A/N: Going to keep this short and sweet, it's an update a long one for me! That's it.
Oh and thanks to everyone whose been reviewing even if you do come across as hyperactive sugar addicts not that I'll mention anyone, #cough, cough# Lady-Rinoa #cough#
"Set a perimeter around the mansion, I don't want anyone getting in or out with out my permission." Squall flicked his wrist while pointing his index finger to silently spread the SeeDs that had been issued to them via the garden. "Anyone in there finds Seifer don't try to take him on, call for me. I've a feeling it's me he wants anyway."
"Squall I can't . . ." Laguna's hand rested on his son's shoulder and was promptly shaken off as Squall broke into Laguna's sentence.
"You don't have a choice dad, this is my job. Seifer will kill every SeeD he comes across until he reaches me, that could include you guys too. As commander that's casualties I can't afford to make." Kiros pulled Laguna back.
"You should listen to him; it's what they train them for, it's what they trained him for."
"He's my son." Ward looked sympathetically to Laguna but then sternly as thought trying to speak through his eyes. "Your right Ward," Laguna dropped his head, "He knows what he's doing we just have to make sure we keep the Galbadian troops at bay." When he looked up his face was filled with determination. "And we will!" Ward nodded his head and sternly made his way the entrance knocking out the two guards on duty with one swing of his weapon. Signalling for the others to follow. Kiros rolled his eyes as Ward and himself were guided through the mass of corridors by Laguna.
"Great we're being guided through a maze by the world's biggest moron. I can see this ending well." Kiros mocked as they stalked down the hall.
Squall had insisted that everyone was to operate in groups of three. In which two less experienced SeeDs would be accompanied by one of his friends or a more experienced SeeD. He had been the only exception to the rule wandering the halls alone. As he roamed the halls he was surprised that he had yet to reach any form of resistance. Probably wants to save all the fun for himself. Squall warned as he continued up a flight of stairs. He let his fingers run over the scar on his face as he swept some hair from his eyes. A reminder of how much anger both held for each other. He couldn't remember why they'd been fighting no matter how much he wanted to it was like the memory had just vanished. Selphie had explained that it could be a consequence of the GF's they used but Squall never paid much attention. Maybe I should have she might have been able to help me remember something. She might have made sense of all this!
Rinoa was beginning to get sick of being locked away in her father's study. It wasn't just that though, she could hear people moving below her, hear the sound of guns. She wasn't set on the idea of being the damsel in distress; in fact it was the last thing she wanted to be, she wanted to be out there helping her friends, helping Squall. She stared at the floor as though it held some deep secret before glancing to the door. She focused on the door, trying to recall a trick Edea had shown her at the orphanage. Once she had remembered the necessary information she hesitantly approached the door. She was fearful of many of her powers but this one in particular scared her the most, if she lost concentration it would ultimately take her life along with the possibility of her severing a limb in the process.
She reached out to the door with a shaking hand, she watched carefully as the fingers on one hand passed through the door, it rippled like water as she pulled her hand back clutching it to her chest. "Its stay here or at the very least die trying to get out." She warned herself as she reached for the door once more. Her hand lead the rest of her body through the door and she squeezed her eyes shut trying desperately not to materialise while any part of her body was still passing through the door. It rippled around her body as she disappeared from inside the room and materialised right next to the guard. "Y- yo-you!" The guard stuttered as she smiled while he stared at the demonic eyes that did not belong to her.
"Boo!" She whispered next to his ear he jumped and pointed his gun at her and she smirked. "A gun against a sorceress? Is that really a good idea?"
"I-I-I'll s-shot!" He stuttered the warning and she kicked her fingers watching him slump to the floor in a deep sleep.
"No, I don't think you will!" She stated as she snatched the swipe card from his belt. Picking up her dress she began to run for what she remembered as the nearest stair case. She stopped quickly, something felt different. Glancing around the hall she noticed the bangle from her wrist.
"Maybe I short circuited it when I went through the door," She thought out loud, "then again maybe I just passed through that as well as the door." She glared at the piece of jewellery. Lifting it with her thoughts she sent it flying at the far wall, she watched in satisfaction as the gems shattered on contact and the hinges that held it together collapsed in opposite directions. Turning quickly on her heal knowing that Seifer was probably already aware of the fact that she had made it out of her prison she ran down the stairs at the fastest speed she could muster in the ridiculous clothing. She felt her body fall through the air as she ran into the figure stalking up the stairs in the shadows.
