Final Fantasy VIII 1. Broken

Prologue  
  
She walked down the beach, the water seeping through her boots and her socks, but somehow she did not care. A large grayish-white dog followed her, trotting along her side, a protector and a friend. Angelo was not bothered by the fact that they were trotting around aimlessly. To the faithful dog, being with its master was the most rewarding thing. However, Angelo's happiness was momentarily stumped when she unwittingly collided with Rinoa who had stopped all of a sudden. Confused, the canine looked up at her master and whined. Rinoa ignored Angelo, so lost was she in her thoughts as she caressed the ring she wore on a necklace. There was suppose to be another one, a ring carved with the head of lion but. . .it's over. A tear streaked down her face quietly, and then another, until she could not stopped herself. With a heart wrenching sob, she fell to her knees and cried.  
  
It had been a month already and yet the wound in her heart was still fresh and bleeding  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A week later, Rinoa surveyed her room with vague disinterest. It had been precisely 2 years and a month after they had defeated Ultimecia and a little after a month after her broke up. She had spent 2 years in the Garden, working hard to be a SeeD, and equally hard to be part of their clique, but. . .she had failed. It was the first time in her life that Rinoa woke up in the morning with an empty feeling in her stomach and tears behind her eyes.  
  
Getting up from her bed, she picked up a comb from her dressing table and started brushing her hair casually. Her life seemed so hollow now, so meaningless. What could she do? Timber was halfway to getting full independence now, Zone and Watts don't need her already. She and her dad were at least on talking terms now and she had already moved back, but. . .  
  
Rinoa narrowed her eyes as fresh tears threatened to fall. She must not cry; she must be strong. Brushing away the unshed tears with the back of her hand, she was timely distracted by Angelo who tried to comfort her by whining softly. Dropping the brush down on the carpet, Rinoa knelt down and hugged Angelo. Angelo will always be beside her, her truest friend. Her world had fallen apart but somehow Angelo had managed to stay by her side through all disasters.  
  
She must find a purpose in life, she must. It is the only way for life to get on. In her heart, she believed that somewhere, in a corner of this vast world, there is a place that she could truly be of use. "I must." She whispered into Angelo's silky fur while tears rolled down her cheeks. "I must."  
  
==  
  
Getting out of the mansion was certainly a good idea, paying a visit to the peaceful Fisherman horizon was an even better idea. Walking on the old railway tracks and enjoying the scenery with Angelo made Rinoa forget the pain, at least for a little while. Humming a slow ditty, Rinoa threw the Frisbee with a certain carelessness. Bounding with joy, Angelo participated in a game of Fetch. Breathing in the fresh air, Rinoa felt her moods inched upwards, slowly but surely. Yes, she will survive with or without him.  
  
"Rinoa?!"  
  
She spun around, the voice sounded darn familiar. And then she saw him, the usual smirk in place, and the air of utter confidence still intact. Angelo recognized him too and went over to give a friendly greeting. Laughingly Seifer ruffled Angelo's head with affection.  
  
"Hyne, she remembers me better than you! I didn't know you had short term memory, Rinny." Seifer teased, before he started smirking again.  
  
"Seifer?" Rinoa called out hesitantly while hot tears blurred her vision. She thought, correction, everyone thought that he died. After Ultimecia's defeat, Seifer disappeared along with Fujin and Raijin. Poof! Just like that, Seifer disappeared off the face of the world.  
  
"We. . .I thought you died." She croaked out. She never hated him for what he did, even when the whole world hated him, Rinoa could never bring herself to do that. To her, she would forever cherished the summer they had spent together, those sweet days tinted with an innocence lost forever. Seifer smirked again before strutting over. "I feel very much alive, thank you.' He then started stretching to emphasize his point. To his surprise, Rinoa ran towards him and gave him a hug before bursting into tears.  
  
Awkwardly, he held her and patted her back, not knowing what to say. Since when did she learnt how to cry buckets of tears. Something was fishy here. "So where's Puberty boy and chicken-wuss?" To his greater surprise, his front shirt got even more soaked. 'Wise move old man', he congratulated himself and wished that he could give himself a kick in the ass. Maybe he could get Fujin to do that. Hell, Fujin could do anything.  
  
"Rinny, do you want to tell me what happen here?" Seifer asked in what he hoped was a soothing voice. He was not that great when it comes to comforting people.  
  
Rinoa lifted her tear-streaked head to look at Seifer, while she shook her head in a helpless gesture. This gave Seifer time to notice that the Griever ring was missing from her necklace. Suddenly, everything made sense to him. 'They broke up?' disbelief clogging up his mind, Squall and Rinoa broke up? Is that even possible?  
  
"Rinny what happen?" Seifer asked albeit softly, real concern colouring his voice. He always calls her Rinny, it was a nickname for a girl he used to love and still liked as a friend. Truth to say, he regretted all that he had done towards her. He admitted that he was blinded by a dream, a false dream, sugar coated with lies and confusion. Seifer paid the price of his foolishness; after the war, the climb back to sanity was littered with his blood.  
  
"I. . . don't know Seifer. I don't. . . know." Rinoa bowed her head, her voice small and confused. "Time passed in a blur. . .we drifted apart and the. . . harder I try to catch up, the faster I get left behind."  
  
Seifer sympathize with Rinoa. She was different from the rest of them, Quistis, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Squall and himself. They all grew up together in the orphanage and had been to Garden, while she. . . she's a General's daughter who lived a very different life and now she was a sorceress. 'Life ain't kind to you wasn't it? Wonder what Quistis thought about the broke up.' Seifer mused.  
  
"There was so much work for him. . .Squall. Everyday pile after pile. . . I don't get to see him till late at night, when it's almost time for bed. . . he would just give me a tired smile and disappear into his room and. . . we don't talk anymore. . . sometimes he goes out for mission. . .when he comes back I got dispatched. . .I don't know what to do Seifer. . .I don't. I tried. . .I tried. . ." Fresh tears blurred her eyes again and Rinoa cursed herself for her own weakness. 'Stop crying. Stop crying. You must be strong. You must be strong' Rinoa tried to rally herself, but she could not stop the treacherous tears that escaped. Angelo gave a sad whine as if she was crying for her mistress. That whine made Rinoa cry even harder.  
  
Surprisingly, Seifer pulled her into his embrace. "Cry it out Rinny, you'll feel better. I'll bet that you've been hoarding those tears like a miser. You are too hard on yourself."  
  
Rinoa gave in to Seifer's warm and sincere tone, her defences crumbling in one shot. She didn't know how long she stood there crying but afterwards, she felt a whole lot better though her eyes felt sore and puffy. She never seemed to stop crying nowadays. 'Ditz'. She cursed herself again.  
  
Stepping back, Rinoa gave Seifer a watery smile. "Thank you Seifer."  
  
Digging around his pockets, Seifer found his handkerchief and passed it to Rinoa who took it shyly. "That's what best friends are for Rinny. Are we still. . .?"  
  
Wiping away the last traces of tears, Rinoa nodded her head. "Seifer, the war's over. And besides you are the one who held me when I cried."  
  
Seifer gave her another confident smirk to hide his relief and said "Of course. So wanna come to my house? You haven't seen Fujin and Raijin for a long time."  
  
"How are they?" Rinoa inquire politely. She was not very close to them. Fujin reminded her of Shiva, ethereal and quiet where else Rinoa can't even hold a decent conversation with Raijin. "Guess what?" Seifer smiled mysteriously while looking darn smug about something. "I'm engaged." Then he paused to heighten the effect. "To Fujin."  
  
Rinoa eyes widen in surprise before she burst out in laughter. The first laugh in a month. "Oh Hyne! Seifer! What?!" Seifer smirked. "So, coming over?" he asked expectantly.  
  
Rinoa shook her head ruefully. "Seifer I can't. . .when are you gonna get married?" She asked quietly, her feet drawing circles in the gravel. Angelo sidled up next to Rinoa thumping her tail while looking expectantly at Seifer.  
  
"Uh, we haven't planned anything yet. But we'll call ya, that's for sure!' Seifer smiled.  
  
"You can be her bridesmaid." He offered generously.  
  
"I will. . . .Thanks for everything, Seifer." Rinoa said quietly.  
  
"So. . . what are you gonna do now, Rinny?" Seifer asked in a serious tone.  
  
"I don't know Seifer, maybe get a job. . . pick up the pieces. . .I don't know, Seifer." Rinoa strolled over to the edge of the railway tracks. The ocean looked so vast and frightening, just like her future. She, an ex- Seed, a Sorceress and ex-rebel, what can she do with her own pair of hands other than fighting? Looking out at the ocean, an idea came into her mind.  
  
"Rinny?"  
  
"Don't worry Seifer, I'll be all right. . . I have a direction now." Rinoa turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. 'Yes, I will be strong.' She thought. Silently, she handed him back his handkerchief and gave him a goodbye kiss at the cheek. Very quietly, she walked away with Angelo by her side, feeling stronger than ever before. 'Yes, I'll be strong. . ..' 


	2. Abandoning the Past

Standard Disclaimer: All characters are borrowed from FF8.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
It had been three years since the defeat of Ultimecia and Balamb Garden was still the same as ever. There were new changes such as Xu being appointed as the Headmistress while Cid retired to the orphanage with Edea, an increase in the supply of hotdogs, more parties and new faces. The card game Triple Triad is as popular as ever, but this semester collecting level 7 cards were no longer the craze, this year it was all about collecting the magazine Timber Maniacs. All students now boast of having at least 2 copies in their growing stash; even Zell, Selphie and Irvine were not spared from the craze.  
  
"Look!! Tee hee, I got the latest edition!" Selphie jumped in joy as she retrieved her copy from her personal mailbox outside her room. Down the hallway, most of the students were busy picking up their own copy and reading the latest article from the hottest columnist, Julia Storm.  
  
"Damn! I forgot to pay for it. . ..guess I won't be reading it." Zell cursed as he slouched sadly in a corner.  
  
"Oh come on Zell, I'll lend you my copy after I'm done with it." Irvine offered as he shrugged in his typical good-hearted way. Immediately Zell brightened up before he started looking depressed again.  
  
"Yo, do you all remember what happened on this date today?" Zell asked in a heavy tone.  
  
Irvine and Selphie looked at each other before they remembered.  
  
Dejectedly, Irvine leaned against the wall outside Selphie's room.  
  
"Yeah. . .I wonder where she is." Irvine answered his tone thoughtful.  
  
"Poor Squall, he's shutting everyone out again." Selphie bowed her head down in sadness.  
  
"At least Quistis is still here for him." Zell said in hope of brightening the mood. It was a bad move.  
  
Irvine sighed. "Squall does not look very interested in her you know. . .hell, he's not dating anyone at all."  
  
Selphie bit her lip. "Do you think. . .Squall misses Rinoa?" She blurted out. Zell and Irvine stared at her before the both of them rolled their eyes.  
  
"Bloody hell, he does and he don't wanna admit it!" Zell said in a frustrated tone.  
  
"He didn't even searched for her." Irvine sighed.  
  
"Maybe. . .maybe Quistis will make him happy." Selphie offered the idea optimistically.  
  
But the three of them knew that the possibility of that was highly unlikely.  
  
==  
  
"Yo, Quisty! Over here!" Zell shouted across the cafeteria. Gratefully, Quistis steered away from the Trepies and carried her food-laden tray towards Zell's table. "Thanks Zell. You're a life saviour." Quistis settled down onto the chair opposite Zell, her tense muscles relaxing.  
  
"No problem." Zell said somewhat incoherently while chewing his seventh hotdog. "So how's your day, Quisty?"  
  
"It's a long one. Some student got lost in the training area unarmed during the Introduction to Dangerous Beasts Class. . ." Quistis paused to shake her head in exasperation. "And I had to stop the whole class to find him."  
  
"Did he get eaten up by a T-Rex?" Zell asked innocently.  
  
Quistis laughed and shook her head. "No, but he did get punished. Xu is making sure of that."  
  
"Xu needs a new disciplinary department soon. This semester is full of scamps and weasels." Zell commented as he proceeded to attack his eighth hotdog.  
  
"Like, the two cousins? Xavier and Leena?" Quistis asked.  
  
At the mention of the two devils' names, Zell shuddered in fear and stopped eating his hotdog. Quistis laughed again at his reaction. Those two are taking lessons on martial arts from Zell and he sorely regretted taking up the mentor ship offer. Those two were driving him out of his mind.  
  
At that moment, Selphie and Irvine walked towards them. To be more accurate Irvine was strolling and Selphie was hopping.  
  
"Hey guys, did you see Squall anywhere?" Selphie asked as her eyes scanned the whole cafeteria for their leader and good friend, Squall. At the mention of Squall's name, Quistis cheery disposition faded. "Yes, he's busy drowning himself in paperwork in his office." She answered briskly in a detached tone before turning her attention to her soup again.  
  
"Oh, what a waste, just wanna ask him something." Selphie sighed.  
  
"Oh come on Sefie, let him off will ya?" Irvine asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Irvy!" Selphie pouted. Zell was definitely very interested in what was happening.  
  
"So whatcha wanna ask him Sefie?" Zell asked loudly, being somewhere in his ninth hotdog.  
  
"I just wanna ask him if he has two pulse ammos. Nida needs it to upgrade his weapon." Saying so, Selphie glared at Irvine.  
  
"Hey, I really ran out of it, Sefie. Don't you believe me?"  
  
"I think I have one, you can have it." Quistis offered. Cheerfully, Selphie chirped her thanks to Quistis.  
  
"Oh come one Sefie, I know why you wanna help Nida." Zell took another big bite out of his ninth hotdog. "You lost your card to him in a card game did you?"  
  
"Yeah and Irvy refused to help me get my card back!" Selphie stomped her foot in disgust at her boyfriend's unwillingness to help her out.  
  
"Oh right, oh right you win. Here ya go Sefie." Irvine threw his hands up in exasperation and tossed her the two pulse ammos he just dug out from his trench coat pocket. Squealing in delight, Selphie then ran off to find Nida leaving Irvine behind to deal with two spectators who were trying not to laugh.  
  
"That will teach you not to mess with Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine." Quistis said with a smile.  
  
"She can be quite a handful, ya know." Zell added his two cents worth before attacking his tenth hotdog.  
  
Ruefully Irvine scratched the back of his neck before he shrugged. "Well if ya can't beat them, join them. Hey Zell, can I have that last hotdog?"  
  
==  
  
Squall sat at his desk, staring at the pile of paperwork. He hated this. He hated being a Commander. He hated today. He hated the memories today brought. To hell with all of it. Grabbing his Lionheart, which was leaning against the side of the desk, he strode out of his office with ground eating strides. A T-Rex now will do him more good than a day's worth of paperwork.  
  
But when he got to the Training Area, his heart ached in pain and he frowned. The memories of training with Rinoa in this Center was painful. The memories of celebrating his birthday here with Rinoa burned inside his head. The more he tried to forget her, the more he remembered. Each smile, each peal of laughter, each frown, and every single angry pout. Rinoa. . .  
  
Irvine and Zell told him to let it go and that Rinoa will never come back again. He knew that they were telling the truth. Nobody knew where Rinoa went, or more likely Sorceress Rinoa, he thought with disgust. Sorceress, they could only see her as a sorceress not a human being. And she, she had tried so hard to control her powers, powers that were beyond anybody's understanding.  
  
"Damn it! Stop thinking of her! She's not coming back!" All the Gardens' informants around the world did not know where Sorceress Rinoa went. It was as if she was never born, it was as if she had died. "No! She's alive!"  
  
Furious and irritated Squall skulked deep into the undergrowth wanting to hit something or anything, just to drive away the pain in his soul, even if it was just for a while. If it were not for his friends, he doubted that he would stay sane. Zell, Irvine, Selphie and . . . .Quistis had been there for him no matter how busy they were. They left him alone to sort his thoughts out but when he needed someone's presence to drive away the loneliness, they were more than glad to hang out with him. Especially Quistis.  
  
