[Chapter 3: Sorceresses in Conflict]
Her dark brown hair slipped across her cheeks, sliding smoothly over the sweat and tears. The moonlight softly illuminated her body. She lay on the marble ground of the temple, silently weeping. It had been days ever since she had been brought here. She had been well cared for, yet she resented her captors.
Rinoa got up from the ground slowly, wiping her tear-streaked face. She hated the Galbadians, how they tried to manipulate her mind to utilize her sorceress powers, how that small girl with the strange aura had tried to get information out of her. She flung her fist to a pillar, and as it hit it, gave out a resonating sound in the darkness and dreariness of her temple prison.
"Squall!!! Where are you!! Why can't you come and save me from all this!!?!?"
She screamed in frustration. Days had passed and her attempts to escape had been futile. The innocent-looking temple courtyard concealed a few thousand frequency seals, specially designed and created for blocking and sealing all types or energies, most of all sorceress powers.
After calming down, she refocused her thoughts. She sat down cross-legged and closed her eyes, slowly recreating her aura and meditating. The darkness of the temple comforted her. She was just going into a trance, when suddenly, the gates of the courtyard flew open, emitting a loud clang. Her eyes flew open and she got up hurriedly. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing the same girl with silvery hair enter her chamber, flanked by six wiry and mysterious-looking mages.
She noted a tiny glass crystal nestled in the girl's palm. Colours and strange shadows swirled around it as the girl approached her.
"Sorceress Rinoa Heartilly…how have you been? I trust you have not tried escaping again, now have you?"
"…"
"I see shame. But I will not prod further information about that emotion. I am here for more than just simple talk…but of course you know that…"
Rinoa struggled to control herself from reaching out and striking the girl. Something in her tone of voice was unnerving and irritated her. Instead, she sat in the shadowed area of the chamber, ignoring her words.
"Hmm…being difficult today? Shall I advise you not to act like a spoilt child when you are a full-fledged sorceress…especially with my mother's powers…"
"Don't talk to me like that!!! You're the one acting spoilt!! Capturing whoever you want and telling them rubbish!! Just go away and let me be!!"
"…Allow me to continue…I trust you know a certain Quistis Trepe–"
"What do you know about her…?"
"I happen to possess knowledge of her recent demise or shall I say…death?"
"Quistis…? Dead??? You're lying…"
Her curiosity had been aroused. She hid away all her stubbornness and stood, her white gown contrasting greatly with the dark shadows, giving the effect of an angelic being.
"Finally I get you out of there. Well, anyway, regarding Quistis…her soul is here."
"Quistis…? What…? In…that…crystal?"
She stuttered as she saw an apparition that couldn't be mistaken – Quistis. It was a saddening and terrifying sight. Rendered speechless, she covered her open mouth with a hand as she looked at Quistis's tortured soul.
Quistis seemed to be trying to break the glass walls that imprisoned her. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, making her look disheveled and flustered. Her glasses were loosely worn, almost falling off.
"…Quistis…how…?"
Snapping out of her horrified trance, she turned to face the girl, who by now had a maniacal grin on her childish face. She shuddered slightly…it didn't go together at all.
"Girl…tell me how this happened. Now."
"Whatever for…? She is my prisoner! I am taking revenge for my mother! You are lucky you haven't been harmed yet!! I am only keeping my patience with you because you are a sorceress!! Understand???"
The girl jabbed a finger in the air, causing a strong force to blast Rinoa onto the bed.
"Ahh!!!"
"You are the prisoner…I am the captor! Know your place! Soon you will tell me all I need to know. Soon…I am finished for today…let Quistis comfort you…"
She waved a hand as if to dismiss an issue and floated over to the door. Meanwhile, Rinoa gasped for breath on the bed, stunned by the force with which the girl had flung her onto the bed.
"…Wait…I…need to ask you something!!"
The girl paused, her back still facing the teenage sorceress, as if considering her request. Finally, she spun round.
"What? Make it fast…my time is precious."
Gaining colour, she sat up and faced the fierce young girl.
"I've been kept prisoner here for days, but I don't know who you are."
"Must you really know?"
"I want to."
"Stubborn and strong-willed as always. Very well. I give you the honour of knowing me, Sorceress Jyrie Weiur of Ultimecia's Heritage. In other words…her daughter."
She left after the response. Her guards withdrew soon after she went out, leaving Rinoa in shock, sitting on the bed.
