Elysium, Paradise, Eden, all names for the same thing. A place of calm, of peace and harmony, personified in the growing fields of a natural garden. Elysium was where she existed, running the tips of her fingers over the bowing heads of the flowers that covered her field. The dark haired Seraph inhaled the sweet air, never feeling more at peace with the world in her life. She was waiting in her Eden, waiting for her knight. The Angel didn't mind waiting, but he was late. He was always late.....
A sudden breeze ran through the field, causing her to look up. Tilting her head back, she turned her serene face up towards the gleaming sun. A heavenly flower in the Garden of Eden, she smiled, basking in the light. The sky was perfect blue, the kind of blue you'd only see in photographs and movies. Misty white clouds rolling over blue, her smiled widened, praying that everything would stay as it was. That this moment would stay frozen in time.
Looking into the distance, she could see dark clouds gathering in the horizon. She frowned, a storm. It would ruin the moment and she still had to wait. Watching, Waiting, Wishing.....the clouds began to move. Rumbling thunderous footfalls, the steps of doom, coming closer and closer, and the storm rushes forward, towards her and Eden. Growing concern marred the tranquility of the moment, the storm was coming......it would never let her have any peace.....following her wherever she went.
The thunderheads blotted out the perfect sky. Purple black clouds gathering 'round her and for a moment it seemed they weren't clouds at all.....but blood, blood spreading over a perfect blue sky. Pristine. A faded memory surfaced, screaming through her mind like an out of control freight train. The clouds rumbled, a thunderclap sounded as the memories jolted her mind from its complacency. Clawing at her ears, she didn't want to remember.....it hurt......her body dropped to the ground, her knees hitting earth solidly. She ignored the physical pain, ignored the pebbles and bits of dirt that bit into her flesh. The Angel closed her eyes as tightly as she could, trying to blot it all out......leave me alone.
She rocked back and forth, eyes closed, hands clamped over her ears. Go away.....goawaygoawaygoaway.....a raindrop plipped from the open sky and landed on her hand. It was cold, and it startled her enough to open her eyes. Letting her hands down, she looked at where the drop had hit. A tiny red smear lay where water should have been. She looked up, confused....gazing heavenward as the storm released its burden on her. Hard heavy drops of rain pelted her, soaking her skin and hair....streaking her clothes in red. Watching each drop strike, she knew it wasn't water, it was blood.
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, her field had disappeared. The storm had taken it away and.....A scream caught in her throat. She was at the parade again......the memories had their way with her, they couldn't be kept back any longer. They beat her down, she wasn't a Seraph, an eternal soul lost in her own paradise, her name was Rinoa Heartilly. She remembered where she was and why she had been here and what had happened that she wanted to forget. Voices whispered to her, from with in and without, voices she tried to shut out......Angelus ..........Vivificus Sanctus...........She didn't want to see, didn't want to know...... No, go away ...Rinoa's body shook, her blood stained hands trembling and her gaze was drawn to the ground in front of her, knowing full well what she'd find there. It was Squall, his body lay there as it had fallen. His death glazed eyes stared at her, boring into her. Ecce Angelus.....His voice joined the others whispering in Estharian. Yes, she understood but she didn't care about what they might want, what message they were trying to give to her, she wanted them to stop, because all she could see was the corpse of her friend, who had died for her.... it's my fault, if I wasn't so damn weak...he'd still be alive... Insontis vite......should have been me...all my fault.... Ecce .....just go away, leave me alone.....The voices persisted, becoming louder at her attempt to shut them up, a chorus echoing from a corpse........Ecce et Surgite..... Rinoa shook her head, she didn't want to hear, shut up....SHUT UP!! The Squall thing only stared at her emptily, black tar pouring out of his nostrils, ears, mouth.....and his eyes.....black and corrupted....and...... Rinoa's eyes went wide, and the scream she choked back was released......It knows......
Rinoa bolted upright, screaming as she awoke, her sweat slicked body trembling. The light bulb in her bedside lamp winked out, the dying filament crackling loudly in the dark of the early morning, snapping her back to reality. She'd left it on last night, left it on every night since......she'd tried to stay up all night again and failed. She looked around, wiping away the nearly dry tears from her face. She was in her old room at Caraway's mansion, it was just a dream. A dream that had plagued her for the last two and a half weeks, ever since that night at the parade.
Rinoa twisted out the old bulb, flipping off the covers as she padded over to her trash can to throw it away. She'd gone through a lot of light bulbs recently. Rinoa stared distantly at the bulb as she flicked it into the trash. Another day....... another week......time moving on and on, but I'm always stuck in that one moment..... She'd meet with Irvine today, the first time since he brought her home that night.
Her father had been so concerned when they'd traipsed in after midnight and soaking wet, her arm broken. At least he acted like he was. Made her go to his private doctor and everything. The doctor said that she was lucky, it was only a simple stress fracture, barely broken at all. She wouldn't need a cast, but she was still splinted, braced and put in a sling. An annoying precaution taken by the doctor, the sling made it difficult for her to do anything. Which was just fine and dandy for Caraway, heaven forbid I do "Things" ....she thought bitterly.
