The figure steeped into the light from a small window slit in the wall of the shop beside them. She had known it was him the instant is sillouhette had moved, even in the darkness where almost all was blind, he stood out. How could anyone forget the sorceress's knight? He was tall standing two heads over her and he wore that same gray coat. Seifer Almasy had been Squall's worst enemy for along time, but it had been different for Rinoa. The ravenhaired girl had once had a crush on the tall blond SeeD cadet. That had all quickly changed when he took the chance to side with Edea. The things he had done following that countered his already growing treachery.

He had been the one that helped her get help from the SeeD at Balamb Garden. She had gone to meet with Headmaster Cid of the garden on the night of the ball to celebrate the graduation of Balamb's new SeeDs. That night she had seen a shooting star fly across the dark night sky. She had followed its tail with her eyes and it seemed to lead her in the direction of lonely SeeD who was leaning against a pillar, drinking chanpagne from a glass. Squall Leonhart. That was when she had first met the man. After a dance, a rather rough one, she saw Seifer and happy looking man with several wisps of graying brown hair topping his shiny head. He wore a delightful smile and an attire of red sweater-coat and brownish black slacks. It took her a moment to pull herself away from the handsom brownhaired SeeD she was dancing with, he was quiet, but she liked his touch and wanted to get to know him better. Finally, after she had then become acquainted with Headmaster Cid, she returned to Timber to await the help Cid had promised. (This is a ginormous paragraph, ne?)

Seifer had been so helpful to her only to betray her.

It hurt.

Seifer had been so kind to help her. There was nothing left of that man, now. It was the spirit of a beast in search for power that had taken control of Seifer's body and mind. Though, Rinoa couldn't turn on someone so quickly, she would just remain cautious.

"Well, hello, Rinoa. Why are you wondering alone, angel?" Seifer smiled, his eyes gleaming with mystery, he began to walk around her in circles as he talked.

She turned the cold gaze of her once warm ebony eyes upon him as he slowly walked around her, she nodded to him, "Seifer. I am... looking for someone." She quickened her speech to avoid confrontation for any vague answers she might spill out in her rush to stay out of trouble... She was unprotected, and not strong enough to fight him by herself. A battle against him now would spell out her death.

Seifer smiled at her, his scar adding to his, already, tough-guy look, "Well, Rinoa, where are your friends?" Seeing her frown, he added, "You know, Tilmitt, Dincht, Trepe-" He spit there names out like each one stung his tongue and the only way to flee the pain was to remove the words from his mouth. "-Kinneas, and..." Seifer grew quiet and glanced at Rinoa, "...and him."

Though he didn't say the name, she was perfectly aware of who he was regarding as 'him'. Rinoa glared at him and took a breath, "He has a name ya know? And, I don't see why you shouldn't say it? Or why you wouldn't? I mean, you're not afraid of him are you?"

Seifer grabbed her hand quickly and jerked it hard. Rinoa, still very weak from the battle and her coma, fell to her knees and felt her wrist snap in two. 'Remind me why I didn't just stay unconscious?'

The man in the gray trenchcoat looked down at her and shook his head as she clutched her wrist in pain, "Don't ever correct me, Rinoa. You know I'm not bad, anymore..." He knelt down awkwardly, brushing a gloved hand softly against her pale cheek.

"I only want what's best for you, love." He tilted her head gently to gaze into her painstricken eyes, "Edea's not going my way anymore, Rinoa. I'm not under her spell anymore-"

"-So who is now, Seifer?" Her tone was sharp, as she narrowed her eyes at him, "Some other rotten sorceress? Where'd she come from this time!? What's your new plan? Confining the world to eternal darkness, maybe!" Her voice dropped to a stern command, "Keep your filthy hands off of me. The Seifer I knew-"

"The 'Seifer' you knew is gone!" Seifer cut in sharply, "He has been replaced a better model." Seifer held his hand out above her.

'Where is your friendly neighborhood stalker when you need him?' Rinoa stumbled back, falling completely, to get out of Seifer's path,'Yume!? Why couldn't you have just followed me!?'

Seifer gathered his magic in seconds and formed into a ball in his hand. "Sleep."

The magic sent a chill up her spine and danced around her sense. She could feel herself shutting down... darkness. Sleep claimed the her.

Seifer stood over her and shook his head, "Hm... You're sure you want to leave now?"

