Surfacing

She dreamed. She dreamed of blue skies and green fields; a garden full of flowers surrounded by transparent purple waterfalls. In the field of flowers she lay, her body enfolded in cobalt blue cloth, her hair lying in a golden haze around her head.

Up at the sky she stared. The colours of the sky were constantly changing; from blue to orange to pink, to yellow and finally to red.

Red?

"A blood sky?" The sorceress whispered. Then around her became blood. Her clothes and the fields she lay in suddenly became a sea of red.

She screamed.

"QUISTIS!" Seifer snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you? Please wake up baby. I need you."

The situation was over. Phoenix had regained consciousness and despite her pleas that she was fine, the paramedics insisted that she come with them to the hospital.

The room however was still stained with bright red screaming blood. The blood of Stefan Deling. Minutes ago Seifer, Squall and Selphie had witnessed his destruction at the hands of a powerful summon demon the reaper. They had watched as the Reaper had stabbed again and again into the body of Vinzer Deling's son. However, it was not only that. Quistis had summoned the Reaper and had proclaimed herself as a new sorceress.

After that, she had lost consciousness and seemed to be in a turbulent sleep.

"Quisty!" Rinoa cried as she entered the room trailed by Zell and Irvine. "Oh Hyne did she do this?"

Seifer nodded. "I don't know what happened. One minute I was getting ready to die and the next I see Deling junior here getting hacked to shit by a new GF that Quistis brought with her. I don't know what to do. She won't wake up."

"Edea will know what to do." Rinoa replied. She knelt down by Quistis.

"What are you doing to her?" Seifer demanded.

"I'm going to teleport us back to Garden. She needs help now. I can feel her sinking. Please Seifer just trust me."

Seifer didn't say anything but he knelt down by his girlfriend and kissed her head.

"Go."

Rinoa nodded. With a flash of light she was gone.

Squall looked around the room. "That guardian force she had. I've never heard of that one. It's attack seems even more disturbing than Diablos' dark messenger."

"It seemed more like a demon than a GF." Selphie commented. "I know Ifrit is a fire demon but he isn't like what I saw. What that GF did to Stefan was brutal. In fact I could almost think that he didn't deserve what he got."

"Should we contact the guardians?" Zell asked.

"It might be a good idea." Squall replied. "But I don't know how. The only time we can see them is when we summon them to attack. I don't know if there is anyway we just summon them for a chat."

"We can talk about this later!" Seifer said angrily. "I want get back to Garden now!"

The sea of blood had engulfed her completely. Yet she could breathe.

"What is this place?" Quistis asked herself.

Your mind

"Who the fuck is that?"

I am the power that is inside you; the power that you have denied yourself for so long. For years it has grown bigger and bigger until today when it burst out of you in one huge rush. Now you pay the price for ignorance.

"Are you saying I'm stuck here forever?"

Not forever. Just until your body recovers from the initial shock.

Quistis lay on a bed in the infirmary hooked up to a monitor. A steady pattern of beeps let anyone around know that she wasn't dead, only sleeping.

"Her vitals are stable." Dr Kadowaki said as she looked at a chart. "Physically she's as fit as a fiddle. It just looks like she's in a very deep sleep."

"Doctor might I ask you to leave the room?" Edea requested. "We must perform a very difficult ritual to obtain information on what has happened to her."

"Of course Mrs Kramer. But be careful."

"Yes Doctor."

Edea stood to the right of Quistis. "Rinoa dear please stand on the other side of Quistis and take her hand in yours."

Rinoa moved to the left and picked the young woman's hand. "What now?"

"Take my hand and close your eyes. See yourself in a field of flowers."

Rinoa felt peaceful as she sunk into a trance. At first all that existed was black but she could smell the different scents of a flower garden. Then the flowers appeared. All different ones, all different colours. Then she spotted Edea.

"Edea what are we looking for?" She asked.

Edea didn't answer. She looked towards the sky as it changed to red. "Hold on dear. Don't panic. None of this is real."

But when the blood came Rinoa screamed and screamed.

"Let me out. LET ME OUT!"

"SORCERESS RINOA!" Edea shouted at her. "You are stronger than this flimsy illusion! Don't let it fool you. You are here to find your friend. I won't let you out until we find her. Do you understand me?"

