Best Laid Plans Part Three
By Selphie Leonhart
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Caraway pushed through the crowds, fuelled by a force stronger than the barricades, or the Deling City police who tried to bar his way, not knowing who he was. Light were flashing orange over the scene, and sirens wailed deafeningly loud, but he heard none of it, saw nothing. His eyes were focussed on the float, on the blood which seeped over the side, to the pale hand which hung limp, attached to an equally lifeless body. That of his daughter.
"No..." he whispered, oblivious to the police who tried to prevent him reaching Rinoa's body. He climbed up onto the float, kneeling next to her, ignoring the blood which soaked into his clothes, which covered his hands as he lifted her body, pulling her close to him.
His face contorted in agony, unable to believe it had ended like this. His only child...his baby girl, lying twisted, bathed in flashing blue and orange lights, piercing sirens and the crackle and hiss of the police radios as reports were made on the Sorceress, and who they assumed was her intended successor. He cradled her close to him, his eyes shut so he wouldn't see her deathly pale face, her open black eyes which in her death seemed full of accusation.
"Nooo!" he moaned, feeling his insides twist as the realisation of her death hit him. His Rinoa was gone...she died his enemy.
"I'm so sorry..." he whispered to her, rocking back and forth, holding her tight, unable to let go. His fingers tangled in her hair, the intricate coils falling, the tiara knocked sideways as he clung to her in his grief. Terrible memories flashed into his mind of when he had held Julia like this...when Julia had been the same shade of grey, and lifeless, like a doll or model, not something which had once been a real person, someone who had laughed, smiled, had sudden fits of anger and cried tears of sadness. Rinoa...this was not Rinoa he held. This was a shadow of her, a mere shell.
For the first time in his life, Caraway let the tears fall.
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Quistis woke feeling her head thumping. Her eyes opened slowly, and she blinked, trying to focus on what was around her.
"Squall!" she cried, sitting up straight as the memories of what happened returned to her. Almost immediately, she realised he wasn't there, and the only others with her were Selphie and Zell. Both of them were sitting on the floor near her, and both looked incredibly dejected.
She frowned, rubbing her head.
"Where are we?" she asked her former pupils. Zell looked at her and shrugged.
"Don't know. Prison..." he said mournfully. Selphie gazed at Quistis, her big green eyes full of questions.
"What's going to happen to us?" she asked. Quistis looked down. If they were in prison, that meant that Squall was here too. If he was still alive. But...he couldn't be. She had seen the spear go right through him. Quistis gasped softly, shutting her eyes to try and block out the pain. He...was he really gone? She was sure that...if he had really died, she would have felt something. Something intangible, but definite. Somehow, she couldn't convince herself he was really dead. She opened her eyes, and looked at the others.
"We've got to get out of here." she said quietly.
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"Open your eyes."
The voice was harsh, and Squall was sure he recognised it from somewhere. Seifer....it was his voice. Squall opened his eyes, but made no movement. He suddenly realised with a shock, that he wasn't lying down as he thought, but vertical, suspended on the wall. Glancing down, he expected to see a huge wound, or at the least bandages, but there was none. However, there was no time to contemplate what had happened, as Seifer began to speak to him again.
"Pathetic." He sneered.
Squall gazed at him coldly, ignoring the pain in his wrists and ankles where he was bound to the metal wall. The restraints had obviously been on him for a long time, and he could feel the metal biting into his flesh. He felt an incredible ache in his shoulders, and hung his head trying to relieve the pain. Seifer seemed to take this as a sign of defeat.
"You are worthless," he said, obviously enjoying this. Squall didn't look up, feeling too tired to respond to Seifer. He heard the swish of Seifer's gunblade cutting through the air, a common gesture he made to express annoyance, or to emphasise a statement.
"You....Edea orders you to reveal the true purpose of SeeD." he said in a low voice. Squall looked up, a frown creasing his brow. True purpose of SeeD? Weren't they mercenaries? Dispersed over the world to fight for other's causes...there was nothing more to it as far as he knew.
"Don't...don't you know?" Squall gasped, difficult because he was so tired, and his muscles ached so much. Seifer cut the air with his sword again, an expression of loathing on his face.
