He stared at her, his sea- blue eyes piercing in their intensity.

"Yes. Kill the President." he replied. She smiled and nodded.

"Good. Fujin and I will be with you. But you will fight." she said to him. He nodded, and stepped in front of the Sorceress.

"I'll protect you Quistis. I'm your Knight." he said. She smiled evilly, her amber eyes glowing.

"Yes. You are." she said softly. He walked forward, into the Palace. The two women followed him. Eventually they got to the throne room. The rest of the Palace was empty. Squall pushed open the door.

He was faced with Seifer, his gunblade ready to attack. Immediately Squall levelled his own blade at Seifer's neck, waiting for instructions from his mistress. Oriscala stepped forward, a smug smile on her face.

"Seifer! My former Knight. I'm so sorry I had to replace you, but I found someone much more suitable." she said in a melodious voice. Seifer glared at her.

"Oriscala, you don't fool me anymore. You can't control me like that pathetic boy," he said with a glance at Squall. Oriscala's expression turned ugly.

"Let's see just how pathetic he really is." she whispered, her eyes taking on a reddish tint. Squall lunged forward at Seifer without warning, and there were gasps of surprise from the people watching. Selphie stepped forward, a look of horror on her face as Seifer stumbled from the deep slash on his chest. She cast Cure on him instinctively. Oriscala shot her a furious look, and raising one graceful arm, sent a sphere of energy out to Selphie, throwing her hard across the room. Selphie landed on the floor with a thud, and Irvine immediately rushed over to her. The others watched as Seifer attacked Squall, and once again the clash of gunblades rang in the air.

Rinoa watched the furious battle with tears streaking down her face. She felt like she was losing everything. It was all upside down. If Seifer won, Squall would be dead. If Squall won, he would kill them all. This was the end for her, however she looked at it. Even though Seifer said he was her Knight now, in her heart Squall was the only Knight she could ever have. He had never, ever told her he loved her, and she was glad of that. Because words never meant much. And love was a word used so often, and so rarely held it's true meaning. Selphie had used it a while ago, saying she loved Squall. But the love Selphie had for him was nothing like the depth, the aching emotion which Rinoa felt for him. And now, as she watched him, she knew he had fallen far beyond her reach.

Finally, Seifer slipped, and fell to one knee. Squall had a twisted smile on his face as he raised his sword to strike the finishing blow, but it never came. There was a shout, and it distracted him. Squall's blade fell, and bit deeply into, Seifer's shoulder, instead of his neck. Seifer screamed in pain, and fell unconscious to the ground, as Squall stood over the body of his enemy, breathless. He turned to where the shout had came from, and saw his sister standing, there.

"Squall...please..." she whispered to him in the shocked silence which followed the battle. Squall didn't appear to recognise her, there was nothing in his cold blue eyes. Ellone looked scared, and raised her voice.

"Squall, what are you doing? Serving her? She is evil Squall!" Ellone pleaded with him. Squall stared down at his dripping gunblade, and calmly reloaded it. Ellone watched him in mounting fear. Squall glanced at Oriscala. Her face was lit up with an unholy light, and her eyes appeared bigger. Fujin, who was standing behind her, stared down at Seifer's unmoving body emotionless. Squall turned to Laguna, who was watching Squall silently. Squall took a few steps towards him. Rinoa could hear her own heart thudding in her chest as the tension in the room rose dramatically. It was as if she had a premonition of what was going to happen next, but was powerless to stop it. She was rooted to the spot as Squall raised the dripping blade once more.

He aimed it at Laguna, who watched expressionless. Ellone's eyes were wide, her hands half raised to cover her mouth. She too, was unable to move. Maybe it was Oriscala's doing, or maybe everyone was too shocked to move. But no-one stirred as Squall's finger tightened on the trigger.

He looked down the silver blade, to where the President of Esthar stood. Laguna's deep green eyes were fixed on Squall. There was no fear in them, or pleading. Only a look of acceptance, and maybe love.

Squall pulled the trigger.

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There was silence in the room. Laguna's clear green eyes opened wide as the bullet tore through his flesh with a crack, breaking through bone and tearing muscles. His mouth dropping open, he raised a hand to his chest as the blood dribbled out over his fingers. He looked up again, to Squall, he was looking at his father with a cold stare. Laguna looked confused, and then fell to his knees in shock. Then it set in.

"No!" screamed Ellone, running to Laguna's side. Rinoa moaned and began to cry, while the others watched Ellone in silence as she wept next to Laguna. Oriscala stepped forward, and laid a hand on Squall's shoulder. He turned to her, and she smiled seductively at him.

"Well done." she whispered. Squall looked uneasy.

"Quistis?" he said quietly. Oriscala looked at him. "Why was he going to hurt you?" Squall asked. Oriscala smiled.

"He wasn't. But he would have made others hurt me." she said softly to him. Squall nodded, and looked down. Laguna was lying lifeless on the floor, and Ellone had her arms flung around him, screaming out his name over and over. Squall could see he was dead.

"What do we do now?" he asked. Oriscala kissed his cheek.

"We take over." she whispered.

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"No."

Oriscala spun around to see Rinoa standing in front of her. Her cat-like eyes narrowed in hatred.

"You. The pathetic excuse for a Sorceress." she hissed. Rinoa gazed back calmly at Oriscala, whose child-like features were contorted into a mask of hate.

"I wouldn't try anything if I was you," she said angrily. Rinoa raised a hand and closed her yellow eyes.

"Curaga." she said softly. Seifer rose from where he had fallen due to Squall's attack. He rushed to Rinoa's side. Oriscala laughed bitterly.

"What a team. You, the weakest Sorceress I have ever encountered, and him, the boy who longs for power, but is too immature to handle it," she said condescendingly. Rinoa blinked slowly.

"You call me pathetic? You are in a stolen body, with a stolen Knight. You are the one who is pathetic." she said calmly, as if she was chanting. "I may be weaker than you, but my will is as strong. And I have something you don't." she said. Oriscala took a step forward, clutching onto Squall's arm. Rinoa didn't look at him, but continued to gaze into Oriscala's reptilian eyes.

"You? Power? What have you got which could possibly defeat me?" she asked, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Rinoa smiled.

"I never said it could defeat you. But, in a way, it is power. And it is something which cannot be stolen, or destroyed. You say that I am possessed. But it is you who is possessed. When I am Angelwing, it is merely another side of myself. Your sides aren't united. Quistis is good, and Oriscala is evil. You may have blinded Squall to seeing the evil in you, and fooled him into thinking that while I am Angelwing, I am evil, but he would never be able to hurt me." she said quietly, with a smile. Oriscala released Squall's arm, and pointed at Rinoa.

"Kill her Squall. Now!" she commanded, her voice harsh. Ellone, seeing this, ran in front of her brother.

"No! Squall, don't! Stop! Please!" she shrieked, tugging on his arm. Squall ignored his sister, and threw her across the room with one arm. She lay in a heap, her legs crumpled under her, crying violently. Squall continued to advance towards Rinoa. She looked at him calmly. Seifer picked up his gunblade from the floor. Rinoa raised her hand, and Seifer found himself pulled away from her. He tried to run back to Rinoa's side, but there seemed to be a shield around her and Squall.

Squall stared at her, and Rinoa could detect a flicker in his eyes. She almost smiled, but didn't, instead searching his dusky blue eyes further, coaxing him silently into remembering her. He gazed back into her honey coloured Sorceress' eyes. He raised his gunblade, holding it level with her neck, ready to slit her throat. But he didn't. Rinoa smiled at him as he shook his head.

"Rinoa?" he said, painfully. He dropped his sword, and it hit the floor with a clang as he clutched his head. Rinoa let her arms drop to her sides, and smiled as he looked up at her, staring. She felt a coolness wash over her as she returned to being human again, and ran to him.

"Squall, you're back." she said softly, throwing her arms around his neck. He pulled her tightly against him, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her. She looked up at him, and put a finger on his lips.

"It's alright. I understand," she whispered back, and smiled at him. He looked devastated.

"What have I done..?" he asked her, looking around the room. The smile left Rinoa's face.

"You didn't do anything. It was her." she said, looking at Oriscala, who was shaking in rage. The beautiful Sorceress raised her arms, and brought down thunder on Squall and Rinoa, four times stronger than a mortal could. It didn't touch them, as Rinoa had raised a protective barrier over the pair. Oriscala screamed in rage.

"I will kill all of you!" she screamed, and sent several Fire based spells flying around the room. Hurriedly, Rinoa cast Protect on all her friends, but as she was now mortal, the spell didn't have much effect against the sheer strength of Oriscala's spells. Squall stepped away from Rinoa. She reached out to him, but he turned away.

"Let me do this," he said to Rinoa, who watched as he stepped towards the Sorceress. Oriscala stopped spell-casting and gazed at him.

"Squall, I thought you were going to protect me," she said in an innocent voice. Squall shook his head.

"No! You aren't Quistis..." he said. Oriscala wept softly.

"But I am. Help me Squall...you don't know what they've done to me..." she said. Squall clutched his head, falling to his knees.

"Stop it! You aren't her! You are Oriscala!" he screamed at her. Oriscala towered over him.

