Well, hi again! This is my first fan fiction that I have ever written. It was just fear of putting it up on the site. I hope you all like it. It is extremely long, though. As of now, it is 46 chapters long and running. The first six chapters really suck and I'm working on fixing them. If anyone has any suggestions that might help me with my rewriting, please, I beg you! Help! Anyway, I'll just get on with the story and pray…

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy or Square. If I did, there would be no Seifer Almasy. Mwhahahahahahaha

Time Goes On

Chapter One

Squall opened his eyes, a sharp pain ripped through his side. He groaned.

"Oh, good, you're awake." Dr. Kadowaki said, walking over to Squall's side. "How do you feel?" She asked him. "Okay, I guess." Squall's breath and voice were forced through clenched teeth.

"Squall Leonhart!" Dr. Kadowaki's voice had suddenly grown stern. "This has been your second injury in one year! Am I going to have to reserve a place in here for you?" Squall just shut his eyes, trying hard not to think of the pain in his side. He opened his eyes again and gave her a puzzled look. Dr. Kadowaki started to laugh. Squall was just so different, and the fact that he could never change, was amusing. "I'll let the Headmaster know that you're awake." Dr. Kadowaki left the little room laughing.

Squall sat up, his side aching. Trying to ignore it, he got up and left the infirmary. Squall walked down to the elevator, pushing the button for floor three, and leaned his head against the glass. "Squall! Man, hold the door!" A very familiar voice boomed and a gloved hand separated the closing doors.

"Man, you could've opened the door." Zell Dincht bounded in, breathing hard. Squall just shrugged. For a few moments there was a stiff silence and it seemed that the elevator wouldn't go fast enough.

"Um, so man, how ya feeling?" Zell asked the silent Commander. Once again, Squall just shrugged.

"Hey man, you gonna say something?" Zell asked, desperate.

I don't want to talk to you, Squall thought to himself. The only person I want to talk to isn't here…and isn't ever coming back.

Just those last few words tore at him, but he couldn't help it. They were true.

The elevator finally reached floor three and Squall got off and headed towards Headmaster Cid's office without a single word to anyone.

Zell stepped out, scratching his head. "What's wrong, Zell?" A very hyper Selphie Tilmitt asked. "Nothing, it's just that Squall's become his old, quiet self again and I don't know why." Zell answered her.

"Well, that's a subject we don't want to venture to." Instructor Quistis Trepe replied, coming over with their sharpshooter Irvine Kinneas.

"Whoa, stop right there if you wanna keep your head." Irvine commented.

"Why, what happened?" A very confused Zell asked.

"Well, it's like this: Rinoa left one night, leaving Squall a note saying that she couldn't do it, she couldn't become a SeeD, and he hasn't heard from her since." Irvine looked around to make sure that Squall wasn't near. "And he figures that he can go back to his old self without having to share his feelings or emotions." Irvine finished, looking very proud of himself.

Not thoroughly convinced, Zell asked, "How do YOU know?" But before Irvine could answer, Selphie squealed.

"What! What's wrong!" Quistis asked, rapidly turning around.

"Boy, do I have news for you guys!" Selphie was jumping up and down now.

"What!" Zell asked, extremely excited.

"I promised not to tell, but I just can't hold it in! Just follow me!" Selphie turned and ran into the elevator with everyone following.

Selphie led them to the old, unused dorm across from Squall's. She knocked three times, and they entered.

There, sitting on the bed, with her knees up to her chest, was Rinoa.

"Rinoa!" Zell, Irvine, and Quistis all exclaimed, shocked.

"Hi, guys," Rinoa said weakly.

Rinoa Heartilly, a young, beautiful girl of eighteen, was very pale and her black hair was sticking to her face. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained with tears.

"Rinoa, you're back. But I thought you…?" Zell couldn't finish his sentence, he just ran over and gave her a warm, welcoming hug. "Welcome back."

"Does Squall know you're here?" Quistis asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, please, don't say anything." Was Rinoa's reply.

"What made you decide to come back?" Irvine asked, also giving her a welcoming hug.

Rinoa sighed, so many things had happened that it made it hard to put to words.

"I made a mistake." Rinoa began her long story. "I left because I got scared that Squall would be sent away from me on some crazy mission and that I'd never see him again. This thought terrorized my dreams for weeks until I couldn't put up with it anymore." Rinoa paused. "So I decided to leave, just on a little vacation. I was coming back, I kept telling myself. But then it occurred to me. I wasn't going to come back. So I just wrote Squall a note and left." Tears were swelling up in her eyes now. "I thought it would be for the best, but it wasn't. that was the biggest mistake I ever made. Being that far away from you all and Squall just terrorized me more. I was in pain. Everyday that I was away, I could feel my heart cracking even more. I was miserable. So miserable that I went to Laguna for help. Even he noticed. He contacted Cid about a day after I arrived. He calmed me down, while he and Cid worked on a plan. A plan to keep me useful and at Balamb Garden. Edea was the one who came up with an idea. They said that since I wouldn't be a SeeD, why not make me a personal assistant to Cid and Squall? That way, I'd still be around and useful at the same time. But I have made a decision. I will train to become a SeeD while I work for Cid and Squall as their assistant. I will become a SeeD for him. I will set aside my thoughts towards SeeD." Rinoa stopped to wipe the tears away. "But I saw a problem. What if Squall was so angry with me that he didn't want me here? Laguna quickly pushed the question from my mind and told me not to worry." Rinoa paused again and looked out the window towards the beach. Tears poured down her cheeks. "But I am worried. That's why I can't tell him I'm here yet. I can't find a right time and I'm scared to death that if he's sent on a mission, I'll never see him again if something should happen." Rinoa buried her face in her knees and cried.

They could easily see that this was tearing her apart.

"Rinoa, it's all right." Quistis put her arms around the quivering girl, soothingly.

"But what if he gets hurt? I wouldn't be able to bear it!" Rinoa cried through sobs.

"I'm sure he won't get hurt." Selphie said, patting Rinoa on the back.

"Yeah, I'm sure he wouldn't try that again. Two injuries are plenty." Zell rambled off. Then, suddenly realizing what he said, covered his mouth.

"Zell!" Selphie moaned.

"What do you mean? He's gotten hurt again?" Rinoa looked up, frightened.

"No use keeping it from her." Quistis said, with an evil look at Zell. Selphie and Irvine nodded in agreement. Zell looked disgraced.

"Well, yesterday morning," Quistis began. "Squall was training against a Guardian Force, trying to learn some sort of trick with his gun blade when he lost his footing and cut himself deeply in the side. He lost a fair amount of blood and was knocked out for some time. He woke this morning. Dr. Kadowaki took good care of him, so don't worry. He's fine."

"Okay," Rinoa whimpered. For a few moments it was quiet. "Zell," Rinoa said. "You have a big mouth!" She, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine began to laugh. Zell blushed.

A/N: Hi! Sorry about the sucky beginning. This story is my first and I have been working on it since August 23, 2003! It started as just a journal entry for my English teacher, Mrs. West! But then, it became something more! shock! I have been debating over whether or not to post this one, along with a bunch of others I have. So far I will only work on this one and The Last Reality. Tell me what you all think! Please. This is me being brave, so please, don't flame me….excessively. Thanx and Later Days!

-What "Is?"

No, not "Is!" You won't go very far in life without not saying "IS!"

The Knights Who Say Ni, Monty Python.