She hardly saw reason for it, it'd been two weeks already and her arm felt just fine. The last visit she'd improved remarkably, healing faster than the doctor anticipated. The bruises were gone and it only hurt a little when she moved it. Still, he felt she could use another couple of weeks with her bandages and sling. Rinoa looked down at the sling, brow knotting with anger, it had become a symbol of her defeat and his victory.
He'd made the staff watch her like a hawk. She loved Vincent, he came as close to a father figure as she had, but the fact that he kept tabs on her for Caraway infuriated her beyond words. He was always there, always asking if she was okay or if she needed anything. Caraway never was, he'd already left. Spending as little time at home as possible, so she could rest. Nice excuse...... she made a frustrated grunt, scowling at her sling....I blame you....Stupid sling....Rinoa grabbed the flap of fabric with her free hand, unclipping it and throwing it across her room. She didn't need to be coddled. The door creaked, and Rinoa jumped in surprise, the world had recently become a strange and somewhat scary place for her.
"Miss Caraway.....are you alright?"
It was the maid, Rinoa sighed and smiled gently, "No, I'm fine Eliza....and don't call me that. It's just Rinoa, I've never been Miss Caraway....."
"I'm sorry Miss.....but first names are frowned upon. Got rules, you know. You sure you're alright? I thought I heard you screaming.....so I came up to check....."
"Yes, I'm sure. Just a bad dream, that's all. Thanks."
"Well, then. I guess I'll go about my duties....if you need anything..."
"....Ringy-dingy, right?" Rinoa smirked, making a little phone gesture with her hand.
The little maid looked at her oddly and then nodded, closing the door as she left. Rinoa ran her hands through her hair, still tousled from a night's worth of uneasy sleep. She looked around her room, it was the room of a girl that she didn't even know anymore. It was cliché, but very true. The Rinoa who had lived here was worry free, she loved horses and kitties and puppies and still played with dolls, she papered the room with her favorite stars and boy bands. This new Rinoa worried that she might be going nuts, she worried about her friends being executed, about whether or not a Sorceress might destroy the world and how she, just one small young woman, could possibly stop her. This Rinoa knew about loss, the little girl that she had been thought she did....but in the end, that girl knew nothing.
Rinoa walked over to her bulletin board, gazing at the little cartoons and pictures of her and her friends. It seemed like a million years ago. She plucked a picture from its place on the board, looking at it with weary all too adult eyes. Her face smiled up at her from the picture, giggling as she held onto her friends from another life time. She remembered, that photo had been taken at a skating party. It had been her first time, and she'd fallen down so much that she was bruised and sore for a week. A hollow, wistful smile crept across her face. Skating parties and kittens.....she wished her life was that simple, as it once had been.
It was too late to say that she couldn't handle her life the way it was now. She couldn't go back and become the person in the picture, a happy carefree girl. There was a time, when all this started, when she wished for just that.....adventure and romance, a chance to forget that she had any responsibilities. But they came back, they always came back, because you can't go back in time and worries just don't go away. Deal with the present Rinoa, just get on with it. Perhaps that's why she kept having the reoccurring nightmare. It was time to move on, Squall is dead. It happened and I can't change it......As she showered and dressed, her resolution strengthened. She'd been laying in limbo, wallowing in self pity. Rinoa slipped on a pair of blue jeans and her black tank top. It would have to be today, no more waiting. She brushed out her ebony hair, pulling it back into a loose pony tail when there was a knock at the door.
Without even looking she shouted as loudly as possible, "S'OKAY! COME IN!!"
Vincent entered, a plump little elf of a man, grinning from ear to ear, "Must you shout? I see you haven't improved your manners a bit."
Rinoa laughed, "What?! It's me! Like I'd change! So what's up big soul brudda? One of the maids using my undies for a hat?"
"I certainly hope not! .....So, I assume your feeling better now?" He chuckled, pointing at her sling-free arm.
She nodded, "Yep, feeling LOTS better......You still haven't answered my question! HA! So NOW who's the rude one!!??? " She grinned and stuck out her tongue, feeling her moment of triumph fully.
He gave her an exasperated look, "I'm getting there......Gracious, you're impatient! But I am glad to see you feeling more yourself. Puts an old man's heart to rest, we've all been so worried for you." he paused, looking at her nervously, "Especially your father. Now, hear me out before you start yelling! He's worried you might run off again. You don't know how much he's missed you....He's afraid he might lose you again, and......"
"And what?" Rinoa became defensive, "If this is what you came up to tell me you can leave now......" She stopped mid thought, instantly regretting her words, " I'm sorry Vincent.....I just don't want to....."
