Even in Death
--------------
'Prelude'
*Thump!* Coal black hair poked out from the tangle of bleached sheets on the floor. "Raine!" The word echoed throughout the large bedroom. Gasping for air, a strong hand yanked the sheets off of his face to greet the planked ceiling of his bedroom. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he felt dampness beneath his fingers.
It had happened again.
An exasperated sigh could be heard as the sheets were thrown onto the mattress again. The red shades clicked into 2:35. His green eyes flickered to the window. The sky had no expectation of the sun for hours.
Slowly, he rose into a standing postition. There was no chance of sleep tonight. He slid into a chair across from his dark mohogany desk, laying his head into the palms of his hands. It was going to be a long night.
-----------
"The people of Esthar ask you to build a new transportation system, as the lifts have been disfunctioning since the Lunar Cry... are you even listening, Laguna?" Kiros arched a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at the slumping man.
"Erhm... I thought they were repaired already?" Struggling to stay awake, his green eyes focused onto the thick stack of papers under his elbow.
Stepping forward, Kiros' tone grew into one of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I... I don't know..."
Kiros sat into a plush chair beside Ward, who was looking at Laguna intensely. Laguna sighed and make a quick glance around the room to insure their conversation was confidential.
"I had another dream again last night."
Ward's eyes widened as Kiros vocaly exclaimed, "Again?!"
Laguna's soft pale hands covered his face as he began to continue, "She's trying to talk to me."
Kiros and Ward exchanged nervous glances. "I think you need to sleep. In fact, you can take a nap right now. Ward and I--"
"Don't you think I've tried?!" Laguna exclaimed, louder than intended. Tears of frusturation and pain glisted in his softly framed eyes. "There's no getting away from them... it's impossible..." His voice dwindled to a whisper. Another crystal tear trailed down his pale cheek.
Kiros and Ward excused themselves due to 'business matters' and left the room, their footsteps echoing in the room.
"Hello... may I speak to Squall Leonhart?"
-----------
Chapter 1
The sun basked across her face; giving her raven black hair a ravishing glossy coat. Her slender ivory fingers brushed the slim strands of inky hair out of her soft brown eyes. Mumbling fragments of fatigue escaped her lips. Her arms reached out to touch the skin of her lover. All she received was a handful of crisp sheets.
The splitting reality washed over her that he once again had a meeting with the Garden's council. An aggitated sigh could be heard thoughout the room. "Always vanishes... doesn't even tell me..."
A knock on the door stirred her once more. "What?" There was no mistake for the trace of irritation in her voice. The steel doors swung open with a slight woosh and a pair of brown boots came into her line of vision.
"Uh... Rinoa?" Selphie's typical cheerful voice suggested a bit of shared embarassment; her arms folded across her small stomach, her head tilted to the side.
Rinoa sat up in bed immediately, pulling her blankets up to her chest. Drawing her slender hands to her face to persuade the sleep out of the corners of her almond eyes, Rinoa contemplated what gossip Selphie was to bring to her.
Selphie let the moment of silence continue before stating plainly as possible; a nervous look painted on her face. "We just got a call from Kiros... It's about Laguna..."
-----------
White flowers... the scent intoxicated his nostrails, filling him with the sweet relish of memories. A splash of brown hair. A flicker of the bewitching soft brown eyes. Her harmonius voice.
Gazing into a mirror, he saw himself staring back at him. His coal black hair, streaked with silver stress; his tired green eyes, from so many sleepless nights. An awful sight for him to see. Bending his elbows, he gripped his neck inbetween his fingers with both of his hands, churning them in a rhythmic movement. A soothing feeling sank into his hands, penetrating every vein, bone, and tissue. Filling like a warm liquid.
He was not alone...
Her hands lay on his shoulders, massaging his tense muscles; his arms now at his sides. Her soft giggle flitted through the air, tickling his ear, increasing his heart beat.
Her lips brushed his ear; her breath chilling him to the bone. "Raine..." he faintly whispered. She pressed a finger to his lips.
"I have much to tell you, Laguna... but I have such little time..." Retrieving her hand back from his mouth, a faint smile danced on her lips.
"Come with me." Her soft eyes was the last that Laguna saw.
----------
The sun blazed upon the arid climate of the hidden city. Rinoa had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the light, though the windows of the Ragnarok had been tinted.
"We should be there within the next ten minutes," Selphie offered. Even with her attempted casual tone, there was a trace of anxiety.
Zell, sitting beside Selphie, sat with one leg propped up by the knee of his other leg. His foot vibrated with tension.
"Okay, we're there," Selphie finally said, breaking the akward silence. Slowly, the Airstation grew into view, Rinoa's spirits decending with the aircraft.
-------
"Man oh man..." Zell breathed, staring out into the city's lights and buildings. "Not even the Lunar Cry could take this city out."
"We're in the process of reconstructing the damage as we speak," Kiros said, joining Zell. "We began by the extermination of the monsters of course. With their source destroyed--"
"Kiros," Rinoa gently cut in, setting her hands around her slender hips. "Can you tell us exactly why we are here?"
Kiros cleared his throat gently, as if releasing tension, and nodded. "Very well..."
"Forgive me, sir!" A lavendar and silver clad soldier clambered into the hall; the acoustics permitting his voice to echo off the walls.
"What is it?" Kiros asked, appropriately concerned.
"It's Laguna, sir... he's collasped."