Irvine words then started burning in his mind. "Ya know, maybe you should go out again. . .who knows maybe you'll find someone special again." Highly unlikely, Squall frowned at that thought. "Quistis is always there for you, she cares a lot about you. Squall, maybe you should give her a chance and yourself too." Zell's words echoed in his mind. "Squall, someday you'll need to know if Rinoa is the only one for you. . . if she is, go for it! Look for her. I know for sure, that she. . .misses you. I can feel it." Selphie's emerald green eyes burned in his mind. "She loves you a lot Squall. . .for you she would do anything, you should believe in that!"  
  
Confused, Squall shook his head and tried to block out all thoughts. Partially succeeding, he continued his search for a bloody T-Rex.  
  
==  
  
A Sorceress, what does it mean to be a sorceress? Does it mean to be a figure of fear and power? A figure of invulnerability? Or a figure of loneliness and pain?  
  
She sighed as she walked across the rocky ground on the hills nearby Winhill. Rinoa did not know how to answer those philosophical questions. For a moment, she wished she could seek out Edea, but that was out of the question; Rinoa wished to remain hidden from the world. No doubt, there would be SeeDs guarding Edea just in case Sorceress Rinoa popped out. Rinoa frowned at that thought. At her side, a blissfully ignorant Angelo was alert for signs of danger.  
  
In the past two weeks, Rinoa had learnt more about her powers and herself. After doing extensive research, she finally knew why Sorceress were solitary creatures and why they have knights.  
  
"It was because they are lonely. . ."  
  
What she had learnt from an old lady's library had toppled her world apart. The old lady was so old that her skin was almost translucent and her hair as white as snow. Living at the outskirts of Winhill, she was able to pursue her hobby of collecting rare books in peace and... away from the world's prying eyes.  
  
Of course, Rinoa went to pay the old lady a visit because of her library. Digging through the ancient books and translating what little she can, she learnt a lot more about sorceresses than what was known to the outer world. The sorceresses throughout time, as soon as they receive the powers, have a tendency to die young. The power burned them from the inside slowly but surely like poison eating away at their insides. For survival and a longer life expectancy, they had to pass their powers to a successor. Needless to say, the sooner the better.  
  
Due to their powers, sorceresses was not able to get intimate with any man and neither can they give birth. Children of any sorceress usually die in the womb before they were even born. Those that survived were very weak and perished very quickly. Men that were intimate with a sorceress suffered more or less the same fate. Usually, the power consumes any living flesh that forms a physical bond with the sorceress, be it blood bond or sexual bond. For that reason alone, sorceresses have knights to keep them company for the rest of their lonely life. "Now I know why Edea never had her own child. An orphanage by the sea... that's some kind of alternative, I guess." Rinoa wondered out loud. She reached down to pat Angelo's head, as if a simple touch could ease the empty loneliness that stalked her life. Someday, before she could become old and toothless, she would die from loneliness and her power first.  
  
"I have no Knight. Only you Angelo. . ." Rinoa murmured softly in calm acceptance.  
  
== 


	3. Sinking

Standard disclaimer: Squall and co is not mine. If they were, then I'm a genius. which I'm not. Anyway, enjoy. and thanks to all those ppl who r&r, it was wonderful and terribly encouraging and flattering too! Hehehe ;p  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Having accepted the job of writing about the Island Closest to Hell, Julia Storm had spent the last two days there. Armed to her teeth, she took no chances when it comes to her safety. Sitting outside her tent, beside a little campfire, Rinoa typed furiously into her laptop, pausing once in a while to think up of a better adjective or phrase. Angelo lay contently at her feet, but as alert as ever.  
  
Finally after a few hours, Rinoa saved her work and switched off her computer. Sighing she stared at the stars above. The Island Closest to Hell had no trees growing on it thus Rinoa was practically camping on an open plain. It was dangerous but her guard was up 24/7.  
  
After keeping her laptop in its case, Rinoa sat down beside Angelo and started scratching her head. Angelo gave a growl of pleasure and settled into a more comfortable position. Rinoa smiled but her eyes remained fixed on the stars.  
  
Tonight would be night of the SeeD graduation ball. Amazingly, a year had passed by so quickly. She wondered what Squall was doing now? Would he be dancing with someone else? Or would he be leaning against a pillar and frown all night long?  
  
Swallowing back a painful lump, she allowed herself to remember the night they first met. That was a memory that no GFs could take away from her, but does Squall even remember that night? Rinoa sighed. It was no point thinking of him or even the past, but she could not help herself. They shared too many memories.  
  
Briefly, she remembered their broke up. Strangely, there was no argument, no fighting, no shouting, no anger and no tears. She remembered stepping into his office. He had just returned from another mission. Rinoa stared at his back, his stiff, unyielding back for some time before she spoke.  
  
"It's over isn't it Squall?' Her voice had sounded very sad.  
  
Squall had turned around and stood facing her. There was a distance seperating them. Neither one of them took a step forward.  
  
"I'm sorry Rinoa. . .Maybe we need more time. . . away from each other, more time to know what we want. . .." Squall sounded so unsure of himself.  
  
Numbly, Rinoa took out Griever from her necklace and toss it back to him. Squall caught it but he did not catch Rinoa back. She had slipped through his fingers like sand. . .  
  
The next day she left the Garden, her resignation letter on top of Xu's desk. Her life as a SeeD was officially over.  
  
Rinoa's eyes narrowed at that particular memory. Hyne, how she hated herself for letting things go so far without even doing a single thing. Bitterly, she remembered the many arguments they had before they broke up. In her mind, she replayed the worse argument they had; the one where she made him choose between his work and her. It was a stupid and childish move and the answer she got was what she deserved. Squall in disgust chose work over her.  
  
Biting her lower lip, Rinoa still remember the way Squall looked in ager. His grayish-blue eyes would flare with anger while his shoulder would stiffen. Right now she would do anything to see that again, but it's all in the past. But to see him just once more. . . Suddenly an idea took form in her mind.  
  
Getting up, Rinoa started scrabbling through her backpack for her plastic bowl. Filling the bowl up with water, Rinoa placed the bowl on the ground gently, careful not to splash any of the water. Curious, Angelo had gotten up and started following Rinoa around, her tail wagging excitedly.  
  
Sitting down, Rinoa started focusing her power towards the bowl of water while thinking of Squall. In less than a second, she opened her eyes and saw Squall looking back at her. Rinoa almost cried looking at his face. "Angelo, look." Rinoa smiled a sad smile. Angelo in curiosity peered into the bowl too. Together the both of them observed Squall. He looked as handsome as ever in his SeeD formal attire, though a bit more drawn and tired looking. Smiling, Rinoa noticed that the gentle breeze was messing up his already messy hair.  
  
There was somebody behind Squall though Rinoa could not exactly see who it was. Then Squall turned around Rinoa saw that it was Quistis. Squall then started talking. There was no sound coming out of his mouth, it was as if Rinoa was watching a silent film. Something he said made Quistis's eyes fill with unshed tears. Curious, Rinoa squint her eyes as if trying to read Squall's lips. Then Squall held Quistis hands before he kissed her. Somberly, Squall took out a ring carved with a lion's head and placed it on Quistis's palm.  
  
Rinoa did not know how to react or what to feel. She felt confused, and then numbness filled her senses. It took her quite a while to register what had happened before white-hot pain grabbed her by the neck. She raised a hand to touch her cheek and was surprised to find it wet with tears.  
  
Biting back the sudden pain, Rinoa tried to be strong. She had to be strong . . . she must. But the pain that was strangling her from the inside escaped in a form of a harsh sob. Rinoa was startled, could that sound be made by her?  
  
Whatever defenses she had erected in the past year to block out the heartache and pain crumbled away like dust. Unable to hold on any longer, Rinoa gave in to the stabbing ache in her heart and cried while holding Angelo. But this time, the pain did not go away with the tears, instead the pain increased and increased, till she thought it was suffocating her.  
  
"Squall, why?" that thought kept on replaying in her mind. It's over Rinoa, it's over. . . At this moment, her powers that were kept at bay saw a crack in the walls that bound it. Roiling and seething, it sought escape and found it. . .  
  
The sky above the Island Closest to Hell changed colour so fast like a chameleon. One moment clear and starry, the next an obsidian black like onyx. Lightning flashed across the black night, soundless and quiet. All around the island, forces were at work. T-Rex, Blue Dragon, Malboros and other beasts were alarmed and started making huge noises. The earth trembled and groaned.  
  
All this while, Rinoa was oblivious to all. She was trapped in a sea of pain, memories and tears. She was trapped in another world where she was no sorceress but a child again, a child whose dreams had died.  
  
The earth gave a louder moan. Minuscule cracks that were already present in foundation of the Island split further apart. The seabed shifted and moved, causing large waves to form and crashed against the sides of the Island. Slowly the Island was sinking into the unknown depths of the sea  
  
With a thunderous crash, the whole island split and crumbled. T-Rexs, Blue Dragons and all the other beats panicked. Those that can fly flew off while those that could not were doomed to drown.  
  
Rinoa finally sensed that something was wrong; the earth was shaking far too much. Wiping her eyes dry, she stood up shakily only to find herself in a small dot of land, a perfect circle with a radius of 1 mile surrounded by nothing but a vast ocean. It was as if a huge knife had cleaved out this. . .tiny island. There was no room for doubt in Rinoa's mind that her powers had caused this. Her powers. As if in instinct, her mind blocked out any emotions that Rinao felt at that moment, filling her with nothing but icy numbness.  
  
Raising her head, Rinoa saw herds of Ruby Dragons and Blue Dragon flying away, their colours stark against the night sky. Flashes of lightning blinded her eyes. Across the oceans, huge waves started to gather, crashing against each other and gaining momentum. It was evolving into a tsunami. A tsunami. A destructive force. Something at the back of her mind snapped.  
  
Shocked Rinoa stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, her eyes wide with fear and panic. "Hyne, what have I done?" Rinoa whispered bile rising at the back of her throat. She was revolted at her own carelessness and stupidity. Shakily, Rinoa forced herself to remain calm as calm as she could. "Think! There must be something you can do!!!" Her mind shrieked. Rinoa could not think up of one solution. Hell, she can't even concentrate. Then Edea's face appeared in her mind and Rinoa remembered her first lesson.  
  
Focusing her rioting powers was hard, but Edea had taught well and it was something Rinoa could do. Bit by bit, sheer force and will collide and Rinoa willed her powers to stop the unnatural storm. Her powers which had been caged for a long time in her mind relished the freedom and refused to be ushered back quietly. It raged and wailed inside Rinoa's mind before quieting down and obeying her.  
  
Exhausted, Rinoa slumped down onto the floor. The storm had abided but the tsunami was still there. Grimly, she forced herself to send a signal out to all Gardens and Esthar's Dr Odine using her last dregs of energy. "All the sirens should be wailing now. . . " Slightly reassured, Rinoa gave in the darkness and collapsed on the ground while Angelo sat by her all night licking her cheeks as if wishing to comfort her.  
  
==  
  
After the siren, a tensed silence filled the whole Garden. Within a few seconds, Xu's tense voice was heard over the intercom.  
  
"SeeDs and students alert! Everyone return to your dormitories now and prepared for combat. Cadets whose ID starts with an even no, take care of the younger ones. Nida, report to the bridge immediately! We'll be landing in Balamb in 15 minutes time."  
  
"What the. . .?" Squall mind started racing with the number of emergencies that could happen. Immediately he ran inside the ballroom to look for Zell, Irvine and Selphie. Likewise Quistis followed behind, his ring still clasped in her hand. "Of all times?! Why now!!" Quistis was furious at the timing. Damn it! She cursed in her mind, before clearing her head of all other thoughts and tried to concentrate on the emergency at hand.  
  
In the ballroom, all students present were busing making their way out. There was no panic yet but everyone was tense and afraid. Within seconds, the ballroom and the entire garden was cleared. Everyone rushed back to their room in a chaotic fashion as the tension started to climb higher. In a few minutes time, all Seeds and student were wearing their uniformed and well-armed.  
  
Then, they wait.  
  
The whole Garden was tense and afraid. What was it now? Imagination, temper and fear were flying high. Could it be another war, like what happened three years ago? Or was it simply another herd of deranged Malboros stalking some town or city?  
  
After roughly half an hour later, Nida's spoke through the intercom, startling several people. "Garden alert, suspicious activity is taking place in the Island Closest to Hell. The Estharian satellite is currently gathering as much information as they could. Until the Garden has more information, all cadets and SeeDs must be prepared for combat and wait in the dormitories or student lounges. In the meantime, the Garden will land outside Balamb town."  
  
Pacing in his cramped room, Zell desperately wanted an answer to the questions that Nida's message had raised. Still clutching the piece of newspaper, Zell stopped in his pacing and decided to pursue another mystery, the one that he was more interested in. Sitting down on his bed, he stared at the picture of Rinoa. Sure she looked different, but no once can change Angelo's appearance right?  
  
Zell wondered how much had Rinoa changed. But then he remembered the fun times they had while hanging out together and decided no matter how much she changed Rinoa will still be Rinoa. Other might call her a sorceress but to Zell, she was one of his closer friends, someone he could trust with his life.  
  
Smiling, Zell remembered the fun times they had and more often than not, her advices. "Zell, you can't be too scared all the time. I mean, you like her right? Why don't you go for it." Zell could imagine Rinoa looking exasperated at him. His smile then widened. If it were not for Rinoa, perhaps, he and Amy would not be together. Too bad Amy was away at Esthar Garden, if she had been here, Zell would have made known their relationship to Irvine, Selphie, Quistis and Squall. Although he and Amy had been together for almost one year and a half, nobody knew about his girlfriend. Both of them were simply too shy.  
  
Just the thought of her made Zell grin like a silly putty. lying back on the bed, Zell pictured Amy in his mind. Her brown ponytail tied back with a yellow ribbon and her serious demeanor.  
  
Just then, all the sirens in the Garden rang again.  
  
== 


	4. tsunami

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Squall and co. ;p and the next installment will be a bit late. I'm having exams now. Thanks to all those who are following this fic of mine, thanks ppl!  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Selphie was sitting on the floor, her back leaning against her bed. Inches away from her, her nunchaku was also lying on the floor, looking a bit forlorn and scruffy. Lying down on her bed, Irvine was thinking. But like Selphie, he was also dressed in his uniforms, his Exeter beside him. Both of them were ready for combat. Both of them were tense. Both of them were also deep in thought.  
  
Selphie still could not believe that Julia Storm was Rinoa. And worse of all, Selphie knew in her heart that Rinoa still loved Squall a lot. Again she felt the urge to take something heavy and whack Squall on the head with it. "He missed her too, why can't he do something about it?" Unconsciously, Selphie started chewing on her lower lip which was a sign of her frustration.  
  
Apparently Irvine knew her too well; it was almost as if he could read her mind. "Sefie, Squall knows what he's doing you know? Stop chewing on their break-up. It's been a year already. And hell, tons of couple breaks up every year." Irvine sighed. Sometimes, Selphie could be so darn stubborn.  
  
"But Irvy, it's different with them." Selphie protested. Getting up, she hopped onto her bed and grabbed Irvine by the collar. "They are the couple, THE couple you know." Choking Irvine barely managed a nod.  
  
Exasperated at her boyfriend antic, she let go of him and sat down at the side of the bed, her shoulders hunched in sadness. Sighing again, Irvine got up onto a sitting position and tried to talk logic with Selphie. But Selphie had started talking and this time, it was in a dreamy and sad tone. Hearing that, Irvine knew immediately that she was really upset by something. Selphie was one of the spunkiest people he ever knew and she rarely uses this tone. Keeping his mouth shut, Irvine tried to comfort Selphie by gathering her into his arms while careful not to break her train of thoughts. Tucking her head under his chin, Irvine concentrated on her words.  
  
