1 Chapter 5
Quistis glanced over at Rinoa. She had been silent ever since several of the White SeeDs and their captain had come aboard Balamb Garden.
"No sign of the Galbadian ship." Zell said, coming in.
"Probably on their way back to Galbadia." Irvine said. Xu turned to face Rinoa.
"You want to explain why you were out there?" Rinoa blinked.
"I went to see if I could clear away the fog. Since they'd found us, it didn't make any sense to have it around. Then…"
"Then what?" Xu said.
"I saw that missile coming…and the next thing I know, I'm reacting to it…like I was on automatic."
"And the rest?"
"Quezacotl."
"Geez, how powerful did he get?" Zell asked.
"Of course you DO know now that Setzer will come after us with both barrels." Xu said. The White SeeD captain stood up.
"Maybe it would be wise for her to come with us." Rinoa looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't expect things to go out of control so fast…"
"It's probably a good thing you were there!" Selphie said. "If you hadn't, we would have lost half of our forces!"
"That's a good point." Zell said. Xu sighed.
"Ok, ok, she's off the hook. Alright?"
"It's better that the Galbadians know that we have a sorceress now, anyway." Squall said unexpectedly.
"Huh?" Everybody said.
"We can go straight to the heart of the problem instead of running around like headless chickens."
"You mean going after Setzer." Quistis said. Squall nodded.
"Hey, don't forget about the Centra ruins. There's something fishy about that too." Irvine said.
"Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait. Guys, we are up to our eyeballs in problems." Zell said. "We need to pick one that needs to be solved now and shove the rest to the side."
"Setzer is the problem now." Quistis said. "We need to figure out what he's going to do next."
"So, the problem of Rinoa's powers needs to be put on the back burner." Xu said. Squall looked at Rinoa.
"You think you have enough control over your powers in case something happens?" Rinoa nodded. Squall crossed his arms.
"Ok." He put a hand to his forehead. "I hate being in charge," he thought. "And I don't like splitting up everybody, but that's what I have to do…"
"Squall?" Xu said. Squall blew out a breath, and then turned to the White SeeD captain.
"Are you still willing to help us?" The captain nodded.
"Right." Squall said. "Selphie, Quistis. Head over to FH and go to Esthar. Tell Laguna what's going on. Also, see if he can seal off the Sorceress Memorial." Rinoa started at that.
"Why seal off the SM, Squall?" Selphie asked.
"Setzer could use it as a trap to get to Rinoa." Quistis answered. Squall nodded in agreement.
"Rinoa." He turned to her. "Can you go to Deling City? Your father was anti-Edea, so…"
"He might be against Setzer?" She nodded. "Sure, I'll go."
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Squall said. Rinoa rolled her eyes.
"It's fine! I can handle myself!"
"I know, but you're going to have someone with you. Zell?"
"OHH YEAH, BABY! Don't worry about a thing, Squall, I'll take care of Rinoa!" Zell said, giving Squall a thumbs-up.
"That leaves you and Irvine. What are you going to do?" Xu asked. Squall shot a sideways glance at Irvine.
"We're going up to Galbadia Garden. I agree with Irvine. Something isn't right about that." Squall turned to Xu.
"You're in charge while we're gone. Can you take Garden someplace safe so that Setzer can't go after it?"
"We can help with that." The White SeeD captain stood up. Everybody looked at him.
"Remember where you found us in the Centra region? We can escort Garden there and wait until you come back." Squall nodded.
"Am I missing anything?" He thought. "Oh yeah, where to meet up."
"Rinoa, Zell. Since you're in the same area as Irvine and I, we'll meet you in Deling City," he said.
"We'll be at the hotel, then." Rinoa said. Zell nodded.
"You want us to see if we can get the Ragnarok?" Quistis asked. "Because if we get that, Selphie and I can meet you in Deling City."
"That means we'd have to stay in Galbadia until you came back." Irvine said.
"Not necessary. If we leave now…" Quistis checked her watch. "We can be in Esthar before nightfall."
"Better go then." Squall said. Selphie and Quistis nodded, then got up and hurried out of the room. The White SeeD ship would take them to FH, drop them off, and come back to lead Balamb Garden to the Centra region. A smaller boat would be taking Squall, Rinoa, Zell, and Irvine to Balamb, where they would take the train to Timber. Squall and Irvine would then take the train to the station outside of Galbadia Garden, and walk the rest of the way. Rinoa and Zell would be going the same route, only they would be continuing to Deling City.
"Here." Xu tossed Squall and Rinoa a headset and radio each. "Use these to get in touch with each other. It's also tuned in to the radio frequency on the Ragnarok, so you can reach Selphie and Quistis."
"Thanks." Squall said.
Setzer narrowed his eyes. Just several minutes ago, a solider had come in and reported that the mystery woman had awakened and wanted to speak with him. Now she sat in her room, gazing at him like he was a commoner looking upon royalty.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes. I was wondering if you would let me out of here. I won't do you any harm," the woman said. Setzer shook his head.
"I can't let you do that."
"Because I'm a sorceress, right?" The woman smiled. "Just before I asked to see you, you got a report on me, stating that my MGL is over 5000, making me a sorceress."
"That's right." Setzer said. Turning, he headed towards the window, and then looked back at the woman.
"What is your name? You remind me of someone…"
"My name is Julia." The woman got up. "And I also believe that I can help you."
"How can you help me?" Setzer asked, crossing his arms. Julia smiled.
"You want to get rid of SeeD. I can help you reach that goal. No strings attached."
"Too easy. What's the catch?"
"Catch? You insult me, Setzer. What catch?"
"Nobody would be this helpful unless they wanted something. What is it that you want?"
"Alright. Let me help you get rid of the SeeDs, and in return, all I want… is the sorceress." Julia smiled at the shock on Setzer's face.
"There is a sorceress!"
"Right now, the ship you sent to follow Balamb Garden is heading back here with some very…interesting news." She stretched out a hand. Setzer glared at her.
"How do I know you won't back out of this?" Julia cocked her head.
"Edea…or rather, Ultimecia killed your father in her rise to power. I can assure you I have nothing in mind like that. But…you can have me watched constantly if you wish, and I can stay here." Setzer looked at her, and then down at her outstretched hand. After a long pause, he took it.
"Deal." Julia smiled.
