Okay, here's a new one from me that I will be working on along with Life Less Ordinary. I may throw in another one, too, and make it a story trio task. I'll see how everyone reacts to this one first. This story is highly different from Life Less Ordinary, and it may not appeal to everyone, but read and review and tell me what you think. Okay? Great!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. It belongs to Square, not me.

The Force That Divides Us

Prologue

"Bad News"

He stared at the envelope in his hands, afraid to open it. The letter was from General Caraway; he'd recognized the signature. What bad news could be contained within this envelope? Instead of opening the letter, he opted to observe the envelope. It was white, a blinding, bleached white about nine inches long and about four inches wide. It had an almost musty smell to it, and he could picture the General writing this personally. The writing on the envelope was done in solid, thick black ink, and it was evident that work had been put in to make the appearance of the letter absolutely perfect. That meant that its contents were extremely important, but he only continued to stare at it, having no desire to read the bad news within. He wasn't guessing that it contained bad news; he knew for a fact.

"Are you going to stare at it all day, or are you going to open it? I was told to give it to you personality, so it must be important." Headmaster Cid Kramer stood leaning against the door, watching his Commander sit at his desk with the envelope.

"Why would I want to read bad news?" The Commander asked politely, looking up to his superior. The Headmaster frowned and walked to the desk.

"And what makes you think its bad news?" he demanded.

"The neatness of the handwriting on the envelope, the signature on the back, and the fact that you were told to hand it to me personally. That's how I know." He dropped it onto the desk and pushed himself away from it.

"You can't runaway from it forever. Sooner or later you're going to have to open it. Who knows, maybe it's not as bad as you think. You could just be paranoid or reading into this too deep. Hyne knows I do it all the time. Now come on, Commander, open the letter!" Cid exclaimed, finding his patience with he young Commander's stubbornness running thin. After all that trouble he went to, promising General Caraway that no one would see that letter except for the Commander, and the boy wasn't even going to open it!

"Later. I don't have the heart to open it and see the bad news." He stood and moved to the door but stopped. His eyes glanced back and rested on the envelope that still remained on the center of the desk. An overwhelming urge hit him to walk over there and rip it open. He had to fight himself to retain his self-control. His eyes lingered on it for a moment longer before he headed to the door again. Cid stood in his way and refused to allow him to pass.

"Commander…Squall. Promise me that you will open and read that letter. You need to know what's happened." Cid set his hands on Squall's shoulders. He stared Squall down seriously. The young Commander nodded, saluted, and removed himself from the office and headed down to the Cafeteria.

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"Commander, what am I going to do with you?" Cid asked, watching Squall's retreating figure walk down the hall to the elevator.

"When's he's ready, he will open it." Edea appeared at his side and rested her hands tenderly onto his shoulders. "Something tells me that he already knows." She, too, watched him enter the elevator and descend to the first floor. "You cannot push him. All in due time. He will open it in due time, my dear."

"Yes, I know. I just believe that he should not shall. This is important. He needs to know the truth." Cid said sadly.

"I know, dear. But the truth was lost long ago. All he will learn will be the facts. The truth he must uncover himself. And that will be a difficult process, even if he does choose to try. He may not even have the desire to know."

"I don't know what he'll have the desire to do. He certainly has changed. It worried me that he has lost the desire and determination to do anything, and this news may just keep him continued on that level. I don't want to see him lose what he had fought so hard for. I am afraid for him, Edea." Cid reached up and took Edea's hand in his own.

"He can handle anything, dear. He is strong." Edea smiled, reassuring her husband. "You jus have to let him do this on his own. He must prove to himself that nothing can change his will. He will be able to handle it. Yes, he will hurt, but it will make him stronger."

"I just don't want him to bottle himself up again and become that cold loner he once was. I don't want him to become a shadow of himself." Cid sighed and shook his head.

Edea didn't respond but patted his shoulder gently before heading to the elevator herself. She had other business in the Garden and left Cid to return to his own work and his worried thoughts. He knew he had to let Squall face this new challenge on his own, but it was so hard. The boy was like a son to him, and he found it difficult to not interfere.

