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Chapter Forty-One
A Very Ancient Prophecy
Squall, Laguna, Seifer, Irvine, and Zell sat at the end of the passageway waiting, listening.
"Now what?" Zell whispered.
"We wait," Seifer replied.
"For what?" Zell asked.
"Zell, if you don't shut up, I'll take my fist and shove it down your throat. Got it?" Squall snarled.
Zell covered his mouth and nodded. He wasn't about to anger Squall. He became very, very evil when angered.
They waited for a few moments.
"Guys! I hear footsteps! They're coming this way!" Irvine whispered. He was standing the farthest away from the exit, pointing behind him.
"Draw your weapons, but don't do anything unless I say so," Squall warned.
"I think I hear voices," someone said. The voice didn't sound threatening.
"Maybe it's just a rat," another voice was heard.
"Selphie! Enough with the rats! Rats are harmless!" The voices were coming closer now.
Squall motioned for everyone to relax. It sounded like it was just Quistis and Selphie.
"Ri-ii-ght! Whatever you say, Quistis!" Selphie was now visible to them. Faintly, but visible.
Squall's heart raced as he prayed silently that Rinoa was with them. He waited and watched.
"Shh!" Quistis commanded. "Guys? Are you here?" she called into the darkness.
"Yeah, Quistis. We're here," Laguna sighed. They certainly didn't listen very well. He clearly told them to leave the castle once they got Rinoa and the little girl.
"What are you doing here?" Squall snapped.
"I thought I told you to leave once you freed Rinoa and the girl?" Laguna tapped his foot impatiently.
"That's just the problem. We don't have Rinoa," Quistis said quietly. All eyes turned to Squall. He now wore a blank expression.
"And Nadia?" Seifer asked nervously.
Nadia had been hiding behind Selphie. When she heard her name, her head appeared. "Daddy?"
"Nadia!" Seifer couldn't control the excitement in his voice. He'd just never been so happy to see someone in his entire life.
Nadia quietly ran over to Seifer and into his arms where he held her tightly.
Laguna smiled briefly before he turned to Quistis and Selphie. They had a bad situation at hand.
"You have no idea where Rinoa is?" he asked the two of them.
"Well, sort of. Nadia said that Rinoa was in the same cell with her until Odine came and took them both to Rianna. Rianna then took Rinoa. All we know is that Rinoa is somewhere with Rianna. Let's just hope they're still both in the building," Quistis replied.
Squall slowly sank to the floor. It was his fault, all his fault! If only he hadn't suggested they leave the girls in Esthar, Rinoa wouldn't be gone. If only he had taken her with him. If only they hadn't gone. If only he'd been more careful. If only…
"Squall?" Laguna knelt down next to his son.
Squall looked up, and Laguna said nothing. He'd forgotten how to speak. The look of sadness in his son's eyes was heartbreaking.
Nadia pulled away from her daddy and crawled over to Squall. "I know you!" She said brightly. "Sorceress Rinoa talked about you. She said she missed you." Squall couldn't help but look at the little girl curiously. "That mean lady also said something about you. She called you the 'Second Lion' or something." Nadia shook her head, making her golden locks whip around.
"Oh! I get it now!" Seifer exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
"Get what?" Selphie asked. She sat down next to Squall on the cold, stony ground.
"What Rianna wants with Rinoa! I get it now!" He reached out and took Nadia by the shoulders.
"What?" Laguna and Irvine asked together.
"Well, it has to do with you mainly." Seifer pointed at Squall. "Rianna seeks an ancient power. A power stronger than all her powers combined."
"What's that have to do with Rinoa?" Squall asked.
"Rinoa's the one who has the power that Rianna wants. Rinoa only thinks that she's a regular sorceress, but she's not. Rinoa is the only one who can call The Lion." Seifer replied.
"The prophecy! I completely forgot about that!" Laguna exclaimed, smacking himself on the head.
"The Lion?" Irvine asked, tipping his hat up. "The prophecy? What in the Hell are you people babbling about?"
