Chapter 23
Friday, December the Twenty-Second
Progression
Final Fantasy VIII characters and locations from said game are owned by SquareSoft.
Andrea sat in one of the upholstered chairs in the clinic's waiting room barely listening as two other SeeDs attempted to convince Doctor Kadowaki that they were currently unfit for Solstice Eve duties. Neither one held out much hope. Although kindly, the doctor could be very astute and tough minded when it came to things such as that.
As she flipped through the 'One Hundred Most Beautiful People of the Year' issue of Estharian People magazine, she thought, I wish they'd get some more recent magazines in here. This thing is over two years old. Oh, gag me with a spoon! I can't believe they chose her. She has a mouth like a torn pocket. She grimaced.
Andrea was so engrossed in her 'reading' she never heard Rinoa enter from the examining room.
"What are you doing here? Are you sick?" asked Rinoa. Andrea noticed the young sorceress looked unnaturally pale.
Andrea quickly stood, laying the magazine back on a small table and spoke, "No, I'm fine, but how are you?"
"Oh, I'm okay," Rinoa replied distractedly and began to leave.
"Hey wait!" Andrea protested. "I need to talk with you."
"Well, come on," Rinoa murmured wanly. "Talk with me as we walk. I need to meet with my disciples."
The two, identical to the naked eye, young women walked side by side down the corridor from the infirmary to the main atrium of the Garden.
Andrea was clearly uncertain how to broach a subject that could possibly turn out to be very sensitive. Finally she decided just to be direct and asked, "Rinoa, have you noticed the physical similarity between us?"
"Of course I have." Rinoa laughed and then observing the haunted look crossing Andrea's ordinary pretty features asked, "What?"
Andrea paused and then said in a rush, "Well, what do you attribute that to - just sheer coincidence?"
"What?!" Rinoa asked with a great deal of surprise in her voice. "Of course not, didn't I already tell you all about this?"
When the young sorceress observed Andrea's facial expression of confusion, she exclaimed, "Oh Shiva! I didn't remember to tell you. I'm so sorry." Rinoa paused for a moment then proceeded to blurt out the entire story. "When I first met you I had a strong feeling there was a link between us and I called my father. Upon my questioning him, he admitted something to me that I had absolutely no knowledge of. My mother had an identical twin brother named Julian. Apparently he was a performer too; a magician I think my father said. I guess he finally married and then amazingly enough we were born on the same day. The families weren't able to remain in very close contact because of your father having to travel so much for his profession and I got the distinct feeling also that my father didn't approve of your father. Imagine that? That man not approving of a magician, there's a no-brainer. Then I guess your mother died around the same time mine did and that was it for knowing where you all got to. My father said he never heard anything more from your father, but I don't imagine he made any effort to locate him either."
"But I saw this picture of you when you were a newborn and it looked as if a corner of it had been torn purposely away."
"Oh, that," the young sorceress replied. "My mother's favorite cat was in the picture and he died a few days later and it made her so sad every time she saw it that she finally tore that part away."
"So that means we're -"
"That's right," Rinoa interrupted, breaking into song. "We're cousins, identical cousins all the way. One pair of matching bookends, different as night and day. Where I adore a minuet, the Galbadian ballet, and crepe suzette, you love to rock and roll, a hot dog makes you lose control - what a wild duet. Still, we're cousins, identical cousins and you'll find, we laugh alike, we walk alike, at times we even talk alike - a person could lose their mind, when cousins are two of a kind!"
"Well, thank you for finally explaining all that, Rinoa," her identical cousin said dryly.
As soon as Fujin observed Seifer tramp forcefully into their living space with an expression of fury upon his face, she realized that it hadn't gone well for him. In fact it looked as if it had gone as badly as possible. The silvered hair young woman was far too prudent to ever dream of asking Seifer what had happened, but she ached for him. Fujin had already literally gone to hell and back for him, but her loyalty was such that she would do it again without a second's hesitation. Because she would always remember...
"What's your name?!"
A nine-year-old Seifer stood blocking her path. It was her first day in Garden and so far it hadn't been going well - no, not well at all. In fact it had been going terribly and now this large blond boy stood in front of her promising to make it worse.
She slowly glanced up and glared at him with her one good eye and waited for the ridicule that invariably followed.
"Fujin."