"Never did I know she had a child…oh Squall…I pray all of you are safe…"
***
Back at Balamb Garden, the atmosphere had darkened greatly. Her faithful admirers, and most of all her friends, had not taken the loss of Instructor Trepe lightly. Eien hid in the dormitory almost everyday, persecuted by most of the Garden students who thought she was the legendary Destroyer, as written in the Ancient Script recorded by the order of Hyne of the Old World:
…And thus the Destroyer will descendFrom a world of Great Change
Powers strange and eternally present
The Dragoness has emerged from her lair…
More and more people took to the idea that she had a purpose in appearing. Those who never believed in Hyne gradually took up the belief. Squall and his close friends had to field off inquisitive troublemakers everyday, always looking for Eien. She got more and more upset at the accusations, to the extent of believing them.
One day, she took a walk in the garden to release her mind from all her troubles. Suddenly, a young student rushed out, narrowly missing her with a sword. Too shocked to say anything, she fled back to the dormitory, tearing through all the corridors as quickly as possible. Alone in the dormitory, she locked the door and ran to her bed.
She poured out all her grief in hot, bitter tears, running freely down her pale cheeks. Even a young child has been warned of me…am I that dangerous…? I should leave…then I wouldn't bring trouble to Squall and the rest…I've done enough…
Her mind reeled with thoughts and memories. Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her. Shocked, she dried her eyes and looked up blearily in the direction of the sound.
"…Who are you…?"
An unfamiliar figure met her eyes. The person was garbed in a hooded dark blue velvet robe, complete with the 13 Artemisia Constellations of Artemis embossed in silver. From what she had learnt, only High Sorceresses own those robes and no one else. Afraid it might be a Forbidden Mage from the students' association to kill her, she backed to the door.
"Ahh! What the…"
She was suddenly lifted off the ground as a spiraling blue light wove around her. Trapped, she struggled to get free from the strange spell. She gasped as she was lifted into the air, as if a float spell had been casted on her. She looked down at the hooded stranger, suspended in the air helplessly with the blue light acting as an aura around her, trapping her. Fear overwhelmed her senses as the person approached her, as if floating on air. Now the person was next to her suspended body, but still below her range of sight.
"What…? Who are you…?"
"You will see."
A jeering young girl's voice answered. Suddenly, a magical whirlwind whisked the stranger into the air, level with her. A strong gust whipped the robe off, letting Eien scrutinize the person, who seemed younger than her. She gasped as she saw long black wings stretch out from behind the stranger. A childish voice with a sorceress-like tone pierced the chilly morning air. The girl threw back her head, with her silver mane of hair glinting in the sunlight, sunbeams reflected in her maniacal red eyes, and laughed.
Strangely enough, the girl looked a few years younger than Eien. She still owned the playful exterior of a young child, except that she had the proud and shrewd tone of a sorceress in her voice. Mostly due to a sorceress's training and upbringing, the girl had, therefore, controlled her powers and held them by the rein ever since she was four. From Eien's point of view, the girl seemed familiar, but not familiar enough for her to grasp her name.
"Hahaha! You angel-sorceress…of the Ryujin…"
The girl leered at her and spat at the mere mention of the name 'Ryujin'.
"What's wrong with my family name..??? AAAH!"
Instantly, anger and a rebellious spirit rose up in Eien, provoked by the girl's teasing about her family name, 'Ryujin'. She tried to release herself from the glowing light, but it blasted her with an energy beam in retaliation.
"Hah…always weak. Girl…let me introduce myself and the reason of my hatred towards your family, the…Ryujins."
The young sorceress's red eyes gleamed maniacally with pleasure and hatred toward the detested Ryujin before her. Eien gasped for breath while drooping her head; the jolt from the beam was almost too much for her to bear. Her head was jerked upwards just by a snap of the girl's fingers. Amused by the plight of her defenseless rival, she let out another cruel laugh.
"Well…you seem to be tortured enough! Let me tell you who I am…and remember the name well…before I kill you. I am Sorceress Jyrie Weiur of Ultimecia's Heritage...her daughter in mortal terms…I obtained my powers from my mother's dying sorceress sister, Terene Weiur of old Centra."
Eien's mind reeled with the sudden and shocking revelation. Hadn't Squall and the others already defeated Ultimecia, the evil sorceress who almost initiated time compression, where past, present and future get all mixed…? Why did she now have a daughter…? And a sister…from Centra…the city that had been destroyed by a Lunar Cry, an occurrence where monsters from the moon destroy a city, almost 100 years ago…?