Cid sighed again and returned to his office, making a mental note to be sure to tell Xu that he was unavailable for the rest of the day.

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Squall walked into the Cafeteria to find it empty, save for one table in the back corner. After grabbing a cup of hot, black coffee, he walked to that table to join the people he called friends.

"Squall!" Selphie exclaimed happily, seeing him approach the table. She giggled and smiled brightly. Her endless energy was just that-endless.

"Hi, Selphie." He answered her quietly, raising his coffee cup to acknowledge her and said nothing else.

"Good morning, Commander!" Xu said with almost as much excitement as Selphie. Again, Squall raised his cup but that was all.

"Yo', Commander!" Zell punched the air twice before shoving a full-loaded ketchup and mustard hotdog down his throat.

"Good morning, Squall. How's work?" Quistis raised her won cup to Squall, smiling warmly at him.

"Work." Squall replied. Quistis chuckled.

"Hey, Squall! Guess who's coming for the training seminar?" Selphie smiled again. She was just bubbling with excitement. Squall didn't say anything, so she continued. " Irvine!" She clapped her hands together happily. "It'll be like the gang's all here again!"

"Yeah, but the gang won't be all here. We're still missing someone." Zell pointed out. Everyone changed face immediately, and the excited, happy mood was now out the window.

"I know, but…" Selphie ran her finger around the rim of her glass. She focused on the glass and didn't make eye contact with anyone. It still hurt. "I miss Rinny." She whispered, and everyone heard her.

"So do I." Zell agreed. Quistis and Xu nodded in agreement with both of them.

" Irvine won't be staying long, will he?" Squall asked suddenly. Everyone looked up in shock at him, but his expression never changed. He still wore his look of complete seriousness. "He has important duties in Galbadia now, does he not?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm sure he'll stay as long as he can. It's only a one day seminar so he'll probably stay for a few more days. He may even come early. I'm not sure." Selphie shrugged and scratched her head unsurely.

"Right. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Squall acknowledged them again before departing the cafeteria. He needed to keep his guard up before his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He was still tender, still susceptible to pain. He walked out of the Cafeteria, but he wasn't sure where to go from there. He couldn't go back to work. The letter still tormented him all the way down here. He could just picture it lying on his desk, drawing all the attention to its bleached, rectangular outside. He knew what it said on the inside. He knew hat there would be nothing good that it contained. How could there be? The signs all pointed to the negative effect of doom.

He sighed and found his feet moving him to the Quad, another deserted area. He maneuvered through the Ballroom to the balcony that brought him both good and bad memories. Nothing had changed here. The view was still perfect, and the wind ruffled through his hair just like it always had. He leaned against a pillar, looking out to the balcony. He was almost fearful to step onto the vine-covered concrete. His eyes looked over the area, and he could picture the scene that happened so long ago right before him. She had stood against the railing, watching the dark night sky. Ultimecia had just been defeated, and the world was at peace again. It was warm that night, and there had been a breeze. Her duster floated behind her while her hair waved in the wind. She had always looked so beautiful then, but she had always been so beautiful. There had been a lot of bright stars, too. The sky had been filled with them, but now, there weren't so many of them. And he had stood beside her, just watching her. They both saw the shooting star and shared their private joke before they shared their first kiss.

A sigh escaped his lips as he was brought back to reality. The sun blared down on him, interrupting the picture he knew so well and missed. He was not at the night after Ultimecia was defeated and everything was perfect. He was there on a morning more than two years after the incident. Perfect was not the word that best described the time now. He sighed again and turned his back on the memory and his past. His footsteps echoed throughout the Ballroom as he approached the exit. He stopped before he reached his destination, however. Turning, he saw the crowds of well-dressed people and the new SeeDs floating across the well-lit, beautifully decorated dance floor. He saw himself leaning against the far wall with a glass in his hand and a scowl permanently plastered onto his face. And then he saw her walk to him in that short, cream-colored dress. She conned him onto the dance floor, and they shared their first dance together. The song had been Waltz to the Moon. He knew he would never forget that song.