Squall rubbed his head as he stood up after running into what had looked like a blur of white and lace. The figure fought with the clothes, trying to find their way back to their feet. He approached with his gunblade held low and behind him, ready for a powerful swing. He almost dropped it at the sight before him; Rinoa sat on the floor glaring up at him while blowing part of her fringe out of her face. Immediately he dropped to his knees, keeping the blade within reach should danger approach them. He held her chin in a gloved hand as he studied any visible skin for cuts or bruising. "Rin?" She face shot up immediately at the name he had affectionately called her as a small boy.
"Squall?" She threw her arms around his neck and clung on for life, "I thought I was going to die in here."
"Shh, I'm here now. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again, I promise." He whispered as he returned the embrace.
"How adorable!" Mocked Seifer from the top of the stairs, his blade held high as he stared down on the couple. "I do believe you're holding onto something that belongs to me Squall." Squall looked questioningly to Rinoa as she sank firmly into his grip; fear filled her face as she struggled to get some kind of footing under her clothing. Squall stopped to look at her clothes. She's dressed for a wedding, her wedding. What's going on here?
"Just give me Rinoa and I will call off the Galbadian troops." Squall rose to his feet picking up his blade in the process.
"That would defeat the point of us being here, let us take Rinoa and we'll leave you be." He said as he steadily climbed the stairs trying not to further upset the man at the top.
"You just want her for yourself; you never did learn to share. Not Ellone and definitely not Rinoa." Squall looked between the two with confusion. Rinoa kept her eyes to the ground, too ashamed to let Squall see the power the witch still had over her and of the memories she had kept from him. "Of course you wouldn't remember any of that would you? What with those GF's and all?"
"What are you talking about Seifer?" Squall tried not to let his confusion and curiosity get the better of him as he came ever closer to his rival.
"You mean you don't remember the orphanage? Not even all your little SeeD friends? Not even the pretty little sorceress that came to learn to control her powers there?"
"Seifer stop it!" Rinoa's screams seemed ignored by the confident man.
"You really mean to tell me Squall that you don't remember what we were fighting about that day in the Garden?" Seifer laughed manically at the confused teen before him.
"Squall please, don't listen to him!" Rinoa continued to scream at the pair from her position on the stairs. She jumped with fear as Seifer wrapped his arms around Squall and pinned him with his gunblade.
"Now Rinoa, you are going to co-operate or I will cut off Squall's head." He pressed down on the soft skin beneath the blade making his threat all the more real as a drop of blood ran down Squall's chest. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious Squall would you? Would you?"
"No." she whispered as she lowered her head once more.
"Seifer Almasy! Release my son and drop your weapon or I will be forced to shoot." Laguna shouted from Seifer's left as Kiros and Ward guarded the hallway behind them.
"Would you still shoot if I used your son as a shield?"
"I'm not aiming for your chest Seifer I'm aiming for your head. You're threatening the life of one of the most beloved and respectable militia figures of the world, you are permitting your own death." Rinoa watched with curiosity as Seifer began to panic, it wasn't noticeable on his confident character but she could sense it. It fuelled his demeanour, filling his every word; every breath shook as it escaped his mouth. She could feel the air around him vibrating with the tremors that shook his body. Tremors that Squall could feel every time the blade scraped against his skin.
"Laguna stand down." She stated as she moved in a motion that could only be described as graceful glides rather than walking. Her hand signalled Laguna to lower his weapon as she approached.
"He's going to kill Squall!" Laguna protested.
"No, your not are you Seifer? You don't know what you're going to do; you're just a lost little boy." She reached the top of the stairs and stood firmly in front of the pair.
"I'm not a boy!" He spoke as he backed away from her.
"What are you going to do? Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide."
"I didn't ask for this? I can't make that decision!"
"The boy in you is telling you to come but the adult is telling you to back off."
"I'm not a boy! I-I just, I . . . can't do this!"
"You can't make up your mind because you don't know the right answer. You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament. . ." She held out her hand her fingertips reaching past Squall and for his cheek. She leant over Squall to whisper in Seifer's ear, ". . . so do I."
"I can't go back now. I can't go anywhere!"
"Going forwards in the direction we are telling you is the only choice you have left Seifer." Her voice grew threatening as she kept her body against Squall's, her unseen hand tightly gripping his making them feel inseparable, while her eyes never met his and he had still to learn of the demon she was fighting inside.
"All the sorceresses will be one! It is Ultimecia's wish! And I am the knight that will fulfil that wish!"
