In quiet emptiness Siren floated, vaguely aware but unaware, thoughts twining through each other like vibrant tendrils of light. Time meant nothing to a Guardian Force, but she was vaguely cognizant that it'd been years since she'd let herself be junctioned to a human. Everything was so alive and awake, thoughts constantly buzzing through her mind. She had realized that it had been too long, and that junctioning with this girl was the best thing she could have done. Siren had access to the girl's memories, feelings, her every thought and it was intoxicating.
The young sorceress was one of the Children of Fate, humans who had been predestined by prophecy to hold the world's existence in their very hands. Just like the children of old many thousands of years ago. All the heavens were buzzing with talk of it, and each Guardian had a chore to insure that the children succeeded. Siren's duty would turn out to be one of the hardest. While it was certainly quite alive in her charge's mind, there was a terrible sense of hopelessness that pervaded all her thoughts. Being in a sorceress was quite different than merging with any normal person. Siren could feel the power surging in this body, and she knew it was weighing heavily on Rinoa. Sending her to a dark place that had to be avoided.
Hyne had given a bit of his own power to create the first sorceress. He had hoped at the time to destroy that purest of souls with his corruptive power. Turning a giver of life into a dealer of death. Cursing her beloved to be subservient to her, only able to watch helplessly as the woman he loved transformed into a thing of hate and malice. However, he had made a mistake, giving her that part of his power that was untainted and pure. The lesser amount, as it was called in the tales of old. The greater amount, that was bankrupt and corrupted was taken with Hyne into death.
This mistake had allowed humans to cast magic without aid. The Gift or the Curse, a double edged sword. A sorceress was indeed endowed with incredible power, however as a mere human she did not possess the physical or mental endurance it required to wield such power successfully. To have the sorceress's gift was burdensome, its weight too much for a woman alone to bear. Many times over the thousands of years that sorceresses walked the earth, the sheer weight of their power threatened to overwhelm them.
This small victory might have pleased Hyne, but once again he was mistaken. Thinking that the knight he created to serve would be too weak to resist his sorceress's demands. Over the years the Knight's purpose became clear. When the first knight and sorceress fought for their lives, they had laid down the path for future generations. Hyne had underestimated the sorceress as he underestimated her knight. Thinking that the man would stand by and let his lover be consumed by darkness. He was so very wrong, the knight fought bravely. His sword piercing Hyne's black heart before his curse could be completed. Wounded and near death, the knight turned to his lover for a last goodbye. The young couple's bond was strong, and their wills set. Neither would serve the Hell God's purpose, turning to each other to find strength. This single act allowed the sorceress to conquer the darkness that nearly consumed her. Allowing both to die in peace, knowing their task was finished.
From that time forward, the bond between sorceress and knight was considered a sacred thing. A knight was trained to love his sorceress, not obey. To help her bear the burden of her power, and give her hope when she saw none. For a knight to fail his sorceress was tantamount to him failing the world, as Hyne's curse would finally be fulfilled. Siren thought back to Adel and how her knight had failed. With a new sorceress on the loose, repeating Adel's crimes, it seemed that darkness had once again threatened to cover the world. This girl was the only hope they had, and Siren was having a time keeping her from falling as well.
It was hopelessness that Rinoa fought now. Her power though new and undeveloped, was still too much for one young and untrained sorceress. She needed a knight desperately. The young man who traveled with her, Irvine, had unknowingly served her well. Keeping her from drowning in a pool of her own sorrow. Still, the girl needed a bond that was much deeper and long lasting. This was nothing more than a temporary fix Siren had fostered in order to keep the girl sane. Rinoa needed her own knight, the one that had been chosen for her since birth. Even then, Siren did not know if he would accept his fated place without complaint. The boy was stubborn, willful, and she didn't think it'd be so easy for their bond to grow as it should. Especially since they had so little time. They were near, Siren could feel it, taking a chance on looking through her charge's eyes to see what lay ahead. She lay silent, leaving the girl to her own thoughts.
The spires of D-District pointed heavenward, striking towers of metal that proclaimed human ingenuity's triumph over the natural world. At least those were the thoughts that ran through Rinoa's mind as she stared up at them. They had finally arrived at the gates, she had sat there silently and let Irvine smooth talk his way in. Which by the looks of it, he was more than capable of doing on his own. Handing over their orders to the guard inside the little bullet proof kiosk with a well placed smile. The guard didn't return the sentiment, ignoring the cowboy as he walked back inside the tiny station house to call and confirm their access codes. Special Agents in charge of the official Galbadian Military inquiry Codenamed, Parade, requisitioned to interrogate accused terrorists about SeeD and all pertinent details regarding Garden. It made Rinoa's eyes cross just reading it.