"You guys should know. You fought something like it." Seifer let go of Nadia and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Griever?" Squall asked slowly, as if unsure.
Laguna nodded. "It's a very ancient prophecy that started with the daughter of Hyne, Galliella. She was a sorceress who fell in love with a very powerful man from a very powerful family. The man was a Leonhart. When they fell for each other, their hearts became connected. When Hyne's daughter was killed by an awful mistake, Hyne blessed the Leonhart family as well as any sorceress who chooses to fall in love with one. Hyne loved his daughter and created that prophecy to honor her," Laguna answered.
"And just what is that prophecy?" Quistis asked.
"A sorceress who has a very strong connection that is both physical and mental with a member of the Leonhart family can call upon the most powerful GF ever known in existence: Griever. The True Lion," Laguna whispered.
"And there's a catch. The Second Lion has to be a true Leonhart, and he has to bear the Leonhart crest. He also has to have the same, equal connection with a sorceress." Seifer added. "The sorceress is also no ordinary sorceress. She has to have certain power in her. The true power of Hyne's daughter."
Everyone was silent until someone spoke up.
"Well, that certainly makes things a bit more, uh, interestingly difficult," Zell chuckled nervously.
Seifer rolled his eyes and continued, "Only a real descendent of Galliella can call the True Lion." Seifer looked at Laguna to finish.
"Only one other sorceress has ever been able to call the True Lion, and she didn't even call all of him, only his shadow. That sorceress was Ultimecia. She used Rinoa to call Griever, and Griever only came because he thought Rinoa was calling him. When Ultimecia possessed Rinoa, she used her to call Griever. Rinoa didn't know how to do it, and she certainly didn't know she had the power to do so. But, anyway, when Ultimecia called him, not all of Griever came," Laguna finished in a pretty raspy voice.
"So, in other words, Rinoa has ancient powers?" Squall asked, standing. Laguna nodded.
"Does she know now?" Squall asked, starting to become uneasy.
"No. Anyone who knew was forbidden to tell her. We have no idea of Griever's true powers. We can't risk it." Laguna answered.
"Rianna will probably teach her and then force her to call Griever, but it won't work," Seifer added but was cut off from saying anymore when Quistis interrupted him.
"Wait! Laguna you said anyone who knew was forbidden to tell her. Does that mean that there are people in Esthar who know of Rinoa's powers, and what they may be capable of doing?" Quistis asked rashly.
"Yes. Why?" Laguna frowned; unaware of where she was taking this.
"Well? Who knew?" She demanded.
"It was only a handful of people. Kiros and Ward knew and then there was… Oh! This can't be good!" Laguna gasped.
"Who was it?" Quistis was shaking horribly.
"Odine knew. He's the one who told me," Laguna shook his head and moaned.
"That's what I was afraid of," Quistis sighed. "I have a feeling that Rianna has been around for quite awhile and Odine's been helping her almost as long."
"What? How can you be so sure?" Selphie shrugged. She was lost, really, really lost.
"Well, how else would Rianna know who was a Leonhart and who was the sorceress with the power. Maybe there was more to the Sorceress Wars than meets the eye. I bet something was overlooked," Quistis declared.
"Who knows? We won't know unless we find Odine and Rianna." Irvine drew his hat back over his eyes.
"Seifer? You said earlier that Rianna will probably force Rinoa to call Griever but it won't work. Why?" Laguna asked, turning back to the conversation that was led a little off track.
"Ah! It won't work because the Second Lion has to be present. That's another reason why Ultimecia could only call the shadow of Griever." Seifer replied.
"What do you mean by present?" Squall asked.
Seifer shook his head. "You have to be there when it happens."
"Guys, we have to find Rinoa before Rianna realizes that Squall is here. I don't think we have much time," Quistis stood and everyone else followed.
"Good idea! Let's get going," Laguna said.
"Wait! What about Nadia?" Seifer almost shrieked.
"What about her?" Laguna cast a smile at the little girl. "Bring her along."
Seifer sighed reluctantly. He took Nadia by the hand, and they slipped out into a dark hallway. Seifer still had to show them the way.
