About an hour after take-off, we were informed that we would be stopping on an island near Dollet for the night. Galbadia Garden was almost twice as far from Trabia as Balamb was from Trabia, so the Garden would've been traveling all night to get there. I guess the Headmaster or maybe even Uncle Squall decided that we should park the Garden for the night and continue in the morning. I wasn't sure why they would decide to do this and it made me slightly uneasy, but there was nothing I could do about it but go with the flow.
After leaving Trabia, Kayla, Tal and I hung around in Tal's room for a few hours, then drifted off to our own rooms for a nap. We were all tired from the early morning wake-up call my mother had visited upon us and were emotionally drained by the news of the sorceress.
I went back to my room and fell asleep quickly. When I finally woke up again, I discovered that I had been sleeping for almost three hours and it was dinnertime. My stomach grumbled in agreement with this thought and after changing into some clothes more fit for wandering around the Garden, I went next door to get Kayla. When she let me in, I was surprised to find that Tal was with her.
"It's about time you woke up," he teased.
"Yeah," Kayla agreed, "I've been calling you for the past hour."
"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly, "I guess I was out."
"No kidding," Kayla scoffed, "Anyway, ready for dinner?"
My stomach grumbled again. "Yeah."
The three of us left Kayla's room and headed towards the cafeteria. Because I had awakened so late, almost everyone had already gotten their dinner, so the lines were very short. Tal and I got three trays full of food and drinks while Kayla found a table in the nearly full room.
"Since you were sleeping," Kayla said to me as she dug into her dinner, "I'm assuming you didn't hear the announcement earlier?"
"Nope," I agreed.
"We're stopping on an island north of Dollet at about 2000 hours," she informed.
"Why don't we just stop in Dollet?" I asked, "Wouldn't that make more sense?"
"I talked to my dad earlier and he said that the farther away from civilization we are, the better," Tal explained, "He said that the sorceress's spies could be anywhere and if she was alerted to our presence in Dollet, she might attack."
I nodded. It made sense. "So, what were you guys up to while I was sleeping?"
"Nothing!" they both exclaimed defensively.
I looked at them in surprise and a small smile played on my lips. "Whoa guys, no need to be so defensive, it was just a question."
"Well," Tal began, trying to act like I was the one who had asked a terrible question, "What do you think we were doing?"
"Judging by that reaction, I'd say something that you shouldn't have been," I joked.
"We were just talking," Kayla insisted with a blush.
"Riiiiiight." I looked back and forth between the two of them. Kayla avoided eye contact and Tal was glaring at me again. "What is wrong with you guys?"
"Nothing," they replied in unison.
I eyed them suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the two of you were hiding something from me."
"Of course not!" Kayla exclaimed, a little too quickly and with too much emotion, "We would never hide anything from you! You're our best friend!"
I was unnerved by the way she kept referring to them as "we" and "our", like they were a couple or something. "Whatever. Look, forget I said anything."
Both of them agreed and an awkward silence fell over the table. I knew they were hiding something from me and I felt betrayed.
If I remember correctly, you refrained from mentioning your little tryst with Vaughn in the Training Center, then denied that you had hidden anything from them.
You always show up at the most inopportune moments. And it wasn't a "tryst".
I was only reminding you.
Can I just eat in peace, please?
As you wish, Mistress.
I was really getting tired of Ember's little comments and the situation with Kayla and Tal wasn't doing me any good either. After dinner, I claimed that I was still tired and went back to my dorm room rather than hang out with them for a few more hours. About half an hour after I had returned to my room, the Garden touched down on an island just north of Dollet. SeeD dorms were constructed against the outer part of the Dormitories, so all of them featured windows. I slid mine open, allowing the salty sea air and the lulling sound of the waves to infiltrate my room.
I laid on my bed for about two hours or so, trying to figure out what was going on with my life. It seemed like in just two days, everything was changing and becoming strange. Making SeeD, the weird feelings I had every time I saw Vaughn, Kayla and Tal acting like they were secretly a couple, Ember talking to me and now, the new Sorceress threat. Everything was going haywire around me and I felt like if I didn't get some stability in my life soon, I was going to go insane.
Finally, wanting to escape my thoughts and the chaos that they brought with them, I decided to go for a walk. By this time, it was about 2130 hours and most people would be getting ready for bed. Garden's curfew was 2200 hours, so I figured I had about a half hour before I would get into trouble. I put on a light purple sweater to guard against the chill of the sea breeze, but opted for shorts instead of pants. It was the beach after all.