"I wouldn't know. I'm not a SeeD, am I?" he said in a voice thick with hatred. Squall didn't meet his gaze.
"There must be something you're told when you become a SeeD...some secret. Edea wants to know!" he demanded. Squall shut his eyes, thinking desperately. Seifer appeared to take this as defiance. He turned to the guard, who had been standing there throughout the whole thing silently. Seifer gestured towards Squall, and nodded to the man. A smile crossed the guards hard features, and he pulled a lever on the wall. Instantly, Squall felt a terrible pain burst through his body, making every single hair on his body stand on end. He felt as if his muscles were being pulled apart by red-hot tongs. It was all he could do to stop himself screaming in agony, he gritted his teeth together and prayed that this torment would soon be over.
Eventually, the pain stopped. His body stopped jerking by itself, and he relaxed, feeling even worse than before.
Seifer's bitter laugh rang out. The sound echoed in the metal chamber, and Squall felt rage build up inside him. He opened his eyes, and glared at his rival, who was grinning demonically at him, obviously enjoying the sight of his nemesis in pain. He was like a cat toying with a mouse, and Squall realised with a sinking feeling he was completely at Seifer's mercy.
"Now tell me. What is the true purpose of SeeD?" Seifer repeated. Squall hung his head. What the hell did Seifer want to hear? That they were really a terrorist organisation, bent on world domination? That wasn't what SeeD was, there was nothing he could tell Seifer he didn't already know. He couldn't lie, couldn't put Garden in danger if he said the wrong thing. He had no choice....
Squall remained silent. Seifer gazed at him for a few moments, and then as if accepting this as an answer, turned to the guard who controlled the electricity flow to Squall's chains. The guard nodded in understanding, and pulled the lever again.
This time, Squall's screams rang throughout the prison block.
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Edea smiled slightly as she heard the screams. Standing alone in the empty metal walled room, she heard the feral cry reverberate against the dull metal, and eventually fade. She knew who was being tortured, after all, she had ordered it.
The door opened with a soft click. Edea turned, and her expression didn't change as Seifer entered the room. He bowed to her, his sword drawn as always.
"Mistress, he won't talk." Seifer said in a low voice. Edea frowned slightly, the change in her expression almost imperceptible.
"He refuses to say anything about SeeD. I don't know why you don't just kill him." He said, gazing at her closely. Edea smiled, her mouth barely twitching upwards.
"I have my reasons." she said, her voice hissing. Seifer glanced upwards.
"What are SeeD hiding? How will it be of use to us?" he asked, frowning at Edea. She turned from him, the smile leaving her face.
"You ask too many questions." she said coldly. Seifer sighed, exasperated.
"Rinoa's dead, you know," he said to her, his voice bitter. Edea laughed softly, and for the first time, Seifer felt revulsion towards the Sorceress.
"She died from the bullet which was meant to hit you!" he said, his voice ringing in the metal clad room. Edea froze, then turned to him stiffly.
"And isn't it better she die, than I do? She is of no consequence, she wouldn't have made an ounce of difference to this world had she lived. Rinoa Heartilly didn't matter." she hissed at him. Seifer shook his head.
"You're wrong." he said, but seemed to have difficulty getting the words out. Edea smirked, her back to him.
"Am I?" she whispered. She jumped slightly as she heard the door slam shut behind her, the sound echoing. Her beautiful features twisted into an expression of hate. Twisting round, her hands clenched into claws, she faced an empty room.
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Quistis was the only one who heard the soft click of the magnetic lock being released. For almost a whole minute, she knelt there, staring as the light above the door flickered to green, and then rose to her feet unsteadily.
"Zell....Selphie..." she murmured, walking briskly to the door. Zell gasped as he saw the green light, and ran next to Quistis as she stared at the door handle as if it might bite her. She glanced at Selphie, and motioned for her to get the other side of the door. Quistis put one hand on the door handle, and took a deep breath, looking intently at Zell, who was in a fighting stance, prepared to knock out anyone foolish enough to be waiting the other side of the open door.