"Irvy, they are different. When I was young, I don't believe in love. But Squall and Rinoa made me believe it. I saw the way Squall jumped out of the escape pod, how he trusted her, how he would do anything, ANYTHING for her. It was so. . . I don't know, it just made me believe in love, true love you know? I thought nothing could break them apart because they are the couple but. . ."  
  
Selphie's voice trailed off till there was nothing left but silence. Leaning back onto Irvine solid chest, Selphie felt like crying.  
  
"And you don't really believe in love anymore?" Irvine asked very quietly into her ear. Selphie started crying quietly while she nodded her head.  
  
'Sefie, you gotta understand, Squall and Rinoa are Squall and Rinoa, and we are. . .we are different. Sometimes, love need not be full of. . . I don't know action I guess or passionate declarations, sometimes love is all about being close to that person and being part of their life. Sefie, I can't really explain it, but if you want to I can promise you that I'll try my best to protect OUR love."  
  
"Irvy. . . that was so sweet." This time Selphie could not be bothered about holding back her tears. Turning around, she hid her face in Irvine shirt and cried loudly while Irvine held her together in his arms and wondered at his own luck.  
  
If he could vouch which was the luckiest break in his life, he would have said it was the moment he found Selphie back again. Although she might not be the most intelligent or beautiful or gentle girl out there, she was Selphie, a girl full of life and optimism. Just by being around her, Irvine found himself infected with the same kind of zest for life. That's what he loved most about her. True, he did flirt around with a lot of other girl, but it was all a game, because no one can replace Selphie. Ever. No one. Zilch.  
  
Then the siren rang again.  
  
==  
  
"SeeDs, Cadets and Instructors with their ID ending in an even number, report to the Quad now. Those with ID ending in odd numbers, report to the main entrance. Medics, report to Dr. Kadowaki immediately. First years, assemble the younger cadets in the library. Squall, Zell, Quistis, Irvine and Selphie report to the bridge now." Xu's voice rang through the whole Garden loud and clear.  
  
Immediately, students started pouring out of the dormitories and student lounges and scrambled hastily to their position. Quistis found it difficult to make her way through the crowd but somehow she made it to the elevator. Hurriedly, she pushed the third floor's button and folded her arms in impatience. The elevator was darn slow today.  
  
Everything seemed to be messed up, especially her mind. After Squall's declaration, she felt. . .confused. She could not believe what the hell was happening and now this? Her brain was definitely overloaded with shocks.  
  
The thought of Squall brought a soft smile to her lips. Fingering the ring which she wore around her neck just like Rinoa, Quistis replayed the scene in her mind. She still can't believe that Squall had kissed her. The memory of it made her blush in pleasure. The lift chimed softly, and the elevator door slid open. Smiling, Quistis stepped out of the lift and hurried to the bridge only to bump straight into Nida. Hyne, what was she doing? Silently Quistis admonished herself; even if she was love struck she should have kept her eyes wide open. She almost giggle at the thought of her self being love struck, almost.  
  
Nida was about to say something when he saw the famous ring around her throat. All of a sudden, Nida forgot what he wanted to say as he was struck by the most irrational thought of taking that ring and throwing it into a dustbin. Forcing himself to calm down, Nida nodded curtly to Quistis and led the way to Headmistress Xu's office.  
  
Quistis frowned. What's wrong with Nida? Quistis then shrugged it off, attributing his bad mood to stress. Smoothing out her SeeD uniform, Quistis walked briskly behind Nida into Xu's office. Not surprisingly, Xu was already behind the intercom, giving out orders while Squall and the rest were standing attention in front of Xu's desk. Joining, the rest, Nida and Quistis saluted to Xu and got into their position beside Selphie and Zell. Just the sight of Squall made Quistis want to smile, but she caught herself. There was serious business at hand, smiling would not be appropriate.  
  
"There have been confirmed reports of tsunami approaching Balamb, Galbadia, Dollet, Esthar, Centra and Trabia. SeeDs, students and Instructors assembling in the Quad will help evacuate citizens of Balamb. Zell and I will be in charge of the Balamb team. I will require medic whose ID ending with an even number to follow us. Those gathered at the front gate will be in the FH team. It will be headed by Selphie and Squall. Medic with ID ending in odd number will also be in the FH team. All those whose magic's base stat is higher than 120, report to the cafeteria immediately. Quistis and Irvine will lead the magic team to Balamb and FH respectively. Balamb team will unload in 10 minutes time. And the Garden will fly to FH in 15 minutes time. That's all for now."  
  
Xu then turned around to face the 6 of them. A pounding headache was messing up her mind and thoughts. "How the hell did the siren rang again?" Shaking her head to clear away the fog, Xu continued with the tasks at hand. "Quistis and Irvine, I want your teams to cast Shell on the two towns, hopefully, the damage that the tsunami is going to cause will be lessened. Zell and I will evacuate the citizens of Balamb to the mountain. Selphie and Squall, bring them into the Garden. Nida, you will be in charge of the Garden while I'm not around. Seal up the Training Center afterwards. Dismissed." Giving her a sketchy salute, the 5 of them left hurriedly, each rushing to their own post while Xu grabbed her own weapon before following them.  
  
On the way to the elevator, Zell noticed the ring hanging around Quistis' neck. Although this was not a good time to contemplate on Squall's love life, Zell still felt uncomfortable at the thought that he was the one who suggested Squall to date Quistis. He felt weird seeing the ring around Quistis neck rather than Rinoa's. Brushing away those distracting thoughts, Zell squeezed into the elevator with the other 5 of them. Too bad, Rinoa was not with them. . .  
  
==  
  
8 hours later. at around 08 00 hours  
  
Most of the cadets, SeeDs and instructors were heavily exhausted. The evacuation went rather smoothly except for a bunch of people who panicked and nearly ran off on their own. There were few that were injured or harmed during the evacuation.  
  
The most horrifying moment was when the tsunami struck. Irvine shuddered at the thought of it. He thought he was going to die at FH. The tsunami was simply huge waves that stood still and tall a few miles away before sweeping down with an incredible force equivalent to several Ultimas cast at the same time. 20 over of them magic team stood still, waiting for Irvine's signal. As soon as he saw the waves from afar, he shouted "GO!" and immediately, all of them cast Shell simultaneously, creating a very strong barrier around FH. As soon as the barrier shows sign of weakening, they recast another one again and again. This went on for more than an hour and this part of the operation took their toll on some students and SeeDs. There were a few who was on the verge on burn-out and had to be taken away by the medics. Overall, the whole operation was a success, if it were not for the magic team who was the most badly affected of all.  
  
Quistis's team had fared slightly better than Irvine. Her reaction to the tsunami was quite similar to Irvine's though; given the choice she would never want to face one again. And to think that she had thought Malboros was bad. Sitting at the cafeteria, Quistis massaged her temple while sipping at her hot coffee. The whole situation was more or less under control now which was a good sign. The citizens of FH and Balamb were back in their homes safe and sound. Few properties were damaged and no one was killed according to the latest report. "Thank Hyne for it." Quistis thought. Most of the students, SeeDs and Instructors were in bed resting, while some of them were in the cafeteria looking for food or something hot to drink. She had not seen Squall, Zell, Irvine, Selphie or Nida around even though they should be back already. Frowning, Quistis wondered how Squall was doing. In her mind, she could imagine him frowning and looking darn exhausted. Sighing, Quistis tried to picture a more pleasant picture of Squall smiling but she could not. It was too . . . difficult, she had never seen him smile a real smile before. Troubled at that strange thought, she touched Griever, hoping to find some solace. . . only to find the metal cold and unyielding.  
  
== 


	5. what's next?

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Squall and co. that's all :p  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Squall sat in his office, trying to do some paperwork. His whole body cried out with fatigue but he could not sleep. His room was akin to a torture room, he could not find any source of comfort sleeping there. There were too many memories, painful ones especially after last night. He thought that by asking Quistis to give him another chance, he could get on with life. But no matter how he tried to picture Quistis in his mind, he only saw Rinoa smiling sweetly at him. When he tried to picture Quistis in his arms, he could only see Rinoa hiding her face in his jacket like what she always did. When he remembered what happened last night during the ball, he could only see Rinoa's tear-stained face. Squall was afraid that when he closed his eyes he would see Rinoa crying. He was afraid that he would remember the times they had together. He was afraid of him himself breaking down in tears at the thought of Rinoa. He was afraid and work alone could drive away the fear. "Stop thinking!" Squall ordered himself and focused on the paperwork at hand.  
  
A few minutes later as he was trying to read the treaty between Esthar Garden and Balamb Garden, the intercom rang again asking him, Zell and the others to assemble at Xu's office. Sighing in relief, Squall picked up his Lionheart and left the memory infested office. He swore that at that moment, Rinoa was behind him, sitting on his desk and smiling a mischievous smile. Damn!  
  
==  
  
"The Ragnarok will come and pick you all up in roughly half an hour. You all need to assemble at the front gate .All 5 of you will be brought to the Island Closest to Hell and investigate what the hell happened there. After this, I want a report from all of you. Is there any questions?" Xu said tiredly, her voice monotonous. She wanted nothing more than a good sleep and a nice hot bath. Sitting down on the chair behind her desk, Xu looked as half-dead as the rest of them. She could barely keep her head up. Sympathetically, Nida passed her a mug of hot tea and gave her an encouraging smile. Smiling back, Xu placed a hand on Nida's one, took the mug and murmured her thanks.  
  
Quistis felt strangely uncomfortable seeing the both of them displaying a closer level of intimacy than the one she was used to. They seemed very close. Her eyes narrowed at that thought.  
  
All around her, Zell, Irvine, Selphie and Squall looked like a mess. All of them including her herself, sported dark rings underneath their eyes and their uniforms messy and dirty. "And to think that we have to go on another mission?" she thought incredulously. But everyone was too tired to argue, except for Irvine.  
  
"Why us, Xu? I'm sure Esthar, Trabia and Galbadia have strong cadets and SeeDs. . ." Irvine trailed off his words was replaced by a poorly concealed yawn. In an equally tired tone, Xu answered back. "Because the whole island sank overnight, Irvine. All the leaders are afraid because an island can't sink overnight for no good reason. That's why they wanted you all, the world heroes to go and see what the hell happened . . .I'm sorry that this has to come up now, but. . ." A tired shrug paused her words,"And oh yes, Headmaster Cid and Edea are all right. They received the warning early last night and went hiding in the mountains. Both of them wanted me to tell you all that they are in Deling right now in case you are all worried." Guiltily, Selphie sneaked a glance at Irvine. Shucks! How could they forget about Matron and Cid? Thank Hyne they were safe and sound. "Dismissed." Xu ordered warily before retreated into her own room  
  
==  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Rinoa awoke reluctantly, her whole body sore and in pain. Picking herself up from the ground, Rinoa got up on her feet unsteadily. Beside her Angelo also stirred and woke up. Both of them watched the whole ocean with a daze look, wondering what were all those mottled and black dots floating around. Then Rinoa realize what those black dots were. They were the corpses of the monsters that could not escape the waters. They had drowned and died, leaving decaying corpses floating on the cerulean surface.  
  
Falling to her knees, Rinoa gagged, her eyes shut as if trying to forget the horrible scene. Both palm flat against the rocky surface, she felt her stomach emptying but the taste in her mouth was strangely salty and metallic, like. . . blood. Beside her, Angelo was getting agitated and was whining softly. Opening her eyes, Rinoa saw that she had indeed puked out blood. Trembling, one of her finger gently wiped the corner of lips and she saw the smudged red stain on her fingers. Instinctively, her mind told her that was the price for her powers. Most probably she would not even live past thirty odd years. Rinoa smiled absently and patted Angelo's head. Frankly, one year more or less matter little to her. She already knew what her powers would bring her in the end, fear and death. "Not a very bright future." She thought wryly.  
  
Edea once told her that a sorceress only choose a successor who was either a sorceress themselves or a woman with potential. Those with potential will awaken once they received their power from the dying sorceress. It had happened that while Ultimecia forced the powers out of Edea, Rinoa was present and Rinoa had great potential. Her potential was so alarming that Ultimecia knew that she would be a threat to her own great plans, thus the reason why Ultimecia tried to kill Rinoa again and again. Now, her powers were doing the deed of killing for Ultimecia. She will die much faster than any sorceress. It seemed to Rinoa her powers were bringing her only trouble and nothing else.  
  
Pulling herself together Rinoa sat down cross legged on the ground, determined to help clear up the mess she had created the night before. "If I'm going to die, I should at least do something good with my powers." She reasoned. Focusing her powers, she concentrated on casting flare on as many corpses as she could. There was no point in letting them rot in the ocean and making a mess of the ecosystem. "And besides they are ugly, aren't they Angelo?" Rinoa smiled at her dog before giving Angelo a hug. Pausing for a moment, Rinoa tried to remember what had triggered her power to sink an island but nothing came to mind. Rinoa frowned but try as she might, she could not remember. It was as if she had deliberately blocked out a bad memory. . .But what?  
  
==  
  
Zell fidgeted in his seat for a while before falling asleep, his face plastered against the window. Next to him, Selphie was already fast asleep while leaning on Irvine's shoulder. Across the aisle, Squall was leaning back against his chair, his eyes closed. No one knew whether he was asleep or just resting. No one cared. Everyone was too dead tired. They all had trudged into the Ragnarok looking messed up and half alive. Before the pilot could finished saying whatever he needed to say, Irvine had already fallen asleep in his seat, his hand resting on Selphie's shoulder and his hat tipped down, covering the upper half oh his face. Selphie had followed suit immediately, then Zell, then Squall.  
  
Quistis did not know what to, should she sit beside Squall or not? Should she lean on Squall? She desperately wanted to, but honestly, she did not know where they stand now after last night. Lovers or friend? In the end, exhaustion and a desperate need to be near him overcome all her doubts. Sitting beside Squall, she rested her head on his strong shoulder and was pleasantly surprised when he responded by drawing her closer to him. Zell saw what happened before his eyes shut tight and frankly, his mind was too numb with exhaustion to react. Frowning, he fell asleep.  
  
Squall fought against sleep and exhaustion but as soon as he sat down on the soft leather chair, his head leaning against the headrest, he fell asleep and had the strangest dream. He dreamt that Rinoa was sitting right beside him on the Ragnarok and resting her head on his shoulder before making herself comfortable. Naturally, Squall reacted by pulling her closer towards him. Rinoa snuggled closer and smiled a very satisfactory smile. "Comfortable?" Squall asked tenderly. Rinoa nodded her head sleepily and fell asleep.  
  
Then the scene shifted. They were still in the same position but in a different place. It was the secret area in the Training Centre and she had just finished celebrating his birthday. A half eaten ice cream cake was melting on top of a paper plate, which lay ignored on the floor. Watching the stars in the dark with Rinoa in his arms, Squall felt extremely happy. She had surprised him by remembering his birthday; even Squall did not exactly remember his own birthday. As he stepped into the secret area, she hugged him from the back and whispered "Happy Birthday Squall." It was a very simple celebration; she had bought a cake and there was two plastic cups beside a bottle of punch. All this were placed on top of a red checker cloth right in the middle of the floor of the secret area. And all around it was dozens of unlit candles, placed haphazardly.  
  
Dazed, Squall let Rinoa dragged him into the center of the secret area. Grinning at him, she closed her eyes and suddenly all the candles were light up at the same time. Squall smiled and pulled Rinoa close to him, giving her a soft kiss, when she suddenly giggled. "Squall, the cake is melting." Squall raised an eyebrow at her, a bit puzzled. Giggling a bit more, Rinoa explained. "It's an ice cream cake. You'll like it." She promised. And true enough he did found himself enjoying the cake. They took turns feeding each other and Squall felt like a puddle of ice cream himself. Once or twice, Rinoa being playful will smear the cake all over his face and naturally, he retaliated. In the end, both of laughed so hard that they lay on the cold cement floor with their face sticky while holding onto each other. As the night deepened, Rinoa blew out all the candles with her power and she stayed in his arms, both of them watching the stars in the dark. Squall smiled a tiny smile when reliving that memory. Yes, he remembered he was holding onto Rinoa that night, just like now. . .  
  
