Chapter 42

To Be Around Me

(Rinoa)

The situation wasn't as tense as it may have appeared.

From an outsider's perspective, the scene in the Garden infirmary looked like a showdown moments from erupting into violence. Zell stood near the door, his fists unconsciously flexing and relaxing, his jaw set, his eyes determined. Xu kneeled on her bed, leaning over the entrance to Squall's patient room like a gargoyle ready to spring to life. Ami twisted her fingers around her staff, her eyes darting between the people in the room.

And in the corner, away from the others, Mireya and her four allies stood in a cluster, ready to defend or attack as necessary. Mireya's left hand rested lightly on the hilt of her sword. If someone had walked into the room at that moment, they would say that the situation was very nearly out of control.

But Rinoa knew better.

She knew—without the slightest doubt—that if she needed to, she could completely destroy everyone in the infirmary. Not that she would, of course. Even after hearing Mireya's story about NORG and the origins of SeeD, Rinoa couldn't muster anything more than a dull dislike of Mireya. Certainly nothing resembling the hatred required to outright kill her.

But if the situation worsened, for whatever reason, Rinoa could do it. She could still feel that pure white energy glowing within her, a tiny sun somewhere in her chest, near her heart. She knew how to reach it, and she knew that nothing the SeeDs could do—para-magic, weapons, fists—could stop her once she grabbed hold of that energy.

So as the drama in the infirmary continued to play out, Rinoa stood impassively in Squall's patient room, ignoring it all. If things got unmanageable or if Rinoa felt that the bickering between Zell, Xu, and Mireya was starting to interfere with Dr. Kadowaki's work, then Rinoa could step in and put an end to it. It really was that simple, as far as she was concerned.

Outside the infirmary, Rinoa could hear clanking and clanging as the school's tech team set to work tearing apart the door to get inside. Whatever methods they had tried for repairing the door had all failed, and their only remaining option was to completely dismantle the door from the outside.

The waves of the ocean lapped against the side of the school, and a warm salty breeze drifted in through an open window, stirring Rinoa's hair as she gazed upon Squall's face.

Squall—stretched out and bloody on the patient bed—was still and sleeping. His eyes flicked behind their lids, as if watching scenes only he could see.

(I wonder if he's dreaming?)

Rinoa stood off to the side, holding his limp, cool hand in one of her own, waiting for his eyes to finally open. Dr. Kadowaki stood on the other side of the bed. She'd gone through all the tools and supplies in her emergency bag, and performed all the tests she could think of, but nothing so far had roused Squall from his slumber.

Through the window, in the distance, she could hear as SeeDs and Trabia Garden students alike were working together to decouple the two schools. Work seemed to be going quickly, although Rinoa had no real way of knowing for sure. She could only catch brief glimpses of Fisherman's Horizon and the side of the school through the small window, and nothing that indicated the overall progress of the students.

"So…" Zell said to Mireya after several minutes of silence. "Why'd ya pick a Galbadian Military Saber as your weapon?" He crossed his arms and glared. "You gonna tell me that you're secretly a Galbadian too?"

Mireya looked at him then down at her sword. "This?" she asked, gripping the sword hilt in her fingers. "No, I'm not Galbadian. I was actually born in a small village in Dollet, just on the border of Galbadia, if you care to know."

Zell shrugged. "Okay. But why the G-Army weapon?"

"I wanted to make a name for myself, here at Garden," Mireya said. "Originally, I was drawn towards gunblades as my weapon of choice. I found the designs to be unique and beautiful. Powerful as well—when wielded properly. Also, at the time when I enlisted, there were no gunblade specialists in SeeD, so I thought I could be the first and thus cement my standing in Garden that way."

"So… what happened? Squall beat you to it?" Zell asked.

"No, I graduated before Squall," Mireya said. "If I had any desire to be the first gunblade specialist in SeeD, I would have beaten him by almost a year. Rather, I looked at it from a different perspective. As you well know, gunblade specialists are rare around the world—not just in SeeD. The number of people in the world who could reasonably be called 'masters' of the gunblade is something less than a dozen. At first, the uniqueness of the gunblade appealed to me. But then I realized something."

She held up her Galbadian weapon, still sheathed, and gazed at its form. She glanced at Zell and said, "What's the point of being the best out of a mere one dozen people? Honestly, how difficult is it to be better than eleven others? Yes, wielding a gunblade as my primary weapon would have made me stand out in Garden, but if I just wanted to be noticed, then I could accomplish the same thing by dying my hair or getting an obnoxious face tattoo."

Zell frowned and turned red. "Hey!" he said, shaking a fist at her. "I don't dye my hair! It's naturally blonde!"