"I'm Seifer. You need anything around here you come to me. I'll take care of it. What happened to your eye?"
"Fight."
"Your family, right? Father, probably," guessed Seifer.
Fujin's one good eye widened in surprise and sudden respect for this little boy who seemed to instinctively realize so much.
"Yes."
"That kid behind you - is he with you?" the blond boy asked pointing to the chubby black child standing slightly behind her.
"Yes."
"I'm Raijin, ya know," the boy in question suddenly spoke.
Seifer threw his head back and laughed. "Raijin! All right, great name. Ok, you two stick with me and I'll show you around. Come on."
As the two newcomers began to walk beside the blond boy, he said, "Hey, that eye patch looks cool!"
"Thanks." Fujin smiled for the first time in a very long time.
Fujin returned to the present as Seifer strode over to the long table they used for their meetings. "Okay, gather around people," Seifer called out.
After Raijin and Fujin had joined him, Seifer exclaimed, "There will be no Solstice at Garden this year! We're going to steal it."
"Steal Solstice? How we doing that, ya know?"
Seifer laughed manically and then further explained, "We're stealing everything, all the Pollyanna gifts, all the food, as many decorations as we can. We'll take their good clothes. We can cut the power so that group - 'The Long Chocobo' - can't perform."
"Lone."
"What?"
"Fujin says it's 'Lone Chocobo,' ya know," Raijin explained.
"Long, lone, who's cares? I'll teach them all to trifle with the affections of Seifer Almasy!"
It was nearing late afternoon. Irvine and Rinoa were in her bedroom once again.
"Are you about ready?" she asked.
"Just about."
"Well, hurry up," Rinoa insisted, making some last minute adjustments.
"What's the hurry?"
"I'm suppose to meet Nicole and them in the chapel to lead a ritual to appease Seifer's ghost," the dark-haired woman answered while rolling her eyes at him.
"Will Selphie be there?"
"She might be, I'm not sure. Why?"
"I just thought we could take it there," Irvine explained.
"Ok, that's fine. At least it's on my way. Get the door, will you?"
Now moving along down the corridor, Irvine asked concerned, "Is this too heavy for you?"
"No, I'm fine." Rinoa adjusted the bulky item in her arm to rest more comfortably on her right hip.
"Because I could have gotten us a cart from the kitchen." Irvine looked at the petite woman in concern. He didn't like having a woman carrying something as he walked along empty handed.
"Heck, this is just made out of balsa, isn't it?" the young sorceress asked.
"No, it's plywood."
"Well, it's still light enough. I bet Selphie will be really surprised," said Rinoa.
"Yeah." Irvine laughed. "I bet she will be, but so will some other people."
"Why? What do you mean?" the young woman asked, giving Irvine a sideways glance.
Oh Hyne! I shouldn't have brought this up. She doesn't know about it. "Oh, never mind," Irvine equivocated. "It isn't important, anyway."
"No, I want to know. What are you talking about?" Rinoa said firmly.
"Well...uh," the longhaired man stammered, "Some people think we've been...you know, uh." He found himself blushing at the thought.
"What?!" she replied loudly causing Irvine to wince slightly.
"Rinoa! Watch out for that corner, you have to swing this wide," Irvine warned while also hoping to change the subject. "I'm glad we're almost at the chapel."
"Oh no, you don't," Rinoa protested. "I don't believe anybody would be as silly to believe anything like that of us."
"Well," the cowboy sounded doubtful. "You might be right. We're here," he said, pushing open the chapel door.
Rinoa instantly observed Nicole, Andrea, Quistis, and some of her disciples awaiting her arrival.
"Hi everyone," she called out cheerfully. "Put it over here, Irvine." She pointed to the last row of seats.
"Selphie isn't here?" Irvine noted mournfully.
"No," Nicole affirmed. "She said something about refusing to appease a ghost of someone who wasn't a ghost - whatever that meant."
"What in the world is that, Rinoa?" asked Andrea. "Is that papier mache?"
"Yeah," said Irvine. "You see, there's the Garden and the countryside all around it with the snow on the ground. And over there is the Winter Witch coming down. See? It looks like Selphie."
The young women gathered around the tableau that was sitting on the plywood. "My gosh," Nicole responded. "It does look like Selphie. That's a wonderful job, Irvine."
Irvine beamed. "No, it was Rinoa who did that. She's very talented. And she helped me make this plaque too."
