A/N: Oops! I forgot to put on an autor note so i'm just doing this very quickly as a concequence i can't name any who may have reviewed alreadyso ill just say a general thank you and tell you to enjoy the chapter.
"You don't need me for this!"
"On the contrary Rinoa I need you so much. I wished for this you know." She eyed him worriedly from her seat, playing with the ring on her chain. The only memory he hasn't tried to steal. "How's that for you? My wish was answered, I have power and soon I will have all the power and beauty in this world for my own."
"I might end up yours in name but I will never be yours in spirit or soul." He raised his hand to strike her face but was stopped when a guard rushed into the room. His face twisted into a bitter frown as he turned to stare at the soldier. Rinoa couldn't help but breathe a heavy sigh of relief as his hand was dropped to his side.
"Sir, I think you might want to hear this." Seifer clenched his fists.
"I told you I was not to be disturbed at all," He smirked with satisfaction as he gripped Rinoa's chin in his hand. She closed her eyes trying not to look into the blue depths that haunted her, "This marriage will be consummated, before or after I don't mind which."
"But Sir the Ragnarok is on its way, for the lady."
"Sorceress, you idiot! Not lady, sorceress."
"Ri-right sir, sorceress." The soldier stammered as he shakily lifted his hand to salute Seifer. Rinoa looked with sadness in her eyes as she watched the soldier leave, still shaking.
"That was cruel, how can you expect to be loved?"
"I thought you would approve of the mistreatment of army persons, you do hate the army right?"
"Persons? Their people Seifer you can't treat people like that! At least my father realised that much."
"Your father was weak; he could have had so much more."
"My father was a perfectly moral and strong man. At least he wasn't running round like a lost child, because that's all you are Seifer just a lost little boy!"
"I am not a boy!" He clenched his fists and called for Rinoa's escorts to accompany her to her father's room and dress her for their wedding. "I'm moving it forwards Rinoa, can't have those silly SeeDs destroying our happiness. Especially not Squall."
She glared at him as she was dragged away by the escorts a gun held to her as always.
"Arrival time estimated at 20:05, Sir." Selphie's personality seemed to reverse as she flew the spaceship on its course. The bubbly and hyperactive girl was replaced by a serious and focused individual; even Squall was impressed by how much she had learnt to control her emotions on missions. Not long after they had both passed their tests they had been assigned a mission together, along with Zell, she had been so vulnerable so unfocused the change was a signal of her growth. Even Zell had matured some what, but his love of hot dogs and his temper still got the better of him from time to time. "Sir?" Selphie's voice woke him from his day dreaming.
"I'm sorry Selphie, please repeat."
"I said, might we really have to kill Rinoa?"
"I don't know." Kill Rinoa? Could I do that if I had to? It would have to be by my hand, I'm commander it's my job to take charge of these situations. My job . . .
"I should hope we don't have to." Ellone stepped out of the shadowed area she had hidden in.
"Ellone? You have to stop doing that!" Laguna nagged as he looked at the approaching girl.
"Its ok uncle Laguna, Dr. Odine has issued me with some instructions on how to help Rinoa with out killing her." Squall tried not to show how happy he was, he kept his smile hidden under a stern expression, yet his eyes glistened with the joy Ellone's words brought. "Time compression." Laguna frowned at the phrase.
"But Odine told me that's what the future sorceress wants to achieve."
"It is but . . ."
"He said it would be a world that only that sorceress would be able to survive in."
"Uncle Laguna, everyone, please just listen to me. Odine believes that if Rinoa and I use our powers together then we can trigger the time compression before the sorceress can do it, through me. This should allow us all to stay together, alive. Odine also said that Rinoa would know how to guide you all to the correct time with out anyone becoming lost in time itself."
"How?" Squall broke into Ellone's lecture.
"The past knowledge trapped in every sorceress, all she needs it the activation of time compression to trigger the memories. Odine said 'holding on' would be the key."
"I don't know about this Ellone you haven't used your powers for a while now, and even if they do all defeat this sorceress how will they get home?" Laguna's concern for both his children was apparent in his words.
"Ellone's the key, right?" Squall appeared to understand more than most of the others who were still trying to get their heads around the idea. "You what's meant to be our way back?" She smiled at her little brother seeing how much he had and could adapt to any situation the words, 'good ol', dependable Squall' sprung to mind.