The old man sat down next to her with a little grunt, "I know....I'm sorry too. I wish there were a way for you two to get along. If your mother was still here, she'd know what to do. I'm just a foolish old man, who sees a little bit of his own daughter in you." He looked over, patting her hand gently, "He loves you, he just has a hard time showing it...... If it hadn't been for your mother, you'd be a stuck up sticky beak too. There was a time, when he wasn't like he is now......She changed a lot of things about your father for the better. When she died, that part of him went with her I think. Someday, maybe you'll understand, at least I hope you will" He paused again, "Oh! Yes, the reason I came up......There's a Mister Kinneas here to see you. He's in the drawing room. Are you feeling up to a visitor or should I tell him to "piss off"?" He smiled and winked at her with those last words.
Looking up, she beamed at him, "Tell him I'll be right down."
Vincent smiled, ruffling her hair before he left. An amused scowl flitted over her face, quickly smoothing over the surface with her fingers. She watched Vincent totter out the door, closing it softly behind him. Rinoa sat there for a moment, contemplating his words. Suddenly regretting her easy decision to leave so soon. She'd changed, even more than she'd guessed. All those years ago, she'd never thought once about leaving. It was a no brainer for her. Leave to live. She thought about her father, and all these years they'd wasted fighting. Was this a second chance for the both of them? A tiny frightened part of her didn't want to leave. That second chance seemed so tempting, considering what she'd been through in the preceding weeks. Now, would it be as easy? Yes, it is. Don't be a moron! If he loved me so much, if he loved her.....Why did he leave? Why!............Who cares anyway! It's too late now.....Screw the past! Minutes later she was ready again, running down the stairs hurriedly to meet Irvine.
Whipping through the large house, nearly knocking over the staff, it seemed like old times. Many of the long time employees still remember the sounds and the light that the youngest Caraway had always brought to the house. Her laughter echoing through the cavernous halls, the way she'd always run from room to room, as if incapable of just walking. She'd always treated each one of them like regular people, never acting like they were below her. In her eyes, they were equal. She took the time to remember names, birthdays, favorite movies, things most employers would shudder to even think about. Vincent smiled fondly as Rinoa rushed past him, remembering all the times she'd done it in the past. It was good to have her back, at least for awhile.
Rinoa flung the doors to the drawing room, eager to see her new friend and conspirator. She held a folder in her good hand as she walked in, scanning the room as she entered. Rinoa sighed in mock exasperation, Irvine was sitting in her father's favorite chair, rolling his favorite paperweight over in his hands. The cowboy looked up, a goofy smile spread across his face.
Still juggling the paperweight, he got up from the chair, "What's up Tiger Lily?"
"The sky, birds, clouds, stars......Shall I go on?"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. I mean, your plan to rescu....."
Rinoa's eyes widened in sheer fury, holding up a finger to silence him, "Shhhhhhhht......garden.....Idiot..... go NOW!"
Irvine shrugged as he continued to play with the little glass ball, almost sorry he'd have to leave it behind. Rinoa made for an exit at the rear of the drawing room, it opened up onto a picturesque veranda. She looked back at him, her face registering her annoyance as she gestured for him to follow. He set down the paperweight, strolling out to join Rinoa. She led him onto the veranda, down a set of steps and into the garden. The garden in Caraway's mansion was truly a sight to behold. Julia herself had overseen its planning, and it was they only thing Rinoa missed about her childhood home.
She'd always been fond of Galbadian tradition, especially the old Zen gardens that had once been common place in years past. Each bush and shrub carefully placed to maximize the beauty of the garden, no matter where you stood. Textures and colors picked carefully and planted strategically, but in such a matter that it looked completely natural. Her mother had paid special attention to the pathways, winding them through the scenery seamlessly. It was important to the design tradition that nothing disrupted the illusion of its wild yet tamed beauty, especially man made things like paths. Rinoa lead Irvine through these trails, until she came to a little pond in the middle of it.
Irvine looked around, positively enjoying the journey, "So, what's with all the shushing? Why'd ya lead me out here. Not that I mind and all....but...."
"The room was bugged. Caraway is a paranoiac. It's not just because of me, I'm sure he has other reasons.......the military being what they are......spying on me to make sure I can't leave is just a bonus. "
"Huh? Why would he spy on you?"
Rinoa rolled her eyes, "God, do you have your head up your ass?! Remember, when he tried to keep me here the last time? He doesn't want me to leave. Has the whole staff keeping tabs on me........... I don't think he's bugged the garden.....Yet, anyway......"
"And he's the paranoiac?........"
"Oh shut up!" She scowled at him.
Irvine laughed, "Okay....Okay......I believe you! Just teasing......"
"Hey.....Mister.....you don't know how much whining, pleading and puling I had to do to even get you an interview...... He was gonna hire one of his stupid military lackeys."
"Yeah, well.....he did ask a lot of weird personal questions.....Anyway, your plan worked! At least this part, so what now??"
