Okay, okay, okay. I know what you guys are thinking. You're still in shock about the ending of the last chapter right? I can see some of you guys now: staring, bug-eyed at the screen with the classic "What the #$!" look. Right? I thought so. But hey, don't go anywhere just yet. I'm not done. There is WAY more to this than you guys think! I just love slow and painful torture! Hehe!

Disclaimer: I own none of the Final Fantasy VIII characters, places, or ideas. I own Rianna, Seifer's daughter, Odine's non-French accent, and a few other trifles.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Powerful Deception

"I can expect you to do this right?" Rianna asked of a hooded figure standing before her inside the castle. All the candles and fires had been put out. Only the moon gave little light.

"Of course. I got you this far, didn't I? Why would you stop trusting me now?" The figure crossed their arms in front of them. Their voice was feminine. Something here didn't feel right.

"True, but you still have not told me what my end of the bargain was. What is it that you want? What is my debt so I can pay it?" she demanded fiercely.

"All in due time, Rianna. All in due time. Wait until this is finished, until you have your revenge. I desire something that you cannot give me until after this is done. I can wait. I have waited this long already. A few days will not kill me." The figure turned their back to Rianna.

Rianna let out a sigh of deep aggravation. "Fine. Go and deceive them. Bring them to their knees! One by one, they will fall!" She laughed and turned to face the moon, knowing what was left to do, what stood in her way.

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"Let me go!" Rinoa screamed from her celled prison. Rianna had Odine wake up Rinoa. It was almost time for a little chat.

"Relax, my little dove. I'll let you out, maybe," Rianna smirked.

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, stepping backwards away from Rianna.

"Oh, I have plans for you." Rianna tapped a long, thin finger on one of the steel bars. "And you won't be going anywhere." She turned abruptly, her long hair whipping behind her as she did so. She walked to a thick wooden door that led to back to the main part of the castle. Rinoa dropped to her knees and moaned, her hands on either side of her head.

Moments later, Odine returned with a very scared little girl. He locked her in the cell with Rinoa.

"I'll be back for you later," he snarled at Rinoa, who tried to maintain a face of stone but her fear was causing some deep cracks. Odine left the same way he came. He left them in that cold, dark, damp cell. It was completely different from the one Rinoa had been trapped in with Quistis and Squall, and this one was even less welcoming.

Rinoa stared for a moment at the key that hung all the way on the other end of the dungeon. If only there was some way she could reach it. She knew how to get out; it was doing it that was the problem.

She then noticed the little girl that Odine had locked in here with her. The little girl had a strange resemblance to someone she knew, but Rinoa just couldn't put her finger on who. She was a very cute little girl, probably no older than four or five. She had beautiful, long blonde hair and bright, green eyes. Right now, though, they didn't look too bright but dull and scared.

"Hi," Rinoa said sweetly, "why are you here?"

"That mean lady took me from my daddy. Now daddy has to listen to that mean lady," The little girl replied, tears swelling up in her big, cute eyes.

"Oh, I see. I'm stuck here too. Rianna, that mean lady, brought me here also." Rinoa knelt down next to her.

"I wanna go home!" The tears began to run down the little girl's cute face.

"Don't cry. It'll be okay. We'll get out of here. I bet your daddy's on his way here right now to save you," Rinoa tried to cheer up the little girl.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you really think so?" she asked.

Rinoa smiled. "I really do."

To that, the little girl smiled, and she had such a happy, welcoming smile, much better than Rianna's. "I'm Nadia."

"Nice to meet you, Nadia. I'm Rinoa."

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"My lady, what do you plan to do with the other sorceress? That cell will not hold her for long." Odine asked Rianna back in the main part of the old, musty, enchanted castle. He shivered.

"She knows nothing of her powers, but keep a close watch on her until I'm ready for her. Soon, it will be time to test her true power so I can use it. But how? I need a way to drain her of her powers. I need to control her to destroy it." Rianna seemed unaware of the chilling cold.

"And what do you plan to do?" Odine asked as he followed her into the main chambre.

"Teach her. I will show her how to use her powers, so I can use her. If I can use her to call the Lion, then the world WILL be doomed!" Rianna laughed a terrible, evil laugh.

"But, my lady, to call the Lion, you need to have both Lions!" Odine squealed. Rianna turned on him.

"What do you mean?" she snapped.

"Well, to call the first Lion, you need the second one. The powerful one cannot be called without him. It is an old prophecy," Odine grinned.

"How do I obtain this second Lion?" Rianna asked, sensing a problem.

"Oh, my lady. You have nothing to fear. We have his sorceress. He will follow soon enough." A dark shadow appeared behind Odine's black, beady, little eyes.