"Now that we have reached an agreement, here's another present for you." She walked away from Setzer, then turned back to face him.
"The sorceress you're after…is non other than Rinoa Heartilly."
On the train heading to Timber…
The sorceress in question surveyed herself in a mirror aboard the SeeD's private train compartment. Running a brush through her hair, she secured it at the nape of her neck with a silver clip. Zell barged in.
"Looking good, Rinoa!" Rinoa turned and smiled. She was wearing a cream sweater, a long hunter-green skirt, and a pair of black boots.
"You're looking quite spiffy yourself, Zell." Zell grinned. He was wearing a white T-shirt with blue jeans.
"Where are your regular clothes?"
"Right there." Rinoa said, pointing to the bed. Zell picked up the neatly folded clothes and put them in a bag. As he did this, he noticed a small case on the bed.
"What's in there?" he asked, pointing.
"My Cardinal. Just in case. You can't be the only one with a weapon, you know." Irvine came in.
"How are you going to get to Caraway's Mansion?" he asked.
"We'll use the sewers under the city to head there." Zell answered.
"Uhh…Zell. Can you even remember how to get to the hidden entrance?" Rinoa asked.
"Sure. You just follow the waterwheels, right?"
"We're dead. Squall! Can I borrow your Gunblade, please?" Rinoa called, turning around. Squall walked in just in time to hear Zell complain.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"I don't want to get lost in any stinky sewer with you!"
"Rinoa baby, put your claws back in their sheath." Irvine said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.
"Irvine, I know where you sleep."
"Yeah. Hands off or I kill you." Squall said mildly.
"Now now, people. I can't help it if I'm a ladies man…ommphh!" Irvine was knocked backwards by three pillows being flung at him. Zell plopped down on the couch.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Well, Irvine and I switch trains here and head straight to Galbadia Garden."
"The way things are going, you'll probably have to camp out overnight. Why not stay with us?" Rinoa asked. Squall shook his head.
"If that ship made it back, there's a possibility that the G-Army's going on alert. It's risky enough with you and Zell going into Timber."
"Well, we're in disguise, so how are you going to get into Galbadia Garden?" Irvine checked his watch.
"Don't worry, we have that arranged." He looked up as the P.A. system came to life with a soft ding.
"Attention. We are now approaching Timber. Transfer to East Academy Station available. Passengers please prepare to disembark."
"Here we go." Rinoa said softly.
"Let the fun begin." Irvine added.
1.1.1 At that exact same moment, in Another World…
Raine looked at her watch.
"Come on, guys! I would like to be back at Garden before nightfall!"
"Aww…Raine! You're such a party pooper!" Raine checked her watch again.
"I'm leaving!" she shouted. Turning up the collar on her jacket, she headed out the entrance and back onto the road to Balamb Garden. Sabin came outside and looked around.
"Where'd she go?" he wondered.
It was dark by the time Raine reached the entrance to Balamb Garden. Sighing, she sat down and stretched out on the steps.
"So tired…and I didn't even do anything today! Huh?" She looked up into the sky. Thousands of stars were winking like Christmas tree lights in the nighttime sky.
"That's pretty…" Raine murmured. She smiled, and allowed herself the luxury of letting her guard down for a few minutes.
"Even the moon seems brighter than usual…" Her eyes narrowed as a memory surfaced…
1.1.2 Six months ago…
"Why did I.J. have to come along with us?" Tifa asked her mother. Selphie glared at her daughter.
"Tifa. Don't you think you and your brother are taking this a little too far?"
"Mom! He's an idiot!"
"Say what? What did you say?"
"See? Somebody switched the bassinets at birth."
"No, he just takes after your father a lot. But luckily, your mom's genes kicked in, so it's not a total loss." "Hey!" Irvine said. Zell strolled up, a smirk on his face.
"Hey, Uncle Zell." Tifa said.
"I'm looking for Sabin. Have you seen him around anyplace?"
"Last time I saw him, he was over by the arm-wrestling booth." I.J. said.
"Nice festival, huh?" Irvine said.
"Yeah. Where's Squall?" Zell shook his head.
"Rinoa isn't feeling too well again, so they canceled. Raine's here, however."
Raine growled in frustration. The goldfish booth had turned out to be harder than she had expected.
"How hard can it be to catch one stupid fish!" she snarled. Celes laughed nervously.
"Raine, it's just a game. The fish aren't that smart!" As she watched, Raine missed yet another fish. "Then again…" Raine glared at her. "Never mind. Forget I said anything." Raine set her teeth and homed in on her target, a small calico goldfish.
"Come here, you little swimming appetizer! Ahh!" She stared at the broken net. "Grr…."
"Raine, you're trying too hard." The voice had Raine dropping her net in the tank and whirling around. Rinoa and Squall Leonhart stood behind her.
"Mom!" Raine sprinted over and hugged Rinoa. "You're ok!"
"Yeah, I am. You think I was going to miss this?"
"Lord knows you gave me enough grief…ouch!" Squall yelped, rubbing his side where his wife had just elbowed him. Raine giggled.
"Let me try this." Rinoa walked over to the goldfish tank. Picking up a net, she went after a goldfish. Squall stretched his arms.
"Seems like I'm going to be hanging around with your mother all night." "You don't have to do that, Leonhart!" Rinoa called out warningly. Squall winced. Whenever Rinoa called him by his last name, he was either in trouble or getting on her nerves.
"Umm…we're leaving now." Raine said, trying to suppress a chuckle.
"Yeah. See you, Mr. Leonhart!" Celes said. "Hey!" Squall called out, but it was to the retreating backs of the two girls. "Ughh…"
Raine and Celes examined every stall at the festival. They watched Sabin defeat the arm-wrestling game; I.J. and Irvine tie in the shooting contest, enjoyed caramel apples and cotton candy.
"What do you want to do next?" Celes asked her friend. They had walked over to the bridge. Raine shrugged.
"I don't know." She checked her watch. "I need to get back soon, however. Mom and Dad will be worried about me."
"Which reminds me, I need to find my own parents. I'll be back." Celes said. Raine watched her hurry off, and then leaned on the railing. Tilting her head back, she looked up at the nighttime sky.
