[Chapter 7: Turmoil and Timelines]
She felt dizzy, as if she had died again, but this time without pain. She still carried the vivid memory of her birthing the son Laguna would never have the chance to see. A tear came to her eye as she recalled it. The child had been so healthy, yet she had to have traded herself for it. Now, all she was…was a spirit, a soul, and invisible to the living. But it was all of a sudden that she had been jolted out of her spirit residence, only to find herself with Laguna in the Winhill Bluffs.
The time had been happy, yet short, for soon, a strange being had recaptured her, but this time she found herself in a crystal ball, full of swirling mist. In vain she had tried escaping, many times deterred by the strange seal around the spherical glass. Strange pulling forces had extracted her spiritual energy signature, making her feel weak, but it was of no concern to her; they would rejuvenate.
She had seen many times, the same red-eyed child peering through the endless folds of mist at her. It was almost as if the girl was jeering, but she couldn't be bothered. She had also felt the presence of another spirit, a new one, in a glass prison similar to hers to her immediate left. She had also seen a young lady standing and looking defiant; she admired her spirit and poise.
She had tried to send thought-speak, but something jammed the waves. It was after a while that she felt her prison being moved. Where to? She knew not. All she could do was wait.
***
Back in Balamb Garden, it was total chaos and mayhem. Laguna had been found in the Winhill Bluffs, half-dead and semi-conscious from loss of blood and exposure to bacteria. Who knows what monsters he could have come across that night. Dr. Kadowaki was busy devoting all her energies to doctor Laguna as well as Seifer, to the extent of locking them all out of the Infirmary. She was under great stress, but wouldn't let it show. Cid made many attempts to assist her, only to be driven away time after time. Eventually he gave up and took to retiring to his and Edea's study.
Squall was slumped in grief in he and Eien's dormitory; Eien sat beside him. She could only watch him staring out of the window aimlessly. She had seen him like this once before, when Quistis died, but he was much calmer than last time, no tears. Could it be that he was numbing to all of the pain? She hoped otherwise.
Meanwhile, Edea had ordered all well-wishers to leave him alone. She knew, through her matronly experience, that he needed time to recover. He'd soon enough forget, or so she thought. Meanwhile, she had to channel all her time to becalm the student uproar that was beginning to brew up.
The Garden students had once again taken to reading the Ancient Script and proclaimed it all over. Edea decided to outlaw it along with Fujin, Raijin, Xu, and Nida's help. But she began to find cryptic verses tacked all along the corridors. Some even surfacing in the Quad fountain. She had them rounded up and burnt in a huge bonfire, though large protests up rose from the very religious among the watching students.
She had no choice but to increase security and ensure that the Disciplinary committee (now Fujin, Raijin, Xu and Nida) patrol around with other SeeDs and keep an eye on the situation. More students were sending death threats to Eien; they now fully believed her to be the source of all the mysterious deaths. And Edea couldn't afford to lose yet another Sorceress (though Eien had lost her powers, she could embody any other sorceress' powers, unlike mortals). Rinoa was enough, now there was only herself and Ellone now that Eien's powers had been stolen. She shook her head and sighed, wishing it were all just a dream.
***
Rinoa sat on her bed miserably, gazing at the large crystal holder on her bedside mantelpiece. The swirling mist within them seemed to taunt her helplessness. She knew that Quistis and Raine's souls were trapped in there and more souls were soon to come. Jyrie had brought Raine's spirit to her and taunted her that afternoon. Rinoa's patience was beginning to wear. She had to do something.
But what? Nothing could be done for now, she could only wait. She felt utterly powerless and anger surged within her heart. She clenched her fist. But she knew her time was nearing, that Full Moon was approaching, shaping, and brought the ceremony of Energy Transfer. And yet she knew she could not lose her powers; she would need them to escape and stay alive. She sighed and took to watching Quistis and Raine.
They seemed so…carefree and unbound by the strings of life. At the same time, they were powerless. In this present state, that is. She lay back on the bed, resting her tired body. Oh, where was Squall?
She hoped he could make his way back to her once more. Then…she'd be with him, together again, like the old times. The thought of the kiss they shared on the Garden Festival night brought a slight tinge of red to her cheeks. She knew she loved him. And she missed him. Badly.
