Squall continued to stare out his window. Clouds had moved in and blanketed Galbadia City and, strangely, it fit his mood, almost as if it were a Guardian Force which Squall had summoned. Lightning flashes played across the horizon, encasing the entire city in a bath of angry light. If Squall didn't know better, he would have sworn that Odin would appear at any moment, and use his legendary sword to split some monster in half.

It had been days since he had seen Rinoa for the first time in three years. Five days to be exact. Natalie refused to let any of the three SeeDs to downstairs during the practice sessions for any reason. The next performance was already coming up the day after tomorrow. Squall found himself looking forward to and dreading Friday at the time, a strange paradox, born from the strange paradox that was Rinoa's attitude towards him.

Even now, 5 days later, he still found himself totally confused. He had talked to Irvine, a purported expert in ladies' behavior, and to Natalie, who was a woman herself and was the person who had spent the most time by far with Rinoa over the last year. Neither of them was able to supply an explanation to Rinoa's behavior that could satisfy Squall's mind.

Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, making the gate a silhouette, and lighting the now abandoned presidential palace into full glorious, decaying detail. Like the lightning bolt, Squall's mind flashed to his mission to assassinate the Sorceress Edea. Quistis had told Squall later about their trip through the sewer system of then Deling City, and how she, Selphie, and Zell had been fighting Galbadian soldiers, holding them off while Squall, Rinoa, and Irvine battled the Sorceress.

He could imagine it now, and see it so clearly in his head. Before he was concentrating solely on fighting Edea and stopping her. Now, he was the commander and had to look at the bigger picture. When Squall had been hit by the ice bolt and fell off the float, all five had turned and watched him, allowing themselves to be captured. Even Quistis, for all her control and poise that she showed to the world back then, she even lost sight of the mission and watched in horror as he fell.

Now he faced a very different battle with a sorceress. This time he was not trying to kill her, but win her heart back. And unlike when he battled Edea four years ago, he had no strategy planned out to accomplish the mission. Squall was unsettled by the fact that compared to this mission; the last mission would probably be a cakewalk. He failed that miserably, creating a bad omen in his mind.

Feeling the burden of separation, Young Master?

A light but firm woman's voice sounded in Squall's mind, making him frown. Shiva, what brings you to speak?

A light chuckle sounded in his mind. Why do I need a reason to speak? I enjoy interacting with my junctioned human, unlike Bahamut and several of the other older guardians, and because of that, I know your trying to avoid my question.

...Whatever

Listen, I have lived for thousands of years... women don't change that much... I was one at one point... and to a greater extent I'm still one... so if you have questions, feel free to ask. You are our favorites of humans for generations, and we all care about seeing that you live happily.

I'll keep that in mind Shiva.

Thank you, I guess.

A third lightning flash lit the sky, followed by a clap of thunder about two seconds later. That was followed almost immediately by a knock on the door. "Come in" He turned his head slightly to see Zell walking into his hotel room. He looked at him then turned back to the storm outside.

Zell came up beside Squall and stood there for a minute, his hands held loosely behind his back, in comparison to Squall, who crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You feeling alright there, man?" Zell's voice seemed hesitant and almost out of place compared to the silence punctuated by thunder that Squall had been with for the last few hours.

"...Whatever"

Zell put his hand on his longtime friends arm. "Listen, I don't know why Rinoa... uhm..." Zell hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry; I don't know what to say"

Squall turned his head to his friend. His lip twitched into a slight smile for just a moment "It's alright, Zell, I understand."

Zell grinned broadly "Thanks, man" His grin faded... but not completely. "Natalie wants to talk to you in her room."

Squall nodded and stared for a moment longer as a sequence of lighting strikes occurred, making the evening sky almost seem like broad daylight. "Okay" The light faded and night's dark grasp took hold of the city again. The two moved out silently and crossed the hall to Natalie's room. Once inside, they saw Irvine sitting and talking to Natalie idly. Zell cleared his throat and they looked at the two newcomers. "Ah thank you, Zell" She motioned and Irvine stood and followed Zell out the door, closing it.

"Sit down please, Squall."

Squall looked at her for a moment then proceeded to the chair and sat. They looked at each other for a moment before Natalie spoke again. "I want to ask you straight up. Rinoa thinks that you were cheating on her. I do not care either way if you did, and if you didn't, I don't care either. She will not find out either way from me. This is important and I just need the honest truth. Did you?"

Squall's face clouded over. "I would never cheat on her. I've kept that even after she left me. How could she...."

Natalie held up a hand "I don't know how, but from what I gather, you didn't know and you deserved to. This was important because I was going to ask Rinoa to accompany us to dinner. I think that possibly you should be the one to ask."

