April 2nd

For the last two weeks Leon had been in and out of Rinoa's room every other night. She took a while to face him but Leon reassured her that he didn't care. She explained then that whenever her body was in difficult situations or under a lot of pressure she would snap and lose control. Lucky for her he just stroked her hair and swore he would help her.

So now in one day he would have been there for a whole month. Strange for him to think it but he had to agree with himself when he thought it had been one of the best months he'd had in the last three years. And he was with the reason why. As he held onto Rinoa he could feel everything around them melt away. Her wounds had got better but she still wasn't completely healed. But now she could get up by herself and do her own things. Isis and Pebble still followed her loyally and she couldn't stop apologising to them.

"Rinoa?" She looked up at him with her amber eyes "I'm just wondering, how did you first notice your markings?"

"Well, it would have to have been about 2 and half years ago. It was when we first heard of the Key-Bearer's existence. I was sent to kill him before he mastered his powers. I went straight to his home, a place called Destiny Island. There I summoned a giant heartless to attack him for me. I watched as he fought with it and it destroyed the island. But right before my eyes he disappeared. I thought he was hiding somewhere so I ordered the heartless to destroy the island completely. Then I felt a trail and managed to follow him to Traverse Town. I…I saw you fight him Squall, and then I saw you and Yuffie take him to the hotel. I panicked and ran away. But as I ran I was forced to fight people against the heartless. Then at one point I stayed at a hotel and when I went to wash my face I saw them, I realised what they were straight away. Although no one could see them this much, over the months they got more and more noticeable. Then around a year ago I got into a massive fight with someone named Xigbar, I got so angry and then I lost control. I gave him a big scar on his cheek and messed his eye up pretty bad, but I still got hurt pretty…" She seemed to struggle as fatigue over took her. Leon kissed the top of her forehead,

"It's ok, I've heard enough,"

He heard Rinoa hum in reply. He laughed softly, deep in his throat,

"Tired?"

"Yeah, and its weird, I haven't been working like you all have,"

"You're still a bit wounded, so it makes sense"

"So…did the others see me?" she asked slightly concerned "You haven't told me as much as I'd like to know"

"Yes Rin, they did see you but they don't care, just like I don't. You've been their friend for about eight years now. Do you really think they'd stop caring about you because of what's on your face?"

"No, that wasn't it. I was worried if I still spoke to them and one of them got me angry then I'd…"

He finally understood. Now he knew why she was so scared. She didn't want to hurt the ones she loved and it were possible that the biggest threat to them would be her. She was protecting them, just not from what they assumed she was, she was the danger to them but she didn't want to be.

"How can I save you?" he sighed

"I don't think there is a way Squall; I've been like this for too long. I…I'm used to the darkness and it's now a part of who I am…"

X-X-X

Leon sat on the couch in front of the cell window. He stared up at the stars and moon. A blazing star shot through the sky. His mind teleported him to a happier time…

"You're the best looking guy here" ….You were the best looking girl

"Dance with me?" …I'll just embarrass you

"Let me guess…you only dance with people you like?" …I like you

"Okay then…"

"YOU-ARE-GOING-TO-LIKE-ME, YOU-ARE-GOING-TO-LIKE-ME!"

"Did it work?" …Yes

"I can't dance" …I'll step on your extremely tiny feet

"You'll be fine, Come on" …and I was, for the rest of my life

I couldn't stop her entering my heart. When she left that night I regretted not running after her. But I was too scared; she wouldn't have wanted a guy like me in her life. But she did…at first I thought she was annoying, but in time my feelings changed. I'd lie awake at night wondering what it would be like to hold her, to kiss her. Of course I'd never let anyone know. I tried resisting my feelings but in the end they over took me and I knew I was in love. When she first told me she loved me I couldn't stop but say the same. And I'm glad that I gave her everything she wanted. But now…I don't know what to do…

"Squall?" Irvine's voice cut his thoughts off. He hadn't expected to be disturbed as everyone was asleep

"Yeah?" he asked as Irvine sat down next to him

"In the next week the Orange moon will rise and Rinoa will have to give her powers to Maleficent," Irvine looked around him; spying for eavesdroppers "Rinoa still isn't fit enough to come out unscathed. If she agrees and goes through with it…she could die"

Leon stood up immediately,

"But surely Maleficent won't take them if she knows Rinoa could die, doesn't she need Rinoa to increase her powers?"

"I think that's the only reason she might not, but I don't know…" he stood up and started to walk to his bed but turned out again "If you want a chance to escape, during the ceremony is the best time. So we have to decide. Do we escape at the loss of one friend or do we stay here eventually killing us all?"

Leon watched him walk behind the curtain. He sat back down and looked back out of the window. There was no way he'd sacrifice Rinoa just to escape. But was there anything else he could do?