Rinoa held up the folder, and smiled devilishly, "Found out where they're keeping them....... Got 'em locked up in D-district....."
"You've got to be kidding me! I've heard of that place......there's no way we're getting in!! It's Galbadia's premier prison....supposedly impossible to escape from!"
"Pshaw! There's minimal security..... "
"Yes, but the security is kept to a minimum because it's in the middle of the damn desert. Miles and miles of nothing but sand......and only one road." Irvine looked at Rinoa, his words didn't seem to have any impact on her face. She was still grinning, "Okay, your eyes have that crazy light....... "
"Don't be a baby. It's gonna be easy......"
Sitting on a nearby bench, Rinoa laid out her plans to him. It was simple enough, pose as reporters for a weekly technology news show on the brand new high tech prison. With forged orders written on Caraway's own personal stationary, so that there'd be little suspicion. They would impersonate personnel from a tiny, nearly-unknown cable access channel. She forged the station IDs herself, and she'd done a good job. Looking at them, it would be hard to tell them from the real thing. She also had obtained a cheap video camera for believability, thought it didn't really work. The last bit was a trench coat for her, and a hand held mount for her blaster edge. She'd have to conceal the thing on her and yet be able to whip it out when necessary. Besides, it hurt a little when she'd tried to put it on last night.
There were only twenty or so soldiers, as long as they could overwhelm them....they'd have no problem. Irvine wasn't a SeeD, but he was closer than she'd get and being trained by Garden meant he was better than your average soldier. Better than the guards they'd hire for a supposedly impenetrable prison.
The next part was trickier, because of the magic fields, Irvine would be unable to summon his G.F.. That G.F. was her trump card and she'd worked hard to figure out exactly how to get around this one minor flaw. The main controls for the field were in the middle of the prison complex, and so she'd planed on asking to go there first. Give 'em some sappy line like, take us to the heart of your operation, that kind of thing. No doubt they'd be proud of their little toys and want to show them off. With limited personnel, the Warden would likely accompany them around, perhaps with a lone guard for security.
Irvine couldn't bring in a rifle, but her blaster edge was made of hard plastic. She could use wooden pinwheels instead of metal, so she wouldn't set off the detectors. Taking the Warden hostage, she'd make him take the field offline. Now Irvine could use his G.F.s to disable the Warden and the guard, giving them time to find out where they were holding everyone. Rinoa was quite proud of herself, and even Irvine had to admit that it might just work. They finished quickly, Rinoa giving Irvine a list of supplies they'd need for the journey. She escorted him to the door, trying to look casual, not like they were planning to take off or anything.
Looking around, she gave him a hug, whispering, "See you.....ten pm....." She stiffened suddenly.....was he....grabbing.....Rinoa tore herself from the embrace, face lividly red. She hit him as hard as she could. "ASSHOLE...."
"WHAT?! I thought you were coming on to me......" Irvine grinned unabashedly.
"Yeah.....cus you're such hot man meat....Jackass. If you EVER try that again, I will tear your arms off and beat you to death with them....."
"Ay! AY! KAPITAN!" Irvine saluted, laughing as he opened the door, "You won't tell Selphie, right....."
"Yes, yes I will.....now move it pokey...." She said flatly, pushing him out the door as he tried to cajole her out of tattling on him.
The rest of the day Rinoa spent lounging, and just generally not doing anything. It had been her pattern of the last few weeks, and she had to maintain it so the staff would think nothing was up. She found herself watching some awful talk show, today's episode....My Mama's a Big Ass HO! Rinoa watched impassively as two girls argued loudly while waving hands in each others faces, ultimately ending in a huge cat fight. She'd never been an avid T.V. watcher, and perhaps there was a good reason for that.
Lately though, she had become a sponge for such programs. There was a definite lack of anything to do, the television was just a way to pass time. She stared blankly at the moving pictures on the screen, the show security finally pulled the women off each other. When that show ended she flipped around until she found another that caught her attention..... Watching late into the afternoon and then the evening. Around five her father finally came back, briefly to stop in her room to make sure she was there. Perfunctory hellos were given and he left.
Then there was dinner, she'd been called down to the main dining room at around six. Dinner with her father, more than just eating and chatting about her day. It was a formal occasion, and she was forced to wear appropriate clothing and expected to show up on time, a routine she still remembered and loathed. Sitting there in her best new clothes, which he bought and picked out, Rinoa didn't feel that hungry. She stared at her plate, moving her food around with displeasure. The air around was tense, he tried to ask her about her day, engage her in conversation, to no avail. Any question was greeted with a one word answer or a grunt. She didn't even look at the man facing her. Her food stared at her, and she knew she'd have to eat it eventually.
Remembering briefly, the last time she'd stubbornly refused to eat. It was after a particularly bad argument when she was ten, she had tried to storm from the room. He'd made some remark about her living under his home, eating his food, and how much she didn't appreciate the work it took to get those things. Her memory self watched her hand as she threw her glass of milk into the wall right before she got up to leave. The shattering sound silencing her father's rant, glass and milk oozing down the wall. It had been a satisfying moment, for the look on her father's face alone.
