Uh, I think this is the first time I've ever received a death threat
in a review. I don't know if it's good or bad. Just kidding. Anyways,
updates will be slow this week since it's the end of the school year and
there are lots of tests. So please be patient.
- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Squall, Selphie, and Irvine searched every possible place for Rinoa with no luck (although Squall did find Angelo). Rinoa was far from them all. She was being taken to Dollet by car. The strange woman still hadn't introduced herself yet, but that didn't bother Rinoa. Things were going to get better. Despite all this, the war raged on. Soldiers from all over killed each other mercilessly and the more Quistis saw it, the more she hated it. It seemed to have no end. What would result from all this slaughter?
"Do you have any idea where they might have gone?" Squall asked Irvine.
Irvine said, "Well, Seifer could have taken her to meet the witch lady."
"The witch lady? Who's that?"
"Uh, I think her name is Alexia. She does a lot of magic but not like we do. I can't say what she does exactly because I don't know. I've heard a lot of people refer to her as the witch lady though. Ask Fujin or Rajin, they'd be able to tell you more about it."
"Then let's find them."
"So," Rinoa started, "how exactly can you help me?"
"I have a plan for you," the witch lady, Alexia answered. "You know you have something special about you? Did anyone ever tell you that?"
"Um, no, my dad hates me so he doesn't usually try to boost my self esteem."
She laughed, "Oh, dear, I'm hardly trying to do that. You have a great future ahead of you. It's my job to... reveal it to you, so to speak. And your father is just a nuisance anyway. Don't worry about him though. He isn't smart enough to deal with something this complex."
"Well, what is it?"
"Hush, child, we're almost there." Rinoa sighed and sat back in her seat. The bumpy ride took them to a beautiful hotel in Dollet. She watched Alexia set up candles. Rinoa sat on the bed instantly feeling tired. "Go ahead, sleep," Alexia said. "I will wake you later."
Rinoa laid on the bed and fell asleep. She was having a dream about Squall that was different than usual. They were fighting, physically. His sword against her magic, but somehow this was different from regular magic and Guardian Forces. As she looked at Squall, a deep hate burned inside her. This was all wrong, that's not how she really felt. It was the exact opposite. She loved him even though she barely knew him. Did he generate the hate she was feeling? Was she feeling what he felt? She couldn't tell. Everything was so confusing. She didn't have any magic or any intention of killing Squall. But he did die because she killed him. That wasn't what she wanted, and yet she felt no remorse. She didn't feel anything at all. She kept telling herself that she had to try to help him somehow, that maybe there was still a chance. But she didn't do anything. Her body didn't want to move no matter how hard she tried. What was going on?
When Rinoa woke up, she was crying on Alexia's shoulder. "Shh, child," Alexia said. "It'll be alright. Tell me, what was your dream about?"
"I killed Squall," she answered through tears. "I tried to help him but I couldn't move."
"Isn't that what you wanted to do?" Rinoa just looked at her. Alexia continued to try and put words in her head, "Didn't you want to get him back for treating you the way he did?"
"No. No, I never said anything like that. That's not how I feel, um-"
"Call me Alexia. That's my name."
"Alexia, will I get to see Squall soon? I miss him."
"Yes child. You'll see him very soon."
- - -
It took Squall a while to get Fujin and Rajin to tell him where Rinoa was taken. They were only able to narrow their search down to Dollet, however. So when they got there, Selphie, Irvine, and Squall split up to help find Rinoa quicker. Rinoa watched as Alexia kneeled by the candles and mumbled something. Rinoa didn't get an answer when she asked what was going on. Squall stood by the fountain and looked around. He thought it was absurd, but he felt the need to search the hotel. He couldn't come up with a reason for why the hell she'd be in there but he went with it anyway. The receptionist wasn't at the desk or even in the building. He shrugged and went upstairs. He was kind of disappointed when he opened the door and Rinoa didn't jump on him. Instead, she stayed in bed like she hadn't even noticed him. Squall said, "Rinoa? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm fine. Are we going back now?"