She opened it, and they all tensed. But there was no-one there, and a quick glance around told Quistis that the floor they were on was empty.
"It's okay." Quistis said, walking out into the circular corridors. Her boots sounded loud on the metal grating of the floors, and she was on edge, thinking a guard might hear them at any minute. Selphie stepped beside her looking around the spacious area they were in.
"Which way do we go?" she asked Quistis. The older girl shrugged.
"Down, I guess. I think it's more likely that the exit is there, but we still have to..." she was cut off as a horrible cry rent the air around them. Selphie's eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open. Quistis felt her heart sink. Zell shook his head.
"Guys, that really sounded like..."
"Squall." Quistis whispered. Selphie moaned.
"No, no, he wouldn't scream like that...what are they doing to him?" she said in a trembling voice. Quistis swallowed hard, pushing disturbing images out of her head.
"Let's go. We've got to go find him." she said. The others nodded grimly, and they set off at a brisk pace, each terrified to think what state they might find their leader in.
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The silence which hung in the room was thick, as if the room was hung with black velvet curtains, muffling any sound, shutting out all light. There was nothing to stimulate the senses, nothing to let you know you were alive, and not just dreaming, or in fact dead. There was nothing. Just the dark, and the silence.
But that darkness was broken by a sudden flare of light, illuminating a face which was perhaps worse than the darkness itself. Edea held in her cupped hands a sphere of yellowy orange light, which writhed and twisted between her palms, as if seeking to escape its clawed prison. The flickering light danced across her face, highlighting the vine-like veins which stood out along one cheek, the softly swaying ornaments which hung from her headdress. As the light calmed down, and softened to a meek glow, she stepped forward, to a table, which was revealed in the pale light.
On the table was a sight which would shock ordinary mortals, but not Edea. She simply gazed upon the table, spread as it was with crimson velvet, and reached out with one hand to the body which lay on it. Edea calmly placed the ball of light on the table, above the corpse's head, where the glow visibly brightened, shedding an eerie light over the table, and over the Sorceress.
Rinoa was completely white, as if all the blood had been drained out of her. Her eyes were shut, her cheeks sunken. She was still dressed in the black gown of the parade, her hair falling out of the intricate style it had been in, the tiara clinging on half-heartedly to one side of her hair. She was absolutely still.
"How hard it was to procure your body, my child. I hope he appreciates the effort I am making," she hissed, dragging one claw-like nail along Rinoa's smooth cheek.
Edea sighed, closing her eyes briefly. She had to do this, for Seifer, otherwise he would...she couldn't allow him to ruin her plans. She held out her hands over Rinoa, a frown of concentration on her face as she called on not only her powers, but on an others too. Edea alone didn't have the power to bring back the dead, but Ultimecia did.
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The screaming stopped as they got closer, and if possible, Selphie and Quistis got even paler.
"Do you think he's..." began Selphie. Quistis whirled round to face her.
"Of course not." she snapped at Selphie. The younger girl pressed her lips together and walked on at a brisk pace, clutching her weapon closely. Quistis sighed.
"Sorry." she said quietly to Selphie. Selphie nodded, and they hurried forward. Eventually, down the winding metal corridors and dead ends, they found a room quite unlike the others in the prison. Zell stopped.
"Guys, I saw this place in my dream." he said excitedly. Selphie frowned at him.
"What?" said Quistis, examining the door to see if it was fitted with a sensor. Zell nodded.
"I dreamt that I was working here, and I was a janitor or something... this is a torture room." he said in a hushed tone. Quistis stood up from her kneeling position by the door, and frowned at him.
"Are you serious?" she asked him, putting on what Selphie and Zell called her 'instructor' voice. Zell nodded.
"Yeah. I was that guy again...Ward. It was strange. Here, what you have to do is press this, and then this..." he said, pushing various numbered buttons on the electronic lock of the door. Quistis and Selphie watched in amazement as the light over the door flashed red twice, and then turned to green. Quistis managed a smile at Zell, before pushing the door open cautiously.
