Back in the train car, the group surveyed the damaged done. "What WAS that?" Irvine repeated. Quistis shook her head. "Must've hit something. I just hope it wasn't a person, and that we can get on our way soon." Everyone nodded.
A small white bird flew to the broken window, and landed. Rinoa walked over, and stretched out her hand, allowing the bird to perch on her finger. "Poor thing, must be cold this time of year." It cocked it's head. "Pretty thing…" Squall walked over, and waved at the thing, trying to shoo it away. "Squall!" Rinoa turned around, and covered the bird with her other hand. "What are you doing?" "I'm trying," he said through gritted teeth, "to protect you." "From a bird?" She looked incredulous. "Not a bird, an-AAAAH!"
As he spoke, a blinding light enveloped all of Squall's senses, pervading the room. Something hard and metallic lamed into him, leaving him lying breathless on…the floor? Some surface? He could hear Rinoa screaming, and hear Quistis calling him. "Unnnh…" He strained to see what it was that was holding him, but he couldn't. Everything was enveloped in blackness now.
"Who are you to dare to come between me and my destiny?" It was a deep, loud voice. "Puny being, you are certainly not the sorceress slayer I hath come to find. You, who fall so swiftly to my claw?"
Sorceress slayer? Thought Squall in confusion. Everything was black, and he couldn't see, and he was getting dizzy…he couldn't feel the floor beneath him…
And suddenly it was as if something were screaming in his ears and tearing at his face, a sound he didn't think was possible, and certainly didn't think he could survive. As his eyes were opened to the world, he felt as if his entire being was being ripped apart, torn into little pieces and scattered to the winds. Before him stood…a creature. It looked surprisingly like an angel. Am I dead? He thought. But it only took him a moment, looking up at the humanoid thing with great white wings, and leering smile on it's face, to realize this was no angel, this was a menace, and this was about to kill him. "In three days," it said, "We will return. We have come for the sorceress. Bring her to us. Do not fail."
He tried to stand, and found that he could. Lunging to his feet, he drew his gunblade…and realized he wasn't standing on anything. The sound engulfed him again, as he plummeted down and down, into a bottomless void of sound and darkness and pain. The last thing he heard before all his sense wiped clean was one word, spoken in that loud, deep voice. "Interesting…" His last thought was, as he felt himself dying, Oh god, they've come for Rinoa.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Squall, please wake up, please…" Something wet fell onto his cheek, as Squall's senses slowly began waking up. He carefully opened his eyes, and saw Rinoa-his Rinoa-standing over him, with tears in her eyes. "R-Ri" He couldn't speak, the effort was too great. "Oh, god!" He felt his head being propped up, as she knelt beside his bed, sobbing with relief. "R-Rinoa…" "No no! Don't you dare try to speak!" She lay his head down again. "I'm right here, I'm right here, I'm not leaving. Now, sleep. You'll be all right. I'm right here…"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When he woke up again, Rinoa wasn't there. He tried to sit up in alarm, and fell back down again. "R-Rinoa!" He forced the words out, and found that he could speak, somewhat more easily than before. "I'm right here, I'm right here! Lie down!" She appeared from around the corner with a cup of water and a piece of bread. "Are you feeling up to eating?" She sounded cheerful enough, but she still had tearstains on her cheeks. "I brought something that I hope will go down alright." He nodded painfully, sipping the water. "Thanks," he murmured. "W-what happened? I thought I was dead." She sat down beside the bed. "We don't know." There was this flash of light, and you were lying on the floor, twitching. You kept screaming, and then you stopped all at once. You were barely breathing. I was so scared…"
Yes, thought Squall, it was all coming back to him. The strange apparition with the wings had been leering down at him…Rinoa…a sorceress…no…He sat up straight. "Rinoa," he said quietly. "I need to see the headmaster. Now."
(Next chapter coming soon! ^.~ )