Mireya didn't seem to care. She kept talking. "My point is, it's easy to stand out if you simply choose the path least taken. But that doesn't mean you're any better. I wanted to stand out—not because I was different—but because I was unquestionably the best. So I picked the most common weapon in the world, the Galbadian Military Saber Model Three, which is used by thousands of people in multiple countries. There are people who train with this weapon every day. Who have it strapped to their sides at all times when they're on duty. They have tournaments every year for this weapon in Deling City, where fighters from all over come to test their skills against each other. G-Garden offers an extensive training course on this exact weapon alone."

She held out the sword in both hands, displaying it in front of the others. "There are not a mere dozen masters of this weapon. There are hundreds of masters. Perhaps thousands. To stand out in such a crowded field would truly be a feat of excellence. And I decided that that would be my course of action. To learn to be the greatest wielder of the most common and most studied weapon in the world."

Keeping the blade sheathed, she swiped it through the air and returned it to her waist with a flourish. "Also, replacement parts are cheap, and I can easily buy another sword if this one breaks or gets damaged. So it's practical as well."

"Oh…" Zell said. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. Rinoa peeked out of the patient room and looked at Zell. She expected him to say something more, but he remained silent.

(I guess he's out of things to say.)

"What about you?" Mireya asked. "Why fight with your fists?"

"My grandpa taught me to box when I was a kid," Zell said. He began shadowboxing to demonstrate. "When I got into SeeD, I tried working with some other weapons, but nothing felt right, you know? I've just always been better with my hands. So… yeah."

A voice on the other side of the infirmary door shouted, "We're almost through! Stand away from the door." The working resumed without waiting for a response.

(Finally.)

Xu looked at Mireya. "What are you going to do once that door opens?"

Mireya turned to her. "I should ask the sorceress the same thing," she said. Her hard eyes landed on Rinoa. Rinoa met her gaze and didn't flinch.

"I'm staying here with Squall," Rinoa said, confidently.

(And you can't make me leave.)

"Then I suppose we should discuss what must be done next," Mireya said.

"Who is 'we'?" Xu asked. "You and those four behind you?"

Mireya shot her a glance. "The sorceress is guilty of several crimes, committed openly and in full view of many witnesses. She attacked members of SeeD and forcefully infiltrated our infirmary. She is now guilty of trespassing, assault, and attempted murder. I've no intention of letting such actions go unpunished."

"Attempted murder?" Zell said, scoffing. "Of who?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a loud bang from the infirmary door. Zell jumped and high-stepped away from the door, spinning and raising his fists as if the door was a monster about to attack him. Ami twirled her staff and took a defensive pose, but then she realized that Zell was overreacting. She relaxed her guard and gave him a withering stare.

The door slid open a bit, and fingers poked through the crack between the door and the wall. Several people worked together at once to slowly pull the door all the way open.

There, standing on the other side, were a few dozen clustered SeeDs and cadets, all craning their necks to get a look at what was happening inside the infirmary. None of them seemed willing to be the first to cross the threshold, as if the infirmary was some quarantine zone where a deadly toxin had been released.

"Nothing to see here," Xu said sternly. "Move on, people." The crowd didn't acknowledge her and chose to hold their ground.

"Step aside, step aside," the Headmaster said from the back of the crowd. The students parted, allowing Cid and Edea to enter the infirmary. Cid looked around at the strewn mess of papers, the raised weapons, and the guarded, tense expressions on the faces of the SeeDs and sighed.

Rinoa stepped out of the patient room and stood in full view of everyone in the hall. From over Cid's shoulder, Rinoa could feel the eyes of dozens of SeeDs lock onto her. She did her best to ignore them.

(They won't do anything.)

"Well, it seems you've managed to avoid bloodshed so far," the Headmaster said. He looked down at the papers around the floor and added, "Though only just barely."

Mireya smoothly drew her sword and pointed the tip across the room, towards Rinoa. "The sorceress attacked members of SeeD, unprovoked, and refuses to vacate the premises."

Rinoa ignored the charges. "Is everyone alright?" she asked Cid. "Is Quistis okay?"

The Headmaster smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes. Quistis is fine. A little surprised by your actions, but she understands that you meant no harm. She went into FH to speak with the city mayor. Selphie is there with her."

"Selphie?" Zell asked. "How's she doin'?"

Cid shrugged. "Alive, it seems. Beyond that, I don't know. She and I didn't have a chance to talk."

"Was Irvine there with her?" Zell asked.

"Again, I don't know," Cid said. "I imagine we'll get the full report once those two come back from the city. In the meantime, I wanted to check on the situation here and make sure everyone was alright. How have things been, Dr. Kadowaki?"