"Oh!" Quistis gasped as she entered the room. The first thing she noticed as she entered the room was Squall, hanging as if crucified, from the wall. 'Please let him be alright,' she prayed silently, running across the large room to him, staring anxiously at the unconscious Squall. Selphie and Zell quickly made it to her side, both gazing up at him.
"How do we get him down?!" cried Selphie, her vivid green eyes huge with worry as she gazed at their leader. Quistis glanced around the room desperately, and her eyes fell on a lever. She walked to it, and looked back at Zell.
"Which one?" she asked him, her voice deep with worry. He frowned, concentrating.
"One of them will shock him..." Zell said, trying hard to remember. Quistis sighed impatiently.
"Which one!" she demanded. Zell sighed.
"That one." he said, pointing at one of the levers. Quistis looked at Zell hard, and then turned to the lever painted blue, right next to one painted red. "Zell, get ready to catch him when he falls," she said quietly, swallowing hard as she looked at his battered body, suspended in the air. Zell nodded, and he and Selphie stood beneath Squall. Taking a deep breath, Quistis pulled the lever.
Immediately there were four loud snaps, and the jingling of rusty chains as Squall was released from the shackles. He fell forward, into Selphie and Zell's outstretched arms. The two of them stumbled backwards, and laid him down on the cold metal floor. Quistis ran over to them, kneeling beside his unconscious form.
"Squall?" she said softly, checking his pulse. She went very pale.
"I can't find a pulse," she whispered.
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"Rise!" she rasped, lifting her arms high over Rinoa's body. The light at the end of the table flickered, and went out. Edea's breath came in ragged gasps as she concentrated all her energy, pouring every ounce of her power into Rinoa's prone body. She fell to her knees, but didn't stop. Edea's hands clenched, and unclenched, and then with a deep cry, she fell unconscious next to the velvet clad table.
There was once again a heavy silence in the room. Then, a small gasp was heard. The velvet on the table shifted, rustling in the darkness as it was gripped by a white hand. Two clicks were heard as she put her feet down on the floor, taking an uncertain step forward. Then, there was a high pitched sob.
"Seifer? Help me!" Rinoa whispered, her voice verging on hysterical.
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"Oh, Hyne," whispered Zell, looking terrified as Quistis raised a hand to her mouth, at a loss for what to do. Selphie knelt next to her.
"Let me try," she said, in an attempt to remain calm, but Quistis could see her hand shaking as she touched Squall's neck, trying to find the artery which would tell them if he was still alive. She closed her eyes and withdrew her hand, shaking her head. Quistis gasped sadly.
"Selphie, I'm going to try and give him CPR," she said. Selphie nodded. Zell backed away.
"What can I do?" he asked.
"Nothing." said Quistis. Only she and Selphie had medical training, Selphie had been given it as part of the syllabus at Trabia Garden, and as an Instructor, Quistis has gone on a medical course. It was this she was desperately trying to remember, but as she was close to panic, it was hard to remember exactly what she should do to help him.
Selphie looked at her expectantly. Quistis took a deep breath. "Okay. I know what to do." she said, and kneeling over him, placed her hands over his chest, where she guessed his heart was. Forcing herself to remain calm, she ran through the CPR procedure which was coming back to her now. Selphie called for her to stop, and she breathed into him, checking afterwards to see if he was breathing, Selphie shook her head at Quistis, and she began again, trying her hardest to quell the fear which was beginning to threaten her composure.
Again and again, she and Selphie repeated the breathing and massaging actions, trying to coax Squall back into life, while Zell paced anxiously beside them. Eventually, it seemed to work. Selphie raised her head after giving him the kiss of life, and gasped.
"He's breathing!" she said, smiling down at him. Quistis shut her eyes in a thankful prayer, and gazed down at him.
"We've got to get him out of here." she said, checking his pulse again. It was weak, but definitely there. She smiled at Selphie, and the two of them pulled Squall into a sitting position.
Just then the door shot open. Quistis, Selphie and Zell froze, their eyes on the door. Quistis felt her heart thumping. Was it possible, just as they managed to rescue Squall, and were so close to escaping, they would be imprisoned again? She didn't have time to contemplate it any further, because whatever it was entered the room. Quistis frowned. It looked like a cross between a lion and a dog, fiery red, and walking clumsily on two legs.
