The Hunt for an Heir [Rinoa]

[Caren Bathory]

so let me show you around, maybe play you a sound

or if you want something visual, that's not too abysmal
we could take in an old steve reeves movie

Now this felt like home. Caren took in a deep breath, before releasing a content sigh. This was the first place where she felt like she belonged. This world was a bunch of piece of shattered worlds, crudely smashed together by some great force. Yet this little part of the world was from her own home world. She belonged her, and it was the first time since she awoke that she felt a part of something bigger. Not just a little fragment running around.

She took another deep breath, but this time there was something new. Something different. Her eyes widened in shock as the familiar tingling sensation ran through out her body. This feeling, it was her own power! The same one that she lost over two thousand years ago. It had to be her heir, the Sorceress who had gained her might power. A smile of pure excitement spread on her lips. It was like a child, although she would much rather have the power for herself Caren couldn't help but feel happy for her heir.

Her ringerd hand ran along the long silver hand rail as she made her way up to the large building. The metal building was new, but that was to be excepted. After all if her home world was still using the mud huts she built for her villagers a thousand years later then they were truly a worthless bunch of curs. Although that was probably still the case. The lowly peasants were nothing with out a strong Sorceress to lead them. One like Caren to be precises. She was the text book example of evil, the pale green skin, long flowing black robes, horned head dress, piercing yellow eyes and she wasn't afraid to hide the fact that she was evil...

Most of the time. Okay most she rarely showed her true colors, she enjoyed manipulating from the shadows. And flaunting your evil was never the best thing to do when you wanted to manipulate people. But this time her evil presence would do well for her manipulation. Another Sorceress! You could not gain such a woman's respect without showing that you are a match to her own vile nature. But she was in for a surprise.

One of her long fingers gently tapped an unsuspecting Garden student, causing the boy to jump. He turned around to be greeted by the twisted smile of Caren Bathory. "Please, be a good little servant and fetch me your leader." Caren said in a rather mocking tone. The boy was dressed rather finely, yet he was too ugly to be a husband or faithful toy to the Sorceress. Which obviously meant that he was a servant. The boy had a confused look on his face. Caren simply dismissively waved a hand at him, "well go on! I hate to be kept waiting."

[Rinoa Heartilly]

Meeting Zell had relaxed her somewhat. In the way it would to know you weren’t alone anyway. Squall was still nowhere to be seen and that bothered her of course, but having a friend around did help. She sighed as her thoughts had once again fell upon him, it were the downside to falling in love unfortunately. She couldn’t escape those feelings when she felt so helpless here, still, after meeting the two travellers she’d felt more open to people and had began speaking and supporting other students in the building.

Rinoa wasn’t exactly a leader, you could tell from just looking at her that she didn’t seem the strong confident type. Though she had had her experience as a leader and she did enjoy being able to boss people about to her advantage, this place just didn’t feel like home really. It had everything she needed but still lacked something. She probably knew what it was but she refused to think about it again, even if she were at the headmaster’s office that he had worked in. They now lacked a commander and even though Rinoa wasn’t him she still tried to fill his void as much as she could.

“Uh-Rinoa!”

Spinning around at her name, she listened to the boy mutter something about a guest being at the entrance to Garden. There wasn’t much he could tell her but what he did left her curious to say the least. The way she looked had made them both suspicious, this was a place that protected the world from Sorceresses it was only natural to assume from the guests description that she was one. Horns, it reminded her of Ultimecia, the witch that had caused all this trouble and made her one herself. It wasn’t a secret to many that Rinoa had gained these powers and she wondered whether this woman was seeking out refuge with these thoughts in mind.

Frowning she looked up at the messenger, usually Squall would run down and fetch this person, but it were perhaps a little too crowded down on the grounds. On the other hand, if she were a Sorceress would Rinoa be okay on her own? She’d been so strong with the others before but she’d never been this far out on her own. Then her memories came back to her, the night she went to Edea with the Odine bangle, she sighed again and looked at the nervous boy. “It’s okay.” She wanted to tell him, she wanted to be strong for everyone, for Squall.