"The moon is bright tonight," she thought. In her line of vision, the moon seemed to hover closer and closer. Then before she could draw in a breath…
A castle standing proudly in the midst of a city, and thousands of people bustling about on their daily business. Two women with golden circlets on their heads, standing on either side of an older man with a crown on his head, looking down from the castle balcony into the city. The same castle, only now it is in flames. A dark shadow hovering over it, only to be captured by a ray of white light, and being thrown into the shadow of the moon as it set by one of the women, who looks strangely familiar. The black shadow being hurled through space and time, only to land in a bleak desert landscape, in the ruins of some mammoth structure…
Raine jolted awake with a start. She was lying flat on the ground, right next to the railing of the bridge. Slowly, she got up. She felt totally drained, as if she had just completed her Renzokuken.
"Raine?" "Oh no!" Raine thought. Her knees wobbled, and she had to grab onto the rail to keep her balance. Celes came into view.
"Raine? Oh no! Raine!" Seeing her friend cling to the railing like her life depended on it, Celes rushed over. "Raine, what happened?"
"I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy."
"Yeah right." Celes snapped. Raine's skin had gone to a pasty pale, and she was cold to the touch. "I'm getting your parents!"
"No! I'm fine! Really!" Raine said hurriedly, grabbing onto Celes's arm…
As the memory faded away, Raine blinked. "I could never figure out why that happened to me," she thought. "One minute I'm standing there, minding my own business and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground with those…pictures running through my head!" Her eyes narrowed. "Was that the destruction of some great city? And that woman…I know I've seen her someplace before…" Sighing, she got up and headed into the Garden.
The next day, in the present…
"Back off!" Selphie snapped. A Turtlepod picked itself up and threw itself at her. Quistis flung her whip forward. The monster hit the ground, and bunched itself up.
"Run, Selphie!" Both girls dashed off towards the Presidential Palace.
"Is it just me, or has the monster problem here gotten worse?" Selphie panted as they ran.
"No, it's gotten worse, alright!" Quistis agreed. Two soldiers appeared out of nowhere in front of them.
"In here!" One shouted, waving them towards the entrance of the Palace. As they ran in, the solders moved to cover them. Selphie and Quistis hurriedly got on the glide and flew towards the lobby.
Inside Laguna's office…
Laguna rubbed his forehead. There had been an increase of monster attacks lately in the city, and it didn't make sense to him.
"Run that by me again. I thought we had the monster situation nearly under control," he said. Kiros shook his head.
"Up to two days ago, it wasn't a problem. Now, we have monsters crawling out of the woodwork everywhere again." An aide came in.
"Sir, Quistis Trepe and Selphie Tilmitt from Balamb Garden are here to see you." "Send them in." Laguna said, waving his hand. Ward turned to Kiros and gestured.
"Ward says he thinks it might be another Lunar Cry." Quistis and Selphie walked in.
"That's the last thing you need right now." Quistis said. Laguna shook his head.
"It is, but we have to deal with it." Selphie frowned.
"Quistis…" she said in a low tone. "Yeah?" Quistis asked, turning.
Selphie shook her head.
"Never mind, I'll tell you later." "Is there anything you need?" Laguna asked.
"Yeah." Quickly and precisely, Quistis outlined the situation for Laguna, Kiros, and Ward.
"You have some serious problems." Selphie licked her lips nervously.
"Squall also wanted to know if we could borrow the Ragnarok."
"That's an automatic yes." Laguna said.
"And…he also wants to know if you can seal off the Sorceress Memorial." Laguna, Kiros, and Ward both started at that.
"What?"
"He thinks that Galbadia might use it as a trap to get to Rinoa." Laguna bit his lips.
"I gave you the Ragnarok, but I can't give you that."
"What?" Quistis said.
"We were about to get in contact with you anyway." Kiros said.
"What's wrong?" Selphie asked.
"The rumors of a sorceress just haven't been flying around in Galbadia. They've been going around over here as well."
"Some members of the President's advisory board are suggesting that we find the sorceress, and bring her here to be sealed away."
"WHAT!"
"I thought Esthar dealt with Esthar only, not with outsiders!" Selphie exclaimed.
"What if the sorceress is good, and not evil? And helped save the world as well? Doesn't that amount for anything?" Quistis said.
"Trust me, I am trying to nip this in the bud as fast as possible. But there are some people who agree with that plan. I can't disagree too strongly or…"
"We get the picture." Quistis bit her lip. Laguna sighed.
"I'm sorry. Take my advice, and tell Squall this; Keep Rinoa away from Galbadia, and away from Esthar. There's a chance if she stays hidden, the rumors may die down and I can stop this." Quistis and Selphie nodded, and then left the office.
In the sewers below Deling City…
Rinoa rubbed her forehead. She had to give Zell credit; he had managed to find the entrance to the sewers. Once they had actually gotten in, however, things had gone downhill.
"Zell, we are going around in circles!"
"No, we're not! Let's see…" He surveyed a Y junction ahead of them. "I think we should go…that way!" He pointed towards the right path.
"Zell, we've already been down there!"
"We have? Ok then…the left one!"
"We've been down there too!"
"We have." Rinoa clenched her teeth and tried not to fantasize about shocking the living daylights out of Zell.
"Mind if I try something?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Go ahead. I've done everything I can think of!" Rinoa bit the inside of her lip hurriedly to keep herself from snapping back a rejoinder. Moving forward, she created a small ball of light and dropped it on the ground. Instantly, her and Zell's footprints started to glow wherever they had walked.
"Whoa!"
"Now that we have that figured out…" Rinoa created another ball of light. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a minute, then let the ball drop. It hesitated for a minute, and then sped off past Rinoa and Zell.
"What is it doing?"
"It's looking for the entrance to the mansion. C'mon!" Rinoa said, yanking on Zell's arm. The ball jumped, zigzagged, and rolled, giving Rinoa and Zell a hard time following it. In less than five minutes they were at the ladder leading up to Caraway's Mansion. The ball bounced up into Rinoa's hand and disappeared.
"Hey! How come you didn't do that from the beginning?" Zell demanded. This earned him an evil glare from Rinoa.
"I believe that a certain somebody said that he remembered the way to the hidden entrance!" she hissed, climbing up the ladder.
"You don't have to bite my head off!" Zell growled, going up after her. Stepping onto the landing, Rinoa quickly sprinted up the stairs, climbed up the ladder, and stopped cold.
"What's wrong?" Zell asked, coming up behind her.
