Chapter Three-The Forgetful Angel
When Seifer came to, he saw the same girl who had comforted him on the stage hovering over him. 
(Who is she? Does she work with the rest of the Mordian Task Force? How does she seem familiar?) 
He tried to move his hand, but Riniah grabbed his wrist lightly.
"Please. All of the bones in your hand are broken. I wouldn't even try to move it."
[Maybe I shouldn't tell him what I did to heal his hand. Maybe if he doesn't know that I'm an Angel...maybe he'll like me more.] She smiled at him.
"What you did was stupid...but very brave and good for us. It bought us enough time to get him. Steelfist is now dead."
Seifer smiled. 
(I'm glad I finally did something good for a change. Maybe she'll see me for more than the criminal that everyone else does.)
Seifer pulled himself off of the bed. He stood up and expected Riniah's head to go up to his chest. But when he stood up, they were eye-to-eye.
"Holy shit...are you wearing heels?" He asked her.
"I guess that's everyone's expression to how tall I am. I'm 6 foot 2 without my boots. You must be 6'2" as well..."
"Yeah...never thought I'd meet a girl as tall as me."
(Or as radiant as a summer sky...wait...where did THAT come from? And why do I feel like my heart's gonna explode? And why am I so nervous? Aw screw it...I must still be in shock from the whole hand thing.)
"I'm sorry...I'm afraid that we've never met. I'm Riniah. You must be Seifer."
"How'd you know?"
"Because Caine told me about you. He said that you had been here when I was gone. Did you find it comfy?"
"Yeah...until I had to leave and go back to Hell...it was a bittersweet vaca from Balamb Garden."
"Why is it Hell? Don't you have lots of friends?"
"Heh. I wish. I only have two ever since..."
(Don't think about the Sorceress War...don't tell her about it...Seifer, why would you want to ruin a great moment to keep such a good friend with your big mouth?)
"Since when? The Sorceress War, right?"
Seifer's face turned white. He looked at her.
"Something about...a fight? And a float...and a woman...Edea? Am I close?"
"Way too damn close. Please stop."
"I-I'm sorry...I just see these things...I never ask to...I was just wondering..."
"Stop wondering..."
"I-I have to go...I have to go check on Minoa...she's not very stable since Cairone passed..." She ran out of the room.
Seifer was left alone is Riniah's bedroom. 
(Is this what I've reduced myself to? Abusing others again? Maybe I just don't belong with people...maybe I AM better off alone.)
He decided to look around her room for a bit. He first noticed an old brush with red and blonde hairs in it.
(She must brush her hair a lot. She thinks about her looks.)
In the semi-cracked mirror hung a picture of Riniah and the rest of the gang in front of the hospital.
(They all seem to be very close...how touching.)
He saw the sketch in the other side of the mirror and gasped. The sketch contained Ultime, Cia and another woman with long gray hair and ebony colored wings. The black lines on her jaw lines and the ones on her forehead showed up well against her pale-toned skin. Her lips were black and her dress was a reddish-pink and VERY revealing. Parts of her gray hair were set up in horns. She had a stern look on her face and she was looking down at Ultime and Cia, who had their backs to her.
(Did...she know them? I mean...how else could she draw Ultime and Cia so perfectly...but who is the other woman in the sketch?)
The mirror also held a picture that was almost burned into his mind. Squall, blood flowing down from his forehead down to his jawbone, was drawing his sword up from the ground up to what would eventually scar Seifer as well. Seifer started to feel numb as he stared at it.
(Who drew this? Where did she get it? Who saw this as I had? Is there more to Riniah than I think? I'll go ask her about it...)
He pulled the picture out of the broken frame and set out to find Riniah.
Seifer ran into the kitchen to find everyone hustling about. They looked at him when he walked in, then quickly dismissed him as if he had become invisible. Seifer quickly went up to Riniah, who was setting the table.
"Would you mind telling me where you got this?" He asked her.
"Would you be mad if I said I drew it?"
"No, I'd be shocked. Where did you see something like this?"
"I...saw it in one of my visions...it just flashed and that's what I remember..."
"Do you know where they come from?"
(Yeah, I know...from me...where else would they come from?)
"No...it's like my past is trying to fight itself back to me through something...or someone...I see this woman who sort of looks like me...but I could never..." Seifer saw the drawing that was in front of her.
(Cia...again...)
"Cia? Who's Cia?" She asked him.
"Someone I knew...she died about five years ago...I'd rather not explain it."
"Fine...would you like some breakfast."
"Nope...feeling anti-social...don't want to be at a table near people."
Riniah could tell that he was depressed and she knew exactly what to do.
"Let's go somewhere where I feel happiest." She grabbed his hand and took him out of the kitchen and onto the Sun Room, which was located on the flat side of the roof.
"Sit down. Isn't it calming in here?" She asked.
