Mysterious Kiss

I chose this title for a reason, when you reach the ending of the fan fic you will understand why, and it will make a lot more sense than it does right now. At this point you're probably wondering why I chose this name, maybe not, maybe you already are thinking plots up in your head, lol, I wish I could say the same. I only know the ending I want, I just haven't figured out how I want to get there yet. This is a problem I am often faced with when I'm writing a fan fic. Good beginning, and I know the end, but I have troubles with the middle, XD. I'm playing FF VIII and searching the game guide in order to find something I can use, and proper names that may come up later in the story. Anything that is used directly from the game and or the guide will be documented as sources. And any other anime that gives me an idea will be credited, and people as well. I'm not saying I will find anything from these sources, but if I do I am sure to credit accordingly along with my thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Final Fantasy VIII characters, the only character that is my own creation is Raeannon Langley, for now unless I decide to create more, which I doubt.

Chapter One: A destined encounter

How many years has it been? Three, maybe more, time really didn't mean anything to Squall anymore. Since they had defeated Ultimacia, and Squall had watched his love die in his arms. What else was there to think about? Nothing else got through, no one else got through. Squall let her memory haunt him day by day as he became colder on the outside. Colder than he had ever been before he met her now that he was alone without her. Waking up to another day, he cursed the rising sun; for each day that passed was another day he wouldn't see her smiling face. The gloves on his hands would never come off again; he would never feel her skin again. The world felt incomplete without her in it, and it was tearing him apart everyday.

Walking from his dormitory, he heard people acknowledging him "Commander" they said abruptly and saluted him. Since Ultimacia's defeat, he was placed in charge of all SeeDs and battle strategies. Squall only nodded in response, and continued down through the halls of the Garden until he reached the lobby, finding Zell, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine. They all said hello, Squall not particularly interested, said "Hello" in his dark brooding voice. The group looked at one another, and Quisits spoke up. "Squall, we have a new SeeD coming to the Garden, goes by the name of Rayne, supposedly it's an alias. No one knows her real name, except maybe the Headmaster, which I still doubt." Squall mumbled to himself, he wasn't in the mood to deal with someone new, everyone here knew to stay away from him, and this new SeeD would most likely only get in his way.

"A SeeD who can't even use her real name? She must have something to hide, why did Cid accept her transfer?" Zell looked up to Squall "Man…Cid was the one that requested her to come here, she must have some skills if he wanted her here that bad." Squall shrugged "I suppose we will see when she arrives. When is she planning to make her entrance?" Selphie chuckled and looked down the lobby hall. "Apparently now…"

Irvine was the first to look up to catch a glimpse of the new arrival, and he wasn't disappointed. Selphie hit him over the head "Stop ogling at the girl!" Irvine rubbed his head and chuckled nervously "Sorry love, you know you're the only girl I like to ogle at" He winked with his uncanny knack for charm and Selphie was content. Squall figured he'd have to look at the girl eventually, he looked down the hall, a bit taken aback by what he saw, but if he was he didn't let it show. Rayne walked down the lobby hallway slowly. She was dressed in a strange outfit, though it was not unappealing.

Rayne wore black boots that went up to her calf, and up some ways was a dress that looked much like Selphie's, except it was black and had two white and metal belts that made a lose X around her slim waist. And the outfit had long sleeves that flowed outward at the wrists and a lower neckline. Looking up nearer to her face, Rayne wore a strange necklace; it was a simple silver chain the medallion was the offset piece. It was a circular medallion with a raven rested on top of a sword that was lying on its side. Though no one could read it, on the back of the medallion was a quote. The words said, "Fly away to the sword of your heart." It was from an unknown author, but those words had gotten her through more than one night. Around the girl's shoulders was a long black trench coat which hid something metallic on her side, a sword maybe? Rayne's face was slender, not pale, but not tanned either. Her eyes were a strange shade of violet, a darker violet color. And long black hair flowed around her shoulders. Her whole appearance was ominous looking; it caused everyone to take a second look.

Selphie whispered "She's going to help….us? She looks more like the enemy…Don't you think?" Zell nodded slowly "Yeah, she kinda does." Rayne walked up to the group of five "Which one of you is Commander Leonheart?" Squall stepped forward "I am he." Rayne nodded "Hello, I am Raeannon Langley, Rayne for short." The group looked at each other, whispering the foreign name in confusion. Squall shook her hand with a total look of profession. "Welcome to Balamb Garden" he said dryly. Rayne nodded "Thank-You Commander." With that, Cid came down from the elevator and introduced himself "You must be Rayne! It's good to meet you, Miss..?" Rayne held out her hand to the Headmaster "Miss Langley Sir." Cid nodded "Of course of course. Well, welcome to our Garden, we're very glad for your acceptance to work with us." Shaking her hand earnestly. Rayne forced herself to smile softly. "Yes Sir. Well, when I heard of this Garden's past missions, I figured it would be a place for me to start my SeeD career, so of course I wasn't going to deny your offer." Squall sighed with annoyance. "Well, I can show you around and to your Dormitory."

