The gates had been magically opened for them and none could deny the fear they felt, knowing that Ultimecia wanted them inside her castle. For what had felt like an eternity they had wandered the palace looking for any room that could lead them to Ultimecia. They had decided against splitting up as it would weaken their forces and give Ultimecia the opening she needed. As they wander towards grand doors with ornate carvings and gold detailing Rinoa stopped behind her friends. She could have sworn she had felt the ground shaking. She turned steadily at the sound of a deep moan that the others had shrugged off as just the sound of an old run down castle. She shuddered as she felt the floor shake again only more violently as if something were approaching them. "Rinoa?" Squall was the first to notice that she had stopped not far behind them.

"Something's coming." She tried to keep the fear from creeping into her voice as the floor shook once more, this time catching the attention of her friends. The sound that had earlier sounded like moaning now sounded like a ferocious roar. Squall ran to her and grabbed her hand trying to pull her away. "We can't run . . . it's another test."

"We can't beat something that big, whatever it is it'll have to wait."

"Then we break the rules. We fight together, all six of us. No more teams just one big fighting force." Rinoa argued as the enormous monster appeared before them. A human body was host to the dark fur and head of a ferocious lion.

"Griever . . . it's said to be the most powerful GF." Squall muttered as it approached them. They all swallowed the lumps in their throats as they prepared to fight together.

"Let me show you the real power of the GF." Its voice roared as they entered the fight.

"Quistis you use blue magic right?" Rinoa asked as she prepared to cast a spell.

"Yeah." Quistis was quick to answer as she awaited the spell.

"Cast mighty guard!" Rinoa yelled as she immediately cast Aura on the girl. As Quistis cast her blue magic their speed and defences quickly rose while they found themselves floated just off the floor. Selphie cast triple onto Irvine who then proceeded to cast Aura onto Zell, Squall and himself. Selphie and Rinoa glanced between one another.

"We're the best with magic, we'll keep everyone alive." Selphie instructed as Zell and Irvine launched into their limit breaks. Both Selphie and Rinoa were soon ready to attack and they nodded their heads as they cast meltdown together. Rinoa used her advanced skills to combine the two separate spells into a stronger single spell. A purple tinge appeared to resonate from the GF's body after their attack. Squall had skilfully awaited for them to cast the spell before unleashing his limit break to do the maximum damage on each consecutive hit, it even allowed his lion heart to do more damage than usual. The GF let out a sharp roar in pain from their constant attacks.

"Griever will make you bleed!" He yelled as he performed his GF attack, shockwave pulsar. The attack easily reduced the health of all fighting against him. Zell and Irvine struggled to their feet to perform weakened versions of their limit breaks. Selphie leapt towards Squall who had taken the brunt of the damage and cast a curative spell. "We can't heal them one at a time; it'll attack before we've healed them all."

"I've got this." Rinoa told her as she stepped forwards and spread her curative spell over all of her friends and watched as they returned to full health. "Selph, you have to use your limit breaks to heal them, I'll do everything I can to support you all."

"But Rin . . ."

"No buts!" She ordered as the boys continued to use their limit breaks and Quistis checked her selection of blue magic for any useful spells.

"Wait that last move he did, I know that one!" Quistis shouted above the noise of Irvine's rapid firing.

"Is it none elemental?" Squall yelled back as he prepared for his next round of attacks, green orbs of magic floated around them as Rinoa and Selphie continued to heal the party.

"I think so . . ."

"Then cast it!" Squall yelled as he ran towards the beast. Quistis waited for Squall's attacks to finish before she cast the spell. The GF was knocked back with a force equal to the one he had used. Her spell was aimed perfectly and Griever staggered away from them as he let out a sharp cry of pain.

"Ultimecia, I cannot fail you . . ." He moaned as he crashed to the floor, struggling to hold himself up. The friends stood as if frozen on the spot, each desperately wanted to run away but they couldn't. They couldn't abandon anyone one. ". . . The sorceress . . . must . . . fetch . . . the sorceress . . ." He mumbled as he dragged his body towards Rinoa, while his grey, feathery wings began to beat steadily.

"Didn't we pass with flying colours? Now we have to sacrifice Rinoa?" Irvine asked in an angry voice as they all stepped towards Rinoa.