"This way," Seifer whispered, and he led them down the great hall, down a staircase, and quietly past a bunch of suits of armor.
Within only a few minutes, they were outside the main chamber.
"Draw your weapons. We'll slip in there when everyone's ready," Seifer instructed, and everyone drew their weapons except him. He held onto Nadia's hand. "All right! Let's go!"
They burst into the room, but it was calm and quiet. Nothing was to be seen. It was just empty.
"Something's not right," Seifer said quietly. His voice still echoed, though.
"Is anything ever right?" A little figure appeared at the end of the room.
Low and behold, it was Dr. Odine.
"Odine! Where's Rianna! What's she done with Rinoa?" Seifer yelled.
Odine only shrugged. "With that tone I won't tell you anything!" he taunted.
"Why you little…" Seifer growled.
Odine silenced him. "My turn! Where's the Second Lion? Rianna has manipulated the sorceress. All she needs now is the Lion." He started to come closer.
"Why, Odine, you give me too much credit." Rianna appeared now. She held Rinoa by the arm.
"Rinoa!" Squall couldn't help his outburst.
Rinoa, in turn, gasped at the sight of her knight.
"I knew it wouldn't be long before you showed up," Rianna said icily to Squall.
"To end your reign of terror, you mean?" Squall snapped in return.
"Oh, you are a funny one!" Rianna said sarcastically, glaring at Squall with a look that suggested that she had some sort of laser vision that would cut him in half.
"My lady! We have the Lion! What do you plan to do with the others?" Odine squealed happily like this was some sort of game.
"Kill them." Rianna threw out her hands, sending dark purple sparks flying at the group that stood before her.
Everyone was thrown against a wall one by one until Squall was the only one left standing. They displayed faces of sheer pain as the sparks broke apart and became nasty ooze that started at their feet and began to rise. If it wasn't stopped, they would soon be covered by the stuff and suffocate. Unfortunately, it was rising at a quickening pace.
Rinoa could do nothing but watch in horror. Rianna had a spell on her that kept her from moving unless she directed it. If only she could break the spell. It would just be easier to pray that this was a nightmare that she would soon wake from, but that seemed very grim. She could feel the start of an unfamiliar anger that she had never experienced before building up in her blood almost like fire.
"You were the one who killed that worthless thing of a witch. Your kind has done nothing but defy me, thinking only for yourselves. I was the one who was supposed to watch her suffer. I was the one who was supposed to wield the power! I was robbed from what is rightfully mine, and I intend to take it back!" Rianna growled, her voice rising with every word. With a twist of her wrist Squall was involuntarily thrown backward a few paces. A trickle of blood ran down his face and the imprint of scratches appeared on his forehead.
Rianna took several steps forward to the edge of her little platform where she held Rinoa. Squall drew his gunblade; ignoring the pain he was experiencing. All Rinoa could do was close her eyes. She was powerless. She had let herself get into this mess. Against her own advice, she had believed Rianna, had accepted her offer.
"Unfortunately, I need you alive, but a little payback won't hurt anything. The time of your destruction is nearing, Leonhart! Your blood will be mine! I will rip your heart out with absolute enjoyment!" She let out a horrible, shrill laugh then raised her hands, nails pointed aggressively at Squall. Sparks flew out again and once more, Squall was thrown backward and more blood appeared. He clenched his teeth in pain and had to resist the urge to scream in agony. She didn't want to kill him, just send him through Hell. It was as if Rianna was sending tiny, fatal knives right through him, and he was becoming drenched in his own blood.
Rianna went too far, then. She began to attack Squall in that same manner until all you could see was the crimson red. She was trying to squeeze all the blood out of him until just enough was left to keep him barely alive. Then, she would take him.
Rinoa glared at Rianna back, ready to explode. She was filled with a renewed strength that flowed through her and gave her so much power. And like the cracking of old stone, she could feel the spell falling to pieces, freeing her.
Before Rianna knew what was happening, Rinoa had flung her across the room. A strange power had exploded from inside her and was now at her fingertips.