"Perfect. Now, get the sorceress and the little girl, too. The time has come." Rianna turned and gracefully flowed over to her throne.

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Back in the dungeon, Rinoa had successfully cheered up little Nadia when Odine appeared.

"All right, ladies. Rianna would like to see you now." He unlocked the door. Rinoa slowly walked out holding Nadia's hand, but Odine grabbed her and pointed a gun at Rinoa's head. "Don't do anything stupid." He led them up an old, winding staircase to Rianna. Rinoa said nothing as he led them up. Nadia, however, shivered with fear.

"Ah, here we are!" Odine led the girls through two huge wooden doors. Rianna waited behind them.

"Sorceress Rinoa, you obviously don't realize how truly helpful you will be to me," Rianna greeted them with one of her less than welcoming smirks.

"How am I helpful to you? I am weak. You certainly don't need me," Rinoa retaliated.

"Oh, but you are. See, you don't realize the little things. You are exactly like me." Rianna walked to Rinoa.

"You hold powers within your skin that other sorceresses would die for. There are many things that you do not know about your powers."

"And what would that be? So I can silence a few people I can't stand. Nothing more," Rinoa said icily. Rianna just shook her head as she walked around Rinoa.

"My, but there is more. You possess a power stronger than any spell I could ever throw at you. The problem is, no one ever showed you how to use it. Edea was forbidden to show you. Esthar saw you as a threat. They wanted to lock you up. Do you not remember? I do. I remember it all. The Lion would have no part in having you locked away. The Second Lion, that is." Rianna slowly continued to walk around Rinoa, making her feel very uncomfortable.

"The Lion? The Second Lion? What are you talking about?" Rinoa asked.

"See! You don't even know of the two Lions! You have much to learn, much to learn."

"Why, may I ask, are you telling me this?" Rinoa was certainly becoming suspicious.

"I am going to teach you. You have a right to know of your own power. I will teach you how to call upon the most powerful being," Rianna spoke very softly now.

"Why? Why are you going to teach me this?" Rinoa gulped in fear.

"Don't you see? I need you to help me. I want to show you what you are capable of." Rianna took Rinoa by the arm and made her follow.

"What do you need help with? Aren't you powerful enough to destroy the world without Time-Compression?' Rinoa asked. Rianna was leading her to a set of doors at the far end of the chambre.

"No. Unfortunately, that is not I. There is a sorceress who could destroy the world just by lifting a finger if only she knew how," Rianna said sadly. Would this girl ever get the point?

"And who would that be?" Rinoa asked nervously.

"Why, you, of course. I want to show you how to destroy, conquer, and create. You, Sorceress Rinoa, are Hyne's true descendent." Rianna gently backed away and bowed.

"What are you saying?" Rinoa was left lost in a world that was not her own.

"Don't you get it? Hyne himself put power in you. When Edea transferred her powers to you two years ago, Hyne also gave you power. You have a connection with the Second Lion. Because of that, you are the only one who can call the Great Lion, Griever." Rianna suddenly acted nicer, and Rinoa didn't like where this was going. "You are the only sorceress who can call Griever. The True Griever. My mother could not call the True Griever. She could only call his shadow because she messed with the Second Lion's mind. That is the only reason. She found a loophole. But the problem with that is that the Second Lion has now taught himself to block out someone who tries to get into his head." Rianna continued to lead Rinoa in that direction of the doors.

"Sorceress Rinoa, will you allow me to teach you? Will you allow me to show you your true power?" Rianna faced Rinoa with a kinder expression.

"And if I refuse?" Rinoa asked quietly.

"If you refuse, I will hunt down the Second Lion and kill him. And without the Second Lion, calling the Great Lion will be impossible."

"How does that affect me?" Rinoa asked.

"Do you not know who the Second Lion is? Think about it. Who is the one person who put his foot down to conceal you? Who is the one person you trust, you love?" Rianna stared at Rinoa, a wicked smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

Only one name popped into Rinoa's mind. "Squall?"

Rianna nodded. "Yes. The Leonhart. He holds the key to unlocking Griever. Without him, total destruction or creation cannot be accomplished."

"Why do you want total destruction?" Rinoa asked.

"I don't want total destruction," Rianna lied. She changed the subject. "Come, your training begins." Rianna grabbed Rinoa by the arm again and led her away.

Rianna had Rinoa fooled.

A/N: Hey, hey, hey! So, how do you all like Miss Rianna? I love her! She's my best villain yet! He-he-he! I wonder what's going to happen? Well, let's find out, shall we? Be back soon guys! Later Days!