"Rin run!" Selphie yelled as Rinoa firmly stood her ground. At first it looked as thought she was about to break into tears once more. But when she looked up from the floor her eyes held an icy glare.

"Not any more! I won't be the damsel in distress any more!" She yelled as what looked like an imploding star flew from the hand she thrust towards the GF. From the magic grew dark clouds of mist that swept around the GF. A skeletal creature crawled from the centre of the mist before raising its weapon high as it swept at Griever.

"I am true power . . . I cannot be defeated . . ." Rinoa's expression was cold and uncaring, her words were the same.

"Everything can be defeated; it's all just mind over matter. I won't be the bait and I most certainly will not be that easy." The way Rinoa spoke it was as if she were actually speaking to Ultimecia not the GF before them.

"Fine!" They jumped at the voice in their heads, was this what Rinoa could hear from the moment she was first processed? "My door is open to you." As the voice spoke the ornate doors before them creaked open. They walked into the room together studying the strange decorations around the throne room. Another gargoyle like the ones from the outer gates of the castle sat atop Ultimecia's throne. As their eyes travelled down the room they saw a woman seated below the gargoyle. She was dressed in a revealing burgundy dress with a feathered collar like the first sorceress they had fought against. Her extended, talon like nails were hidden under purple gloves. Horns like none they had ever seen on any kind of monster dominated the head piece she wore. Long straight locks of silvery hair reached past her waist. Dark black feathers shifted in a small draft drawing their eyes to her unfolded wings. Tattoos covered her body where her dress did not. Most recognisable were the dark tattoos upon her face that they had seen running down Rinoa's in the past.

Ultimecia laughed at them. "How delightful, maybe I will be able to salvage some slaves for myself after all." She turned her attention to Rinoa, for a brief moment. "So you're the little girl that caused all that hassle. Really dear, those petty little things that you call wings hardly make you woman enough to stand up to me." Rinoa's face was still cold, almost expressionless if not for the hate in her eyes. She sighed peacefully as her wings crept from her back. They were not like the time before, they were wider, each feather longer. Ultimately they were larger than Ultimecia's.

"It was never really about the wings, but if you really want to be petty." Rinoa stated as the wings were spread behind her, for a second Ultimecia looked shaken from her high horse. Squall glanced away from Ultimecia, could she know the full extent of Rinoa's powers? Was that the reason for the fear he saw in her eyes?

"Love . . . friendship . . . those petty little notions won't save you here." Ultimecia threatened as she stood from her seat.

"On the contrary . . ." Quistis began while Selphie and Rinoa join with her to finish the sentence.

". . . that's precisely what's kept us alive this long."

"Very well . . . but time will be compressed and your existence will be denied!" She warned as she charged at them.

"Here!" Irvine yelled as he cast aura onto Quistis for her to repeat her first move from their last battle.

"Sorry guys you'll have to wait for the countdown to finish before casting any spells." Selphie shrugged as she waited for her GF to appear. Rinoa silently cast Regen across the whole party as they waited for Selphie's GF. "Counter rockets." Selphie whispered as she held her arms out in front of her. A huge, three headed hound crashed through the gates of what appeared to be a graveyard before a light was emitted from them and the party found themselves able to double or triple their magic. Quistis and Irvine cast Aura so that the whole party was linked to the spell before Zell and Squall finally attacked with their most fatal finishing combinations. Ultimicia seemed angered by the physical attacks and drew the spell apocalypse from her lower body. As she attempted to cast the spell on the party she found her efforts in vain as Rinoa threw the spell back at her.

"You infuriating little pest!" Ultimecia screamed at Rinoa as the spell finished. "I shall punish you all for her disrespect! Why not reflect on your childhood as you stare death in the face?" she performed an attack she referred to as hell's judgement which reduced the health off all battling her instantly to one, except for a brave young sorceress who seemed unaffected by Ultimecia's attacks.

