The Sorceress' Legacy Chapter 7
By Kettch
Thud Thud, “Come on Squall, wake up.”
“Huh? Where am I”
Thump Thump “Come on Squall, It’s our first SeeD mission!” Selphie’s voice. “We are going to Timber. Meet by the front gate as soon as you are ready.”
“First SeeD mission…last I remember I had just killed Rinoa, my wife….what’s going on?” Squall jolted awake and sat up in bed. “I will be right there.” He said as he put his hand to his head. “Was all just a dream?”
Squall stood and put on his jacket, grabbed his gunblade and walked out of his room. It was odd walking down the halls of Garden without the hum of the discs rotating below it, or the whistle of air rushing past. He walked onto the central area, passing people who congratulated him on passing his SeeD exam. He passed Fujin and Raijin, who stopped him and told him to stay out of Seifer’s way on their mission.
“Seifer never passed his SeeD exam….” Squall thought,
“Whatever.”
He walked outside and into the large courtyard that stretched to the front gate. He had hardly taken 2 steps when he noticed something else that wasn’t right. Ellone was standing, talking with Quistis. She looked at him and waved, before the both of them walked over.
“Squall, congratulations, I hear you are to leave on your first SeeD mission already,” Ellone said as she walked up.
“Yeah, Timber I hear. Good luck, I’m sure you will do well as the squad leader.” Quistis added. “Won’t he Sis.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Squall answered, “It’s really good to see you both.” This wasn’t like it was supposed to be at all. It felt odd to talk to Quisty again, since the last he remembered, she was dead. But that was just a nightmare, wasn’t it? It was so vivid, he remembered every day. It was more like a year and a half had vanished from existence. “I will try not to disappoint you.” He said as he walked away.
He continued walking, puzzled by how things had changed almost overnight. Seifer was a SeeD, Ellone was here, and obviously everyone remembered the orphanage, otherwise, Quistis wouldn’t have called her Sis. He put his hand to his head again and noticed that his scar was missing. Something wasn’t right about all this, and he had to find out what it was.
“Hey Squall, over here!” Selphie yelled when he came into view, “We get to go to Timber for our first SeeD mission!”
“Yeah, Squall, and you know what happens in Timber,” Zell grinned as Squall walked up to them.
“Timber…..” Squall said, unsure of what he was talking about.
“What, you don’t remember?” Selphie said, “We meet up with the Forest Owls, and Rinoa….”
“They remembered it too? But it was a dream, it never happened, or had it?” Squall stared blankly back at Selphie as he thought. “What is going on here?” He finally said, “nothing makes sense anymore.”
“I know the feeling.” Seifer said as he walked up himself. “One minute I’m watching you ball your eyes out, next minute, Raijin is waking me up for a SeeD mission.”
“There has to be a logical explanation for this.” Squall said, putting his head down into his hand.
“Squall my boy!” A familiar voice said from just beyond the gate. Squall looked up to see Laguna, Kiros and Ward walking toward him, with Odine in tow.
“Ummm, Hi,” Squall said, unsure of what to say. “So what brings you here?”
“Well Squall, I came to see how you were doing,” He started, “and I brought Odine to try and explain again what he thinks happened. I hope he makes it clearer this time, cause I’m still not sure I understand how we all wound up a year and a half in the past…..”
“Az I said, Itz simple.” Odine said. “By absorbing da sorceress’ powers, ve caused Ultimecia’s existence to become kaput. Vis no Ultimecia, the past was changed, and time reset itself to just before she effected the world. Because zere ver little things before now zat she effected, da vorld now is different that ve remember it being. Sorceress Edea never received Ultimecia’s povers, and hence didn’t start SeeD to vard against her. Instead, Cid and Laguna started it a few years later zen before, in case Adel somehow escaped from her cell in orbit. Cid den used ze children at ze orphanage as ze first SeeDs ven zey vere old enough.”
“So, when we killed Rinoa, there was no longer any Ultimecia and time reset accordingly.” Zell repeated, trying to easy the headache he suddenly had. “That’s confusing, how do we know what’s changed?”
“You guess.” Kiros answered simply, “Its impossible to know what changed so you have to guess.”
“So Rinoa is alive and well here!” Squall said, “We can go on like none of it ever happened.”
“I’m afraid it might not be that easy.” Laguna started. “The only people who seem to remember what happened, were present in the room when time reset.”
“So? Rinoa was there.” Squall said.
“Rinoa was dead, and because of that, she may not remember any of it.” Laguna said as he put a hand on his son’s shoulders. “Anyway, I was going to see Elle quick before I head back to Esthar.” Laguna said as he turned to walk further into Garden. “Remember, you’ve been given a chance to go back and start again, don’t mess it up.”
Squall just stood there, hoping that Rinoa remembered.
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The trip from Garden to Timber was uneventful, and soon they were getting off the train at the station, where they were met by watts.
“The forests of Timber sure have changed,” Watts said as he walked up.
“What were we supposed to say again?” Selphie whispered to Squall.