Squall closed his eyes and re-opened them again. The music, the laughter, and the people were all gone. The ballroom remained dark and dusty like always. He couldn't hide the pain he felt and was glad that he was alone. The emotion ripped through him like thousands of knives, but the pain brought by those memories was far beyond comparison. He forced himself to walk to the exit, never looking back, but he swore he could hear the last few measures of the waltz as he left.

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"Irvy!" Selphie shrieked, nearly knocking the table over as she saw Irvine Kinneas enter the Cafeteria. She ran to him immediately and he waited to pull her into a great bear hug.

"Well, hey, there pretty lady." He smiled and tipped his hat to her once she was back on her feet. She beamed up at him and giggled like a young school girl.

"Hello, Irvine! You're here early." Quistis stood and walked over to welcome the cowboy. She, too, received a big hug.

"Yeah, I know. I figured I'd come a few days early and see what you guys were doing without me. Not working too hard, eh?" Irvine raised the hat again and grinned before looking around the nearly empty Cafeteria. "Speaking of which, where's Squall?"

Quistis and Xu looked at each other with knowing smiles before returning their attention to the man before them again. "Working." They answered together.

"Same as always, man. Ya shouda known that." Zell laughed, and Irvine nodded as Selphie pulled him over to the table.

"He still bummed out?" He asked, flopping into a chair and draping one arm over the back.

"He's gotten better." Quistis tried to sound positive, but the sadness and worry made their unwanted appearance, like always.

"That bad, huh?" Irvine frowned. He had hoped there had been at least some change in Squall's behavior since he left. Apparently, there hadn't been much.

"No, he has changed. Yes, he's still a little tender, but he has become more open with his feelings, even if it isn't drastically. He's still a working process." Quistis reassured Irvine, who said nothing.

"We should be thankful he isn't suicidal. At least he has more sense than that." Xu added.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Quistis frowned again. Her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose as she looked down into the black substance that was her coffee.

"Hey, Irvy! You're around Deling City, right? I mean, being in Galbadia Garden, you've probably heard news of stuff that's been going on, right?" Selphie asked suddenly with over-excitement. She had an idea.

"Most of the stuff. Yeah, why?" Irvine failed to see what she was talking about.

"Well, have you heard any news from Rinny? Or even about her? Has there been anything?" she grabbed his arm and shook it ferociously, demanding an answer from him.

"Uh…um…" But he couldn't figure out how to say this to them. They should've known by now. It's been almost three weeks since… he shook his head. No, he wouldn't lie to them. They had a right to know. "There has been some news."

Selphie and the others stared at him eagerly awaiting what news he had brought. He couldn't believe that they were about to find out this way, from him. Someone else should tell them, someone more important than him. He sighed.

"It happened about three weeks ago. Rinoa…"

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Squall entered his dark office undetected by the Headmaster, which was a big relief to him. He didn't want another lecture concerning that stupid…

"Letter!" He whispered as his finger flipped the switch. The first thing he saw was indeed that stupid letter. It still sat on his desk in the dead center just waiting for him to read its terrible contents. As it rested on the desk, he saw it an intrusion, an interruption to his lifestyle. He couldn't work without moving it, but that required touching it, and he knew that if he placed even one finger on the envelope, he would have to open it.

So, instead, he opted to settle in the chair in front of his desk. It was an odd feeling, sitting there in front of his own desk, staring at his chair, viewing things from a different angle. But it didn't matter. No matter what he looked at or saw, he couldn't get the letter out of his line of vision. He could be staring at something, and he would still see the letter there in the corner of his eye. He couldn't escape from it. It was becoming a permanent intrusion on his life. There was only one way to make it go away, but he couldn't bring himself to actually reach over and pick it up. No, he couldn't do that simple action of taking it in his hands. It was like if he even tried to touch it, it would burn him like fire or plunge poisonous venom into his veins, spelling out certain death for him.

"Why am I scared… of a piece of paper?" he asked himself quietly. But there was no answer for him except the most obvious one. There was bad news contained inside that envelope, and he was scared of what it would read. He knew he couldn't handle any more bad news. He was too fragile as it was. He knew his heart and emotions were his greatest weaknesses, and those weaknesses had already been plundered by another. All he had left was to guard himself from any more potential threats that could break him even more.

