Her Story

Rinoa's past, present and future.  

Garden War

Squall has B-Garden head for the Centra continent, as they all want to visit Edea's house and see the orphanage. On the way there, Nida spots G-Garden waiting for them. It seems the final battle with the Witch is about to begin.

Squall immediately gives orders for everyone in Garden to assemble and prepare to battle against Galbadia Garden. He then asks for Quistis, Zell and Selphie to report to the bridge. Rinoa is left out because she's not a student of Garden nor a SeeD. Zell is absent because had been sleeping in, he actually has begun working on something he told Quistis and Selphie about. After giving everyone their orders, he leaves Rinoa's care up to them.

A while later, some students are assembling on the Quad as it's one of the main points of entry G-Garden will use to invade. Squall finds Zell already in position and Zell uses this chance to ask Squall, who is obviously very busy, for his ring. Eventually Zell gets Squall to lend him his ring and Zell inadvertently blurts out that Rinoa will be so happy. Before Squall can ask why, he is asked to return to the bridge immediately.

On Squall's way back, Rinoa suddenly appears and says she will fight alongside everyone. She doesn't want to hide in safety while a battle is going on. Raising her fist to her heart, she says that she also wants to prove to herself that she belongs with them, although they've already accepted her. She then files into place as though she's one of the students under Zell and Selphie's command.

As the battle begins, Zell remembers that he has Squall's ring. He hands it to Rinoa and tells her to hold onto it for now. She then examines it in the light and plays with it, then tries it on finding it too big for her fingers.

Just as Rinoa and Zell finish talking, G-Garden begins colliding into B-Garden. B-Garden is shaken and part of the Quad falls off, Rinoa, Zell and Selphie along with it! Zell and Selphie are able to jump back but Rinoa falls and slips down the side of Garden. Luckily she grabs onto a small ledge but it looks like she can't hold herself up for long. She looks down at the falling debris then looks back up to Zell and Selphie. Unable to reach her, Zell and Selphie look around for a rope or something to pull her up.

Finding Squall, Quistis and Irvine, Zell asks what to do about Rinoa. Squall is already frustrated with his role as commander and can't stop to help everyone, although he really is angry about this. Irvine, who has endured quite a bit when Rinoa wanted to rescue Squall from the prison, then calls Squall heartless for not caring about her. Rinoa is going to die if they do nothing. Squall then leaves Rinoa's situation up to Zell and says to do everything possible to save her.

After some time, everyone reports to the bridge again and tells Dr. Kadowaki the situation. It seems they will most likely lose this battle. G-Garden is not only larger but it has the power of the fully trained G-Army, SeeDs and G-Garden students on their side. Squall decides to infiltrate G-Garden and Irvine suggests crashing into the other garden, much like they have been doing to B-Garden.

Zell enters and reports that there's no possible way he can reach Rinoa. Irvine saw Squall hesitate, as though Rinoa already had died. Everyone then tells Squall to not lead the attack but to rescue Rinoa, for them and for himself. They say they will go ahead and make a path to G-Garden and wait for him. Kadowaki then suggests that Squall do a speech, to encourage everyone in the final battle and let them know the plan. For once, Squall actually takes the microphone and willingly raises everyone's spirits, asking them to do their best.

Heading through the second floor, Squall runs into a student who can't find a missing child. He finds the child but is attacked by a paratrooper. Having no way to fight against the soldier's mech, he opens the emergency exit in a split second decision, sending them both flying outside and fighting for the mech's control on its rope.

Squall knocks the soldier off the rope and regains control of the mech. As he flies over the side of B-Garden, by chance he spots Rinoa still hanging onto the side of B-Garden. Rinoa was thinking about how she may die and how she will never be able give Squall his ring back. Right when she wishes for him to save her, she looks up to see Squall lowering a mech's rope so she can she grab onto it. The two land in the middle of the battlefield and make a run towards the entrance of G-Garden.


The person who saved me was Squall!
I wanted to give Squall another "oharo~" this morning but couldn't. Currently we're at the Centra continent and a mini tour would have been nice. Things are getting really serious now. We decided to fight Galbadia Garden and more importantly the Witch.

The Witch has comandeered Galbadia Garden and we suddenly became engaged in an air battle between both Gardens. The Quad where I was standing at assembly got hit and the ground fell out from under us... I held on as much as I could. I can't die yet– I have an important ring with me and need to give it back. Zell couldn't find a rope and the battle continued, each shake nearly making me fall. All I had left was luck and I wasn't going to lose hope.

But, I won't die... I'll use all my strength to hold on longer. I have to properly give Squall's favorite ring back somehow. If he finds out I lost it, I bet he'll NEVER be nice to me.

I think I'm slipping– I need to hold on just a little longer even if it hurts. Just a little longer. I really want to see Squall again. Even then, what would I do, my arms are becoming numb. Squall, help me..

And then, he came! it was like a dream! Riding an air mech, Squall came to save me!