"But then where is Quistis? Who is she? If I'm not Quistis, who is?" Oriscala said in a sad voice. Squall looked up at her. Rinoa tensed, she sensed a change coming over him.

"I don't know..." he said wearily. Rinoa stepped forward.

"Don't listen to her Squall!" she warned him. He clasped his hands together, his dark hair falling over his eyes. He looked as if he was praying to Oriscala. Suddenly he stood. Rinoa felt a cold sense of fear gripping her and Squall turned to her.

"You have no power over me." he said coldly. Rinoa's breathing got faster, and her eyes widened. Oriscala had a devilish smile on her face.

"She isn't a threat. Let's go Squall." she said softly. Squall turned to her, and stepped closer. Rinoa gasped, a sad sound of despair. Squall made no reaction.

Selphie, who was half lying in a corner, still injured from her fall, yelled at Squall.

"What are you doing Squall! You love Rinoa! Protect her!" she cried. Oriscala turned angrily.

"Squall! Show them exactly how you feel about Sorceress Angelwing," she said maliciously. Squall, to everyones horror, turned to Rinoa, the gunblade raised once more.

"I hate her. She's evil. She's possessed!" he said in a cracked voice. This time, Rinoa didn't stand still watching, she grabbed her own weapon and held it ready to attack him.

"Squall, don't! I'll fight you!" she cried, her words choking her as she remembered the promise she had made earlier. Squall made no reaction. Oriscala smiled, satisfied.

"Stop, Squall. Leave her. She isn't worth it. Let's go." she said with a smug smile. Rinoa looked at Squall, her eyes misted with confusion and hurt. He turned away from her, and followed Oriscala as she drifted out of the room, her long hair swinging behind her.

***************************************************************************

Seifer turned to the others once the three had left the room. "We have to get help. We don't have enough information to handle this by ourselves." he said in a low voice. He gazed around the room. Zell was talking to Rinoa quietly, trying to comfort her. Selphie was kneeling on the floor with Irvine, who had an arm around her. She was shaking her head, a hand over her eyes. Seifer guessed she was probably concussed. Ellone was sobbing in the corner, huddled over Laguna's body. Seifer raised his voice.

"We have to get help. Lets go back to Garden." He said. Rinoa looked up at him, and nodded. Selphie also got to her feet, and walked shakily over to him.

"We...we can't trust Squall anymore. We have to do this without him. Are you going to be our leader Seifer?" she asked him. He looked back at her. He could tell that if he said no, the small girl would take that responsibility on herself.

"Yes. I will be." he said. Selphie nodded gravely. "I think we should talk to Edea. She knows more about Sorceress' then any of us." he said. Rinoa stepped over to him.

"Yes. I need to talk to her also. I have to find out...why Squall feels such horror towards me when I am a Sorceress." she said, her voice trembling. Seifer looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm sure it's mind control. He can't really feel like that." Seifer reassured her. She nodded, sighing. Zell gazed at Seifer.

"What about Quistis? She seems to have vanished inside that....monster.Will we ever get her back?" he asked suspiciously. Seifer looked back coldly.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight then. I was angry at her, and I wanted power. Do you have any idea how humiliating it was for me to go back to Garden after Ultimecia? And with Raijin dead, my only friend was Fujin, and Squall made sure we were separated as much as possible. I made a mistake, I admit it. I was wrong. But I'm trying to set things right!" he said bitterly. Zell shrugged. Seifer turned away, hating himself for what he had done.

"Let's just go. We have to hurry, before that witch does anything more." he said. Selphie put a hand on his arm.

"What about her?" she asked quietly. Seifer turned, and looked at Ellone. "She's Squall's sister." Selphie explained. Seifer looked shocked.

"Squall murdered his own father?" he asked incredulously. Selphie gave him a meaningful look, and Seifer lowered his voice.

"The mind control must have been massively powerful. But he didn't kill Rinoa when ordered...I don't understand." he said. Ellone stood up.

"Are you going to kill Squall?" she asked flatly. Selphie shook her head vehemently.

"No! We'd never hurt him!" she said. Ellone nodded. She looked very pale.

"I still love him. But he is sick. You must help him. Please, don't hurt him." she said softly, looking down at Laguna. Rinoa stepped forward.

"I wouldn't let anyone harm him." she said. Ellone smiled weakly at her.

"I know. Take care, all of you." she said, turning away. Seifer walked towards her.

"You can come with us if you want." he offered. Ellone shook her head.

"I'd only get in your way. I can't fight. And....I want to stay here. Someone needs to sort out this mess. Now the monsters are gone...I need to reassure the citizens. And tell them the President is dead." she said sadly. Rinoa bit her lip.

"Will you take over his responsibilities? You and Squall are his next of kin...and I've never heard of the vice-President."

"That was me," she said with a smile. Seifer nodded, and bowed to her respectfully.

"Ellone, we have to leave now. Good luck, and I'm sorry for your loss," he said sincerely. The others nodded and offered their condolences. Rinoa was the last to leave the room. Ellone looked at her, and understanding passed between the two.

"He loved you more than Laguna. I'm just sad...that they never had the chance to talk. There was so much that needed to be said," Ellone said sadly. Rinoa nodded.

"Squall...he finds it so hard to talk. You must tell him, when you get the chance. He'll listen to you." Rinoa said. Ellone smiled, and took Rinoa's hand.

"Take care." she repeated. Rinoa gazed into her warm brown eyes.

"I will," she murmured, knowing exactly what Ellone was implying.

***************************************************************************

"So we need your advice," Seifer finished, looking at Edea. Rinoa noticed a strange tension between the two, which was not surprising, as once she had him completely under her control. Edea nodded slowly, her waist-length hair slipping over her shoulders like a heavy curtain.

"Of course I'll help you. Seifer, I'm very proud of you, that you've managed to over-come your longing for power finally. Well done," she said warmly. Seifer almost blushed.

"Thankyou, Matron," he said quietly. The former Sorceress turned to the only person there she hadn't cared for as a child. Rinoa.

"Sorceress Rinoa, I know you have a lot of questions. Would you prefer to talk to me alone?" she asked softly. Rinoa glanced round at the others.

"Okay..." she said uncertainly. She and Edea walked out onto the beach. Rinoa smiled as she thought of Squall playing there as a child. Before Ellone left him. Edea sighed.

"You really care for him, don't you?" she said. Rinoa kicked at a pebble in the white sand.

"Yes. I do." she said. It was like a confession. Edea smiled to herself.

"Do you love him?" she asked. Rinoa paused. Edea glanced at her.

"I...I don't like to use that word. It seems like such a meaningless word to describe how I feel. But, I guess I do love him. More than I love anyone," she said quietly. Edea nodded.

"That's what power you have. Oriscala, she doesn't have love. She views it as a weapon, something weak people believe in. But it stopped Squall from killing you, and momentarily broke her spell." She said. Rinoa looked depressed.

"Why does he hate me so much when I am a Sorceress?" she asked glumly. Edea frowned.

"You never used your powers before now, did you?" she asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"Only in battle, when I was near death. And then it was only a few times." she said. Edea smiled.

"That's it. All mortals feel fear towards Sorceress'. It's natural. Squall isn't used to the change which comes over you. You must understand, when you become a Sorceress, you are revealing the wisdom and power of thousands of women before you, you become thousand of different people all at the same time."

"So it is a kind of possession?" Rinoa asked, confused.

"In a way, yes. But some Sorceress' refuse to share the power. They don't want the wisdom, but want all the power to themselves. That...that's when a Sorceress becomes unbalanced. Squall can sense all these different people in you..and it scares him. He doesn't know it though. His duty is to protect you, and it confused him when you changed. Oriscala's mind control exacerbated the problem, and made him want to kill you. I know you were hurt when he agreed to become her Knight, but you must understand, he thought he was protecting you from himself." Edea explained. Rinoa felt a lump in her throat.

"I never guessed." she murmured. Edea continued.

"Oriscala...she was a different kind of Sorceress. I studied her when I was younger, and I found out a lot about her life. She was an orphan, her mother had been a powerful good Sorceress, but had been murdered by an angry, ignorant mob of villagers who claimed she was responsible for an epidemic in the village. They killed the Sorceress, and tried to murder Oriscala, but she hid. Before she died, her mother passed on her powers to Oriscala. The young Sorceress, only around ten or eleven years old, grew up bitter after her mothers death, an outcast because of her powers, and unloved because she was constantly in hiding. She grew into a beautiful teenager, and learned how to use her seductive powers to her own advantage. She went back to the village of her birthplace, and made the son of the town mayor fall in love with her. She murdered him horribly, and left him crucified in the town square in the middle of the night. After making sure all saw it, she burnt the village to the ground, and stood among the flames laughing as they ran, dying, screaming around her."

"How awful," Rinoa said, her eyes wide. Edea nodded and continued.

"This started off her reign of terror. The few villagers which remained worshipped her in fear, and with their help, she conquered the neighbouring villages, killing all those not of use to her. She was fuelled by her hatred of the people who murdered her mother, and her own hot anger at the people who had shunned her and labelled her an outcast because of her powers. The teenage Oriscala eventually made her way to Esthar. She was the one who fortified it, and made it a super city. She made it into a hell, holding regular sacrifices of young women in her mothers name, to remind people of the pain she herself had felt when her own mother was taken from her."