After changing, I quietly left my room and headed towards the main gate. I passed a few people, but none that I knew personally or that I felt obliged to stop and talk to. I was glad because I just wanted to get out of the Garden and walk in the sand. At the front gate, I was greeted by Mr. Hino, who told me that I only had about twenty-five minutes until curfew. I thanked him, knowing that if I were a few minutes late, he wouldn't report me.
Once outside, the chilly sea air smelled saltier than in my room and the waves were louder. I took a deep breath and walked around the Garden to a small strip of beach about two hundred yards away. In the sky, a half moon hung in the blackness, illuminating my path. It also allowed me to see that no one else was around, which I was grateful for. I just wanted to be alone.
When I reached the beach, I sat down in the soft sand just above the tide line and stared out at the inky black ocean. Unfortunately, the sound of the waves gently lapping at the sand wasn't enough to drown out my thoughts and once again my mind turned to the strange happenings of the past few days. The one that bugged me the most, I think, was the fact that Tal and Kayla were hiding something from me.
Ember, are you there?
She answered immediately. I am here, Mistress.
Can I talk to you?
You don't need to. I already know what is on your mind.
I sighed out loud. So, what do you think is up with Tal and Kayla?
She hesitated. Mistress, I know that this stage in life is difficult for all humans and I'm sure you aren't excluded but you must understand. People grow up and things change. There is nothing you can do to stop it. You must learn to deal with it.
So you think they're hiding something from me? Ember was silent. I frowned. Ember?
Listen Mistress, something is approaching.
I spun around quickly, not wanting to be caught off guard by a monster hoping to get a late night snack, and my hands went to my hips, where my Sais hung, ready for the battle. I was surprised to see that it was a person approaching, not a monster. The moon caused the person to only be illuminated as a silhouette but the cowboy hat gave him away. My heart began to beat faster and I tried desperately to slow it as Vaughn Kinneas approached.
"What're you doing out here?" he asked with a grin as he stopped next to me, "It's almost curfew."
"I just went for a walk," I told him without looking up at him.
"Without Kayla and Tal?" he inquired. I nodded. "Are you three fighting or something?"
"No," I assured, "I just needed some alone time."
He sat down next to me. "Well, mind if I join your alone time?"
"No."
The two of us were silent for a moment as we stared out at the waves. After a minute or so, I broke the silence.
"So, why aren't you with Luke and Cale?"
"They're stalking the library chick again," Vaughn informed, "She's hot and all, but she's got the brain of a Grat."
I chuckled. "I didn't think guys cared if girls had brains. I thought it was all about anatomy."
Vaughn put his hand to his heart as if I had mortally wounded him. "That hurts my feelings that you think of me that way."
I glanced over at him and rolled my eyes. "Sure it does."
"It does," he insisted. "I'm a well rounded man. I like beauty and brains."
"Since when?"
"I don't know," he admitted, "I've just refined my tastes, I guess."
I fell silent for a moment. "Hey Vaughn?"
"Hmm?"
"Has Kayla said anything to you about her and Tal?"
"What do you mean?"
I thought for a moment before answering. "Well, today, they were in Kayla's room while I was sleeping and when I asked them what they were doing, they got all defensive and insisted that they were just talking."
Vaughn laughed. "Just talking huh? Sounds like Leonhart's putting the moves on her."
"You think so?"
"Kaisa," Vaughn began, "when a guy and a girl are in a room together and they insist that they were 'just talking', you can pretty much guess that there was no talking involved."
I nodded but didn't say anything. It was exactly like I thought. There was something going on between the two of them but neither one of them would tell me. Some best friends.
"Why?" Vaughn continued. "Kayla hasn't said anything to you?"
I shook my head. "They just deny everything."
"It's just part of growing up," Vaughn said, "It was bound to happen."
I sighed forlornly. "Now I'm gonna be the proverbial 'fifth wheel'. At least that's how I'm gonna feel every time we're together."
"Maybe I'm wrong," Vaughn said in a lame attempt to comfort me, "Maybe they were just talking. I don't know, but I always kinda thought Leonhart was gay."
"Tal's not gay!" I defended.
"Okay," Vaughn held his hands up in a defensive posture, "I was just saying that's what I thought."
"He's not," I insisted. Then as an afterthought, added, "Of course, if he was, then I wouldn't be in this predicament, would I?"
"Just be glad that you don't like him too," Vaughn said, "That's a sure fire way to break up a friendship. You don't like him, do you?"
"Hyne no!" I exclaimed, "He's my friend but I don't like him like that."
"Have your heart set on someone else?" he teased.