"Oh Hyne! Squall, Irvy, Quisty, Zell, Look!! LOOK!" Squall wanted to tell Selphie to shut up in case she awakened Rinoa when he heard Selphie's voice again, this time with more force. Slowly opening his eyes, Squall woke up and looked around him. Rinoa's head was still leaning on his shoulder. Shaking his head clear of cobwebs, Squall realized with a pang of disappointment that it was Quistis not Rinoa.  
  
Slowly disentangling himself from the still sleeping Quistis, Squall joined Irvine, Zell and Selphie at the window. The Island Closest to Hell was gone, leaving only a small dot of land. Right around, sprinkled like cheese on a piece of pizza was corpses of monsters they had fought before, Hexadragon, T-rex and Marlboros. Someone was definitely on that small dot of land, someone powerful. Squall vaguely felt Quistis standing beside him, watching the scene. In amazement, all 5 of them watched as whoever it was on that island cast 20 Flares simultaneously on the corpses around the island. With a loud BOOM!, some of the corpses disappeared as if they had never existed at all. Squall's eyes narrowed in thought. "Who could it be?"  
  
As the Ragnarok flew closer, all 5 of them saw two figures on the island. From afar, everything looked unclear, but it was obvious that one of the figure was of a dog, while the other was woman wearing. . .blue. Squall's blood froze. . . Could it be. . .Rinoa?  
  
==  
  
p.s: This chapter is a bit short but well, exams are here too. after my exams, I'll make it up to you all guys with a longer chapter! Promise!! Thanxs for reading :p 


	6. the weary angel

Standard disclaimer: I don own Squall and co. ok, that's all ;p enjoy!!  
  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Having a video conference with many other important people was a nasty business Laguna decided. He felt like shouting at his computer before switching it off violently, but he doubt the others would take it well. The huge computer screen was divided into many other little boxes, each showing the President of Galbadia, Mayor of Balamb, Dollet, Timber and FH at their office desk, mat or whatever. All of them were trying to decide whether to put Sorceress Rinoa to death. Not surprisingly Timber, Esthar and FH were against the idea. Especially Esthar.  
  
"She is young James! She's bound to make some horrible mistakes; we should give her a chance!" FH Mayor was shouting at the President of Galbadia. "Yes, the usual representative for peace." Laguna thought grimly. The same argument had been going around for the last half an hour. Everyone was short on sleep after the horrendous night and patience was a precious commodity right now. Even Laguna was in a bad temper now, and part of it was induced by this meeting. After watching the two of them bicker like kindergarten kids for another ten more minutes, Laguna finally decided to rescue the others including him from a meaningless and boring debate.  
  
"All right! All right everyone! I've an idea." Laguna hollered at the screen. Immediately everyone kept quiet and focused on Laguna. "OK, let's remember that Sorceress Rinoa had helped defeat Ultimecia so she does not deserve to die. Fair? In that case, why don't we just seal her up in the Memorial, you know like Adel." Laguna voiced the idea which Kiros had come up with a few minutes ago. At least, one life will be spared if everyone agreed to the idea. One innocent life. . . Laguna knew Rinoa pretty well and at the thought of her dead made him wince for Squall. It was kind of strange how close he felt to that young man, it was as if Laguna knew him personally. . .Squall was like a son he and Raine never had and ordering the death of Squall's ex-love? That would be too cruel. Laguna felt sad at that thought.  
  
"What if something like Ultimecia comes again and raids the memorial?" The mayor of Dollet asked. Murmuring in agreement, most of the leaders fixed a questioning glance at Laguna. "Well, things like that won't happen anymore, we have upgraded the memorial you see. It's 99% fool proof now!" Laguna declared proudly. To his relief, all of them agreed rather easily; it was as if they wanted the problem off their hands as soon as possible.  
  
Feeling much better Laguna turned around and signaled to Kiros. Kiros picked up the radio and started communicating with Ragnarok. "Ragnarok receiving. Ready to go Sir." The pilot's voice crackled over the radio.  
  
"Pass me over to the SeeDs." Kiros ordered. "Roger" then the communication crackled loudly for a few moments before the static cleared. Clearing his throat, Kiros proceeded to give the orders albeit unhappily.  
  
"SeeDs, this is Kiros here representing the leaders of all the nations. Your mission right now is to escort Sorceress Rinoa back to the Sorceress Memorial. If any resistance is being met, all of you have the permission to. . .kill her. Dismissed and may Hyne be with you."  
  
Kiros switched off the radio and wondered what was that banging sound he heard just now. Turning around, he saw Laguna banging his head against the wall repeatedly and Ward trying to stop him. Kiros did not go over and lend Ward a hand. Truth to tell he wanted to do that to, but he managed to refrain himself.  
  
At that moment, Laguna was feeling downright miserable. He felt like he was evil Ultimecia at this moment, sending Squall out to capture back Rinoa or maybe even kill her. It was not as if he did not know what had happened between them, well, actually almost the whole world knew their. . .past relationship. Squall was something like their check on the sorceress and when they broke up there was a wave of panic everywhere before things went back to normal. "Where is the sorceress? What is she doing now?" everyone had asked with a trace of fear in their questions.  
  
Well, now everyone will know the answer to all. Somehow, Laguna felt like a traitor. And he was the one who had preached about love and friendship before the final battle with Ultimecia. "Make it a hypocrite too." He thought grimly.  
  
==  
  
Everyone turned to look at Squall. All of them wore an expression of shock and unwillingness to complete the mission. Pleadingly Selphie asked Squall, "Squall, we can't do that right? I mean it's Rinoa. . . I know that she didn't mean it to happen like this. Squall. . ."  
  
Squall closed his eyes and rested one hand on his hip. Frowning, he looked to be deep in thought. Capture. . .Sorceress Rinoa? Rinoa? Can he do it? But he was a SeeD, a soldier, one who has to follow the orders. But it's Rinoa. . . Could he betray her? Could he betray the Garden? Shaking his head clear, Squall decided to do the most logical thing. Keeping his voice neutral and cold Squall answered Selphie's question, "We will follow the orders."  
  
Zell opened his mouth. He could not believe his ears. "But. . ."  
  
"Can you guarantee that the next time something happen again, no one will get hurt? No one will die? If Sorceress Rinoa cannot control her powers, she is a danger to everyone." Squall cut Zell off coldly and with an almost detached mood, proceeded to prepare his weapon for combat. Everyone stared at him with disbelief. He was so cold, so uncaring yet his words rang with the truth. Caught in between friendship and work, somehow the 5 of them were forced to turn against the own friend. Selphie slumped down onto the floor while Irvine kneeled beside her, trying to comfort both her and his own self. Zell just stood beside the window, trying to come to grip with reality.  
  
Quistis fingered the ring again and looked at the rest of them before her eyes rested at Squall. She could not believe her own ears and yet a part of her felt relief. Maybe he had truly gotten over Rinoa. Mentally, she kicked that selfish part of her. How could she think that way when it is HER friend Rinoa they are going against now? They cannot possible do it, can they? Troubled, she looked out at the island and shook her head sadly.  
  
==  
  
Chapter 11  
  
She felt the Ragnarok before she saw it. Rinoa waited for it to come closer before she stopped her work and stood up. Ragnarok came to a stop and hovered beside the island, its red metal reflecting the sun's sharp rays. Rinoa squinted while frowning. "The Ragnarok is here, does it mean they are going to bring me back? . . .Or to execute me?" Absently, she patted Angelo's head. She had nothing to fear; she was the sorceress after all.  
  
"Sorceress Rinoa, this is Ragnarok, representing the leaders of the all the nations. We would like to know who sank the island and created the tsunami." The pilot's voice which was broadcasted through a loudspeaker was barely audible above the noisy humming of the engine.  
  
"I did." Rinoa confessed, using her power to project her voice above the noisy din. The two pilots inside the Ragnarok nearly jumped out of their own skin; her voice was so clear that it was almost as if she was standing right behind them. Fumbling around, the head pilot continued with his message. Thankfully, his voice and tone was as normal as ever.  
  
"You are thereby charged with causing damage to the properties of Dollet, Esthar and other nations, and also for threatening the lives of innocent folks. Under the Esthar law, dangerous sorceresses have to be brought back to the Memorial to have their powers sealed. Sorceress Rinoa any resistance will be futile, so please co-operate with us." At the last sentence, the head pilot cringed with embarrassment. "Any resistance would be futile? With one sweep on her hand, we'll most probably land in the ocean floor." He thought nervously.  
  
Rinoa turned her body around so that she was no longer facing the space ship. Staring out into the ocean, Rinoa remembered the day she made the decision to live a normal life. A year ago seemed like an eternity now. Perhaps, she does not really know the limits of her own power. Maybe she should be inside the Memorial, her powers sealed up. Maybe the world will certainly be a safer place then. She did not give them a reply, there was no need to. "Any resistance will be futile." Rinoa thought with a trace of amusement.  
  
She heard the sound of Ragnarok's main hatch open and the faint clang of a ladder being extended downwards. Rinoa was not surprise, escorting a Sorceress is a dangerous mission, "especially a deranged sorceress." Smiling wryly, she wondered how many soldiers were brought all the way here. Turning around, Rinoa prepared herself to face as many as 20 soldiers. But she saw Squall, his blue eyes piercing her own brown ones.  
  
Her breath stuck at the back of her throat, Rinoa could only stare in disbelief at Squall. Tearing her eyes away from him, she took a look at the others: Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Quistis. They are all here. How she missed them. Almost smiling, remembered the fun times they all shared together until a shining object that hung around Quistis neck winked at her. Frowning, Rinoa tried to see what was that before she realized that it was Griever, the ring Squall once gave her. Immediately, memories of what had happened the night before came rushing back to her. Rinoa closed her eyes for a moment, her mind not registering Squall's words. Angelo seemed to have sensed that something was not right. Kneeling in front of Rinoa, she took a defensive posture, ready to attack Squall and the rest.  
  
"Sorceress Rinoa, we are here to escort you back to Esthar. Any resistance shall be futile." Squall echoed the pilot's words blindly. The shock of seeing her was playing havoc on his mind. She looked more haggard, thinner and tired, very tired. Frowning, Squall got gripped on himself and unsheathe his Lionheart. He was a SeeD, he must accomplish his mission. He was a SeeD, not a Knight.  
  
Right behind him, Irvine frowned at Squall's actions was ready to do what Selphie had always wanted to: whack Squall up. He saw her eyes, her brown eyes light up with a faint trace of happiness before it died away as soon as she saw the ring around Quistis's neck. "It was almost as if her soul had died." Irvine shivered at that thought. Selphie and Zell did not notice that, they only stood beside Quistis in silence. The three of them looked uncomfortable and extremely unwilling to do this mission, their weapons hanging limpy at their sides. Squall was the only one who was ready for combat. That really tempted Irvine to take Exeter and gives Squall a solid twack on his thick-skulled head. Of course Squall chose not to acknowledge the undercurrents running around. He was too busy playing the good SeeD, Irvine was furious.  
  
Rinoa did not respond at all to Squall's words at all. With her eyes closed still as if in deep thought, she turned around to face the ocean instead. All her tears had dried up leaving behind a blessed numbness. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. She felt so tired, so weary. Mentally, Rinoa reviewed the past year and realized that she had been living in a state of denial. All her purpose of leading a normal life and getting over Squall was a sham, a pack of lies. She had started lying to herself since the moment she returned Griever to Squall. She was both the liar and foolish believer.  
  
Smiling bitterly, Rinoa felt like lying down and going to sleep. Hyne, how much she wanted to take rest, to run away from the cruel reality. She had tried to be strong, she had but in reality she was a weakling. "A weak and dangerous Sorceress." She narrowed her eyes at that thought. She was a fugitive running away from her own self and it had led her to a dead end. What now? Rinoa thought. Spend the next few years in another state of denial, in a world where sorceress were never forgiven for their past mistakes, in a world where Squall was not there? Rinoa felt numb, she had no answers. For the thousandth time, Rinoa wished that there was someone she can lean onto like her mother. . .Rinoa remembered the time when her mother will lull her to sleep by humming her favorite song 'Eyes on Me'. Rinoa could no longer remember what her mother looked like, but she still remembered her mother's voice, soft and sweet.  
  
Closing her eyes once more, Rinoa started humming that same tune and was lost in a world where she was a child once more, a carefree child with no trouble or worries plaguing her. At the same time, wings started sprouting from her back, at first folded before it burst open in its full glory. Rinoa smiled, she like wings especially angel wings. Almost tenderly, she cast Slow on Squall, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis and even Angelo. Gently, her wings started flapping causing hundreds of loose feathers to float downwards while she started rising higher and higher.  
  
All the while Rinoa continued to hum peacefully; nothing could harm, hurt or distract her now. Not now. No more. The pilots of Ragnarok were obviously alarmed. Immediately, they started shooting large metallic bullets. With little effort, Rinoa cast a barrier around her, causing the bullets to crash into the barrier before falling down onto the ground pathetically. All the while she was still humming, lost in a world of vivid colours and no nightmares to haunt her.  
  
Rinoa could almost hear her mother's crystal clear voice singing.  
  
"So let me come to you  
  
Close as I want to be  
  
Close enough for me  
  
To feel your heart beating fast. . ."  
  
Smiling, Rinoa opened her eyes only to see the blue, blue sea. Then she started to dive downward, to rush into an embrace with the cerulean ocean. Yes, she was ready. . .  
  
==  
  
p.s: sorry to leave ya all in with a cliffhanger, until I hammered out the next chapter's details in my mind, I can't put in anymore stuff.. Hehehe just hang on and I'll be back again. ;p 


	7. conflict

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Squall and co. pls R&R and thanks to all those who had been following this fic. Tah dah, enjoy! ;p  
  
Chapter 12  
  
They were trapped in a dimension where time crawled and all actions ceased. Staring with awe, Squall watched her wings unfold and the white feathers float around her. Her wings had grown bigger; spanning at least a long 6 foot each; it was impressive. Together with the rest, Squall watched in a daze like state as Rinoa continued to float higher and higher until all of them had to arch their neck to see her. It was such a beautiful moment even though they could only see her back. Everyone was deathly quiet, even Angelo. Nothing could ruin this beautiful moment. . . until Ragnarok started shooting at Rinoa. Strangely all of them knew that no harm will come to her; she was strong.  
  
Squall watched as Rinoa continued to ascend until she was almost hovering almost 15 foot off the ground. Still in a daze, they watched her dive down wards like a graceful swan. But as soon as Rinoa hit the water, the spell abruptly shattered and Squall heard himself screaming her name in the empty silenced that took over.  
  
"Rinoa!!!" Throwing his gunblade down onto the ground, Squall ran to the edge of the island and jumped into the water. Squall had only one thing in his mind: Rinoa.She must not die. Frantically, he dived in and out of the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of something in blue. Once or twice, he thought he had found her only to realize that he had found a few more rotting corpses.  
  
Following close behind, Selphie also threw her nunchaku down on the ground and dived into the water together with Zell. Quistis managed to snap out of her shock and knelt by the edge of the island, her eyes wild with panic and worry. Half dazed, Quistis patted Angelo who was going mad, whining and barking at the water. Right beside Quistis, Irvine was cursing at his own inability to swim and peering in to the water, hoping to see one of the swimmers swimming up to the surface with Rinoa.  
  