“Invite the guest into Garden, show her up to here, okay? Let her know she is welcome to speak with me in private. Don’t be rude about it!” She quickly added as the boy nodded and left in such a hurry she was unsure whether he heard her. She wasn’t one for formalities really and she was lacking in experience but...what else could she do?

[Caren Bathory]

so let me show you around, maybe play you a sound

or if you want something visual, that's not too abysmal
we could take in an old steve reeves movie

The very same boy that Caren talked to only moments came rushing back. His invitation was simple, he was welcoming her into the Garden and if she so pleased she could talk to Rinoa in private. The boy neglected to say who Rinoa was exactly, adding a slight flair of mystery to the girl. Yet this Balamb Garden was interesting, more then interesting enough to catch the woman's interests. It seemed to be some kind of military academy. People of all ages bustled about; each in some kind of uniform or another, which alluded to their rank. However most were teenagers, which seemed to comprise the main student body of this Garden.

She couldn't help but let pride swell up inside of her. Her descendent clearly started this academy to train her little soldiers of hell how to properly take over the world. It was so efficiently brutal and ruthless, and to Caren it was absolutely divine. She really should have thought of such a wonderful thing herself though, and it truly made her wonder what kind of military genius this heir of hers was and of course, how evil she was. Caren could barely suppress her joy as she asked to be taken to this Rinoa, and partake in a private meeting.

The elder Sorceress walked into the office of the headmaster with her head held high. She was not hiding the her nature, and to most she was the stereotypical Sorceress of old. Partially because she was the one to help set the trend of long black robes, and horned head dresses. Her raven, as usual, perched atop her long oaken staff. It's beady eyes fixated on this Rinoa. Yet Caren, upon seeing Rinoa, could not help but feel disgusted and it took every fiber in her body not to display such emotions.

Instead the kind motherly smile found a place on Caren's face. It was a smile she knew all to well, a fake expression she mastered centuries ago. It was both warm and pleasant, which oddly enough seemed blen far to well with Caren's own pale face, and yellow eyes. Her face parts worked together perfecting the smile. Her eyes became less piercing, less invasive and gained a more gentle and lovely quality simple from how she held her own eye brows. Her smile was nothing more then an act, and the most important part of acting was one's face parts.

Once they were alone, save for Briar, Caren spoke. "Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you Sorceress Rinoa." Emphasis was placed upon her title. Caren knew what she was, she could taste her own magics, diluted from centuries of being passed down, floating in the air. She simply stared at Rinoa, her pleasant smile never fading. Caren's mind was already frantic, searching for a way to turn this situation to her own advantage. She could gain much from Rinoa, yet only if she played her cards right. It would have been much easier if Rinoa was as evil as Caren, but perhaps that would make her a more formidable opponent. Hmph, she should have used the elderly lady gimmick.

[Rinoa Heartilly]

As Rinoa waited for the stranger to enter the office she couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous, she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing at the moment but at the same time she wanted to put that down to her insecurities. Perhaps this was fine really, they were in a school that trained people for war and mercenary jobs around the world, they would all be aware and waiting considering her apparent appearance. Which had made her nervous in itself, hearing the doors to the elevator open, Rinoa wandered in front of the desk and looked through the corridor.

The woman looked exactly as the boy described except a little more eerier and more...old fashioned and simple compared to Ultimecia. She forced a smile as the woman elegantly moved towards her with her staff held out in front of her and a Raven perched upon it. Rinoa tilted her head curiously and thought of Angelo, perhaps they had their...similarities. But Rinoa was afraid to show the world what she was, or she was at least not willing to walk around showing the world unnecessarily.

Especially after the last year.

Rinoa’s eyes parted from the raven and landed upon the woman’s face as she spoke, her brows knitted together and she thought for a moment, “Perhaps the world does know about my abilities...or perhaps this witch’s are more progressed than mine? Um... Rinoa stood up straight and grabbed her right arm with her left hand. She offered a more genuine smile to the fellow Sorceress and shifted her weight to her right hip in thought, “I don’t remember introducing myself, may I ask who you are?” She said curiously, she looked the woman up and down and tried to place her in her memory but there were no spaces for her to fill. She just didn’t recognise her, she must have heard about her somewhere down the line.