I thanked Hyne for the low light. A fierce blush crept onto my cheeks and if the moon had been any brighter, he would've seen it. As if the blush sucked all the warmth out of my body and pooled it in my face, I shivered. A second later, I felt Vaughn's coat settle onto my shoulders. It was such a clichéd thing for him to do, yet it made me feel all warm inside.
"Thanks," I mumbled.
"No problem." He looked down at his watch. "It's getting late. We should head back."
I looked down at my watch and saw that it was only five minutes until curfew. "Okay."
We stood up and walked back to the Garden in silence. Once inside, I slipped his coat off and handed it back to him. He smiled and tipped his hat at me, then hesitated to leave. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a small, spherical, snowy object. He handed it to me.
"A Whisper," he informed, "I got it from an Adamantoise earlier and I don't have any use for it. Luke said you were gathering items for your Limit Break and I read somewhere that a Whisper is one of the items you need so…"
He was babbling, almost like he was embarrassed. I smiled. "Thanks Vaughn."
"No problem."
"Well," I said nervously, "We better get to bed… I mean, you know, go to sleep… in separate beds…" I could feel my cheeks getting hotter by the second.
He grinned. "Was that an offer, Kaisa?"
"What?" I exclaimed, "No, of course not! The words just came out wrong and…" Oh Hyne, it was getting worse by the second. My face felt like it was on fire.
"I'll see you later," Vaughn smiled and left me standing in the main hall. I was grateful, because he spared me any more embarrassment. My face still remained red and I shuddered to think what my brother would say when Vaughn told him about our little conversation.
Not wanting to risk running into anyone and having to explain the crimson state of my face, I hurried back to my room and locked the door behind me. Once I was safely inside, I let out a long breath and my heart began to slow. I looked down at the Whisper in my hand and a dreamy smile came across my now back to normal face. Suddenly, the smile faded and a look of horror replaced it.
"Oh Hyne!" I wailed, "I have a crush on Vaughn Kinneas!"
You're just now figuring this out?
I really don't need your input on the situation.
Ember fell silent and I quickly changed into my pajamas, then climbed into bed. Still holding the Whisper, I concentrated on the magic and allowed it to flow into my mind. Once it was used, the Whisper was nothing more than a milky white stone but I hesitated to throw it out. I looked around for a second and then did the most childish thing I could. I opened my nightstand drawer and put the stone in with my other knickknacks as a keepsake, then fell asleep.
The next morning I was awakened at about 0800 hours by my phone ringing. I groaned and answered it. "Hello?"
"Are you going to grace us with your presence today or what?"
It was Kayla. I grinned, momentarily forgetting about the weird way she and Tal were acting yesterday. "Yeah. Give me a few minutes."
I hung up the phone and got dressed, then went next door to meet Kayla. She was alone in her room and she stepped out instead of letting me in.
"Let's get some breakfast," she suggested.
"Shouldn't we get Tal?" I inquired.
"He's a big boy," Kayla assured, "he can find the cafeteria by himself."
I didn't know what to make of this new development so I kept quiet and followed Kayla to the cafeteria. Because it was slightly later in the morning, most SeeDs and cadets had already eaten and left the cafeteria. A few were still scattered around and of course, Cale, Luke and Vaughn had to be at one of the occupied tables. I groaned inwardly and prayed to Hyne that they wouldn't see us.
"What are you doing?" Kayla asked when she noticed my surreptitious glances at our brothers and Cale.
"Nothing!" I insisted, "Just looking for a table."
"There's tables all over," Kayla stated truthfully, with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Right," I agreed, "Well, you go sit and I'll get us some breakfast."
I wove through the tables towards the counters, making sure I stayed as far away from Vaughn and the others as I possibly could while not making it obvious what I was doing. Once at the counter, I ordered our food and kept my eyes forward. Once the food was on the trays, I looked around the cafeteria to see where Kayla had decided to sit. My heart stopped as I saw that she was just two tables away from our brothers and the tables in between happened to be empty.
"Hyne, why are you doing this to me?"
I took the trays and wove in and out of the tables so that I wouldn't have to pass by the one that our brothers were sitting at. Luckily, Kayla was sitting on the side that faced their table so I sat with my back to them. I put our trays down and remained silent, hoping to hear Luke coming before he got there. I just knew that he was going to make fun of me for the things I had said to Vaughn last night.
"You okay Kaisa?" Kayla asked, "You look nervous."
"I'm fine," I assured although I was wound so tight that I might spring at any minute. I decided to change the subject. "So, where's Tal? Have you seen him this morning?"