"That's horrible...how did she get away with it?" Rinoa asked Edea, hardly believing what was being said. Edea looked sad.

"There was no-one to stop her. Obviously, Garden wasn't around, and there was no army back then. Esthar was the most powerful country, and that was under her control. Oriscala also was an extremely powerful Sorceress, unlike any they had seen before in their villages. Before her, Sorceress' were the doctors, the wise women of the town. They had power, but not such immense strength as Oriscala.

She had the power of tainted Sorceress' in her. This was partly what made her so bad. You, Rinoa, are lucky in that most of the power in you comes from good sorceress'. In Oriscala, almost all of the power was bad. Her own mother had been immensely powerful and good, but her own power came from a witch, and some even came from a disciple of one of the most evil Sorceress' of all time. She really had no chance to be good." Edea explained. Rinoa looked helpless.

"Then what chance have I got? I can't control my power, I...can't control Squall, what can I do? This is hopeless," she said in despair. Edea smiled.

"There is always hope. You must learn to control your power. I can teach you that. And after that, the rest is easy. I suggest you stay here for a while, with your friends, to discuss what to do next. You all need some time to sort things out in your minds. And, Rinoa, I'm sensing some tension between you and Seifer. What's going on?" she asked knowingly. Rinoa looked Edea straight in the eye.

"I dreamt of Quistis, before she became a Sorceress. I could communicate with her, and she told me what was done to her. Seifer...he raped her." Rinoa said with a sigh. Edea frowned, looking troubled.

"I would never have thought him to...but he must regret it now if he is helping you." she said, sounding uneasy. Rinoa shook her head.

"I don't know. He doesn't know that I know, and I haven't told the others. I hate him for what he's done, but I can't bring myself to be angry at him, because he is trying his hardest to protect us." she said, confused. Edea nodded.

"Yes, I can see that. Squall...did he know?" asked Edea. Rinoa nodded, looking frightened.

"He got really mad. I've never seen him like that before. He really wanted to kill Seifer." she said. Edea frowned again.

"That's strange...I know he'd have been angry, but Squall isn't the vengeful type. Something more sinister was going on, I'm sure," she said. Rinoa nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. I..I was so angry at Seifer. I hated him. I'm not sure whether I still do. I haven't really had time to sort out how I feel, what with the Sorceress, and Squall and everything...I haven't even begun to think of how we can get Quistis back," she said in despair. Edea turned to her, watching Rinoa as she gazed out into the breaking waves. Her black hair whipped around her face, and she looked like the frightened teenager she was trying so hard not to be. Edea felt sorry for her.

"Rinoa...I don't know you as well as the rest of my children, you are the only one which didn't grow up with me. But I do know Quistis and Squall. Both of them are strong, and good. Even Seifer...he is good really. And there is always a way out. We can get Quistis back, and Squall. Just concentrate on yourself for now, or everything will be in vain." she said. Rinoa sighed.

"Alright. Tell me what I have to do," she said. They walked on as Edea began to teach Rinoa all about being a Sorceress.

***************************************************************************

Seifer watched the two from the window of the Orphanage, gazing at the two women as they walked along the shore. He sighed, and shut his eyes, remembering guiltily that this was all his fault. Seifer felt a horrible twisted feeling inside, and wished he could turn back time, and stop all this.

He missed Fujin. She was the one who always supported him, cheered him on, cared for him. He had used her, taken advantage of her. "Damn!" Seifer exclaimed, kicking at the crumbling wall, furious at himself. He remembered the look on her face when he had come out of Quistis' room...

*Why did I do it?! Why am I so stupid. I hurt everyone...I am despicable for what I did to Quistis...and Fujin.* He thought to himself. Resting his elbows on the stone window ledge, he covered his face with his hands. *Why did I do that to Quistis? To prove that she was powerless? To show her that I was better than her? Or am I just sick?* he thought bitterly. Seifer felt angry tears come to his eyes, and he swiped at them, feeling a lump in his throat.

*I am sick...Squall should have shot me, not Laguna,* he thought, gazing at the two women walked away from him. He heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Selphie watching him with wide eyes.

"Seifer? Are you ok?" she asked. Seifer almost wept at the innocence in her voice. She was so open and carefree, he wished he could be like her, with a clear conscience, and free of sin.

"Fine," he said hoarsely, the lump in his throat choking him. Selphie smiled, her eyes dancing captivatingly.

"I know better than that. You are our leader now. At least until Squall gets back. It's my job to take an interest in your angst." she said playfully. Seifer wasn't in the mood for lightheartedness now.

"Selphie, just go." he said quietly. Selphie gazed at him, her sea-green eyes full of compassion.

"Seifer, I know you feel awful about what happened. But you too were under the Sorceress' control. It wasn't all your fault." she said gently. Seifer rounded on her angrily.

"You know shit, Selphie! You've got no idea what went on in the lab!" he yelled at her. Selphie looked unperturbed.

"Seifer, calm down. Tell me. Maybe I can help." she suggested. He looked at her coldly, and for a moment looked like Squall. Then he laughed bitterly.

"Why? Would it make me a better leader? Did you hold regular counselling sessions with Squall? Did he reveal his deepest darkest secrets to you?" Seifer asked her mockingly. Selphie frowned.

"Of course not. But you obviously do have secrets. And it might help if you share them." she offered. Seifer sighed.

"You don't want to know Selphie. And I don't want to talk about it. So, please, just leave me alone." he said. Selphie shrugged, and turned around, her coppery hair bouncing as she ran up the stone steps back to the others.

Seifer turned back to the window. Edea and Rinoa were out of sight. He wondered if he was doing the right thing by taking over as Rinoa's Knight. He knew deep down she needed protection, but why he didn't know. It was just instinct. He wondered if he would end up protecting her against Squall. Or what would happen if Squall killed him. Would Squall really kill Rinoa?

***************************************************************************

That night, Edea and Rinoa stayed on the beach, training. Selphie and Irvine were asleep in the newly renovated bedroom, and Seifer and Zell were sitting with Cid in front of the fire, watching the two women as they worked. Seifer looked on in awe as Rinoa crafted a massive white stallion out of a wave, before sending it crashing into the rocks nearby. Rinoa's powers as a Sorceress had been no where near as powerful as Oriscala's, or filled with as much flair as Edea's in her time, but she was slowly getting to fulfil both criteria. Her spells became both powerful and elaborately beautiful as the three men watched her cast Ultima out into the dark sea, illuminating the coast with a deep green and white light, which spread further than any Ultima spell a mortal could cast.

Seifer also noticed a change come over Rinoa physically when she became a Sorceress. Her hair became longer, and there seemed to be a restless breeze about her. Apart from the obvious change in eye colour and shape (her pupils narrowed to slits) her face became fuller, her lips more pouting and her eyelashes longer. Becoming a Sorceress seemed to accentuate her best features. Thoughts of Quistis came unbidden into his head, and he shook them away angrily. He couldn't afford to dwell on his sins, otherwise they would take him over.

Slowly, Rinoa and Edea began to walk back towards the fire burning on the beach. Rinoa looked flushed. Seifer notice that she was mortal again. Edea sat down next to Cid, and Rinoa sat close to Zell, ensuring there was plenty of space between her and Seifer. Seifer wasn't offended, he knew she didn't like him.

"She's doing very well," said Edea with a smile. Rinoa nodded as Zell put his arm around her to protect her from the cold. She leant against his shoulder with a smile.

"I can control when I become a Sorceress now," she said, her teeth chattering in the cold. The warmth from the fire was wonderful, but there was an arctic breeze which whipped around the group. She clung loser to Zell for warmth, and he looked down at her, amused.

"Rinoa, are you coming on to me?" he asked jokingly. Rinoa slapped him playfully.

"Yes, Zell, I've had a crush on you for ages. Didn't you realise?" she said sarcastically. He grinned.

"Well, guess I'd better tell Celesa it's off then," he said, referring to his librarian girlfriend. Rinoa smiled, and yawned.

"I'm exhausted. I'm gonna go in now. See you in the morning," she said, bowing to Cid and Edea as she left. Zell followed her.

Seifer glanced up at Cid and Edea, feeling uncomfortable in the presence of the two adults. Edea smiled at him.

"Seifer, what's on your mind?" she asked him. Her light brown eyes glowed in the firelight.

"Nothing. I'm going to bed," said Seifer, preparing to rise. Edea stopped him.

"Wait." she said. He sat back down. She gazed at him sadly.

"Seifer, I know you well. What is it you are too afraid to tell the others?" she asked him. He stared back at her.

"Matron, there is nothing..."

"Seifer! I've cared for you since you were two months old. I've watched you grow from a baby into a teenager, and I know when you are troubled. Don't lie to me Seifer. You know I of all people wont judge you." she said. Cid stood, and with a glance at Edea, left the two. She smiled gratefully at him. Seifer sighed.