Rinoa nodded. "Yes Sorceress Edea. I'm sorry. We have to find her. Please forgive my cowardice"

"That's alright dear. Now think about Quistis. Let your every thought be of her, let those thoughts be of memories. From those memories you will pick up on her personal energies. Those energies are a trail to her."

Rinoa concentrated as did Edea. She found an energy vibrant and full of life in those memories. It had a flavour or feeling to it; something that was unmistakably Quistis Trepe.

"Over there." Rinoa said. She concentrated on that energy and used it as a rope to pull her in. After what seemed an eternity of pulling a figure finally emerged from the shadows.

She was moved but by what.

"What is happening to me?" She asked the power.

"It's time to say goodbye." The power replied. "You are surfacing from this limbo. Go home and learn how to use me. I am your tool and your servant mistress."

Rinoa held her friend and floated up to the surface of the sea of blood.

"Open your eyes now."

Rinoa blinked. She was back in the infirmary. Feeling disorientated she sat down into a chair and noticed Edea doing the same.

"How did you know where she would be?" Rinoa said in a husky and utterly exhausted voice.

"The field of flowers and sea of blood has significant meaning for the history and the power of sorcerers." Edea replied with as much exhaustion in her voice. "I'd explain it to you now but I don't think my mind is functioning properly at the moment."

Quistis stirred and moaned.

"Quistis," Edea said. "Do you know where you where you are?"

Quistis looked around. "I'm in Balamb Garden. How did I get here?"

"After you collapsed in Galbadia we brought you back here." Rinoa replied. "I had to teleport you here so I could get you to Edea quickly."

"Where's Seifer?"

"I just talked to Squall a few minutes ago." Rinoa said. "They're on their way back from Galbadia now. Seifer's with them. Don't worry. Just rest. I'll let you know when he gets here."

"I don't want to rest. I don't want to go back to that place. I hate it. Can I please just walk around in the quad?"

"If you want." Rinoa answered not really knowing what she had just said.

Quistis stood in the quadrangle with her hair flowing loosely and billowing around her shoulders with the wind.

"So I'm a sorceress am I?" She questioned the wind but the wind didn't answer.

"I can't stay here anymore. I've got to leave." She looked at her clothes. "But not dressed like this."

She closed her eyes and pictured a black tank top, blue jeans and black combat boots. She changed the colour of her hair and eyes for good measure. When she opened her eyes, she was dressed like the image in her mind.

"Perfect." Then with a gust of wind and blue she was gone.

A few hours later

"Where is she?" Seifer demanded.

"I keep trying to tell you she's gone." Rinoa said. "She said she was going to the quad for a walk and when we tried to find her we couldn't. The whole garden's been searched. She's left without us knowing."

Seifer threw his hands up in frustration. "Why did you let her go off on her own? I can't believe how stupid you all are!"

"Hey it's not her fault!" Squall snapped. "Look I know you're upset but that's no reason to take it out on us. We'll find her. Just calm down Seifer. What would Quistis do if your places were reversed."

"She would remain calm and try to organize a search of all the places she would have gone and go from there."

"That's good. Now lets do that."

A red haired and green eyed stranger entered Shumi Village. The Shumi were very reserved and mysterious race who lived beneath the snow covered Trabia plains But they welcomed her with open arms.

"What is your name child?" Leader asked her.

The woman hesitated. "Casey. Casey Loka."

"Welcome to Shumi village Casey Loka." Leader said warmly. "What is it you seek here?"

"I am seeking a quiet way of life in your village." Casey replied. "I am willing to serve you in the hope that I may have a small hut of my own with a warm bed and food."

"There is no need for subservience child. There is a spare hut just sitting there with no one in it. You may take it for your own. We will provide you with all you need in return that you will help out where you can as all that live here do."

Casey bowed. "I'm very grateful." She bowed. "Where is this hut?"

Half an hour later Quistis had settled into her new hut. This new identity 'Casey Loka' suited her. She wondered how long she would stay here for.

Author's note: Whoa another cliffhanger! Well sort of. I got this one written quickly so I could further the story along. The next one will involve Quistis trying to live her new life in peace while suffering nightmares of her powers and the others desperately trying to find her.