The ground shook beneath their feet as they sped their way through the fighting crowds of soldiers. She yelped as the ground let out a mighty shake causing her to lose her footing. She screamed as the ground shook once more.
"Rinoa!" She heard Squall call back at her. He ran back and clasped his hands with her's, pulling her up as they began to run again. Selphie and Zell were way out ahead of them.
They'd come to the Research Centre because Garden had picked up a signal of distress from someone on the island. When they arrived all they found were Galbadian Soldiers fighting off numerous monsters. The centre core had started to crack, letting out numerous monsters and causing the Island to begin to shake and quake as the gasses began to seep down into the Island.
They kept running, trying to desperately catch up with Selphie and Zell. Suddenly a scream let out from behind them and before Rinoa could turn back around Squall was gone. She saw him running back into the crowds, Gunblade drawn out. As she went to run back after him she was pushed forward by the crowds of Galbadian soldiers.
She fell to the floor with a hard bang as more soldiers began to trample over her. She put her arms up around her to shield herself from all the tramples.
She felt a hand pull at her wrist, hauling her back up onto her feet. It was Zell. He began pulling her through the crowds up towards the Ragnarok. "Wait! What about Squall!"
"Where is he?!" Zell shouted back at her as they trampled onto the Ragnarok.
"He went back to help someone I think"
"Come on we have to go and get him!"
"Zell wait!" Selphie screamed as he was about to go back down the entry ramp.
There was a huge explosion and all Rinoa saw was white light surrounding herself and the Ragnarok.
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The ground cracked as the flames died down. The core had exploded, taking the research labs with it. All that remained now was the Island and the corpses of Galbadian soldiers and scientists scattered on the floor.
Rinoa, Zell and Selphie stepped down from the Ragnarok. All she could see was corpses of troops, some of which she knew through her father. Others were corpses of Scientists, which had sent the distress signal to the Garden. There were a few recovering on the Ragnarok but not many, the majority hadn't been quick enough and the flames had consumed them.
"Look for anyone whose alive and keep your eyes peeled to see if we can find Squall anywhere" Zell ordered the other two as they all split off.
Rinoa stepped softly around the bodies that lay on the floor. She never witnessed death like this before. Parts of their bodies were on fire, some part weren't even there anymore, taken off in battle she presumed. The monsters were dead too. Their corpses lay wasting away on the ground.
There was no grass covering the ground anymore, just rubble and cracked stone. Flamed still lay littering around certain areas but they were only small. The dust of the centre flew in the area, landing on Rinoa's pale skin, turning it into a dark shade of grey. The sweat on her face mixed the soot and dust making it look like she'd spent the day digging. Her blue duster was blackened slightly also and her black boot were scuffed and had dust on the caps.
She stopped
Dead in her tracks
At the sight that lay before her.
It was Squall
She rushed down to his side, picking his head up slightly to rest on her lap. "Squall, wake up!" She said as she began to shake him a little. "SELPHIE! ZELL! HELP!" She screamed as loud as she could. The tears began to swell in her eyes as she looked down at his limp figure. His face had a gash on his cheek, which still bled, he was covered in soot and his leather pants were ripped at the knees.
She carried on shaking him, calling his name, begging him to return to her. "Squall please, please Squall wake up! Wake up its time to go home! Squall!" She lowered her head onto his chest as the sobs began to escape her lips. She clung to him hoping that he could feel her and would wake up.
"Squall I need you to wake up now. I can't do anything without you. Squall please Squall. Wake up! I told you I'd never let you go so you can't go! Not now! Not ever!"
He remained silent and limp
"Squall please don't go. If you go then I can't tell you…I-I can't tell you that…I-I love you Squall! I've loved you ever since we first met! I'll always love you! Please Squall wake up!"
He still didn't make a sound, he just remained there, limp. Not making a sound. Not having breath escape his lips.
"Rin!" Selphie gasped as she ran over to her friend. "Come on Rin let Zell try and help him" She said as she pulled her friend back. She held her close and let her sob as Zell began to do CPR on Squall's body.
"Come on Squall don't let me down now" Zell said through gritted teeth as she began to give chest compressions. He checked his pulse and still felt nothing. He carried on with some more compression. He felt his pulse once more. Nothing. No breathing either.
Zell hung his shoulders and looked down at his friend. Tears began to fall down his cheek. He turned to Selphie and shook his head. She gasped and began to sob uncontrollably just like Rinoa.
When Rinoa heard this she knew.
He was gone
"NO!" She screamed as she ran back over to Squall's body. She put him in a sitting position and began to hold him close to her as she rocked him softly. "Please Squall! Wake up! Wake up Squall! I love you Squall, please wake up!" She began to sob out.
It was no use
Squall Leonhart was gone.
He was dead.
The worst part is this,
He never got to tell Rinoa,
He loved her too.
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