Rinoa had been the first to be warned that Ultimecia had not been truly, one hundred percent defeated yet. It was mere months since they had physically fought the sorceress from the future and months since that warning, but the problem was, she was from the future. There was a lot of ground between the present and the point where Ultimecia lost.
This meant Ultimecia at some point would know who would defeat her but not how. It was likely, according to Professor Odine, that the timeline would be in flux and there might have been small incursions as Ultimecia probed around the time she sought to conquer.
Rinoa hadn't followed it. In the end, it was explained as being a matter of perspectives. From Ultimecia's perspective, in her past she had poked around the near past and near present around the time she would eventually try to conquer what was to her, the past, and start time compression.
From their perspective it was always a future version of Ultimecia, just from different parts of the timeline. Only one moment of Ultimecia's timeline was truly connected - the time around her attempt and defeat to the months that SeeD had fought her and those she had possessed in the past.
The how and the why, she wasn't ashamed to admit, had started to hurt her head. Even the SeeD members who had been more likely to understand like Quistis and Squall had started nodding the polite nods of people who the speaker has lost some time ago.
It was rather ironic then that discovering a time when a future, undefeated Ultimecia would probe at sorceresses to try and find the right time to strike, involved a lot of pain in the head.
Rinoa lay on her bed with eyes open but body paralysed, awake and in a dream at the same time. She could feel Ultimecia trying to probe her mind, trying to force her personality and will into Rinoa. Five minutes ago it had begun, a dream where she saw Ultimecia walking up, and then waking to be stuck in sleep paralysis.
And the younger sorceress had no idea if it was herself or Ultimecia making her think she was losing. She was alone, uncertain of what was going through her head other than a pain like ice and fire at the same time, and if she was losing...
"No... I can't be losing. We beat her older version..." She said.
From her perspective it had been in her head. From another, it was not. Both perspectives were technically correct.
Angelo seemed to perk up at this, and the alarmed dog whined, racing over to her mistress. Not even jumping on the bed had her scolded, so the dog knew something was wrong.
Rinoa awoke fully now. Having her oldest friend (Which, on reflection given that Angelo was only three years old, was a little sad) there beside her put things into perspective.
The future Ultimecia seemed to balk at the renewed resolve from her target. As swiftly as it had all seemed to begin the pain began to fade, and the visions of Ultimecia with them.
Rinoa finally felt herself able to move, gulping down air as she sat up. Angelo licked at her face, and was rewarded with not being shoved off the bed as Rinoa became more aware.
"...That sucked..." She voiced, as she lay back down and Angelo lay across her chest.
Ultimecia had looked into her soul, and bared her own in the process. Either Rinoa had fought back better this time (Having been comatose the last time) or the Ultimecia probing was weaker.
Either way, she'd won.
"...Come on, girl, let me up. I think I need to get ready to go let someone know about this." She told her dog.
She paused however to look at herself in the mirror. Her night clothes weren't much. Just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt... kind of bland now she thought about it... Like the rest of her clothes.
"Well, from what I've been told by Edea you may experience some slight shifts in personality. Subtle ones, nothing major. It'll fade with time. Edea says it would have been worse if she had genuinely possessed you." Doctor Kadowaki reported.
"So... What kind of personality changes?" Rinoa asked.
Kadowaki wondered how to put this.
"Well... It can manifest as small changes in how you act. A pretty good one is the fact you went out of Garden this morning, only just returned at eight in the evening, apparently bought quite a few new sets of clothes. Stuff with a lot of plunging necklines, push-up bras, short skirts..."
Rinoa stared.
"How did you know that?!"
Kadowaki pointed at all the bags Rinoa had brought with her.
"...Oh. Right."
"There's also the fact you're wearing something even Selphie would avoid and not to put it lightly it's rather obvious your cleavage is being helped."
"Uh... Well, I... Guess that's the proof..." Rinoa fidgeted,as if she'd only just realised her clothing was a little less conservative than her usual attire.
