[Chapter 4: Devious Trickery]
The pink butterfly flew playfully around her little head. She was once again a child, head full of crazy, childish ideas and a voice with a cute lisp.
"Mama…look at the butterfly! How cute! It's pink!"
"Yes, my little Eien…you can go play, but come back for lunch, ok?"
"Yeeha!! Ok Mommy!!"
She ran off after the butterfly, through the miniature hills that seemed large to her small build. Her blue sundress ruffled in the winds as it blew through her short, Chinese-style dark brown hair, curled at the edges.
~Eien…get up…wake up…can you hear me…?~
"Huh? Who that?"
She spun round, distracted from her happy chase. Nobody was in sight. Only the squirrels rustled the tree leaves, scattering the lush pink cherry blossoms around her small, sandaled feet. Being the inquisitive and fearless 7-year-old girl, she walked up to a bush and spread the leaves apart bravely. Nothing…
~Eien…Eien! Get up!~
All of a sudden, a spinning sensation went through her head. She whimpered softly and sank to the ground on her knees, rubbing her head. Almost immediately, a familiar face appeared in front of her.
"Ellone-san?"
~Eien…it's me…please wake up from this dream…~
The figure was faint but also a child. The girl had dark hair and wore a turquoise-blue dress. A mature look gleamed in her eyes as they stared into Eien's. She reached out a misty, ghostlike hand and caught hold of Eien's hand. The child Eien tried to pull her hand away from the ghostly, icy touch.
All of a sudden, the green hillside and lush cherry blooms swirled into a strange vortex. Eien felt herself grow all of a sudden. She noted that the child that had touched her had also grown into a teenage girl, Ellone. A sudden consciousness rushed back into her mind, sending her into a strange trance.
She felt herself sink deeper into the strange vortex. A howling wind rustled through her ears, causing her to scream in fear. An icy feeling swept over her. All of a sudden, she felt herself lose grip on her own body as she collapsed…
***
Gentle twittering of baby birds created an almost relaxing atmosphere in the sickroom. A young girl's limp body lay on its bed, bandages and plasters on certain injured areas. Her hair fell naturally around her 13-year-old face and framed it elegantly. A plump lady and another lady with flowing, dark hair sat by her bedside, watching her intently.
A 21-year-old girl stood close by, unmoving and stiff. Her eyelids remained closed tightly in full concentration. All of a sudden, a shimmering green aura glittered through the room's ceiling, together with a silvery aura in its possession. The girl's hands were crossed over her own chest and she bowed her head as she re-absorbed the green aura, sending the silver one to its owner who lay on the sickroom bed.
"So how did it go, Ellone?"
A plump, cheery-faced lady doctor, Dr. Rira Kadowaki, gingerly tested the young girl's pulse as the older girl regained consciousness and relaxed her stance. Ellone ruffled her own brown hair as she shrugged nonchalantly.
"I…dunno. We'll have to pray she gets up…"
"That's right, Rira. Ellone's right. That's about all we can do. The rest is up to her…"
The dark haired lady, otherwise known as Edea, spoke up to quieten the atmosphere. Only the sound of the young girl's breathing was heard in the room.
After what seemed like eternity, one of the girl's eyelid twitched, signifying her safety. All three women sighed, letting out the breath they had been holding in.
The young girl slowly opened her eyes. The colours in front of her swam about as she struggled to refocus her vision.
"Eien! You're alright! Can you…see me?"
Oh god…childishness. As if I can't…She watched with growing annoyance, a hand waving in front of her face, toying with her. Irritably, she reached out a hand and smacked it away, closing her eyes once more to get to sleep. I was having a nice dream and they…whoever they are…woke me up…grr…
"Eheheh…same old brat she used to be. Always irritated at being woken up."
"At least we know she's fine. Edea, what about her powers…?"
"Hmm…I should think they're all right. I doubt anything has or would happen to them."
They ceased discussing her situation as she grunted and shifted sleepily. Not able to get to rest, Eien sat up, tousling her own hair and shaking herself to awaken. A dizzy spell overcame her and she felt drained…of something.
***
Squall sat in his new dormitory behind the libraries sullenly. He sulked as he heard the irritating mechanical sound of the old dormitories being rebuilt and repaired by the work crew at FH. He imagined his old dormitory and sank into a deeper sulk.