While the guard's back was turned, Irvine gave her a sharp elbow to the side. Rinoa started, realizing that she'd be day dreaming again. Rubbing her ribs, she assembled the transmitter that was to disrupt the communications within the prison. Flipping open the enclosed laptop, she set up her workspace and hoped that the guard wouldn't take notice. Setting the security cameras to reroute to a feed that looped video from the week before, Rinoa smirked. It was easier to do than she thought it'd be. And Watts said it couldn't be done....wait till I see him again....With a flip of the switch, it was done. Next she hit the phone lines, cutting all incoming and outgoing calls to a voice mail system that informed them the line was experiencing a temporary overload. A situation that was apparently common in the outback. She turned on the transmitter and hoped for the best. Its indicator on her laptop's display went green, and Rinoa breathed a sigh of relief. She ducked down, and opened her door as quietly as she could. Slipping out the half opened door, Rinoa skulked around the guard station to find the least obvious place to put the transmitter. Choosing the very back of the station, Rinoa pushed the device onto the side of the small building. Waiting to make sure the plastic adhesive worked before she returned to the car. She made it back just in time, the guard had just returned from his call
The guard looked confused, "Um....what happened to the lady that was with you?"
Irvine nearly had a heart attack, obviously their orders had been accepted but it'd be a moot point if Rinoa's absence raised the alarms. He tried to think up a plausible excuse, but none came to mind. Going white and sweaty for the first time in his whole life, Irvine Kinneas did not have an expert lie on hand. It was then that Rinoa popped up with a smile, light twinkling in her eyes.
"Sorry, shoe laces untied...." she said, not hiding her amusement one bit.
The guard gave her an odd look before going on to give instructions for where to park and who to talk to. She let Irvine handle all that, preferring to take a moment to catch her breath. She closed her eyes and waited for their next move.
On the outside, she had taken what Irvine had said last night to heart. There was still a part of her that doubted, some odd feeling nestled deeply within that worried about what was to come. She didn't think it'd be that easy for the others to forgive her. Irvine hadn't seen the look on Quistis's face, it was a look that plainly blamed Rinoa for what happened. Rinoa made a guess that Quistis had saved her because it was her job and not her steadfast devotion as a friend. She'd know the woman all of a micro-second. In that time, Rinoa had more than her share of evidence that Quistis held no love for her. Perhaps Quistis had tolerated her, but Rinoa never felt accepted. Except for that night before the parade, it had felt like she'd know them for years. They were her long lost sisters she'd always prayed for, but never got. Rinoa frowned, this wasn't the first time she had felt like this.
She remembered times with her distant relatives, especially the long summer she spent with her Aunt Abby and her children. There were four of them, and while her mother was still fighting for her life, Rinoa found herself in their company. Pua, was the eldest and spent most of her time acting vastly older than she actually was. Moani and Apona, fraternal twins who were the closest to Rinoa's age and with which she spent most of her time making trouble. The last was little Ravi, the baby of the family and the favorite, the only boy in a gaggle of girls. It had been a nice enough time, Abby and her family lived on a small the small island of Kanahena, in the small seaside village of Hana. And unlike the rest of the island chain that made up Balamb, Kanahena was blissfully devoid of tourists. Retaining much of its native home town charm. In her time of sorrow, it had been heaven and she'd almost forgotten about it. And they say GF's steal your memories, I think not.....
On her closed lids she played back memories of that summer and the small comfort it had brought. Running wild on the beach, yelling and giggling like she hadn't a care in the world. Forgetting that her mother hovered near death in that cold mansion in Deling. She cried when he father had come to get her for the funeral. Not wanting to leave, because if she stayed here maybe her Mom was still alive. She could pretend, couldn't she?
It seemed that fate got a kick out of stealing her joy and squashing it under her boot. That was the last time she felt really happy without faking it. Laughing without pretending to laugh. Being so free that if you closed your eyes and wished hard enough you could fly. That was how that night with Quistis and Selphie had felt, and she swore she could feel those broken wings mend. Like she was back with her Aunt Abby and all her cousins, like she was home.
A deeply amused voice broke into her thoughts, "There's nothing to be nervous about...."
"I know...." Rinoa said as she opened her eyes.
Looking up at the solid wall of that prison, she really believed it for the first time. Everything was going to be alright, and there was nothing to be afraid of. She had gotten her wings back, and by god she'd fly.