BLACK RAIN
As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.
"The wheel of destiny never stops, merely turns differently."
Chapter 16 – The Calm before the Storm
(Squall – Garden)
"Squall! Squall!" calls a voice. Squall turns around to see Xu running towards him.
"What's up?" he asks.
"It's... Trabia," she says, puffing slightly. "We received a distress call form there. A horde of monsters has swamped the Garden up there and is destroying it. The students and staff are holding up but just…"
"Let's go, fast as possible" Squall says, cutting Xu off. They both run for the Bridge.
"I've informed the SeeD's and students of what is happening and what's going to happen" Xu says as the lift ascends. They disembark and Squall sees Zell, Irvine, Selphie and Seifer all standing there.
"Where's Quistis and Rinoa?" he asks.
"Dunno" Zell replies. "Rinoa said something to Quistis and they both left. No idea where though."
"Should I call them?" Xu asks Squall.
Squall thinks for a minute. I think I know what Rinoa's doing. "No" he finally answers. "How far away are we from Trabia?"
"About 3 hours" says Nida, who walks in. "But if I push it, we can get there in 2."
Squall nods his head. "Go, as fast as you can. We've no time to lose."
Nida also nods his head, and sets off up to the pilot area.
(Rinoa/Quistis –Somewhere in Garden)
Quistis sits cross-legged on the floor. Her hands are fists that rest on her legs. Small lightning crackles occasionally around her. Rinoa walks in a circle, her hand just above her head. She too is powered up, her voice echoing many times.
"That's it, almost there" she says quietly. She watches as a pair of wings extends form Quistis back. They are a beautiful golden-white colour, and it softly radiates a gold glow.
She's… almost as powerful as I am… if not more… Rinoa thinks. She can't help but be astonished at the level of power Quistis gives off.
Quistis suddenly springs to her feet. Hovering slightly, she opens her arms slowly. Rinoa can't help but back off, as the power from Quistis is at such an intense heat that she can't stand there any longer.
"Well done, you have found the source," Rinoa says to her.
"I know" Quistis simply says. She opens her eyes, which are no longer their natural greenish colour. Instead they are a gold colour, but there is also a small red colour in it too.
"I know" she repeats. Her voice is as distorted as Rinoas is. Rinoa stands directly in front of her. They both look at each other. Rinoa shivers slightly under Quistis gaze.
She's not herself. It's as if the power has forged a new being. No wonder Ultimecia was shocked.
I'll say Quistis thinks to her. She opens her hands, balls them into fists and jerks her arms downwards. Rinoa can barely stand as the wings on Quistis back glow fully, and her power rises to its fullest. She has to power up herself to stand up, and even then, she can just manage.
"Do you want me to teach you the various spells? I know we don't have a lot of time but…"
"No Rinoa, there's no need" Quistis says. "As I already know. It's as if it was a book I read has just come back to me. I know everything."
"Wow, I'm impressed" Rinoa says. "It took me 5 hours."
Quistis smiles, then drops her power. Rinoa follows suit.
"I'm ready."
"You sure?" Rinoa asks her.
"As sure as I can be…" she trails off.
"What's up?" asks Rinoa.
"Did Squall ever tell you what happened to him at the Lunatic Pandora?" she says to her suddenly.
Rinoa shakes her head. "No, nothing, why?"
"He was killed you know" she says, watching the look on Rinoas face. "And he was allowed to come back..."
"Back?" says Rinoa. That's what Seifer said too she thinks. Back from the dead?
"He also told me other things as well," Quistis says, shaking Rinoa out of her thoughts.
"Like what?"
"That he knows who I am really, and where I came from. He knew my parents, what happened to them, and the fact that Ultimecia is my sister."
Rinoa's eyes go wide. "Sister?" she whispers to her. Quistis nods her head.
"Does Ultimecia know you're her sister?" she asks.
"I don't think so, at least, not anymore" Quistis says quietly. "I think the reason she was shocked was because someone told me I was a sorceress, and she went to trouble to stop me from knowing."
"Who told you?" Rinoa asks.
"The Great Hyne" Quistis says simply. Rinoa is at a loss for words. Quistis continues.
"He spoke to Squall. He told Squall everything. From what I am, etc. to what he must do. Hyne let him come back to help. Hyne has been a factor in this from the start. It was his choice to tell my father to take me to the orphanage. And it was Hyne who decided Squall should be a Knight."
Rinoa looks at her puzzled. "A Knight?"
Quistis looks straight at her. "Yes, a Knight. To me."
(Squall)
"So now you know what she can do. And with this machine, she can now do both" Squall says, after filling in the others on Ultimecia. Seifer stands a bit away, looking out into nothing. Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Xu and Nida all stare at Squall dumbstruck.
"She can see into the future and the past? Oh man, this is bad," Zell says. Squall says nothing.
"Yeah, and she's really pissed at us now," Seifer says, not turning around.
"So what do we do?" Xu asks.
"Think of something, you're the headmaster, aren't you?" Seifer says mockingly.
"Leave it out" Squall says to him. Seifer raises his eyebrows and continues looking away.