Deep in thought, nothing could poke him out of it unless he chose to come out himself. In one hand he held a picture of Rinoa and studied it. He traced the smile on her face idly, with his finger as he remembered her. She was the only one whom he loved, yet he, in his moments of folly, had chosen an insignificant girl, barely in her teenage years.
He knew that somehow, either one would hurt with the choice he had to make. But what if I don't save Rinoa…? Then I could have Eien…no. Rinoa's the one I truly want and love…Eien was just an…an…experiment…
He checked his heart and finally realized the truth that lay deep down inside. It shocked him how much he had changed, from his weird, twisted self to…this. Suddenly, a crash resounded behind him. Jolted, he leaped out and deftly snatched up his gunblade and turned to face the source of the sound.
He calmed down as he saw a smoking crystal ball on the carpet. A broken windowpane and splinters of glass marked its entryway. Pulling on one of his leather gloves, he knelt down to examine it closely. It was icy cold, as if it was from the North Pole itself. The crystal surface was amazingly flawless and smooth.
"Stop holding it and put it on a crystal holder!"
He started when a familiar voice spoke the instructions. Unhesitatingly, he grabbed out a crystal holder and plopped it on. He gazed at it anxiously, hoping something would appear, and soon enough, an image materialized inside the crystal ball.
It was of a young girl he knew. The image slowly got clearer.
"Squall…I'm so happy you managed to get this!" "Rinoa?"
The two gazed at each other, speechless with pure joy. He watched her, fascinated, as her eyes brimmed with tears. Tears of joy, of reunion and of true, inseparable love. They stared at each other for a few moments before the reality finally sank in.
"Rinoa…it's really you! Where are you? Tell me, please!"
"I'm in the human realm. I think Jyrie has imprisoned me in a place called Athens…and we're in a temple courtyard. Supposedly it's called the Hanging Gardens or something. And, I'm in the past."
"The past???"
"Um…I think she's an expert with time magic as well. Or her aunt is."
"Aunt?? Ultimecia had a sister??"
"According to Jyrie, her aunt is Sorceress Terene Weiur of Old Centra."
"Dammit…this is a—"
"Squall, I'd love to tell you more, but time is running out…she's stolen Eien's powers and I'm going to be drained of mine at full moon if you don't hurry!"
"…Don't worry, Rinoa…I'll get you in time. What year is it there…?"
"I…I think it's…something BC. Not too sure. Ellone should know. Or rather, Eien."
"…Ok."
"Jyrie's coming…I have to destroy this…Squall…promise me you'll find me!"
Rinoa's face was tear streaked as she gazed into his eyes. He could feel her anguish and pain, slowly increased by the approaching footsteps.
"I promise."
"Thank you, Squall…I'll be waiting here for you…"
Instantly, her image disappeared. He sat, staring at the crystal ball, motionless. He was stunned that she could even break the barriers of time to find him here. All of a sudden, the crystal began to glow red, the colour deepening and the crystal rose up slowly. Curious, he reached out a hand to catch it back. "Ow! This thing's hot…"
Coincidentally, Zell opened the door and stepped in.
"Hey Squall—Holy cow! What is that thing? Watch it! It's gonna BLOW!! DUCK!!"
Numbly reacting to the command issued, he bent down. Seconds after, the crystal exploded, sending smoking fragments around the dormitory in tinkling bits.
After the unexpected explosion, Zell got up, a weird look on his face. After he entered, a stunned Seifer slipped in and closed the door.
"Leonhart…what is happening?"
Seifer's stern instructor's demeanor shook him back into reality. Looking up, he studied Seifer's face.
"Seifer…something important. I need to tell you. Only you."
Seifer, catching on, turned and motioned for Zell to exit. Shrugging his shoulders, he went out. The both of them remained silent as they listened to his receding footsteps in the corridor. Soon, it was all silent.
"Ok, Squall. What's up? You haven't been this serious for ages."
He sat down next to Squall and looked around, noting the smoldering fragments of glass from the recent explosion. "It's this…" He proceeded to tell him about the whole situation earlier. Seifer was soon as equally stunned as his ex-rival had been after hearing the information Rinoa had relayed.
"Tell you what. How about the both of us go?"
"Us?? You're crazy. How are we going to get there without the proper spells?"
"I'm not. And I know just how to get Ellone to help us."
