Plot Powers...Activate!

Remember how Edea, upon her first appearance, froze Squall and the others? They were paralyzed in time or something.

Then later you stab her in the face and she can't do crap about it.

Then later Possessed Rinoa is "unstoppable" and that's the only excuse I can think of for everyone standing idly by and shouting about her releasing Adel instead of doing anything to prevent it. (she did have some forcefield thing that threw Squall back if you tried to stop her after she leaves the med lab)

Then later Ultimecia herself you can just approach no problem.

Edea didn't freeze Squall and the others, she injured them. At least one of the spells she used in that scene is one she also uses in battle, and is called Maelstrom. She was just attacking them with magic, and the like, and them holding themselves and being still is the best way it could be animated.

I'm not sure if Rinoa's force field has any storyline explanation or not, but also keep in mind that she was the only possessed sorceress that split into many images of herself while possessed, so maybe she wasn't possessed correctly? She may not have been an actual sorceress until she was possessed, but I will confirm that with another thread. It could also be because she was the only one we saw being possessed from the start though (i.e. maybe Edea and the others went through the same thing when Ultimecia possessed them?)

It could be that Ultimecia's possession doubled or at least increased their strength. Perhaps she isn't supremely powerful, but just clever. Also remember that Squall and co. get a lot stronger as the game progresses so they can become the Legendary SeeD.

To be honest, the powers of the Witches are very vague. I've always been bothered by people insisting that Ultimecia has power over time when it seems like Reality Warper is more accurate since her ability to time travel is explained as being caused by a machine.

I wouldn't really bother trying to figure this out, this is the game where Ellone inexplicably has the power to send consciousness through time and it is never explained once. So I would conclude that characters have powers based on what is needed for the plot.

Plot powers are out in full force in VIII it seems.

I would guess the forcefield was because Ultimecia needed Rinoa to have a forcefield at that time. When you fight Ultimecia, she is totally down to kicking your ass, and so forcefields are unnecessary.

I remember a barrier in this scene. Why do I remember a barrier in this scene?