Chapter 2: The Lioness becomes an Angel

It's all Squaresoft's material folks! Mmmm....Squaresoft...gaaaahhhh....

Anyway, many thanks to those people who reviewed chapter one. I appologise for how short it was, but in my opinion a fic should ease you in with a nice easy first chapter so as not to let the readers get bogged down very early on. And now, we go back to my favourite little anti-heroine!

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Ellone re-read the script for the third time. It couldn't possibly be true could it? The dialogue was full of cruel little jokes, Squall spent most of the play just saying "...Whatever." and more amazingly instructor Trepe kept flirting with people! The difference that she found most pleasing was the personality of the young Rinoa, who unlike the version from the original play was not perfect, didn't make beautiful long speeches and seemed to get angry at Squall in a way that Ellone found extremely satisfying. In fact Rinoa struck her to be a cheerful, but bossy girl, who had joined the resistance merely to spite her father and was unrealistically convinced that she could change the world, though she was actually was terrified of getting caught up in anything really big.

('She's insecure, immature, forceful and gets in a strop whenever anybody questions her plans...Some angel...But then, she brings out the best in people doesn't she?')

The SeeD cadet rolled up the script and left her dorm, crashing into Sylvie for the second time that day.

"What is it with you and standing in doorways!?"

"You should look where you're going. Are you going to do it?"

Ellone blinked and took a step backwards.

"C'mon! C'moooon! You have to do it! do it! do it! do it! do it! do i-"

"I'm going to play the part."

"-t! do it! d- Huh? Really!? Really really?"

"Yes. But only if you shut up."

"Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! Th-"

"I said shut up."

"....Right, sorry...." Sylvie paused, fidgeting. "So, you want to get your costume ready?"

"I guess so."

"Right! lets go then!" Ellone found herself being dragged down the coridoor by her arm. She had to trot in a somewhat undignified way to keep up with Sylvie's huge strides, and was unable to wrench her arm free of the tall girl's iron grip. She was jammed into the elevator, and took a moment to rest, leaning against the wall, before they arrived on the third floor and she was dragged into the staffroom.

"She's going to do it!" Called Sylvie. She let go of Ellone's arm, and the girl stood in the middle of the room feeling self concious as all of the Garden staff looked at her.

('If I knew it'd be all this trouble I'd never have agreed to be in this stupid play. But I can't go back on my word now.')

"She looks very keen." Observed Instructor Trepe dryly.

"Do we have a costume sorted out yet?" Asked Sylvie.

"Uh huh!" Answered Instructor Kinneas, "Good job Rinoa keeps all her old clothes huh? Ella looks about the same size."

('And now they're all gonna dress me up like a princess...What fun.') Ellone waited for the pretty dress and the blue cape. That was what Rinoa always wore in the plays wasn't it? She watched as Selphie opened a box and pulled out a set of clothes, laying them on the floor as an outfit. Army boots, a long blue woolen cardigan, black shorts, a blue denim skirt and a black vest, a length of black ribbon and two blue wool cuffs, one with straps to attach a pinwheel launcher. ('That's it? that's what she really wore?')

"What? You were expecting a pretty dress?" Said Selphie, noticing her expression.

"I was contemplating the horrors of a pretty dress."

"Is it okay? Do you like it?"

"I'll wear it."

"WOOHOO!" Everybody in the room simultaniously mimicked Instructor Kinneas' famous catchphrase.

"Well, try it on." Said Instructor Trepe, shoving her behind a screen. She was enjoying this. Just like old times having a go at Squall, but somehow more amusing, it was like trying to make Squall into Rinoa. "Does it fit?"

Ellone pulled on the vest. It was black at least, but very figure hugging and femenine, then the shorts and skirt, it wasn't a perfect fit, Rinoa had been older that Ellone was now when she had worn these clothes. She took a moment to work out precisely how to put the cardigan on and noticed the white angel wings on the back, which made it easier to tell which way up it went. The black ribbon was no mystery, her mother always wore a black ribbon around her arm, in mourning for her own mother's death. Finally she put on the boots. A size too big. She put her own black boots back on, they were similar anyway.

"C'mon Ella! The suspense is killing us!"

"...Whatever."

She stood up. More of her legs was on show than she would have liked.

('But I'm not being me am I? When I'm wearing this, I'm being Rinoa Heartily.') she reminded herself as she walked out from behind the screen.

"Woah!" Yelled Irvine. "She looks just like..."

"Well well. It is possible then." laughed Quisits.

Selphie looked critical, and walked around Ellone to look from all angles.

"Hair needs doing. And we need some brown contacts" She said simply. "Otherwise....perfect."

('Do I really look that much like her? Really?')

Ellone caught a mirror at the edge of her vision and faced it.

('So...that's how the famous Rinoa Heartily dressed.') She thought of her mother's diplomatic suits and smart SeeD uniform that she always seemed to wear now when she visited the Garden, less frequently than she would have liked. ('doesn't seem like her at all. But I guess she's grown up since then.')

"Did you read the script?"

"Yeah, pretty unbelievable. can't imagine Dad telling Instructor Trepe to "go talk to a wall." It seems so cruel of him."

"Well he was. Before he met Rinoa he was one of the most moody, introverted, proud, reclusive and overly serious people you could ever hope to avoid having to teach."

