Leaving had been one of the hardest choices she had ever made in her entire life. Hyne knew it hadn't been easy for her. She had been so in love with him, hopelessly dedicated to him. It had been almost perfect, their love and relationship. However as the days passed after the final battle and everyone began to mend and Squall tossed himself into his work, she began to feel strange.<br/><br/>Not quite feeling neglected, but she certainly felt restless. The idea of staying in this cage, with not much to do, left her feeling uneasy. It also didn't help that he was gone so often. She was alone a lot of the times, though not completely. Sometimes the girls would hang out with her, even the boys, but it wasn't enough for the young woman.<br/><br/>She wanted to further her education and make something of herself. The fights she had with Squall, mainly involving his constant absence, was beginning to wear her down. They needed a break. So, she came to a decision. It was not an easy one but it was necessary.<br/><br/>At first, she didn't know how to bring it up to him. So she waited for quite some time, constantly going over what she would say in her head and to a mirror before finally, she felt ready to talk to him about. Really, though, there would be no talking about it.<br/><br/>Her mind was made up and even if he decided to fight her on it, she was still leaving. But when it finally came to her stating her intentions and him just saying 'ok', it had definitely stung. It made her feel like he didn't even care enough to fight for her.<br/><br/>To be honest, it shouldn't have surprised her, knowing the kind of man that he was. He was married to his job and he didn't have time to chase after her. That was okay. She understood, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less.<br/><br/>So when she walked out those doors and boarded that train, she knew that she couldn't look back. If she looked back, she might change her mind and return to him. She knew she had to be strong, for her own sake.<br/><br/>It didn't take long to find the place where she wanted to study but there was just one problem: she didn't have the funds. She was not about to ask her father for financial aid, either. She probably should have prepared better, but it wasn't like she had really had a source of income, to begin with. She wasn't a soldier like Squall, who was paid to fight.<br/><br/>Somehow or another, word reached one Laguna Loire and he came out to meet with her. To say Rinoa was surprised was an understatement. She was fond of the man, even though she knew Squall did not feel the same for his father. Laguna had taken a liking to her, having seen the effect that she had on his estranged son. He was sad that they weren't currently together but was happy that she had decided to make something of herself.<br/><br/>He offered to pay for her tuition. At first, she had wanted to decline. She didn't want to owe him for his kindness, but he thoroughly insisted. He wasn't the type to take no for an answer when his mind was made up. He was surprisingly stubborn, something that Squall had definitely inherited. Thanking him profusely, the teenager gratefully accepted.<br/><br/>With his financial support, she was able to go to the college of her dreams and study what she wanted. It had been hard at first because she missed Squall like crazy, but the more she threw herself into her studies, the easier it became to numb herself to the aching pain. It became easier to deal with the loneliness, too.<br/><br/>Four years passed and she graduated with excellent marks. She decided to become a journalist, much like Laguna had for a time. She had majored journalism and photography, which meant she wouldn't need to hire a cameraman to accompany her on her journey. She would take her own pictures.<br/><br/>She wanted to keep a low profile so she wrote under a pen name. That way, no one would be able to figure out that it was her writing this. She didn't want anyone to come for her. Her work became popular and the money came easy. It was everything she had dreamed about.<br/><br/>Five years had passed since the end of the Second Sorceress war. Although she hadn't seen or heard from Squall since she had walked out those doors, never to return, she never forgot him. How could she? He was her first true love. She thought she had loved Seifer, but her feelings towards him were nothing compared to how she had felt for the brunet commander. The feelings she still felt for him, even after all of this time.<br/><br/>There was a special celebration coming up to mark the five-year anniversary of the war and she had every intention of covering it for her work. Yes, it ran the risk of her running into Squall and his friends, but she knew she couldn't miss out on this. There was just no way. Her readers were counting on her, after all. Besides, she had every right to be there, even without her work.<br/><br/>Not to mention, Laguna had already checked in with her to make sure she was attending. They had met up from time to time since he had proposed to pay for her college fees. She found that she had grown closer to the man. She was looking forward to seeing him, to tell him what was new with her work. He was definitely a fan of hers.<br/><br/>Rinoa made sure to arrive on time, not wanting to be late. She entered the room, brown eyes looking around before her gaze landed on Laguna and Ellone. With a smile on her lips, she quickly made her way over to them.<br/><br/>She hadn't changed much over the years. The only thing that had really changed was that she looked a bit more mature and her clothing choices were a bit different than her previous attire. Her camera and other journalist stuff were nestled in a bag that was slung over her shoulder.