A quiet alarm went off in Squall's mind. Shiva's voice echoed those concerns. That might be a bad idea... she doesn't know that Rinoa is a sorceress. Things are a lot more touchy than normal.

That's my thought exactly Shiva.

"Are you sure that's a wise idea? I mean, I do know her; she might take that pretty poorly. Maybe you should ask her."

Natalie waved her hand again "Nonsense" she smiled at him. "Trust me, it will be fine, she might not accept, but she will not hurt you or anything."

Squall frowned but stayed silent. Natalie sighed "If you want ill be there too, but I doubt anything bad will happen"

Squall rubbed his chin. What do you think Shiva?

That probably will be better... I still am not sure if you should be going to talk to her so quickly, but it needs to happen eventually.

Squall nodded "Very well then, let's go"

The four youths assembled outside of Rinoa's door standing and staring like it was a demon that was getting ready to eat them. In all likelihood, that was pretty close to the truth. Natalie looked at Squall, who shook his head, and then at Zell, who waved his hands in the air. Just as she turned to Irvine, the cowboy reached up and lowered his hat, blocking eye contact with her and signaling in his own way that he was not going to knock. Finally, Natalie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Braver of the two sexes indeed"

She knocked on the door just as she heard Irvine quip back "yea, but we also know when its suicide to do something" Natalie shook her head and waited. Finally the door opened to reveal a tired and haggard Rinoa. Her eyes slowly and stared at Natalie sleepily, then widened her eyes in horror as she saw her three companions, accompanied by a gasp. She immediately tried to close the door, but Natalie stopped her and pushed the door back open.

Rinoa was panicking. She had already backed herself into the far corner of the room away from the four, and had curled into a fetal position. Her voice was hoarse and shrill as she spoke. "Natalie, what is he doing here?"

Natalie moved to try to comfort Rinoa, but a flash in her eyes made her stop. Did I just imagine that? It looked like her pupils turned gold for a moment. Natalie backed off a step and slowly raised her hands in a sign of friendship. "Rinoa we're only here to see if you want some dinner, nothing more. We want... no I want you to interact a bit more and no matter what, these are your friends. "

Rinoa's head shook back and forth rapidly. "No," she whispered, "Please... go."

Squall looked at Rinoa for a moment with desire deep within his soul. It pushed him to speak up, something which he certainly was not good at and something which he certainly did not plan to do while he was here. "Rinoa, please, were not asking anything besides you come to dinner with us. I..." Squall remembered something that Rinoa said right before she left. "... I would appreciate it if you would spend some time with me."

Rinoa looked up at him. Recognition filled her eyes and Squall knew that she connected those words to three years ago. Rinoa looked at him with tears threatening to still over. She seemed ready to acquiesce and go with them, but then she looked down and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't"

Natalie stepped forward "Rinoa, please, just come with us and try to have fun. I know you and Squall..." Natalie stopped cold. Rinoa had looked up with anger gleaming in her eyes. Except her eyes were not the soft chocolate brown eyes that he knew, the ones he had seen love and caring in three years ago. They had turned an angry, violent gold and were staring with vitriol at Squall.

Shiva's voice quickly arose with concern. Master, the sorceress is not stable!

Squall's mind almost shouted back at her. THANK you for the observation!

Shiva snapped back at him. Don't take that tone with me human. Get out of there before she looses control!

Natalie saw this also, and gasped, covering her mouth and taking a step back in shock. I didn't imagine it before! What the hell is that?! She looked to Irvine and Zell who both had looks of horror mixed with worry written on their faces. Natalie turned back to her music partner just in time for her to start yelling. "Squall get out! Get out of here now!" Her voice turned shrill as she continued to yell and her hair started to frizz slightly.

Squall could see the power radiating off Rinoa. He had no idea that others could not, but even if he did, he would not care about that. He knew that her sorceress powers, never really fully controlled were getting the better of her now. He also knew she had been without her knight for three years. The stakes were now a lot higher and deadlier and he needed to calm her down fast. "Rinoa, just... please... calm down okay? We are going to leave, but you need to..."

Squall never finished his sentence as Rinoa raised her hand. DAMN! Squall rushed to erect a Shell spell to protect him but was only partially successful before an orange fireball appeared in her hand and rushed at him. Squall was knocked back stunned. Her powers were much stronger since last time she had cast something in his presence. Shiva! Help! I need...

Squall's mental cry for help was cut off as he was hit by a literal whirlwind which knocked him off balance and then an invisible hand which knocked him backwards almost unimaginably quickly. Before he could have another conscious thought, he slammed head first into the wall behind him and stars exploded in front of his eyes before darkness took him.

