Special Note: In this chapter ONLY, paranthesis is the symbol for a thought
a character thinks because I can't get the italics or anything else to work
on fanfiction.net. Is anyone else having that problem? Also, I don't
remember exactly how Dr. Odin talks or if I even have his name spelled
right so bear with me. 'Kay?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - -
Dr. Odin was a short man wearing a very interesting looking purple robe. He didn't look like a scientist at all. He didn't talk like one either. "Zis ship is called zee Ragnorak," he said. "You can use it to fly anyvhere you vant. Of course you vill have to bring it back. Don't vuin it."
Squall said, "We wont just tell me how to work the damn thing."
"I'll show you vhat all the buttons and levers do.Zee process is somevhat complicated, but I vill valk you through it."
"There's no time for that!"
"Let me try," Selphie chimed in. "I bet I can get it working."
He thought about it a minute. "Fine. Try to hurry though."
"Okay!" She ran inside the ship with a big smile on her face. She made her way to the main control room and jumped in the pilot seat. All the buttons hardly seemed necessary. She picked one and pressed it. A ramp dropped open to let the others in. "So far so good," she mumbled to herself. She waited a few minutes before closing the ramp again, assuming everyone was on. Irvine sat himself down next to her.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked.
"Would you like the truth or a lie?"
"Um, I'll go with the lie."
"Oh. Well, then yes."
"Just concentrate," he said. "You can figure it out. In fact, why not try this one?" He pushed one of the buttons and the ship rose in the air.
Selphie hugged him. "Oh thank you! Now I think I can get it. To the orphanage!" The ship jerked forward, anyone standing was knocked to the floor. "Oops. Sorry." Zell helped Quistis up and Squall helped himself. The rest of the ride was pretty smooth, well, except the landing.
The orphanage felt desolate and cold. Squall didn't know where they could hide in a place like this. There wasn't really any good place to take shelter. They split up to cover more ground. Squall stumbled upon a flower field. Rinoa was lying in the center of it. He kneeled down by her. "Rinoa," he said. "Get up, let's go." She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her gaze was icy. She was different. He remembered what Matron said about the possibility of Rinoa being possessed. He noticed a weird pendant around her neck and took it off.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," she said. The voice definitely wasn't Rinoa's.
"What happened to Rinoa?"
"It doesn't matter. She can't hear you. She'll be gone soon."
"What do you want from her?"
"That's got nothing to do with you. You've been getting in my way lately an it's time to take care of you." She stood up. Squall drew his gunblade and then put it back down remembering it was Rinoa's physical body. There had to be some hope for her. She raised her hand, the tips of her fingers eye level and icicles appeared at her palms. She shot them toward him. He rolled out of the way.
"Rinoa, stop! Please!" He felt pathetic begging her but he didn't want to lose her. She had to be there.
"She's gone," Alexia yelled.
"No! Rinoa, don't give up one me. I know you're there." She growled and talked him. Other than kicking her off, he didn't fight back. He didn't want to hurt Rinoa. Alexia smiled as she clapped her palms together. When she opened them, a light formed in the space between her hands. Squall put his arms up in defense and his body was thrown hard against the stone wall.
Selphie heard the yelling and tried to follow it. The others went with her too. They saw Squall in the flower field yelling at Rinoa. Wasn't she possessed or something? Selphie shrugged. It was something like that. Squall kept calling to Rinoa. A familiar voice chimed in, "Squall. I don't know what to do." Selphie blinked. This was all so weird and confusing. How were they supposed to help her?
Selphie sighed and said, "Rinoa!" Squall looked back and saw Selphie come up next to him. "You have to fight her, Rinoa. Don't let her win." Rinoa sat on the ground with her hands over her head. Selphie started to walk toward her but Squall held her back.
"Just wait a second," he told her. "You could get hurt if you went over there." Things were quiet as Rinoa silently fought with herself. Squall tried to think of someway to help, but there was nothing. What could he do? She was fighting against Alexia mentally.