Andrea picked up the plaque and read aloud, "To my beloved Selphie, Just a word of thanks for all the wonderful work you did to make this the best Winter Festival ever, Love Irvine. Oh, she's gonna love that. Wow! This must have taken you two a lot of time to make."
"Why yes," said Rinoa," it did. Most of the last two days."
"So that's what you two were doing," Andrea declared. "And we thought -."
"Just what did you think?" Rinoa asked in an angry tone, her eyes flashing.
"We thought, you know..." Nicole attempted to explain.
"I can't believe you all would have such little faith in me - to think that I would betray Squall and Selphie and my newfound faith. And during the Solstice season to boot!"
Irvine interrupted, "To be fair, Rinoa, we did bring some of this on ourselves."
The young woman's tone softened. "I guess you're right. I was hoping to make Selphie jealous a little and maybe bring her to her senses concerning Irvine, but I guess it backfired."
Quistis spoke for the first time. "I doubt Selphie noticed anything since she has been so busy with all the last minute preparations and I know no one would have told her. By the way, I heard you had to see the doctor today. Are you okay?"
Rinoa averted her gaze while answering, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. It was just a checkup, you know."
She's lying, Quistis thought. Something's wrong.
"Shall we begin?" Nicole asked.
"I'm going to go look for Selphie," Irvine said, leaving as gracefully as possible.
Quistis quickly followed suit. "I have to go find Matt," she explained while following Irvine from the chapel.
"What do we do first?" Andrea asked.
Nicole picked up a box and began putting violet candles in the sconces on the walls. "Well, we need to set up first," she said. "Rinoa, would you please start handing out the scripts?" She directed the young sorceress to a stack of papers on the altar.
Rinoa crossed her arms and sighed. "Uh… Nicole?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think this is really such a good idea? I mean, what if Seifer's not really dead?"
Nicole turned about and stared at Rinoa in disbelief. "I thought you believed in Mystic Hyneism. Were you faking it?" Rinoa's disciples in the second row of pews began muttering among themselves.
"No! Of course not!" Rinoa exclaimed shaking her head. "It's just that… well… Seifer might be alive."
Nicole rubbed her face wearily. "The idea that Seifer could be living within Garden is just preposterous," snipped the librarian. "Seifer is dead. Dead, you hear? I saw his ghost. End of story."
Not wanting to argue the matter further, Rinoa nodded. "Okay, Nicole." She quickly handed out the photocopied ritual to all the attendees. The sorceress was just slipping on the black ritual robes that Nicole had provided when the door of the chapel burst open. Irvine entered dragging a red-faced Selphie by the arm.
"Let go of me, you philandering pig!" Selphie protested. Her eyes fell upon Rinoa and widened. "What's she doing here?"
"Please Sefie," murmured Irvine, "just calm down."
Selphie managed to jerk her arm out of the cowboy's grasp. "Don't you tell me to calm down!"
Seeing that Selphie was not being cooperative, Rinoa approached and wordlessly pushed Selphie to where her gift lay in wait. "Look there, Selph," ordered Rinoa, pointing at the tableau.
Obeying, the bouncy young SeeD's facial expression transformed many times before she burst into tears. "Oh Hyne! It's so beautiful! Is that what you guys have been doing?"
"Yeah," muttered Irvine.
Putting her hands to her cheeks, Selphie said, "I thought you two were… were…"
The young sorceress stomped her foot and growled deep in her throat. "Why would I do that to you, Selphie, you are my friend! Why does everyone seem to think I am such a slut?"
"Um, well… er…" Selphie didn't know what to say.
Hey, guys," interrupted Nicole, "Do you think we could talk about this later? The ritual needs to be underway before sunset, you know."
Selphie gently touched the plaque. "I think I'm gonna skip this…"
"No way!" said Nicole, "we need four people to do this like we discussed before. You, me, Andrea and Rinoa are the only ones who are familiar with this ritual." She shoved a black silk robe similar to the one Rinoa had donned into Selphie's grasp.
Selphie glared at the librarian. "But Seifer's not-"
"Oh yes he is!" interrupted Nicole. "He's dead, he's dead. He's Dead!" she shrieked jumping up and down. Her hair came free from its pigtail and flew around her head wildly.