"Alright. This is all my fault. I wanted revenge on Quistis for embarrassing me, and I was mad at Garden for separating me and Fujin, and putting me in a lower class. I should have been grateful they even took me back, but I resented it. Fujin told me about this resistance group in the East, against President Laguna. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get back at Squall if I helped overthrow his father. So I tried. And it looks like it worked." he said bitterly. Edea looked at him intensely.

"That isn't all, is it? There is something else, something eating away at you inside." she said sadly. Seifer looked up at her, and Edea noticed with a shock there were tears in his eyes.

"I'm a terrible person," he whispered. Edea wanted to reach out to him, but she held back. Seifer continued, not attempting to hide his tears. He didn't feel he had to with Edea.

"I...I did something despicable..to Quistis...don't make me say it," he pleaded with her. Edea shut her eyes and nodded.

"I know what you did. I didn't believe it when Rinoa told me, but now I know it's true." she said in an even voice. Seifer wiped away his tears angrily.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered. Edea gazed at him.

"You shouldn't say that to me. Say it to Rinoa, to Selphie, to Quistis' friends. But I warn you Seifer, they may not be as understanding as me. Even I am having a hard time with it." she said with an edge to her voice. Seifer felt utterly broken.

"Will I be able to get Quistis back?" he asked her tentatively. Edea smiled at him, a warm, genuine smile which made him feel loved.

"No. You wont. But her friends will. Your job is to guide them. You might fool yourself into believing you are Rinoa's Knight, but you aren't really. Seifer, I know it is your dream, but you will never be a Knight. Don't take it badly, it just wasn't meant to be." she said, placing a hand on his arm. Seifer looked up at her, dry eyed.

"What about Squall?" he asked. Edea smiled wistfully.

"He never dreamt of becoming a Knight, but as it turns out, that was his destiny. Don't worry, he will come through this. Who knows, maybe you two will finally be able to resolve your differences?" she said with a soft laugh. She stood up, offering a helping hand to Seifer. He looked at her, and was reminded of several occasions when he was small and she would do the same. Smiling, he took the offered hand. Edea giggled, obviously remembering too when she used to be his mother.

"Come on. Lets go inside," she said, a warm light in her eyes. Seifer grinned.

"Yes, Matron." he said, accompanying her into the warm.

***************************************************************************

Squall collapsed onto the silken couch, exhausted. Oriscala paced by the window angrily, oblivious to the exhaustion and discomfort of her two companions. Fujin sat next to Squall, resting her head on her arms, her eyes shut. They had walked miles after the chocobo's pulling the carriage up into the mountains had collapsed of the cold, and the carriage itself began to break up due to the roughness of the path. High on the mountains, unscaleable for ordinary mortals, laid Oriscala's Castle. It wasn't as gothic looking as Ultimecia's, instead had the feeling of a sumptuous county manor, with rich furnishings and heavy, shiny tables and chairs. Tall oriental vases were littered about, and the whole place was trimmed in crimson. Oriscala fitted right in, but her two servants looked like gaunt spirits, shadows compared to her radiance.

"Damn her," whispered Oriscala to herself, staring outside into the snow-covered garden. She looked over to the couch, her face twisted into an ugly expression as she saw that both Squall and Fujin were fast asleep, Fujin leaning her head on Squall's shoulder.

"Get up!" she cried, sending a bolt of energy over to shock them. The pair sprang apart, looking at her with wide eyes. She stared back at Squall.

"Who is she! Who is this other Sorceress who enchanted you so!?" she demanded of him. Squall looked confused.

"Rinoa.." he said with difficulty. Trying to remember her name was hard, and he couldn't get an image of her head, however hard he tried. Oriscala frowned.

"Is she powerful? How long have you been her Knight?" she asked, pressing bloodless lips together. Squall shook his head.

"I...don't know. She...she can't be important," he said, the sentence sounding almost like a question. Oriscala smiled, appearing satisfied.

"No. She isn't important. You two may go, find yourselves a room." she said, waving a hand in dismissal. Squall and Fujin rose, both walking down the corridor silently, as if in a trance. Oriscala trailed a delicate hand down the cold window pane, tracing the lead pattern with her long fingernails. Suddenly she shuddered, and her eyes squeezed shut as if she was in pain. When she opened them again, they were a crystalline blue.

Quistis gasped, and then realised where she was. She had gotten stronger, and with great effort, had managed to overcome Oriscala's control. Gathering up the velvet skirts, she turned from the window and ran down the corridor after Squall and Fujin, who she could see turning a corner. Quistis, unused to this strange body, stumbled and fell, clutching her head.

"No!" she shrieked, feeling a warmth creep over her as Oriscala struggled inside her. Quistis won the battle, and got to her feet, her eyes still blue, her body still her own.

"Squall! Wait!" she cried, holding the long thick skirts up as she ran to stop herself falling over them. Her long spiralling hair flowed out behind her as she ran towards him, all the time struggling to stay in control. Finally she caught up with him. Squall turned to her, and Quistis saw weariness in his eyes. Fujin continued walking, but glanced behind her. Quistis decided it was best not to let Fujin know she was out of the possession of Oriscala.

"Come with me," she said in her most imperial tone. Reluctantly, but obedient, Squall followed her as she turned the corner, away from Fujin. There she stood close to Squall, staring into his eyes.

"Squall, it's me!" she whispered to him. He didn't react. Quistis choked back a sob. It was the first time she had seen one of her friends since she had been captured.

"Squall, don't you remember me? I'm Quistis!" she said desperately. Squall looked confused.

"I know," he said. Quistis grabbed his arm.

"Squall! I've been possessed! You have to help me, you're under her control, Squall! She whispered furiously, tears streaking down her face. This was useless.

"Quistis, I'm tired," he said, exhausted. She took his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Squall! I'm desperate! Please, remember! Remember me, remember Garden, remember what happened. I am not the Sorceress! Look at my eyes!" she cried to him. He stared at her, and Quistis thought she saw something change in his stare.

"Quistis..." he murmured, and shook his head, as if trying to clear it. Quistis gazed at him, dropping her hands from his face to his shoulders.

"Remember me...remember the day we were at the orphanage, when we found out we grew up together...remember when you became the Commander and we danced at the ball, please, Squall, how can the Sorceress be me? She possesses me, and I can't stop it. You've got to find a way to stop this..." she pleaded with him. He stared at her blankly.

"I...I don't remember what you are talking about. Quistis...I am your Knight. Nothing else matters," he said, but the words sounded painful, as if they were something he didn't want to say. She shut her eyes, and leant her head against his chest, slipping her arms around his neck and holding him close to her. Tentatively, he wrapped his own arms around her. He felt her tears soaking through the thin material of the black pullover he was wearing.

"Then there is no hope," she whispered, her words an echo of what she had said to Fujin only the day before. She pressed herself against him, crying into his shoulder, her head pressed against his neck. He looked confused.

"I don't understand," he said softly. Quistis made no reply, but held him tighter, as if she was afraid to let go. He felt her shuddering from the sobs wracking her body. Eventually, she stopped crying, and pulled away from him. He looked at her tear-streaked face with concern, confusion and tiredness on his face. She smiled at him, and he was even more confused. He searched her eyes for answers.

Her amber coloured eyes.

***************************************************************************

Selphie woke up feeling refreshed that morning. She sat on the white sand of the beach, listening to the cry of the sea gulls and the crash of the waves as the fresh breeze whipped around her face. She ate her breakfast out there while watching Edea and Rinoa go over some exercises. It was like watching a firework display, most of the moves the former Sorceress and her pupil did were fantastic. Selphie gasped in delight as Rinoa sent a hail of pebbles skipping over the ocean all at the same time. Then Rinoa clasped her hands together, and a huge snake rose out of the water in front of their eyes. Edea called out something to Rinoa, and the girl stood perfectly still as the black water snake lunged at her. Rinoa raised a hand, and the snake fell to the ground, stunned. Then it rose, and twined itself around Rinoa, who stood perfectly still.

Selphie, meanwhile, had grabbed her nunchaku and was preparing to run towards her friend and former matron, when Rinoa started to stroke the snake, and sang to it quietly. Edea clapped her hands in approval, and with a gesture from Rinoa, the snake began to go back to the ocean slowly. Selphie ran up to Rinoa, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"How did you do that?!" she asked incredulously. Rinoa smiled.

"Magic," she replied. Selphie nodded.

"I can see that. I had no idea Sorceress' could do that! You can control animals? Monsters?" she asked. Edea nodded.

"You noticed Sorceress Oriscala controlled the monsters in Esthar? I'm teaching Rinoa how to do that. It may come in useful." Edea replied in her soft voice. Selphie nodded, noticing how Edea always referred to Oriscala as 'Sorceress' out of respect. She wondered why, as Oriscala was certainly evil.

"We're nearly through. You're a fast learner, Rinoa," said Edea with a smile. Selphie clapped her hands.

"Yay! Then we can go and rescue Squall! And kick the Sorceress' ass! And rescue Quistis!" yelled Selphie, jumping up and down in delight. Rinoa laughed at her exuberant friend.

"Calm down Selphie. This is only the first step. We still don't know what to do about Quistis. Edea suggested we talk to some of the scientists who worked with Dr.Odine on the Crystal Ashen. Maybe we can find a way to reverse the possession." she said, glancing at Edea. The former sorceress nodded.