"My magic? My attacks . . . why won't they harm you?" Ultimecia demanded of Rinoa while the health of her friends rapidly returned to normal with the aid of selphie's limit break. Ultimecia glared down at the friends as she flicked away Selphie and Quistis. Rinoa forced herself to continue battling, knowing that the girls were already falling back towards time. Irvine managed to use his favourite ammo on the sorceress causing a volley of attacks with a devastating result. Ultimecia's anger rose once more as she threw Irvine from the battle. "You should fight under the rules you were taught." She warned as the remaining three shared a worried glance. Zell and Squall leapt into their limit breaks once more. As they finished Ultimecia cast the apocalypse spell once more, only this time she was only aiming for Squall. Rinoa watched with anger and terror as she realised Squall was being bombarded with the world's most deadly magic. As he fell to the floor his gunblade dropped to his side, crashing to the floor as it slid from his fingers.

"Squall!" She knew she was screaming his name and yet at the same time she could not hear the sound of her voice. Zell continued to fight as Rinoa stared down at Squall's lifeless form. She ran to his side lifting him from the floor.

"Stay with me . . . please . . ." Tears dropped fell from her eyes as she heard Zell fall to the ground beside her.

"See child, time will not wait for you . . . no matter how hard you hold on . . . time will always escape you." Rinoa could feel it deep inside of her, burning her insides as if a star were turning supernova inside her mind. She grabbed Squall's abandoned gunblade as she lifted herself slowly from the ground.

"No . . ." As she lifted her head her face seemed vacant of any real expression. Burning white light was growing from the orb of magic she held in her open hand. Soon the orb was floating out of her hand, rotating as the light grew. Ultimecia covered her face as the light began to blind her. Soon it engulfed them all, even Squall and Zell disappeared from view. When Ultimecia was able to look up at the light she saw Rinoa leap through it and drive Squall's blade through her chest. " . . . Hell won't wait for you!" Rinoa stated as she sharply drew back the blade and took a cautious step back. Ultimecia staggered forwards as she swept at the air, desperately grabbing out for Rinoa.

"Ugh . . . you . . ." Were the only words Ultimicia could utter as she fell towards the floor, blood flowing from her open wound.

"Yo, Rin you alright?" Zell asked as he ran to her side. "We gotta get outta here; Irvine says the whole place is beginning to fall apart. Rin come on, snap out of it!" Squall steadily stood from the ground observing the gunblade Rinoa held in her hand, blood dripped from the tip of the blade crashing against the cold stone flooring.

"Zell, go!" He commanded as he walked to Rinoa and gently removed the blade from her hand before placing it in its sheath. He followed Rinoa's gaze to Ultimecia who lay sprawled across the floor. "Rinoa, we need to leave." He said softly as he took her hand. She shook herself free of the spell and looked up to him.

". . . Ok . . ." She whispered as they began to run back towards the castle entrance. They soon caught up with everyone else before they heard a loud scream just behind them. They began to speed up to escape the horrors of the castle while Rinoa slowed to glance over her shoulder. She was shocked to see Ultimecia heading straight for them.

"Time will not wait!" She screamed as she flew at an incredible speed towards the friends. She stopped unexpectedly, falling to the floor as she hit a magical barrier. Pink and purple hues washed out over the barrier like the ripples made in water when a drop hits the surface.

"No!" Rinoa said in a commanding voice as she held the barrier firmly in place while Ultimecia threw a volley of spells at it. The noise made by the spell's alerted Squall and he looked back as he ran from the collapsing castle. One thought ran through his mind, where's Rinoa? As he searched through the falling debris he saw her holding Ultimecia's dying form back with the powerful spell.

"Get out of here, don't worry about me!" He ordered to the others as he turned back. Irvine had to forcefully guide the others out as they tried to run after Squall.

"Please just go Squall!" she screamed as he began to run back towards her.

"Rinoa I can't leave you here . . ." she tightly shut her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Please Squall; I can't see you get hurt it would destroy me." He thrust his arm to the side with raw emotion.

"And I can't see you hurt, please Rinoa just . . . don't be a Marta!" He took her face in his hands and she bit on her lip in a vain effort to stop the tears. "Rinoa just come with me, she won't escape this castle, regardless of whether you hold her here or not. Please just don't die here with her." Sobs shook her body as she moved towards Squall; she closed her eyes to hide the emotion she felt within from his very touch. He leant towards her and placed a small kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away he rested their foreheads together. "Rinoa I promise to do everything that I can to protect you from the world. Even if the world turns against you I will always be your knight!"

"I can't . . ."