Irvine was as shocked as anybody else in the room as the first fireball flew from Rinoa's hand. By the second Aero spell he was running towards Squall and casting his own protect spell. He felt it course to life in front of him completely as he shouted for Zell to get Natalie out of the room.

Zell for his part once Irvine shouted his order was in motion immediately. He was a trained SeeD and he had trained to unfreeze his mind in dire situations. He was forward casting his own Shell spell and grabbed Natalie, pulling her behind him. Just in time too, for a Thundaga spell more powerful than he had ever felt slammed into his shield and almost knocked him off his feet. The feedback in his mind from the damage whitened his vision for a split second, but that was enough to stop him completely.

Natalie stood in total shock at the events, but when Zell grabbed her arm, it snapped her partly out of her daze. She grabbed Zell and pulled her out the door as he recovered from the hit. Whether by luck or misfortune, Rinoa's assaults did not seek Zell again, instead concentrating on Irvine. The air grew cold as Rinoa raise her hand again, and light tendrils of frost flowed from her hand to his feet, then jagged ice shards flew up from the ground and straight at him, smashing into his shield and knocking him against the wall with the sheer force of the attack. Irvine was up again almost instantly and grabbed Squall with one hand while using his other hand held in front of him to help him concentrate on keeping the shield.

Suddenly, the room darkened, and a large bubble appeared while flashing painfully bright colors all around in his eyes marking the cast of an Ultima spell. Every nerve ending in Irvine's body flared with pain, indicating the attack was not blocked completely. He staggered back from the blow and felt his shield slipping. Irvine knew he was finished. One more spell and his shield was gone. He was not long in waiting, as another Thundaga hit him. Irvine winced, waiting for the end.

It came in a very unexpected way. Irvine felt an arm wrap around his neck and pull him, and the tell-tell feel of another Shell spell. The next attack, another Fire spell, hit the defensive spell and was absorbed as Irvine collected himself and quickly dragged Squall out the door. He found his savoir to be Zell, who had safely gotten Natalie away, then come back for him, and now was shutting the door as a thump was heard on it.

The three retreated into the elevator, carrying a still unconscious Squall with them and the door shut and headed down to the 10th floor. No one spoke until they were all back inside their defense cordon and in Natalie's Room. Irvine cast a cure spell on Squall, and as the blue lights flickered around his body, Natalie's mind returned and she blew up. "What the HELL was that?! What the HELL just happened?!"

Zell was first to answer. "Natalie, just calm down, okay? That was nothing you need to know about."

Natalie's jaw dropped "'Nothing I need to know about'?! Rinoa just attacked us using magic!"

Irvine finally entered the conversation. "Okay, Natalie, you want to know? Here it is. Rinoa is a sorceress." Silence pervaded in the room as Natalie's face flickered with emotion.

"A Sorceress?"

Irvine nodded. "Apparently, an unstable one at that. "

Natalie looked to Squall. "And her knight..."

Irvine nodded. "Yes, Squall is her knight, and she just attacked him. She is showing signs of loosing control. We might have to..." He stopped as a lump formed in his mouth.

Natalie's face grew in horror. "No... she is your friend!"

Now it was Irvine's time to blow up. "You think I don't know that?! But our comfort is nothing compared to if another rogue sorceress comes around and starts a third war! As SeeD's our overriding duty is to watch for sorceresses who are succumbing to their powers. It supersedes all other things, including our current mission. If we can't get control of her, we will have to terminate her."

Authors notes: this chapter had to be edited for language unfortunately, because i chose PG-13 and want to keep that. Those spells were hard to bring into story form, especially shell, since it doesnt actually stop all damage in the game. I see that damage as feedback of magic hitting magic in the shell caster's mind. Also, I added a Telekenesys spell for Rinoa, thats how she shoved Squall into the wall. More story comming ASAP.

To my reviewers: I thank you all for reviewing my story. Im glad to see some people reviewing regularly, that makes me feel good that people are following the story and encourages me to keep writing (for when my beta readers' stranglings arent working)

DreamCherry66: sleep and read my story at more normal times lol

lady-rinoa and Dive to Blue: I think that you should just wait and read... i might not do either ;)
also, i am not creative enough to come up with names for each chapter. making the name of this story was alot of brain hurt already. For the next story, since it is going to be more action oriented, i will have quotes from various books that add flavor to it.

Lastly, it is confirmed, this story is going to stretch to about 20 chapters, and encompass the second story i was planning into it. the above mentioned story was going to be the third one, and will be moved (obviously) to the #2 spot.