"A moomba?!" cried Zell. Quistis glanced at him, surprised he seemed to know what it was. She herself had never heard of such a thing.
It squeaked, and seemed shocked to see them there. It had been carrying a tray, which was sent spinning across the floor as it jumped in surprise. On the tray was water, a sponge and something which could have been food, it was hard to tell as it was a kind of beige sludge.
Selphie stood up, and walked over to it, bending down to meet it's eye level.
"Don't be scared," she said in a bright voice. The moomba didn't move away from her, but jumped, squeaking again.
"Do you know a way out of here?" she asked it. The moomba stared at her, and didn't move. Quistis stood up.
"Selphie, what if it belongs to one of the guards? It could run off and tell them where we are." she said softly. Selphie frowned.
"I don't think so. It seems nice. Besides, look at this." she said, touching a band of metal around the moomba's neck. It was a tracking device, one which the SeeD's knew was used on all prisoners to locate them incase they escaped. Luckily, they hadn't been fitted with them.
"It's a prisoner too," said Selphie sadly. While they were talking, the moomba seemed to notice Squall. It squeaked loudly, and rushed his side. Then it jumped up and down, seemingly ecstatic.
"Laguna! Laguna!" it cried. Selphie and Quistis looked at each other in confusion.
"That's Squall." Selphie said, wondering why the moomba was making this weird noise. But it made no reaction to her, instead, running across the side of the room.
"Laguna!" it squeaked again. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound and the whole prison began shaking. The SeeD's all fell to the floor as the shaking rocked the torture chamber. Eventually, the prison ground to a halt, and they got to their feet. Then the sirens began. A hidden announcement system crackled into life, and a harsh voice began speaking.
"Prisoners loose on Floor 6, the anti-magic field has been lifted and monsters have been released on each floor" the voice announced. Quistis gasped.
"We've got to move. Now!" she said, putting her arm under Squall's shoulders, attempting to lift him. Zell rushed over to help her. The moomba, which was still jumping up and down in delight, began tugging on Quistis' skirt.
"Do you know a way out?" she asked shortly.
"Laguna!" it yelped, and with a final tug, leapt over to another side of the room. Sighing, Quistis and Zell followed it, with Selphie close behind them. The moomba pressed a button on the wall, and two metal shutters shot back to reveal a small window.
"Thankyou," Quistis said breathlessly as she urged Selphie to go through the window first. The small girl fitted through easily, and landed on the metal walkway outside.
"Zell, you next." she said. Zell hesitated, but then followed Selphie, struggling to fit through the narrow opening.
Quistis turned to the moomba.
"Please, help me get him out," she asked it. The moomba jumped, and while squeaking, pointed to Quistis' pocket. Frowning, she moved her hand their absently, and gasped as she felt the pulsating GF orbs beneath her fingers.
"Of course! Thankyou," she said, picking out one at random.
Shutting her eyes, she held the red globe tightly, and called out with her mind. 'Brothers,' she called. Eventually, she felt a reply, and the GF appeared, confused to be called outside of battle. Silently, instantly, she explained the situation, and the smallest of the two lifted Squall effortlessly, pushing him through the window. Quistis nodded her thanks, and the GF's disappeared. With a final glance behind her to the moomba, she climbed up the ledge, and pulled her self up and out of the window.
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Rinoa crawled forwards through the darkness, sobbing quietly. She felt strange, empty, numb. She didn't know where she was. Her eyes were wide, but she couldn't see anything as it was pitch dark in the room. She was on her hands and knees, and moving forward tentatively. She noticed that the floor seemed to hurt her hands...as if it was coated in gravel. To rest her hands she sat up on her knees, and brought her sore hands up to wipe her face.
She was surprised to feel that her face was completely dry. Wiping her eyes nervously, she realised although she had been sobbing, no tears had fallen. She took a deep, shuddering breath, wondering what had happened to her, and suddenly heard a loud knock at the door. She froze, crouching down low, trying to make herself as small as possible. She heard a voice call, but she didn't understand what they said.