"Uh, yeah- is there something wrong? What happened to Seifer?"
"I think he's back at Galbadia."
"Oh, well, let's go then. We need to get you somewhere safe."
She said, "I'm not ready to go yet. I wanna stay a little longer."
"No Rinoa. We have to go now. If we don't Seifer will most likely find us." It was quiet for a minute. She hugged him and he gently rubbed her back in comfort. "What's wrong?"
"I'm scared. Everyone is fighting and different people are telling me different things - I don't know what's right anymore. Seifer keeps telling me you don't want me around and you always act like you hate me. Do you hate me, Squall?"
"No, I don't hate you and I never said I didn't want you around. So don't listen to Seifer, okay?" She nodded and smiled at him a little. He hesitated before lightly kissing her on the lips. She held onto him as tears ran down her face. "Why are you crying?" he asked when they broke off the kiss.
"I don't know," she mumbled. "I just felt like crying. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and walked her out to the lobby. Galbadian soldiers blocked their way. Squall drew his gunblade as he pushed Rinoa behind him. She clung to his arm. Seifer pushed his way through the soldiers.
"Well well," Seifer said. "I see you've found Rinoa. I'll be taking her with me now."
"No you wont. I'm taking her somewhere safe. Where you can't get to her." Rinoa's grip tightened. She wanted to leave. Seifer snapped his fingers; a Galbadian soldier raised his gun and shot Squall in the shoulder. Rinoa let out a scream. She kneeled down by him to try and help him up. "Rinoa, run." She shook her head. "Please go!" She ran back into the hotel room. She was afraid to leave Squall but he wouldn't let her stay.
She pushed the window open and jumped to a painful landing. Selphie said, "Hey Rinoa! Where have you been?"
"Selphie! We have to help Squall! The Galbadian soldiers have him in the hotel," Rinoa said. She grabbed Selphie's hand and pulled her into the hotel. It was empty. "No, they can't be gone! Selphie, we have to do something before they kill him."
"Okay, okay. Let's go find Irvine first. We can't take them on alone."
- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Squall, Selphie, and Irvine searched every possible place for Rinoa with no luck (although Squall did find Angelo). Rinoa was far from them all. She was being taken to Dollet by car. The strange woman still hadn't introduced herself yet, but that didn't bother Rinoa. Things were going to get better. Despite all this, the war raged on. Soldiers from all over killed each other mercilessly and the more Quistis saw it, the more she hated it. It seemed to have no end. What would result from all this slaughter?
"Do you have any idea where they might have gone?" Squall asked Irvine.
Irvine said, "Well, Seifer could have taken her to meet the witch lady."
"The witch lady? Who's that?"
"Uh, I think her name is Alexia. She does a lot of magic but not like we do. I can't say what she does exactly because I don't know. I've heard a lot of people refer to her as the witch lady though. Ask Fujin or Rajin, they'd be able to tell you more about it."
"Then let's find them."
"So," Rinoa started, "how exactly can you help me?"
"I have a plan for you," the witch lady, Alexia answered. "You know you have something special about you? Did anyone ever tell you that?"
"Um, no, my dad hates me so he doesn't usually try to boost my self esteem."
She laughed, "Oh, dear, I'm hardly trying to do that. You have a great future ahead of you. It's my job to... reveal it to you, so to speak. And your father is just a nuisance anyway. Don't worry about him though. He isn't smart enough to deal with something this complex."
"Well, what is it?"
"Hush, child, we're almost there." Rinoa sighed and sat back in her seat. The bumpy ride took them to a beautiful hotel in Dollet. She watched Alexia set up candles. Rinoa sat on the bed instantly feeling tired. "Go ahead, sleep," Alexia said. "I will wake you later."