Dr. Kadowaki emerged from the patient room and grimaced. "Could have been better. There was a little skirmish early on, but mostly there's just been a lot of glaring and macho talk."

"Glaring is fine," the Headmaster said. "No one's ever been hospitalized because of a few dirty looks. And how's Squall?"
"Stable," Dr. Kadowaki said. "He appears to be in some kind of coma, but we're not sure why."

Cid sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "Seems that there's a great deal we aren't sure about these days."

"Headmaster," Mireya said, stepping forward. "What do you intend to do with the sorceress? Regardless of her intentions, she attacked members of the school without provocation. That cannot be allowed to stand."

Cid's expression darkened. He turned to face her and in a solemn, strict voice, he said, "Well, with the SeeD Commander incapacitated and the Lieutenant Commander away from the school, all power and authority passes to me. So I shall do something that I should have done a long time ago. I am officially overturning the student vote in the quad and rendering the entire affair null and void. I am also pardoning any crimes Miss Rinoa may or may not have committed, and welcoming her once more as an honored guest of the school, with all the rights and privileges that entails."

(Good.)

Rinoa sighed and closed her eyes, relieved.

For the reaction he received, Headmaster Cid may as well have confessed to murder. Mireya and her four lackeys stared at him in furious disbelief. SeeDs in the hallway spoke quietly to each other, their voices carrying into the infirmary.

"You can't do that," Mireya said. "The students want her gone."

Cid shrugged, a smile on his lips. "And the students also want unlimited ice cream in the cafeteria, less homework on weekends, and more personal time. Unfortunately for them, I am not in the business of handing people what they want."

Mireya seethed silently, her eyes flicking back and forth between Rinoa and the Headmaster.

"When did you suddenly grow a spine?" Mireya asked Cid, her voice just above a whisper.

"Headmaster!" Zell said, stepping into Cid's line of sight. "You should know, Mireya's totally workin' for NORG! She even told us so herself!"

Cid held up a hand to calm Zell. "Mr. Dincht, please. That's an issue for another time."

"But Headmaster!" Zell protested. He stomped on the floor.

"Zell, it's alright," Cid said. He turned to Mireya. "Now, I ask for you all to please remember that you are in an infirmary. Put away your weapons, and if you are not injured, please vacate the area at once. This room is reserved for those who are wounded and those who are attending to the wounded."

The one of the SeeDs behind Mireya leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Rinoa didn't quite catch it, but she thought she heard the phrase, "do it now." Mireya narrowed her eyes at the SeeD and told him to be quiet.

Mireya turned her attention back to Cid and ground her teeth. Her eyes went from Cid, to Edea, to Zell and Ami, then to Rinoa and Xu, as if she was tallying up the number of people she would have to fight.

Rinoa reached into her heart and found the white energy inside her. She held it close, ready to unleash it in an instant if Mireya chose to attack.

(Do it.)

(Come on, do it.)

Rinoa blinked, suddenly aware of the rising tide of anger and maddened glee that was building in her mind. Without realizing it, she was reveling in her power, enjoying the sensation of being stronger than anyone else in the room. What's worse, she was even beginning to hope for a fight, just so that she'd have an excuse to exert her dominance. She shook her head and looked down at the floor, unclenching her fists. The anger seeped out of her like sweat dripping from her pores.

(I'm not like Ultimecia.)

(I'm not like Adel.)

She repeated this to herself several times, feeling the nervous, angry tension fall off her shoulders.

(This isn't like me to get so angry.)

(What happened?)

Was it something to do with that new power she'd discovered? That pure white energy? She'd been able to access it twice now, once in battle aboard the Ragnarok, and once in the escape pod to revive Squall. The first time she had to become blindingly angry to summon the energy. The second time she was able to tap into the power by using the ring in her pocket to vividly recall her rage from the first time. Both times, the magic was born from anger.

(Is there… something evil about this power?)

All at once, Rinoa became afraid of her own abilities again. Anxious about her status as a sorceress. She crossed her arms and bit her lip, hoping for a peaceful end to the situation. She didn't want to have to fight at that moment. She didn't want to have to use her powers.

Thankfully, Mireya sheathed her sword and marched past the Headmaster and Edea, stepping into the hallway beyond. Her four cronies followed in step behind her, leaving everyone else behind. The students in the hallway reluctantly moved aside to let Mireya pass, and then she was gone.

Xu, Zell, and Ami all released long sighs of relief. Zell put his fists down at his sides, while Ami lowered her staff.

Headmaster Cid grinned at the others. "See?" he said. "She can be reasoned with."

"She's not going to let it go, Headmaster," Xu said. "She only backed down because she knows she's outnumbered. She'll wait for the right time and try again."