"I hope so. Selphie, there is so much to be done." she said with a sigh. Selphie smiled.

"But Rinoa wont be blacking out anymore, right? That was kinda scary, especially when we were trying to sneak into a lab!" she said, teasing Rinoa. Edea laughed.

"No, it wont happen again. Rinoa knows how to control it now. Eventually, she will be able to become a sorceress full-time, like I was. Until then, she will remain mortal, and only become a sorceress when needed." Edea assured her. Rinoa rubbed her bare arms, shivering in the fresh breeze.

"Let's go inside." she said. The three walked back to the stone house.

***************************************************************************

"Galbadia Garden."

Fujin opened the door for Sorceress Oriscala, stepping aside to allow her and Squall to pass before her. Fujin was looking pale and thin, as was Squall. They hadn't eaten for two days, but neither appeared to notice.

"It's empty," said Squall, looking around suspiciously. Oriscala laughed hollowly.

"Of course. I sent my army on ahead of us. They seem to have cleared up well." She took a few steps forward down the halls of the silent Garden. It was disturbing, to find the place so empty. Squall felt a strange sense of deja vu, as if he had seen this Garden in a similar state before.

"Have I been here before?" he asked himself quietly. Oriscala spun around to face him, looking angry.

"Squall, you have never been here." she stated simply. Oriscala pushed open the double doors which led into the main hall and smiled smugly at what she saw, gasping in delight. Fujin stepped up next to her, gagged, and turned to Squall, her good eye wide in shock. Squall frowned, and went to see what it was. His mouth dropped open in shock.

Inside the main hall of the Garden were all the SeeD's and cadets which had inhabited it. Most of them had their weapons out, but some were unarmed, mostly the children. All had expressions of agony and suffering on their faces, and all were dead. Oriscala took a step forward to the pyramid of bodies, which was all that remained of the student body of the Garden. Squall didn't find it as shocking as Fujin. His mind was too numb from the heavy magic Oriscala had put on him. She stroked the body of one of the fallen SeeD's, gloating over the corpses. All of the dead were under the age of twenty.

"Look! All of the despicable SeeD!" she cried like an excited child, flitting from body to body, gasping over them, gazing at them almost lovingly. Fujin stepped close to Squall, and he was surprised to feel her slip an arm through his.

"Squall," she whispered. He looked at his companion and saw her gazing at him with her strange, colourless eye. She didn't say anything more, but he squeezed her arm gently, to let her know he understood. He too felt that this was strangely surreal, and disturbing. He was finding it hard to think, and couldn't remember anything before yesterday. Fujin was the same. Eventually, Oriscala got tired of examining her treasure, and turned back to her servants.

"Come on." she ordered, leading them through to the next room. Here, there were more bodies, but these ones were alive. Fujin recognised Lucia, one of the Garden faculty members who she had known before she transferred to Balamb Garden. Fujin stared at her coldly. Lucia was never one of her favourite people.

Oriscala smiled sweetly at the people who had been locked in the room. They were all adults, and included the new Headmaster of Galbadia Garden, Minov. He took a few steps towards Oriscala, an angry expression on his face.

"What is going on?" he demanded. Oriscala's face was cold. She took a step towards the Headmaster.

"I have destroyed this Garden. One by one, all the Gardens will fall. Galbadia, as the weakest, was my first option," she said with a gloating smile, thinking of all the bodies in the next room. Minov was livid.

"You can't do this! You, you're Squall Leonhart, you are the Commander of Balamb Garden! How can you let her do this!?" he cried to Squall incredulously. Squall gazed back at the shorter man.

"I am her Knight." he said simply. The other members of faculty in the room stared at Squall, unable to believe the leader of the most respected Garden was under her control. Minov stepped up to him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, Leonhart?! Is Balamb Garden in alliance with this...witch?!" he asked Squall angrily. Squall just stared back coldly.

"Don't insult Quistis." he said. Minov laughed bitterly.

"Oh, I see. She has you under her spell. You honestly believe this monster is Instructor Trepe?" he said, his voice rising to a shout towards the end of his sentence. Oriscala got angrier and angrier.

"Enough!" she cried. Squall held his sword at Minov's throat. The older man looked scared for the first time. Oriscala smiled.

"Squall, we don't need him. Get rid of him," she said. Squall, without hesitation, slashed open Minov's throat. The other man let out a strangled cry which was cut off as the silver blade tore through his throat. He fell to the floor, twitching, as the other members of faculty moaned and gasped. Oriscala raised her arms.

"You will do as I say! I will have no hesitation to kill you should you become a problem." she warned them. Lucia stepped forward.

"Sorceress, we are you servants," she said, bowing respectfully to Oriscala. Then she rose, and looked Fujin in the eye. Oriscala watched her, and glanced at Fujin. Oriscala turned to her female servant.

"Fujin, is this woman a friend of yours?" she asked. Fujin shook her head.

"She was the reason I lost my eye." Fujin said bitterly. Lucia's face twisted.

"You little bitch! That wasn't my fault! If you hadn't been stupid enough to listen when I told you to..." Oriscala interrupted her.

"Stop. Fujin, do you want her to die?" she asked. Oriscala was enjoying this. Fujin stared back at Lucia.

"No." she replied. Lucia smiled.

"Thankyou Fujin, I'm so sorry I..." Fujin cut her off.

"I want to rip *her* eyes out." she said coldly, with a trace of a smile on her delicate features. Lucia gasped, and took a step back. Oriscala turned her back on the pair of women.

"Then do as you please Fujin." she said with a smile, leaving Fujin as she and Squall walked to the door.

Oriscala laughed as the agonised screaming filled the air.

***************************************************************************

Ellone sat in the corner of the room crying. Every now and then she would glance over to the corner where her adopted father's body was. She had covered him with one of the throws which had covered the rich sofa's in the throne room, but she was not strong enough to move him. She felt as if her world was falling apart. Laguna...he was all she had left of her life in Winhill. He and Squall, they were her only family.

She felt her heart ache. It was a real, physical ache, and she clutched her hands together to her chest, trying to get rid of it. She was bent over as she sat, as if she had stomach cramps, her short brown hair falling over her face. Laguna...he was dead. She couldn't deal with it. And the fact that his own son had murdered him...it was too sad. "God, Squall, why did you do it?" she murmured to the silent room. The rain beat down on the huge glass windows, the only sound apart from her quiet crying. She couldn't believe Squall had taken away the only person she had known practically her whole life. Now what was she going to do? By herself, alone in this huge palace.

Ellone gasped as the door slowly began to open. Jumping to her feet, she glanced around the room for something she could protect herself with. There was nothing. She glanced to the corner, feeling sick momentarily as she saw the bloodstained corpse of Laguna. Her eyes went back to the door, and she could feel her hear thudding as it opened.

"President Laguna?" asked a calm voice. Ellone sighed with relief. It was one of the secretaries which worked in the building. She walked towards the door.

"Come in," she said wearily. The secretary pushed open the door and stepped in, bowing to Ellone respectfully. She nodded, and bit her lip.

"Laguna...he's dead," Ellone said in a trembling voice. The secretary gasped, running towards the body of the President. Ellone hugged her middle anxiously as the secretary stood.

"Come with me," he ordered. Ellone recoiled at the harshly spoken words.

"What? Why?" she asked, suddenly afraid. The secretary pulled a gun from within his clothes.

"Come on. Move!" he ordered her. Ellone frowned.

"You can't speak to me like that. I'm the President now! Who do you think you are!" she said, outraged and upset. The secretary cocked the gun.

"Move. Or I will kill you." he said. Ellone felt anger building inside her.

"No!" she screamed running towards him. On impulse, he fired the gun. The bullet hit Ellone on the shoulder, spinning her around and throwing her back a couple of metres. She fell to the ground motionless, and the secretary walked over to her. Lifting her easily, he carried her from the room, ignoring the body in the corner.

***************************************************************************

Oriscala stood over the two as they ate. Fujin and Squall looked almost dead, as they reluctantly ate what they had found in the kitchen of the Garden. All but seven of the faculty members were dead now, killed by Fujin and Squall. Oriscala herself didn't do any killing. It was for her servants to do.

Eventually, they began to look human again. Although still pale, they didn't look as grey as before, and they both felt much better. They had actually slept for a few hours, and had time to refresh in the Garden's dormitories. Oriscala herself seemed reluctant to sleep, and only ate the bare minimum of what she could. Squall glanced at Fujin as she sat across the table from him, eating a piece of bread slowly. Her eye was downcast, and she seemed sad. He himself was feeling confused, even thinking straight was a struggle. It was as if he was drugged, and his mind was swimming though mud to reach conclusions. The Sorceress made things clearer for him though. Whenever he was confused about why he was there, or about something she asked him to do, she reminded him he was doing this to protect Rinoa and Quistis, and reminded him of his guilty wish to kill Rinoa, and that she was helping him to overcome that. Of course, he believed her. It was easier than trying to figure things out for himself.

He had been feeling something strange though. Like a piece of himself was missing. Ever since they had gone to Esthar, he felt as if something was wrong, as if something had been done which was terrible, but he had no way of reversing it. Squall tried not to think about it though, it was too hard right now. All he wanted to do was obey Oriscala. She was the only thing which gave him peace right now.

