Welcome to Gaia! ::

Isaac made a little grunt of... agreement. "Uh-huh..." He was otherwise waiting for the others to make their introductions. But he was a little distracted as well. This girl seemed strange, as if she was barely keeping herself composed. It didn't help that Alexander could feel another dark entity. Not as powerful as the Sorceress laying beside them, but nothing to trifle with. "What is that? Alexander, do you know where it is?" An image popped into his head, an image of Amara. "Her? Are you sure? I'll keep an eye on her but we won't do anything until she does something first. Agreed?" Another image of Alexander, preparing for battle.

(How do you people make such big posts? It still makes me sad that nearly all of mine are so small. crying )

(So have I, but it's still rarely that big..)

Isaac nodded to James, "O-Of course," he tripped over his words a little bit. He was listening, but befuddled. How could James possibly read him so fell after their short time together? While Isaac knew it was true that he got lost in thought very often, and that his facial expression was in a constant state of difference.

Isaac nodded again, "I hope your ready then," "because I'm gonna make your head spin." "Where did you learn those spells? That's not what's taught at Esther Garden and if my research and powers of observation are correct, Doomtrain can't teach you magic so distant from his own. Before you answer," Isaac paused, "know that this is only the beginning of the list of questions."

Isaac would have smacked him in the back of the head if he didn't respect him so much. "Um, sir, do you really have to ask? Of course I want to know why you were given them. That could help me figure out what's going on here. The thing with you and possible motives for whoever it is that's really pulling the strings." "If he's special, then they could be after whatever power it is he has."

Rainer nodded a bit to Amara.

"I'm Rainer, Rank twenty-one of Esthar Garden. Recently turned Sorceress." Rainer had a bit of trouble with that last part, but she felt that Amara should know. After all, she was a fellow SeeD and Rainer didn't want her to find out any other way. Smiling slightly, Rainer looked away from the girl. There was something kind of different about her, a dark kind of air; it was probably just her GF if anything.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Rainer murmured, not wanting to be considered rude as she turned from Amara toward the Sorceress. Rainer paid no heed to the two males walking away and talking in quiet tones. Her eyes and concentration were all for the Sorceress.

Leagh stirred, but did not wake. Rainer's power blocked her mind from becoming conscious. She didn't know if she could take Leagh on while the Sorceress was awake. Rainer kneeled next to the comatose girl, frowning and biting her bottom lip. As a few strands of white hair fell into her face, Rainer pushed it away impatiently.

Then, seemingly of their own accord, Rainer's gloved hands snaked out to hold Leagh's head at her temples. Rainer settled slowly on the ground, still keeping Leagh's head firmly in her grasp. Leagh muttered incoherently but did not wake. Rainer's white-gold eyes slid shut and she worked her magic.

Green light formed about Rainer's hands. In Leagh's unconscious mind, the evil Sorceress was running away from something she couldn't see. Whenever she paused to fearfully look back, Leagh was confronted by intense green light. Leagh whipped back around and continued to run. This green light scared her and Leagh knew that if she were caught... well, something bad would happen.

On and on she ran, getting more and more tired. Soon, Leagh began to falter. Not even the green light brightening behind her could make her move faster. Then the green light engulfed her, knocking her to the ground. A figure of pure white light stood over Leagh, who cowered against the ground.

"Wh-What do you w-wa-want?" she stuttered, frightened. A blast of anger emitted from the figure of light, making Leagh whimper.

"You have done much wrong, Leagh," the voice said firmly. "You chose the wrong path instead of the right, and now you must be punished."

Leagh let out a wail of despair. "No! No! Don't do this to me!" she screamed. She tried to stand, but the harder she struggled, the more an invisible weight pressed down on her. Leagh stopped struggling.

"You've heard those words from many of your victims, Leagh," said the cold voice. "And now..."

Leagh writhed on the ground. Her face was twisted into pure agony, as though someone was twisting a hook around her insides. Slowly, ever so slowly, a red light appeared around Leagh, who was nearly unconscious in her unconscious mind. The red light seeped away from Leagh and formed a glowing puddle on the ground; it slowly evaporated, sucked into the surrounding air and the ground. Leagh whimpered.

"Now you shall see," the voice whispered, slightly more gently this time. "Time for you to go..."

And go Leagh did.

Rainer slowly stood, staring down at Leagh. Leagh's hair slowly drained of color then brown started seeping from the roots of her hair and soon enough she had a whole head of long brown hair. Staring down with pitiless white-gold eyes, Rainer scowled as Leagh's form slowly started to fade. Just before Leagh faded out of sight, she opened her eyes in surprise and Rainer had the impression of confused blue eyes before Leagh vanished altogether.

