BLACK RAIN

Chapter 4 – 2 More pieces of the puzzle

(Balamb Garden – just after the meeting)

Rinoa walked into the office and seated herself at the end of the table. Cid was sitting at the other end; Edea seated next to him. They look like royalty, she thought.

"We wish" replied Edea.

"You can read minds?" Rinoa was surprised

"When I feel like it, all sorceresses can, child"

"Why can't I do it?"

"You haven't 'checked' what powers you have, dear" Edea continued "which is why we are here, or more to the point, me. I'm going to teach you how to use those powers, as a benefit to yourself, and to the world". She smiled.

Rinoa said nothing. True, she knew that Edea's powers had passed on to her, and Hyne knows who else's, thanks to Ultimecia, who herself had the combined power of all the sorceresses in time. She was sure she had more than a lot of power, she was unsure just how much. From the way everyone was harping on about it, she came to the conclusion that she was more than likely the most powerful sorceress in the world.

"Right again dear" Edea replied. "Now" she said, no, thought at her "it's time to begin. After this I'm going to make and help you to unleash and control that power. Your heart and soul are very strong. Therefor you will be able to use your power as much as you possibly can handle."

"Handle? You mean I won't be able to use all of it?" she quizzed the elder sorceress.

"Unfortunately no" Edea grimaced "it depends on what your emotional state is. If it is joy, calmness or happiness, you should be able to unleash all of it, and still be in full control"

She looked Rinoa dead in the eyes and spoke into her mind again.

"However, if you unleash when you are angry, hurt or upset, then I'm afraid almost no-one will be able to help you."

Rinoa shivered under her gaze "Almost anyone? And what if there is a situation where this will happen? Who can help?"

"Only someone whom you would deem a calming influence" Edea answers. "Like your knight, for instance"

"Squall" she murmured. Yes. Edea was right. She needed calming influence and Squall was it. Obviously she hoped there would never be a situation where she got upset, or angry, but just thinking about him made her feel warm all over.

"Good" Edea smiled. I hope so. I hope you've chosen wisely. Now let's begin"

(Balamb Garden – Cafeteria - 6 hours later)

Irvine was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, musing to himself. He had finished his duties about an hour ago, so he decided to come down here for a cup of tea, hoping to get rid of a headache that had suddenly appeared. It feels like a migraine he thought irritably. He went to the doctor earlier to get something for it. It didn't work. He pinched his nose and closed his eyes tight

…Looking down on them…on the roof…

…Go down!…

He shook his head. What was that?

…A blue folder…hidden in a safe…

…Tell sq… warn…

I'm losing my mind he thought. He was interrupted when Selphie sat beside him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, her usual happy self.

"I'm fine, I think" he wasn't sure.

"Are you having a headache, by any chance?" she asked.

Irvine looked at her, startled "How... how did you know that?"

Selphies face dropped "I'm not feeling too good either. I also...felt something when I closed my eyes" she wasn't smiling at all.

Irvine got up. "Come on Selphie."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere private" he took her hand. As he did so, he felt a …flash… in his mind.

…Grab me!…

…He jumps…

…The ship is engulfed in a white light…

"Don't touch me... at least not yet" said Irvine

The secret area in the training centre was deserted. Irvine made sure of that. He actually did it earlier, almost as if he knew he was coming here later. He turned to Selphie.

"What is this?" he asked.

Selphie shook her head "I don't know, but it reminds me of Ellone somehow"

"Can't be her, no way"

"How?" she asked

"Well for a start, it's only flashes." Irvine replied. "Secondly were not falling asleep, and thirdly, the visions I'm seeing are from the view of myself. If that makes sense." He took his hat off and scratched his head.

"Take my hands, Irvine, maybe you'll see mine too, my visions, and maybe I'll see yours"

"Um. OK"

He took Selphie's hands.

(Selphies Vision)

…The ship shakes as she tries to keep it under control…

…She sees white (streaks?) coming from the town nearby…

…Irvine! Grab him! I see him!!!…

…Banks hard left…

…A white light…

A red spark shoots between their hands, and he pulls away from Selphie.

"You Ok?" she asks. Her hands feel like they were on fire.

"Yeah. These 'images' are too 'real' to be dreams" he trailed off, not understanding what he was saying.

Selphie was silent.

"Do you wanna go see the headmaster about this?" he asks.

"Yeah" Selphie finally answers. "Let's go, this is serious."

(Ragnarok – Cockpit - after Zell's Vision)

The ship was now on autopilot, cruising towards the Esthar shores; the airstation was still a good 4 hours away. Squall, Quistis and Zell are all sitting in the cockpit, all thinking to themselves. Finally Quistis speaks up.

"This is very serious. What is this? We receive a strange headache sensation in our minds. We all see visions. Our own visions, but nobody else's. It's almost like a play."

Zell chipped in. "I don't know about you guys, but my vision was weird as hell. I was standing outside, with Quistis and someone else, when the thing suddenly explodes."

"Thing?" This catches Squall's attention "what thing?"

"It was floating. It was huge. I think it was the Lunatic Pandora."

Squall stared at him "Are you Sure?"

"Pretty sure" said Zell. "But not entirely, as it's really dark. Like it's nightime or something"

"That thing is derelict" says Quistis "No-one's there… But…"

"But what?" asks Zell.

"The room I 'saw' Rinoa going crazy in. It was very similar to Adel's chamber."

Squall was only half-listening. He was thinking. I'm fighting Seifer on a roof of sorts. The 'roof' felt like it was floating or something. No? Then it must be true… Zell breaks him from his thoughts.

"Squall? Any idea what to do?"

Squall thought for a moment. "When we get to Esthar, we'll contact the Garden. Ask them to send Selphie, Zell and Rinoa, regardless of what they're doing, and fast. Qustis, once we land, take the Ragnarok to FH, wait for them there and pick them up. Zell and I will go ahead and try to find out what's going on."

"What about the mission?" Zell asks Squall.

"We'll have to deal with it when Quistis gets back." He answers.

"OK"

"Let's get moving" says Squall.

"Already ahead of you" calls Quistis from the pilot seat.

The Ragnarok's boosters scream into life as Quists pelts full speed towards Esthar.

I've got a bad feeling about this thinks Squall. Cid says they may already know were coming, and I bet we'll find Odine in just one place. The source of our 'dreams'.

He closes his eyes. Lunatic Pandora.

I'm currently working on a few ideas on where this is going, so it'll be a few days before anything knew. Thanks for reading. All reviews/Critic comments much appreciated ta!