"He was really like that?" ('Is that what I'm like?')

"We all had our faults, we're called 'heroes' because of what we did, not who we were. We were just kids really, I was far too young to be an instructor."

('And mother was too young to be a sorceress. They both had to grow into their adult selves. What am I going to become?') She glanced at her reflection again, ('Am I expected to follow her? Become the next sorceress?')

"So who's playing who at the moment?" Asked Irvine.

"Well," Said Selphie, "Ellone is Rinoa, Sylvie is Edea, Tseng Dincht is Siefer, Genji Dincht is Zell, Kimi Dincht is Me..."

('Hmm, an entire compliment of Dinchts, promises to be an energetic production if nothing else.')

"Kelli Almasy is Quisits and Nida Cyan Junior is Irvine. The minor parts aren't decided yet, but that's how the major ones are looking."

"What about Squall? Who's playing him?"

"....Simeon Rego."

"Who?"

"You know, that new boy from class? Smallish, brown hair?"

"Oh, him." ('I have only the very vaguest idea who this guy is.') "Trabian boy right?"

"Right." Sylvie paused, "You can put your normal clothes back on now, unless, that is, you're comfortable like that."

('Guess I am comfortable, I'd forgotten I wasn't dressed normally. These clothes are kind of...nice.... Nice? What a lame word to use.')

"...I'll get changed."

Quistis watched with interest. She had seemed almost reluctant to change out of Rinoa's clothing. Perhaps reading the play had changed Ellone's opinion of her mother.

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Ellone spent her evening in the Training area, as she often did. The monsters weren't as tough as they had once been, due to the Garden banning use of GF due to the memory problems they caused, the monsters in the training area had become too strong for all but the toughest SeeD's to handle. So now there were no T-rexaurs, and less grats, balanced out with more bite bugs, Geezards and Glacial eyes.

The gunblade sliced through the creatures neatly, but it was still hard work. Ellone was sweating and had to sit down in the 'safe zone,' the former 'secret area' to rest.

"You're very good. I've never seen anybody use a gunblade like that before."

Ellone glanced up. It was that Simeon boy. She didn't say anything.

"...I'm Simeon Rego, you're Ellone Leonhart aren't you? We're going to be in the play together aren't we?"

"Yes."

"You don't look like a Rinoa to me."

('What does he mean by that?')

"Uh. Ah, what I mean is, normally you know, girls who play Rinoa are always..."

"...Bossy 'little princess' types with no acting skill?"

"Yeah! The sort of girls who tapdance, and sing songs from musicals at village fetes."

Ellone almost smiled. ('I could get to like this guy...maybe.')

"Shame you can't play Squall, I barely know how to hold a gunblade, let alone look as if I know what I'm doing with one."

"Neither do the audience, just wave it around and they'll all think you're wonderfully skilled."

"Do you think you could show me anyway? If you feel like fighting". He brought out a revolver gunblade, it was old and scarred, but had clearly been well cared for. "I've been trying to learn for a long time." He said, "My father gave me this gunblade, he's a SeeD from Trabia."

('He talks too much. But he's kind of charming.')

"Do you want me to show you the basics on some monsters?"

"Yes please, if you would."

('He's very polite. Typical Trabian, like Instructor Kinneas.They're such cheerful people.')

Ellone stood up and left the small metal balcony into the warm, humid environment of the Training center.

"First go into a fighting stance. Make sure your weight is slightly more on your front leg, and make sure that leg is bent. Hold the gunblade in front of you. Some people hold it with one hand, but I can't do that, it's too heavy, besides, You're mimiking Squall Leonhart, he holds his blade in both hands."

"You call your father 'Squall Leonhart'? Why don't you call him 'Dad'?"

"....Around other people it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry. I'm really bad at saying the wrong thing and then I get nervous, and I talk when I'm nervous."

('At least he doesn't get leg cramps like Grandad.')

"Let's just continue. There! See that Glacial Eye? We're gonna kill it."

"...Okay."

"Combat stance. Bend your front knee or you'll injure yourself! good. Run forward and strike downwards at it. Pull the trigger just as you strike."

"Combat stance, run forward, strike downwards, pull the trigger just as I strike." Simeon charged forward "Yaaah!" BLAM!

('He pulled the trigger too early.')

Simeon stood barely a foot away from the monster. He had left a rather jagged gash in it's body, but it was still floating.

"Uh, Ellone! what do I do now?"

"Run back here you idiot!"

Simeon leapt backwards with a look of terror, though whether it was the explosion, the monster or the look on Ellone's face that worried him was debatable.

"Watch me." She said flatly.

Ellone darted forwards with a graceful run and jump, then brought her blade down heavily BOOM! The Glacial eye was blown back by the impact, and as Ellone returned to Simeon it fell to the floor. She smiled with satisfaction and twirled her weapon around in celebration.

"That was amazing! I mean, I guess it's in your blood and all, but that was incredible!"

('In my blood? In-my-blood? He thinks nothing of the fact that I've spent nine years training with this thing? He thinks I can use a gunblade just because I'm 'Squall Leonhart's daughter?')

"You're wrong." She said, and walked away into the jungle.

"What did I say wrong?" Simeon pleaded to thin air.