"Leave him alone!" Rinoa's voice was low and threatening. Her eyes held a fire behind them that were menacing enough. Her hands were crossed in front of her, fingers spread, and an unusual black power glowed from her fingers, ready at an instant.
Rianna brought herself to her feet slowly and smiled viscously. "Do it. Call him."
Rinoa shook her head. "No, I have other plans for you, Rianna." The black fire shot from her fingers and encircled the evil sorceress. Strange symbols formed a thin band that went around the circle and there were faint voices chanting a strange language. All lights went out and a strong, cold wind spun rapidly around Rianna where she was held prisoner.
"Get out, all of you!" Rinoa yelled but never broke her concentration. Her friends had been freed. Odine looked up at Rianna and tailgated his way to the nearest exit, heeding Rinoa's words of wisdom.
Everyone slowly got up and ran from the room, following Odine. Only Squall remained behind, his silver eyes questioning Rinoa. He had never seen her like this before and, frankly, he was frightened.
"I'll be fine. Just go! You have to trust me on this! Go!" She glanced down at him for a few seconds before returning to Rianna, who twisted in the black cloud. Any longer and she may be able to break from it. Rinoa had to do it now. It would be too late if she waited.
Squall obeyed and when he was safely out Rinoa began to chant along with the faint voices and they became louder. Beams of light shot through Rianna's body, shining brightly and lightening the room. Rianna let out a hollow, raging shriek of pain. Finally, she said something under her breath quite foreign to herself, and Rianna disappeared. The black cloud exploded, creating a forceful explosion, but Rinoa never moved an inch. When all was calm again, she fell to her knees. All her strength had been deprived of her. She breathed heavily and tried to find some sort of hidden force that could restore her.
The group reentered the now destroyed room. Squall ran up to Rinoa, allowing her to lean on him for support. She would be fine in a few minutes. All she needed was a few minutes.
"Rinoa? What did you do?" Irvine asked as he turned in a slow, complete circle observing the room.
Everything was destroyed, bottom line. What was once there was now shattered in a million different pieces. The candles that had lit the room were melted puddles on the stone floor. Cracks that were not there before ran up the walls. Glass covered some areas thickly. There was a strong smell of smoke and burnt metal.
Rinoa shook her head limply. "I don't know."
"Rinny, is Rianna gone? For good, I mean," Selphie asked her friend. She lightly touched her finger to the melted wax on the floor. It was freezing cold but not solid. This was definitely the use of magic. Strong, black magic.
"No," Rinoa shook her head again. "She'll be back again. I'm not exactly sure what I did. It was so strange. The fury in me powered it all, I think. I have no other reasonable explanation. She just made me so mad!" She drew in a sharp breath that burned in her lungs.
Seifer kept his distance momentarily from her and stood in the shadows. He knew she would be angry, but Nadia ran over to her.
"Rinoa! Did the mean lady hurt you?" She hugged her tightly.
Rinoa managed a weak smile. "No. Are you okay? We'd better get you to your daddy."
Nadia jumped up. "Daddy's already here!"
Seifer stepped out of his hiding place and walked over to Rinoa also.
"Hi," was all he could say as he placed a hand on Nadia's shoulder.
Squall's evil glare was back, but Rinoa just looked up at him calmly. She was too tired to be angry.
"Rinoa, I'm sorry. I had no choice. Rianna-"
She raised her hand to stop him. "It's all right. I understand."
"Let's get out of here, please. We don't know how long it'll be before Rianna comes back, and she may be stronger next time," Quistis said, trying her best to usher everyone out of the room and out of the castle. She didn't want to stay here any longer.
Everyone nodded. There were no arguments with that. Something wasn't right here. This place was too full of evil, too full of dark magic, and bad memories. There was a bad mark here that none of them wanted a part of. Squall gently helped Rinoa to her feet. She stumbled a few times but managed to raise herself.
"Are you okay?" He wrapped his arm around her waist. Blood continued to drip down his face but at a faster pace now. Rinoa was able to look at it all up close and was frightened by what she saw. She lifted a hand to touch his face but he quickly pushed it away as if he didn't want her anywhere near his wounds.