Selphie was the first one to find Rinoa. Half dragging her and half drowning, Selphie almost did not make it to the surface. Bursting out of the water, she gasped for air and made a desperate wave at Zell who was nearer to her. Zell immediately swam towards Selphie as fast as he could. "Hang on Selph!" He spluttered out the words in between gulps of sea water. Behind him, Zell could make out Irvine voice shouting something that sounded like,"We found her Squall!" and Quistis's, "Over here!" Taking Rinoa from Selphie's arms, Zell swam as fast as he could towards the small island with Selphie following behind him. As soon as he reached the side, Quistis and Irvine dragged Rinoa up. With the last bit of his strength, Zell pulled himself and Selphie up and then the two of them collapsed on the ground, panting and soaked to the bone.  
  
Squall who had pulled himself out of the water a few seconds ago was already beside Rinoa, placing his palm on her abdomen and pushing all the water out her stomach. But there was no response from her. Worriedly, Angelo nudged Rinoa's face repeatedly using her nose while whining softly. Quistis was holding Rinoa's wrist, feeling for her pulse which was there but faint. "Squall, she's not responding, her pulse is weak" Quistis looked frantically at Squall who was now doing the standard CPR on Rinoa but she was still not responding. Irvine stood aside not wishing to be a hindrance and feeling like one.  
  
"We've got to bring her back to the Garden NOW." Squall tone conveyed the urgency of it, Carrying Rinoa at his back, he started towards the Ragnarok, pausing only to pick up his LionHeart on the way. Behind him, the rest trudged along with Quistis supporting Zell and Irvine supporting Selphie. The two divers were tired and most probably need to sleep and have a change of clothes, Quistis noted. But the other half of her mind noticed how strangely protective Squall was of Rinoa. "Even until now, he still cares so much for her." She observed with a pang of sorrow. At that moment, a vision of a bird flying away crossed her mind. "What a fitting analogy" Quistis thought ironically.  
  
==  
  
In the Ragnarok, Selphie went straight up to the pilots' seat and knock them cold before asserting the controls. Grimly, she set a straight course for Balamb Garden at the fastest speed possible. In less than a second, Ragnarok dropped its entire disguise as airplane and became what it was in the beginning, a formidable spaceship. Beside her, Irvine helped to tie the pilots up and radioing the Garden asking them to land near Balamb, saying that it was an emergency. Below at the cabin was Zell sitting beside Rinoa looking after her. Everyone was doing something except for Quistis and Squall.  
  
Squall had disappeared to some other part of the Ragnarok and Zell guessed that he was most probably brooding about the recent turn of events. Most probably Quistis too was off somewhere thinking about a LOT of things. Sigh, Zell wondered how someone as capable and awe-inspiring as Squall could be so darn slow in the emotional department. He wondered what would happened if Selphie had not found Rinoa first. "Would Squall live in regret for the rest of his life, knowing that he still loved her? Darn it, he was so close to losing Rinoa!" Shuddering at that horrible thought, Zell remembered Amy and at that moment he missed her so much. Vowing to himself, Zell promised that the next time she comes back from Esthar, he's going to tell the whole world about the relationship and bring her home for Ma to inspect. He was NOT going to be the next Squall. Never.  
  
==  
  
Squall lay down on one of the benches scattered around the storage room in the Ragnarok. He felt at home with the numerous amounts of weapons and ammunitions here. It was something familiar to him, as compared to matters of the heart. Frowning, he tried to unknot the emotions and thoughts lurking in his mind. Squall was never very good at dealing with the more personal stuff of life and right now, he was experiencing a gigantic headache.  
  
Again and again, his mind replayed the moment when Rinoa's body hit the water and always at that thought, he felt fear coursing through his mind. Fear that she will die. Can he honestly say that he did not love Rinoa? That would be a lie. Can he honestly say that Rinoa had become part of his past and memory? That would be another lie. Can he say that Quistis will make him happier than Rinoa? "Another lie." Squall thought grimly.  
  
Squall stared at the gray metal ceiling of the room, his mind remembering only Rinoa and seeing only her. But could it be that he was never a person who let go of the past easily? Is that the reason why he still thinks that he love Rinoa? Could it be? No, that would be lie. He was getting too good at lying, Squall decided. But could he make Rinoa happy again? Does she still love him? Why did she want to commit suicide? And. . . could he bear to give up all he had to be with Rinoa? Squall had no answers to all that, his head was pounding too much.  
  
==  
  
Quistis stood in the middle of the hallway, looking out of the glass paneled sides at the blue sky and white clouds. "The Ragnarok must be flying at full speed." She thought absently. Fingering Griever, she wondered why the ring was always so cold to touch. Its searing iciness burned her fingers. "Just like Squall, but he burned. . .my heart" The very moment he had dived into the water, she had lost all hope. But then strictly speaking, she was never in the competition at all. Rinoa had always won this race whether she was or was not present. Squall loved her when she was there, and he still loved her even when she was not. The kiss last night he gave her was proof of that. His kiss was polite and emotionless. She was merely a tool to help him get over the past.  
  
Eyes shining brightly with unshed tears, Quistis frowned at that thought when she heard a sound behind him. Her heart quickening, Quistis hoped that it's Squall coming to tell her that she was the one, the only one for him. Turning around, Quistis saw Irvine instead with his cowboy hat that clashed horribly with his SeeD uniform. Quistis tried to smile but she could not.  
  
"Quisty. . ." Irvine began, his face mirroring his concern for her. Within their little group, Quistis was closest to Irvine. He was very much like Seifer, Squall and to a certain extent her own self. They were all lone wolfs, who tried to deal with life the best way they could. Seifer hid it behind a mask of arrogance and pride, while Squall mask was a mask of ice. Irvine had a different tactic; he hid his own true self from the prying eyes of the others by acting like a flirt. It had fooled a lot of people, but not Quistis.  
  
"Irvine, do you think he loves me?" Quistis asked pleadingly, she wanted to hear an answer that will comfort her, but Irvine never coddled anyone.  
  
Truthfully, Irvine shook his head.  
  
"Not even a bit?" Quistis whispered as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass. Her heart was breaking but bravely, she held back her tears.  
  
Looking at Quistis, Irvine felt his heart ache for her. It was never easy to see your friend falling into the ageless trap of love and suffer emotionally. Bridging the gap between them with quick step, Irvine embraced Quistis in a hug full of warmth.  
  
"Quistis, Squall loved Rinoa. You have to accept it." Irvine told her forcefully; it's the only way she could get over this hurdle.  
  
"But I could make him forget her. I could Irvine!" Quistis fired back desperately. Yes she could, couldn't she?  
  
"Quistis, stop lying to yourself, it will make the wound hurt even more." Irvine took her by the shoulders and shook her gently.  
  
"But Irvine. . ." Quistis wanted say more, but in the end she collapsed into Irvine's embrace, still holding back her tears. Wordlessly, Irvine hugged her tightly wanting to comfort her as much as he could. Hyne, he wished Nida was here; he would do a better job of comforting Quistis.  
  
After a moment, Quistis finally found her voice back again. "Irvine, I would like to be alone for a while, please?" she asked, her voice barely audible.  
  
Smiling softly, Irvine nodded and gave her a brotherly kiss on her forehead. "Stay strong Quisty." He whispered before exiting the room. Quistis remained standing at where she was, still staring out at the sky.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Seifer swore that he will die if could not get his daily dose of 6 hours of sleep. After the dust and all the bloody commotion had died down, he and Fujin were on their way back to their suite. "Raijin was most probably snoring in his bed already." Seifer thought resentfully. Then, IT happened. Fujin's pale complexion turned green, and she started looking for a place to throw out whatever she had eaten for breakfast. The path to motherhood was not easy, Seifer decided. Quick as lightning, he whipped out a paper bag from the folds of his trench coat and passed it to her. Right in the middle of the Esthar Garden, the Commander's wife emptied her stomach. Seifer was so glad he brought his paper bag out; he had learnt well from his past lessons. Patting Fujin's back soothingly, Seifer wished that he could do something about her morning sickness. The first time that had happened, he was frantic with worry and sent her to the Garden doctor immediately, and when the doctor told him that it was normal and some expecting mothers do get them, Seifer was ready to hammer the doctor into the ground using his Hyperion.  
  
"Better?" Seifer asked sympathetically as he passed Fujin his handkerchief to wipe her mouth.  
  
Smiling weakly, Fujin nodded her head and accepted his handkerchief gratefully. Sighing, Seifer threw away the paper bag into one of the rubbish bins before giving Fujin a hug.  
  
"TIRED. SLEEP." Fujin managed to say out those two words after a few moments. As one golden eyebrow arch upwards, Seifer grinned evilly. "Are you sure Fuu? I was thinking of doing something else other than sleeping, you know?" he whispered in her ear and watched with pleasure when her cheeks flushed slightly. Damn, wasn't he a charming angel?  
  
Possessing a devil-may-care attitude, Seifer lifted his wife off the ground and started walking with big strides to his suite in front of other people. Whistling a happy jig, he could not be bothered with the others' shocked and bemused expression. Fujin apparently did care.  
  
"DOWN. NOW. TYRANT." She argued loudly.  
  
"Me, tyrant? Now, let's not be so mean Fuu, least you get it later." Seifer teased her mercilessly. "Well, Seifer, Seifer, you never change do you? Always a rascal at heart." Seifer smiled at that thought. True, he had come a long way from the misguided boy; time had changed him into a man who was more restrained and less impulsive but all these changes was partly due to Fujin. He was saved from insanity by her more than once. She was the solid pillar in his life, she and Raijin. Thank Hyne for his friend and wife.  
  
Still grinning, Seifer finally reached their suite door. But someone was there waiting for him a SeeD cadet with an urgent message at hand. Grimacing, Seifer reluctantly put Fujin down and approached the cadet.  
  
"Sir, there was an order to get Sorceress Rinoa back from the Island Closest to Hell at roughly an hour ago. Apparently, she was the one responsible for last night and Esthar had ordered her capture with backings from the other nations. But now, she is about to brought back to Balamb Garden instead. President Laguna wanted you to bring back Sorceress Rinoa to the Memorial in 3 days time." The cadet gush everything out so fast that it took Seifer a while to register it. The fact that Rinoa was the one who made the tsunami happened did not shocked him, she was a strong sorceress. However, he was really confused why Rinoa would be in Balamb Garden, when a stinking suspicion occurred at the back of his mind.  
  
"COMMANDER SQUALL. SENT. CORRECT?" Fujin asked before Seifer could open his mouth.  
  
"Yes Instructor Fujin." The cadet confirmed Seifer's suspicion. Seifer was right now openly frowning and making the cadet really nervous. Truth to be told, most of the cadets were afraid of their Commander, all the horror stories they heard about him in the second sorceress war were not helping Seifer's image at all.  
  
"Is Rinoa injured?" Seifer asked in a rather menacing tone. Backing a step away, the cadet nodded her head nervously. "Bloody hell!!" Seifer growled before he started snapping out orders.  
  
"Get the Ragnarok II from Laguna and be ready in half an hour's time. Inform Raijin that he will be in charge of the Garden for this time. Put me on to President Laguna in 10 minutes. And I want Dr Odine's research data on the sorceresses faxed to me now!" Barging into his room, Seifer started packing as fast as he could together with Fujin.  
  
"Fuu, come with me please?" he asked after a moment of silent and furious packing. Fujin remained still for a while before nodding her head. Going back to Balamb Garden would mean so much to Seifer and he will need some support emotionally. That place had too many memories for Seifer, and Fujin was determined that he should not face them alone.  
  
==  
  
p.s: how was it?? How was it?? This little girl here would love to hear your response!! hehehe 


	8. Confusion and clarity

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Squall and co. and never will. Enjoy!  
  
Squall stepped out of the Ragnarok, far behind Zell who was hurrying to the Garden as fast he could while carrying Rinoa. Right beside Zell was Selphie who was equally if not more anxious than Zell. Already there were SeeDs approaching the Ragnarok, asking a hundred and one questions. But Squall saw no sign of Quistis anywhere. "Where could she be?" He wondered in an abstract fashion. Behind him, Irvine was busy untying the two pilots and delivering them into the care of the SeeD cadets. They were deeply offended to say the least.  
  
Walking slowly towards the Garden, Squall felt his fingers freezing again. Strange how his fingers never stayed warm, even underneath his leather gloves, it was always so icy cold. "Whatever. . ." he brushed away his discomfort. Shifting his LionHeart a bit more so that it rested comfortably on his hip, he started walking woodenly towards the Garden, which was parked outside Balamb. A few moments later, Squall heard soft footsteps behind him. Without turning around, Squall knew that it was Quistis.  
  
"Squall, catch." Quistis whispered as she threw Griever into the air in his direction. Turning around, Squall caught the ring in one single fluid move. His eyes were flat. Barely flicking a glance at the ring in his palm, Squall looked at Quistis, his eyes boring holes into her. Quistis smiled sadly; she had finally realized the truth: she can never make him smile.  
  
"Squall, the question you asked me last night. . .it was never meant for me." Quistis choked out that sentence before she broke into a run towards the Garden. Quistis ran past him, her long golden locks flying behind her, eyes shining with unshed tears but Squall's eyes were emotionless. He just stood there watching her disappear through the Garden gates before resuming his journey. Strange, he felt nothing more than a pang of guilt. Guilt for making her goes through all this. Shaking his head briefly, Squall continued walking again. He felt.. . numb, comfortingly numb.  
  
From behind, he felt Irvine catching up with him, but he stoically ignored Irvine's presence. Without much difficulty, Irvine was soon walking side by side with Squall in silence until Irvine decided to break it.  
  
"Quisty is strong, Squall. Don'tcha worry about her." Irvine reassured Squall, glancing at his stone set features and dead grayish-blue eyes. Comfortingly, Irvine placed a hand on Squall's stiff shoulder.  
  
Without missing a single pace, Squall brushed Irvine's hand away and said, "Whatever." Irvine just watched Squall's back for a while before letting out a sigh and resuming his own pace. From afar, they saw Nida running towards them but both of them ignored Nida's presence until he screeched to a brake right in front of them.  
  
"Commander Leonhart, Headmistress Xu demands to know what is going on here! She wants someone up in her office now!" Nida ordered in between gulps of fresh air. Frowning, Squall felt reluctant to go to Xu's office. Hell, he did not even know what he wanted to do now, or what he wanted to believe in. Neither had he any idea on what he should feel now.  
  
As if sensing his dilemma, Irvine offered to go instead and ran towards the Garden leaving Nida and Squall alone. Clearing his throat delicately, Nida finally asked the one question that he was dying to say out. "Squall, where's Quistis?"  
  
Coldly, Squall showed him the ring in his icy palm. Seeing it, Nida realized the meaning of the gesture and without missing a beat, he also started running towards the Garden, or more precisely, towards the Instructor's Dormitories.  
  
==  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Quistis ran all the way to her room, ignoring everybody who was staring openly at her plight. It had seemed as if she had to run though several extra hallways before she could reach the sanctuary of her own room. Quistis held back her tears as tightly as she could, but it was threatening to fall. Finally, she reached her own room, rushed into it and locked the door. Leaning against the metal door, Quistis finally let her guard down and tears started streaming down her cheeks. Sliding down to the floor, Quistis brought her legs up and tucked her knees under her chin. Sobbing Quistis cried. It had been a long time since the last time she had cried and she had forgotten how good it feels to do so. Sobbing harshly, Quistis let out all her pain in the form tears. She did not know how long she sat there and cry, all she knew was that she had cried. She cried for a love that was never meant for her, cried for a love that she had wished to be hers, cried for all that could never be. Quistis cried.  
  
As her tears started to slow down, she felt a weight leaning against the door from the other side. Someone was also sitting down on the floor and somehow, that pressure she felt from her side of her door was very comforting. She was not alone.  
  
"Quistis. . .are you all right?" She heard Nida's voice from the other side; so it was he. Quistis smiled weakly.  
  
