Lina went right back to her classroom and logged onto the computer again. She'd research her way through things. Cloud had told her to talk to Rinoa when she was ready and she was damn ready, but Rinoa didn't tell her squat. Rinoa summed up her life into a few sentences and left it at that. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn't that. And now, Lina was angry with everyone. They hadn't helped her through it at all, instead--made it worse. Those letters, back then. Who was it? That handwriting--she'd seen it before, but there was never any signature.
She searched through multiple pages hoping somehow, someway the answer would pop out at her. Lina was now standing in front of the closed ivory gates of her hidden memory--on the brink to discovery, to revelation, but where was the key? As she logged into Zell's website again, reading over and over on internet her own history, she realized this was the key. This probably was her past, but she couldn't take it in, couldn't understand.
It was the amnesia though. Maybe it did all happen, but she couldn't remember it. But to her, that just made it not real. Not real enough to grasp any certain concept and then she'd find herself back at square one, but she'd been at square one for so long she thought she would explode. If she could only know how to use this key, to open those doors, and to understand.
As Lina clicked to go to the next page of his website, the west wall exploded. Lina was thrown out of her seat and against the wall. Dizzy, and confused, she sat on the floor, instinctively searching her head for any dangerous gashes.
"Lina Heartilly!" she heard and looked up, finding herself facing an unfamiliar face of a lady who seemed to be floating in mid air. "I've come back for you! You are one of the strongest sorceresses in the world and soon your powers shall be mind! Now, come and succumb to my wrath, child!" Her green dress was badly torn, and the exposed skin, along with on her face was pale in color, lifeless. Markings sidled up her leg and the side of her face.
"Wh-who are you?" Lina asked, trembling in fear. She couldn't focus. Her eyes blurred in and out, sliding to and from her images of this wicked scene. Could it be? She felt the cold steal her breath and again felt like she was falling. "No... Gorld... GORLD it's you!"
Without another word, she snapped her fingers at Lina and behind her a blast of concrete and dust threw her to the floor in front of Gorld. Lina screamed, stuck mentally in that gap of knowing and not knowing with this woman's cold touch and actions hacking away at those ivory gates, but still getting no where. With all her might, Lina stood and ran out the door, dodging just barely a green flash of energy that flew out of Gorld's finger like lightning.
"FOOL! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!" Gorld completely obliterated the wall with a simple flick of her hand and the concrete mixed with metals and plastics of all sorts were tossed into the humid air, sprinkling them like confetti. Lina ran as fast she could, out past the balcony and to the second floor elevator. Looking back would only slow her down. "Come, child, GIVE INTO MY POWER!"
"NO!" Lina kicked a boulder into the air and swung it right at the sorceress. It stunned her for only a minute, giving Lina time to run for the elevator as fast as her legs could carry her. Her strategy failed miserably, with Gorld behind her a second later, demolishing everything in her path. Lina had almost reached the walkway of the elevator when the sorceress reached out her hand and let it glow to a dangerous bright green. The last step Lina had just taken exploded. It sent Lina flying out of the walkway, screaming for mercy.
Down below, Zell was heading towards the library, but when he heard the explosion he glanced upward. Shards of rocks flew everywhere, but he caught a glimpse of Lina being flung out of the explosion. "LINA!"
Lina was falling again just like in her dream--except this time it was real, and for some reason, so much less scary than her nightmares. Below she could see the dot of a person running towards her. What's going on? She thought, thoroughly and personally tired of all this amnesia shit. Deja vu captured her senses as she closed her eyes and waited her downfall, feeling the tingle in down her spine a million times over and over. Right before she hit the ground, Zell caught her in his arms, breaking her eminent downfall--her hero. He helped her stand up. "Lina? What's going on?"
"Gold is back... after me," Lina gasped. So everything is true...how could it be? No time for questions. I just have to try and accept things as they come. Wait--that means... if all of this is true... that I'm a sorceress. I must have my own powers! I just have to encourage them. Lina realized. Instead of looking for consolation, she tightly coiled her arms around him, leaving Zell completely shocked. "I have to face my past," she whispered in his ear softly to keep him out of the danger she could willingly step into. "It just must be done." She stepped aside from him and took a step forward. As predicted, Gorld appeared in front of her immediately.
"Are we ready to give in, Lina?" Gorld questioned her mocking. Lina did not answer such a ridiculous question, but instead, she took her fighting stance, preparing for combat with this devilish animal from hell. Gorld smirked, obviously amused at Lina's behavior. Lina's determination stayed firm, refusing to falter under Gorld's dragon eye glare. "This will be most interesting." Gorld charged. Lina didn't know how she did it, but her outline flashed white, but then stayed white as she felt a huge surge of power flow through her body.