"It's closed."
"Uh…duh!" Zell said. "Now look at who's being stupid!" Rinoa started to turn, full prepared to rip a strip off of Zell, when something white caught her eye.
"What?" Zell said.
"This." Rinoa said, removing a piece of paper. It had been carefully folded and placed in a niche next to the hidden doorway. Unfolding it, she gasped.
"It's a note from my father!"
"What? Read it!"
"Don't rush me!" She nudged him with her foot. "Move down!"
"Alright already!" Zell climbed down the rungs of the ladder, Rinoa behind him. Moving into the light, she read the letter aloud.
Rinoa,
If you are reading this note, do what I say. Please, do not, under any circumstances, come back to Deling City. I have been followed for the past several days, and I am sure that the house is bugged.
Tell your friends to tread lightly. Setzer already has plans underway to get rid of every Garden that is in operation. He already has the headmaster of Galbadia Garden on his side, Trabia he does not see as a threat, but he is willing to wage an all-out war to get rid of Balamb Garden.
Also, please protect yourself. There have been rumors of a sorceress, and Setzer is beginning to take them seriously. I know that you are that sorceress, and that your friends will protect you. And, as you have demonstrated to me many times, you are capable of protecting yourself. Please do not worry about me; I can handle the military. Just worry about yourself and your friends.
I love you, my darling daughter.
Your father,
Caraway
Rinoa carefully re-folded the note and slipped it into her pocket.
"Forget Caraway then. Great!" Zell punched the wall (lightly) with his fist. "Now what do we do?"
"Under the circumstances, I think we'd better get back to the hotel." Rinoa replied. Quickly, they ran down the stairs, climbed down the ladder, and back into the sewers.
Outside of Galbadia Garden…
Squall and Irvine surveyed the entrance to Galbadia Garden. Several groups of students were outside. Some were doing weapons training; others were practicing magic.
"What are we doing?" Squall complained.
"Wait! He's coming now!" Irvine said. As they watched, a blond-haired boy broke away from the weapons group, grabbed a bag, and hurried over to where Squall and Irvine were hiding.
"Psst! Irvine!"
"Locke! Hey man, it's good to see you!" Irvine cheerfully hugged Locke.
"I brought the stuff you asked me for. Although what you want with makeup is beyond me…" Locke trailed off as he looked at Squall. "Oh wow!"
"Oh no…" Squall muttered. Being one of the six heroes, who had defeated Ultimecia, and one of the most identifiable because of his scar, gave him the distinct impression of being a celebrity.
"Stop gawking already!" Irvine said. He tossed Squall a bundle of clothes. "Put these on, and I'll help with the makeup."
"Makeup? But why do I need...oh!" Squall blinked as the realization hit home. Locke had recognized him instantly, and they didn't need that when they entered Galbadia Garden. Moving quickly, he and Irvine changed from their regular clothes to the student uniforms that Locke had brought them. Irvine rubbed concealer over the scar on Squall's forehead, and then braided his own hair down his back instead of leaving it in the ponytail.
"Looking good! Irvine, you still look like a girl!"
"Shut up." Irvine said, as Squall and Locke sniggered.
"Leave the weapons here, and follow me!" Squall and Irvine followed Locke to a side entrance. As they walked inside…
"Locke!"
"Ggahh!"
"What are you doing? The all-Garden meeting's now, remember?"
"Coming now!" As the girl walked off, Locke, Squall, and Irvine let out a collective sigh of relief.
"What's this all-Garden meeting about?" Irvine asked. Locke shrugged.
"Beats me."
"Let's go. Maybe we can find out something." Squall said.
In the auditorium…
The mummer of students talking greeted the three as they entered the auditorium. Sliding into seats next to the entrance, they sat down just in time as Cyan walked up to the podium.
"Alright, settle down people." The noise died down as students found their seats and sat down.
"Ahem. Now, this meeting is to address any concerns or problems…"
"Headmaster!" A brown-haired girl stood up. Heads turned to survey the speaker.
"Who's that?" Squall asked.
"Dagger Chere. Very outspoken."
"And very cute. Ow!" Squall elbowed Irvine.
"Dagger. You have something to say?" Cyan asked.
"Yes. I would like to know, and I believe I speak for everyone when I say this." She paused. "What is with Galbadia hiring us?" At her words, the entire auditorium erupted into noise.
"What?"
"Those maniacs?"
"They hired us?"
"Order please!" Cyan bellowed, banging a gavel on the podium. Squall and Irvine glanced at each other.
"Order please!"
"It's not only that." Dagger continued. "We've been hearing things about a sorceress, what Galbadia is doing in the Centra region when there is nothing there…"
"First of all, the rumor about Galbadia hiring us is completely untrue."
"What about the sorceress?" Squall started at this.
"There is a possibility that there may be a sorceress." Almost immediately, the noise started up again. "But that could also be a rumor!" Cyan shouted over the noise.
"But what if it isn't?" Dagger countered.
"Then we will have to take it upon ourselves to find out as much information as possible, and then take an appropriate course of action." Dagger sat back down.
"What about President Setzer? If he decides to follow in his father's footsteps, we're toast!" Another student added.
"From what I know, Setzer is not of any threat to us now."
"That's a lie!" Irvine hissed. Locke looked at him.
"What?"
"Squall, do you hear what this guy is saying?"
"Yeah, I hear." He glanced around. Everyone's attention was focused on Cyan. "Let's go. I think we've heard enough."
In the air over Galbadia…
Quistis eyed Selphie. She had been unnaturally quiet ever since they had left Esthar.
"Selphie, what is up with you?" Selphie bit her lip.
"Remember what Ward said about the Lunar Cry and the influx of monsters?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that only supposed to happen when there's a sorceress around?"
"Yeah, but…" Quistis trailed off. The last Lunar Cry had happened because of Rinoa receiving her sorceress powers, and breaking Adel's seal. Selphie looked at her worriedly.
"You don't think a Lunar Cry can happen twice with the same sorceress, do you?" Quistis shook her head forcefully.
"No. It has to be a coincidence."
"I hope so…" Selphie murmured. She checked the instrument panel. "ETA to Deling City 15 minutes."
"Land the Ragarnok a couple of miles outside." Quistis instructed. "We'll walk from here."
"I hope they did a whole better than us." Selphie said.