"Okay, okay!" Selphie agreed, her voice quavering. Has everyone around here gone insane?
Irvine hurriedly picked up Selphie's gift and edged toward the door. "I'm no Hyneist," he explained, "so it wouldn't be right for me to… um… I'll meet you later at your room okay Sefie?"
"Sure," agreed Selphie, slipping on the ritual robe. "Oh, Nicky, I don't think Quisty is coming… she and Matt were arguing last I saw."
Nicole only shrugged in response.
A short while later the ritual was finally underway. Only the flickering candles and the last rays of the setting sun weaving in through the stained glass windows lit the peaceful chapel. The four young women stood before their tiny congregation leading a relaxation exercise.
Rinoa took in a deep breath, the scent of wax and incense filling her head and calming her senses. She did not like the idea of performing this rite for a living person, but she felt she had no choice. When she decided it was time to begin she read, "As the sun sets, so our friend has left us. The water of our tears like the salt water of the sea blesses this place."
"As life is a day," continued Nicole, "So our friend has passed into the night. The fire of our life, the memories and courage, the strength given to us by our friend blesses this place."
Andrea then read her part. "As all that falls shall rise again so our friend will be reborn.
The air we breathe, this treasure of our life, the compassionate caring we give each other blesses this place."
"As the Earth forms us so our friend shall return to the earth," Selphie intoned with a distinct hint of irony. "All that makes us what we are blesses this place." Friend? Sweet Shiva! This is such crappola!
Rinoa stepped forward. "This is a place which is not a place, in a time which is not a time, halfway between the world of the great Hyne and of mortals." Rinoa thought for an instant she saw a shimmering out of the corner of her eye and she blinked hard several times in an attempt to clear it away. What did Nicole put in that incense? she wondered, Gysahl greens?
The congregation answered: "Blessed Hyne, be with us."
Nicole stepped up next to Rinoa. "We welcome the restless spirit of Seifer Almasy into the sacred chamber. Come, oh brother, and allow us to guide you into the loving arms of Hyne. Be cleansed and be free."
All the attendees began to chant, "Be cleansed and be free," as Nicole lit a white candle. The four "priestesses" each wrapped a right hand around the candle.
"You are…" -Rinoa swallowed hard- "dead. None should ever die alone. I am here to help you with your death." The shimmering was becoming more intense and swirled with a myriad of pastel colors. She watched it in fascination. Oooohhh… the colors…
It was Selphie's turn to speak. The words caught in her throat and were only released when Nicole gave her a swift kick to the shin. "Ow!" she complained, grimacing. "That hurt!"
"Read your damn line!" murmured Nicole through clenched teeth.
Selphie glared at the librarian. "Fine!" She rolled her eyes. "There is only love, the greatest Mystery. I reach behind my fear. I open my heart and my eyes in the light of this love." The young woman's voice was entirely emotionless. I can't wait to give Irvy his solstice gift! Won't he be surprised!
Andrea took her cue, trying to ignore the tension in the room. "You have left your family. You have left sex and even gender. You cannot be a woman or a man and enter the other world. You have left behind your body. None who have bodies can pass into the other world."
"There is only love. The love of the Hyne gave birth to this planet," spoke Nicole with deep reverence. "The love of our parents gave birth to us. The love of our friends and family sustains our life. Kindness, love and pleasure - we are formed from these and we form each other. When we die we leave them behind us."
Rinoa blinked slowly and watched as the shimmering congealed. Two distinct figures appeared to be forming right before her eyes. I'm so stoned, she thought.
After a few more moments of chanting, "Be cleansed and be free" the four ritual leaders spoke in unison. "Journey on now, brother. We will follow when we can. May you be born again at the same time and in the same place as those you knew and loved in this life. May you know them again and love them again."
The ritual was concluded with the singing of a hymn, though Rinoa could barely raise her voice above a whisper. Her attention was entirely focused on the hazy entities standing before her. Wow, this is some good stuff! I must remember to ask Nicole to hook me up with her supplier!
As soon as the ritual ended, Selphie squeaked, "Byeeee!! I have to go give my Irvy his Solstice present!" She was gone before anyone could utter another sound.
(A/N: The song Rinoa sings in the first scene is a slightly altered version of the theme song from "The Patty Duke Show". Most of the dialogue of the ritual comes from a funeral rite written by Samuel Wagar.)