She looked away and nodded.
Back in the Ragnarok, they discussed what to do next.
"Okay, now what?" Zell asked.
"What do you want to do?" Irvine asked in return. Between the two of them, they were pretty confused.
"I think we should see Edea. Maybe she'll be able to tell us exactly what's going on. I have a feeling that there is much more to this than we think. Did you hear what Rianna said to Squall?" Laguna took a seat next to his son, patting him on the back, from which he cringed.
Squall was soaked in blood. His usually white cotton shirt was now a dark, deep red. Blood ran down his face like tears, leaving lines of crimson, sickening to the sight. He felt himself become drowsy, dizzy, from the pain and couldn't help his heavy eyes as they began to go out of focus.
"Squall! Stay awake! Don't fall asleep!" Rinoa desperately tried to keep her knight awake. He was losing too much blood. The last thing that was needed was for him to fall asleep.
She gently wiped away some of the blood and continuously tried to keep him awake. Her efforts weren't working too well. Laguna tried his best to help her, but he wasn't having much luck with it.
"We can't have him falling asleep. He could go unconscious." He shook him harshly but there was no response from him.
"You know, Rinoa, if he falls asleep, just smack him across the face one good time. That'll wake him right up!" Irvine joked. He was the only one to laugh at his own joke, which was pretty sad.
Rinoa shook her head as she bit her lower lip; a look of fear covered her face that she had no chance of hiding. Her feelings were right on her sleeve now. She was too weak to hide what she felt.
"What did she do to him?" Quistis asked handing Rinoa a wet cloth she managed to find in the First Aid Kit on board.
"Rinny, is Squall going to be okay?" Selphie asked from the pilot seat. She glanced back a few times at them. Next to her, Zell sat silently. He hadn't said a word since they left the castle.
Squall grunted a few times as he struggled to keep his own eyes open. He had hardly any control. What they wanted to do wasn't what he wanted them to do, but things were getting extremely fuzzy and unclear in his mind. Rinoa held onto him firmly, shaking him every now and then as they made their way to Edea's old orphanage.
Edea Kramer still lived in that old, stone orphanage around the Centra Ruins. The gang hadn't been there since their last adventure, but knew that it was still there with their welcoming Matron inside its crumbling walls.
"Edea, what do you think Rianna did to him?" Laguna asked moments later as they all sat in Edea's home.
Edea had tried her best to clean Squall up, but the blood just wouldn't stop. "She cast a continuous spell. He's going to continue to lose blood until someone heals him. I do not have the power to do that. This is ancient magic, magic that has not been used since those of Centra. I have not the power nor the knowledge to stop this evil at work." She said sadly.
Rinoa nearly fainted, and Selphie and Quistis had to steady her.
"What do you mean? How are we going to stop it? We can't just let it go on like this! He'll bleed to death!" Panic had risen in her voice as she shook her head furiously. She was so scared.
"Rinoa, you will have to heal him. You're probably the only one. Rianna did this to test you. She knew what you held in you, in your power. But I believe she doesn't know all that there is about what you possess. She's playing with ancient magic that was unstable. This magic has never been able to be explained. All those who wielded it hid behind the shadows of their mortality. Scientists have only found the effects of what this type of magic can do, but they've never had someone to examine who held it in their veins. This ancient magic is you, Rinoa. You know these spells. They were passed down to you through your blood. You can wield this ancient magic, and Rianna wants to know how. She's testing you and shall continue to test you." Edea gently led Rinoa to his side.
"But, I don't know how. I have no idea what to do! You must be mistaken! I got my powers from you in Galbadia! There is no way!" Rinoa tried to calm herself, but she wasn't doing too hot of a job with it.
"Calm down, dear." Edea gently stroked Rinoa's arm in a form of comfort. "You can heal him. Just put your hands over his heart." She took Rinoa's hands and placed them on Squall's chest.
"And do what?" Rinoa asked more calmly now.