"He said he was helping his dad with something," she replied vaguely.
The way she avoided my eyes reminded me of their odd behavior last night at dinner. I wanted to find out the truth but I was afraid that it would change everything if I did. I took a deep breath and after a brief pep talk in my head, I decided to ask her. Of course, that's when the intercom rang.
"Attention everyone, we will be leaving for Galbadia Garden in ten minutes. I repeat, we will be leaving for Galbadia Garden in ten minutes. We should arrive there at about 1230 hours. That is all."
I cursed the intercom for it's inconvenient timing and turned back to my breakfast without asking Kayla about her and Tal's relationship. My morning went from bad to worse as Kayla sighed exasperatedly.
"Oh great," she said, "Here come our darling brothers."
I stiffened and tried to decide the best course of action to deal with Luke's teasing. Of course, my mind decided to freeze up and I was still frantically thinking up a plan when they descended upon us.
"Good morning kiddies," Luke greeted and sat down next to me. Vaughn sat across from me, next to Kayla and Cale sat next to Vaughn.
"Hyne you guys," Kayla scoffed, "Don't you have bimbos to be chasing or something?"
I remained silent.
"Hey," Cale defended, "The bimbos chase us."
"Is there a reason you decided to pay us a visit?" Kayla asked boredly.
"Oh, I think Kaisa knows why," Luke informed.
Dammit dammit dammit dammit dammit! "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie," Luke insisted, "It's not gonna get you out of it." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a tablet of paper with a pen slid into the rings at the top.
I stared in confusion at it. It was his ticket book. Like my father before him, Luke was head of the Disciplinary Committee. I watched as he wrote my name at the top of the first slip.
"You were out after curfew last night," he told me.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?"
"Don't try to talk your way out of it," he said, "I saw you heading back to your room at 2203 hours, which is three minutes after curfew. I have to write you up."
I should've been mad at his nitpicking but I was so relieved that he didn't say anything about the embarrassing conversation with Vaughn that I didn't argue. He tore off the ticket and handed it to me.
"Three more and you'll have detention," he warned.
"Whatever," I scoffed and put the paper down next to my plate. My mind was reeling as they stood up to leave. There was no way that Luke would've passed up the opportunity to make fun of me, especially about something as embarrassing as what I had said to Vaughn, yet he hadn't mentioned it. The only answer I could come up with was that Vaughn hadn't told him but that didn't make any sense either. They always told each other everything. Why would Vaughn have kept it a secret?
As they were leaving, I looked up at Vaughn. He smiled and winked, as if he knew what I was thinking and was informing me that I was right in my deductions. I stared after them as they left, wondering what was going on.
"Did my brother wink at you?" Kayla asked after they had left.
"What?"
"My brother," Kayla repeated, "Did he wink at you when they were leaving?"
Uh oh. "Uh, I don't know, did he?"
"It sure looked like he did," Kayla insisted, "Why would he do that?"
"I have no idea," I lied.
Kayla shrugged her shoulders and returned to her breakfast, as did I. After a moment, Kayla spoke again.
"So, what were you doing out after curfew last night?"
I froze in mid chew, trying to think up a convincing lie. There was no way I could tell her I had gone for a walk. I had told her and Tal that I was still tired. "Um, my mom called and wanted to talk to me really quick before curfew."
"About what?"
Dammit! "Uh, you know, how I was taking the whole sorceress thing and stuff." Even to me it sounded like a lie.
"Well, then you shouldn't have gotten in trouble for being out late if it was your mom's fault," Kayla insisted, "You should tell your mom to talk to Luke and get the ticket revoked."
"It's no big deal," I told her quickly, "It's not like it's going to do anything."
"You're right," Kayla agreed, "It's just easier to ignore it."
I inwardly sighed with relief. Sometimes, when Kayla got an idea such as that in her head, it was hard to get it out without actually taking care of it.
The rest of breakfast was spent talking about trivial things like what we were going to do when we got to Galbadia and whether we would run into any cute SeeDs there. Hearing her talk about boys made me forget all about the way her and Tal had acted and I convinced myself that it had all been in my head.
After breakfast, we went to my room to wait for the Garden to take off. We only had to wait for five minutes and we were once again on the move. After taking to the sea, we decided that there was nothing to do but wait for the announcement that we were nearing Galbadia Garden, so to pass the time we decided to discuss what monsters we would encounter and if any of them were useful to us.
"The only monster of use to me is a Belhelmel," I informed, "They drop Laser Cannons, which I can use for my Limit Break."