She'd shouted at him, told him she'd rather starve. He was enraged, angrier than she'd even seen him. To his credit, her father had never laid a hand on her. Instead, he just glared at her coldly and told her she'd regret those words. Rinoa had scoffed at the threat. But he made good on it. She'd been grounded, locked in her room the minute she got home from school. That's when all the excess rules started. His attempt to get her temper under control. For the next two weeks, all he would allow her to eat was cold oatmeal and water. The only exception was at school, because he wasn't about to waste the money he spent on her hot lunch vouchers. Finally sick of oatmeal, she gave up....he'd won again and it only made her angrier.
She scooped up a fork full of potatoes and ate them, not taking any pleasure from the flavor. Her father always liked the "best" things in life, so he hired a professional chef; who made fancy rich people dinners that looked more like abstract paintings than something you'd eat. Cheap food had always made her happier than the expensive stuff her father favored. As long as it tasted good, who cares....She'd managed to finish her dinner, and as politely as she could, asked for permission to leave. Inwardly fuming that she had to ask him just to get up from the damn table. It was stupid, pointless politicking and she hated it....hated him even more for making her do it. Like he's some king on a throne..... arrogant bastard. He dismissed her, watching as she got up and left without a word. Caraway sighed, forlornly looking at his daughter through a crack in the door before it was slammed closed.
As the night wore on, Rinoa felt more and more anxious as the time for her departure came closer. At nine Vincent came up to say goodnight, a pleasant way of saying....house rules, lights out at nine. House rules. That's why she left the first time. She smiled and wished him a good night, trying to make her last moments in this place pleasant. He smiled back, backing out of the doorway slowly....his expression oddly sorrowful. Rinoa dismissed it, she was probably just imagining things. She was keyed up, still having another hour to wait before she could escape this prison. For awhile, she sat in the dark and stared at the red glowing numbers on her clock. Time eked by in an irritatingly slow pace, just to piss her off . She closed her eyes, hoping that would somehow speed the hands of time.
At ten minutes to ten, Rinoa woke with a start. She'd almost missed her own escape time. Trying her best to be quiet, Rinoa slipped off her night gown, revealing the clothes she'd been wearing beneath. She groped at the floor blindly until her fingers touched a pack she'd made ready and stuffed underneath her bed. It contained a change of clothes, amongst other various supplies. The room was completely black, and it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Once the room was visible in the dull light, Rinoa made her way to the door. Opening it and slipping out as silently as possible, she closed the door carefully, holding her breath. Her heart was pounding and every time she breathed in or out it sounded like the furious winds of a hurricane. Sweat popped out on her forehead as she walked from the hallway near her room to the stairs. Each step she made unbearably slow, how in the world had she done it the first time? Ten nerve wracking minutes later, she'd made it all the way to the foyer. She looked at the front door, tempted to just go out that way and wake the Bastard up.
Since her last visit, he'd installed a silly automatic alarm system. When a door was opened when it was on, sirens would go off and wake the entire house. She'd tried it already, much to the everyone's irritation. Of course he only thought to install in the main parts of the house. He'd left the servant's wing untouched. Idiot. Rinoa played it safe, winding through endless hallways until she found her way to the servant's wing.
Days earlier, she'd been wandering the house and for once without an escort. Finding the door to their wing open was a godsend, propped up with a bent clothes hanger. Her luck got even better, the servant's wing had its own exit to the outside, it too was unlocked and without those pesky alarm wires. Was it mere chance, did they just not expect anyone to care about their quarters but themselves? Rinoa decided she didn't care, it was a fortunate oversight in her favor. She had made it into the parlor, just adjacent to the dining room which lead to the kitchen and finally the door in question. Halfway into the room she heard a soft metal click, and she quickly rushed over to the door. Her hand gripped the knob, she turned.....nothing......it stuck fast. She jiggled it furiously, locked.....it automatically locked. Rinoa stopped mid-thought, looking around the darkened room frantically. The lights suddenly went on, and all she could do was stand there blinking dumbly.
"Hello Princess......Going somewhere?"
Rinoa whirled around to face her father, her features tightened into an angry knot. Her thoughts began to swirl and blur with the fever of her fury, "Bastard........."
They both stood there for several minutes, glaring at each other. It took every ounce of willpower in her not to run over there and sock him square in the face. Instead, she crossed her arms, breathing in and out in sharp, angry bursts. Her father waited, a look of wounded sadness on his stern face. He breathed in deeply, shaking his head as he looked at his daughter.
"Rinoa......Please tell me, what in the world do you think you're doing?"
"......What does it look like to you, Genius?"
Caraway sighed again, "Leaving.....you're leaving. Why.....Why do you have to be like this?" He waited for her to answer, all he got was an angry glare, "So.....Where do you plan on disappearing to this time? Balamb....Trabia......"