So he just stared at it, fighting the urge to open it. He never moved, never spoke, only stared. His cold eyes ripped it to shreds in his mind, destroying it before it could destroy him. But he could wait, too. He would hold out as long as he could. His will had to be stronger than his mind and body. After all, he still had something to prove.

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The dark clouds that had been circling around Balamb finally opened up and large raindrops began to fall, saturating the dry earth. A young girl escaped the soon-to-be downfall as she sprinted through the gates of the Garden. No one was there as she approached the entrance hall. The rain outside began to quicken, and the sounds could be heard against the sides of the Garden. The young girl was relieved that she hadn't gotten stuck outside that mess. She viewed her surroundings as a wave of excitement flowed through her. She had never seen a Garden before. Everything she saw fascinated her, and she wanted to see and know more. Could this magnificent place...be her new home? The thought thrilled her.

Reaching down, she grabbed the only two bags she had with her. Since she was basically starting a new life, she didn't need much to get her on her way, just a few trinkets and some clothes were enough to keep her happy.

"Where to go now?" she asked herself. Her curious eyes scanned the entrance hall again and again for any signs of someone who might be able to direct her in the right direction, but still, there was no one. The whole place was deserted. "Humph!" she sighed and decided there really wasn't any point to waiting around a people-less area all day. She, instead, decided to improvise. There had to be an office somewhere, and by golly, she was going to find it!

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How long had he been sitting there now? Squall was unsure. He just continued his statue-like stare with no intention of changing his course of action. He knew what he was doing was obviously silly and very childish, yet it gave a sort of satisfaction, almost like a vent to his anger and frustration. His overwhelming pain was still there, though. He doubted if that would ever completely go away. The scar would still be there, reminding him of his past failure.

Even though there was no real evidence that he had done anything wrong, he still considered this whole mess to be just another one of his failures, another mistake he made that caused someone else important in his life to leave him. He should have just stuck with his original theory, and then none of this would have ever happened. He should've just made it very clear to everyone that he was better off on his own. No one can hurt you if you're alone, right?

Squall shook his head as his eyes slipped down to the floor. What sorry shape I'm in. he thought to himself. He was pathetic, no doubt about it, but he'd been this way for almost two years now...

He shook his head again more forcibly this time to get the bad memory out of his mind. He didn't need to remember the details. He had the bare-boned facts, and that in its self, sufficed enough for him.

He pushed himself off the chair and grabbed the envelope from its resting place. He was done being childish. There was nothing to gain from it but a headache.

Walking around the desk, he ripped the envelope open, sending a thin strip of paper flying. Inside, there was nothing but a sheet of bleached-white lined paper complete with a single paragraph of black- inked writing.

As he read the letter, his heart shattered into a thousand, emendable pieces. He shook his head as he read that one, painstaking line over and over in disbelief. He fell into his chair with his eyes still glued to the paper and its contents. He stared at it for several more minutes before letting the paper fall from his hands onto the desk. A single tear fell from his eyes as he read the entire letter one last time.

To Commander Squall Leonhart,

It is with great pain that I write to you bad news. As you may already know, there have been conflicts with the Galbadian Government as of late. It is even more unfortunate that I must report that Rinoa Heartilly, my only daughter, has been involved in such conflicts. Several months ago, she helped an organization known simply as the Underground rebel against the President. She, along with other members of this organization, were caught and arrested, Now brings me to the worst news of all. Exactly two weeks ago, the trial was held, and Rinoa was found guilty and executed. I apologize that you are being informed so late; the shock is still too great. Rinoa has been buried alongside her mother, and may her young soul rest in peace.

My Sympathies,

General J.F. Caraway

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Headmaster Cid Kramer held both of Edea's hands in his as he watched Squall take the bad news. The young Commander's hand released the letter, and he pushed himself away from it. The obvious display of pain and sadness rested on his features. Headmaster Cid witnessed a tear fall from his face, and he was immediately filled with regret of giving the Commander the letter. It was going to kill him, drive him further into depression. He had managed to hide his problem, act normal to a certain extent, but now, the headmaster feared that this would hurt him beyond repair. Discovering the death of a loved one was no laughing matter. It could hurt beyond repair.