That brought up her pent-up hate for the Galbadians. Ever since she was young, she knew they should have stayed in Timber. She hated her father for moving them all to Deling City. Just because he was given a post in the Galbadian Army… Inching up onto her bed, she basked in the evening sunrays as they peeked through the semi-transparent curtains of her chamber. Everything seemed peaceful…
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoing from the corridor startled her. She darted under the covers, pretending to be asleep, hoping Jyrie would go away. She heard an awful moaning and a cry of pain as Jyrie's entourage approached her chamber door. Shuddering, she slipped deeper under the covers.
***
Outside, Jyrie slipped the enchanted key into the door as she chanted the First Inversion of Release, followed smoothly by the Second and Third. Straight after the Inversions, the key turned, allowing free entry and exit. She turned around to look upon her prisoners. They consisted of ten Galbadian soldiers; the very ten who assisted in the Sorceress Rinoa's capture.
Now, days later, they had the nerve to try inform President-General Caraway, the hopeless ruler of Galbadia, of her hiding place and the portals to get there. Thank Hyne the Great Sorceress that she had captured them and placed them in this state before they could inform the blasted man.
"You'll learn how to not mutiny in your next life…" She whispered softly to herself, a maniacal glint in her fiery-red eyes. One of the men groaned as his skin decayed, causing him great pain. She sneered at him; her spell would ensure a slow, painful death for each of the ten soldiers.
She looked back and pushed the doors open. The sun's rays shone into her eyes, but she still saw the figure on the bed, under the covers. Waiting for a while, she dispensed a special spell towards Rinoa. Probably the stupid girl is trying to avoid me once more…eh? My spell was…blocked…? So the bitch is awake…A scowl crossed Jyrie's face as she re-absorbed her spell.
"Sorceress Rinoa…get up. Or your friends die."
Rinoa was not to be fooled by that line. She remained where she was, 'sleeping', or rather losing consciousness as her feelings brewed. But Jyrie did not realize that a change was overtaking Rinoa as her eyes began to glow a deep sea-blue as she lay there…
Infuriated by her insolence, Jyrie raised her hands, casting a spell. Instantly, Rinoa leapt out, countering Jyrie's 'Throw' spell with a stronger one. All she saw was a flash of blue light slashing past her shoulder before she felt intense pain. Grabbing her shoulder, Jyrie looked up at her attacker.
Half-floating in the air, Rinoa had her back facing Jyrie, but clearly, Jyrie could see two glittering angel wings forming on Rinoa's back.
Rinoa had on a long, flowing blue gown, which created the effect of an angelic being. Both awed and shocked, she watched, along with her Guardian Mages as Rinoa ascended into the air. Jyrie was clearly dumbfounded, as she had never been taught of a Sorceress' Final Form, only attained if the Sorceress has been in a situation that displeases her for too long.
All of a sudden, Rinoa turned to face the young eight-year-old Sorceress and her awed entourage. Her eyes glowed a vibrant blue, and a smile was on her face, as if she was carefree, and care-less. For the first time in her life, Jyrie felt intimidated by the senior Sorceress in front of her. She stood, rooted to the spot, her robes swirling around her as Rinoa's energies spread around the chamber.
With a deadly smile, Rinoa raised her hand, summoning blue, glowing spheres around her. They glinted with a steely edge as they floated around her. Suddenly, it struck Jyrie that she had seen this spell before. Great Attracter…she remembered the deadly spell her own mother had used on the blasted SeeDs.
It would take a lot of energy to dispel this cast. Quietly she began gathering the powers she had stolen from the angel-sorceress, Eien. Vile as it was to utilize Holy Energies as she was of the Devil-Sorceress breed, she did so; she would find death's door easily if she did not.
Placing her hands in front of herself, Rinoa steadied herself for the casting of Great Attracter, a spell she had been working on since last week. With a final glance at her foe, she unleashed the spell, sending its blue, wavering tendrils out towards the child and her minions. A sense of contentment broke out as she heard their screams of pain. Muffled, but nonetheless sharp enough to detect the pain they felt. Oh, revenge certainly was sweet. But wait, she couldn't sense the devil-child's pain…why…what—oh!
Jyrie panted for breath behind her shield. She was constantly charging it with the Angel-Sorceress' powers. But soon, they would run out for as the shield took each blow upon itself, the outer layer was peeled off and taken in by the blue tendrils and she would have to increase the layers; she had forgotten the spell would absorb power to recharge itself and empower the user. Damn.
