Hyne Mass
Author's Notes: Since I can't write my Angel of Decadence Christmas Special just yet, here's something else I came up with. Now, we all know that the Final Fantasy VIII world doesn't recognize Christianity, so let us indulge ourselves in Balamb Garden's religious celebration instead. Merry Hyne Mass Day, everyone. Work hard, Study hard, Play hard.
Disclaimer: All names, places, and characters relating to Final Fantasy VIII belong to Square Enix. The plot and original characters belong to me. Since I don't have time to do the usual error-checking process, The 666th Necrophiliac will be beta reading this story.
Description: It's that time of year again. Families gathering together to drink themselves stupid, eat themselves sick, exchange meaningless gifts, and lower their intelligence in religious mass. One great Materialistic, drunken stupor. Oh, how Squall hated this day.
She sat on the side of the bunk, her legs swinging innocently beneath her, running under the steel metal frame of the room's single bed. Looking around, she couldn't help but notice how remarkably larger this room was compared to her own. Perhaps this was a perk of being a SeeD.
Looking around, she also noticed how spotlessly clean the room was. Not a single thing out of place. Not even a stray hair or dust particle littered this den of efficiency. Books and magazines stood to attention on their shelf. Desk was clear, free of stain and clutter. The computer terminal likewise, was clean and currently switched off, as it had been every time she'd seen it.
The white walls; the white ceiling; the sterilized, grey carpeted floor. The chairs, the weapons that lay in their protective cases. Even the bed on which she sat, made up with blankets tucked tightly in with unmistakable precision.
Everything about this place screamed military. It reminded the girl of home. It reminded her of her father. Nobody would have guessed, had they not known better, that this was in actuality, the bedroom of a mere seventeen year old boy.
Rinoa's room currently lay in a shamble. It was smaller, and she had acquired many more possessions than seemed to be in here. How she'd accrued them in such a short span of time was a complete mystery, but there they were, taking up space. Making a mess. The girl would be embarrassed, but Garden's headmaster had given her a single Dorm in the guest wing. It was a single room, like this one, only smaller. It wasn't as though anyone would see it. Aside from her best friend, of course. And Selphie had never said anything about the clutter. After all, her room was no better.
Rinoa looked to the brunet, watching as he paced up and down the room.
"You know," she stated off-handedly, "You're going to wear the carpet out." Almost instantly, the young man stopped and turned to face her, frowning slightly. "And if you keep looking at me like that, you're going to get wrinkles." The young man paused for a moment before finally speaking a single word.
"Whatever." Rinoa's lip curled upward.
"You don't want to ruin that forehead of yours, do you?"
"Ha ha," Squall replied sourly.
"Yikes… forehead jokes not so funny, got it," the girl replied, making a mental note. Was the scar adorning the brunet's face a touchy subject?
The girl's eyes softened. Of course it was. It must have been painful, humiliating. How could she have been so stupid? Sure, Seifer was able to joke about his similar mark, but Squall and Seifer were very different. Two completely different people. That was why…
Rinoa sighed, releasing her pent up breath.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled.
If Squall had heard her apology, he didn't respond. He just continued pacing, that same look of utter bitterness poisoning his neigh unspoiled features.
"Uh… something wrong?" Squall shot a glare at her. Blanching slightly under the intense gaze, Rinoa pushed further. "What's with you today? You're in a worse mood than usual. Which is saying a lot," she mumbled under her breath.
"Whatever."
"Here we go," Rinoa breathed, rolling her eyes. "What's your problem, anyway?"
"You mean other than you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. You keep bothering me. Everywhere I look, you're there. As if this day weren't bad enough, how am I supposed to think strait with you sitting on my bed?"
"Hey! A lot of guys would kill to have me on their bed."
"What-"
"Don't say it," Rinoa cut the brunet off. "What's your problem today, anyway?"
"Take a look at the calendar," the brunette replied.
Rinoa sighed.
"I know what day it is, Squall. I'm not completely clueless. I want to know why you seem to hate it. This is supposed to be a happy day, right? A day where people can forget their differences and celebrate. This celebration is in remembrance of the day that mankind banded together against a tyrant that would have seen us all dead."
"I know the story, I just don't believe it."
"You… don't believe in Hyne?"
"Should I?"
"well, yeah." Squall sneered.
"Nice argument," he replied.
"There's proof of Hyne throughout history! Look at the Sorceress! Look at Adel, and Edea. You've fought a sorceress! You use magic on a daily basis. How can you not believe in it?"
"I have never once used magic," Squall retorted.
"But, I've seen you."
"You've seen me use para-magic. An invention of Dr Odine. A product of science."
"Which he developed by studying a sorceress!"
"So what? I get my magic from guardian forces and monsters, from the moon. Last time I checked the mythology, Hyne wasn't from Lunar World."
"No, he was from this planet, like the sorceress. Like Us. He made us!"
"There has never once been proof of any connection between Hyne and the sorceress."
"What are you talking about? Where do you think magic came from?"
"There are draw-points all over the world, Rinoa. Who knows where they came from? Magical energy has always been a part of this world. Certain people are capable of utilizing it. These people are known as the Sorceress. None of that has anything to do with any kind of god."
"But that's…" Rinoa sighed in exasperation. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"I'd rather that than gullible… It doesn't matter. This day has nothing to do with any of that anyway."
"What do you mean? The celebration is about togetherness, right? Families get together. Everyone gets a holiday."
"Maybe in Timber, but that's not the way things work here."
"Huh? It's not?" Squall shook his head.
"This place is first and foremost a school. Not exactly a place for families."
"So then, what do you guys do?"
"We, as in the majority of the residents here, attend a religious mass run by the head of the Zealot committee. It's a tediousness I'd rather not discuss."
"Uh, the majority?"
"Anyone that has nothing better to do."
"I see… that's it then? No dinner? No gifts?" Squall raised an eyebrow at the remark. Was the girl before him… disappointed?
"After we cleanse our souls and beg forgiveness for our sins, the Zealot committee pass their judgment on us. We grovel at their pedestal-planted feet, work our asses to the grindstone to repurify ourselves, granting us the moral gratification that we so desire… then we celebrate by drinking ourselves to retardation at the after party. Honestly, the entire farce is pathetic." Throughout the brunet's fuming rant, Rinoa noticed that one word in particular jumped right out at her. Her lips suddenly jerked upward.
"After party?" Perhaps this day would turn out to be fun after all. The look on Squall's face was not encouraging. That was always a good sign.
That's it for now. I did intend to upload the entire thing as a one-shot, but it grew too big and I've run out of time. I began too late. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I'll try for daily updates with this story. I think Angel of Decadence started out like that… I have a few chapters drafted, so I'll update this now and try for the second tomorrow, if I have time. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon to help out at my grandmother's house for Christmas. I don't know the plan after that. I'll probably be back in the evening or night of the 25th or 26th.
For those of you that read Trial of the Flesh, I have a sequel drafted. It grew longer than expected, so I've split it in two. I'll proof read and post that after I finish this, then I'll finish the in-progress chapters I have of Feeling Filthy and The Unwanted. Then, when I get those done, I'll be able to get back to my usual stuff, including Daddy's disappointment and two new Star Wars stories.