Quistis glanced over at Rinoa. She had been silent ever since several of the White SeeDs and their captain had come aboard Balamb Garden.
"No sign of the Galbadian ship." Zell said, coming in.
"Probably on their way back to Galbadia." Irvine said. Xu turned to face Rinoa.
"You want to explain why you were out there?" Rinoa blinked.
"I went to see if I could clear away the fog. Since they'd found us, it didn't make any sense to have it around. Then…"
"Then what?" Xu said.
"I saw that missile coming…and the next thing I know, I'm reacting to it…like I was on automatic."
"And the rest?"
"Quezacotl."
"Geez, how powerful did he get?" Zell asked.
"Of course you DO know now that Setzer will come after us with both barrels." Xu said. The White SeeD captain stood up.
"Maybe it would be wise for her to come with us." Rinoa looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't expect things to go out of control so fast…"
"It's probably a good thing you were there!" Selphie said. "If you hadn't, we would have lost half of our forces!"
"That's a good point." Zell said. Xu sighed.
"Ok, ok, she's off the hook. Alright?"
"It's better that the Galbadians know that we have a sorceress now, anyway." Squall said unexpectedly.
"Huh?" Everybody said.
"We can go straight to the heart of the problem instead of running around like headless chickens."
"You mean going after Setzer." Quistis said. Squall nodded.
"Hey, don't forget about the Centra ruins. There's something fishy about that too." Irvine said.
"Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait. Guys, we are up to our eyeballs in problems." Zell said. "We need to pick one that needs to be solved now and shove the rest to the side."
"Setzer is the problem now." Quistis said. "We need to figure out what he's going to do next."
"So, the problem of Rinoa's powers needs to be put on the back burner." Xu said. Squall looked at Rinoa.
"You think you have enough control over your powers in case something happens?" Rinoa nodded. Squall crossed his arms.
"Ok." He put a hand to his forehead. "I hate being in charge," he thought. "And I don't like splitting up everybody, but that's what I have to do…"
"Squall?" Xu said. Squall blew out a breath, and then turned to the White SeeD captain.
"Are you still willing to help us?" The captain nodded.
"Right." Squall said. "Selphie, Quistis. Head over to FH and go to Esthar. Tell Laguna what's going on. Also, see if he can seal off the Sorceress Memorial." Rinoa started at that.
"Why seal off the SM, Squall?" Selphie asked.
"Setzer could use it as a trap to get to Rinoa." Quistis answered. Squall nodded in agreement.
"Rinoa." He turned to her. "Can you go to Deling City? Your father was anti-Edea, so…"
"He might be against Setzer?" She nodded. "Sure, I'll go."
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Squall said. Rinoa rolled her eyes.
"It's fine! I can handle myself!"
"I know, but you're going to have someone with you. Zell?"
"OHH YEAH, BABY! Don't worry about a thing, Squall, I'll take care of Rinoa!" Zell said, giving Squall a thumbs-up.
"That leaves you and Irvine. What are you going to do?" Xu asked. Squall shot a sideways glance at Irvine.
"We're going up to Galbadia Garden. I agree with Irvine. Something isn't right about that." Squall turned to Xu.
"You're in charge while we're gone. Can you take Garden someplace safe so that Setzer can't go after it?"
"We can help with that." The White SeeD captain stood up. Everybody looked at him.
"Remember where you found us in the Centra region? We can escort Garden there and wait until you come back." Squall nodded.
"Am I missing anything?" He thought. "Oh yeah, where to meet up."
"Rinoa, Zell. Since you're in the same area as Irvine and I, we'll meet you in Deling City," he said.
"We'll be at the hotel, then." Rinoa said. Zell nodded.
"You want us to see if we can get the Ragnarok?" Quistis asked. "Because if we get that, Selphie and I can meet you in Deling City."
"That means we'd have to stay in Galbadia until you came back." Irvine said.
"Not necessary. If we leave now…" Quistis checked her watch. "We can be in Esthar before nightfall."
"Better go then." Squall said. Selphie and Quistis nodded, then got up and hurried out of the room. The White SeeD ship would take them to FH, drop them off, and come back to lead Balamb Garden to the Centra region. A smaller boat would be taking Squall, Rinoa, Zell, and Irvine to Balamb, where they would take the train to Timber. Squall and Irvine would then take the train to the station outside of Galbadia Garden, and walk the rest of the way. Rinoa and Zell would be going the same route, only they would be continuing to Deling City.
"Here." Xu tossed Squall and Rinoa a headset and radio each. "Use these to get in touch with each other. It's also tuned in to the radio frequency on the Ragnarok, so you can reach Selphie and Quistis."
"Thanks." Squall said.
Setzer narrowed his eyes. Just several minutes ago, a solider had come in and reported that the mystery woman had awakened and wanted to speak with him. Now she sat in her room, gazing at him like he was a commoner looking upon royalty.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes. I was wondering if you would let me out of here. I won't do you any harm," the woman said. Setzer shook his head.
"I can't let you do that."
"Because I'm a sorceress, right?" The woman smiled. "Just before I asked to see you, you got a report on me, stating that my MGL is over 5000, making me a sorceress."
"That's right." Setzer said. Turning, he headed towards the window, and then looked back at the woman.
"What is your name? You remind me of someone…"
"My name is Julia." The woman got up. "And I also believe that I can help you."
"How can you help me?" Setzer asked, crossing his arms. Julia smiled.
"You want to get rid of SeeD. I can help you reach that goal. No strings attached."
"Too easy. What's the catch?"
"Catch? You insult me, Setzer. What catch?"
"Nobody would be this helpful unless they wanted something. What is it that you want?"
"Alright. Let me help you get rid of the SeeDs, and in return, all I want… is the sorceress." Julia smiled at the shock on Setzer's face.
"There is a sorceress!"
"Right now, the ship you sent to follow Balamb Garden is heading back here with some very…interesting news." She stretched out a hand. Setzer glared at her.
"How do I know you won't back out of this?" Julia cocked her head.
"Edea…or rather, Ultimecia killed your father in her rise to power. I can assure you I have nothing in mind like that. But…you can have me watched constantly if you wish, and I can stay here." Setzer looked at her, and then down at her outstretched hand. After a long pause, he took it.
"Deal." Julia smiled.