"Perhaps," Cid said with a shrug. "But for now, everything is fine. Are you all okay?"

Everyone in the room nodded. Dr. Kadowaki sighed, looking at the mess her office had become, then stepped out of the patient room and started collecting the papers strewn everywhere. Zell bent over and helped her, and Ami did the same.

"Make sure to keep them in order," Dr. Kadowaki said to Zell and Ami. "Some of these are important records."

"Gotcha," Zell said. He paused and squinted at the title of one of the papers, then tucked it under his arm and kept working.

"Well, if everything is alright," Cid said, "Then I'll return to my duties."

He turned to leave, and his wife Edea followed behind him.

(I have to know about my powers.)

"Um… Edea?" Rinoa asked, just before she exited the room. Edea paused and turned to face Rinoa.

"Yes? What is it?" Edea asked.

"I have a question," Rinoa said. "Well, a lot of questions actually. About being a sorceress."

"Of course," Edea said. "You can come to me anytime. What troubles you?"

"Do you need me to stay?" Cid asked. Edea held up a hand and shook her head. The Headmaster turned and exited out the infirmary. He moved through the cluster of SeeDs outside and told them all to disperse. One by one, they gradually obeyed, leaving the hallway outside the infirmary empty and giving the people in the infirmary some privacy.

Rinoa took a breath and then started from the beginning. She described the battle aboard the Ragnarok, the white energy that she summoned to defeat Ultimecia and Seifer. She skipped ahead to the escape pod, where she used that same power once more to heal Squall and bring him back from death.

"Whoa!" Zell said, pausing from collecting papers. "You did all that?"
"Yes," Rinoa said. She grabbed her upper arm with one hand and held herself. "I'm just worried, you know? What is this power? Is it… dangerous?"

(Am I becoming a monster?)

Edea nodded sagely. "I can understand why you'd be frightened. And I'd like to tell you that you shouldn't be frightened, but unfortunately, I cannot say that for sure."

"You mean you don't know what it is?" Rinoa asked, her heart sinking.

"I don't know completely what it is," Edea said. "But I can tell you what I do know."

"Please," Rinoa said.

"I believe that what you are experiencing, Rinoa," Edea said, "Is magic in its purest form. You are not wielding spells in the traditional sense. Rather, you are manipulating pure energy, unfiltered, raw, and at its most powerful."

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked.

"I mean to say that ordinary magic has been altered prior to its use," Edea said. "SeeDs use para-magic, which is derived from energy obtained from draw points and monsters. By the time it reaches the surface of the planet—where it can be harvested—it has undergone many changes and it has… let's say hardened into a specific form. That's why lightning magic only casts lightning spells. Or why you can't use an ice spell to create fire. The energy has taken a specific form and refuses to do anything else."

Edea nodded towards Zell and Xu. "The SeeDs here can probably tell you more about that than I can, if you care to learn. Para-magic has been extensively studied and tested in the past decade or so, and SeeDs are required to have a deep understanding of its workings before they graduate. Sorceresses, on the other hand, have not been so well studied. Much of what I can tell you comes from my own experiences or stories I have learned from other sorceress. Dr. Odine has been able to enlighten me somewhat, but even his knowledge is limited."

"Anything you can tell me would be helpful," Rinoa said.

(I need to know.)

"Alright," Edea said with a nod. "Sorceresses do not use para-magic. There are a number of theories as to what exactly makes a sorceress' magic special, but the one theory I subscribe to the most is the idea of 'ambient energy', which is a theory originally proposed by Dr. Odine. The idea states that there is useable magical energy infusing everything in the world. Plants, animals, people, rocks, air. Everything. Not just draw points and monsters. While regular people can only use concentrated, hardened para-magic, sorceresses can use the energy found naturally in the world and shape it to their will. That, to me, seems to be the most logical explanation for the phenomena of sorceresses. I'm sure you've noticed how you can wield far more power—and for far longer—than your companions without getting tired?"

Rinoa thought back to the time she and Squall had crossed the Esthar plains on the way to the Lunatic Pandora. Squall had done less than half the work as Rinoa and yet was exhausted by the end, while Rinoa had only begun to fatigue a little by the end of the journey.

"Yes, I've noticed," Rinoa said.

"That's because, if this theory is true," Edea said, "You are using the energy found in the world, while the SeeDs are using energy stored within themselves. Essentially, you are making the planet do the heavy lifting for you."

(Makes sense, I guess.)

"So then what's the energy I was using when I fought Ultimecia on the Ragnarok?" Rinoa asked.