“I dunno, something about birds I think….” Zell answered. “Squall, say something”
“Umm, maybe, but at least there are still chocobo’s…” Squall finally said.
“Ummm, what are you talking about sir. The forest has…never mind.” Watts said as he spun around as ran off.
Watts ran down the steps and over to a set of tracks that ran next to the train station, where a single engine was slowing to a halt. He stopped in front of the train, and began directing them on exactly where the end of the small platform they were next to was. As the train stopped, it rolled forward and into Watts, throwing him to the ground. He lay there dazed as Zone ran out to him.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to stand in front of the train!” Zone said as she walked up. He then noticed the SeeD party standing off to the side watching. “Are they the SeeDs.” he whispered to Watts.
“They got the password wrong.” Watts replied.
“Well, show them in anyway,” Zone said as he walked back inside. “We are paying them a fortune.”
Watts stood quickly, “Right this way sir.” He said as he followed them into the train that served as their base, only to have the door shut in his face. He staggered back a few steps as the train started to depart
“Hey! Wait for me!” He shouted as he ran after it.
Once inside, Squall introduced his party, and he and the forest owls introduced themselves. Then, just as before, Zone asked Squall if he would go wake up the princess. Squall accepted nervously, not knowing what to expect.
He walked into the room at the end of the hall and stopped abruptly inside as he saw Rinoa lying there, sleeping peacefully. She looked just like he remembered her from before the ordeal with Ultimecia, so innocent and beautiful. He could hardly believe it after what he had done, but, there she was.
Rinoa began to stir before she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “You, you’re the one from the party," she said, looking at him. “Does that mean you’re a SeeD”
“Yes, I’m the Squad leader, Squall,” he said. “She doesn’t remember. There are two others with me.”
“Yes! SeeD is here!” She jumped up and quickly threw her arms around him for a moment.
“Hey, take it easy.” Squall chuckled.
“I’m sorry, we have been petitioning SeeD for some time now, but we got no answer.” She walked over to her dresser, “I knew if I went there and talked to Cid, he would understand.”
“So you were there to see Headmaster Cid?,” Squall asked.
“Not exactly, do you know Seifer?”
“Yeah.”
“He introduced me to Cid, and once I explained everything, he agreed to send SeeDs as soon as possible.” She smiled, “Cid is such a nice man.”
Rinoa walked back over toward the door as Squall stood silently in disbelief. She didn’t remember a thing, and it hurt to realize that.
“Is ‘he’ here?” She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts, “Seifer?”
“Yeah, he’s here.” Squall answered quickly.
“Really! I knew he’d come!” She said excitedly as she ran from the room.
Squall followed her down the hall and stood in shock as Rinoa ran over to Seifer, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, long and hard. It tore his heart out to see it. Rinoa was his wife, and even though everything changed, and she remembered none of the time they shared, he still loved her. The pain was too much to bear, and he knew he had to get away from there.
“Excuse me, I will be just outside.” Squall said as the train screeched to a halt. He then opened the door and stepped out, visibly shaken.
“What’s with him?” Rinoa asked, still clinging to Seifer.
“I’ll go see.” Zell answered as he spun and ran out the door. He found Squall sitting on the steps leading down from the boarding platform. He was sobbing quietly with his head down in his hands when Zell sat next to him.
“Squall, I know that had to hurt you a lot, man, but you have to be strong and carry out the mission.” Zell started. “It’s your duty.”
“Don’t tell me about duty!” Squall snapped, “You have no idea how hard it was to watch my wife die by my own hand because it was my duty!. Then we go back, and I find my punishment for my ‘doing my duty’ is to go back in time and watch my wife live out her life with a man I dispise!” He jumped up and started walking. “I can’t take this, I have to get out of here. I need to get away for awhile. Tell Seifer he’s in charge until I return…..If I return.” Squall then took off running.
“What’s wrong?” Rinoa said as she stepped out onto the platform, “Where did he go?”
“That’s hard to explain.” Zell answered as he slumped over.
“Oh, I see. Is there anything I could do to help?” She asked, “I hate to see people suffer like that and I can tell something hurt him deep down.”
“Probably not,” Zell said as he looked at her, “It’s a long story, and you probably wouldn’t believe it to begin with.” His looked down at his feet, but as he did, something caught his eye. His eyes snapped back to the chain Rinoa wore around her neck, and to the two rings on it. “But it has something to do with that second ring on your necklace.
“Second ring?” She asked, putting her hand to her throat, and wrapping her fingers around the two rings that lay there. “What is this doing…….”
As she spoke, her eyes settled on the mysterious ring that had situated itself next to her mother’s. She slowly turned it over, gazing at the strange emblem engraved on it. Slowly, tears began to form in the corner’s of her eyes as memories of a past that had been erased from existence came flooding back, nearly overwhelming her.
“Griever,” She sobbed as she looked down at the now familiar design. “Oh, Squall, what have I done to you.”
“It’s not your fault,” Zell said. “But we have to find him.”
Rinoa looked up, drying her tears. “I know where to look.”