"Sounds good," Kayla said, "We'll go hunting for Belhelmels when we get to Galbadia. Then if we have time, we can go boy hunting."
I grinned, but in fact I had no desire to check out the boys of G Garden. This realization scared me a little and I didn't want to ponder it. I changed the subject.
"I wonder how long we'll be staying in Galbadia?" I inquired.
"Probably not long," Kayla answered, "It seems like everyone is loathe to stay in one place for any length of time."
"You're right." I had noticed it too. This morning in the cafeteria, everyone had been edgy, as if they expected to be attacked at any minute. I had to admit, when the Garden was stationary, I didn't feel as safe either. I was glad we were on the move again.
"We'll have to be quick then," I said, referring to the Belhelmel hunt.
Kayla nodded and changed the subject to a book she had just finished reading.
We stayed in my room, chatting and gossiping for a good two hours before we got bored and decided to wander around, hoping to find some sort of entertainment. What we found was Tal Leonhart helping his father inventory the supplies in the basement.
"Having fun?" we asked as we joined him.
"Does it look like I'm having fun?" His T-shirt and face were smeared with dirt from the boxes of supplies and he looked exhausted.
"Not really," I admitted, "So, why'd you volunteer?"
"I didn't have a choice." Tal shot a glance at his father, who was on the other side of the room, counting cases of bottled water. "He called me up at 0530 hours and 'asked' if I wanted to help him with inventory. Short of injuring myself, there was no way out of it."
"Tal, we're friends," I said in a mock hurt tone, "If you needed to be injured, you could've come to one of us."
"Ha ha," he replied sarcastically, "Although it would've been better than this."
"Are you almost done?" Kayla asked, "We're bored."
"What am I supposed to do about it?"
"Duh," Kayla scoffed, "You're supposed to entertain us."
"What do you want me to do, dance for you?" He grinned and hummed a tune, then acted like he was going to pull his shirt up.
"Ewwww!" Kayla and I screamed, gaining Uncle Squall's attention. "NO!"
"What are you guys doing over there?" Uncle Squall called.
Tal let go of his shirt. "Just finishing up with these boxes of food."
"You need to stop hanging around Vaughn and Luke," I insisted.
"I'll be done in a few minutes," Tal informed, "I'll meet you in the main hall."
We agreed and rode the elevator back to the first floor, then took a seat on a bench to wait for him. As we were waiting, Raven and Tristen walked by, hand in hand. They waved at us but didn't stop to talk. Kayla sighed as they walked away.
"He's dreamy," she whispered.
I rolled my eyes but had the feeling that everything was going back to normal. The whole thing with her and Tal was just a fluke.
A few minutes later, Tal joined us, looking even grimier in the light, and we scooted over so he could sit down.
"So, what are you two up to?" he asked.
"A whole lotta nothing," I informed, "we were hoping you would have an idea as to something we could do."
"I just spent the last five and a half hours in a dirty basement helping my father inventory supplies," he reminded, "Anything would be fun after that."
"What about stomping some Grats in the Training Center?" Kayla suggested, "I know it's easy and all, but it'll take our minds off the boredom and I can actually fight."
The fact that her sprained ankle was getting it the way of her fighting was really bothering Kayla. Creaming some Grats might be good for her and there was no risk that they might take advantage of her injury. They were too stupid for that.
"Okay," I agreed, "sounds like a plan."
The three of us got up and headed to the Training Center. Once there, we fell into our usual Fight-Draw-Heal pattern but this time we let Kayla fight too. After we had stomped about a dozen Grats into oblivion, we decided to take a break. The three of us went to the exit of the Training Center and sat down, hoping to cool off some. Not that fighting Grats was strenuous work but it was enough to get your heart pumping.
After a ten-minute rest, we went back to our Grat killing. We stayed in the Training Center for a little more than an hour, killing Grats, drawing magic and collecting items. When we had our fill of Sleep, Silence and Berserk magic, and when our pockets were overflowing with Sleep Powders, Silence Powders and Poison Powders, we decided to call it a day and head back to the dorms. We were about half an hour away from Galbadia Garden so we decided to get ready for the hot weather.
Since I hadn't taken a shower yet, I took one then and changed into a pair of denim shorts and a wide strapped tank top. I also put on a pair of black, ankle high, lace up boots. By the time I was ready, the announcement had just come over the intercom saying that we were five minutes from G Garden.
I was heading towards the door when someone knocked on it. I opened it to reveal Kayla, dressed in a blue dress similar to the one she had worn the previous day in Trabia. She wasn't much for different types of clothing. She also wore the same brown, knee high boots.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah," I agreed and stepped into the hall with her. "Let's go find Tal and head towards the front gate."