"…"
"Speechless, hey? But firstly, do you agree? Believe me, us, the two gunblade experts in Balamb Garden, we can pull it off perfectly."
"You're as adventure crazy as you used to be."
"Well, you can't blame a guy who's been holed up in here doing nothing but teaching!"
"…I don't know."
"Scared? I can't believe you won't even save your own girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend! She's just…"
"Nobody admits that. I can't blame you. Come on…let this be our very own private mission. Nobody else will interfere with it. No Irvine, no Selphie, no Zell, no Matron."
"…Fine."
"Now that's more like it. Get training. Or you can follow me to the library to research on Athens and the Hanging Gardens."
"…I'll go train. But…"
"Having second thoughts? I wonder what Rinoa would think…"
"…Shut up."
He got up, secretly thrilled to be sneaking off like that and sheathed his gunblade. He wore his jacket and opened the door. "…See you at the training center after you finish research…"
He finished his sentence with an abrupt slam of the door.
***
Seifer smiled after Squall exited the room. Finally he was going to be able to show Rinoa what a weakling and wimp Squall was. Or at least, how capable he was and how changed he had become. She was his ex-girlfriend, and because of Squall she left him. All because he was the Sorceress Ultimecia's puppet knight. And all because he seemed to be evil and power-crazy…
He got up and picked up a glass fragment. Admiring it, he turned it around in his hand. Eventually, he slipped it into his gray overcoat's pocket and went off to the library, gunblade clinking as it clashed with his boots' buckles.
***
"I what??" Eien gasped.
"She what??" Ellone shrieked.
"Ahhh!!" Dr. Rira teetered.
"Unfortunately it is so."
Edea sighed as she re-relayed the new information to the shocked audience. Eien sat on the Infirmary bed, numb with shock. All her powers, her strength and source of security in Artemis…all gone, just like that. She tried focusing her mind to create wings, but it was as if nothing had ever existed. As if she was never a sorceress…
She sobbed. A sense of helplessness overcame her and she slumped back on the pillow, her tears wetting it. The three women watched sadly. There was nothing they could do.
"Come on, Eien…it's not so bad. This should be expected. I think you charged too much of your power into your last spell, therefore leaving you in a weakened state. So you were vulnerable to any power drainage, even from afar. You wouldn't have the chance to resist it. That's why you were trapped in the dream. The dream was just an illusion of joy to earn Jyrie more time to fully absorb your powers."
"Oh Ellone, I can't believe it…I just can't…"
She moaned through her tears. Edea shook her head and signaled for Ellone and Rira to leave. The two women looked at each other and smiled sadly. They knew Edea would handle it, what with her experience in being a matron. They both got up, and after hugging or reassuring Eien, exited the Infirmary sickroom to the main office.
***
Meanwhile, Squall was taking an Elixir after having fought a bunch of T-Rexaurs and a few Grats here and there. He took in sharp breaths to sustain himself. As soon as he drank it, he felt the healing properties ripple through him and revitalize him. Galactical haloes of purple light expended around him as the Elixir completed the healing process. "Ahhh…that's better."
He picked up his bloodstained gunblade and headed to the shaded walkway of the training center to wash it. He stopped at a sink and let the cool water rush down his bare hands as he rinsed the blood off the lethal blade.
"Where is that Seifer? Taking so damn long in the library…"
Just as he muttered it, Seifer rushed in breathless.
"Sorry I'm so late! I was looking for my medicine stock!"
"Speak of the devil…any way, you could have borrowed mine."
"Nah…what do I care? I'll go train. You look finished."
"I am."
"Fine. I'll meet you at the abandoned train station in FH tonight. 12 midnight, ok?"
"…Whatever."
"Bye."
Squall walked off, feeling as if his clothes were sticking to him. He left Seifer behind to train so he could rest up and go bathe. With sweat dripping down his brow, he headed to the dormitory and kept his training equipment. He grabbed out a fresh change of clothes and went to shower. He incessantly thought about that night…
***
Jyrie grinned evilly inside her forbidden chambers. Flames danced around the room on silver pedestals, each arranged on the point of a pentagram, the devil's star. The flames roared and it seemed as though they were alive, monsters that were shapeless and boundless.
The child tried out her excess powers on one of her nearby guardian mages, shooting a red spiral of flames at him. Pain coursed through his body, and he crumbled into ashes with a mournful wail. All that was left of him was his bones, and even they were charred by the strong fire magic.