X-X-X

"One month! One whole bloody month!"

"We know Yuffie, but get off the table" Aerith tried shooing her down

"I don't see how you guys can just carry on! We should be out there looking for him!"

"We've looked everywhere and right now we have more important things. Sora's still hurt and we can't ask him to go look for anyone right now," Aerith was wiping Sora's face with a wet cloth

"I promise Yuffie; as soon as I can I'll look for him," he said

There was a knock at the door and Yuffie ran to open it. Her face dropped as Riku and Kairi entered.

"Oh it's just you two," she moaned walking back to the table

"Nice to see you too," Riku said raising an eyebrow. He walked over to Sora and punched him in the arm "How you feeling?"

"Worse since you walked in" Sora joked

"Is it still sore?" Kairi asked sitting at the end of his bed

"A little, but it's all closed up now. It just aches…but I can make it to the bathroom by myself!" he smiled cheekily

"More then I needed to know" the three girls said in unison

Sora sat up and rubbed his side.

"She didn't exactly go easy on me,"

"Ha! He got beat up by a girl!" Riku laughed

"Hey! You saw her; she just came out of nowhere and aimed for me! I would have got her…but I don't really like the thought of hitting girls…Maleficent being no exception,"
"…or Ursula, or Larxene…" Riku counted off on his fingers

"And don't forget you didn't hesitate to hit me in the Hades Cup Tournament" Yuffie added

"Okay, okay I get it, but that was different!"

"How?" Everyone asked

"There was something about this girl, it's like I'd seen her before. And when I looked in her eyes, all I saw was sadness. She didn't want to hurt me and I could tell…"

"Awww" the girls once again said it in unison

Riku stepped forward and put his arm around Sora's neck giving him a noogie.

"You've gone soft over the years Sora!"

"Riku let go! You could open his wound again" Aerith shooed Riku away

"What did the girl look like?" Yuffie asked

"She wore a dark blue cloak…" Kairi started

"With wings on the back…" Riku added

"Just like Leon's…" Sora said

"And her hair was long and black…"

"With caramel streaks…"

"Down to her hip…!"

"She was quite petite…"

"And wore tight clothes…"

"And had really small feet…!"

"But on her face were these strange markings…"

"They looked like fire…"

"But they were blue!"

"And then her eyes were amber,"

"But then she got really mad…"

"And they completely glowed!"

"Oh and around her neck was a necklace with two rings on it," Kairi closed her eyes trying to think

"She fought with a katana" Riku scratched the back of his neck "Pretty fast fighter,"

"Yeah and she really knew how to use magic! I've never seen anything like it!" Sora finished "She said she was working for Maleficent and yet I've never seen her before"

Yuffie and Aerith looked at each other,

"A cloak with wings similar to Leon's…symbolised after Rinoa"

"Black hair with Caramel streaks but long; down to her hip"

"Petite frame…with very tiny feet"

"…and a necklace with two rings on it and good at magic…like a sorceress perhaps?"

"Aerith, you don't think…?"

For a moment the girls stayed staring at each other…

"Nah!"

X-X-X

"Rinoa, wake up," Leon was crouched by the bed and he gently shook Rinoa awake

"Huh? What?" she opened her eyes and looked at him "Squall? I thought you'd gone back,"

"I had but I need to talk to you urgently,"

Rinoa yawned and sat herself up. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and stretched slightly. She looked to the window where the sun had started to rise,

"Rinoa, when's the next orange moon?" She looked back to him

"Two days from now,"

"Are you going through with it?" he was now holding her hand tightly

"Well I will if Maleficent wants me to,"

"But…" He rested his head on their linked hands for a brief moment "Rinoa you're still weak, if you go through with it you could die,"

Rinoa looked taken aback by the statement; she once again looked to the window. Then she looked up to the ceiling as if she was thinking hard. Once a couple of minutes passed she turned back to face her knight.

"Squall listen very carefully, during the ceremony is the best time to escape. Everyone's in the main hall and they're focused more on looking after me and Maleficent. I will do the ceremony in two days and that's when you and the others are going to escape and get out of here,"

"But…what if…what will happen to you?"

"I'll take whatever happens and you need to too," she gave him a small smile.

"No…" he shook his head viciously "I only just found you again and now you want me to say goodbye! Wait a month please, refuse to do it and we'll think of something else!"

"Squall, I have to stay. There isn't a place for me in your world anymore. I'm not the same Rinoa and I never will be ag-"

"Shut up!" Leon stood up and tears gathered in his eyes "You are my world! Life isn't worth living without you in it! Why do you want me to live alone?! Do you even care that I've been miserable and depressed for the last three years?! Every damn night I re-lived the moment you were taken from me! You forced me to leave you then and you're not going to do it a second time!"