"I'm fine." She tried to sound strong but her voice came out hoarse and rough. Immediately, she started bursting out into tears once more. Hearing her crying made Nida's heart ache. Hyne, how he wanted to bring Quistis into his arms and comfort her. Shaking his head, Nida forced himself to own up to reality: she does not love him.  
  
"No, I was not fine. Who am I lying to?" Quistis thought sadly, one half of her own mind laughing at her pathetic behaviour. Half laughing, half sobbing, Quistis asked Nida a familiar question, "Nida, am I alone again? Just when I thought. . ."  
  
"No! Quistis, you are never alone." Nida's voice was firm and steely; hearing that made Quistis felt comforted. "You will never be alone; you still have your friends. Irvine, Zell, Selphie and . . .me. . . .I will always be here for you. Always." Nida promised, his voice getting softer towards the end, but despite the decreasing volume, Quistis thought that she heard another deeper emotion beneath those words. "Could it be?" Quistis mind raced with that thought.  
  
Frantically, she got up and scrabbled at the door lock. But when Quistis had finally opened the door, Nida had already left; there was only a white handkerchief on the floor, folded neatly and trimmed at the edges with blue threads. Trembling, Quistis picked it the handkerchief and held it in the palm of her hand.  
  
==  
  
"Squall, I'm afraid she's dying. Rinoa is all right, but she has no will to live. . . She is forcing her own body to stop functioning. She is dying." Dr. Kadowaki's words had imprinted itself in his mind, replaying over and over again like a broken recorder. Leaning against the door, Squall saw Rinoa lying so still on the bed. All around her were those long nasty tubes invading her body, giving her the nourishment she need and bringing away the toxic wastes her body was producing. She looked so tiny, so vulnerable in that ugly hospital gown. Squall remembered how much she hated wearing those gowns.  
  
Without realizing what he was doing, Squall had started walking out of the infirmary and towards his room. Outside the infirmary, Angelo watched him pass by without a shred of interest. Selphie saw him leave the Infirmary and had wanted to bring him back, but Zell stopped her. Watching his back, Selphie cried and wished that Irvine was with her right now. Breaking down, Selphie hugged Zell who was also close to tears. All the while Squall kept on walking in a daze further and further away from the Infirmary.  
  
When he reached his room, Squall dropped his LionHeart onto the floor carelessly. Kneeling beside his bed, he started dragging out a metal box from underneath his bed. Inside it were Rinoa's favourite possessions. He had kept her stuff inside it when she left, but he had never opened it at all; it was too painful.  
  
Flipping back the cover, Squall took note of the female SeeD uniform inside, the pajamas with bears printed all over it, the teddy bear and even her toothbrush. After Ultimecia's defeat and their return to the Garden, Rinoa slept in the company of nightmares. Almost every night, she would creep out of her bed and together with Angelo travel to his room. Shivering in fright, she would crawl into his bed and into his hug until all her fears melted away. Together, they will sleep side by side almost every night with Angelo lying on the floor beside his bed. At first, Squall was not used to someone sharing his bed space but over time, her presence comforted him and they will fall asleep in each other's embrace. They had to be careful though for the Garden had strict rules about room-hopping and being caught will mean some nasty punishment. But, after some time, it became a second habit to be near one and another until the day when Rinoa became a SeeD and time became a cruel master.  
  
Squall remembered that Rinoa always sleep on her side always and after some time, even Squall started sleeping in that position. There were so many memories in this room. Smiling softly, Squall remembered the times he had to wake Rinoa up early. It was a hard mission since Rinoa loves to sleep.  
  
"Rinoa, get up. It's 7 o'clock already." The alarm had rung twice and Squall had shut it off, feeling half awake. As always, he had to climb past Rinoa's sleeping form to reach the toilet since he sleeps in the inside and Rinoa sleep at the outside of the bed. By the time Squall was ready, Rinoa was still asleep. No amount of cajoling could wake up her up until Squall reminded her that if she was late for training, she would have to run 5 extra rounds around the Garden. Threatening her was definitely more effective than setting 3 alarm clocks. But now. . . will she even respond to that?  
  
Brokenly, Squall took Rinoa's favourite set of pajamas in his hand and started heading back to the infirmary. Hesitantly he went up to Dr Kadowaki and handed her the pajamas. "Dr Kadowaki, could you help her change? She. . .Rinoa hates hospital gown." Squall's voice was detached and cold but even so his gesture touched Dr Kadowaki's heart. Numbly, she agreed and disappeared into Rinoa's ward.  
  
"Squall. . .Rinoa's going to be all right, right?" Selphie's tiny voice floated out from behind Squall.  
  
Turning around slowly, Squall just stared at Selphie before replying. His gaze was so cold, so distant. ". . .I don't know Selphie" the helplessness in those words touched Selphie's heart. Impulsively, Selphie went over and gave Squall a hug. To Selphie's greater surprise he accepted it humbly and did not push her away. They stood there like this for some time each grateful for the other's support. . .  
  
==  
  
The intercom rang again, this time another emergency had appeared. The herd of Ruby Dragon and Blue Dragons that flew away from the Island Closest to Hell had reappeared in the continent of Galbadia and was attacking Deling, tarbia, Dollet, Timber and Winhill. Galbadia Garden had asked for reinforcement to exterminate the monsters and Xu had no other choice to but to do so least the monsters attack Balamb next.  
  
Quistis, Zell, Selphie, Squall, Nida and Irvine stood neatly in front of Xu's desk in her office as Xu explained the nature of the mission. Finally exhausting all crucial details, Xu turned away from the large electronic board where all the details were displayed to look at the six of them.  
  
"Well, are there any questions? If not you are all to meet at the front gate in 1700 hours, in roughly 15 minutes time. I will. . ." Xu had not even finished her sentence when Squall cut in.  
  
"No." Everyone turned to look at him as if Squall had suddenly sprouted two feelers on top of his head. Squall? Refusing a mission? It was unheard of.  
  
"No." Squall repeated himself again, this time with more force. Immediately, Xu asked him why. "Squall, we need you. You are the strongest fighter around." She reasoned with him.  
  
Walking up to the big oak desk, Squall stared at Xu before answering her. "Xu, you don't need me. . . . I'm not the strongest fighter, I never was. Zell and Irvine are stronger. Quistis, Nida and Selphie are faster, more agile.. . . No one is indispensable, not even me Xu."  
  
Shocked Xu took a step back and watched dumbly like the rest of them in the room, as Squall walked out of her office without even looking back. As Squall crossed the room, he only knew one thing: Rinoa needs him more than Xu does.  
  
Sadly, Quistis watched his retreating back. How many times had it been that she saw only his back, not his face? "Too many times." Quistis felt amused. Lowering her head, she caught Nida's gaze and almost instinctively, she turned her eyes away. Inside her breast pocket, she could feel the white handkerchief. It was warm.  
  
  
  
  
  
p.s: yes, yes people, I'll try and wake Rinoa up soon.. Hang on ok?? So how do you all like it so far?? 


	9. Revelation

Standard disclaimer: Me don't own Squall and co and will never. :p so enjoy this fic of mine and have a MERRY Christmas folks! I will be going on a vacation so I would not be updating this fic for a while. That's all!! See ya!!  
  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Squall sat beside the hospital bed, his mind heavy with thought. Reaching out a finger, he traced the outline of Rinoa's jaw, feeling her smooth porcelain skin. She was so beautiful in his eyes, no one could replace her. After sitting down at this very same chair for the whole day, Squall had finally come up with the answers to his questions. Yes, for Rinoa, he could give up everything: status, power, work, money or. . .life. It did not matter whether Rinoa lives or not: he will be with her always.  
  
Squall smiled sadly, he was such a fool. Not realizing her value until Rinoa was almost gone. He loved her and he would never want to let her go now that he had found her back. "If she dies, I won't live either." Squall vowed. Already, his gunblade were leaning right next against the wall, the blade sharpened and ready for him. Squall called out her name softly, while his mind remembered the times they shared. How they read together side by side in the library, she and her novels, him and his military journals. The times they eat together in the Cafeteria, the times they trained together side by side, and even their arguments.  
  
From the start, Squall and Rinoa had trouble working together, Rinoa being more impulsive and Squall being more cautious. Naturally there were frictions and after some time, Xu refused to put the both of them in the same team. This friction spawned quite a few arguments which were resolved as best as possible. It was through each other that the both of them learned how to compromise, to be more sensitive to each other's feelings, to be more responsible and to respect each other's privacy. A relationship definitely helped them to become better adults.  
  
One thing Squall loved about Rinoa was that she never pressurized him to open up. She might be less patient when it comes to a lot of other things, but when it comes to him Squall had to give her credit. She knew when to push her advantage and when to prod him for answers. There were times when she was so silent, just keeping him company when he was thinking and there were times when she would ask him questions that made him expressed his feelings bit by bit. Squall smiled again; Rinoa definitely had a knack with people.  
  
"Rinoa, come back to me." Squall whispered softly. Closing his eyes, Squall pictured the image of Rinoa laughing and teasing him. It brought such warmth to his cold heart. When all of a sudden, he felt someone grabbing him by the collar and before Squall knew it, he was slammed against the wall with great force that it made him gasp in shock and pain.  
  
"You bastard!!" Someone snarled in his ear. Opening his eyes, Squall saw Seifer's green eyes stormy with rage. Behind him was Fujin who was sitting down on one side of the bed, looking calm and not worried at all, but then Fujin was as expressive as a block of ice.  
  
"Seifer." Squall spat out that name.  
  
"Damn you! It was never enough to break her heart is it?? You have to smash her spirit wasn't it, Commander Squall?" Seifer's breath felt hot against his face. Squall saw the fury behind the words, felt the anger hidden as a sneer. His words stung. Did he truly crush Rinoa's spirit? Squall felt guilt at the back of his throat, sour and acidic. Turning his head away so that Squall would not longer stare at those accusing emerald eyes, he resolutely ignored Seifer, but Seifer was never the one to be ignored.  
  
"Damn it Squall, say something!" Seifer growled in exasperation.  
  
Squall shrugged. "What do you want me to say Seifer? I have nothing to lose. . . . " The flatness in his eyes spoke volumes to Seifer. Grunting, he released his grasp from Squall's collar and turned around to face Fujin who handed Seifer a large, thick envelope.  
  
Taking it from Fujin, Seifer slapped it roughly on Squall's chest, giving it him. "If you truly love her, then read every single paper inside and do what you think. If not, Rinoa goes to Esthar in three days time. Forever." Then without a word, Seifer turned and left the ward, pausing only to look at Rinoa for a few seconds.  
  
Fujin got up slowly and was also walking out of the room when she suddenly stopped. Turning around slightly so that Squall could hear her, she dropped a few pearls of wisdom. "Sometimes, actions are louder than words."  
  
This was the first time Squall heard her talk in a normal tone. Her voice was husky and deep, like the wind that she was named after. Staring numbly at her retreating back, Squall then turned his head to stare at the envelope, wondering what secret lay within it.  
  
==  
  
Nida stood in the Quad, awaiting orders to move out. In front of him, Quistis was inspecting the 12 cadets that will be following them to the Galbadia continent. Zell was pacing agitatedly around the exit for some unknown reasons while Irvine was comforting Selphie. Everyone knew that Rinoa was dying and they were reluctant to leave the Garden, but duty comes first. They had no choice; there were too many innocent lives at stake.  
  
Just then, a group of another 12 more cadets wearing a different uniform of black marched into the Quad. Everyone paused to look at the newcomers who were composed and looked supremely confident of themselves. Following right behind, Zell saw a familiar figure in a gray trench coat wielding a gunblade. "Seifer?" Zell narrowed his eyes.  
  
As if hearing Zell, Seifer turned his head and flashed a charming smile at the whole group. Quistis scowled, while Irvine managed not to. Seifer had left too many scars in them; it was no wonder that they were still suspicious of him. Right behind him as usual was Fujin, the 'posse'. Selphie wondered where Raijin was. Few of them knew of the marriage between Seifer and Fujin though they all knew that Seifer was in command of Esthar Garden due to his 'martial prowess' and, as Laguna had claimed, Seifer's problem solving knack.  
  
Under Seifer's strict eye, the Esthar cadets all filed up into neat little rows and saluted to him and Fujin. Seifer gave a curt nod of approval before he launched into another of his motivational speech.  
  
"Cadets of Esthar Garden, today is the day that you will prove yourselves. I do not expect anyone to be heroes neither do I want any bloody cowards. Heroes don't mean you stick your neck out all the time; heroes mean doing the most logical things at that moment. Your life and the others are in your own hands. Everything is up to you and only you. I expect the best and only the best. Bring only honour, pride and glory to our Garden. Is that clear?" Seifer hollered out his speech, the muscles in his neck tight and tense. Pacing up and down in front of the cadets, Seifer exude an air of confidence and fearlessness. He was truly inspiring. Behind him, Fujin smiled; she loved to see her husband in action, who ever knew he had the gift of the gab?  
  
Immediately, the twelve cadets made up of both men and women roared out their answer. "Yes Sir!" The whole quad was positively vibrating from the sound; Nida could feel the vibration through his boots.  
  
"Fujin will be with you all, but remember, rely only on yourself and your friends. Clear?" Seifer waited for the cadets to quiet down before continuing his speech. Still pacing up and down, he finally reached the end of his speech. "And one last thing. . .kick those bony dragon ass!" Seifer stopped pacing as he gave out a battle cry, waving his Hyperion in the air. Instantly, the cadets were following Seifer; an assortment of weapons was seen gleaming in the late afternoon sun accompanied by cheers. Seifer smiled at them before giving them a formal salute.  
  
Turning around Seifer gave Fujin a hug. Quistis and the rest were surprised to see such an affectionate public display but the cadets were not; everyone in the Esthar Garden knew how much their Commander love his wife. Kissing her pale cheeks, Seifer handed Fujin a stack of disposable paper bags. Fujin smiled before accepting it.  
  
"Take care, Fuu and. . .come back soon." Seifer whispered. Fujin nodded her head seriously; she was assigned this mission last minute and had wanted to go. Seifer had agreed only because he knew how stubborn Fujin can get when she get her mind set on something already. Kissing her on the cheeks, Seifer took a step back and gave her a formal salute which she returned. Then all too soon, she marched out with the twelve cadets to the main gates where transportation awaits.  
  
Seifer watched her leave and was about to leave the Quad when someone stopped him. Turning around, Seifer saw Irvine, the famous sniper.  
  
"Yo, you are here to take Rinoa back right? Look after Squall for all of us, will ya?" Irvine was trying to be as courteous as he could. Although he did not trust Seifer, his worry for Squall far exceeded his distrust. All 4 of them, Quistis, Zell, Selphie and himself fear that Squall will do something extreme like killing himself; they need somebody they know to look after Squall, and who the better than Seifer? It can be said that the whole gang was desperate.  
  
Giving them a mysterious smile, Seifer simply replied, "I will, I will" in a careless tone before leaving the Quad. Behind Irvine, Nida was giving last minute instructions to Balamb Garden cadets who saluted before marching out of the Quad. Together with them, Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Nida and Selphie followed behind in silence. They had too much burden placed on their shoulders. Instinctively, Quistis felt for the handkerchief in her pocket as if needing to reassure herself that it was still there.  
  
Zell who was lagging behind seemed unusually agitated. There was something bothering him, but nobody asked; they were all too tired, mentally and physically. Zell kept on glancing around, as if waiting for someone. Damn it! Amy was supposed to back; the SeeDs dispatched to the Esthar Garden had come back with Seifer's team. Where was she?  
  
Finally resigned, Zell walked behind the rest of the group, hoping that he will hear a sweet voice saying out his name. "Zell!" Was it a dream? Confused, Zell turned around to face the direction of the sound when he saw the girl of his dreams running towards him.  
  
