[A/N I'll be updating more frequently now because school is finally over and I can write! Okay… ^^ Anyway, Sorry to all Seifer fans. ^^]

Rinoa…

"Squall..." She smiled at him and then something began to lift her away. She was still smiling though as she floated, faded and let go of his hand.

"Rinoa!" He yelled. "Are you okay...?"

She just smiled though. She pointed at his hand and he looked at it. There was a white petal inside. He closed his fist again and tried to reach out to her. She touched his face softly and he felt his heart lift up. Then she slowly disappeared, still with a smile on her face.

Squall woke up. This was his 2nd dream about Rinoa. He really began to miss her. He looked over to his table and glanced at Rinoa's necklace, just making sure it was still there. He had placed it there the night before.

He stood up and looked out the window. It was already morning, he heard voices laughing. He shook his head and frowned. Laughter... when Rinoa was dead.

He got dressed and grabbed Rinoa's necklace of the table and quickly put it in his pocket.

Still feeling dazed by his dream he walked around the Garden, not exactly sure where he was headed.

"Squall!" Selphie called him. He didn't even hear her. She ran to him with Irvine tagging along behind her and tapped his shoulder.

He looked around and noticed Selphie's worried face. He knew then that something was going on. Something was wrong.

"What's the matter...?" He asked her, trying to read her expression.

"Something's gone terribly wrong..."She started softly. Irvine just sighed and pounded one of his fists into his other hand.

"What is it?" He asked, alarmed.

"It's Seifer..."

______________________________________________________________________________

Seifer... what's happening to you?

Quistis thought and worried as she sat down in the infirmary, wondering what Dr. Kadowaki was going to tell her. Zell was there too. He was just sitting silently next to Quistis.

Quistis kept trying to tell herself that Area didn't have any connection to this but she wasn't able to believe herself. She just kept replaying what had happened in her head and she couldn't believe that Area had no part.

Earlier that day she was with Seifer in the library. She had noticed that Seifer was very quiet. She asked him what was wrong and when she looked at him, his eyes were dull. He just shrugged and said he was feeling tired.

She had asked him if he wanted to rest and he said he'd just go to his room. Later on she heard from a very upset Fujin that Seifer had collapsed on his way to his room as she was bringing him there and was now unconscious.

Quistis had rushed as fast as she could to the infirmary, a thought kept on repeating itself in her head, saying this wasn't just a coincidence.

She shook it off though, but still it stayed in her head until now.

"Quistis...?" A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, Dr. Kadowaki?" She looked up immediately.

"You may come in now." She said gently.

"Thank you..." She said. She took a deep breath and quickly went in to see Seifer. Zell followed behind her.

Quistis bit her lip and kept the tears from coming as she looked at his face. So that her tears wouldn't fall she turned away and looked at Dr. Kadowaki.

"So... what is it?" She asked the doctor.

Dr. Kadowaki frowned and was about to say something when they heard someone come in.
Both she and Quistis turned to look and saw Squall, Selphie and Irvine there.

"Quistis..." Selphie started softly.

Quistis nodded. And tried to smile but the tears began to form again.

"Why don't we discuss this outside?" Dr. Kadowaki motioned for everyone to move out so they wouldn't be crowded. Everyone just stood around her desk and chair. Quistis though was the only one sitting. She was holding herself and her face looked blank. Selphie put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"So, I assume all of you already know what has happened to Seifer..." Dr. Kadowaki began.

Selphie nodded. "I have told those who didn't know."
"Good. Well, right now, I don't see much. Seifer's condition is very... well, I don't know much. I believe he is in a coma now and his vital signs are growing weak."
Quistis bit her lip as she heard those words.

"But," She continued. "I think, he should wake up from his coma soon. If not, well... I am quite sure he will."

At that moment they heard another voice.

"Doctor..."

"Headmaster Cid. I was just telling them Seifer's condition." Dr. Kadowaki nodded to Quistis and the others.

"Very well. Quistis, I know this is hard for you." He smiled sadly. "Anyhow... all of you, I believe this is about that woman you reported to me about, Squall."

"Yes, sir." He said.

"Well, we must do something immediately. Squall as commander, I expect you to handle this situation. I understand that you all know much more about this than me."

Everyone nodded.

"Area. I have heard that name before. I remember that woman. Wanted to take my Edea's powers. Same as she tried to do with Rinoa, is it not?"
"I believe she did, sir." Squall said quietly.

Cid nodded with sympathy at Squall. "So... she is a sorceress now is she...?" He muttered. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me. I expect you to report to me anything new as soon as possible." He left them.

"So," Dr. Kadowaki said after a moment or two. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" She asked.

No one spoke.

"Please, let me know Dr. if anything new shows up." Quistis said softly.

"You'll be the first to know." She nodded.

"Thank you." She stood up and everyone else took that as a signal to leave.

"Area again, I'm sure." Irvine said once they got outside.

"Yeah, who else?" Zell said sarcastically. "It's so..."

"Guys, I heard the news about Seifer!" Ellone came up to them with a concerned expression on her face.

"From who?" Selphie asked her.

"Fujin. And Raijin." She replied. "Is he okay?" She asked worriedly.

"He's unconscious. In a coma." Quistis said softly.

"Oh..." She said, noticing Quistis sad face. She knew as well that Seifer and Quistis were going out.

"Anyway, so this is Area again?" Selphie asked.

"Of course. That's obvious. I'm just wondering if it has any connection to our dreams." Squall told her.

"Could be... But, Laguna's okay, right?" Selphie asked Ellone.

"So far, yes. But I still think it has a connection to the dreams AND Area. Why else would Seifer just suddenly pass out like that?" Ellone said.

"I think so too..." Quistis said. "But why? And how did WE," Meaning her Squall and Ellone "get dreams about people we know coming from Area?"

"I'm not sure, but I can guess." Squall said, "I think... Well think about it. Area's from the past. If she took Rinoa's powers she's a sorceress! In the PAST. She could've changed the course of time and probably Laguna and Seifer were affected somehow."
"That makes a lot of sense..." Ellone said.

"So, how come we got the dreams and not other people?" Quistis questioned.

"Maybe because we're the ones closest to those people. Disappearing in our dreams could mean they're disappearing from our memories, thoughts, lives. So, I figure, Area's being a sorceress affected a lot of people including Seifer and Laguna. Maybe they wouldn't even be alive if she was a sorceress." Squall saw Quistis bite her lip as she heard his words and he shrugged apologetically.

"Squall, as much as it kills me to do so, I think you're right. It's just... what can we do about it?" Quistis said.

He shook his head. "Not sure... Maybe tomorrow we'll find something new with Seifer. And then we'll know what to do."

Quistis nodded and the look on her face told everyone that she hoped more than anything that Seifer would be okay.

At least Seifer has a chance. Rinoa... she's already gone. And there's nothing I can do about that.

[A/N Aw… poor Seifer. Cliffhanger! What will happen to Seifer? Will he wake up from him coma? How about Laguna? Dun-dun-dun-dun! ^^]