Then the door was opened. A bright shaft of light fell into the dark room, hurting Rinoa's eyes. She looked up, towards the light, but couldn't see anything, it was too bright. Holding her hands up to shield her sensitive eyes, she could make out the vague outline of a man. He ran to her.
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Quistis rubbed a hand across her eyes, trying futilely to rid them of the dust and grime which clung to her damp skin. Her eyes stung with the sharp, dry wind, and made her want to cry even more. She was exhausted.
Turning to Selphie, Quistis sighed. "We can rest here." she said. Selphie opened one eye, and glanced at her. Silently she nodded, and settled into a sleeping position. Zell was already sound asleep in the back of the abandoned truck, using an old piece of cloth as a pillow. The evening air in the desert was calm, in contrast to the earlier sand storms and cutting winds which had hindered their earlier progress. It had been a hard trek through the desert, Squall unconscious, everyone terrified that Galbadian troops may at that minute be creeping up on them.But, as night fell, they discovered this abandoned army truck, which provided no means of escape from the desert, but at least gave them shelter. Quistis, however, still felt the chill of fear. She thought of herself as their guardian of sorts, Selphie and Squall had been her pupils, and were her responsibility. Glancing at them now, both sleeping, she felt a renewed sense of protectiveness. Settling back against the worn seat of the truck, Quistis closed her eyes, listening to the mournful howl of a thrustaeveis as she drifted into uneasy sleep.
Suddenly, a rustling noise grabbed her attention. Sitting bolt upright, Quistis scanned the truck for the source of the noise. A cry escaped her lips as she looked down, and saw Squall sitting up.
"Squall!" she gasped, kneeling beside him. He looked at her, his stone blue eyes misted with confusion.
"Where are we?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. She smiled nervously.
"The desert, about twenty miles from the prison. You were unconscious..." she trailed off as Squall stood.
"Edea." he said harshly. Quistis frowned.
"What about her?" she asked. Squall shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts.
She...she looks familiar. We've met before." he said with certainty. Quistis folded her arms.
"Squall, you were injured, I think you should res..."
"I don't need any more rest. I need to figure this out." he said, sitting down on the padded bench which ran along one side of the back of the truck. Quistis sighed, and sat opposite him.
"Fine. As long as you're okay." she said quietly, her eyes resting on the sleeping Selphie. Squall glanced up at her, as if seeing her for the first time.
"Thankyou." he said awkwardly. Quistis looked surprised. She smiled at him.
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Rinoa took the warm drink Seifer offered her, but didn't sip any. Instead she simply held the cup, letting it warm her cold hands. He paced infront of her, one hand pressed against his forehead as if he was working out a mathematical equation of immense difficulty. Then he turned to her.
"What did Edea do to you?" he asked at length. Rinoa shrugged, shivering as she felt a chill. Seifer sighed.
"You were dead. I saw that myself. How can anyone resurrect the dead? Even a Sorceress..." he said, trailing off as he stared at Rinoa. She gazed back indifferently, her dark eyes piercing.
"I don't know. I don't care." she said, her voice carrying a misty quality.She wasn't really listening to him, in her head ran images of that boy, the SeeD....she couldn't stop thinking of him. She was sure she was meant to find him, she was certain their fates were intertwined. It was all she was certain of right now. Rinoa stood up.
"I'm going to find him." she said calmly to Seifer, tugging the last of the ornaments out of her hair as she pulled on a shawl. She knew the sandstorms out there were fierce, and needed to protect herself. Seifer stared at her in astonishment.
"What?! You're gonna go out...there?!" he said incredulously. "To find who?" he asked. Rinoa smiled to herself.
"Never mind. Don't follow me Seifer, this is something I have to do alone." she said quietly, opening the door to the outside. Immediately the wind whistled around her, and specks of sand scratched lightly at her skin. Rinoa shut the door behind her, and as the winds died down, stared at the clear night sky. A smile crossed her face as she set out on her journey.
*I will find you, SeeD.*
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Sorry for how short this part is, but I've been overloaded with fics to do! Part four will be along soon....=)
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http://www.RinoaLeonhartFF8.homestead.com
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