After all that, Squall and I talked a little. He told me not to worry too much. Well, if he didn't come save me, I would have died. My hero is Squall. I'm going to try and become as strong and fearless as he is-- I'd like that. Like that LION on his ring, I'll try my best.

Now, time to battle against the Witch, this is the last battle! Let's go, Squall!
          –Rinoa at Centra

Upon reaching the entrance to G-Garden, they take a breather. Rinoa thanks Squall and laughs when he tries to brush off such a daring rescue as part of his job. Rinoa knows that he was really worried despite his constant attempts to explain that it was all nothing and that he simply happened to find her.

Rinoa says she couldn't afford to die and teases Squall by slowly explaining why. She then opens her hand to show that she has been holding onto his ring. Rinoa knows it's important to him and that she can't die until she gives it back to him.

Squall is angry that she has the ring from Zell, yet he somehow expected that she wanted to get a hold of it. He says that it's his favorite ring and asks for it back but she doesn't give it quite yet. Instead, she asks him what the monster engraved on it is. Squall says that the ring has a lion, which is known for its great strength and pride.

Suddenly Rinoa struts around just as she did in FH, keeping her eyes on him. In a charming voice she compliments him again, saying that he's like a lion. Squall says he isn't, though. She then asks what the lion's name is and he says that he named it "Griever".


   

Going back to the subject of why she had the ring, Rinoa explains that Zell plans to make one like it for her. It's crazy but maybe she can be a like a lion, rather like a Squall, too. Rinoa then does a cheer, saying that people might get the "wrong idea" about them and think they're a couple.

Squall voices his own observations, saying that it looks like she wants everyone getting the wrong idea about them. Waving her hand in front of his face, Rinoa shakes her head and vehemently denies it. However, this makes it even more obvious that she's lying. The two then head into G-Garden and reunite with everyone who has been waiting.


Succession of Witches

As Rinoa enters Galbadia Garden, everyone is relieved to find that she's alright. Squall then gives a rather unintended pep-talk. It seems he is trying to convince himself more than everyone else to keep going, to fight Edea and to not look back. This would be their final battle and he had no more to say.

In reply, Rinoa speaks for everyone and asks Squall how he's feeling. She wants to reassure him that they're together on this, as she promised at FH and that they're still listening. Instead of wasting time, Squall says he will tell her after it's all over.

They make their way through G-Garden, finding help from stray students who were not aligned with the Witch or the Galbadian Army. Among the people they find are Raijin and Fujin, Rinoa is glad that they're not enemies this time. However, Raijin and Fujin tell Squall that Seifer is really out of control and not himself anymore. The two leave to and let Squall deal with him.

They finally make it to the top level of G-Garden where Edea and Seifer are waiting. Edea ignores them and allows Seifer to deal with the nuisance. Seifer begins by attempting to confuse everyone present, using their old memories of him. For Rinoa in particular, he is surprised that she is actually going to fight him. He tries to remind her about how they were a year ago until Rinoa shouts at him to stop. She says that although she wants him to stop fighting against them, she won't hold back.

No matter what Seifer says, they battle against each other. Seifer is furious because Squall thinks of him as a monster rather than a rival. This is also the first time Rinoa witnesses Seifer calling himself a Witch's Knight and acting unlike himself.

The party manages to wound Seifer and they go after the Witch. Edea finally speaks, disgusted at how weak Seifer was and escapes, teleporting through the floor. They run to the level below, just in time to find Edea falling through the ceiling and landing perfectly on her feet.

Edea then announces how much she despises SeeD, making it clear to everyone that she is not the same Matron Edea they knew as children. Seifer manages to come back and try to protect her once more and fails. Eventually, Edea is defeated as well.


   

Edea gasps in pain and a bright light is emitted from her body, blinding everyone. A Witch from the future named Ultimecia then reveals her presence to Rinoa. Ultimecia had possessed Edea this whole time and since it seemed like Edea was going to die to the SeeDs, Ultimecia makes Edea pass her power onto the closest possible candidate.

The light fills Rinoa as she receives Edea's power and becomes a Witch. Ultimecia's consciousness then attempts to possess Rinoa and easily wins control since Rinoa is too frightened and disoriented to know what is going on. Ultimecia controls Rinoa's body like a puppet on strings and moves it toward Seifer. Rinoa is made to kneel down and whisper to him.

Brainwashing Seifer again, Ultimecia tells him of her new demand: to find the Lunatic Pandora. Seifer drags himself up and leaves in a trance, saying he will do as she wishes. Seeing this, Ultimecia then leaves Rinoa's body. Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Rinoa falls to the ground like a corpse.

Edea regains her composure and begins speaking in her real voice. She also is confused as to what happened. Upon seeing her children, she asks everyone if Ellone is safe. Before anyone can answer, Quistis kneels beside Rinoa's body and finds that she isn't responding.



  next: Horizon of Destiny – Lunar Tears