"Now that we have reached an agreement, here's another present for you." She walked away from Setzer, then turned back to face him.
"The sorceress you're after…is non other than Rinoa Heartilly."
On the train heading to Timber…
The sorceress in question surveyed herself in a mirror aboard the SeeD's private train compartment. Running a brush through her hair, she secured it at the nape of her neck with a silver clip. Zell barged in.
"Looking good, Rinoa!" Rinoa turned and smiled. She was wearing a cream sweater, a long hunter-green skirt, and a pair of black boots.
"You're looking quite spiffy yourself, Zell." Zell grinned. He was wearing a white T-shirt with blue jeans.
"Where are your regular clothes?"
"Right there." Rinoa said, pointing to the bed. Zell picked up the neatly folded clothes and put them in a bag. As he did this, he noticed a small case on the bed.
"What's in there?" he asked, pointing.
"My Cardinal. Just in case. You can't be the only one with a weapon, you know." Irvine came in.
"How are you going to get to Caraway's Mansion?" he asked.
"We'll use the sewers under the city to head there." Zell answered.
"Uhh…Zell. Can you even remember how to get to the hidden entrance?" Rinoa asked.
"Sure. You just follow the waterwheels, right?"
"We're dead. Squall! Can I borrow your Gunblade, please?" Rinoa called, turning around. Squall walked in just in time to hear Zell complain.
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"I don't want to get lost in any stinky sewer with you!"
"Rinoa baby, put your claws back in their sheath." Irvine said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.
"Irvine, I know where you sleep."
"Yeah. Hands off or I kill you." Squall said mildly.
"Now now, people. I can't help it if I'm a ladies man…ommphh!" Irvine was knocked backwards by three pillows being flung at him. Zell plopped down on the couch.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Well, Irvine and I switch trains here and head straight to Galbadia Garden."
"The way things are going, you'll probably have to camp out overnight. Why not stay with us?" Rinoa asked. Squall shook his head.
"If that ship made it back, there's a possibility that the G-Army's going on alert. It's risky enough with you and Zell going into Timber."
"Well, we're in disguise, so how are you going to get into Galbadia Garden?" Irvine checked his watch.
"Don't worry, we have that arranged." He looked up as the P.A. system came to life with a soft ding.
"Attention. We are now approaching Timber. Transfer to East Academy Station available. Passengers please prepare to disembark."
"Here we go." Rinoa said softly.
"Let the fun begin." Irvine added.
1.1.1 At that exact same moment, in Another World…
Raine looked at her watch.
"Come on, guys! I would like to be back at Garden before nightfall!"
"Aww…Raine! You're such a party pooper!" Raine checked her watch again.
"I'm leaving!" she shouted. Turning up the collar on her jacket, she headed out the entrance and back onto the road to Balamb Garden. Sabin came outside and looked around.
"Where'd she go?" he wondered.
It was dark by the time Raine reached the entrance to Balamb Garden. Sighing, she sat down and stretched out on the steps.
"So tired…and I didn't even do anything today! Huh?" She looked up into the sky. Thousands of stars were winking like Christmas tree lights in the nighttime sky.
"That's pretty…" Raine murmured. She smiled, and allowed herself the luxury of letting her guard down for a few minutes.
"Even the moon seems brighter than usual…" Her eyes narrowed as a memory surfaced…
1.1.2 Six months ago…
"Why did I.J. have to come along with us?" Tifa asked her mother. Selphie glared at her daughter.
"Tifa. Don't you think you and your brother are taking this a little too far?"
"Mom! He's an idiot!"
"Say what? What did you say?"
"See? Somebody switched the bassinets at birth."
"No, he just takes after your father a lot. But luckily, your mom's genes kicked in, so it's not a total loss." "Hey!" Irvine said. Zell strolled up, a smirk on his face.
"Hey, Uncle Zell." Tifa said.
"I'm looking for Sabin. Have you seen him around anyplace?"
"Last time I saw him, he was over by the arm-wrestling booth." I.J. said.
"Nice festival, huh?" Irvine said.
"Yeah. Where's Squall?" Zell shook his head.
"Rinoa isn't feeling too well again, so they canceled. Raine's here, however."
Raine growled in frustration. The goldfish booth had turned out to be harder than she had expected.
"How hard can it be to catch one stupid fish!" she snarled. Celes laughed nervously.
"Raine, it's just a game. The fish aren't that smart!" As she watched, Raine missed yet another fish. "Then again…" Raine glared at her. "Never mind. Forget I said anything." Raine set her teeth and homed in on her target, a small calico goldfish.
"Come here, you little swimming appetizer! Ahh!" She stared at the broken net. "Grr…."
"Raine, you're trying too hard." The voice had Raine dropping her net in the tank and whirling around. Rinoa and Squall Leonhart stood behind her.
"Mom!" Raine sprinted over and hugged Rinoa. "You're ok!"
"Yeah, I am. You think I was going to miss this?"
"Lord knows you gave me enough grief…ouch!" Squall yelped, rubbing his side where his wife had just elbowed him. Raine giggled.
"Let me try this." Rinoa walked over to the goldfish tank. Picking up a net, she went after a goldfish. Squall stretched his arms.
"Seems like I'm going to be hanging around with your mother all night." "You don't have to do that, Leonhart!" Rinoa called out warningly. Squall winced. Whenever Rinoa called him by his last name, he was either in trouble or getting on her nerves.
"Umm…we're leaving now." Raine said, trying to suppress a chuckle.
"Yeah. See you, Mr. Leonhart!" Celes said. "Hey!" Squall called out, but it was to the retreating backs of the two girls. "Ughh…"
Raine and Celes examined every stall at the festival. They watched Sabin defeat the arm-wrestling game; I.J. and Irvine tie in the shooting contest, enjoyed caramel apples and cotton candy.
"What do you want to do next?" Celes asked her friend. They had walked over to the bridge. Raine shrugged.
"I don't know." She checked her watch. "I need to get back soon, however. Mom and Dad will be worried about me."
"Which reminds me, I need to find my own parents. I'll be back." Celes said. Raine watched her hurry off, and then leaned on the railing. Tilting her head back, she looked up at the nighttime sky.