"The SeeD's and students know what to do, so our mission is to find her and destroy her" Squall says. "Regardless of what happens. If we take her out now, then it might stop things from really getting out of control. Also we need to look after Rinoa and Quistis, as Ultimecia will especially be after those two. All she has to do is get one of their powers…"
"We'll be careful, Squall, that's our job remember? We ain't Knights for nothing."
A silent exchange is passed between them.
"Squall? What do you mean by Quistis? And power?" Xu asks him. Squall looks at her.
"Some other time, as it's too long a story."
Xu nods her head. "We'll be there in an hour."
(Rinoa/Quistis)
"Squall? Your Knight?" Rinoa asks, curious.
"Yes" says Quistis, looking away. "He has been a Knight since the orphanage. Or rather, he was chosen to be my Knight."
"Chosen?"
"Hyne picked him to be my Knight, and together, when the time came, we would have destroyed Ultimecia. We would have actually done it in the Pandora if we were together."
Rinoa shakes her head. "Together?"
Quistis looks up at her. "Squall was meant to be my Knight. But factors arose that stopped it from happening. I don't know the whole story, but this… story is acting out in a different manner than the way it was supposed to."
Rinoa looks at her, not saying a word.
"Squall told me this, and he also said that he has chosen his sorceress" Quistis continues. "So looks like I go without. But no worries, as I will destroy her, with your help hopefully."
"Of course" Rinoa says. There is a moment of silence.
"Is that all? Did he says anything else?" she asks Quistis.
"No" Quistis says quietly. A small sharp pain stabs in her chest.
"Why did he choose me? Why didn't he become your Knight?"
"He didn't say" Quistis says still quietly. "All that he had already chosen."
Rinoa looks at Quistis. Although she sees a tear running down her cheek, she doesn't ask anything else.
"Come on" Rinoa says to her. "Let's go get her."
Quistis smiles, turning away to wipe her face. "Yes, let's"
Rinoa makes a gate, and they both step through it.
(Squall)
A white light appears in the room. They all turn and watch as Quistis and Rinoa step out. Seifer and Squall look at them both, as does the others.
"Hello, we're back," says Quistis as Rinoa drops the gate.
"Good to see you!" Selphie yelps as the others stand around them. Quistis looks over at Squall, then at Seifer, who is watching her intently.
"We're almost there guys," Xu says. "Nida says 20 minutes, and you can see the battle from here."
Selphie and the others get onto the lift and head up. Only Squall, Seifer and Quistis wait back.
"What is it?" Quistis asks as Seifer and Squall stand in front of her.
"Ask her" Squall says quietly, then walks off to the lift.
"What?" she says again. She looks in disbelief as Seifer draws Hyperion, lays it in from of her, and then bends down on one knee.
"Sorceress Quistis, I wish to have the honour of being your Knight." He says nothing more. He keeps his head bowed, waiting for a response.
Quistis looks at the top of his head, mouth open. Knight? She suddenly remembers what Squall said… about having to go somewhere because he had a choice to make regarding a person. This was it…
She crouches down and places a hand under Seifer's chin. Looking into his eyes, she simply says.
"Yes, and I would be honoured to have you as my Knight."
Seifer does not respond, merely nodding his head, and leading the way up to the lift.
(Trabia Garden – The War Starts)
They were fighting well, even for a ramshackle of a Garden.
Ultimecia looks down on them from above. She floats there, watching the ensuing carnage with a mild look of satisfaction on her face. She is no longer worried she can't see the outcome, as with all these monsters, she would be able to take anywhere and anyone easily.
She is distracted from her thought by the sight of Balamb Garden coming over the hills. She smiles and speaks a strange tongue out loudly. Every monster nearby stops and looks over the hill. They too spot the Garden. They take off as one or stampede towards it. Ultimecia smiles, and raises her hands up. A massive gate forms behind her. Without warning, thousands upon thousands of monsters pour out of the gate, flooding over her and speeding towards Garden. In the middle of the flood, Ultimecia smiles.
The wheel of destiny never stops, merely turns differently.
(Squall)
"Here they come!" Xu shouts, as Squall and the others take off down the lift. A huge bang and rumbling envelops the Garden as monsters flood into every available spot. Squall and the others immediately take up battle positions as the monsters swarm over them.
"We have to get out of here!" screams Selphie.
"I know where she is!" Quistis yells louder. The Garden is slowly but surely damaged from within with all the fighting and blasts from weapons. SeeD's, students and monsters are everywhere.
"Get closer!" Rinoa yells as they crowd into a circle. Seifer swings his blade over his head like a propeller, decapitating at least 5 monsters in one go. Squall follows suit, as well as Irvine's gun, and they successfully keep the monsters at bay.
Quistis throws both of her arms up and a white arc surrounds them all. She snaps her fingers and they disappear. Almost instantly they reappear at the entrance to Trabia Garden. Several students scream as Rinoa and Quistis power up. They turn to run, but are stopped in their tracks as Ultimecia lands in front of them. She raises her arms and prepares to blast the students. But Quistis is faster and manages to block the attack.
"So you've finally learned your tricks of the trade" Ultimecia says mockingly to Quistis.
Quistis says nothing; she stares at her, her eyes glowing intently.
"Fine, if you want me, let's go somewhere more suitable shall we?"
She vanishes.
"Where has she went?" says Irvine.
"To where it ended last time," Quistis says to him. "To the orphanage."