"Get out of my brain," Rinoa mumbled.
(You don't need him, Rinoa. You don't need any of them.)
(No, they're my friends. I'm not going to let you hurt them and I do need them. I need Squall. You're the one causing all the trouble!)
(They're just going to turn their backs on you. What are you going to do if Squall doesn't feel the same way you do? What if he pushes you away?)
(Stop it, Alexia! Leave me alone! This isn't helping me at all. You're making things worse. Go away!) Rinoa's body went limp and she fell on the ground. Squall ran over to her. She wouldn't wake up.
Selphie said, "Is she dead?"
"No, she still has a pulse," he told her. "Let's get her out of here." He picked her up and brought her back to the ship.
In the lighthouse nearby, Alexia's body jolted. Seifer looked up from the floor. She'd failed. "He's such a pest," she growled. "We'll have to get rid of her boyfriend first. Bastard keeps interfering! Follow them. Find out where they're taking her and meet me back here." He nodded and left. He wanted to take Squall out himself. It'd be easy.
- - - - -
They went back to Garden. Squall carried Rinoa to his room where Matron was waiting. "Rinoa wont wake up," he told Matron. "I don't know what happened. I don't know what to do. Help me."
"The best thing you can do is take her to Dr. Odin. He can help you much more than I can," she said.
"I don't even know what to ask him to do."
"I'll come with you." Selphie had to fly them back to Esthar. Squall carried Rinoa on his back as he followed Matron. She spoke with Dr. Odin privately then told Squall that he would look her over.
"Don't do anything to hurt her or I'll kill you." Dr. Odin scowled and walked away. Minutes passed by and Squall was becoming impatient. What the hell was taking so long? He sighed a little. Alexia wasn't going to hurt Rinoa again. He wouldn't let that happen. He hoped Rinoa was okay. Maybe she just fainted or something. You know, nothing serious. Dr. Odin came back twenty minutes later.
"Zee girl vill vake up in a little bit. Give her zis," he said handing Squall a tiny bottle. "Zhere is a single pill in it. When zee girl wakes up
Dr. Odin was a short man wearing a very interesting looking purple robe. He didn't look like a scientist at all. He didn't talk like one either. "Zis ship is called zee Ragnorak," he said. "You can use it to fly anyvhere you vant. Of course you vill have to bring it back. Don't vuin it."
Squall said, "We wont just tell me how to work the damn thing."
"I'll show you vhat all the buttons and levers do.Zee process is somevhat complicated, but I vill valk you through it."
"There's no time for that!"
"Let me try," Selphie chimed in. "I bet I can get it working."
He thought about it a minute. "Fine. Try to hurry though."
"Okay!" She ran inside the ship with a big smile on her face. She made her way to the main control room and jumped in the pilot seat. All the buttons hardly seemed necessary. She picked one and pressed it. A ramp dropped open to let the others in. "So far so good," she mumbled to herself. She waited a few minutes before closing the ramp again, assuming everyone was on. Irvine sat himself down next to her.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked.
"Would you like the truth or a lie?"
"Um, I'll go with the lie."
"Oh. Well, then yes."
"Just concentrate," he said. "You can figure it out. In fact, why not try this one?" He pushed one of the buttons and the ship rose in the air.
Selphie hugged him. "Oh thank you! Now I think I can get it. To the orphanage!" The ship jerked forward, anyone standing was knocked to the floor. "Oops. Sorry." Zell helped Quistis up and Squall helped himself. The rest of the ride was pretty smooth, well, except the landing.
The orphanage felt desolate and cold. Squall didn't know where they could hide in a place like this. There wasn't really any good place to take shelter. They split up to cover more ground. Squall stumbled upon a flower field. Rinoa was lying in the center of it. He kneeled down by her. "Rinoa," he said. "Get up, let's go." She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her gaze was icy. She was different. He remembered what Matron said about the possibility of Rinoa being possessed. He noticed a weird pendant around her neck and took it off.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," she said. The voice definitely wasn't Rinoa's.