Amy stopped right in front of Zell, half out of breath and half flustered. "Zell, I got some hotdogs for you from the Cafeteria. It's for your dinner." Everything gushed out in one single breath while Amy awkwardly handed Zell a small package. Feeling her cheeks starting to go red, Amy wished that she could find a place to hide right now. Ooh! Why does she have to be so clumsy? She can't even speak properly for Hyne's sake! Amy stared at Zell, waiting for his reaction.  
  
Zell could not find the words at first, he was so surprised. Taking the hotdogs from Amy's hand, Zell felt such strong emotion towards her. Hell, if they were alone now, he would have hugged her. She looks so beautiful with her cheeks tinted red and her ponytail coming loose. "Amy. . . thanks." Zell whispered softly and before his courage failed him, he pulled her into an embrace, holding her close. He did not want to lose her before he could tell her how much she meant to him. He did not want to be like Squall.  
  
"Zell, what's wrong?" Amy asked while feeling pleasantly surprised. Blushing, she hid her face in his front SeeD jacket.  
  
"Nothing, I just want to give you a hug, that's all." Zell replied before letting her close.  
  
Worried, Amy stared in his eyes for a moment, searching for the right words. "Zell. . . come back OK?" It was all she could came up with.  
  
Smiling at her, Zell said, "I will. And when I come back, I'm gonna bring you home to Ma. She has been waiting to see you. I told her all about you." Zell said it excitedly as he watched Amy blushed even more.  
  
"Will Ma Dincht like me?" Amy asked anxiously. Nodding his head happily, Zell was about to reassure her with words when Selphie called for him, asking him to hurry up. Zell hastily gave Amy a kiss on the forehead before sprinting towards the front gate with the bag of hotdogs in arm, and his heart as light as a feather. Zell could not stop grinning all the way as he pictured the way Amy had blushed.  
  
==  
  
Squall stared at the small dagger in his hand, reveling in its sharpness. Grimacing, he went straight to the bed and stared at Rinoa's sleeping form. Sitting beside her, Squall lifted Rinoa up into a sitting position while leaning against him. Squall then wrap his left arm around her shoulder before peeling off his gloves. His fingers were so cold. Squall was no longer wearing his uniform but his usual clothing of a white shirt with black pants; he had taken a hasty shower at the infirmary and changed quickly into his usual wear. All the while, his mind was busy processing and filtering the information he had absorbed while reading the thick sheath of paper Seifer had passed to him.  
  
Everything in that thick envelope was actually a research report by Dr Odine on sorceresses, their powers and the effects. Squall was shocked and troubled by the facts presented; he did not know the price of those powers were in blood. Squall smiled, his eyes sweeping the room, his mind taking note of Rinoa's neatly folded normal wear, her laptop and other belongings on the chair where he sat today. Seifer had taken a detour around the Island Closest to Hell as part of the investigation before coming to Balamb Garden, thus his late arrival. While there, he and Fujin had brought all of Rinoa's personal belongings back to the Balamb Garden and had sent someone to bring it to the Infirmary. Judging by how neatly she packed up her belongings, Squall smiled at how some old habits never broke. Rinoa was one of the messiest people he ever knew, but after some time in the Garden, she became obsessed with neatness, just like him. They certainly had influenced each other for good or for bad.  
  
Squall had learnt to be more stubborn from hr; it is a necessary skill especially when dealing with the leader of the Forest Owl. And right now, he wants to get her back and he will get her back. Dr Odine had mentioned in his paper that sorceresses do not share sexual or blood bonds with anyone especially their knights. Such bond will allow the power to connect to that person and leeched the person's life force, forcing the person to die young. Knights are slightly luckier; the bond will 'join' the knight and the sorceress together in a sense that they will die at the same time, together and instantly. As the sorceress and the knight had already shared the bond of companionship and trust, the sexual or/and blood bond will further enhanced it till the sorceress could tap into the knight's life force and thus prolong her own life. In a normal person case, the power will just sucked up the life making it even stronger but does not allow the sorceress to live longer. Dr Odine had also did a bit of extra research on Rinoa's powers alone and had concluded that due to the fact that she and Squall were emotionally involved, it might be possible that the powers could bridged any mental gap; in short, the powers could possibly lead Squall to Rinoa mentally wherever she might be, on earth or in her OWN mind.  
  
Squall had never had sexual relations with Rinoa; the strict military style he was brought up in knocked a lot of conservative values into his head. Thus, the only road left open to him was to establish a blood bond with her. He was intending to gamble with that possibility to enter Rinoa's mind and perhaps, find her back. All he wanted now was to be with her and he did not care whether he will die most probably at the age of 40. He rather die 20 years later with Rinoa than to live 50 empty years without Rinoa by his side, teaching him to love and appreciate life. Yes he was ready. . .  
  
Picking up the sharp knife, he made a vertical cut on his right palm. The knife was sharp and it cut his flesh like a knife slicing through hot butter. The wound was deep and it took a while before it began to bleed. Quickly, he took Rinoa right palm and made a deep cut; even in her coma, she did not even flinch from the pain. Taking a deep breath, he clasped his right hand with hers, feeling their blood intermingling.  
  
Squall did not know how to describe what happened next, all he could feel was that something was sucking away his consciousness, making him feel dizzy and weak. Slumping backward to lean against the metal bedframe, the last thing Squall remembered before he gave in to darkness was a burning need to find Rinoa back again.  
  
==  
  
p.s: pls r&r! tell me whatcha think?? I'm getting very excited with the direction this story is going in!! 


	10. Truth and Courage

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Squall and co. and will never be able to! So just enjoy this little fic of mine and R&R pls! :p sorry this installment was late because of the holidays and school…. Anyway here it is!!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
She was floating away to a place where pain does not exist, a place where she could rest in eternal slumber. Away, far away from the body that held her as a prisoner for too long, away from the powers that she had never wanted. It was almost as if she was back in space, floating among the stars but this time she did not feel the thirst for oxygen, or the want to live. Rinoa opened her eyes slowly and stared at the dot of light at the end of this dark tunnel. Strange how she could not even feel her own self in this 'tunnel', it was as if her limbs were all separated and numbed. Briefly, she felt herself smiling in this alien yet comforting environment. Soon, very soon. . .  
  
Suddenly, she felt a sensation in her right palm. Moving in a daze, Rinoa turned her head and stared at her own palm, watching in disbelief as blood started welling out of a deep wound. Where did the wound come from? She wondered. In a dazed fascination, she continued staring at the one drop of blood that started sliding down her own skin and fell deeper and deeper into the darkness. Rinoa stared at it, watching it fall when she realized that she was no longer in the dark tunnel. The black haziness melted away and had transformed into the same flower field where Squall had given his promise.  
  
The flower field was as beautiful as ever with the sun shining down brightly on the many different varieties of flowers. Standing at the edge of the field Rinoa lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the dazzling sun rays while her eyes scanned the entire flower field. . . and rested upon a figure standing right in the middle of the field. Looking at that familiar figure wearing a long sleeve white shirt and black leather pants, Rinoa felt a painful lump at the back of her throat and a sharp pricking in her eyes. Why was he here?  
  
That figure turned around and faced her. Across the field, brown eyes met with grayish-blue and suddenly, everything came to a standstill, even the breeze that was blowing gently across the field. There was a gap between the both of them, a gap that seemed so wide and unbridgeable. Rinoa stood still, afraid to take the first step and face its consequences. She simply stood there until Squall took the first step and then the next again and again until he was only a step away from her. All this while, he never broke the eye contact, his eyes remained steadfastly locked onto hers. Rinoa did not know how to respond to this, she wanted to laugh and cry, run away and stay; she was confused. Staring at Squall, she licked her dry lips, wanting to say something, anything, but she could not come up with even a single word.  
  
After a few minutes, the silence was finally broken.  
  
"Rinoa, come back to me please?" Squall's heart ached at the sight of her. Hyne, how much he wanted to hold her again in his arms, to hear her call out his name, even to hear her whine! But Squall forced himself to have a measure of control over himself least he appalled her and so he could only stare into those chocolate coloured eyes and lose himself in those sweet depths.  
  
Rinoa merely stared at him, his words having a hard time registering in her mind. 'Squall, what do you want of me?' She thought in her mind, while she looked deep into his eyes, searching for an answer. With a sob, Rinoa ran into his arms, hugging him tight, feeling his warmth and. . .love.  
  
Gratefully, Squall hugged her back and relished the feeling of Rinoa back in his arms. Hyne, the price was worth it; who cares whether about longevity? Not him, not if it can bring Rinoa back to him. Slowly disentangling himself from her, Squall pushed Rinoa away slightly so that he could look at her face. Smiling, Squall lifted a hand to caress her cheek, brushing away the tears that streaked down her face like shooting stars.  
  
Something was not right; Rinoa sensed it in her bones. Something was wrong though she could not say what. . .until she saw the blood on Squall's hand and felt the wet liquid on her cheeks. Looking at Squall through her powers, she saw a white-purplish mist around Squall, ensnaring him, leeching away his life force. Momentarily, she was so overwhelmed that no words could come out from her mouth.  
  
"Squall, why? You don't have to do this." Rinoa asked in harsh sobs. 'Why Squall? Why?' "I'm not worth it!" Rinoa cried. Weeping, she slid out of his embrace and took a few steps backward before collapsing onto the ground.  
  
Squall did not know how to reply and watched helplessly as she left his arms. Kneeling down beside her, Squall took her hands and kept quiet. How was he to say it? He did not know how to explain his own feelings. 'Damn it! Tell her! Tell her!' His mind shouted at him.  
  
"Because. . . you are my everything." It sounded so lame even to his own ears and Squall winced. How he wished he could have phrased it in a better way, more romantic perhaps but then he never knew how to please women anyway. Frustrated with himself, Squall could only stare at the ground bitterly. Damn! If only he was as glib as Irvine!  
  
Oh Squall! Rinoa thought while her heart was suddenly overwhelmed by her love for this warrior. Wordlessly, she raised a blood stained hand and caress his face gently. Squall felt her touch and veryquietly, he also lifted his hand to hold hers. Rinoa smiled, a sad smile. 'My lion, my knight.' Rinoa thought wistfully before melting into his embrace. From now on, there would be no more turning back, their fates were as intertwined as tightly as the many strands of threads in a tapestry.  
  
Squall returned her embrace with such tenderness that Rinoa nearly cried again. Very softly, he whispered in her ear, "My angel, my savior."  
  
==  
  
"What do you think is happening now Angelo?" Seifer whispered softly as he sat outside Rinoa's ward. Squall had been inside for a damn long period of a time and Seifer was, frankly, getting quite worried. He had speculated that Squall will go and get Rinoa back by one or another extreme means, but does it usually take so long? Cursing sorcery under his breath, Seifer stroked Angelo's head. The old girl herself was also getting quite restless and high strung. Damn! Something good better happen now!  
  
==  
  
Rinoa's eyes fluttered open and for a sharp moment she closed them once more. Was it all a dream? She wondered. No, the heartbeat that she heard and felt right now was too real. It was not a dream, not when she could feel Squall's body warmth. Yes, she was leaning on his chest, just like in the past. Wearily, Rinoa raised her right palm, expecting to see more blood. Instead, a white scar graced her skin. It had healed very quickly, all thanks to her power and Squall's life force. Just the mention of his name made her smile. "But, what about Quistis?" Rinoa thought with a pang of fear.  
  
"Awake?" A tender voice spoke into her ear. Rinoa smiled once more and leaned further back while nodding her head. Then before he could say more, Rinoa asked the one question that had been weighing on her mind.  
  
"Squall, are you bluffing me?" She was so afraid to know the answer, but she wanted the truth now. Rinoa needed some sort of confirmation; everything that had happened was too good to be true.  
  
"No. Why would I?" He answered back in that tender tone and Rinoa felt her heart grew lighter. "Then. . . what about Quistis?" Rinoa blurted out another question. She needed to know if Quistis would get hurt, she needed to know if Squall loved Quistis. "Do you love her?"  
  
Wordlessly, Squall took Griever out from his pocket and placed it on her palm. "Rinoa. . . she and I. . ."Squall paused for a moment to reorganize his thoughts, "she was never the one for me." Squall finished it off as best as he could; he always hated explaining emotional things especially when it had something to do with him, it's so bloody difficult!  
  
Hearing his detached tone, Rinoa smiled once more; he always used this tone whenever he had to explain his feelings. 'Squall, you never really changed much do you?' she wondered. But what are they to do now? Rinoa thought.  
  
"Squall, let's leave this place. . .I'll never be accepted here because. . ."Rinoa proposed the idea tentatively, scared that Squall will reject it. 'Will he? This means so much to me. Right now, there must be a lot of people who hates me. I cannot stay here.' Rinoa fingered the ring on her palm while her eyes narrowed in thought. Sometimes, she hated reality, it was usually so bleak and horribly stark.  
  
"No one wants a sorceress Squall. I have to leave. I have no choice." Rinoa explained, still afraid to meet his eyes, to know his answer.  
  
"Let's go." Squall decided. There was really no point in staying here any longer; he never really did like his work and leaving it behind did not seem like a painful thing to do. Rinoa turned around and stared at him with her eyes wide with surprise.  
  
"Let's leave here. . .together. I have enough Gil to last us for a few years. I can always find another job, another place to live. A real home. . .with you." Squall mind was already working far ahead, thinking about the possibilities of having a different job, a different life. Suddenly, the future looked wonderfully rosy and frightening. If he leaves this Garden, it would be like stepping into a different world, a world where he was no longer Squall Leonhart the man who had helped saved the world. He would be just a nobody, an ordinary person. Does he dare? Honestly, his stomach was turning queasy at the thought of facing this new and alien fear but looking into Rinoa's eyes, he found the courage.  
  
"Yes, let's leave here Rinoa." Decisively, he took her hand and held it. Rinoa narrowed her eyes in sadness.  
  
"Are you sure Squall? Am I really worth it?" Rinoa asked. She dared not dream that Squall will give up everything to be with her, it was too much to ask of him. And besides, she was just a sorceress. . .a rogue sorceress, one who can't even control her own powers, a weakling.  
  
Squall could see the pain in her eyes and his heart ached for her. Hyne, how weary she looked, she carried far too much burden on her young shoulder. Putting a finger under her chin, he tipped her head up to stare into her brown eyes, eyes that was so full of warmth and love, but now was filled with pain and self-anger instead.  
  
"Rinoa, I'm sure. . .I don't care if you are a sorceress or not, it does not matter. I care because. . .I love you." There he said it. Squall had wanted to tell her how much she meant to him but every time the courage to speak up always wilted away at the last moment. Now he finally said it and Squall wondered why he never did it earlier. Rinoa's eyes were tearing up again but this time, it was out of happiness. A faint blush was staining her cheeks and she looked so beautiful that Squall could not resist it and kissed her.  
  
They were together again and everything going to be all right. Rinoa knew it in her soul as she clutched Griever tightly to her heart.  
  
==  
  
That early morning a ghostly pair flitted through the corridors of the Garden with a dog following closely behind. The girl was wearing a blue outfit and she was carrying a backpack and a weapon case. Similarly, the young man was also carrying a backpack and a weapon case but his demeanor was different. Sometimes, laughter akin to the wind chimes tinkling in the breeze would be heard from the young woman. The young man was however grave and solemn but sometimes his eyes will twinkle in the darkness, hinting at the happiness he felt in his heart.  
  
Watching from the shadows, Seifer smiled and waved them a silent goodbye as Squall and Rinoa walked through the Garden gates forever.  
  
  
  
p.s:: how?? like it?? R&R!!! if this is receiving enough good reviews, I might add in another chapter to wrap things up!! :p 


	11. Ordinary

Standard disclaimer: I don't own these character, Squaresoft does!! Anyway, sorry for the really late installment, I had a horrible writer's block but now I'm glad to say that it's finally complete!! Hahahaha!!  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Squall watched with a smile as Rinoa gulped down her 6th pancake. It was amazing how much she could eat for someone that small build. Hell, sometimes, she even out eats him! Chuckling, he passed her a cup of orange juice when she finally leaned back on her chair with a very satisfied expression on her face.  
  