"We will leave here soon. Galbadia has been taken care of. Next we will move onto Deling City, I'm sure that wont be a problem though. If I'm not mistaken, they don't deal very well with Sorceress'!" she said with a laugh. Squall frowned, a memory flashing into his head of Deling City...a mansion...and a sniper...

"Deling City..." he murmured. Oriscala smiled at him.

"Yes, you've been there. Rinoa's father lives there. Don't you remember? It was then you were ordered to kill Rinoa. With a sniper named Irvine Kinneas." she said maliciously. Squall nodded slowly.

"Yes, I remember. We were ordered to kill the Sorceress by Garden. Kinneas was the sniper sent to kill Sorceress...Rinoa. But, we failed," he said with difficulty. Oriscala smiled.

"Yes. Poor Sorceress Rinoa, she was possessed even back then." she said, looking at Squall intently. He looked sad.

"Yes...she must have been." he said softly. Fujin was staring at Squall. She looked troubled.

"Who was Edea?" Fujin asked sharply. Oriscala looked at her angrily. Squall looked confused.

"Edea?! She was never a Sorceress. She was no-one. Someone Seifer knew from his childhood," she said quickly. Fujin seemed satisfied and continued to eat. Squall frowned.

"Edea..I know that name," he said. Oriscala sighed.

"Forget her." she ordered. Squall nodded. Oriscala glided towards the exit, looking behind at her two companions.

"Let's go. To Deling City." she said with a smile.

***************************************************************************

"Rinoa, I've got a gift for you," Edea said with a smile. Rinoa stood up from her cross-legged position on the floor and walked over to her tutor. Edea led Rinoa to a cupboard from which she drew out a long black dress. Rinoa gasped.

"Your Sorceress' outfit! I can't accept this!" she said. Edea smiled.

"Please. It is special. When you wear it, you feel confidence. It symbolises strength, virtue, power. You are a very important Sorceress now Rinoa, you must have an important dress." she said, giving it to Rinoa. The younger girl smiled, touching the black silk tentatively.

"It's beautiful." she said. Edea took out a beautiful, ornate headdress from the cupboard.

"This is one which I had made for the girl who received my powers. It was a tradition, long ago, that the older Sorceress would make a headdress for her protégée. Unfortunately, now, Sorceress' don't consider who is to receive their powers until it is too late. I didn't have a choice when I relinquished my powers. But I am glad they went to you." she said warmly. Rinoa was touched.

"Thankyou, Matron," she said with a grateful smile. Edea went to the door.

"Get dressed. You will all have to leave soon. I think you should get going. You are ready now, Rinoa." she said, pride in her voice as she looked at her pupil. Rinoa nodded, and began to undress as Edea left the room.

Stepping into the black dress and doing up the almost invisible hooks on the front, Rinoa looked at herself in the cracked mirror. She looked so different. Like a real Sorceress, not like a little girl who pretended to be one. For a moment, Rinoa felt a great sense of power, as if she was omnipotent, and could have whatever she wanted. Then she caught sight of the ugly expression on her face, and the thoughts of power left. She looked at the bed, at the headdress which was lying there. It was beautiful, mottled blue and green turquoise with long peacocks feathers flowing backwards. A sparkling deep blue sapphire was set in the middle of the headdress.

Rinoa gathered her hair on top of her head and fit the headdress on over it. She gasped. She looked so...regal. Her long neck was bare, and the neckline of the dress went down quite low and was wide, revealing the curve of her breasts and her collar bone. Normally, Rinoa would be uncomfortable in such a revealing gown, but this was different. It wasn't promiscuous, but held a sort of imperial aura. The black feathers which made up the collar of the dress rested on her shoulders, and shimmered in the light. Rinoa wondered what kind of bird they came from. Looking down, she noticed that although the dress was primarily black, it faded to white at the very bottom, where it became jagged as it touched the floor. She wondered what that meant, and made a note to ask Edea about it later. She had mentioned that the dress was full of symbolism.

Rinoa hung up her own clothes in the cupboard, and left the room to find Edea. Before she found her though, Selphie and Irvine passed. Irvine's mouth dropped open.

"Rinoa! Damn, you look hot!" he said to her, gazing at the low neckline of the dress with open admiration. Selphie grinned at Rinoa.

"Wow. Did Edea give that to you? I can't believe how....impressive you look." she said, full of awe. Rinoa smiled shyly.

"Yes. She told me to wear it now that I am a real Sorceress. And...she made this for me," she said, touching the headdress. Selphie gasped.

"Oh! It's beautiful!" she said, gazing at the jewel in the middle. Rinoa laughed.

"I know. I can't believe I'm allowed to wear something so beautiful!" she said. Just then, Cid and Edea walked in. Edea smiled at Rinoa.

"You look beautiful. And very Sorceress-like," she said with a smile. Cid nodded.

"Yes, Rinoa. You look great," he said. Edea put her hand on his arm.

"Cid and I have been talking. We've decided to leave here, and go to Balamb Garden. Xu can't manage by herself forever." she said. Selphie spoke up.

"Will you take over again as Headmaster?" she asked. Cid laughed.

"Yes, but don't worry Selphie. As soon as Squall is fit to assume his role in Garden I will relinquish the responsibility to him again." he said reassuringly. Selphie smiled, relieved.

"So we will part then. I heard the Sorceress Oriscala recently took over Galbadia Garden. Her next target will most likely be Deling City. I suggest you go there as soon as possible. You are all ready now Rinoa." Edea said with a conspiratory smile to her pupil. Rinoa returned it nervously. Selphie looked happy.

"Great! Let's get Seifer and go!" she said. Edea laughed at her impatience.

"I would like to say goodbye to you all first. Where is Seifer and Zell?" she asked. Selphie smiled.

"Not together, that's for sure. I think I saw Seifer on the beach. Zell's probably eating." she said with a laugh.

***************************************************************************

"The citizens of Deling City will not obey a Sorceress. I know that for sure. After that fool Ultimecia," she murmured to Fujin. The grey haired girl stood still as Oriscala paced in front of her. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Maybe...maybe you should make them believe that you are acting in their best interests. Turn them against someone...someone who you can convince them is evil. Like Rinoa." she said. Oriscala smiled.

"Of course! Squall already thinks the little bitch is possessed...if I could convince him, I can convince the pathetic citizens of that city." she said with a gloating smile. Fujin nodded.

"Squall...he is very confused. But must he be under such strong magic? I'm..."

"Worried about him? Fujin...you don't have feelings for him, do you?" Oriscala asked her mockingly. Fujin looked anxious.

"No, I just...he's the only link I have left to Seifer." she said, feeling defeated. Oriscala turned away from her.

"Fujin, you know how strong he is. If he began to think about this...then he might get in our way. And I wouldn't want to have to kill him." she said with a smile. Fujin sighed.

"I don't like lying to him." she said bravely. Oriscala looked at her, with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? Fujin, I'm surprised at you. You've done far worse things in your time than lying..." She taunted. Fujin gave up.

"Sorry." she muttered. Oriscala turned away.

***************************************************************************

Fujin watched Squall as he slept. She wondered what was going on in his head. Oriscala had led him to believe that Rinoa was possessed by an evil Sorceress, and that was the reason why he felt such revulsion to her whenever she became a Sorceress. He believed that by becoming Oriscala's Knight, he was protecting Rinoa, and in the process stopping Quistis from getting hurt by Rinoa. Oriscala had explained to him that Rinoa was out to get her, and if she managed to kill her, Quistis would die as well. But by keeping Rinoa away, Squall was protecting both of them. Fujin knew what a pack of lies this was.

She wished she could tell Squall the truth, but then she might as well commit suicide. Oriscala would kill her for sure, or even worse, turn her into one of those little dwarf things which followed her around like little shadows. Fujin sighed. Poor Squall. He was even more exhausted than she was, due to all the magic placed on him. She wondered what effect it was having on him. Maybe it was poisoning him also. Fujin didn't care. All she wanted was to get back to the way things were.

***************************************************************************

The Palace at Deling City was empty. The tall ceiling of the beautiful throne room was painted with pictures of angels, and Sorceresses. It was the perfect place for Oriscala to make her proclamation to the people, warning them of the new evil about to invade their city, the Sorceress Rinoa.

Oriscala sat on the throne, smiling at her two servants who sat on either side of her. She could hear the hum of people outside the hall, and eventually the door opened, admitting only one into the room. Oriscala smiled benevolently at the president of Galbadia, Diola. He had been one of Vinzer Deling's underlings, but had managed to climb to the top in the unrest following the assassination of the President. Diola bowed to Oriscala, and smiled smugly at her.

"It is an honour to have you in our city, Sorceress." he said to her. The man had a lisp, and was short and balding, with eyes which flitted from side to side suspiciously.

"I must have an audience with the people. I need to warn them of a great evil which is looming over your city." she said charmingly. He looked concerned, and coughed quietly.

"Your Excellency, the public, they don't....what I mean is, the last Sorceress here.."

I know what happened last time." she said quickly he bowed again. The Sorceress smiled.

"Do you want war, Diola? Do you want Deling City to have the power it once had?" she asked him softly. Diola shook his head, looking at her sideways.