"Yes, so long as I stay connected to Rinoa you'll all be safe. But when the sorceress is killed it should stop time compression and make everything go back to normal, just follow Rinoa's instructions she knows more than she thinks. Even if our link is severed at the first stage she should be able to help you all back safely."
Rinoa looked at herself in the mirror her eyes sad and heavy, she couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in her ball gown styled wedding gown. "How can I look so beautiful on the worst day of my life?" She whispered it, not intending it to be for the ears of any but herself.
"I think you mean the best day, mam." She smiled weakly as the personal servant pinned on her tiara.
"Right, how could I be so silly?" She held back a bitter laugh as she watched the veil hide her long curled locks of raven hair.
"Do you want the veil over your face?"
"No, I want to see what's coming. I want to see what awaits me on the other side. I want him to look me right in the eye as he makes me do this and I want him to see hell staring back!" She snatched her gloves as the dressmaker fussed over her more than was necessary. Long white lace covered her creamy skin as she pulled them up to her elbows. Rinoa looked up to the mirror again, not at all shocked to find the yellow cat like eyes staring back instead of her own. These were her pain. It was how she knew she was never really alone. Her eyes had never changed back after her 'abduction' from Esther, just as the witch had never left her mind.
"So your Julia's daughter?" Rinoa only glanced to her from the corner of her eye. "It's not hard to see why you're so pretty considering that. Do you sound like her?" Rinoa avoided the dressmaker's eyes.
"You mean my singing voice don't you?" Rinoa kept her voice low and her eyes out of sight. The woman nodded her head vigorously. "I don't sound anything like her."
"Oh." The woman seemed upset. "It's just that your mother's song was, is my favourite. Well I'll just go and get your flowers sorted out. I'll be back soon."
Rinoa glanced to the door as she heard the woman walking away. She hated her already, too lively, too oblivious to notice that Rinoa wasn't doing this out of good spirit or free will. Poking her nose into my life, asking if I sound like my mother. What did she want me to do? Sing her a lullaby? Does anyone ever stop to think how much that hurts? I don't care how my voice sounds; it's never the same as her singing me to sleep. Rinoa's bitter mood seemed to change to a saddened and downhearted one as she lowered herself into her dresser stool. She played with the red roses sat on the dresser in a vase with a frosted glass finish. As she picked a rose out of the vase she began to hum unknowingly to herself as she plucked off the petals.
She continued to pluck off the petals one by one unaware that the dressmaker had entered the room again. Her humming gradually changed to a whispered song as she reached the last petal. It was only the sound of the flowers in the woman's hands falling to the floor that awoke Rinoa from her daydream, making her grip the rose's stem harder than she had intended, the thorns piercing the skin on her palm. The pain of the thorn made her drop the flower as the woman picked up the shower of white roses scattered on the floor. She secretly glanced to her hand as the wound trigger the white magic to automatically heal it. "Your voice . . . . ." Trailed off the woman as she rose to her feet with the mess of flowers in hand.
"What?" Rinoa demanded as she glared at the woman, feeling slightly violated by the woman sneaking up on her
"It's like listening to an angel."
Squall frowned as a familiar sound made its way into his mind. A song he had not heard sung for years, since he was just a boy, before he even set foot in Balamb Garden. He was sure he could not have been the only one to hear the sound, yet as looked around the ship no-one else looked like they had heard any song, let alone the same one as him. Rinoa's knight? How would I feel about that? He covered his mouth with his hand as he became lost in thought. Do I just get chosen by Rinoa? Or do we talk about it and come to an agreement? There's so much I don't understand? I don't know what to do? I might end up as her knight; I'd have to protect her from the world but would I have to protect the world from her too? There are so many questions, why doesn't anyone have the answers?
"Squall you should talk about your feelings, it might help you face what lies ahead." Quistis did not approach him to speak she just looked to him from her seat. "I'm sure it's what Rinoa would have told you." He looked at the floor, glancing to Quistis as she waited for his answer.
"How do you know what Rinoa would tell me? You never even tried to talk to her! I think its best Quistis if you keep your opinion to yourself, I think . . . I think its best if we all do, that is until this is all over. Then I'm sure I won't be the only one who wants some questions answering." Squall's voice was not filled with anger nor was it harsh just stern as a commander's should be. He demanded respect without emotion clouding the meaning of his words. He was as a commander should be demanding respect even from something as small as the way he walked to the way he inspired his troops, but could he really fit the part of a Sorceress's knight? That would just have to be answered at another time as the ship rocked, landing directly opposite the mansion.
