The sky above
Part 5: Chains of love
Author's notes: I seriously hated writing this part. It took me so long and I have no idea why. Next part is coming soon, I promise.
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~He chained her wings to keep her from flying. The scars never healed.~
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Rinoa was pale as death. Her skin's colour was comparable to the bandage that was covering the wound on her forehead. Nevertheless, she wore a beautiful smile on her face and her presence seemed to lighten up the whole room.
Seeing the girl smile in her condition was painful for Quistis, and the feeling of guilt was almost unbearable.
"I thought you'd take the blame", she told Quistis, her voice was soft, her smile lovely. Director Cid, still sat at his desk, regarding both woman silently.
"But it's not your fault", Rinoa finally added.
The ex-instructor stared at her, not knowing what to say.
Rinoa took a few steps in her direction, but as she started trembling and went paler, Quistis hurried to her side, silently supporting her.
"You should have stayed in bed", she told her quietly.
"You're probably right." Rinoa's smile changed into a familiar lopsided grin. "But if I had, you would have left without saying good-bye to me."
Quistis lowered her gaze, swallowing hard. "I thought you hated me", she whispered. "You have every right to. You almost died… because…"
"Because I battled a T-Rex", Rinoa finished for her. "Even though you had told me not to."
Quistis' eyes grew wide, her mouth opened, but she kept silent.
"I know… it was stupid. But I didn't junction a G.F. either…"
"What?", escaped Quistis' lips. But she was much too relieved to be angry at her student. "But… why?"
"I… don't know." Rinoa's smile faded and she lowered her head to stare at her feet.
Quistis had seen better liars. Lots of.
Something was bothering Rinoa, but whatever it was, she doubted that director's office was the place to discuss it.
"Well", Cid started, as if he had read Quistis' mind. "I guess, that means back to work for you." He smiled at the blonde woman, then turned his attention to the raven-haired. "Rinoa. Be more careful next time."
The two of them nodded., Quistis relieved, Rinoa self-conscious.
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"Rinoa!", Dr. Kadowaki shouted, as both woman entered the infirmary. "Where have you been? I thought I told you to stay in bed!"
The doctor stood up from her desk chair, crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow. As Rinoa answered her stern expression with her cutest smile, Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "Now that you're already up and seem quite well, why don't you and Miss Trepe take care of the infirmary for half an hour? I have to inform Director Cid of the latest incidents. Just call me if there's a emergency. When I'm back, we'll run some tests, so don't you dare to leave again."
Without waiting for Rinoa to reply, Dr. Kadowaki grabbed a folder and a few papers and headed to the door.
Quistis watched her leave, then turned her attention back to her friend.
"Why don't you lay down?", she asked, pointing on one of the beds. Rinoa shrugged, but followed the suggestion, took off her shoes and flopped onto the bed. She led out a groan, mumbled something about bruises and closed her eyes.
"Rinoa?", Quistis asked, sitting down on one of the chairs. "Did you lie to Director Cid?"
The raven-haired opened her eyes and shook her head, not daring to look straight at Quistis. "No. I really battled that T-Rex without junctioning a G.F."
Quistis kept quiet. She was sure Rinoa had had reasons for her decision. she just didn't know whether they were good ones or not. "It's probably none of my business…", the ex-instructor admitted. "But… why?"
Rinoa sighed. It was a quiet, but desperate sigh, led out by a person, that had recognized the problem, but was unable to solve it.
"' Quistis Trepe became a SeeD when she was only 15 years old, 2 years later, she already taught how to be one', that's what people say. Did you know that? Do you know what they say about me? Rinoa Heartilly: The sorceress, depending on her knight like a baby on it's mother. The witch, unable to make a single move without being abducted by some evil force. Unable… to defend herself. "
Quistis stared at her open-mouthed. It wasn't possible Rinoa actually believed what she'd just said. People admired her, people loved her. She was right, her physical attacks weren't the Garden's best, but her magical abilities made her an amazing, outstanding summoner.
"Rinoa", she started, but was simply cut off by the sorceress.
"So I tried to prove different. But instead, I made an even bigger fool of myself."
"You're wrong. No-one thinks that way", Quistis assured her. "No-one thinks you're helpless or childish. People here aren't as you portray them. They aren't like your father."
Rinoa's eyes widened at the last comment, and even Quistis was shocked by the truth her words had revealed.
"My dad…. has nothing to do with it", Rinoa stuttered, still too surprised to get angry.
Deciding not to provoke her anger, Quistis quickly apologized. "I'm… sorry, Rinoa! I didn't mean to offend you or your family!"
Of course she hadn't meant to. She hadn't known how true her words were until they'd left her mouth.
But now it was logical, maybe the only logical explanation for Rinoa's behaviour. Protected from the evil world by her father, she now struggled against the power he still had over her. The only result was that she found herself confronted with her weakness. The only solution was finally freeing herself.
Looking at the troubled girl, Quistis knew, that wasn't an option.
"Let's talk about something else", she offered.