Smiling softly, Rinoa took the cup from him. "Squall, what are you laughing at?" Saying so, she took a sip of the sweet juice while staring at him intently. Looking at the beautiful picture in front of him, Squall contemplated that Rinoa had changed so much in these years. Beneath the bubbly and relaxed façade, there was a much more worldly and scarred Rinoa. She was quieter, and there was a certain aura of somberness around her; one who was more often than not weary and bitter about life. Rinoa was more pessimistic and thoughtful and insecure and sometimes Squall glimpsed a shade of self-anger and self-pity in her eyes. It made his heart ache so much for her.  
  
"You still eat a lot." Squall stated the fact and watched as her serious face broke out into laughter. Underneath the table and munching her breakfast, Angelo was startled by the sudden sound. Quieting down, Rinoa replied in an offhand way, "Some things don't change Squall." But you did, Squall thought silently.  
  
Unknown to him, Rinoa was also thinking the same thought. Hyne, he looked older and so much more relaxed. Even though he was still the same serious man, Rinoa saw him smile and laugh more ever since they stepped out of the Garden just last night. They had taken the express night train from Balamb all the way to Deling and she had fallen asleep in his arms. When the train had finally stopped, it was time for breakfast. Walking through the early crowd, both of them, together with Angelo meandered their way to a famous pancake shop. Just being able to be with him made her so happy beyond words; Rinoa almost could not eat!  
  
Both of them had to be very careful since they were easily recognized. So out of need, they had changed their appearance in the train. Squall wore a light yellow shirt, black pants and a cap; his Lionheart and Griever chain was hidden out of sight. Rinoa tied up her hair and exchanged her usual outfit for a plain black sweater with a blue skirt. There was naught that they can do about Angelo, so they left the dog alone (thank Hyne for that!). Angelo was in the meantime, enjoying her own food underneath the table, hiding away from the own world and minding her own business.  
  
Looking at him across the table, Rinoa felt her heart tighten. He always had this effect on her and now they were together, no longer separated by a bloody desk. She remembered the many times she stood at the threshold of his office, looking at his stern countenance and wondering who was that stranger that resembled Squall. Rinoa often felt so distant and far away from him whenever Squall was wallowed up in his work; she felt as if she did not know him at all, but now. . . things were different. They were together.  
  
"Squall, what do we do now?. . .where do we go?" Rinoa asked worriedly.  
  
"We'll go somewhere quiet where there is nothing to disturb us." Squall replied without hesitation, his tone decisive. Rinoa smiled dreamily.  
  
"Somewhere quiet and far away. . .away from the crowds. That will be nice." Rinoa said that in a wistful tone. Reaching across, the table, Squall took Rinoa's hand. "Don't worry, things will be all right. After all, no one can guarantee the future." Rinoa smiled; he loved to throw that phrase back to her; it was kind of an inside joke between the both of them. Both of them sat there together for some time, not moving just holding each other's hands and reveling in the warmth. Underneath the table, Angelo dozed dreaming of a dog's dream…  
  
==  
  
"Squall?" The voice was so familiar. Squall paused in his steps and turned around only to see Cid and Edea. "Matron? Sir?" There was genuine surprise on his face where else Rinoa was the one who was expressionless.  
  
Smiling jovially, Cid seemed to be unaffected by what was going around the last two days. Lifting an eyebrow at their possessions, Cid automatically assumed that they were on vacation.  
  
"Rinoa, are you all right?" Edea voiced out her concern for her former student. For a while, Edea had mentored Rinoa, teaching her how to fully maximize her powers and more importantly, how to control it. In that short period of a time, Edea had grown closer to the young sorceress and had treated her like her own child.  
  
"I'm fine, thank you." Rinoa replied back quietly while Angelo went up to Edea, snuggling up against the older woman's legs. Smiling, Edea bend down and gave Angelo a friendly pat on the head.  
  
"So Squall, how's everyone and the Garden? I haven't heard from them for quite a long time. Tell Selphie that she's free to borrow my guitar." Cid chuckled while he scratched the back of his neck. Almost tenderly, Edea held his other hand, their fingers intertwining. Squall narrowed his eyes before replying. "I'm no longer with the Garden, Cid. I've quit."  
  
"What! Why?" Cid was shocked. He turned his head to give Edea a shocked and stunned expression. Likewise, Edea was speechless.  
  
"There was no reason for me to stay. They don't need me." Squall explained to the best of his ability while shrugging. 'The Garden doesn't need me, but Rinoa does… that's all that matters.' Rinoa seemed to know what he was thinking; she turned around and gave him a sweet smile.  
  
"So where are you going to?" Edea asked in a concerned tone.  
  
Rinoa and Squall looked at each other, secretly amused by the question. "We are not sure yet." Rinoa replied back.  
  
"Are the both of you ever coming back to visit again?" Edea pressed on. Something strange was going on, could it be that they had bonded through the sorceress's powers? No! That would be too extreme and dangerous. . .even she and Cid had never tried to do so.  
  
For the first time in their lives, Cid and Edea witnessed Squall smiling. It was a quiet and contented smile. . .it was as if he was finally at peace. Holding out a hand to Rinoa who accepted it, the couple melted away into the crowd followed by a lively dog while Cid and Edea watched. They had their answer.  
  
==  
  
5 years later. . .  
  
"Honey, did you see my socks?" Nida asked as he dug through his closet. Hang it! He's going to be late soon.  
  
The bathroom door slammed open and Quistis rushed out while combing her golden coloured hair. "Nida, I think it's at that corner over there, beside the lamp." Saying so, she was already tying up her hair, getting ready for her morning class.  
  
In less than a few seconds, Nida was already wearing his socks and were now wearing his boots instead. Sitting down near the door of their room, Nida was busy cursing his uncooperative boots. Hang it!  
  
"Honey, I've got to go now. See you later OK?" Quistis bend down to give her husband a hurried kiss. Pausing in the middle of his task, Nida deepened the kiss, making Quistis sigh. Life could not be any better. Beating everyone else to the altar, Quistis and Nida got married about one month ago. Due to the generosity of Headmistress Xu, they had a wonderfully long honeymoon before returning to the Garden. Like what Selphie always say, married life definitely agrees with her.  
  
Quistis could never imagine getting married to Nida 5 years ago but ever since Squall and Rinoa's abrupt departure, Nida and Quistis had gotten closer until the point where they were no longer friends but much, much more than that. And right now, Quistis was living in a paradise. True, the road was not as smooth as she had envisioned; Quistis and Nida had their occasional spats but eventually, they would straighten things out.  
  
Sighing happily, Quistis barely realized that she was on the verge of colliding into a petite brunette with sparkling green eyes. "Hey wake up! Quisty?!" A tiny hand waved in front of Quistis face and it took a moment before the Instructor realized what was happening.  
  
"Selphie?" Quistis asked in a surprised tone. Her reaction was still a bit slow at this hour.  
  
"Tee hee! You look as if you were stuck in the clouds above. So where's Nida? Xu's looking for him already!" Selphie explained while inspecting the heels of her SeeD boots. Some habits never changed after all.  
  
Just hearing his name made Quistis smiled in a sweet fashion. "He's still wearing his shoes. You'll see him running around soon." Quistis explained. Nida was notorious for dashing around the whole Garden, trying to be on time for all occasions.  
  
"Uh OK. So I'll wait outside the Instructor's dormitories for him then. See ya Quisty." Selphie nodded enthusiastically before she flashed a big grin at Quistis and ran off. Quistis smiled and continued her way.  
  
As she walked past the center of the Garden on the first floor, towards the elevator, Quistis saw Zell training some cadets. Actually, to be more precise, he was jogging with them around the whole perimeter of the inside of the Garden; some of the cadets looked half dead and were panting heavily.  
  
Cheerily, Quistis waved at Zell who waved back enthusiastically. There were rumors about Zell impending marriage to the library girl but Quistis knew that nothing was really confirmed yet; Zell had yet to meet Amy's parents. But nevertheless, Irvine was predicting that they will tie the knot in less than half a year time.  
  
Strangely, when Squall's resignation letter finally arrived at the Garden two days after he left, Squall had chosen Irvine as the next Commander. And to everyone's surprise, including Irvine's own, he did really become the next Commander. Irvine Kinneas was as efficient as Squall but less uptight. On weekends, it was not unusual to catch him hanging out in some pub with Zell, Selphie, Nida, Xu and her self. Irvine was at first not confident in his own abilities but after some time he proved that he does possess leaderships skills and had managed to inspire the cadets of the Garden. What was more admirable about Irvine was that he never let work obstruct his life; all 7 of them, Xu, Zell, Selphie, Amy, Irvine, Nida and her self meet everyday for lunch. It was a good time to relax and enjoy each other's company or to forge bonds; Quistis always look forward to lunch time, it was fun being around Selphie who will regal them with jokes. In fact, due to their 'lunch time' Amy had become one of her closest friend and confidante together with Xu.  
  
So far, Quistis was pretty contented with life; it was good and it could not have been any better.  
  
==  
  
Irvine looked at the pile of hotdogs and was very glad of his status as the Commander. Even though being a Commander was exhausting, the perks such as having a certain amount of hotdogs reserved for him made up for the bad parts. Just looking at the hotdogs made him grin, but being a gentleman he is, Irvine decided to wait for the rest to arrive before attacking the plateful of steaming, fresh hotdogs. Already the cafeteria was packed full with students, some queuing up to get their food, others looking for a seat. There was a few who cast envious glances in his way. Yep, being a Commander has its perks alright! Irvine grinned even more.  
  
His stomach then growled ferociously and he sighed impatiently. Where could they be? He was not only hungry but excited. A SeeD stationed at Deling reported seeing Squall and Rinoa just a few days ago. After they both left the Garden, there was a widespread panic and fear that the sorceress will unleash her powers once more. Sadly, fear gave way to hatred and anti- sorceress feeling especially in Deling where Sorceress Edea had once ruled. Women with dark hair and eye colorings were persecuted by angry and frightened mobs making the streets were unsafe. There were riots and strikes demanding that the sorceress Rinoa be found and put to immediate death. Not only that, strange cults with the aim of killing Rinoa sprung up like mushrooms after a heavy shower. The people could not be appeased despite repeated attempts by the government. In the end, only bloodshed calmed their fears.  
  
A car had slid off the highway up in the Deling Mountains, falling off a sharp cliff and exploding upon impact with the ground. Evidence proved again and again that the only passengers in it were Squall, Rinoa and her pet Angelo. Though there was ample evidence such as scraps of their burnt clothes at the crash site, Irvine, Zell, Quistis and Selphie did not buy the story; the thought of losing two of their closest friends was simply too much too bear. What the six of them had went through during the Second Sorceress War had resulted into a form of bond that was unbreakable; each of them knew each other in an intimate way that was driven by fear and hope, something that others could never understand. In a time when hope was lost, all of them found something within themselves and others: courage and faith.  
  
Smiling at his thoughts, Irvine fingered the brown envelope within his coat. He was so honoured when Squall had recommended him as the Commander in his resignation letter. He remembered how he had almost failed Squall during the assignation of Sorceress Edea and it amazes him how much faith Squall had in him. Truth to tell, Irvine felt a certain kinship with Squall. They were very much alike in a sense; lone wolves. He admired and respected his comrade's abilities and because of that Irvine carried the hope that Squall and Rinoa was still alive. True enough, Squall and Rinoa was seen two years after the car crash walking by Dollet's beach and eating at a seafood restaurant with Angelo close behind. By then, their appearance had changed so much that it took Irvine a moment before he recognized the two figures in the photos. The others had reacted in exactly the same way as him. Squall and Rinoa had gone to such great lengths to prevent anyone from discovering their whereabouts and their identity that it was all they could do to respect the couple's decision.  
  
Nevertheless, Quistis, Selphie and Zell would be glad to see the newest pictures of them. Unable to resist any longer, Irvine pulled out a fat envelope from his coat's pocket and took out those pictures. That figure to the extreme left…Yes! It was Squall with a shorter hair and glasses, wearing a yellow coloured hooded shirt and black jeans. Irvine smiled and wondered how Squall got rid of the scar or how Rinoa got him to wear such a cheery coloured shirt. It must have taken quite a lot of persuasion. At that thought, Irvine's grin broadened. Sometimes, he missed Rinoa a lot. She was as open as Selphie but less cheery; she had mellowed a lot during the time he knew her.  
  
Now she did not even looked like her own self. Sporting a ponytail, Rinoa wore a black tank top and a light blue skirt with a denim jacket. She looked so ordinary! But then she was not an ordinary girl to begin with; she was the most stubborn and determined woman who viewed the world in a naïve fashion. Sadly, she was forced to grow up in such a short time. Unlike the SeeDs, she was not prepared emotionally for death, blood, fear and the brutality of war. Irvine sometimes wondered how she handled it all without suffering from any side effects.  
  
Gazing off into space, his mind full of thoughts, Irvine reviewed the past in his mind, thinking about the times they had shared. Almost absently, he also noted that the hotdogs had gone cold.  
  
==  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Storm were very much loved by the villagers of Winhill. Not only was Mrs. Storm kind and friendly, it also helped that her husband ran the only pub in town. Since the death of the previous pub owner, Raine, Winhill no longer had a pub and many people looked back to the good old days of sitting by a warm fire with a mug of warm spiced ale. So naturally as word got around that Mr. Storm was planning to re-open the pub, the villagers' hostility immediately turned into a warm and friendly welcome. Mr. Storm was amused at the villagers' behavior to say the least.  
  
In that way 5 years passed peacefully, Mr. Storm tending to his pub, Mrs. Storm to her writing. Mrs. Storm was one of the foremost journalists for Timber Maniacs and sometimes she would also play the piano in the pub. It was very obvious that Mr. Storm loved his wife immensely; whenever she stepped into the room, he would break out into a smile. Mr. Storm used to be a Galbadian soldier until he met his wife. As they settled down, he quit his job as a soldier and became a pub owner in Deling. However, 5 years ago after the Great Disaster, dark-haired women were persecuted randomly by bloodthirsty mobs. Fleeing the chaos in the capital, the Storm decided to settle down in someplace quiet where Mrs. Storm could concentrate on her writing.  
  
As time passes by, the Storms adapted to the pace of Winhill's leisurely lifestyle and often, the villagers could see the couple taking short walks with their pet Angelo. The villagers found their habit of star-gazing peculiar to say the least and…romantic. (they hate to admit that!)  
  
There was also no doubt that Mrs. Storm looked beautiful with her lustrous black hair and soft brown eyes. Too bad, her chocolate eyes seemed to be filled with sorrow nowadays. For the second time in a row, Mrs. Strom had suffered from a miscarriage. The local doctor advised her to stop trying for a child least she harmed her own health. Mr. Storm was deeply affected by the news and he did not know what to say when he held his sobbing wife in his arms. A serious man to begin with, Mr. Storm became somber. His grayish-blue eyes would gaze off into space and sometimes, he would bring in more flowers than usual to brighten up his wife. It was hard for the Storms, the villagers agreed. But their love for each other overcomes all.  
  
Nevertheless in spite of all the pain and sufferings, the Storms were content and happy, seizing and making use of each precious moment and filling it with laughter and joy. After all, no one can guarantee the future. . .  
  
~Fin~  
  
  
  
R&R!!! pls!! So I bet that u all knew who the Storms are right?? Yesy es, its not the most sensational ending but from what I think, most of the heroes just wanted an ordinary life, thus the ordinary ending… hope u all enjoyed it and for all the readers out there…thanks for your support!! 


End file.

Final Fantasy VIII, Drama, Romance