"Yes. Anyway, should I have someone help you with them to your room? Right now what you probably need to do is take things easy, and you'll feel more like yourself soon. You might feel more impulsive and greedy from what Ultimecia's profile seems to be, and you'll probably be a lot more assertive... but DON'T fight any changes. Resisting them means Ultimecia might find a weakness if she tries again. Let it run its course."
Rinoa nodded.
"I'm not going to start being evil, am I?2
"I doubt it. You're not likely to start cackling, turning princes into frogs and princesses into swans or whatever it is evil sorceresses do..."
"...They try to take full control of time and space, crushing all existence into a singularity in order to recreate the universe on their terms." Rinoa was surprised to say.
Kadowaki nodded.
"Fair enough. That reminds me, you'll also find you might be more knowledgeable about some things, and might feel a little smarter at times."
"Uh, okay... I uh... Well, thanks for the help, Doctor..."
"No problem. Remember that you need to try to relax, not worry too much about what happened, and try to avoid boredom... though you seem to have that one all set to be no problem. Oh, and if you need help with anything before you're feeling yourself again try to catch me during office hours and not at eight in the evening..."
Rinoa sheepishly removed herself from Kadowaki's quarters...
"Oh, sorry, I forgot my bags..."
Squall had suffered quite a long day. Being in charge of SeeD overall was not a fun task, even for him. At least Rinoa had wandered off with her own money rather than wandering around Garden bothering people like she did when she got bored...
Still, at least it was a day off tomorrow. Spending the day relaxing, training... Possibly helping Rinoa's boredom if she hadn't decided to buy Angelo a lot of new flying discs (the dog kept burying them in the training grounds) or another dreaded squeaky bone... His desk drawer had four or five of the accursed things locked away.
"Oh! Hey, Squall!" Rinoa said behind him as he neared his own quarters.'
He turned to see Rinoa, dressed unusually, carrying a lot of bags. None of which seemed to be dog toys or food.
"Er, hi... Do you need a hand with those?"
Rinoa seemed to smirk, but it became a smile.
"Sure, thanks..."
He took a few of them off her hands, taking them to her quarters. Even the guest quarters in Garden were a little bare, just a bedroom with an attached shower room. Not even the Instructors got more than that, but at least only Cadets had to share rooms.
"Where do you want them?"
"Oh, anywhere..." Rinoa said, dropping her own bags and locking the door.
Squall nodded, placing them down beside the bed.
...Wait, locking the door?
"Uh, Rinoa, why did you..."
"Oh, hush, Squall. You've had a long day, and so did I..."
She quickly explained the situation, which Squall had briefly looked alarmed at, but calmed when it was clarified there was no real problem other than the mild personality changes. He assumed this was why the door had been locked.
"So, there's no real problem?"
Rinoa nodded.
"Pretty much. But I figure, you have a day off tomorrow, and I was told to relax and avoid boredom..."
Oh. That was why she locked the door.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. Lightly at first. Then gripping tighter.
"So don't disappoint me..." She whispered with a giggle.
"Rinoa... Are you sure you're in control?"
"Oh don't worry. I was told not to fight it." Squall could feel himself being pushed down. It was strangely forceful. Rinoa's grasp gentle, but Squall felt as if his strength had left him. He lowered to his knees, placing his face level with her exposed cleavage. "If you don't either, it could be fun."
"Rinoa." While Squall's expressed no fear, it was clear he was nervous.
"Why don't you just offer your submission and worship me?" Rinoa lowered her voice to a deeper, more seductive tone. "After all, you're the Sorceress's Knight."
Squall had often wondered how someone as hotheaded Seifer could have so willingly submitted to Ultimecia. Now he understood. Rinoa's words filled his mind with a sweet music that drowned out any fears or worries he initially had. Her body was beautiful and it felt quite comfortable being held in her arms. So this was charm magic. If this were anyone else, at least part of him would be terrified now. But it actually felt wonderful having Rinoa take care of him for a change. He took the sorceress's hand and kissed it reverently. Rinoa let out a deep, playful laugh. "I'll grant you a dream beyond your sweetest fantasies."