"Yeah...I wish the Garden had someplace that was THIS calming...I can't even rest in the Secret Room anymore." He crossed his arms, being careful not to hit his hand. He laid back and let the now-risen sun shine on his face.
"Why do people hate you?" Riniah asked him. He looked up and looked at her.
"Because of what you asked me about earlier."
"The Sorceress War that happened about five years ago...what did you do?"
"I was working for Sorceress Edea. She launched an attack on the whole known world at that time, before we knew of Mordia and St. Cross Island. I followed her blindly...no thought of my own...I regret it all...I wish it never happened..."
"But our flaws are what make us wonderful in our own little way...like me...I can't fight very well and I've hurt and witnessed people hurt themselves before. That's why I've devoted my time to healing people emotionally and spiritually. I'll be right back. Just rest."
Riniah walked out and came back in with a tray filled with food.
"What is this?" Seifer asked her.
"Our breakfast, what does it look like?"
"But what is there?"
"Breakfast tea for two and two strawberry parfaits. Well, if you won't eat, I'll end up eating it. You better because we only get served meals every six hours."
"Um well...I wasn't expecting such a sweet sounding meal for breakfast. I'd better eat." He went to reach for the spoon with his right, but he stopped himself. "I'm not gonna get used to having to use my left hand for everything."
"I'm sure I can help you. That's what I'm here for. Now eat up." She grabbed Seifer's spoon and placed it in front of his left hand and then poured him some tea.
(It's so peaceful here...no antagonizing, no annoying alarm clocks, and most of all, no Squall to hammer me while I'm trying to eat. I wish I could stay here with Riniah. Well, I'd never be hungry, that's for sure. I'd get a better handle on the moment...maybe even be happier here. I couldn't think of a better place to be right now...well, if I eat too many parfaits, I might just bloat into a whale soon...) Seifer's thoughts were interrupted by Riniah's giggling.
"What's so funny?"
"A whale? I hardly doubt it!" She continued laughing.
"Wha?! I can't even think around you!"
"I'm sorry! I can't help it! I'll get the hang of it soon enough...so don't worry. I just got this ability to read minds, so I'm not very good at stopping it."
"I might not be here for too long."
"Oh well...I might as well try to control it using you."
"Gee, thanks." Seifer rolled his eyes.
The morning was semi-normal, the afternoon was full of readjustment (Riniah had trouble helping Seifer do everything with his left hand, but somehow she pulled it off) and the night was full of laughter and tears. Stories were passed back and forth by the new friends. Seifer thought about how Riniah's stories related to him, since all of them had something he could relate to in them. Many of the stories that Riniah told him were about her own misadventures and Seifer could see himself doing the same exact things when he was Edea's knight. Disobeying orders, reeking havoc, blowing stuff up...yeah that was him about five years ago. But he was a totally different person since the Sorceress War. 
"So...you seem to be totally into my stories...why? Nobody ever is."
"You sound like the old me...but I'm trying to cut down on the number of stupid things I do...D-District Prison is NOT a nice place to be...I'm still on probation actually..."
"For what? You definitely don't look like the prison type to me."
"Fujin, Raijin and I all went for treason, assistance of a national attack and accessory of murder."
"Oh...well that was then...you got jailed, it's done and over with, right? So it doesn't matter in my book...unless you're a convicted rapist...which you're not. So, you're cool with me."
"Well, that's a relief. I'm ready for bed. Goodnight." Seifer pulled off his jacket, tee shirt, boots, socks and belt then laid down on the mattress that he had woken up on.
"Why don't you take my bed? It's supposed to be extremely cold out tonight."
"Sure, I guess I'd be a bit more comfortable...but only if you'll be in bed with me...if it's supposed to be so cold outside...what if you get cold?"
"I'll be fine." She turned and paused, then turned around. "Ah, what the hell. Just no funny business...no fast moves, no sexual teasing, no ripping my shirt off, and especially no trying to rape me."
"It's a deal."
As they crawled into bed, Riniah looked Seifer in the eyes.
"Why don't you sleep with your shirt on?"
"Why do you sleep with yours on?"
"Because I like to feel decent."
"Well, I like the feel of sheets on my skin...I know that's weird but-"
"It's okay. Maybe I'll go shirtless for a night...maybe feel a bed the way you do."
"Ugh...okay..." He rolled his eyes.
(Oh great, another way to...wait Seifer...she can probably hear you...oh well...just relax. You're on a vacation away from the Garden...be happy.) He laid back onto the bed as a now shirtless (but not topless) Riniah slipped into the bed next to him.
"You're right Seifer...this is nice. Goodnight." She fell asleep fast, but Seifer was still awake. He pushed the hair out of her face.
(God...I'm really lucky to be here with her...I'm staying here...no matter what.) With that thought, he fell asleep. Though the real world for Seifer was finally turning around, the dream world was still gripping onto the past.