Zell and Quistis nodded "Well, welcomes, nice to meet you, we're going to go to the library" Together they left, saying no more. Irvine and Selphie were on their way to enjoy a private lunch, so they said their goodbyes and walked outside of the Garden. Leaving Squall, Rayne and the Headmaster who returned to his office to deal with the paperwork of the new SeeD. Rayne looked around "Well, they scamper fast around here" Squall let her comment go un-answered and said "This way" showing her around the Garden. Showing Rayne around the Garden reminded him of Rinoa, when she first came to the Garden. Just as quickly as the thought had come to mind, he let it go; knowing Rayne was nothing in comparison to Rinoa. Rumors flew around the Garden the second Rayne had walked through the front gates, just like she knew they would. There was no mistaking it, she knew it would happen.

With an unknown past made everyone suspicious of her, she really couldn't blame them. Clutching onto her medallion, she sighed. Squall turned around to look at her, his eyes cold "Can you walk faster? I don't have all day." Rayne glared at him "I've heard about you. Supposedly known as "The man with a stone heart" but I don't go around judging you on that, so, I don't suppose you would do the same from the rumors you've heard of me." Squall muttered to himself, acknowledging he had heard rumors, he just didn't know about whom, and now he did, and he was using it against her, and he mutter a half expressed apology and continued with the tour. What was it he had heard? He heard she was the next sorceress, after Rinoa, but that was just stupid, Rinoa would have to have given them to her, but as far as Squall knew Rayne had never met Rinoa…Ever.

Squall had also heard she was dark, mysterious, and probably evil in some sense. He could blatantly see the first two, so suspected the third might be true, and was wary of her. Squall thought to himself 'So, they think I'm a stone heart? I suppose I don't give them reason to suggest otherwise. I guess I was out of line to treat her like a criminal based on rumors.' Showing her to the Dormitories last he said "This is where you'll be staying, you will be assigned an available room later today before the evening I would surmise." Rayne nodded "Thank you for the tour Commander." Squall sighed, hating the constant formality "Since you are a SeeD, call me Squall, I'm tired of hearing Commander, it's making me feel nauseated." Rayne chuckled "I know how that is. At my old Garden, I got the same thing, it gets old and fast." Squall looked up sharply at her "You were a commander at your old Garden?" Rayne nodded slowly "Yes, though I'm not particularly proud of it." Squall, looking confused, went to ask why, but Rayne cut his questions short "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's alright with you, Squall."

Walking to the lobby, she called back to Squall who was not very far behind "I have a meeting with the Headmaster, so, I must cut this short." Squall nodded, as if he cared. Watching her walk up to the elevator, he thought to himself 'Did she just tell me that like she was superior? Am I imagining things? What Garden was she Commander of? Why do I care? Probably some third rate place like Tribia or something' Squall returned to his office to get back to the work he threw himself into since Rinoa's death. Each paper he read over, each summary he wrote, all he could keep thinking of was Rinoa, she kept coming into his thoughts, at a higher rate than normal. Why? Why was he thinking of her so much more now? It was silly to think of Rayne's arrival and Rinoa's constant image in his mind as two combining factors, he shrugged it off as an ironic coincidence and went back to work…

Rayne, on her way to visit the Headmaster sighed "So, that's Squall? What a piece of work that one is, harder to read than Braille" Thinking to herself she smiled 'Rinoa sure knows how to pick them, doesn't she?' Sure, Rayne had never met Rinoa, or Squall, it didn't mean she didn't know their story inside and out. She had a knack for knowing things without being told. Some days it was a gift, some days it was an absolute curse. As the elevator bell dinged, she stepped off and walked to the Headmaster's door, opening a new chapter to her life, leaving the others behind, she wanted to forget about them, lost them forever, though she knew that wasn't ever going to happen. A quick knock on the door and she heard Cid's voice "Come in!" She remembered this voice, for it was the one she would be hearing from now on, she remembered the Garden, for it was the one she would be in until she could not be there anymore, however long that would be. She hoped that her past didn't catch up to her, though she knew it always would, she'd never be able to escape it, and deep down somewhere, she knew that.

((AWWW….so sad. I feel kinda bad for Rayne, don't you! Not to mention Squall, still grieving after three years. –sighs- Yes..this will be a very sad story full of tons of heartache and pain, there will be some humor for comical relief, and then more sadness, maybe even a lemon or two, I don't know how I want this to go yet…Just don't go ahead figuring out pairings before I do lol. I'm always open for suggestions on who you'd like to see hooking up, I'll see if it'll fit into whatever plot I decide to come up with…I normally write on the fly, thinking up plots as I'm writing then edit later XD))