Part 5: Chains of love
Author's notes: I seriously hated writing this part. It took me so long and I have no idea why. Next part is coming soon, I promise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
~He chained her wings to keep her from flying. The scars never healed.~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Rinoa was pale as death. Her skin's colour was comparable to the bandage that was covering the wound on her forehead. Nevertheless, she wore a beautiful smile on her face and her presence seemed to lighten up the whole room.
Seeing the girl smile in her condition was painful for Quistis, and the feeling of guilt was almost unbearable.
"I thought you'd take the blame", she told Quistis, her voice was soft, her smile lovely. Director Cid, still sat at his desk, regarding both woman silently.
"But it's not your fault", Rinoa finally added.
The ex-instructor stared at her, not knowing what to say.
Rinoa took a few steps in her direction, but as she started trembling and went paler, Quistis hurried to her side, silently supporting her.
"You should have stayed in bed", she told her quietly.
"You're probably right." Rinoa's smile changed into a familiar lopsided grin. "But if I had, you would have left without saying good-bye to me."
Quistis lowered her gaze, swallowing hard. "I thought you hated me", she whispered. "You have every right to. You almost died… because…"
"Because I battled a T-Rex", Rinoa finished for her. "Even though you had told me not to."
Quistis' eyes grew wide, her mouth opened, but she kept silent.
"I know… it was stupid. But I didn't junction a G.F. either…"
"What?", escaped Quistis' lips. But she was much too relieved to be angry at her student. "But… why?"
"I… don't know." Rinoa's smile faded and she lowered her head to stare at her feet.
Quistis had seen better liars. Lots of.
Something was bothering Rinoa, but whatever it was, she doubted that director's office was the place to discuss it.
"Well", Cid started, as if he had read Quistis' mind. "I guess, that means back to work for you." He smiled at the blonde woman, then turned his attention to the raven-haired. "Rinoa. Be more careful next time."
The two of them nodded., Quistis relieved, Rinoa self-conscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
"Rinoa!", Dr. Kadowaki shouted, as both woman entered the infirmary. "Where have you been? I thought I told you to stay in bed!"
The doctor stood up from her desk chair, crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow. As Rinoa answered her stern expression with her cutest smile, Dr. Kadowaki sighed. "Now that you're already up and seem quite well, why don't you and Miss Trepe take care of the infirmary for half an hour? I have to inform Director Cid of the latest incidents. Just call me if there's a emergency. When I'm back, we'll run some tests, so don't you dare to leave again."
Without waiting for Rinoa to reply, Dr. Kadowaki grabbed a folder and a few papers and headed to the door.
Quistis watched her leave, then turned her attention back to her friend.
"Why don't you lay down?", she asked, pointing on one of the beds. Rinoa shrugged, but followed the suggestion, took off her shoes and flopped onto the bed. She led out a groan, mumbled something about bruises and closed her eyes.
"Rinoa?", Quistis asked, sitting down on one of the chairs. "Did you lie to Director Cid?"
The raven-haired opened her eyes and shook her head, not daring to look straight at Quistis. "No. I really battled that T-Rex without junctioning a G.F."
Quistis kept quiet. She was sure Rinoa had had reasons for her decision. she just didn't know whether they were good ones or not. "It's probably none of my business…", the ex-instructor admitted. "But… why?"
Rinoa sighed. It was a quiet, but desperate sigh, led out by a person, that had recognized the problem, but was unable to solve it.
"' Quistis Trepe became a SeeD when she was only 15 years old, 2 years later, she already taught how to be one', that's what people say. Did you know that? Do you know what they say about me? Rinoa Heartilly: The sorceress, depending on her knight like a baby on it's mother. The witch, unable to make a single move without being abducted by some evil force. Unable… to defend herself. "
Quistis stared at her open-mouthed. It wasn't possible Rinoa actually believed what she'd just said. People admired her, people loved her. She was right, her physical attacks weren't the Garden's best, but her magical abilities made her an amazing, outstanding summoner.
"Rinoa", she started, but was simply cut off by the sorceress.
"So I tried to prove different. But instead, I made an even bigger fool of myself."
"You're wrong. No-one thinks that way", Quistis assured her. "No-one thinks you're helpless or childish. People here aren't as you portray them. They aren't like your father."
Rinoa's eyes widened at the last comment, and even Quistis was shocked by the truth her words had revealed.
"My dad…. has nothing to do with it", Rinoa stuttered, still too surprised to get angry.
Deciding not to provoke her anger, Quistis quickly apologized. "I'm… sorry, Rinoa! I didn't mean to offend you or your family!"
Of course she hadn't meant to. She hadn't known how true her words were until they'd left her mouth.
But now it was logical, maybe the only logical explanation for Rinoa's behaviour. Protected from the evil world by her father, she now struggled against the power he still had over her. The only result was that she found herself confronted with her weakness. The only solution was finally freeing herself.
Looking at the troubled girl, Quistis knew, that wasn't an option.
"Let's talk about something else", she offered.