Rainer just stood there, swaying on the spot. Exhaustion engulfed her and she fell onto the ground in a sitting position. For a while, she said nothing. Then--
"I'm tired." And then she promptly fell backward, asleep before she even hit the ground.

"Shortly after Rainer attacked Alister and me back in Balamb Garden, I did a trace spell on her." James voiced, showing a bit of concern, "She was being possessed. By who, I do not know. I could feel the after effects of a possession spell, but something went horribly wrong. I believe that's how Rainer ended up the newfound powers that she had."

He sighed, not really wanting to admit it to himself either, but it had to be said, "I was able to trace the location from which the spell was cast, though. It was from Esthar Garden. Our very own home was involved in a plot to kill the Headmaster of Balamb, likely me, and anyone else who opposed Galbadia. My most recent hypothesis of the world's happenings: Esthar is in league with Galbadia. With two forces of such power at work, Balamb, Trabia, and the White SeeD Garden are not safe. So after our stop in Esthar, I was going to try to push us toward the White SeeD ships, seeing as they're closest and they could supply us with one of their fastest boats."

Originally he had planned to make the trip to see the White SeeD on his own, allowing his students roaming rights to the entire city of Esthar. But with the garden as it was and the possibility that they might not be welcome in Esthar City any more, he figured that it would be best if he accompanied the young ones. Isaac may have been a rank 22 SeeD, but if the SeeD had been Blacklisted by the city even James himself would be hard pressed to get in.

Amara's insides churned uncomfortably beneath her calm exterior as she listened to Rainer's greeting. The back of her slightly squinted hazel eyes began to throb painfully, the ache jostling the inside of her skull as if a heavy leaden weight were being pressed directly to her brain.

Just as I thought.

It was her body's own way of alerting her.

Diablo's clawed grip scratched along the bridge of her spine with sharp urgency; Amara watched with sudden renewed intrigue and helpless revulsion as the bewitched girl knelt near the unconscious sorceress. It was as if her mind were confused, had no main point of which to channel its immense hostility towards; yet she kept her instincts baited urgently backwards into her subconscious as she forced herself to watch.

The expressions flickering across Rainer's face was almost too much for the Galbadian; she balled her hands into sudden fists at her sides, her gloves hindering her from otherwise cutting the tips of her fingers into the flesh of her palms and drawing blood. The dull throb in her mind as the minutes passed seemed to sharpen in its pain; spots of bright light flooded her vision as Rainer continued to concentrate upon the slumped sorceress, and Amara drew in a deep, shuddering breath.

If it weren't for your current situation, I would have had you destroy it.

The flecks of light danced before her as she felt Rainer's own breath begin to grow shaky; Amara struggled for mental clarity as the alabaster-haired SeeD pulled herself to her feet. It wouldn't be much longer, now; whatever magics the girl was working on the sorceress would end...though in what way, Amara could not comprehend.

Then Diablo uttered a hideous, bloodcurdling scream from within; her vision was suddenly pristine clear--and as the raven-haired girl glanced about in sudden confusion as to the coherency in her senses, she turned her head quickly enough to watch Rainer begin to fall towards the ground. Amara failed to catch her, merely because the fear of what could occur when she gained physical contact of the SeeD at such a sudden impulse would do; instead, she watched for a moment, her lips twisted upon her face in an almost pained expression as Rainer hit the ground beneath her.

It was better this way.

With a frustrated sigh, she leaned forward towards the girl's presumably unconscious form, snaking her arms beneath her back to pull her gently upwards; not off the ground entirely, but enough to cradle her nearly towards sitting position. Amara's shaky fingertips touched Rainer's sweat-caked throat, feeling for a pulse; a steady thrumming met with her hand and a wave of both relief and sickening disappointment filled her as she realized Rainer had merely gone unconscious.

Amara grunted slightly despite herself as she struggled to lift Rainer further away from the ground. The day had been overwhelming in the immense travel to Esthar Garden and her random encounter with these strange SeeDs, yet she felt she her strength could last just a bit longer to support the fallen girl. As she pulled Rainer's fallen frame into her tanned arms and supported herself on bent knees, the girl's weight fully against her, the raven-headed SeeD felt a flood of sudden relief.


Leagh is gone. Diablo has gone silent. I am myself again.

The sudden pressure on her body at the physical contact of holding Rainer began to take its toll; the throbbing in her head had died down to a sharp, prickling pain, yet she was still in a slight daze. Amara held Rainer carefully, pressing her body as far away from her frame as physically possible while still supporting her.

Yet strong as she was, she was not as strong as the average male SeeD. She eyed the two men before her almost impatiently, inexplicably more irritated with James than Isaac.

"A little help, please?"