Edea smiled. "I was just getting to that. My idea is this—and remember, it's only my idea; it may not be true—but I believe that even the ambient energy in the world is still hardened somewhat. It is fixed in a certain state. The magic in the air is always air magic, and cannot be transmuted into earth magic, or water magic. So while sorceresses can manipulate the natural energy of the world, they are still limited by the types of energies surrounding them.

"However, a certain amount of pure, original energy also exists in the world and in everything. This pure magic has not had the time to solidify into any other kind of spell, and can thus be turned into anything. Most sorceresses cannot wield this, but a select few sorceresses can, producing more powerful results. And that is what I think you can do. Again, it's only a guess, but I believe it to be true."

"But is it…" Rinoa said. She hesitated, trying to find the right words. "But is it dangerous?"

"All power is dangerous," Edea said. "But I don't think that there's any particular harm in using this pure magic."

(But why am I so angry?)

(I didn't have these feelings before I learned how to use the white magic.)

(Something must have changed.)

"But I told you," Rinoa said. "I have to get angry to use it. Doesn't that mean it's bad?"

Edea waved her hand. "No, not at all. Oftentimes, sorceresses can only work powerful spells while in a heightened emotional state. It increases our awareness of the magical world and gives us a better grip on our spells. Anger is but one emotion you can use to access this power. In time, you will learn other routes to the same goal. And with practice, you may reach a day where you can wield pure magic effortlessly, without calling on any emotions for aid."

Normally, Edea's calm wisdom had a soothing effect on Rinoa. Even when Edea was unsure of the answer, she usually could phrase things in such a way as to make the problems seem smaller, more manageable.

But this time, Rinoa found herself disagreeing with Edea. Something had changed within Rinoa in the past day or so, since she had learned to activate this new power. Anger rose more easily in her chest. She found herself resorting to magic in situations when she might have chosen a different path. She had attacked Quistis because she stood in the way of Squall. She found herself hoping for a fight in the infirmary so that she would have an excuse to use her magic.

(This isn't like me at all.)

Rinoa chewed her lip. "You said this was all a guess, right?"

"An educated guess," Edea said. "I have heard stories of other sorceresses who could wield magic like yours. While their ultimate fates are uncertain, I have never heard a single story of a sorceress dying or going mad because she could use that power. I would caution you to use the power sparingly and use it wisely, but I don't think you are in any immediate danger."

"Ciel could do it too," Zell said, shuffling together a stack of papers. "I remember now. She sent out some kinda white magic when she knocked out Xu."

"Did she?" Xu asked, wrinkling her nose. "I don't remember."

"If so, then that's truly something we need to be worried about," Edea said. She turned back to Rinoa. "Your ability is rare, Rinoa. And it can give you an advantage over other sorceresses. However, if Ciel can use this power as well—and if you two should come to blows—then you will have no advantage over her at all."

Rinoa glanced away.

(I don't want to fight her again.)

"I can see that you're still uncertain," Edea said. "But you have to remember what I told you before. Sorceresses are still human. Even the ones who have become like monsters. And the energy they use is just energy. Using your powers won't make you good or evil. It's about your choices—"

The sound of the intercom chiming three times cut off the rest of her sentence. She closed her mouth and glanced up at the nearest speaker. Everyone else in the infirmary did the same.

"All students to battle stations," Headmaster Cid said over the intercom. As he spoke, Garden began to get into motion, the floor shifting subtly beneath everyone's feet. "Galbadia is attacking from the west. Attend to your assigned duties and prepare for further instructions."

Zell looked down at the floor in amazement.

"Whoa! We can move?" he asked. "I thought Garden was busted!"

"Never mind that," Xu said. "Get to your battle stations! Hurry!"

Zell snapped out of his wonder and nodded. He and Ami dashed out of the infirmary and into the hallway, heading towards the elevator.

Rinoa looked around at Dr. Kadowaki, Xu, and Edea.

"What should I do?" Rinoa asked, speaking to none of them in particular. All three women answered her question in unison.

"You should fight," Xu said.

"You should stay here," Edea said.

"You should do what you want," Dr. Kadowaki said.

The women glanced at each other, their faces registering surprise. They had answered so quickly and with such conviction, it was clear that the three women were convinced that their option was the best for Rinoa—and they were shocked to find that the other two disagreed.

Edea was the first to break the silence.

"Rinoa, you must stay here and protect Squall," Edea said. "Guard the infirmary."

"We don't need a guard in the infirmary," Xu argued. "Squall will be fine in here by himself. Taking Rinoa away from the front lines to watch over him is a waste of her talents."

"If this battle plays out the way I think it will," Edea said, facing Xu, "Then we will benefit greatly from having a sorceress in the infirmary. You heard what Rinoa said she can do. She brought Squall back from death! Surely this battle will see many casualties on our side, and Rinoa's powers can change all that. How can you say that keeping her here is a waste? Think of the lives she could save!"