"The moon is bright tonight," she thought. In her line of vision, the moon seemed to hover closer and closer. Then before she could draw in a breath…
A castle standing proudly in the midst of a city, and thousands of people bustling about on their daily business. Two women with golden circlets on their heads, standing on either side of an older man with a crown on his head, looking down from the castle balcony into the city. The same castle, only now it is in flames. A dark shadow hovering over it, only to be captured by a ray of white light, and being thrown into the shadow of the moon as it set by one of the women, who looks strangely familiar. The black shadow being hurled through space and time, only to land in a bleak desert landscape, in the ruins of some mammoth structure…
Raine jolted awake with a start. She was lying flat on the ground, right next to the railing of the bridge. Slowly, she got up. She felt totally drained, as if she had just completed her Renzokuken.
"Raine?" "Oh no!" Raine thought. Her knees wobbled, and she had to grab onto the rail to keep her balance. Celes came into view.
"Raine? Oh no! Raine!" Seeing her friend cling to the railing like her life depended on it, Celes rushed over. "Raine, what happened?"
"I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy."
"Yeah right." Celes snapped. Raine's skin had gone to a pasty pale, and she was cold to the touch. "I'm getting your parents!"
"No! I'm fine! Really!" Raine said hurriedly, grabbing onto Celes's arm…
As the memory faded away, Raine blinked. "I could never figure out why that happened to me," she thought. "One minute I'm standing there, minding my own business and the next thing I know, I'm on the ground with those…pictures running through my head!" Her eyes narrowed. "Was that the destruction of some great city? And that woman…I know I've seen her someplace before…" Sighing, she got up and headed into the Garden.
The next day, in the present…
"Back off!" Selphie snapped. A Turtlepod picked itself up and threw itself at her. Quistis flung her whip forward. The monster hit the ground, and bunched itself up.
"Run, Selphie!" Both girls dashed off towards the Presidential Palace.
"Is it just me, or has the monster problem here gotten worse?" Selphie panted as they ran.
"No, it's gotten worse, alright!" Quistis agreed. Two soldiers appeared out of nowhere in front of them.
"In here!" One shouted, waving them towards the entrance of the Palace. As they ran in, the solders moved to cover them. Selphie and Quistis hurriedly got on the glide and flew towards the lobby.
Inside Laguna's office…
Laguna rubbed his forehead. There had been an increase of monster attacks lately in the city, and it didn't make sense to him.
"Run that by me again. I thought we had the monster situation nearly under control," he said. Kiros shook his head.
"Up to two days ago, it wasn't a problem. Now, we have monsters crawling out of the woodwork everywhere again." An aide came in.
"Sir, Quistis Trepe and Selphie Tilmitt from Balamb Garden are here to see you." "Send them in." Laguna said, waving his hand. Ward turned to Kiros and gestured.
"Ward says he thinks it might be another Lunar Cry." Quistis and Selphie walked in.
"That's the last thing you need right now." Quistis said. Laguna shook his head.
"It is, but we have to deal with it." Selphie frowned.
"Quistis…" she said in a low tone. "Yeah?" Quistis asked, turning.
Selphie shook her head.
"Never mind, I'll tell you later." "Is there anything you need?" Laguna asked.
"Yeah." Quickly and precisely, Quistis outlined the situation for Laguna, Kiros, and Ward.
"You have some serious problems." Selphie licked her lips nervously.
"Squall also wanted to know if we could borrow the Ragnarok."
"That's an automatic yes." Laguna said.
"And…he also wants to know if you can seal off the Sorceress Memorial." Laguna, Kiros, and Ward both started at that.
"What?"
"He thinks that Galbadia might use it as a trap to get to Rinoa." Laguna bit his lips.
"I gave you the Ragnarok, but I can't give you that."
"What?" Quistis said.
"We were about to get in contact with you anyway." Kiros said.
"What's wrong?" Selphie asked.
"The rumors of a sorceress just haven't been flying around in Galbadia. They've been going around over here as well."
"Some members of the President's advisory board are suggesting that we find the sorceress, and bring her here to be sealed away."
"WHAT!"
"I thought Esthar dealt with Esthar only, not with outsiders!" Selphie exclaimed.
"What if the sorceress is good, and not evil? And helped save the world as well? Doesn't that amount for anything?" Quistis said.
"Trust me, I am trying to nip this in the bud as fast as possible. But there are some people who agree with that plan. I can't disagree too strongly or…"
"We get the picture." Quistis bit her lip. Laguna sighed.
"I'm sorry. Take my advice, and tell Squall this; Keep Rinoa away from Galbadia, and away from Esthar. There's a chance if she stays hidden, the rumors may die down and I can stop this." Quistis and Selphie nodded, and then left the office.
In the sewers below Deling City…
Rinoa rubbed her forehead. She had to give Zell credit; he had managed to find the entrance to the sewers. Once they had actually gotten in, however, things had gone downhill.
"Zell, we are going around in circles!"
"No, we're not! Let's see…" He surveyed a Y junction ahead of them. "I think we should go…that way!" He pointed towards the right path.
"Zell, we've already been down there!"
"We have? Ok then…the left one!"
"We've been down there too!"
"We have." Rinoa clenched her teeth and tried not to fantasize about shocking the living daylights out of Zell.
"Mind if I try something?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Go ahead. I've done everything I can think of!" Rinoa bit the inside of her lip hurriedly to keep herself from snapping back a rejoinder. Moving forward, she created a small ball of light and dropped it on the ground. Instantly, her and Zell's footprints started to glow wherever they had walked.
"Whoa!"
"Now that we have that figured out…" Rinoa created another ball of light. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a minute, then let the ball drop. It hesitated for a minute, and then sped off past Rinoa and Zell.
"What is it doing?"
"It's looking for the entrance to the mansion. C'mon!" Rinoa said, yanking on Zell's arm. The ball jumped, zigzagged, and rolled, giving Rinoa and Zell a hard time following it. In less than five minutes they were at the ladder leading up to Caraway's Mansion. The ball bounced up into Rinoa's hand and disappeared.
"Hey! How come you didn't do that from the beginning?" Zell demanded. This earned him an evil glare from Rinoa.
"I believe that a certain somebody said that he remembered the way to the hidden entrance!" she hissed, climbing up the ladder.
"You don't have to bite my head off!" Zell growled, going up after her. Stepping onto the landing, Rinoa quickly sprinted up the stairs, climbed up the ladder, and stopped cold.
"What's wrong?" Zell asked, coming up behind her.