"What happened to Rinoa?"
"It doesn't matter. She can't hear you. She'll be gone soon."
"What do you want from her?"
"That's got nothing to do with you. You've been getting in my way lately an it's time to take care of you." She stood up. Squall drew his gunblade and then put it back down remembering it was Rinoa's physical body. There had to be some hope for her. She raised her hand, the tips of her fingers eye level and icicles appeared at her palms. She shot them toward him. He rolled out of the way.
"Rinoa, stop! Please!" He felt pathetic begging her but he didn't want to lose her. She had to be there.
"She's gone," Alexia yelled.
"No! Rinoa, don't give up one me. I know you're there." She growled and talked him. Other than kicking her off, he didn't fight back. He didn't want to hurt Rinoa. Alexia smiled as she clapped her palms together. When she opened them, a light formed in the space between her hands. Squall put his arms up in defense and his body was thrown hard against the stone wall.
Selphie heard the yelling and tried to follow it. The others went with her too. They saw Squall in the flower field yelling at Rinoa. Wasn't she possessed or something? Selphie shrugged. It was something like that. Squall kept calling to Rinoa. A familiar voice chimed in, "Squall. I don't know what to do." Selphie blinked. This was all so weird and confusing. How were they supposed to help her?
Selphie sighed and said, "Rinoa!" Squall looked back and saw Selphie come up next to him. "You have to fight her, Rinoa. Don't let her win." Rinoa sat on the ground with her hands over her head. Selphie started to walk toward her but Squall held her back.
"Just wait a second," he told her. "You could get hurt if you went over there." Things were quiet as Rinoa silently fought with herself. Squall tried to think of someway to help, but there was nothing. What could he do? She was fighting against Alexia mentally.
"Get out of my brain," Rinoa mumbled.
(You don't need him, Rinoa. You don't need any of them.)
(No, they're my friends. I'm not going to let you hurt them and I do need them. I need Squall. You're the one causing all the trouble!)
(They're just going to turn their backs on you. What are you going to do if Squall doesn't feel the same way you do? What if he pushes you away?)
(Stop it, Alexia! Leave me alone! This isn't helping me at all. You're making things worse. Go away!) Rinoa's body went limp and she fell on the ground. Squall ran over to her. She wouldn't wake up.
Selphie said, "Is she dead?"
"No, she still has a pulse," he told her. "Let's get her out of here." He picked her up and brought her back to the ship.
In the lighthouse nearby, Alexia's body jolted. Seifer looked up from the floor. She'd failed. "He's such a pest," she growled. "We'll have to get rid of her boyfriend first. Bastard keeps interfering! Follow them. Find out where they're taking her and meet me back here." He nodded and left. He wanted to take Squall out himself. It'd be easy.
- - - - -
They went back to Garden. Squall carried Rinoa to his room where Matron was waiting. "Rinoa wont wake up," he told Matron. "I don't know what happened. I don't know what to do. Help me."
"The best thing you can do is take her to Dr. Odin. He can help you much more than I can," she said.
"I don't even know what to ask him to do."
"I'll come with you." Selphie had to fly them back to Esthar. Squall carried Rinoa on his back as he followed Matron. She spoke with Dr. Odin privately then told Squall that he would look her over.
"Don't do anything to hurt her or I'll kill you." Dr. Odin scowled and walked away. Minutes passed by and Squall was becoming impatient. What the hell was taking so long? He sighed a little. Alexia wasn't going to hurt Rinoa again. He wouldn't let that happen. He hoped Rinoa was okay. Maybe she just fainted or something. You know, nothing serious. Dr. Odin came back twenty minutes later.
"Zee girl vill vake up in a little bit. Give her zis," he said handing Squall a tiny bottle. "Zhere is a single pill in it. When zee girl wakes up