Disclaimer: Square Enix owns all the rights of Final Fantasy VIII and its characters. I just having fun with the characters
It was the last day of their honeymoon so Squall and Rinoa decided to spend it in their flower field before Balamb Garden picked them up the next morning.
It was beautiful, Rinoa thought. Not just the place that she and Squall had promised, the whole wedding process and the honeymoon are nothing short of amazing. Breathing in the scent of flowers, Rinoa could sense that her husband was walking towards her.
"Come back in, It seems that Edea has something to tell us."
Rinoa smiled and nodded as she took Squall hand into hers. Edea had been living in the orphanage since the Sorceress War and Cid would travel back and forth between Garden and the orphanage to be with his wife. Rinoa could understand the uncomfortable feeling Edea must have felt if she lived in the Garden.
Walking back inside, Edea smiled and motion them to sit down, facing them, she began,
"Do you know the history behind the flower field?"
Squall and Rinoa faced each other. Indeed, they had never thought about it.
"…Isn't it yours?" Squall answered
Edea shook her head and said,
"No…this flower field has been here before Cid and I came to build the orphanage. I believe it is time for both of you to heard the legend behind this flower field,"
The couple looks at Edea to signal her to go on.
"Legend has it that this flower field belongs to the ever first Sorceress and her knight that fall in love. The sorceress created it as a symbol of love between her and her knight, which is by the way, forbidden at that time."
"What!" Rinoa gasped.
Before Rinoa could continue, Edea raise her hand to calm her down and continued,
"Don't worry; the rule had been long gone now. If not, Cid and I would not be married!" Chucked Edea, pausing, she continued,
"I am not sure why and how they fall in love, since the legend never state. But for awhile, both of them escaped from their country and settled here to live their lives in peace. In turn, the sorceress used her magic to create the flower field and this place as well."
"You mean the orphanage building is THAT old?" Rinoa interrupt again. Squall glanced at his wife, hoping that she would get the message to stop interrupting and let Edea continued.
Knowing Rinoa well, Edea smiled and said,
"Well, having materials shipped over would be a killer. I will get to that part soon. Now, where was I…?"
"Oh yes. Their peaceful lives were not meant to be. The troops came and wanted to demand that the couple should be separated or face immediate death for breaking the law. However they were too late. The sorceress, sensing their incoming, had already cast a fatal spell on herself, a spell that allows her to transfer her power to her daughter and subsequently, teleported their daughter and son with their long time friends who chose to stay with them during their exile. Unfortunately, the spell also caused her knight death, as they are tightly bonded together. When the troops found them, they died holding each other, a smile on their face. Later on, when the ruler heard the news, they began to question their beliefs and soon, decree that sorceresses and their knights are allowed to be in love if they are willing."
"Oh my…that's tragic" Rinoa murmured as she snuggled closer to Squall, feeling thankful that she and Squall need not to face such prejudges.
"So…where they were buried?" Squall asked as he looked around the flower field. As far as he knew, there were no gravestones around.
"No…not buried…they…disappeared." Edea answered as she stared ahead at the flower field.
"It was said that when they wanted to bury them together, feeling that it is the last thing they can do for them, the bodies started to disappear into thin air. Until now, nobody ever knows what happen nor do they know what happened to their children. I supposed they went about their normal lives."
Slowly, she turned to them and said,
"You know, you might be able to meet them. After all, their sprits still linger around here, waiting for any sorceresses and knight pair to hear their story."
"So, you mean that you actually met them? You and Cid?" Rinoa asked, feeling goose bump all over her.
Titling her head to one side, Edea answered with a smile, "Yes, we do, when we first arrived here. However, we did not manage to speak to them. Rather, they just smile at us and point to us to the building and disappear. "
Pausing for a moment, Edea continued,
"And I guess I know why Utlimeicia choose this place to build her castle. I managed to catch a glimpse of her past and witnessed her knight death. The flower field is said to be where all sorceresses and their knights reunite. So building her castle here, she is waiting to be reunite with her knight one day. That's my educated guess."