“May I...um, also ask what brings you to Balamb Garden?”

[Caren Bathory]

so let me show you around, maybe play you a sound

or if you want something visual, that's not too abysmal
we could take in an old steve reeves movie

Oh, she was nervous. Very very nervous, and Caren couldn't help but feel proud of herself because of it.The way she held her arm, the way she spoke. Was she truly afraid of Caren? Oh how the wicked Sorceress wished it to be true. How she wished to be feared again. Yet perhaps that was not the case. Judging from the woman's words, and the fact that she didn't know who Caren was, the young girl was simply nervous.

Bah! What a waste of an heir. She didn't look intimidating, and she was even nervous. NERVOUS! Bah! Caren met her ancestor once, her own mother was the previous Sorceress. And Caren settled it the old fashioned way, she killed her own mother so that she would not intrude on Caren's reign. Yet this one was nervous! Afraid! Even though Caren was oh so happy to be the cause of it, she could not help but feel shamed. Yet perhaps... Oh yes, if this girl was useless then why not cast her aside as Caren casted aside her own mother? The world needed a true sorceress. Not some wimp like this.

"Oh my dear, I apologize for being so rude. I am Sorceress Elizabeth Bishop." She cooed, lying about her own name. It would be a shame if this Rinoa knew her name though history books, and was thus able to unweave her own web of lies. "Long ago I was forced to fight my sister, a wicked Sorceress. It is her form that you gave upon. For when I casted her down she clung to me, and our bodies and soul became one. But fear not my child, the light prevailed.... But only on the inside." She finished, casting her head ever so slightly to the side. The slightest hint of shame. The Sorceress knew that her web had to be complete. That Rinoa would have to fall completely for every one of Caren's lies for her plan to succeed.

"And my child, I have come here for you." Caren dramatically added, turning her head back to Rinoa. "Much of our power was lost when I fought my sister, forever locked away within my own body. I must pass it on, to you. Without it you shall forever be incomplete, a mere shadow of your true heritage. And even worse, if my sister were ever to regain control once again she would have those powers at her finger tips. This I can not allow." Caren finished by slamming the butt of her staff against the ground. She had to make Rinoa believe, because Rinoa was her key to power. Her key to getting her kingdom back.

[Rinoa Heartilly]

Rinoa looked at the woman bemusedly; she wasn’t sure whether she’d just been fed a fairytale or the truth. But Rinoa had seen a lot in her time with SeeD so she gave the woman the benefit of the doubt. It could be true at least, there were no reasons to say it couldn’t but this woman was a stranger to her and it was hard to put trust in someone like that. Still, she wanted to question it, find out what happened, she wanted to help the woman in any way she could, if she could. Her eyes rolled to the floor as thoughts trailed through her mind and she tried to slow them down to make better sense of them.

“...Right...” Rinoa thought to herself and scowled, her lips parted to speak but she couldn’t find the right words and she was left catching flies. “You know my name though, how much do you actually know about me Miss Bishop?” She was polite and without thinking, had addressed her by her surname. She hadn’t intended to slip back into old habits, back to when she were younger and raised under strict rules. Still, the woman made her feel small, not on her level at least, she reminded her of Adel by appearance and she didn’t like it.

"And my child, I have come here for you."

Rinoa remained wary and shifted her weight, eyes scaling the woman and bird, of which she couldn’t help but imagine Angelo eating. But when she continued, it was clear to her that the witch had come to her with an agenda. Rinoa was almost shocked by what she was asking of her, a stranger had come into Balamb Garden with the intention to give up her powers. Her boots carried her to the windows that looked over fields and in the distance the ocean. She took a deep breath and said, “So let me get this right, you came all this way to tell me I needed to take over your powers? Because your sister is evil? I don’t understand, how do you know she won’t take over me instead? If your powers are a part of her.” She turned around and whispered, “And I don’t feel incomplete...”