Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy 8; it is the property of squaresoft. No money has or will exchange hands. However all original characters and story lines are mine. Thanx.

This is the follow up to 'how we came to be' but it's not essential to read that one first. It's set seven years after the game and four years after the last story. I hope you al enjoy it and please let me know what you think.

Silent hope.

By Arami Heartilly

"No!" she screamed, determined not to loose the fight, Her husband or their lives there.

It didn't seem possible for him to be doing the things that he was.

He stood before them with blood dripping from the gash in his left arm and his now broken nose with a sadistic smile on his crimson stained lips. Raising his hand he made it perfectly clear what his intentions were and as he out stretched his fingers in Squalls direction all three opposing 'him' knew this could be the end.

A jolt shot up through the air, still connected to his finger, that latched onto Squalls chest pulling him closer to the enemy and draining his life force with each blue pulse that ran along the beam.

"Irvine stand back!" Rinoa shouted as she found the strength within her to counteract whatever the man in front of them was doing to cause Squall so much pain. His body was visibly shaking before her and the sight pushed her to the limits of her powers.

The sharp shooter did as he was told, although he worked on finding something to cure Rinoa as he did, he couldn't tell what her condition was but her behaviour warranted some form of help.

Concentrating all the strength she could gather and inwardly thankful for Irvine's help, Rinoa pushed her own hands forwards with one hand behind the other and sent a combination of Holy and Flare in his direction. It was something she was sure had never been done before - not even by other sorceresses throughout history, but she reasoned that they'd never experienced what she had. They hadn't loved like she loved Squall.

The magic caught 'him' off guard and he slammed into the tree just behind his position. The blue beam snapped violently with the shock and sent Squall in the opposite direction.

"You Bitch!" he snarled, leaning forwards and wiping the blood from his mouth, smearing it across his blackened face as he did.

"Sorceress actually." She retorted, looking to her left to see her husband knocked out on the hard, dry soil and noticing a red flash in front of her. It took a moment to realise that Irvine had thrown a shell stone in her direction and she made a mental note to thank him when this was all over.

By now their enemy had manoeuvred himself into a position against the tree and Rinoa couldn't make out what he was doing. There was some sort of screen around him.

The sound of gun fire filled the air, Irvine was taking his best shot and by all accounts was doing some damage, just not much at all and it worried Rinoa as she tried to bring Squall back to consciousness. It worked but just barely and did little to calm the panic that she felt inside her being. We have to get out of this, he has to...

"Rinoa, his powers are building, we have to do something!" turning she saw Irvine standing with his gun aimed at 'him', the damage he suffered earlier in the battle evident in the deep wound on his right thigh and his blackened coat.

"He's... taking everything we have, power, agility – we have to bind him somehow." Squall put in, regaining his position in the battle and standing strong despite his wounds.

But there was no time for it, all three of them were hit with a force they couldn't see or explain and it sent them to the ground – keeping them there. He appeared once again, hovering slightly above them with his orange eyes staring down at Rinoa. Master of invisibility then. Came the whisper from her inner thoughts and it seemed that he was capable of magic that she was sure didn't exist to them, right now however her priority was escaping alive and not analysing the situation.

So by using what little strength she still had she reached for one of the blades on her shooting star and snapped it. Holding it in her hand with the other arm around her waist, using the rest of the pinwheel to shield her. She couldn't tell if Squall and Irvine were still alive as all she could see was right in front of her.

"Sorceress or not, bitch. It still ends here." He taunted leaning right over her until she could feel his breath on her face.

"Not for me." And as she spoke she drew the sharp end of the small blade up and across his throat, pressing harder and harder as he cried out in pain until eventually he fell away from her and collapsed on the ground, breaking apart as he did so until there was nothing left.

She had done all that she could do and now, as her mind slipped into unconsciousness her thoughts were of her husband Squall, she needed him and she had so much more to tell him...

Irvine crouched over his unconscious friend, her black hair half across her face and her broken weapon shielding her body. Her other arm lay limp at her side although her fingers were still clutching the small broken blade as if somehow the battle wasn't over yet or she still felt the need to protect herself.

"Rinoa wake up, come on." He said, tapping her face to try and get a response – but none came.

Squall was cold, still breathing but his pulse was faint and this only served to worry Irvine even further, he'd taken the most damage in their long battle. More so because of the unexpected and unprepared for nature of the fight.

He'd sent out a call for help but this latest fight had been unexpected so the chances of anyone actually arriving in time and saving his unconscious friends was looking pretty slim. To make it worse there was nothing he could do – phoenix downs weren't working and magic was unavailable, whatever they had been fighting was stronger than anything they had ever faced before.

"IRVINE?!!" somebody called out from a little way further into the forest than he was.

"OVER HERE!" he shouted in reply, silently thanking whatever god was out there for their help.

A few seconds later he was joined by three figures, one of which he recognised.

"Selphie!" she ran to him and held him so close he could hardly breath; she only released him when she heard his wheezing and when she'd stepped back the look on her face showed her deep concern.

"As soon as we heard we came to find you, what the hell happened to you three?" She asked, looking back to where the medics were dealing with her friends.

"You know those strange attacks that have been going on, reports of an invisible creature that's been killing people randomly?" he asked and the small brunette nodded as she took a firm hold on his free hand.

"Yeah, SeeD were informed of it, but that's not why you were out here – there hasn't been any mention of anything like that in this area." Selphie told him, there was a group of SeeD's investigating it in northern Galbadia – they were on the eastern part of the continent and their area was supposed to be clear.

"Well there are now, only the guys dead – that is if there's just one of them. We hardly stood a chance; Rinoa was the one who eventually managed to kill it." He looked to where his friends were now being carried off on hovering stretchers. "'He' got us good, whoever he was, we didn't exactly get a good look at him. But he did have dark hair and orange eyes and damn was he strong. Squall was affected the worst and I don't know about Rinoa."

"But you're ok?" she asked, as they started to follow the medical team back to their transport vehicle, it wouldn't be long until they were back at their Garden.

"I was out for a while but I'm ok now." It was then that Selphie took a better look at him and saw the wound on his leg; she pulled him closer again as if she believed that would make him all right again.

"Good because if you weren't..." she whispered, not even attempting to sound like her normal cheerful self, she wasn't - right then she was scared, of her friends conditions and of the danger Irvine had just faced.

"If I wasn't then Rinoa and Squall wouldn't be alive right now." His solemn tone deepening Selphies fear who couldn't say anything else, she could only hope.

I know it's a short chapter, but it's more of an introduction really. As always, constructive criticism and positive feed back welcome. Thanx.