"It's closed."
"Uh…duh!" Zell said. "Now look at who's being stupid!" Rinoa started to turn, full prepared to rip a strip off of Zell, when something white caught her eye.
"What?" Zell said.
"This." Rinoa said, removing a piece of paper. It had been carefully folded and placed in a niche next to the hidden doorway. Unfolding it, she gasped.
"It's a note from my father!"
"What? Read it!"
"Don't rush me!" She nudged him with her foot. "Move down!"
"Alright already!" Zell climbed down the rungs of the ladder, Rinoa behind him. Moving into the light, she read the letter aloud.
Rinoa,
If you are reading this note, do what I say. Please, do not, under any circumstances, come back to Deling City. I have been followed for the past several days, and I am sure that the house is bugged.
Tell your friends to tread lightly. Setzer already has plans underway to get rid of every Garden that is in operation. He already has the headmaster of Galbadia Garden on his side, Trabia he does not see as a threat, but he is willing to wage an all-out war to get rid of Balamb Garden.
Also, please protect yourself. There have been rumors of a sorceress, and Setzer is beginning to take them seriously. I know that you are that sorceress, and that your friends will protect you. And, as you have demonstrated to me many times, you are capable of protecting yourself. Please do not worry about me; I can handle the military. Just worry about yourself and your friends.
I love you, my darling daughter.
Your father,
Caraway
Rinoa carefully re-folded the note and slipped it into her pocket.
"Forget Caraway then. Great!" Zell punched the wall (lightly) with his fist. "Now what do we do?"
"Under the circumstances, I think we'd better get back to the hotel." Rinoa replied. Quickly, they ran down the stairs, climbed down the ladder, and back into the sewers.
Outside of Galbadia Garden…
Squall and Irvine surveyed the entrance to Galbadia Garden. Several groups of students were outside. Some were doing weapons training; others were practicing magic.
"What are we doing?" Squall complained.
"Wait! He's coming now!" Irvine said. As they watched, a blond-haired boy broke away from the weapons group, grabbed a bag, and hurried over to where Squall and Irvine were hiding.
"Psst! Irvine!"
"Locke! Hey man, it's good to see you!" Irvine cheerfully hugged Locke.
"I brought the stuff you asked me for. Although what you want with makeup is beyond me…" Locke trailed off as he looked at Squall. "Oh wow!"
"Oh no…" Squall muttered. Being one of the six heroes, who had defeated Ultimecia, and one of the most identifiable because of his scar, gave him the distinct impression of being a celebrity.
"Stop gawking already!" Irvine said. He tossed Squall a bundle of clothes. "Put these on, and I'll help with the makeup."
"Makeup? But why do I need...oh!" Squall blinked as the realization hit home. Locke had recognized him instantly, and they didn't need that when they entered Galbadia Garden. Moving quickly, he and Irvine changed from their regular clothes to the student uniforms that Locke had brought them. Irvine rubbed concealer over the scar on Squall's forehead, and then braided his own hair down his back instead of leaving it in the ponytail.
"Looking good! Irvine, you still look like a girl!"
"Shut up." Irvine said, as Squall and Locke sniggered.
"Leave the weapons here, and follow me!" Squall and Irvine followed Locke to a side entrance. As they walked inside…
"Locke!"
"Ggahh!"
"What are you doing? The all-Garden meeting's now, remember?"
"Coming now!" As the girl walked off, Locke, Squall, and Irvine let out a collective sigh of relief.
"What's this all-Garden meeting about?" Irvine asked. Locke shrugged.
"Beats me."
"Let's go. Maybe we can find out something." Squall said.
In the auditorium…
The mummer of students talking greeted the three as they entered the auditorium. Sliding into seats next to the entrance, they sat down just in time as Cyan walked up to the podium.
"Alright, settle down people." The noise died down as students found their seats and sat down.
"Ahem. Now, this meeting is to address any concerns or problems…"
"Headmaster!" A brown-haired girl stood up. Heads turned to survey the speaker.
"Who's that?" Squall asked.
"Dagger Chere. Very outspoken."
"And very cute. Ow!" Squall elbowed Irvine.
"Dagger. You have something to say?" Cyan asked.
"Yes. I would like to know, and I believe I speak for everyone when I say this." She paused. "What is with Galbadia hiring us?" At her words, the entire auditorium erupted into noise.
"What?"
"Those maniacs?"
"They hired us?"
"Order please!" Cyan bellowed, banging a gavel on the podium. Squall and Irvine glanced at each other.
"Order please!"
"It's not only that." Dagger continued. "We've been hearing things about a sorceress, what Galbadia is doing in the Centra region when there is nothing there…"
"First of all, the rumor about Galbadia hiring us is completely untrue."
"What about the sorceress?" Squall started at this.
"There is a possibility that there may be a sorceress." Almost immediately, the noise started up again. "But that could also be a rumor!" Cyan shouted over the noise.
"But what if it isn't?" Dagger countered.
"Then we will have to take it upon ourselves to find out as much information as possible, and then take an appropriate course of action." Dagger sat back down.
"What about President Setzer? If he decides to follow in his father's footsteps, we're toast!" Another student added.
"From what I know, Setzer is not of any threat to us now."
"That's a lie!" Irvine hissed. Locke looked at him.
"What?"
"Squall, do you hear what this guy is saying?"
"Yeah, I hear." He glanced around. Everyone's attention was focused on Cyan. "Let's go. I think we've heard enough."
In the air over Galbadia…
Quistis eyed Selphie. She had been unnaturally quiet ever since they had left Esthar.
"Selphie, what is up with you?" Selphie bit her lip.
"Remember what Ward said about the Lunar Cry and the influx of monsters?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that only supposed to happen when there's a sorceress around?"
"Yeah, but…" Quistis trailed off. The last Lunar Cry had happened because of Rinoa receiving her sorceress powers, and breaking Adel's seal. Selphie looked at her worriedly.
"You don't think a Lunar Cry can happen twice with the same sorceress, do you?" Quistis shook her head forcefully.
"No. It has to be a coincidence."
"I hope so…" Selphie murmured. She checked the instrument panel. "ETA to Deling City 15 minutes."
"Land the Ragarnok a couple of miles outside." Quistis instructed. "We'll walk from here."
"I hope they did a whole better than us." Selphie said.