"......Hell.....Wanna come with?"
Locking the door behind him, Caraway sat down in one of the parlor chairs. "Rinoa.....We need to have a talk. Sit down."
"Bite me."
"Sit......." he snapped at her, pointing to the chair opposite him. She didn't, glaring at him in bold contempt, "Get your ass over here right now or so help me I'll make you...."
The look in his eyes was deadly serious, and for the first time since she could remember she was afraid of him. Indecision wracked her mind, and she nervously tapped her foot as she decided. With a roll of her eyes, she reluctantly sat down, her arms still folded.
"Look at me....."
She did another O-God-360, looking at him with sour eyes, her lips tightly pursed.
"Rinoa......This has got to stop. I know about your plans. I know you're going to try and rescue your friends....."
"How did you know?" she thought for a moment, mind furiously working. Irvine wouldn't tell, at least she didn't think so......"SON OF A BITCH! You bugged the garden.....God, you're just one paranoid bastard. Well, you won....again. You get to keep me here for a few more days. Happy now?......"
As she got up to leave, Caraway darted off of his chair and grabbed her by her good wrist. Yanking her back into place, she fell back into her chair with a look of incredulous rage on her face. He was fast for an old man.
"You will sit here young lady and you WILL listen to me. Think for one moment! Do you honestly believe you'll be able to rescue them? Neither of you are trained for this kind of thing. Sure, maybe you'll get lucky....maybe. More than likely, you won't even get in the front door before they figure it out and arrest you. My power in the government is waning, my dear. Now that the Sorceress is in control, I have to tread carefully. If you two were to be caught, I might not be able to help you....."
"Who the hell says I WANT your help?" She spit back, trying to keep herself from screaming in rage.
"Rinoa, I'd help you whether or not you'd want me to........"
"Oh, GOD! Spare me......."
The same strange look of hurt passed over his face as he turned his back on her. It was hopeless at this point, nothing he could say would make her change her mind. Caraway wondered how it had got to this point. It was his fault, he knew it. There was nothing he could do.
"I'm a horrible father.....I know that, Rinoa. Despite all that....I love you. You'll always be my little girl. I'm sorry I was never there for you. I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you needed...."
Rinoa felt as if she'd turned to stone, never in her life had she thought her father would admit to being wrong. Her eyes unfocused as she tried to comprehend what just happened. While she was thinking, he reached over to a package that was laying on the table next to his chair. He handed it to her silently, his face full of earnest compassion. She looked at it, slowly stretching her hand out to take the box. Rinoa opened it carefully, and the color drained from her face as the lid opened and she saw what was inside. It was Squall's jacket, still torn and bloodied, his ring and his necklace lay glinting on top of it. Time slowed as she stared, and it took everything she had to keep from crying in front of her father.
"How.....I don't understand......" She looked up at him, eyes searching.
"Those belonged to your friend who lost his life....correct? What was his name?"
"Squall...." She whispered, fingering the fur trim on the jacket.
"Yes, Squall....Well....His friends deserve something to remember him by. I pulled some strings at the corner's office. You should return them to Balamb. He deserves a hero's funeral."
"What do you mean by that?"
He didn't answer the question, getting up and making his way over to the intercom near the door, "Vincent, please escort Mr. Kinneas into the parlor." Caraway waited, a muffled affirmative came back. Turning to regard his daughter, he smiled sadly, "Underneath you'll find everything you'll need to rescue your friends. It's all official. So you should have no problems."
"....WHAT??!!.....Are you helping me?!"
Once again he ignored her, Caraway opened the door in expectation of Irvine's arrival. Seconds later the tall cowboy arrived, nervously stepping inside the parlor with a tip of his hat. Irvine opened his mouth to say something, but Caraway silenced him with a look. The older man dug into his pocket, pulling out a set of keys which he clapped into Irvine's hand.
"These belong to a SUV that's waiting for you in the front.....There are more supplies in there. Clothes and weapons for your friends......Like I said, everything you need. Good luck...." Caraway stopped, nodding formally he started to leave the room. Rinoa stood up without warning, holding onto Squall's jacket protectively.
"W-wait.....Dad......" Rinoa gasped, she hadn't called him that in so long, "....I..... Um... Thank you....."
He looked as startled to hear it as she was, stray tears formed at the corners of his eyes, "You're welcome, Rinoa."
Father and daughter gave each other a final look, both realizing that the wounds of the past were on their way to healing. Irvine looked back and forth, not really sure what was going on. Whatever it had been, it was significant. Caraway left the teenagers, his heart at more ease, though he still worried for his daughter. At least there was some peace between them now. Rinoa clasped Squall's jewelry in one hand, slowly pulling her arms into his jacket.
"Hey....Isn't that Squall's...."
"Yes, it is.........Let's go."