Rinoa smiled at Jyrie's bravery and utter stupidity. Why, she herself was part Angel-Sorceress; the powers would never harm her. In fact, they would only add on to her powers, increasing them greatly. Finally, she advanced on Jyrie, her Great Attracter spell withdrawn, the Guardian Mages all sprawled on the floor; they were knocked out cold, nothing more, nothing less.
Great amusement filled her when she saw Jyrie panting for breath, withdrawing the shield she had so bravely put up. Upon seeing Rinoa, Jyrie turned her face up to look at her. "You…bitch…you…can't even…be called a…sorceress…" She had exhausted all her stamina, and had depleted all of Eien's powers. She hated to think they were all stashed away in Rinoa. A trickle of black blood fell from the corner of her mouth, pooling at her chin. She wiped it away roughly, only to cough out more; she was internally injured from overexertion.
Rinoa watched as Jyrie's blood splattered across the marble floor of her chamber, resembling black snakes winding their way across a distance. She reached out and touched Jyrie's forehead and watched as her small body fell to the ground, unconscious and exhausted. Jyrie should be awake in forty-eight hours; the Mindgame spell she used would last that long.
Now that Jyrie lay unconscious, powers sapped, all the shields around the Hanging Gardens were gone, totally vanquished. Everything seemed to glow with an ancient aura, breezy and open compared to the lifeless surroundings she had faced earlier. Floating over to the mantelpiece, she picked up the Soul Prison where Quistis and Raine resided, and slipped it into her outer robe.
"Lady Rinoa…" She turned sharply at the voice, only to see ten soldiers, Galbadian Soldiers, making efforts to stand up. She was slightly startled, but kept her composure. She eyed them warily. On their part, the slow death spell had been erased and they had recovered as its caster had fallen. It was one of the men there that had addressed her by her official title, which meant they knew her father…
"WHO ARE YOU…?" Her voice filled the chamber, amplified by her energies.
"We are…the very soldiers who…assisted in your capture. But we know we were wrong…please forgive us…"
"…CAN I TRUST THAT?"
"…Y-y-yes, Milady. Yes, you can."
"PAST MATTERS SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT UP…HENCEFORTH RETURN TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM…"
Closing her eyes, she focused hard, tracing timelines and breaking through the time barriers. Sweat dripped down her face; the procedure was not an easy one. Finally, after an hour of tracing timelines, she raised her arm, opening a portal to the D-District Prison Guardroom, in the present Artemis (they were in past Earth). They gratefully bowed, thanking her, and went through the portal one by one. She dispersed it after they had all left. It had taken a lot of her energies and was extremely tiring.
Looking around, she knew she was free to go. Free to reunite with Squall. Stepping outside, she called up a magical whirlwind that whisked her into the sky, overlooking all that lay below. It had grown dark by now, and nobody was around.
Rinoa adjusted her energy flow, combining her newly gained energies with the ones she already possessed. She sighed as they re-energized her. Now that she was in her Limit form, she felt a great sense of power and dignity. All the dignity and pride she had swallowed now unleashed and ready to devour. She smirked. She felt as if she were floating in a dream. Each movement was charged with power, charged with determination. Now, she would be free…
She floated in the air as she focused her mind, searching out the timelines and pathways. She would return to Artemis.
***
Night had lowered its dark cloak over Artemis. Selphie was enjoying her shower in her and Irvine's dormitory. She let the steaming water trickle down her body, watching the steam rise and mist the window. She trailed her finger over the moisture aimlessly; a lot was on her mind lately. After sufficient cleaning, she turned off the water and dried herself. She then wrapped the towel around herself, hair still dripping wet and hanging limply around her shoulders.
She stepped out of the humid bathroom to the cool air-conditioned dormitory. "Ahh…now this is life." All of a sudden, she heard a noise from her left. "Huh??" She spun to see…and was knocked to the ground. "Yikes!! What the…oh!! Hahaha!!" She giggled and struggled to get up as she recognized Irvine's brown trench coat and playful grin. "Heeeey!!!" She got up and whacked his hat off.
"Don't you ever do that again!" She scolded him playfully. He got up and smiled. "Okay, my `ickle Sefie…" Going over to her, he gave her a little kiss on the cheek. "Call me when you're dressed. I'll wait outside." He exited and left her alone.