"Eien! What the…"
She snapped out of her confused trance when a voice called her name.
"Squall! Stay away! She's dangerous!!"
"Dammit…I'm your Knight, Sorceress Eien!!"
Squall gritted his teeth. To imagine entering the dormitory, planning to have a good nap, and finding trouble; a weird silver-haired girl who looked as if she were eight, and Eien suspended in mid-air. He pulled his Lionheart gunblade out. It was a brilliant metallic light blue with a lion emblem on its handle. Scowling, he secretly slipped on a charm Rinoa had given him; it was used to deflect even the strongest enchantment and magic.
"Who the hell are you?? Let her go! If you don't…I'll make you!"
His eyes glittered with fury as he steadied himself. Jyrie glared back insolently. She had always had her way, from a child until now. She wasn't going to be told what to do by a mortal…even more of the mortal who killed her mother, Ultimecia.
"Silence! Who ever told you you could speak to a Devil-Sorceress like that?? If you don't know…I am Sorceress Ultimecia's daughter…Jyrie Weiur!!"
She screamed like a child once more, unleashing her rage. Subsequently, she prepared her Burning Truth spell, her most powerful, directing it towards the detested mortal.
"If you don't wish to respect me…then DIE!! Try to evade this!!!!"
"Good God…what spell is this…???"
Squall yelled in shock as he saw the spell blasting towards him. He stopped after remembering he had an amulet, but not to his knowing, it had slipped off onto the ground, rendering him completely defenseless against her deathly magic spells. He faced the spell, thinking that it would get deflected, as so much other magic had been when he wore the charm. He was stunned as he felt merciless pain searing through his body.
"Ungh…"
He moaned in pain, deciding not to give Jyrie the pleasure of knowing she had hurt him by yelling. He was flung back against the wall and hit his head. Landing on the ground, he tasted blood in his mouth as he slowly got up again to face his young adversary. Jyrie uttered a triumphant battle cry as she saw her enemy was hurt. Turning to face Eien, then Squall, she laughed eerily.
"Eien!! Watch now as I annihilate your so-called Knight. I'll handle you later…but observe his untimely fate first…HAHAHA!!"
"Squall!! No!!!! You can't die!! She'll kill me! Don't let us die!!"
Eien started screaming frantically as she saw a crimson trickle forming at Squall's mouth. Suddenly, a strange calmness overcame her and she fell silent. She felt as if a powerful force of her own was energizing her. She closed her eyes and took up full concentration, as if in a trance. All sounds of the fierce battle ensuing did not disturb her; she no longer heard them. She pushed a strong force out of herself, destroying the blue force field that held her captive. Her angel wings grew to their full size, enabling her to create a special spell, Rapture, which was ultimately damaging and forceful. Slowly, she concentrated her powers to form a brightly shimmering blue energy cluster. Blocking out all sounds of the unfair battle between the teenage boy and child sorceress, she completed her spell. Opening her eyes, she looked angrily at Ultimecia's daughter, who had just hit Squall with her ultimate attack, the Liberi Fatali. She felt a surge of anger as she watched Squall in his plight. Hesitating no longer, she made a sweeping motion with her right hand, as if to cast out something.
"…RAPTURE!!!"
She screamed and released the spell, forcefully directing it to Jyrie. At the yell, Jyrie and Squall stopped their battling to see what had happened. Taking the opportunity, Squall dodged out of the dormitory, leaving Jyrie to face the spell. Gathering all his strength, he ran through the endless corridors to get to his friends…to get help…for Eien…but he was too weak to do so, and dropped to his knees, panting, just outside the dormitory corridor.
Meanwhile, the others heard Eien screaming out her spell, and dropped everything to go see what had happened.
"I have this feeling something's not very right…"
"Something's obviously not right!!!"
"Aaah…cut the crap and get moving, chicken-wuss Zell."
"Yeah…ya know…listen to…OW!! Ok!!"
"HURRY."
All seven of them quickly made their way to the dormitory, but stopped at the corridor entrance upon seeing Squall in a weakened state, bloodied and bruised.
"Squall??!?"
"Are you…My God…what happened?"
Suddenly, a glowing blue light exploded through their dormitory door, chasing a girl with silver hair who was trying to get away.
"GUYS! GET…AWAY!!"
