Chapter 3: Recognition
" We are only lost if we cannot find the our reasons for being in this world"
- Dan .S
The room was flawless. It acquired all necessary items for a good stay. Little soaps and shampoos, mini coffee and tea and complimentary towels. She also noted the phone, located on the dressing table, with the normal digits. But with a few extras like 'room service' or 'cleaning lady'. Cid had booked them into a very nice hotel.
She collapsed on the bed and closed her eyes. They were all supposed to meet out front after unpacking…but she hadn't really packed much and she was sure Squall would give them all time to get used to the rooms.
First thing, she had a look at the bathroom. It was nice. Clean and tidy. The spa at the very end was tempting.
Next was the dining area. A two seated table with a set of cutlery that very much reminded her of her days in the Caraway Mansion. She shuddered at the thought.
She spent a good fifteen minutes looking around her room. It wasn't really a room to her; it was more like an apartment. With an extra bathroom…but she came back to the task at hand and unpacked her gear neatly into the provided draws. She never used draws much, but they might be sending someone around to look at the neatness, so she made it special.
That's when the unlucky turn of events followed through.
She had put her last set of clothes into the cupboard when an oncoming headache came about. She groaned and grabbed a cup of water from the kitchen. Something told her she was headed for something serious.
She splashed some water on her forehead and sat on the side of the bed. The pain turned to a dull ache and her eyes squinted. " What the…?" The room around her turned fuzzy. Her vision blurred and everything began swimming in a pool of murky red. Her body swayed slightly and she lost all feeling to her surroundings.
The pain subsided and although she didn't know it, her body fell lifelessly to ground.
..~**~..
" Where is she?" Selphie asked. Her bouncy curls hung low and spiked at the tips as an indicator of her last shower.
" I'm not sure…" Squall answered. He kept his hand firmly planted on his forehead shielding the sun and looked toward the hotel. " Does anyone know her room number?"
He received shrugs all around and sighed. " We'll wait a bit longer"
Selphie yawned loudly and picked up her bag. She rummaged inside for a moment, before taking out a white card. She looked at it long and hard. Her hand shot up into the air and happily announced, " Room number 24, Squally, go see what's up"
Squall complied and walked back inside the hotel. The white walls of the room corridor were vastly decorated with original paintings from long ago. He had to stop and look at one of them for a moment. I'm positive I've seen this before He pondered over the mysterious painting for some time, then walked up to Rinoa's room.
..~**~..
"Rinoa? Can you hear me?"
Yes…I think so…
" Listen carefully Rinoa…do you know where you are?"
No
"Why not? You've been here before"
She pushed herself up from the ground and weakly lifted her head. Her surroundings registered immediately and fear swept across her body.
Ultimecia's Castle!?
" Yes…"
Why am I here?
" Because you need to be shown…you need to see for yourself what you did. What you will do. I'm sure you already know you and your…friends…traveled here and destroyed her"
Yes
" Don't you ever ponder the thought of what happened to Ultimecia? Or where she came from? You merely destroyed her in the future. That wont stop her from being brought into the world. Her time will still exist"
What are you getting at?
" Her time and yours…will blend"
A loud knock woke her from her dream. She lazily slumped off the ground and sat on her bed. Another knock followed. " Come in…" She yawned. It was Squall.
" Rinoa? We're all ready to go now"
She nodded meekly and picked up her bag. " Sorry about the delay…" She thought for second about her sudden vision. She opened her mouth then… Best not to tell him about my little encounter. He'll get even more worried then he is now She shut her mouth almost immediately. She smiled reassuringly and walked out the door. Upon exiting, Squall pointed to a piece of artwork on the wall.
" Rinoa, do you recognize this?" She looked at it for a moment, then shook her head. "No Cant say I have sorry" He shrugged. " Never mind…" They both exited the hotel and met the rest of the group outside.
" Sorry everyone" Rinoa apologized. They all said their ' don't worry about it's' and they stepped into the limo.
..~**~..
Authors Note: It has been sooo long since I updated this. And for those who are reading, thankyou so much for putting up with me. (if you have). I guarantee this will be a worthwhile fic!
Please leave a review, I need the feedback!