We met up with Tal in the dorm hallway, then headed back towards the front gate. Once again, there was a crowd but not one as big as the one when we had stopped at Trabia. People in the Garden were bigger fans of snow than they were of scorching desert heat. We waited for a few minutes until the Garden touched down, followed by an announcement.
"Attention everyone, our stay in Galbadia will be brief. Headmaster Cid asks that everyone be back on board the Garden in half an hour. That's right, at 1300 hours, be back on the Garden. That is all."
The front gates were opened and we were admitted into the sweltering heat of the day. Everyone who got off the Garden, with the exception of me, Tal and Kayla, headed straight for the red Garden directly in front of us. Most of them were transfer students from Galbadia and this was like a homecoming for them.
Once we were out of the Garden, the three of us headed out onto the "Wastelands" as they were called, to look for a Belhelmel. We found one pretty quickly but it wasn't alone. It was fighting with a Blood Soul. Of course, this really wasn't a problem and after drawing our fill of spells, we dispatched the monsters with efficiency. The Belhelmel dropped a Laser Cannon and I was able to learn my Limit Break, Homing Laser.
After defeating the Blood Soul and Belhelmel, we headed straight back to the Garden. We had been gone for about twenty minutes, so we weren't in danger of being late. Our parents hadn't returned yet though, so there was nothing to do but wait for them.
Of course, they returned a few minutes before 1300 hours and they informed us that like B Garden and T Garden, G Garden was going on the move, but like Trabia, wouldn't be accompanying us. Our parents went towards the elevator and we were making our way back towards the dorms when a huge explosion rocked the Garden.
Tal, Kayla and I stopped dead in our tracks as absolute silence fell on the halls. I was beginning to think that maybe I had been struck deaf when a loud, keening wail filled the air. It was obviously someone who was hurt, possibly dying.
"What was that?" Tal asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"I don't know," I admitted, "It sounded like it came from the cafeteria."
Without thinking, the three of us hurried in that direction. We were nearing the cafeteria hall when a group of cadets and underclassmen burst from the hallway and ran past us. All of them looked scared. The three of us looked at each other with wide eyes and then continued on. We had almost gotten to the cafeteria when suddenly, the body of a SeeD flew out of the hallway and, nearly hitting us in the process, crashed into the fountain surrounding the elevator shaft. He lay face down in the water and didn't move.
"Oh Hyne," Kayla breathed.
A sudden crackling, like electricity, filled the air and another, smaller explosion sounded in the cafeteria hallway. I recognized it at once. It was a high level Thunder spell, most likely Thundaga. Not knowing what to expect, the three of us clutched our weapons and waited to see what would emerge from the hallway. Inside the cafeteria, we could hear people screaming and crying out in agony. I didn't even want to think about how many couldn't cry out.
The crackling came again but this time wasn't followed by an explosion but we were none the less scared. The sound of the lightning was getting closer. We caught a glimpse of movement through the small glass windows in the corridor and held our breath as whatever was causing all the damage stepped into the main hall.
It was Raven Leonhart.
The three of us stared for a second, not sure what was going on. Thinking she was fleeing from whatever was still in the cafeteria, we waited to see what she would do. If Raven was running, whatever it was must be extremely powerful. As we watched her calmly walk into the main hall of the Garden, I realized something wasn't right.
"Raven!" Tal called before I could stop him, "What's going on?"
The older girl turned to us and all of us gasped when we saw that her normally gray eyes had turned blood red. It was then that I realized what was going on. She was possessed by the sorceress.
Tal, obviously not as quick on the uptake as me, looking at her questioningly. "Rave, what's wrong with your eyes?"
Raven didn't answer. Instead, she lifted her hand up and it began to crackle with electricity as she summoned a high level Thunder spell. Horrified, I screamed, "Get down!", then shoved both of them in different directions before getting out of the way myself. The Thundaga spell hit the floor where we had been not a moment ago and sent chunks of marble sailing into the air. A few hit me in the face and I could feel them pierce the skin. I hissed in pain but didn't have time to heal it. Raven was calmly walking towards us.
I jumped to my feet and saw that Tal did the same. Kayla was having trouble because one of her crutches was tangled in the bushes that grew along the fountain. She tugged on it relentlessly but the shrubbery would not yield. It was just as well. She would have trouble dodging any attacks anyhow and it was best to keep Raven's attention focused on us rather than have her focus on Kayla.