Gorld hesitated, worried. Lina beamed--just the reaction she was hoping for. Yet again, there was a blast throwing dust and smoke everywhere until it formed a thick cloud of black dust that even Zell--who was watching from a distance--could clearly distingue. Oh shit! Where's Lina? Eventually, the smoke cleared and stepping from the mess was only Gorld. Lina was no where to be found. Gorld, happy with that, went in to search for what would be the remains of Lina in a pile of boulders.
But, suddenly, Gorld was grabbed around the neck by surprise and twirled against the wall. Lina stood where she had just been, only a few bruises, but not enough to mess with her concentration. Gorld cried out in pain from the blow. Without further complaints, she rushed back into action and kicked Lina off to the side. Lightly, Lina landed in the corridor to the infirmary without so much as a scratch. She jumped forward and continued to battle. Lina slapped Gorld, and Gorld slapped her back. MEOW! Cat fight! No, I'm just kidding. It was a battle of strength, agility, and strategy, but after half an hour of reckless attacks and recoils, it seemed more like a battle of endurance.
It raged on, providing the students with their own personal entertainment--almost as if this life death situation were a television show. At the end of an hour, the two were blatantly exhausted, but not ready to give in yet. Yet again, Lina threw Gorld against a pillar, and standing from there, she looked around--the entire place was filled with pillars. She had an idea. Lina looked at her weakly, but fiercely. This battle would end soon, she was sure of her. Gorld pushed her backwards against a pillar and aimed a bolt at it at the exact same time. Lina hit the pillar, but the blast exploded over her just as she did so. She fell and a thick pile of rocks fell with her.
Unconscious and buried, Lina had lost. Gorld, however, needed Lina's body along with her power and so she approached, taking time to recover her strength. Zell ran past the sorceress and to the pile of rubble, removing rocks of all shapes and sizes to get to Lina.
"Lina!" he cried, finding her buried under two or three layers and shaking her lightly to try and wake her up. "Lina! You haveta get up! GOrld's comin'! Come on! Wake up!" The luminous white light engulfing her suddenly became vague and then more faint all together. Zell encircled her tightly into her arms and kissed her forehead. "Please, Lina, wake up!" Those watching from afar could have sworn they saw tears in his eyes. The white light on Lina's outline grew stronger again, but it changed course. Instead, the light flew out of Lina's body and became somewhat of a glowing white figure of Lina. It leaned up from her body and kneeled in front of Zell, kissing him lightly on the forehead. Suddenly, the light transferred itself from Lina to Zell. Zell then felt a strange force flowing through his veins and standing up, he realized what he must do--he must finish Lina's job; destroy Gorld and send her back from whence she came.
"Not another one," Gorld laughed. "I took your girlfriend down with ease. Do you really think you can defeat me?" She screeched with laughter, piercing a claw at the air with hilarity. Meanwhile, Zell jumped in and socked her in the stomach. Gorld began to grow angry and advanced with a bitter rage.
"NO! You don't hurt my girlfriend and get away with it!" Zell shouted. Gorld began to back off nervously. She had already given herself off as a coward seeking power at this point. "GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"
Gorld even broke into a run, but Zell hunted her down and kicked her in the stomach, then tossed her. She leaned over, already battle worn from challenging Lina, but now having to face a new opponent with the same intention. She tried to stand, tried to hurt him back, but Zell easily dodged and sent her flying in the air with a Booya. Gorld landed face flat on the floor in front of the library. After a moment she stood up.
"I CAN'T LOSE!" she screamed indignantly as she landed a kick in Zell's stomach. Zell fell back, but got right back up and punched her in the face.
"Ya? Well you JUST DID! Burn in f---ing HELL, bitch!" he screamed. She fell unconscious and that was that. Zell felt triumphant, but turned around and ran back to Lina. "Lina! She's gone now! It's safe. Come on... wake up!" He held her in his arms and carried her over to the Infirmary. The light surround him slowly transferred itself back into Lina, cradling her in a soft angelic glow. Dr. Kadowaki brought her in and laid her down in a bed, skillfully tending to her wounds.
"What happened?" she demanded. Zell looked at her incredulously, not believe that she had missed the entire battle that everyone else had been so busy raving about like some kind of television program.
"The sorceress came... and they fought," Zell made his reply curt.
"She took the sorceress on alone? How could you let her?!" the doctor asked, astounded.
"Hey... this is Sorceress Lina Heartilly you're dealing with right now," Zell informed her. Dr. Kadowaki took a closer look and flinched--it was in fact the same girl as a few months ago. Without further ado, she took care of the injuries at hand.