--------------
'Prelude'
*Thump!* Coal black hair poked out from the tangle of bleached sheets on the floor. "Raine!" The word echoed throughout the large bedroom. Gasping for air, a strong hand yanked the sheets off of his face to greet the planked ceiling of his bedroom. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he felt dampness beneath his fingers.
It had happened again.
An exasperated sigh could be heard as the sheets were thrown onto the mattress again. The red shades clicked into 2:35. His green eyes flickered to the window. The sky had no expectation of the sun for hours.
Slowly, he rose into a standing postition. There was no chance of sleep tonight. He slid into a chair across from his dark mohogany desk, laying his head into the palms of his hands. It was going to be a long night.
-----------
"The people of Esthar ask you to build a new transportation system, as the lifts have been disfunctioning since the Lunar Cry... are you even listening, Laguna?" Kiros arched a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at the slumping man.
"Erhm... I thought they were repaired already?" Struggling to stay awake, his green eyes focused onto the thick stack of papers under his elbow.
Stepping forward, Kiros' tone grew into one of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I... I don't know..."
Kiros sat into a plush chair beside Ward, who was looking at Laguna intensely. Laguna sighed and make a quick glance around the room to insure their conversation was confidential.
"I had another dream again last night."
Ward's eyes widened as Kiros vocaly exclaimed, "Again?!"
Laguna's soft pale hands covered his face as he began to continue, "She's trying to talk to me."
Kiros and Ward exchanged nervous glances. "I think you need to sleep. In fact, you can take a nap right now. Ward and I--"
"Don't you think I've tried?!" Laguna exclaimed, louder than intended. Tears of frusturation and pain glisted in his softly framed eyes. "There's no getting away from them... it's impossible..." His voice dwindled to a whisper. Another crystal tear trailed down his pale cheek.
Kiros and Ward excused themselves due to 'business matters' and left the room, their footsteps echoing in the room.
"Hello... may I speak to Squall Leonhart?"
-----------
Chapter 1
The sun basked across her face; giving her raven black hair a ravishing glossy coat. Her slender ivory fingers brushed the slim strands of inky hair out of her soft brown eyes. Mumbling fragments of fatigue escaped her lips. Her arms reached out to touch the skin of her lover. All she received was a handful of crisp sheets.
The splitting reality washed over her that he once again had a meeting with the Garden's council. An aggitated sigh could be heard thoughout the room. "Always vanishes... doesn't even tell me..."
A knock on the door stirred her once more. "What?" There was no mistake for the trace of irritation in her voice. The steel doors swung open with a slight woosh and a pair of brown boots came into her line of vision.
"Uh... Rinoa?" Selphie's typical cheerful voice suggested a bit of shared embarassment; her arms folded across her small stomach, her head tilted to the side.
Rinoa sat up in bed immediately, pulling her blankets up to her chest. Drawing her slender hands to her face to persuade the sleep out of the corners of her almond eyes, Rinoa contemplated what gossip Selphie was to bring to her.
Selphie let the moment of silence continue before stating plainly as possible; a nervous look painted on her face. "We just got a call from Kiros... It's about Laguna..."
-----------
White flowers... the scent intoxicated his nostrails, filling him with the sweet relish of memories. A splash of brown hair. A flicker of the bewitching soft brown eyes. Her harmonius voice.
Gazing into a mirror, he saw himself staring back at him. His coal black hair, streaked with silver stress; his tired green eyes, from so many sleepless nights. An awful sight for him to see. Bending his elbows, he gripped his neck inbetween his fingers with both of his hands, churning them in a rhythmic movement. A soothing feeling sank into his hands, penetrating every vein, bone, and tissue. Filling like a warm liquid.
He was not alone...
Her hands lay on his shoulders, massaging his tense muscles; his arms now at his sides. Her soft giggle flitted through the air, tickling his ear, increasing his heart beat.
Her lips brushed his ear; her breath chilling him to the bone. "Raine..." he faintly whispered. She pressed a finger to his lips.
"I have much to tell you, Laguna... but I have such little time..." Retrieving her hand back from his mouth, a faint smile danced on her lips.
"Come with me." Her soft eyes was the last that Laguna saw.
----------
The sun blazed upon the arid climate of the hidden city. Rinoa had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the light, though the windows of the Ragnarok had been tinted.
"We should be there within the next ten minutes," Selphie offered. Even with her attempted casual tone, there was a trace of anxiety.
Zell, sitting beside Selphie, sat with one leg propped up by the knee of his other leg. His foot vibrated with tension.
"Okay, we're there," Selphie finally said, breaking the akward silence. Slowly, the Airstation grew into view, Rinoa's spirits decending with the aircraft.
-------
"Man oh man..." Zell breathed, staring out into the city's lights and buildings. "Not even the Lunar Cry could take this city out."
"We're in the process of reconstructing the damage as we speak," Kiros said, joining Zell. "We began by the extermination of the monsters of course. With their source destroyed--"
"Kiros," Rinoa gently cut in, setting her hands around her slender hips. "Can you tell us exactly why we are here?"
Kiros cleared his throat gently, as if releasing tension, and nodded. "Very well..."
"Forgive me, sir!" A lavendar and silver clad soldier clambered into the hall; the acoustics permitting his voice to echo off the walls.
"What is it?" Kiros asked, appropriately concerned.
"It's Laguna, sir... he's collasped."