"Rinoa also said she single-handedly took out Ultimecia in the Ragnarok," Xu said. "With that kind of power, she could end this battle right away, without any SeeDs getting injured in the first place!"

(Both of them raise good points…)

Dr. Kadowaki watched on with impassive eyes. When there was a gap in Edea and Xu's argument, she turned to Rinoa and shrugged.

"And I said you should do what you want, Rinoa," the doctor said. "Truth is, you're needed everywhere. If you want to stay back and help the wounded, I can definitely find a use for you. Or if you want to go and fight, that's your choice. The only thing you can do wrong is to do nothing at all."

(The only thing I can do wrong…)

She looked back at Squall, still lying on the infirmary bed. She could see his chest rise and fall with a steady rhythm.

The truth was, a part of her did want to stay in the infirmary and do nothing. Stay by Squall and ignore the battle outside. Forget that she was a sorceress. Forget that Mireya and others in SeeD hated her. Forget everything and never use her powers again. It would be safer that way, not only for herself, but for everyone. If she never used her powers again, there was no chance that she would ever turn into another Adel, or another Ultimecia.

(It might be best for everyone if I stayed out of it…)

"Squall will be fine here," Xu said. "Dr. Kadowaki will be here to watch over him."

Dr. Kadowaki crossed her arms. "Just me? And where will you be?"

Xu stepped off the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor, and looked at Dr. Kadowaki defiantly. "I'm fighting," she said.

"You're resting," Dr. Kadowaki said. "I won't allow—"

"I'm fine!" Xu said. "I'm not going to stay here and take an infirmary bed away from someone who really needs it." She turned to Rinoa. "If you want to fight, follow me."

Without waiting for a response from anyone, Xu moved quickly out of the infirmary and into the hallway. Rinoa hesitated, glancing back and forth between Dr. Kadowaki, Squall, and Edea. She looked down the hallway, watching as Xu marched away, her footsteps fast and full of determination.

Rinoa closed her eyes.

When she listened closely, she could hear the rumbling of distant explosions coming in through the open window in the infirmary. She heard—or thought she heard—faint cries and screams, carried into the building along the gentle breeze. People in FH were dying, and SeeD was in danger. To sit and do nothing while other people suffered and died…

Rinoa shook her head.

(I can't stay here.)

(I can't avoid this fight.)

She thought about staying behind and helping Dr. Kadowaki with the injured students. After all, if Rinoa had been able to pull Squall off the very brink of death, then there was no possible injury that could be beyond Rinoa's skill to heal.

(But healing people won't stop the fighting…)

If she chose to remain in the infirmary, she would place the fate of the battle entirely in the hands of the SeeDs. They would be the ones on the front lines, engaging directly with Galbadia. There was a chance that some of them would be killed instantly in the fighting. And others would reach Rinoa in the infirmary too late for her to do any good. People she could have saved would be lost because Rinoa would be too far from the front to help them.

And what if Galbadia proved too strong? The SeeDs in Garden were among the most capable fighters in the world, but none of them could match Rinoa's power. If they fought and lost, then Garden could be captured and destroyed, and then what would happen?

(I don't have a choice.)

Rinoa bit her lip and followed after Xu, jogging to catch up. If she wanted to stop the fighting, she was going to have to fight as well. Inaction would only lead to further tragedy.

A trill of excitement sped through her veins as she jogged. She felt her eyes widen, her heartbeat quicken. It wasn't the nervous energy that normally preceded a battle, but rather a new, manic sort of joy that strained in anticipation of conflict. That was delighted by the thought of using her powers again, of reaching out and touching that energy once more.

She shook her head.

(I'm not Adel.)

(I'm not Ultimecia.)

And the feelings within her dimmed and went away.

Xu's bare feet slapped along the hard hallway floor as she marched determinedly towards the elevator. Once Rinoa caught up to her, she put a hand on Xu's shoulder.

"You're not gonna fight in that, are you?" Rinoa asked, gesturing to Xu's body.

Xu was still wearing her thin hospital gown and nothing but bare feet. She wasn't even dressed to go outside, let along suited up for combat. Xu looked down at herself, realized what she was wearing, and then rolled her eyes at herself and groaned.

"Damn. I forgot about that," Xu said. "I have to go back to my dorm and change. Meet me on the bridge."

Rinoa nodded and the two parted ways, with Xu heading for the dorms and Rinoa making for the elevator.