Irvine and Rinoa walked out of the mansion into the cool summer night. The sky was a pale amber hue, city lights blotting out the stars. All was quiet in the tiny suburb, houses lit up like warm lamps. The car was right were Caraway had said it would be, the pair made for it. Rinoa shivered as she waited for Irvine to open it up. She heard a click and grabbed for the handle, hopping into the car in relief.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Getting in.....so we can go...."
"No so fast, Little Lady.....Gotta check the manifest, plus we should figure out what route we're taking......Don't want to forget anything...." He drawled, his east Galbadian accent more pronounced than usual.
Rinoa rolled her eyes, stupid military protocol. She got out of the car and followed Irvine to the trunk. From the package Caraway had given them was a list of supplies packed in the vehicle. He pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to her along with the list. Rinoa had remembered this one from countless vacations. Even before her father had become Mr. No Fun he had made lists like these.
Sighing, she began listing things off to Irvine, putting a little check next to it if it was there. Ammunition....check.... I.D. cards......checkcheck.....Rations......checka-lecka-dingdong.......Gunblade.....she faltered. Yes, her father had said that they'd retrieved his belongs. That old guilt welled up within her again. The sense that in someway she was responsible for Squall's death. That it should be him here, and not her. It forced her to remember what she had tried to do before. That something was wrong with her.
"Rinoa....you okay?"
Her eyes became glassy as she looked at the shining blade, "Yes, it was just........"
"The gunblade.......Yeah, I know. It's alright." Irvine looked down at her softly, giving her a pat on the shoulder for reassurance, "Remember what we agreed, okay? Can't blame ourselves......Past is the Past......Have to help the others.....'Kay?"
She nodded listlessly, her mind pulling itself back from whatever edge it'd been perched on, and with effort continuing on with the checklist. Almost everything had been marked off, all but a small white envelope. Rinoa held it up, her brow furrowed in thought. What in the....She dug her finger under the flap and began to tear it open.
"WHOA! What're you doing?" Irvine exclaimed, putting a warning hand over the envelope.
Rinoa scowled derisively, "Opening an envelope....is that okay with you?"
"No....it's not. There might be mission specific information in there we're not supposed to know yet."
"Yeah....well, you don't just put a secret mission envelope in with the rest of the stuff without leaving instructions, right? If we weren't meant to open it, it'd say so."
"I guess but...We should follow protocol and ask Caraway what to--"
"PAH! Screw protocol......" Rinoa smacked his hand away and opened it.
Inside was a tiny red stone with a strange symbol carved into it. Rinoa turned the stone over in her hand, trying to decide what it was supposed to be. She held it up to get a better look at it. Upon closer examination it wasn't a stone at all, but made of clay. The symbol resembled a cup or a basket, set on one side.
Rinoa frowned, "What the hell is it?"
Irvine moved in closer, looking over her shoulder at the object, "Dunno....Does it have any instructions??"
Rinoa shrugged as she opened up the envelope to look inside. A tiny slip of paper rested inside, stuck snugly in a corner. If she hadn't looked, she wouldn't have noticed it. She pulled it out, turning it so she could read.
"It's a rune......" Rinoa paused as she read on, "There's a bunch of mumbo-jumbo....um.....Peorth.....the rune is called Peorth and it means dice cup? The hell...."
Irvine snatched it from her, she gave a surprised gasp but he ignored her and read on. Things like this were never given without reason, "Hmmph.....Dice cup......it's divination meaning is that of rebirth and new beginnings......symbolic of the Goddess....Hey, there's more. It's a G.F. ....doesn't say which, but you have to break it to summon it. It's for you..........Give it a whirl."
He handed it back to her, she took it, giving him a dirty look for grabbing it away from her in the first place. Irvine was about to advise her to sit before she tried it, one could never tell what would happen when you entreat a Guardian Force to junction. However, his warning came too late, she'd already broken the rune on the ground. Rinoa gasped as a light emitted from the broken rune and enveloped her. He rushed forward, her body hit the ground before he could catch her....only managing to cradle her head, protecting it from a nasty bump on the curb.
Rinoa was surrounded in bright white, the smell of salt tingeing the air. Waves, she could hear endless waves breaking on the shore. She opened her eyes, her mind buzzing in confusion. The beach? How in the.....Rinoa looked around, realizing that the beach was quite far away. She could see its white shore far in the distance. She looked down, expecting a sand bar or the ground of a small island underneath her feet. Instead, her shoes were touching the very top of the water. She made a small squeak as she watched her every footstep make little ripples on the surface. Water....walking on.....How.... In her shock she barely even noticed the sounds of music emanating over the waves. A woman's voice sang softly in clear penetrating tones, her long fingers strumming a lyre as accompaniment.
Rinoa stopped marveling at her feet and lifted her head slowly to regard this new wonder. Her shock from a moment before was nothing compared to this new one. It wasn't a woman who sang with such beauty. Rinoa wasn't even sure what she was looking at.