He bent down and picked up her sleeping body, "Oh come, sweet angel... You didn't honestly think I was Seifer, did you?" Slowly, starting at the top of his cranium and moving down slowly, Seifer disappeared. Yumenegau vanished with Rinoa in his arms. "Come my little mouse, we won't need to wait long for our cat."

Squall left the Infirmary quickly, and headed towards his dorm room. Everyone crowded in the Infirmary watched him walk out quickly, "Where's he going?" Zell looked around at everyone who seemed appearantly just as confused as him, except for Quistis, who seemed to think it was her fault, or it looked like it.

Squall walked in and slammed the door closed, and laid down on his bed, 'How did she manage to get any friends in Dollet? The city was mostly destroyed by the XATM092. Has she ever even been to Dollet?' Squall lay on his bed thinking. 'Why did she only tell Quistis? When did she leave? Why didn't she say bye?...Why do I care?' Squall realized he was wrecking his brain to find out why some girl he met at a party, again on a train, he had saved her life, she had helped him, she had faught beside him, and she had left. Why did he care? 'I have reason. She's one of us now... She's helped us all in some way... I just don't want her getting hurt...'

It was also questions like this that had kept Squall from sleep for the days Rinoa had been in the Infirmary, several times. When Rinoa ever managed to get herself hurt... it was something big. This fact stung like a needle in Squall's mind.

I'd like to take this moment to suggest you go do something more productive with your time, now. Like go download Arittake no Ai de by Gackt and sing along.

Squall's thinking slowed down and he realized what he'd done. 'Oh no! What'd I do?! I just walked out infront of all of the others, like... Gur, that's something a boyfriend does! Not me! What do they think about me now?!' Squall quickly grabbed his gunblade and started to run to the training center. Maybe he could make it look like he just went to practice skills incase she gets in trouble, just maybe. 'God... Maybe Rinoa was right... You shouldn't cover up how you feel... Gah! What am I saying?'

Squall broke out of the dormitories at a steady run which quickened a great deal when he entered the central complex. He looked all around him, occasionally running into a garden faculty member, SeeD, or a Garden student. Though, to his suprise and a bit of luck, none of the gang where anywhere in the central complex of the garden. He could feel the angels sing alleluia in his ears... It was loud and he wished they would shut up.

He slowed down to a steady walk into the training center and through one of the sets of Iron doors, his mind fazed off. Rinoa's actions remained unexplained in his mind, despite what Quistis said. As he walked forward he was stunned as he came in impact with something, or someone, he hadn't noticed.

Squall fell to the ground and saw the girl infront of him do the same. He hadn't seen her there, in all of his thought he had lost his conscious surroundings in the training center, and had forgotten to look where he was going. He looked at the girl who had just fallen and hit her elbow against one of the large rocks.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." Squall stood up and offered the girl and hand, as well.

She quickly excepted and he pulled her up, Squall looked at her, "Are you ok?" His voice and face were devoid of emotion, as he looked at her.

The girl lifted her gaze to him, "Oh, I'm fine. Sorry, I was in your way." Her dark blue eyes showed sadness, and they were red rimmed, like she was crying. In fact, there was a tear rolling down her cheek to prove it.

Squall tilted his head, "I'm sorry... You should go to the infirmary to get your wound healed." He glanced at her elbow, slightly bloody.

The girl quickly wiped the glittering tear from her beautiful face. Her golden hair seemed to shine, even in the dim lighting of the training center, "Thank you," she called as he started to walk away.

Squall turned to her, "For what?"

The girl smiled weakly, "For helping me up. It was nice of you. Most guys I know wouldn't have."

"Well I did knock you down, it was only right that I help you up." Squall turned and started to leave again.

The goldenhaired girl laughed. She had a soft laugh, like Rinoa's. Her long hair flowed elegantly around her shoulders and arms. "You're a very nice man, and just humorous enough for my tastes."

Her blue eyes gleamed with sadness, delight, and something else. It was something unnormal, that Squall made the brown haired SeeD uneasy. Something ellusive. What was a character like this doing at Garden, and in the training center of all places? She looked the type to collect dolls, and paint her nails, not fight.

Squall blinked, in a minor state of confusion, "Humorous?"

The girl smiled at him. 'Who is she?' Squall dropped his gaze from this strange girl.