SeeD had been caught off guard by this sudden call to battle stations. Once Garden had arrived at FH, everyone had assumed that the worst of the danger had passed. Many students were coming out of the library, the training center, or the cafeteria, fumbling to strap their weapons onto their belts or hurriedly altering their junctions. There was a line of at least a dozen students waiting for the elevator to go to their battle stations on the second floor.

Rinoa looked around for Zell and Ami, but couldn't see either of them. Apparently they had already gotten up to the second floor. As Rinoa got into line behind the other SeeDs, she became intensely aware of how alone she was at that moment. Squall was in the infirmary, Xu had gone to the dorms, Selphie and Quistis were apparently somewhere in FH. Rinoa wished that she had a spell for invisibility or something. She looked down at the floor and tried not to draw any attention to herself.

(I wonder if anyone here is on Mireya's side…)

The elevator arrived with a ding, spilling out a half dozen SeeDs. They rushed to various locations, while another six or seven crammed themselves inside the elevator to ride it up to the second floor. When there was no more room inside, the elevator doors shut and the remaining students stood waiting for it to return.

Someone whispered, "It's the sorceress." Rinoa pretended not to hear.

She wondered when exactly people in Garden had started to refer to her by a title, rather than by her name. It wasn't as if she was a stranger in the school. Most everyone knew who she was, and should have known her name. Was it Mireya's influence that caused everyone to stop calling her Rinoa?

More students in the line turned to stare at Rinoa, a few were muttering to themselves. Rinoa tried to look away, but she couldn't help but allow her eyes to be drawn up, meeting the gazes of the other students.

"Where are you going?" one of the students asked her. The SeeD's tone reminded Rinoa of when she was younger—back when her mother was still alive. Whenever Rinoa had tried to sneak out of the house or shirk her responsibilities, her mother would find her, mid-escape, and say in a stern voice, "Where do you think you're going?"

Rinoa found her face heating, an unusual feeling of guilt rising within her, as if she was breaking some rule about standing in lines or not wearing the proper uniform.

(Or breaking the rule about being a sorceress.)

Her guilt and her anxiety were replaced by anger—sudden and violent. She wanted to call up a storm and throw all the SeeDs into one of the nearby fountains. That image came to her mind so clearly that she had to blink and shake her head before she realized that it was only a thought, and not a memory of something she'd done.

"Keep her there!" a voice down the hall yelled. Rinoa and the other students turned to look. A tall, muscular blonde boy was lightly jogging down the hall, his eyes fixed on Rinoa like she was an escaped lion. Beside him was a face all too familiar to Rinoa by now: the black hair and bespectacled mask of Mireya. She had one hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.

Rinoa gasped. Once again, she remembered how far away her friends were. Everyone else was somewhere else in the school or outside of Garden entirely. Too far away to help. And now, the woman who had rallied against Rinoa, had turned many students against her and other sorceresses, and had demanded that Headmaster Cid capture her or imprison her, was now running towards her, her expression hard and unyielding.

(What should I do?)

She felt cornered. The last time she felt this way, she had blindly attacked Quistis and charged into the school, running on a surge of panicked adrenaline. The urge to fight struck her once more. She imagined herself taking on the other SeeDs in the line, fighting off Mireya and the other boy, and then taking an individual stand against everyone in the school.

The thought was exiting.

But she shook her head, yet again stifling those urges.

A hand reached out as someone in the line tried to grab her and hold her in place. But she swatted it aside and took several steps backwards. She refused to fight the SeeDs and could not afford to allow herself to be captured, so she took the only remaining option.

(Run.)

She looked up at the walkway that connected the elevator with the ring of classrooms that encircled the second floor. She planted her feet on the ground and bent her knees, her eyes still fixed on the walkway. Then she focused her mind and created a narrow ring of wind near the ceiling of the school, filling the central room of Garden with a terrific howling gale. The students in the line yelped stepped back, shielding their faces with their hands and forearms. A few cowered down and covered their ears, watching with amazement as the tornado gradually took shape. Mireya and the other boy paused, assessing the situation, refusing to come any closer.

The ring stretched downward from the ceiling in a matter of seconds, forming a long, thin cyclone that reached out and touched Rinoa like a gentle fingertip. She leapt up to meet the air, and was sucked into the sky, twirling effortlessly in circles as the winds bore her up and up and up. The scenery whirled around her, but she was neither dizzy nor disoriented. She was in complete control of her motions as she commanded the tornado to carry her to the second floor walkway.

When she was high enough, she turned and pushed at the wind, so that it would spill her out on the walkway. The tornado subsided, losing its fury and its power, and Rinoa dropped gently on the walkway, her boots mashing in the thin carpet. The winds died down to nothing and Rinoa smoothly ran both hands through her hair, flipping it back over her shoulders. She felt calm, certain. Unshakable.