"No, of course not." he said indignantly. Oriscala smiled.

"Of course. You don't want Garden gone. You don't want the Galbadian Army the best in the world. You don't want to be respected instead of sneered at by your peers." she said mockingly. Diola frowned.

"What are you saying?" he asked

"You can have all that. By co-operating with me. I can make you a King, not just a President." she hissed. He looked interested.

"How?" he asked in a low voice.

"Declare war on Garden. All which remains is Balamb. Esthar Garden is too new and unorganized, Trabia is still under construction, and Galbadia has been eliminated. Balamb is the only real threat." she said quietly. Squall and Fujin didn't flinch at the mention of their home being destroyed.

"But...we aren't strong enough to fight Balamb Garden. Their SeeD's are elite, better than any others, better than our army. We would be defeated easily." he said regretfully. Oriscala laughed.

"Do you have any intellectual value at all?" she asked him. He flinched at her harsh words.

"Destroy them from the inside. We already have a powerful weapon." she said, glancing at Squall. Diola looked confused.

"What?" he asked her. Oriscala put her hand on Squall's.

"Do you recognise this man?" she asked Diola softly. He glanced at Squall, looking him up and down.

"No." he replied, uninterested. Oriscala smiled lovingly at Squall.

"He is Squall Leonhart." she said smugly. Diola gasped.

"The Commander of Garden?" he asked incredulously. Oriscala smiled.

"Yes. He is my Knight."

***************************************************************************

Seifer walked along side Rinoa as they proceeded to the Palace. She was dressed as a Sorceress, and was strangely calm. Seifer walked close to her, his sword drawn. People who saw them stepped aside, looking at the pair in awe. They were very striking. She, dressed all in black, and he was in white. Because of the distraction Rinoa and Seifer served as, no-one noticed the three SeeD's following them.

They walked right up to the Presidential Palace. Rinoa shuddered, feeling the power waiting within. "She's already there." Rinoa whispered to Seifer. He nodded, and checked his gunblade was loaded. Selphie walked close to Irvine, and Zell followed the pair, looking around nervously. They all entered the Palace, and pushed through the people to the main hall, where a female voice could be heard over a stereo system.

"Citizens of Deling City!"

Selphie bit her lip anxiously. That was the Sorceress.

"You are in great danger!"

Rinoa frowned. What was she up to?

"There is a great Sorceress, one which means harm to you!"

Seifer glanced at Rinoa. She looked pale, and he was sure she was trembling.

"She was born in this city, and she will return here to kill you all!"

Irvine stepped up to Rinoa. "What's going on?" he whispered. Rinoa made no response.

"Her name is Sorceress Rinoa."

"No," whispered Rinoa. She turned to Seifer. "Get me out of here," she whispered in a frightened voice. They turned, but the crowd had shut behind them too thick to escape. Rinoa suddenly felt very afraid. If she had sensed the other Sorceress' presence, she surely knew Rinoa was there.

"She is possessed. She was trying to kill me, and I was one of her friends once. Rinoa herself is not evil, but the Sorceress inside her is. Please, citizens of Deling City, trust me to help you get rid of this menace!" she implored them. A great cheer rose from the audience. Rinoa yelled to the others, but her voice was lost in the thunderous applause.

"Lets go! This is dangerous!" she cried. Seifer took off his long white coat, and put it around her shoulders.

"This will help hide you," he said. She nodded gratefully, and the five of them managed to push their way through the crowds to the entrance. Once out in the fresh air, the cheers from the crowd inside seemed distant.

"This is terrible," Rinoa said sadly. Seifer glanced back at the hall.

"We must confront her. But by ourselves. We have no chance if the whole city is on her side." he said gravely. In the cold dark of the city, they all felt terribly alone.

"Where shall we go?" asked Selphie, shivering. Seifer turned to Rinoa.

"I know you wont like this, but..."

"Fine." she said with a sigh. "Let's go to my house." she said reluctantly. Seifer smiled at her, and they began walking.

***************************************************************************

"He's not home. Do you want to wait for him inside? I'm sure he wouldn't mind," said the servant who opened the door warmly. Rinoa sighed in disgust.

"I don't care whether he would mind or not. Just let us in." she said rudely. The servant hesitated. Rinoa got angry.

"Do you know who I am? I am Rinoa Heartilly. And a powerful Sorceress. So let me in now!" she said. Seifer put a hand on her arm.

"Rinoa, calm down. She was only doing her job." he said to her. Rinoa sighed.

"I know. But I hate this place." she said. The servant opened the door wide for them, stepping aside silently to let them in. Rinoa went in first. They all walked to the main room, which was far nicer than the small study they had been forced to wait in last time. Rinoa stood, while the others sat on the chairs. Eventually, a male servant came into the room.

"Is...everything alright?" he asked, staring at Rinoa. He obviously didn't recognise her.

Rinoa remembered him though. He had looked after Rinoa as a child. She smiled at him.

"Yes, everything's fine. Where is my father?" she asked him. The servant looked at her closely, then recognition dawned on his face.

"Miss Heartilly! I didn't recognise you...you look so different..." he said in shock. Rinoa smiled.

"I know. I'm a Sorceress now." she said. He nodded.

"Yes, Patricia said. I'm afraid you scared the poor girl..." he said. Rinoa laughed.

"Oh well. Anyway, where is he tonight anyway?" she asked.

"There is a huge meeting in town. A kind of party, I was told. A new Sorceress is there. General Caraway is in town to meet her." he said. The smile left Rinoa's face.

"Oh no," she murmured.

***************************************************************************

"You evil bitch!" Caraway yelled, rushing towards the Sorceress. The physical attack took her by surprise, and she fell backwards as he ploughed into her. Squall and Fujin immediately jumped to her defence. They were alone with him and Diola in the massive hall, the audience had left. Squall and Fujin descended from the stage, weapons ready to attack Caraway.

But the Sorceress seemed perfectly capable of looking after herself. She rose,blood dripping from a small cut on her head, and shook off Caraway effortlessly, flinging him into a nearby table, breaking his arm. She looked livid.

"Who are you?" she hissed angrily. He clenched his fists and stared furiously at the Sorceress.

"Rinoa's father. General Caraway." he said. Sorceress Oriscala sighed, and reluctantly cast Curaga on him. The broken arm healed. He looked surprised.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" he asked bitterly. She shook her head, sending her beautiful curls over her shoulders.

"No. I'm not going to do the same as Ultimecia." she said, with a small smile. "So, you are General Caraway. I thought you and your daughter don't get on?" she said mockingly.

"We don't. But I still love her." he said. Oriscala looked sympathetic.

"What a shame. You know Rinoa is evil, don't you?" she said gently. He looked furious.

"My daughter is not a monster!" he seethed. Oriscala laughed.

"Of course not. Rinoa is good, gentle and sweet. Isn't that right Squall?" she said, turning to him. Squall nodded.

"Squall? Squall Leonhart!?" Caraway asked incredulously. Squall gazed at him coldly. Oriscala watched in delight.

"You son of a bitch! Where is Rinoa! You promised to take care of her!" he screamed at Squall, trying to hit the younger man, but was repelled by the energy shield Oriscala had put up. Squall stood.

"I am protecting her! That's why I am here." Squall said. Caraway looked at him with disgust.

"You are despicable. Leaving my daughter for this witch..." he said, livid. Squall gazed back coldly.

"I have protected Rinoa." he said simply. Oriscala began to get bored.

"Enough! Caraway, leave now, and cause no further trouble for me. Otherwise I will ensure your daughter is executed, possessed or not," she said evilly. Squall looked at her.

"What?" he said quietly. Oriscala looked annoyed.

"Go!" she cried to Caraway. With a last angry glance, he man left. Oriscala turned back to Squall.

"I was only trying to scare him." she explained. Squall looked relieved. Fujin watched him closely, willing him to react further. He didn't. Oriscala looked at the man who up til now had sat in the corner of the hall silently.

"Diola, come here." she said in a bored voice. He crept up to her.

"Yes, your Excellency," he snivelled. Oriscala raised a hand wearily and sent a blue light around Diola. He was encased in a blue sphere of light, and those watching could see him screaming and writhing in pain inside the bubble. They couldn't hear anything though, the sphere was completely sound-proof. Eventually, he fell down, and they could see his body transform into a skeleton.

"I wont kill you Caraway. But I am not afraid of doing it. Diola will not be missed, I can just claim he threatened to kill me. But you are another matter...the people respect you. You are too valuable to waste." she said softly to the shut door.

***************************************************************************

They heard a door slam. Everyone looked up as they heard General Caraway's voice in the lobby outside. Rinoa took a deep breath, her eyes on the door. Selphie and Irvine stood up from the couch they had been sitting on. There was a tension in the air as they waited for General Caraway to enter. Eventually, he did.

"What the...Rinoa!" he cried, looking at his daughter with relief. To her great surprise, he ran to her, and embraced her tightly. Rinoa looked stunned. When he released her, she was disturbed to see tears in his eyes.

"What is it?!" she asked him, very worried. Her father never showed emotion, and much less affection.