"Do what you did to Rianna." Edea whispered so only Rinoa could hear her. "Think about what you need to do. Think about what is most important. But more importantly, let your heart do the healing." Edea slowly backed away from Rinoa, causing everyone else to back away as well.
Rinoa closed her eyes and tried to erase her mind of everything but Squall. He was the only thing she wanted to think about. She wanted him to be all right, to be able to hold her in his strong arms and never let her go. She wanted to hear and feel his heartbeat calming her fears and absorb the warmth of his body against hers…
As Rinoa tried to block everything out, something rather quite unusual happened. Like earlier, a strange glow appeared at her fingertips, only this time; it was a soft yellow color. It ran through her fingers into his body and covered him like a thick blanket. His dark, red shirt became white again, and all the new cuts and bruises and blood disappeared without a trace that they were ever there to begin with. His breathing became stable again, and his body finally relaxed a great deal.
"I knew she could do it," Edea accidentally said aloud. Rinoa was broken from her concentration and stumbled backward. Laguna gently caught her by the arm. Even though she was separated from her concentration with healing him, the soft glow remained around Squall.
"What?" Rinoa stared at Squall in disbelief. Did she do that? How? He was sound asleep now with no worries of bleeding to death anymore. He was able to rest easy. No more blood ran down his face or darkened his skin.
"You healed him," Edea replied. She placed a comforting arm around Rinoa's shoulders.
"How? I don't understand." Rinoa walked back up to him, curiously now, and Edea followed her.
"You let your heart control your powers. Your heart is connected with his. You stopped the blood and healed his wounds, but inside you there are the markings of ancient magic. You alone can use that magic, but it is very dangerous, wild magic filled to the brim of black spells. It has yet to be tamed." Edea reached over and moved a stray hair from the side of his face.
Rinoa backed away in frustration. "I don't understand how I can do all this! Nothing makes any sense anymore!" She honestly felt like pulling out her hair.
Edea slowly turned to Laguna and silently asked for permission through her eyes to speak of what was forbidden. Laguna returned the gaze with a nod. He knew it was time the truth was laid out on the table in full view. It wasn't fair to her that everyone knew more about herself than she did.
Turning back to Rinoa, she gently grabbed her arm. "Come. Walk with me. It is time you learned the truth."
Edea led Rinoa out of the house down to the beach next to the very old, crumbling lighthouse that had withstood many storms in its time. Walking along the sandy, white shore, Edea fumbled with a way to start. Rinoa had every right to know the truth. Esthar should never have hid it from her. She didn't deserve that.
"Rinoa," She began. "Do you remember that day in Galbadia Garden when I transferred my powers to you?" Rinoa nodded slowly. As Edea mentioned it, the memories came back clearer than they'd ever been.
"Well, that day, my power unlocked something inside you that Esthar has feared for many, many years." Edea knelt down to pick up a very beautiful milky-white shell that had washed up on the beach.
"What? Edea, I don't understand what you're saying." Rinoa shook her head as she dropped to her knees next to her. Edea sighed. This was going to be much harder than she thought.
"The best way for me to explain this to you is to start at the very beginning. If history is correct, it all started with an ancient prophecy. A long, long time ago, during the rule of the Great Hyne, there was a beautiful, young sorceress by the name of Galliella. She was the daughter of Hyne and the first Natural-born sorceress. On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, she met a man, a handsome young warrior. Young Galliella could not help but fall in love with this man the moment their eyes met. The young warrior was rumored to be a great knight in Hyne's court, and that was how the two of them met. The young knight was by any means very powerful. His skill with a sword outshined any other within the court, and Galliella was drawn to him. He was considered to be one of the best warriors and was, in fact, a Leonhart." Edea stood and walked out closer to the water. Rinoa remained behind. "His name was Tempest. Tempest Leonhart. It was not long before Hyne caught on to her daughter's secret love."
"Her daughter?" Rinoa's head snapped up. "But I thought that Hyne was a man?"