She sighed with exhilaration and went over to her clothes cupboard. Drawing out a pair of pajamas (her favourite: BUNNY PRINT!!), she quickly put it on and dried her hair of the excess water. "Okay Irvy!! I'm done!!!"
He came in and looked at her. "Looking cute as ever, my Sefie." He laid his gun holster down on the mantelpiece and went off to shower. Unlike her, he brought his pajamas in to wear straight after showering. He came out in shorts and a loose shirt, with the top two buttons left open. His hair was all let down. To her, whenever he let his hair down he looked remarkably mature and lost the boyish look of his.
She leapt into bed and cuddled her Cactuar beanie, which was well worn with the scars of past pillow-fights. She was tired from they day's events, and needed a good rest.
***
Irvine folded his other clothes and kept them in his cupboard, then darkened the lights. Drawing the blanket over Selphie, he crept in beside her and soon, she snuggled against him. He could smell her sweet scent; it reminded him of the times when they were children together…under Edea's care.
She opened her green eyes, looking up at him. "Sleep well, my sweet…" He kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes, reassured of his presence. He fell asleep soon after.
***
"Ohhh…where am I…?" she found herself lying on the mossy ground in a strange cavern-like place. The walls were glowing a weak red, but it was strong enough for her to perceive her surroundings. She stared for a moment. All of a sudden, the realization struck her. "It's the place I found my first GF…in Trabia!" She stared open-mouthed as the memories came rushing back to her. How she had fought the monster and freed the GF, how she had been saved at the last minute by the resurrected GF…
She grinned and got up, placing her hands on the cavern walls, touching them. They felt…strangely soft.
The cavern still looked the same; she presently wondered if her old GF still remained there. Advancing a little, she paused in fear as she felt a sniffling by her toes. Upon gathering the courage to look down, she saw… "Angelo!" Rinoa's dog was sniffling around her feet as she stood there. Kneeling down, she stroked the dog's fur. Funny, it still felt as silky smooth as it had been.
All of a sudden, Angelo bolted towards the inner recesses of the cavern, then turned and motioned for her to follow. She cautiously did. The trail to wherever Angelo brought her was well marked, and seemed well-taken care of. But she dismissed it as a trick of the light. Who had heard of cavern trails being taken care of? After a while more of walking, Angelo stopped and stood to one end. She looked ahead and saw a cavern doorway draped with a strange material. It looked like fire, yet, when she touched it, it was icy cold and silky.
'Enter, young Selphie Tilmitt.' She jumped when she heard the voice. It was so familiar…and it knew her name! Most peculiar, she thought. "Who are you?" She voiced aloud to nobody in particular. The answering came from beyond the strange curtain. She felt an emotion like a chuckle. A feminine and gentle chuckle. She was puzzled.
'Why don't you come and see? I cannot believe I have been forgotten.' Uncertainly, she took hold of the material and tried to yank it away. "Ow!" All she got was a sharp burn on her hand. It felt like acid was poured on her hand. "But…how do you expect me to come when I can't?"
Now she felt a reproving emotion. 'Trust, Selphie, trust. You have certainly changed from back then. You are doubting, which is why the gateway bars you.' Selphie glanced at the curtain of acidy-fire-ice and contemplated her choices. All of a sudden, the impatient Angelo pushed her forward and she stumbled through the material, landing on the inside. "Yikes!" 'Isn't that much better, my dear?' She looked up to see a giant red phoenix perched on a rock above a tiny spring that flowed through cracks in the rock formation. Its eyes glowed a gentle red, showing joy and warmth, emanating a feminine aura. She was so familiar…
"Flame! My childhood GF!"
'I am glad to be remembered, but let's just say I'm no longer a GF.'
"Why? I mean…I found you in the monster way back then…"
'You saved me from a lifetime imprisonment. But let us not dwell on old matters. You'd probably want to know how you got here.'
The matter had completely slipped Selphie's mind. "Um…yeah. I do."
'You aren't here, really. Just your subconscious. But I have been watching over you as I promised I would last time. But in reality, I am no GF. I am…the fabled Hidden Phoenix of Trabia. You should have heard of the tale.'
"You mean…the phoenix that was said to be able to revive and resurrect people?"
'Yes.' Flame bowed her head and raised it again.
"Oh my gosh…"
'To make it quick, I would like to help you.'
"Really?!! That'd be great!"
'But I cannot leave my dwellings. Therefore, you must come to find me…then only can I leave. I am bound by the Law of Nature.'