"Rinoa...you are in such danger. That Sorceress...she wants you dead. She's organising a war against Garden. And she has your boyfriend on her side." he said. He spoke the last sentence with contempt. Rinoa looked sad.

"I know. He thinks he is protecting me." she said sadly. Her father stared at her.

"What's going on Rinoa?" he asked her. She shook her head and moved away from him.

"It's a long story." she said with a sigh.

***************************************************************************

Xu gripped the fax she held tightly. It was bad news. Very bad news. One by one, all the Gardens were being eliminated. She knew Balamb was the strongest, but she didn't know how she was meant to organise the SeeD's by herself. With Squall and the others gone, morale had gone rock bottom. The six friends had become legendary at Garden, and to have them disappear signalled something bad.

Slowly, she made her way up the stairs into Squall's now empty office. It was just as he had left it. It was now hers, as she had taken over command of the Garden. But Xu was not the only one who thought themselves worthy of such a position. As a result of the low morale, and the disappearance of the six students, there was unrest in the Garden. Xu didn't know how long she would be able to keep her position of authority.

Xu picked up the phone, looking around the dark office. The blinds were drawn, so that not even moonlight penetrated the gloom. Putting down the phone with a murmur of annoyance at the engaged tone, Xu switched on the lamp to re-read the fax she had been sent.

'I, Ellone Loire, have assumed control of Esthar and therefore Esthar Garden. I order you to relinquish Commander Squall Leonhart immediately to the Estharian Army for execution. He is wanted for the murder of President Laguna Loire. If we do not receive the Commander by 1600 hours tomorrow, which is the ninth day of the eleventh month, we will be forced to declare war on Balamb Garden.'

It was signed 'President Ellone Loire'. Xu sighed. She didn't know much about the Esthar government, but she had no doubt Balamb was no match for them when it came to warfare. Massaging her temples, Xu shut her eyes and wondered what she should do. She had about sixteen hours to reply before there was war. She didn't know where Squall was, so even if she did want to turn him over to Esthar, she couldn't. But she would never do that. And anyway, there must be some mistake. Squall a murderer? She didn't know, but she knew he would never kill in cold blood. Or would he? Xu knew him well, but he was a SeeD, and they were trained as assassins. Squall certainly had the training to kill with detachment.

Xu didn't know Laguna was Squall's father. If she had known that, then she would never have doubted him. But she had no idea of the attachments between Squall, Ellone and Laguna. She guessed Ellone was Laguna's daughter from their surnames, but even that wasn't strictly true, as Ellone was adopted. Getting up from the desk, Xu walked over to one of the huge window, pulling open the blind. It opened with a view of the coastline, and from there she could see the waves breaking on the shore. She shut her eyes, leaning her forehead against the cool glass. She didn't know it, but she had a fever from the overwork. The glass felt so nice and cold against her skin. With a sigh, Xu slowly crumpled to the floor in a faint.

***************************************************************************

Lika scuttled across the floor to where Ellone sat cross-legged on the floor. Ellone was doing her best to ignore the creatures, but it was nearly impossible. They hissed and jumped around and pawed at her too much. They did seem a little afraid of her though, and didn't come too close to her when she got angry with them. Ellone stared cooly at Lika as she smirked at Ellone.

"We sent a letter today. Sorceressss Orissscala's ordersss," she said in her lisping voice. Ellone ignored her. Lika seemed delighted. "We're going to get your brothers Garden...yess we are...they are all going to die...all the dessssspicable SeeD'sssss." she said, hissing more in her excitement. Ellone sighed.

"I don't care." she lied. Lika laughed.

"Yesss, yess...of course you don't. Oriscala has changed her plansss...Galbadia is too weak to destroy Balamb....so do you know who issss?" she taunted. Ellone shrugged.

"You are!! Hehe...Esssthar Garden, on your orders, is going to war with Balamb Garden!" she said, laughing hysterically.

"No! You can't do that! I will not be responsible for the deaths of SeeD's!" Ellone cried. Lika laughed at her.

"You already are. You signed the letter...you ordered the attack!" Lika shrieked in excitement. Ellone moaned, clutching her head.

"Why...why are you doing this?!" She begged them to tell her. Lika cackled at her distress.

"Esthar...it is to become Oriscala's home soon...you must be out of the way...Garden must be out of the way. This is just one step in her plan. By using you, she can eliminate both you and Garden at once." she hissed. Ellone looked bitter.

"Why don't you just kill me and Squall then? You'd get rid of two leaders easier then." she said softly. Lika growled.

"We can't. Esthar would retaliate for the murder of their President, and Garden would soon pull itself together, even if Leonhart was to die. Anyway, he is under Oriscala's protection." she hissed. Ellone shuddered, remembering the moment Squall had aimed his gunblade at Laguna...

"You are evil," she said wearily. Lika laughed again.

"I know." she said.

***************************************************************************

"So he is under her spell?"

Rinoa nodded. Her father stood, walking over to the window from where he could see the Presidential Palace.

"And you are now a Sorceress..." he said slowly. Rinoa nodded again.

"But I'm not possessed like she said. She made that up to make Squall join her. The Sorceress, I mean, Oriscala, is really Quistis. But Quistis is possessed with this evil Sorceress." she said. Her father nodded, and turned back to Rinoa and her friends.

"How can I help you?" he asked her. Seifer stepped forward.

"We need to see the Sorceress alone. Only then will Rinoa be able to fight her."

"Rinoa? Fight? No, she hasn't had the training all you SeeD's have..." he began, but Rinoa laughed.

"Father, last year I helped defeat Ultimecia. I am now a Sorceress. I have more power than any of my friends." she said with a smile. He sighed.

"I don't like the idea of you going one on one with this....monster." he said. Rinoa sighed.

"I'll be fine. You remember Sorceress Edea?"

"The one you were sent to assassinate last year?" he said dryly. Rinoa bit her lip.

"Um, yeah, well, she's good now. She taught me lots of things. She say's that I'm ready to face the Sorceress." she said. Rinoa's father looked sceptical.

"Then why doesn't she fight this Sorceress?" he asked suspiciously. Rinoa began to get irritated.

"Because it is my job! She's taken MY Knight, possessed MY friend and is trying to turn the world against ME! This has nothing to do with Matron..."

"Matron?" she ignored him.

"And besides, Edea is no longer a Sorceress. She gave her powers to me. By accident," she said before her father could retort. He sighed.

"Fine. Just take care, alright? I'll try and see what I can do. If you are sure she wont hurt you.." Rinoa didn't reply. He looked at her, but made no comment on her silence.

"I'll go now. Come with me." he said, leading the way back to the Presidential Palace.

***************************************************************************

Xu came round when the first light of dawn was breaking. Sitting up, she realised she must have lain there half the night, on the floor of Squall's office. Looking down, she saw that she held a piece of crumpled paper in her hand. Reading it, she shut her eyes, and felt a horrible sinking feeling.

"Oh no..." she murmured. Standing up and dusting herself off, she picked up the phone on the desk and dialled a number. The member of faculty supervising the dormitories answered the phone.

"Dormitory A." he said in a bored voice. Xu cleared her throat.

"This is Xu. Wake up Nida for me, will you? Tell him to come to the Commanders Office stat." she said curtly. There was a mumbled assent and Xu put the phone down, sitting down heavily in the plush swivel chair at Squall's desk. She pulled her fingers through her hair and rubbed her eyes, trying to make herself look a little human before Nida got there.

After about ten minutes, Nida walked into the office in his SeeD uniform, looking very tired. Xu looked sympathetic.

"Sorry for getting you up so early." she said. He shook his head.

"It's ok. What did you want me for?" he asked, stifling a yawn. Xu looked grave.

"I received this late last night." she said, passing Nida the crumpled paper. He read it, and his eyes went wide.

"But we don't know where Squall is," he said in a worried voice. Xu nodded.

"I know. And I haven't heard anything about the murder of the President of Esthar, or anything like that. And Ellone Loire...I remembered just a few minutes ago...wasn't she the girl who Edea was looking for last year? The one with special powers?" Xu asked Nida with a frown. He looked at her incredulously.

"You don't know who she is? She's Squall's sister." he said to her. Xu's mouth dropped open.

"What!? His own sister is ordering his execution?" she said with a gasp. Nida looked very concerned.

"Ellone can't really believe he killed his own father," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. Xu looked even more shocked.

"Squall...Laguna..."

"Come on Xu, don't you listen to those two diamond CC girls by the directory gossip at all?" he said to her impatiently. She looked shocked.

"No." she replied. Nida sighed.

"What are we going to do?" he asked her. Xu looked grim.

"There is only one available course of action. War." she said solemnly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well...how d'ya like it so far?! This took me ages to write...three days. Well, I am on Easter break, and haven't got much else to do with my time ^_^

Wasn't the death of Laguna sad? I wish I could have given him a funeral or something...but everyone was too busy being either kidnapped or possessed. Do you think Seifer deserves a second chance after what he did to Quistis? I'll have to find a way to resolve that...

Stay tuned for part three coming soon....

Part Three ~ The Sorceress' Knight

'There are three parts to every trilogy...in part one, the rules are set...in part two...the rules are twisted....in part three....the heroine dies....'

Trailer for Scream 3