"Don't, don't say anything. Just trust me. Please Rinoa; let me help you with your burden." She fell against his body as the tears overwhelmed her; she slowly nodded her head in agreement. He quickly took her hand in his own and began to run with her to avoid being crushed.


As they dived through the portal Rinoa had opened earlier they found themselves floating in time, moving further towards their rightful place. Irvine spun himself round so his feet guided the rest of his body in the right direction. "Let's go back . . . let's go home." He said smiling with the warm feeling he felt inside at the idea.

"Shut up!" Zell commanded as he shut his eyes tightly trying to imagine the place he was travelling to. "I gotta concentrate yo . . . need to calm down and think about where I'm going." Some of the friends smiled at Zell's attitude aware that he was no different to the Zell they met in the orphanage.

"He's right though, we should be careful not to pick the wrong time." Selphie warned as they began to see familiar images but ones that did not belong to their own time.

"If we did that we might fall into some kind of time warp with no way to get home." Quistis warned and some of the friends moaned and rolled their eyes at her negative warning.

"Yo Quistis . . . not helping!" Zell pointed out as he tried even harder to concentrate.

Rinoa fell slowly behind the others. "Where do I want to go?" she asked herself as she fell. "Who do I want to be with?" She smiled at the question, "Well I know the answer to that one!" she reminded herself as she slowed even more in her decent. "The flower field . . . I should go there . . . like I promised." She looked around her for Squall as the others fell through time towards one central point. Panic plagued her mind. Squall? Squall where was Squall?


Squall studied the area around him, the orphanage? How had he ended up here? And why was it was still intact? As he looked carefully around the area he saw a small boy rush past him in a blur, matron was following, walking towards him. "Squall!" She called after the boy, raising her pace as she spotted the young man. "I'm sorry, have you seen a small boy in an orange t-shirt?" Squall smile despite himself as he vaguely remembered this day.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about I doubt he'll have gone far." Matron smiled.

"Yes I suppose your right . . . poor thing he's been through so much." As they exchanged smiles Ultimecia appeared between them in a cloud of deep purple hues. Squall instinctively drew his blade to protect them.

"You can't be alive . . ." He stated with shock.

". . . A sorceress . . ." Edea seemed to speak the words to herself more than anyone else. Ultimecia's movements were jumpy as she waved from side to side while she walked.

"Stand back Matron!" He put himself between Edea and Ultimecia. "I thought we had defeated her . . . maybe I was wrong." Edea rested her hand on his arm as she stepped up beside him before walking towards the sorceress.

"It's alright; she just wants to pass on her powers so that she may die in peace. I am a sorceress too. I would not wish it upon any of the children to receive these powers, I shall take them." Squall unsurely put his gunblade away before purple lightening seemed to be exchanged between the pair and Edea fell to her knees as Ultimecia disappeared from before their eyes.

"Matron!" He ran to her side to help her back to her feet.

"Is it over?"

"I think so." She looked shaken for a moment before she spoke.

"You keep calling me matron, who are you?" He looked away unsure if he should tell the truth.

"I'm a SeeD; in the future we're based in Garden's like the one in Balamb. We're mercenaries hired throughout the world to protect people."

"A SeeD?" She asked curiously.

"SeeD, Garden they were all your ideas. The Garden trains SeeDs and SeeDs are trained to kill the sorceress." She gasped.

"You cannot stay here. You say you are from the future, you do not belong." Before either could say anymore a small boy in an orange t-shirt ran over to Edea.

"I can't find sis . . . am I alone? Who's he?" He looked up to Squall who smiled briefly at him.

"Nobody, you don't need to know. We only permit this Squall here." She rested her hand on the boy's shoulder as she spoke to signal that she meant him. She turned her attention back to Squall, "Do you know how to get back? And where you're going?" He stood and saluted her before nodding his head.

"Yes matron."

"Then go." As she spoke her words he saw himself falling back towards his time. But even as he fell he was still unsure of exactly what it was he was looking for or where and with whom he really belonged. The last words he heard were Rinoa's.

"Squall? Where are you going? Squall I can't see you anymore! Where are you?"


AN: You lucky, lucky people not only will I be posting this really HUGE chapter but I will also be post the next one straight after this!

As always thanks to everyone that's been reviewing this story.