(That was easy.)

She leaned over the railing of the walkway, looking down at the students that she had escaped. Mireya stared up at her, her eyes narrowed. At once, Mireya turned to the nearby students and pointed to the elevator, saying words that Rinoa couldn't hear. A few seconds later, the elevator arrived on the first floor and the SeeDs began to pile into it.

(Oh…)

(They're actually gonna come after me!)

Rinoa gulped and ran, heading for the second floor hallway. She knew that it was a dead end no matter where she went on the second floor, and that if Mireya and the others were truly determined to capture her, then Rinoa would have no choice but to stand and fight. Still she ran, hoping to delay that inevitable conflict for as long as possible.

She dashed to the hallway and turned to the right, running past a few SeeDs who were standing guard outside the classrooms. They gaped at her as she ran, and one even yelled out, "Hey!" but none of them made any move to stop her. Rinoa ran to the end of the hall and reached the doorway to the balcony. She slammed it open and bounded up the steps.

She saw a flash of black before her eyes and then ran into something. Rinoa grunted and spun aside, collapsing on the floor of the balcony. Still gripped by the panic of the chase, Rinoa scrambled to her feet and looked at the person she had run into, already beginning to call up magic to defend herself.

Quistis sat on the floor of the balcony, rubbing her head with one hand. She winced and looked up at Rinoa.

"What is it?" Quistis asked, her voice filled with rising concern. "What's wrong?"

"Mireya," Rinoa said, breathing in gasps. Although she was magically the most powerful person in Garden, she wasn't in great physical shape and the long sprint had left her panting. "Mireya's after me."

Immediately, Quistis was on her feet, her whip in hand and ready. She gestured for Rinoa to step away from the door while she herself stood in the way, ready to stop anyone who came through the door next. Rinoa frowned in confusion, noticing how beat up and dirty Quistis looked.

(What happened to her?)

Rinoa turned and looked out at the balcony. There, near the railing, was Selphie, Irvine, four White SeeDs, and the girl from Trabia Garden who had tried to heal Squall earlier. The girl currently gripped Selphie's head in both of her hands, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Hiya, Rinoa!" Selphie said, waving both hands. The other girl grimaced and shook Selphie's head.

"Hold still," the girl said. "I'm still working."

"But I feel fine!" Selphie said.

"Just hold on a sec, Selphie," Irvine said. "Let her finish up on you."

"Oh, okay," Selphie said. She held still while the other girl poured healing magic into her head.

"What's going on?" Rinoa asked. "Why are you all on the balcony?"

"Well, ya see," Selphie said, talking animatedly and annoying her friend, who was still trying to heal her. "Me and Quistis were in FH, right? But then BOOM! Galbadia started attacking! And then…" She got quiet for a moment and looked away. "And then some stuff happened…" After that her voice got excited again. "And the White SeeDs picked us up outta the ocean and chased you guys down and then jumped us onto the balcony and now we're here. Oh, and we ran into Tomomi on the way."

(I didn't understand that at all…)

But before Rinoa could ask any more questions, the door to the balcony burst open and Mireya dashed outside, followed immediately by the six SeeDs from earlier and the tall, muscular boy Rinoa had seen with her. Mireya skidded to a stop just before Quistis, forcing the others behind her to stop as well.

"Why are you on the balcony?" Quistis asked. She snapped her whip taut and held it in both hands. "This is not your battle station. Get to the quad, immediately. We are under attack."

"The sorceress—" Mireya started, but Quistis silenced her with a deafening crack of her whip.

"Report to your battle stations or I'll have you all for insubordination," Quistis said. "There is no time for arguments."

Mireya snarled, but then spun around, her black hair whipping out in a fan as she turned. She headed back to the door with her allies along with her. The door shut behind them, leaving everyone else alone on the balcony. Rinoa shut her eyes and sighed.

(I got away.)

(For now.)

Quistis shook her head and lowered her whip to her side. "This is the first time Mireya has tried to do something so bold. I fear that things are worse than I imagined." She turned to Rinoa. "Where's Xu and the Headmaster?"

"Xu said she was going to the bridge," Rinoa said. "I think the Headmaster's there too." She crossed her arms, still feeling the remnants of her adrenaline coursing through her body. "What are we going to do about Mireya?"

"Nothing for now," Quistis said. "We have more immediate concerns."

She swept her arm towards the ocean behind Garden. There, chasing in the school's wake, were at least a half dozen Galbadian warships, barreling down on the school.

And gaining.

Rinoa swallowed and uncrossed her arms. She closed her eyes and reached out for that energy within her, and the memories of her anger that would activate it.

(I'll end this.)

(I'll protect Garden.)