"Don't be surprised when you see them" Edea said as she walked off, leaving Squall and Rinoa with their thoughts.
"So…do you want to see them?" Rinoa asked, feeling adventurous and kind of scared at the same time. This would not be the first time they have seen a ghost. After all, they met Squall's mother while on Winhill and nothing out of ordinary happen.
Rolling his eyes, Squall answered, "And how you supposed to go about it? Ring a bell? Call?"
Smiling brightly, Rinoa said, "Just walk! Edea and Cid met them this way. If we were destined to meet them, I am sure they will appear!"
Dragging her husband along, Rinoa and Squall walk into the flower field, feeling the fresh breeze and a sense of excitement over them. As they walk aimlessly around the field, a breeze started to form and just then, two misty shapes figures appearing right in front of them.
Holding Squall's hand tighter to hers, Rinoa let out a surprised gasp, as well as the sudden stillness of her husband indicated that he was shocked as well. All right, that was the real reason why Edea told them not to be surprised.
They are staring at their own faces! Even though they may be wearing different types of clothing. But still, do the dead sorceress and her knight appears in front of people wearing other people faces?
Instead of talking to them, the two spirits slowly drifted? Walked? Towards them, smiling at both of them, they touched their shoulders and immediately, Squall and Rinoa were overwhelm by images of the past and when they are back to reality, the two spirits, voices identical to their said,
"Finally, we can be together without the world upon us." And disappeared.
"Squall! Rinoa!" Edea shouted as she ran towards them. She may be no longer a sorceress but she still could sense the presence of the other sorceresses. Sensing a presence that was not Rinoa, she quickly went to investigate to see that both of them are staring at a blank space, looking a bit lost.
"I take it that you have seen them?" Edea asked quietly. Both of them nodded and it was Squall that broke the ice first,
"You told us not to be surprised…Is that the reason why?"
Smiling slightly, Edea answered,
"Yes, in fact, when I first saw you as a child, I always believe that you may be somewhat related to the knight. Upon seeing you and Rinoa for the first time, well, I cannot help but know that both of you could be destined to be together. Corny I know, but have you heard of reincarnation?"
"Isn't it means that the souls are reborn and enter a new life? Is that even possible?" Rinoa said, breaking her silence.
Shrugging her shoulder, Edea replied
"Well, it could be a possible reason why both of you are wearing their faces and, it could be purely coincidence. It could be that both of you are their descendants who happens to fall in love too."
Pausing for a moment, Edea motioned them to return to the orphanage. Squall and Rinoa followed, unsure of the images that they have seen or if they should let Edea know too.
Later that night, as they prepared to go to sleep before Garden picked them up the next morning, Rinoa asked
"The images, are they real? Is it their memories or our memories…in our past lives?"
"I am not sure. I prefer to think that it could be just theirs and they were just showing us their memories. Another way to let us know to treasure what we have." Squall answered.
Thinking of what her husband has said, Rinoa nodded and replied,
"You can be right. After all, there is no way to prove that reincarnation exists. But still, why they said that they could be together without the world upon them?"
"Maybe seeing that we looked almost like them, they feel that they can live their lives through us. Moreover, you mentioned that reincarnation involved the souls being reborn. If they were us, surely Edea and we would not be able to see them anymore. Right?"
Knowing that her husband had hit the right spot, Rinoa just nodded her head but cannot help to add in,
"Well, it would be romantic if we were them. Think about it. Lost love found after a few thousand years. It would make a great story."
"…just go to sleep, "Squall replied.
Soon, the soft snoring sound was heard and Squall knew that Rinoa was sound asleep. Deep down, he knew that he certainly do not want to live the lives they been though. However, that does not mean that he was not curious about. So, Squall decided to research about them, starting from Esthar Grand Library, maybe he could find a clue there…
The End
Author Note: Yes, I decided to leave it there. It served as a nice one shot for me and I am not sure if I should continue with the storyline with the topic of reincarnation. I don't want to start what I cannot finish. So, enjoy