Squall shouted out the warning, it was the least he could do before Eien's spell collided with its mark, the child sorceress Jyrie Weiur. Responding quickly, all of them fell to the ground just as the glowing attack exploded. Chaos erupted instantly as debris scattered everywhere. The girls screamed in fear of getting injured. All other students in nearby rooms dashed out in panic and fear, all exiting the corridor and clustering behind the group of SeeDs. Much muttering and rumors about Eien causing it all began as they saw all the damage.
"My children! What has occurred? All of you…stay calm! Get away…now!"
Their Matron Edea had been informed of the ruckus, and apparated there as quickly as possible. She summoned her ancient sorceress energies, and swiftly calmed all the falling stones with a wave of her hand. Amidst all the pandemonium, none had noticed a young figure, garbed in a dark blue robe, making off weakly. Ellone and Selphie, however, had noticed Squall slumped against the ground, making feeble attempts to cast Curative magic on himself, groaning in pain each time he failed. They inched over and knelt beside him, and Ellone raised her hands to her chest, crossing them and closing her eyes in concentration, muttering a spell. Selphie watched in awe and amazement as smooth, flowing seams of light darted in speedy glitters from Ellone to Squall, slowly rejuvenating his strength and closing his wounds magically. Looking around, they whispered softly to him.
"Squall…you ok…?"
"…Yeah…I guess…"
"I hope you are, Squall. What happened?"
He opened his mouth to give an excuse not to explain but was cut off by Edea.
"Squall, my child…what in the name of Great Hyne went on here? I demand you tell me everything…but I think later, since you have barely recovered…for now, I'll call in the repair team from Fisherman's Horizon since we are docked there for the meantime." Facing the other terrified students, she spoke, "My children, for now, go to the Library…I have had extra dormitories erected there last year just in case a crisis occurred…and one has. Seifer, Fujin, Raijin…please assign them to their rooms according to name order on the name list. After that, they may come back to reclaim their personal belongings. But make sure you can verify whose is whose. Here."
She passed Seifer and his two cohorts a long name list. They walked off, leading a whole procession of students to the Library, which was directly north of the original Dormitories.
Edea sighed. She beckoned Ellone to her and whispered a few instructions. Suddenly, Squall leapt up.
"Eien! She's in there!"
He ran in before anyone could warn him to be careful, which caused the rest to rush in after him. They ran across all the fallen debris, once or twice stumbling in their attempt to catch up with him. They heard his footsteps stop and his boots scraping the ground as he knelt, his belts and metal chains clashing and emitting soft clinking sounds. The dust cleared, just as they were a few meters away from him.
They saw him picking Eien up, a grim expression on his face as he surveyed her. Looking up, he met their eyes.
"She's badly injured…just as I feared. Inform Dr. Kadowaki."
Eien's 13-year-old body gave sudden spasms and twitched out of the blue. Observing her with a practiced eye, Ellone declared it a case of 'Uncontrollable Emotions.' Which meant she couldn't control her powers even after usage. They hurried her out to the Infirmary, with Zell ahead of them, going to inform Dr. Kadowaki.
***
A silver-haired girl watched them rush off with deep hatred growing within her. She reclined on a Roman-style couch, complete with draped fabrics of all textures and colours. The viewing crystal lay before her, their flustered images rushing through, mouths opening and closing, wordless. Images…that was all they were.
She had been internally wounded, and from time to time would regurgitate crimson, fresh blood onto the dank, stony floor, worn with age and time. Her pride had been deeply stabbed and the wound was still fresh, exposing her weakness and almost…just almost, her true feelings, which were…I cannot say it. Flames in silver pedestals around the room grew fiercer as her anger pulsated through the room, causing fear to silently descend upon her guardian mages, standing silently in the corners, faces hidden by the dark shadows casted by the flickering lights all around.
The tongues of fire reared up as she, in a sudden fit of anger, swept the crystal off the table before her. It crashed on the floor, sending delicate glass bits flying across the smooth stony floor. The crashing sound seemed to mollify her anger. She gave a mad smile, as if a plan had come upon her and had pleased her greatly.
Reclining once more, she dismissed her attendants, or rather, guards, and shut her eyes. They were not too happy and relieved to leave her terrifying presence, as her aura always permeated the room, filling it with fear and awe. They never knew what their mistress was capable of doing, especially when she had been injured, physically, internally and mentally. They fled the room with haste, each returning to his own quarters or post, which were usually outside the other sorceress's room.
They knew not the danger of provoking the spirit of the Destroyer, Dragoness of Pure Evil…