"Well, but…how can we find you, Flame…?"
'Take this amulet,' said Flame. 'Then you will be safe from all impending danger. This dog shall guide you on your journey…'
***
Selphie woke up with a yawn. The dream last night was so nice, yet fantasy. It left a hope burning within her. Glancing at the clock, the flashing numbers displayed 8:30 a.m. She grinned, and then glanced at the sleeping figure beside her. Irvine always looked so charming and cute when asleep. Tugging at a bunch of his long, chocolate-brown colored hair, she roused him. "C'mon Irvy…time to get up…"
He mumbled incoherently and turned over. After a series of pokes and nudges from Selphie, he was fully awake and irritated. He allowed her to drag him out of bed as she cleaned up and dressed. Soon after, he followed suit as she waited patiently for him to finish. As soon as he was ready, she danced up to him and giggled. "We're on wake-up duty today…"
They burst out of the dormitory, clanging and banging dishes and metal plates. "WAAAAKEEE UP!!!!! RISE AND SHIIINE!!"
Having no other choice, all the students, inclusive of the SeeDs, were forced to awaken to Selphie's shrill scream. Everyone else, with the exception of Squall, had gotten up and was now assisting Selphie and Irvine in their tirade.
Squall woke up in the dormitory, muttering and cursing. His hair was all a mess. Trying to get up, he felt a sudden depress on his chest. He blinked focused his eyes. In front of him were a wet nose and two brown doggy eyes.
He yelled and fell out of the bed in shock. Out in the corridor, Selphie and the rest heard him. They exchanged glances and ran for his dormitory. They opened the door to find Eien sitting up in shock, clutching the sheets as Squall looked at…Angelo.
Selphie glanced around and caught sight of the dog, Angelo. She gasped with shock. The memories of her dream came back to her and she made for Angelo, ignoring her friends. After a while of calling for her as she made off unresponsively, the rest exchanged looks and ran after her.
Finally she reached and caught hold of Angelo. Squall was regaining his composure on the ground. Angelo nuzzled up to her. She returned the hug. All of a sudden, she caught sight of a glowing ruby amulet tied to the dog's neck. She reached around and unfastened it, fascinated. So her dream wasn't a dream after all…
"Hey Selphie!"
Her train of thoughts was interrupted by her friends' shouts. She quickly got up, beckoning Angelo along towards them.
"Hey Selphie! Why'd you run away—Heeeey, what's that?" Irvine was the first to reach her, panting for breath.
"I'll explain later. Right now I need to get Matron."
***
Minutes later, they were all settled in Cid and Edea's study, perched on all the parts of furniture; some even sat on the floor. Nida and Xu had gone off with Raijin and Fujin to supervise the Garden. Eien cuddled in the corner with Angelo; he was in need of some pampering and good rest after his long journey from the Trabia Mountain Range. Selphie had just concluded her account of her dream, right down to the amulet giving.
"Hmm…so, in other words you had a dream visitation from the legendary Hidden Phoenix…" Cid got up thoughtfully as Edea sat, deep in thought. Her brows were knotted in concentration as she pondered the visitation and all the possibilities. She stared at the amulet in hand; it glowed with a great aura, the aura posed no danger. She got up abruptly, startling those beside her.
"Squall, Selphie, Irvine and Eien, please stay behind for a moment. The rest may—"
"Lady Edea!!" The study door was blasted open all of a sudden. Nida rushed in abruptly, his face red from running and breathless. "I have a message from President Caraway de Anza and Presidential Aides Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac. May I deliver them here…?" Edea eyed the room. She gestured for Cid to follow. "We'll come back. My children, just wait here. It should take a only moment."
She swept out of the room, leaving the others inside. Meanwhile, Eien had fallen asleep on Angelo; she was exhausted, as she had woken up early. The room was silent, only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard as they sat, staring at the floor. They sat, looking glumly at the four walls around them. Selphie sat, deep in thought about her visitation.
Moments later, Edea burst in, a worried look on her face. All of them got up, knowing it was bad news she had received. "Go on Matron, give us the bad news," drawled Irvine. She looked around and took a deep breath.
"Galbadia and Esthar are in turmoil. The people have been stirred up and threaten to overcome the rulers. Caraway, Kiros, and Ward have returned to regain control, but to no avail. They need our assistance immediately, or they're dead men."