"What the hell is going on?" Tal demanded as he joined me in the middle of the corridor again.
"The sorceress," I whispered and clutched my Sais, "we've got to stop her before she hurts anyone else."
Tal nodded but I could tell he was thinking the same thing as me: How are we going to do that?
Raven advanced on us once again and this time, her hand began to glow with a bright red fire spell. Flare. I knew that if it hit one of us, there would be know way we could survive it. Our magic defense wasn't strong enough yet to live through a direct hit by a Forbidden spell like that.
"Oh Hyne," Tal groaned, "It's a Flare spell."
"When she casts it," I whispered, "Get out of the way."
"Easier said than done."
The spell began to glow brighter and even though she made no sound, Raven mouthed the word "Flare."
Before either of us had a chance to dodge, we were tackled from the side and driven across the hall into the shrubs next to where Kayla still struggled to free herself. A heavy weight came down on top of me as the Flare spell exploded behind us, tearing up another large portion of the marble hall and sending deadly shrapnel in every direction. I heard a few piece whiz by me and even saw a piece the size of a baseball splash down into the fountain about six inches in front of my face.
During the explosion, someone had yelled Raven's name. As soon as the marble debris settled down, I was yanked to my feet and shoved forward roughly from behind. I turned around and saw that it was Vaughn who was behind me. Next to him, Luke had scooped up Kayla and Cale was shoving Tal forward, towards the fountain.
"Go!" he ordered.
"Go where?" I asked. There was nothing in front of me but the shrubs and the water.
Vaughn sighed exasperatedly and grabbed my arm, dragging me next to him as he splashed into the fountain. I turned to see what Raven was doing and saw that Tristen was limping towards her. He had a burn mark on his shirt and he looked injured.
"Raven!" Tristen called, "You have to stop this!"
He reached out for her but as soon as he touched her, he was blasted into a nearby wall. He slumped to the ground and didn't move. Once he was dealt with, her ruby eyes turned back to us.
"Oh Hyne," I whimpered, getting Vaughn's attention.
He looked behind us, then shouted, "DOWN!"
Before I could obey, I was pushed face first down into the water. I took a breath just as I hit it, and I sucked in a mouthful of water. I tried to get back to the surface but Vaughn was on top of me again, holding me down. I began to panic, thinking I was going to drown. Above the sounds of me thrashing and through the water distortion, I heard another spell scream by us. As soon as it was gone, I was pulled out of the water.
I came up sputtering, trying to get a breath of air to replace the water but I didn't have time to wait because Vaughn was pulling me along again. I stumbled a few times and felt like I was going to pass out. Finally, we managed to get on the other side of the elevator shaft from Raven and she could no longer see us. I heard more spells crackle, however, and assumed she had found new targets.
Once we stopped running, I was able to finally catch my breath, I coughed up most of the water, embarrassed at throwing up in front of my friends. No one said anything, they just kept asking if I was all right. Once I could breathe again, I assured them I was fine and we huddled together behind the shaft with our brothers and Cale, hoping to stay out of sight of Raven, or whatever it was that was controlling her.
We heard more spells being cast and more screams of pain as they connected but because of our position, we couldn't see what was going on. Kayla hopped over to me and grabbed my hand. We were both soaking wet and she looked scared. I was scared too. Suddenly, the elevator doors opened around the shaft and we heard running feet heading towards Raven. There were also shouts and we recognized them at once.
"It's Mom and Dad!" Kayla said to Vaughn.
I heard my parents as well, along with Uncle Squall, Aunt Rinoa, Uncle Zell, Aunt Cammi, Uncle Raijin and Aunt Fujin. I heard a few of them casting Shell magic on one another as they approached the oldest Leonhart.
"Quick," Luke ordered, "Get to the elevator. We'll ride it up to the second floor."
The six of us hurried around the shaft and boarded the elevator. A quick glance towards Raven showed that our parents were planning on keeping her here but she wasn't having it. Already, Aunt Cammi lay to one side, not moving. Aunt Selphie and my mom were casting curative magic and trying to get her to respond.
We rode the elevator up to the second floor, then crowded around on the hallway bridge where we could get a look at the action down below. A few others were there as well but they stayed out of our way. Down below, Raven was charging up another attack as my dad and Uncle Squall tried to restrain her. They were both electrocuted and thrown backwards, just like Tristen had been.
"They don't stand a chance," Luke whispered, "She's too powerful."