Rinoa laid on the bed and fell asleep. She was having a dream about Squall that was different than usual. They were fighting, physically. His sword against her magic, but somehow this was different from regular magic and Guardian Forces. As she looked at Squall, a deep hate burned inside her. This was all wrong, that's not how she really felt. It was the exact opposite. She loved him even though she barely knew him. Did he generate the hate she was feeling? Was she feeling what he felt? She couldn't tell. Everything was so confusing. She didn't have any magic or any intention of killing Squall. But he did die because she killed him. That wasn't what she wanted, and yet she felt no remorse. She didn't feel anything at all. She kept telling herself that she had to try to help him somehow, that maybe there was still a chance. But she didn't do anything. Her body didn't want to move no matter how hard she tried. What was going on?
When Rinoa woke up, she was crying on Alexia's shoulder. "Shh, child," Alexia said. "It'll be alright. Tell me, what was your dream about?"
"I killed Squall," she answered through tears. "I tried to help him but I couldn't move."
"Isn't that what you wanted to do?" Rinoa just looked at her. Alexia continued to try and put words in her head, "Didn't you want to get him back for treating you the way he did?"
"No. No, I never said anything like that. That's not how I feel, um-"
"Call me Alexia. That's my name."
"Alexia, will I get to see Squall soon? I miss him."
"Yes child. You'll see him very soon."
- - -
It took Squall a while to get Fujin and Rajin to tell him where Rinoa was taken. They were only able to narrow their search down to Dollet, however. So when they got there, Selphie, Irvine, and Squall split up to help find Rinoa quicker. Rinoa watched as Alexia kneeled by the candles and mumbled something. Rinoa didn't get an answer when she asked what was going on. Squall stood by the fountain and looked around. He thought it was absurd, but he felt the need to search the hotel. He couldn't come up with a reason for why the hell she'd be in there but he went with it anyway. The receptionist wasn't at the desk or even in the building. He shrugged and went upstairs. He was kind of disappointed when he opened the door and Rinoa didn't jump on him. Instead, she stayed in bed like she hadn't even noticed him. Squall said, "Rinoa? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm fine. Are we going back now?"
"Uh, yeah- is there something wrong? What happened to Seifer?"
"I think he's back at Galbadia."
"Oh, well, let's go then. We need to get you somewhere safe."
She said, "I'm not ready to go yet. I wanna stay a little longer."
"No Rinoa. We have to go now. If we don't Seifer will most likely find us." It was quiet for a minute. She hugged him and he gently rubbed her back in comfort. "What's wrong?"
"I'm scared. Everyone is fighting and different people are telling me different things - I don't know what's right anymore. Seifer keeps telling me you don't want me around and you always act like you hate me. Do you hate me, Squall?"
"No, I don't hate you and I never said I didn't want you around. So don't listen to Seifer, okay?" She nodded and smiled at him a little. He hesitated before lightly kissing her on the lips. She held onto him as tears ran down her face. "Why are you crying?" he asked when they broke off the kiss.
"I don't know," she mumbled. "I just felt like crying. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and walked her out to the lobby. Galbadian soldiers blocked their way. Squall drew his gunblade as he pushed Rinoa behind him. She clung to his arm. Seifer pushed his way through the soldiers.
"Well well," Seifer said. "I see you've found Rinoa. I'll be taking her with me now."
"No you wont. I'm taking her somewhere safe. Where you can't get to her." Rinoa's grip tightened. She wanted to leave. Seifer snapped his fingers; a Galbadian soldier raised his gun and shot Squall in the shoulder. Rinoa let out a scream. She kneeled down by him to try and help him up. "Rinoa, run." She shook her head. "Please go!" She ran back into the hotel room. She was afraid to leave Squall but he wouldn't let her stay.
She pushed the window open and jumped to a painful landing. Selphie said, "Hey Rinoa! Where have you been?"
"Selphie! We have to help Squall! The Galbadian soldiers have him in the hotel," Rinoa said. She grabbed Selphie's hand and pulled her into the hotel. It was empty. "No, they can't be gone! Selphie, we have to do something before they kill him."
"Okay, okay. Let's go find Irvine first. We can't take them on alone."