At this, Edea laughed. "That is what philosophers believe but a sorceress knows differently. Hyne, in fact was a woman. I ask you, why else are there no male sorcerers to name?" She smiled back at Rinoa before continuing her story. "But as I was saying, it wasn't long before Hyne discovered her daughter's secret love. There at first, she had little problem with it, but her royal advisor thought otherwise. He was convinced that the relationship only meant destruction for the young sorceress. 'What are you going to do when our enemy attacks, and the Great Knight is sent out to battle? He is the first to be sent out when war comes.' He asked Hyne over and over again. Finally, Hyne gave in and ordered the two to be separated forevermore. Galliella was locked away deep inside the royal castle, forbidden to see her lover and put under a tense guard that watched her every move. Things were grim for Galliella. Hyne was pained to see her daughter in the situation, but she feared the two's strong love." Edea paused again, letting fingers touch the water lightly and allowing ripples to form around her.
"And what happened?" Rinoa asked from a dreamy state. The water lapping slowly at the sand on the water's edge mesmerized her, forming patterns in the sand.
"The love between the two was too strong for any barrier. The warrior searched the castle for his true love. He broke her out of her prison and attempted to take her away from the castle, but the royal advisor went against Hyne's decision to let them go. He ordered the guards to find the two and use any means to get the girl back. He told the guards that Tempest was not trustable, that he was the villain. Tempest had taken Galliella to a mystical place to protect her. The exact location as to where he took her has been lost to history. But they lived a few short years together before the advisor's guards found them. Galliella used every ounce of her power to protect her lover, but something went wrong. None of her magic affected the guards. The advisor had seen to that, and Galliella, powerless against her lover's foes, was killed in the struggle. The guards took Galliella's lifeless body and her lover back to the castle to carry out his sentence, but before they left, they found that the two had a child. A baby boy. They took the child with them. Back at the kingdom, the royal advisor sentenced the warrior to be beheaded. During this time, Hyne returned from her quest to seek the power of the moons. She was just in time to stop the warrior's sentence. Hyne was furious when she found that her only daughter, the heir to her throne, was dead because the royal advisor had disobeyed her. She sentenced the warrior to be released and the advisor to be put in his place.
"A beautiful ceremony was carried out for Galliella, but that alone could not shake the Grief of Tempest. He was replaced back on the knight's court, but nothing could help him. He continued to get hurt in the simplest of battles. Hyne was stuck at a fork in the path, so she made a decision of which road that must be taken. To honor her daughter, she created a guardian. It was the first and most powerful Guardian Force that Hyne created. This guardian was created to protect, in all, the baby Leonhart. She named the Guardian Force Griever because of the way that Tempest was wounded. After the creation of Griever, Tempest's history stopped. All the information on him after Griever has yet to be found. Some believe that Tempest, himself, is Griever, but that is just a thought. Upon creating Griever, Hyne also created a prophecy. The baby, whose name history has never been able to locate, grew up and created Hyne's first dynasty, taking over the throne. That prophecy was carried down through every member of Hyne's descendents starting with the baby. The prophecy that Hyne created stated that any sorceress who held within her blood Galliella's power and possessed the love for a true Leonhart, would be able to call upon the most powerful guardian ever known to human and magical existence. Rinoa, I want you to listen to me. You are a descendent of Galliella. You love Squall. He is a Leonhart. He is Tempest's great-great-great grandson. You do not have the normal powers of any old sorceress. Your power, along with Squall's love, make you the most powerful sorceress of our time, and possibly the most powerful ever in our existence." Edea turned to face her.
Rinoa stared out past the water. Her eyes told Edea that she was lost in thought and disbelief. So, Rianna was right. She was more powerful than she thought.
"Rinoa, you are the only one who can vanquish Rianna for good. Not only is she the evil daughter of a powerful, evil sorceress, but she is also a rival of the oldest kind. Yes, she seeks the powers of the prophecy, but that is not all. She is out to put an end to the Leonhart family. Squall is the only Leonhart left that can activate the prophecy's power. She needs what he holds inside that runs through him to do terrible things. She wants him dead."
A/N: "Thus I atone."
Later Days