Below, my dad and Uncle Squall got to their feet. My dad was limping but he didn't back off. Behind the others, my mom stood up and started to cast a spell but she was stopped as Raven hit her with a Flare spell. My mom's magic defense was about as high as anyone could get it, but that didn't mean the spell didn't hurt. It threw her back against a wall and she slumped to the ground. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched. I didn't know if she was alive or dead.
My dad saw what had happened and he went berserk. He rushed towards Raven, his Hyperion held above his head. Uncle Squall read his intention and stopped him before he reached the young sorceress. My dad tried to pull away to get to Raven, but Uncle Squall wouldn't let him go. Seeing their distraction, the Raven-thing hit them with a high level spell. My dad took the brunt of the spell and he and Squall were sent to the ground. Over by my mom, Selphie was casting curative magic on her. She moved and I let out a breath. She was alive.
My mom was incapacitated, as was Aunt Cammi, my dad and Uncle Raijin, who had taken a Water spell to the chest. Aunt Selphie was healing people as fast as she could while Uncle Irvine, Aunt Rinoa, Uncle Squall and Aunt Fujin tried to talk some sense into Raven. Uncle Zell was with Aunt Cammi, casting curative magic and talking to her. She still hadn't moved.
As we looked on, Raven shot a Thunder spell at Fujin. Always being the gentleman, Uncle Irvine stepped in the way. They were both thrown back into the elevator shaft and knocked unconscious as they fell into the water. Aunt Selphie and Uncle Squall ran to them and drug them out of the water before they drowned. No sooner than she had dragged Aunt Fujin to safety, Aunt Selphie was slammed with a Firaga spell and fell unconscious next to Uncle Irvine. Next to me, Kayla burst into tears.
Down below, the only two still in action were Aunt Rinoa and Uncle Squall, Raven's parents. Seeing no other way, Aunt Rinoa called out "Angel Wing!" Two beautiful white wings erupted from her back and she floated about a foot off the floor. She was now using her sorceress powers.
Raven, seeing her mother's display, smiled and in a voice not her own said, "Your powers will be mine, sorceress. Prepare to die!"
Raven cast a Thundaga spell on Rinoa, but the older woman simply absorbed it and shot it back at her daughter. Raven stumbled a few steps and her crimson eyes glowed with murderous rage. She summoned a Flare spell and sent this at her mother as well. The spell staggered Aunt Rinoa but she didn't fall. Instead, she smiled slightly and with a flick of her wrist, sent the spell back at Raven. The girl fell to her knees and began to gasp for breath.
"M-Mother?" she cried.
Almost instantly, Aunt Rinoa's sorceress powers faded and she returned to the floor. She rushed over to her daughter. Because we were up higher and Rinoa was talking down to Raven we couldn't hear what she said. She knelt in front of her daughter and began to talk to her. Suddenly, Raven, who had been looking down at the ground, looked up at her mother and smiled. It was an evil smile and before Rinoa could react, Raven wrapped her hand around her mother's neck.
"Time to die!" Raven hissed in a voice not her own. She got to her feet, still holding her mother around the neck. Rinoa began to gasp and struggle but whatever power was inside Raven had given her superhuman strength. She stood at her full height, lifting her mother off the ground with one hand as she choked the life out of her.
"Your powers will be mine!"
A bluish aura began to glow around Aunt Rinoa and seemed to be siphoned off into Raven. I assumed the aura must be Aunt Rinoa's sorceress powers. Next to me, I heard Kayla gasped and turned to see Tal was starting to climb up onto the side of the hallway. He clearly intended to jump. Luckily, Cale grabbed him and hauled him off.
"Let me go!" Tal screamed and kicked furiously, to no avail, "She's gonna kill her!"
My attention was drawn back to the scene below as Uncle Squall yelled at Raven and then grabbed her arm, hoping to dislodge his wife from the sorceress's grasp. As soon as he touched his daughter, he was slammed across the hall and landed in a heap next to my mom, who was just barely conscious.
Luckily, the energy needed to throw Uncle Squall across the room was enough to lessen the power on Aunt Rinoa and Raven dropped her. She stood still for a moment and cocked her head as if she were listening, then started off again towards the main gate. We watched as she got there and then disappeared down the hall.
"Quick!" Luke shouted and hurried to my mom's classroom, which had a large window with a view of the front gate. We all rushed inside and crowded around the window just as Raven emerged from the Garden. She slowly walked up onto a nearby plateau and suddenly, even though there was no wind, her hair began to blow wildly around her head. Her clothes flapped around her body like wings and suddenly, a lightning bolt cut the sky and struck the plateau and most likely, Raven as well. When the glare from the lightning disappeared, so had Raven.