It had the shape of a woman but multicolored feathers like that of a bird. The Bird-woman was tall, her skin an unnatural golden yellow in color. Her hands and feet looked quite normal, except for her fingers and toes, which ended in small wicked looking claws. The creature was nearly naked, iridescent feathers surreptitiously covering her breasts and pubic area. She had no hair, her head covered in a thick down of feathers, with two large wing-like appendages sweeping off the side of her head near the temples. Her features were delicate and looked like they'd been painted on, like that of a porcelain doll.
She stared a Rinoa with her strange blue green eyes, that seemed to switch between the two colors as the light hit them. Rinoa was paralyzed, her mind racing as she tried to explain what she was seeing. This can't be happening....I've finally gone nuts....First the stupid pains, now I'm hallucinating bird women.....
The creature spoke up, her tone indignant, "You aren't insane....I am here and I certainly don't appreciate being thought of as a hallucination. Why have you summoned me?"
"Um....." Rinoa's eyes widened, as several thoughts went through her mind at once. She read my mind......What's going on? I didn't summon her......oh yeah, I did summon her.....but why......what should I answer.....someone gave this thing to me and.....that's a stupid answer.....
The creature studied the girl as these thoughts flickered through her. How strangely this mortal acts. It was incomprehensible to the Siren why someone would summon a Guardian Spirit without a reason in mind. At first she thought of dismissing the girl and going back to the pleasant nothingness of non-corporeality. However, curiosity overwhelmed the Siren. Looking closer at the girl, Siren focused in on her very soul. Inspecting every fiber of the mortal girl's being, tracing her lineage throughout the vast folds of time. The Siren gasped in shock, regarding the girl with new wonder. How could one who possessed so much power know so little of things spiritual.
"Rinoa....." the girl jumped at the mention of her name, "Do not be alarmed. May I ask you a question..."
Rinoa briefly thought of asking the creature how she knew her name, but decided against it. She had read her mind before, obviously that' s how she knew, "Y-yes....."
"What do you know of your gift? I only ask, because I find it curious that one with such power would require the aid of a Guardian Spirit...."
The girl's brows furrowed, "Gift? What gift.....and I don't have any power...."
The Siren searched the girl's soul a second time, ".....Sweet child, you know nothing.....How sad and unfortunate for you. But you do have power.....You possess the great gift, given to you by my kind hundreds of years ago. You have no real need for a spirit such as I. Your strength in magic already lies within....."
Rinoa, perhaps unwisely, became angry at the mere mention of this power. It was another painful reminder of the strange events at the parade ,".....I can't cast magic. I don't have this gift you keep talking about.....I'm just a normal girl....."
The Siren interrupted the girl's rant, "It is as it is. You can't change what you are. I don't understand you mortals at all sometimes. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and accept your birth right ...it's for the best."
"I don't care!! I got in the way and it cost my friend his life! If I hadn't tried to do whatever it was I....I ...." Rinoa trembled with emotion, unable to vocalize what she believed to be the truth.
"Then you would be dead and all hope lost....." The girl looked at Siren uncertainly, as if wondering what the comment might implicate, "I have already said too much..... I see that you need guidance and for this reason I shall junction with you. I am Siren, the muse.....Call upon me when you will....."
Siren bowed her head, her wings covering her as spiraling waves of music spun 'round Rinoa. White light enveloped her again, and she felt oddly tranquil as the spirit merged with her own. Moments later she awoke in Irvine's arms, blinking her eyes to clear away the haze that filled her mind.
"You know, I'm getting really tired of fainting all the time...." She said, rubbing her sore back side.
"It's your own fault. Should've waited.....I learned a while ago you never ask a GF to junction before sittin' down......"
She scowled, "Oh, shut up.....Are we ready to go yet?"
"Yep...." Irvine turned and went to the back to shut the trunk.
Rinoa went around and jumped into the passenger's seat. Irvine appeared a few seconds later, sliding into the car, map in hand. They went over their route briefly, agreeing on places to stop and sleep. Irvine jammed the key into the ignition and started the car up. They drove out into the night, car moving out of the city and into the distant mountains ahead of them.
Hallo! How're y'all doin' out there? Good? Wonderful. I'm fine. Sorry about the wait for this one, hopefully yer all still with me. Extra special thanks to all my reviewers! I love each and every one of you so much. As always, if you have any questions...etc....email me or go to my livejournal and we'll talk. On a personal note, of all the chapters I've written so far this one is my favorite. I'm also going to relate a small story to you....Five years ago I read Lord of the Rings for the first time and I came to the part where Gandalf died. I spent the next half of the second book thoroughly convinced that Gandalf was indeed not really dead. I was anxious and upset and my fiancée laughed at me, because he knew. I was relieved to get to the chapter where he reappeared, but that sense of urgent tension about when he would come back never left me. In fact, Tolkien's ability to hold your attention in that way impressed me. Guess what I've done? heehee......