When Rinoa awoke in the
middle of the night, she was broken out in a cold sweat. With no idea what was
going on, or why she seemed so disturbed, she gazed around the room, not seeing
anything to cause her slightly unconscious sense of alarm. She slowly rose from
bed, and stood in the center of her darkened room, her heart beating fast,
telling herself it had probably just been a nightmare, nothing more. But as she
sat down on her bed again and attempted to fall back asleep, she knew something
was wrong, something outside the garden, something that wasn't just her
imagination, and that desperately needed to be noticed.
Quickly throwing on her clothes, she
went to the window, and looked outside. Sure enough, there was a woman standing
outside, with her back to Rinoa's window. Ducking down so as not to be seen,
Rinoa watched her, as she turned, billowing her huge jet-black wings out behind
her. There was no doubt it was one of the creatures Squall had seen…one of the
'Holy Kingdom.' Without waiting to observe her more, Rinoa silently got up and
rushed down the hallway, knocking on Quistis's door.
Quistis opened it and peered out,
blinking in drowsiness and confusion. "Quisty…something's gone wrong." "Hmmm?"
Rinoa shook her gently by the shoulders. "Quisty! They're here! I don't know
why, they've come too early! The Holy Kingdom!" That woke Quistis up right
away. "What?? How can that be, we're supposed to have three days!" Rinoa shook
her head and pulled at Quistis's sleeve. "I don't know, it doesn't matter, we've
got to get out of here! Get dressed, I'm waking Selphie." Quistis nodded
slowly, and closed the door. Rinoa moved on to Selphie's room.
An hour later, they were all
standing by the garden entrance, some groggy, but all ready to go. Rinoa glanced
out the doorway, and saw the creature looming slightly to their left. She
gestured the others to stay back, and watched as it came slowly closer. Her
heart started beating fast again, and she started backing up…to see it turn the
corner and disappear from view, just as it came close enough to see her.
Everyone present breathed a huge sigh of relief. Then, looking around to all
sides, Rinoa gestured, and they all rushed out the door, as quickly and quietly
as they possibly could.
Just as they reached the gate, and
were rushing to freedom, Squall heard a swishing sound behind him, and saw the 'angel'
coming at them full tilt. "Run!" He yelled, grabbing Rinoa's hand and pelting
forward, tripping on a rock and righting himself, making sure everyone was out
of the gate before slamming it shut, and pulling everyone behind a tree. The
creature stirred around for a while longer, and then turned, heading back in
the direction it had come. Again, sighs of relief were exchanged all around,
though Quistis didn't look so sure.
"Cid said it could sense the
thoughts in our minds…it's a good thing we don't know where we're going, or it
could follow us easily enough." Squall nodded. "We'd better move out of here as
fast as we can. C'mon, let's go." He headed off, followed by the others. Rinoa
lingered longer, biting her lip as she looked off in the direction of the
garden. What if it's hurt someone, she thought to herself. What if it's
attacking the SeeDs and students…hoping to get to me? This is all my fault…What
have I done? Hearing a call from Zell, she turned, and, taking her last
look at Garden, followed them off.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Squall called a halt in the
procession later that day. Slumping down against a tree, Rinoa stared at the
ground shaking her head and not speaking to anyone. They all looked nervous and
worried, knowing what she felt, and unable to keep their own minds clear of
worry for Garden, their home, where most of their friends were now, and which
they all knew was being ravaged by the 'angels.' Squall walked over to Rinoa,
and put his arm around her. "It's gonna be alright. Everyone at Garden knows
how to fight, the students, even the kids. And that thing won't stay there for
long, it knows we left." That was bothering everyone too.
Rinoa shook her head, and looked up
at him. "What if it tries to pry the information of people's minds at Garden?
What if it kills them in the process? Oh god, I wish I'd never even come there…"
Squall squeezed her hand so sharply that she gasped, and was forced to look up
again. "No, you don't. Because if you hadn't…I never would have gotten to know
you."