His sudden uproar shocked Rinoa senseless. She couldn't remember the last time he raised his voice at her. She didn't know whether it was the volume or the words that got to her but she started to feel tears streak down cheeks. In a blink of an eye she shot the covers back and leapt into his arms. He buried his head in her neck and gripped onto the end of his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Squall!" she wept "I didn't want to see you hurt all those years ago so all I could think about was getting you to safety. Squall, when I told you they were after me it wasn't a lie. They had known for a while I was a sorceress and wanted my powers. I knew when the attacks were due, I could just feel it. The day before my birthday I made you a photo album hoping it would bring you happiness if something ever happened. It was because of me that Balamb, Deling, Centra…our world got destroyed! And I knew that it would be my fault when they attacked Radiant Garden. And I knew they wouldn't stop until they had me…it was the only way"

Leon remained silent. His suspicions had been confirmed. She did know and he wished she'd told her.

"Please…" he begged "Don't leave me again"

Rinoa pulled away from the hug and looked into his blue eyes; she could see the love in them from many years ago.

"Never again…" she promised.

Leon couldn't control his silent tears any longer. They were streaking down his face as much as Rinoa's. He leant his head forward and pulled her lips to his. Then as their kiss got more passionate so did the fire in their bellies. Gracefully they collapsed on the beds; tongues still massaging each other. Leon started to pull the strap of Rinoa's nighty off but stopped when an icy voice spoke behind them,

"My, my,"

Leon pulled away from Rinoa and turned to the source of the voice. Maleficent stood glaring at the Knight; behind her Isis and Pebble stood, their heads hung low. The evil witch turned her head toward Rinoa who was still lying on the bed her eyes wide open with fear.

"Angel, I didn't expect this from you. I should have known you'd lead to treason sooner or later,"

"You can hardly call it treason when I was forced to do these things for you," Rinoa spat

"You believe so?" Maleficent picked up a crystal orb from the dressing table and eyed it "So tell me Angel, who gave you all these nice things?"

"You did," Rinoa murmured

"And who provides you and your friends with food and health?"

"You do"

"Yes, I do," she returned her gaze to Leon "And yet you go behind my back and plan my demise?!"

Rinoa shifted on the bed so she was on her knees.

"No, we didn't do anything like that!"

"Don't lie to me!"

Maleficent threw her arm forward and Rinoa was pulled into her hand. The witch held the young sorceress by her hair and shook her slightly. Leon started to run toward her but Maleficent raised her spare hand and he flew back as an invisible barrier was created. Isis and Pebble ran over to him and held both of his arms whilst Pebble also held a knife to his throat.

"You're a stupid girl Angel! You're not fit to own powers of such magnitude!" Maleficent turned her around so she was facing Leon. He saw the fear in her eyes and she looked at him in need of help but then he saw her breathing deepen and she seemed as if she was panting. She closed her eyes tightly and balled her fists. Her mouth twitched and she stretched it wide as her canines started to grow longer and shaper. Then in a flick of an eye she spread her fingers wide and her nails were also longer and had turned blue. The markings on her face and neck became more vibrant and started to pulse. She grunted as pain spread through her body and Maleficent couldn't hold onto her any longer. She fell forward onto her hands and knees as her wings grew from her back. Then she stood and lifted her head. When her eyes shot open they were glowing amber and she snarled wickedly.

She whipped her head toward Maleficent and flew towards her raising her hand into a claw. She sliced at the witch's face and kicked her in the stomach. Maleficent crashed into the dressing table behind her but threw Rinoa off her with ease. The sorceress slammed against the wall hard and landed on the floor with a thump. But she wouldn't give up so easily. Rising from the floor in a zombie-like fashion she trod forward. But just before she reached Maleficent she gripped onto her side in pain. She had once again opened her wound. Blood started oozing from the gash and stained her night gown.

"Rinoa!" Leon yelled trying to escape Isis and Pebble "Rinoa stop! You'll kill yourself!"

By the sound of his voice, Rinoa turned around and looked at him sadly. She lifted her arm in his direction but then she felt something hard hit her head and fell forward landing unconscious on the floor. Maleficent stood behind her holding her staff high. She wiped her bleeding brow and turned to the maids.

"Hold the ceremony tonight!" she ordered

"But Milady then Mistress Angel will die," Pebble exclaimed "She is too weak"

"Are you refusing an order?" Maleficent snarled

Pebble shook her head.

"What about him Milady?" Isis asked referring to Leon

"Put him back in the cell, I'll deal with him later," She turned toward the door, but then stopped and tilted her head back "Hmm, it seems after today the prince will never again be able to wake the Sleeping Beauty, for once I'm getting the happy ending!"