"Hah! Pitiful creature…couldn't even withstand a simple Flame spell…but I don't blame him. I just happen to be…too strong!! Ahahahahah!!"
The other mages stood around, silent and watchful. Each feared for his own life, with the exception of one youth, a fourteen-year-old boy. He stepped out of position and into the Holy Pentagram center. His cape was noticeably different from the rest as was his standing position and posture.
"Jyrie. Don't kill our allies. I have told you before."
At the sound of his voice, she stopped her maniacal laughter and turned to face him, pale. His blue eyes stared hard into hers, controlling her effortlessly.
"…Elder Brother Xaron…forgive me…I…"
"I know you cannot control yourself. Nevermind. At least what we have set out to accomplish is proceeding according to plan. Are you prepared for the next step? Is our little toy prepared…?"
"Yes. And our victim is stepping into the trap like an unnoticing rabbit! Hah!"
"Tsk, tsk. Hide your scorn. A true sorceress displays no emotion but pure insanity and evilness. Hm…"
"…Yes, brother."
"Well…tonight we will be able to finish off your 'rabbit' and soon…our revenge will be complete, will it not…?"
Xaron bent down and ruffled his sister's long and silvery hair affectionately.
"Yes…"
Echoes of laughter resonated from the forbidden room as the siblings watched their evil plan fall into place completely.
***
It was midnight. The stars glittered high above in the deep black night sky, with the monstrous moon glowing its usual, ever-swarming with monster broodlings. Squall sat on the barrier of the old train station in Fisherman's Horizon, waiting for Seifer. His brown hair glowed slightly under the dim lights of the area. A kitten emitted soft mews from the outside, along with a few cricket chirps.
Half an hour ticked by. "Dammit…isn't that idiot coming…?" He muttered under his breath murderously as he waited. Just as he decided to head back to the Garden, Seifer appeared, panting.
"Hey…sorry I'm late. I was checking out a map and got too engrossed."
"…Whatever."
"Well, still wondering how to get to Rinoa's…?"
"…Yeah."
"Ha ha ha…"
Seifer turned around and laughed strangely. Stunned, Squall approached him.
"Stop! Don't come near me Squall. You have been very foolish to even trust me. Would Seifer be so crazy as to go save Rinoa with you now would he…? Think about it…"
"Huh?"
"Hah! You look so…blur. Allow me to open your blinded eyes to the truth. Seifer, well, he was crazy enough to go with you, and originally wanted to go…but he was stalled by his circumstances…so I had to come!"
All of a sudden, the 'Seifer' turned around and exploded into a different being. It wasn't an alien…not was it human…it was a huge cobra, known in Artemis as the deadly Anacondaur. Shocked, Squall backed off and drew his Gunblade in the process. He expertly fixed his junctions to avoid getting Poisoned and applied Ice magic to his attack. In his battle stance, he growled at it angrily.
"Seifer better not be hurt! He's my friend! It's either you'll bring him to me…or I'll MAKE YOU!!! AAARGH!!!"
He lunged towards the beast with all his force, bringing his Lion Heart gunblade down onto its scaly skin. A loud clash was heard, and a breaking sound.
"What??!?!!"
He gasped in amazement as his gunblade shattered and fell to the ground, the pieces scattering everywhere. Never in his life had he encountered such a strong Anacondaur; usually in one swipe he could take them down.
"So…Squall," It spoke in a metallic voice. "Finally realized it's useless…? You finished your turn in this game…now it's mine…"
"Aaaaaaargh!!!"
He yelled in pain as it swept him off the ground, and wrapped its spiky long tail around him, driving all the sharp spikes into him. Tiny puncture holes trickled blood out as the Anacondaur shrieked gratifyingly.
Squall felt incomprehensible pain course through him as the Anacondaur squeezed his whole body. He slowly suffocated and encountered severe trouble breathing as it squeezed tighter and tighter.
"Rinoa…"
"Squall…"
He began to get delirious and saw her in front of him. She was as lovely as ever, her raven-black hair framing her delicate face, the angel wings motif on her dress, and the silver necklace with two rings. She somehow was reassuring him that he'd be with her soon…that he'd find her soon. A sense of security and warmth overcame him and he lost track of himself. "I'll be with you Squall…I promise…"
He blacked out.