Chapter Two
"RINOA!" Squall's voice continued to echo through the grassy plains.
Rinoa's head instantly snapped up. She no longer had irises or pupils only wide, white eyes. Squall had seen this look before. Whenever one of his friends had been inflicted with Berserk their eyes had matched Rinoa's at that moment. But Squall knew that Rinoa wasn't able to cast any magic, besides, what good would Berserk have on her?
Rinoa stared up at the sky, her arms hanging limply to her sides. Then time seemed to slow down. The T-Rexaur that had been coming steadily closer seemed to freeze in mid-charge. Squall looked at the T-Rexaur, and then towards Rinoa.
Did she just cast Stop? Squall wondered. He hadn't heard her say anything.
Squall noticed a small breeze that blew by him, but the breeze steadily grew stronger. Gusts of powerful winds came racing by Squall in every direction. Cid started to fidget on Squall's shoulders, which was a sign that he wanted to be put down. Squall placed Cid on the ground and then knelt beside him, keeping him close to prevent Cid from blowing away.
The winds seemed to encircle Rinoa and her ebony hair rushed in every direction. The realization of what Rinoa was doing finally hit Squall. Old memories flooded back to him. Memories that Squall had tried to forget. Memories that had completely changed him and his closest friends forever.
Squall had seen Rinoa do this before, and yet the sight horrified him. This action was the proof that his memories didn't deceive him, that he had gone through hell and had lived to tell about it. Squall didn't want to remember what it had been like, but there was Rinoa, right in front of him, reminding him of days long past, days Squall wanted to forget...
Squall knew what was coming next, he mouthed the words as they escaped his wife's mouth, "Angel Wing."
The wind picked up then, lifting Rinoa off the ground. A beam of light from the sky that seemed to appear out of no where shone down on Rinoa and two giant wings sprouted from Rinoa's back. She reminded Squall of an angel, suspended above the ground flapping her giant wings.
Squall turned his attention back to the T-Rexaur as the wind slowly died down. The T-Rexaur still seemed frozen in time.
"Protect." was the first spell Squall heard Rinoa cast. The blue barrier appeared in front of him and Cid as Squall looked up at Rinoa. Her attention was focused completely on the T-Rexaur.
"Ultima." Rinoa stated simply.
"Oh no!" Squall grabbed Cid and ran away from the T-Rexaur. Cid would not have been able to handle the intensity of the Ultima spell. Squall closed his eyes and covered Cid from the blast until the spell was over.
Squall slowly opened his eyes to discover that the eruption of Ultima had caught the attention of some Bite Bugs. Four of them surrounded Squall and Cid, buzzing loudly, getting their stingers ready. They all rushed at Squall and Cid but were stopped by the Protect spell. The Bite Bugs buzzed angrily as they tried to force their way through the barrier. Squall knew the barrier would hold them, but the spell wouldn't last forever...
"Rinoa!" Squall called trying to get her attention. If she didn't help them before the spell ended, Squall and Cid would have no way to defend themselves from the Bite Bugs.
"Rinoa!" Squall shouted again, "Help us!" He could sense the barrier steadily growing weaker. Cid began to whimper as he tried to climb up his father's leg. The buzzes echoed in his head and the sight of the Bite Bugs constantly trying to get him, but enable because of some unseen force, scared him. Cid's whimpering turned to crying and then to sobbing. Squall picked his son up, trying to calm him down, but even he knew the situation looked bleak.
Squall looked back up at Rinoa, whose attention was still focused on the frozen T-Rexaur. Squall planted a kiss on his son's forehead just as the Protect spell terminated.
"RINOA!" Squall's voice continued to echo through the grassy plains.
Rinoa's head instantly snapped up. She no longer had irises or pupils only wide, white eyes. Squall had seen this look before. Whenever one of his friends had been inflicted with Berserk their eyes had matched Rinoa's at that moment. But Squall knew that Rinoa wasn't able to cast any magic, besides, what good would Berserk have on her?
Rinoa stared up at the sky, her arms hanging limply to her sides. Then time seemed to slow down. The T-Rexaur that had been coming steadily closer seemed to freeze in mid-charge. Squall looked at the T-Rexaur, and then towards Rinoa.
Did she just cast Stop? Squall wondered. He hadn't heard her say anything.
Squall noticed a small breeze that blew by him, but the breeze steadily grew stronger. Gusts of powerful winds came racing by Squall in every direction. Cid started to fidget on Squall's shoulders, which was a sign that he wanted to be put down. Squall placed Cid on the ground and then knelt beside him, keeping him close to prevent Cid from blowing away.
The winds seemed to encircle Rinoa and her ebony hair rushed in every direction. The realization of what Rinoa was doing finally hit Squall. Old memories flooded back to him. Memories that Squall had tried to forget. Memories that had completely changed him and his closest friends forever.
Squall had seen Rinoa do this before, and yet the sight horrified him. This action was the proof that his memories didn't deceive him, that he had gone through hell and had lived to tell about it. Squall didn't want to remember what it had been like, but there was Rinoa, right in front of him, reminding him of days long past, days Squall wanted to forget...
Squall knew what was coming next, he mouthed the words as they escaped his wife's mouth, "Angel Wing."
The wind picked up then, lifting Rinoa off the ground. A beam of light from the sky that seemed to appear out of no where shone down on Rinoa and two giant wings sprouted from Rinoa's back. She reminded Squall of an angel, suspended above the ground flapping her giant wings.
Squall turned his attention back to the T-Rexaur as the wind slowly died down. The T-Rexaur still seemed frozen in time.
"Protect." was the first spell Squall heard Rinoa cast. The blue barrier appeared in front of him and Cid as Squall looked up at Rinoa. Her attention was focused completely on the T-Rexaur.
"Ultima." Rinoa stated simply.
"Oh no!" Squall grabbed Cid and ran away from the T-Rexaur. Cid would not have been able to handle the intensity of the Ultima spell. Squall closed his eyes and covered Cid from the blast until the spell was over.
Squall slowly opened his eyes to discover that the eruption of Ultima had caught the attention of some Bite Bugs. Four of them surrounded Squall and Cid, buzzing loudly, getting their stingers ready. They all rushed at Squall and Cid but were stopped by the Protect spell. The Bite Bugs buzzed angrily as they tried to force their way through the barrier. Squall knew the barrier would hold them, but the spell wouldn't last forever...
"Rinoa!" Squall called trying to get her attention. If she didn't help them before the spell ended, Squall and Cid would have no way to defend themselves from the Bite Bugs.
"Rinoa!" Squall shouted again, "Help us!" He could sense the barrier steadily growing weaker. Cid began to whimper as he tried to climb up his father's leg. The buzzes echoed in his head and the sight of the Bite Bugs constantly trying to get him, but enable because of some unseen force, scared him. Cid's whimpering turned to crying and then to sobbing. Squall picked his son up, trying to calm him down, but even he knew the situation looked bleak.
Squall looked back up at Rinoa, whose attention was still focused on the frozen T-Rexaur. Squall planted a kiss on his son's forehead just as the Protect spell terminated.