"He's not going to make it, is he?" Cid asked of his wife who watched the young man she had helped raise with sad eyes. She considered Squall a child of her own, as she did all the children she had raised at the orphanage. She felt and understood his pain, but she could only pray that he would not wander too far from the light of hope.

"I certainly hope he will. This is another painful, wounding moment in his life. At first, he will be very depressed and even angry, but he will overcome this. He must. It is imperative that he survives these rough times. He is a leader, and he must show that he is strong enough to prevail even when his world has been turned upside-down. I am sure that he can get through this, but it will take everyone to make sure that he does not hurt himself or others. Depression can be an ugly thing." Edea relied very sadly as she continued to watch him.

"Yes. I will make sure that everyone knows to be there as a strength for him. We cannot afford to lose him." Cid released his wife's hand and turned in the direction of the elevator.

"There is a fine line between support and pity. Make sure that everyone understands that. Pity will not strengthen him. He does not need pity but the support of friends and comrades." Edea warned her husband. He stopped and nodded, understanding her words before leaving the floor to find the others.

Edea turned back to Squall. He was not taking this news well, but who could blame him? He had just received the news of the death of a woman he cared deeply about. It was impossible to take news of this magnitude well. It had to be too painful to bear.

"Be strong, my child. Be strong. The truth is not always what it may seem." Edea whispered quietly before gracefully retreating in the same direction as her husband.

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The young still stood in the entrance hall. She was lost, unsure as to where she would find this office.

"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, looking around for anyone who might know where to direct her. Still, there was no one. "Why couldn't they tell them I was coming? Grr!" she stomped her foot impatiently, nearly knocking over her bag that stood close behind her.

The elevator that stood at the top of the stairs opened suddenly, revealing an older man with glasses, looking very distinguished in his old age. The young woman determined immediately that he looked like a worthy fellow to ask for directions.

"Excuse me! Sir!" she left her bags where they sat and ran up the stairs to him. He waited patiently for her to reach him. "Excuse me, sir, but I'm new here. Could you please direct me to the main office where I could perhaps obtain my schedule?" she asked kindly.

The older man nodded, smiling kindly at her. "Certainly. Take this elevator to the third floor. Someone should be able to help you there. I hope you enjoy your stay here at Balamb Garden." He bowed to her and then excused himself, descending down the stairs to his destination, leaving her there.

"Well, gee, thanks," she rolled her eyes and returned to the place where she had left her bags. "Next time, tell them I'm coming ahead of time." She growled to no one in particular before grabbing her bags and proceeding back up the stairs to the elevator.

She followed the old man's instructions and arrived at the third floor and immediately laid eyes on a woman she knew very well: Edea Kramer.

"Edea!" she dropped her books and hurried over to the woman, who opened her arms to her.

"Alexis!" Edea wrapped her arms around the young girl and hugged her tightly. "You look so well!" she stepped back to take a look at her and smiled warmly in seeing, indeed, that she was well.

"So do you! Oh, Edea! It's been so long!" she hugged the woman again, evidently ecstatic to see her.

Edea and Alexis talked for several minutes before Edea escorted Alexis to the first floor again and into the Cafeteria to meet some members of SeeD and get her schedule.

Alexis Dormait, at this time, was a young girl of fifteen who had come to Balamb Garden after the death of her parents, or rather, that's what she told everyone. Alexis' intentions for coming to Balamb may have been for other reasons, but she told everyone it was because she had nowhere else to go. Alexis was about five three with long, luscious brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail with the exception of a strand of hair that fell across her left shoulder. This style was her trademark, and it could always be seen in plain sight no matter in what style she wore her hair. Alexis was a very down-to-earth kind of girl, and she always had a simple way of doing things. In a way, she reminded people of Rinoa, and some wondered if she had known her better than she revealed. In fact, there was a connection between Rinoa Heartilly and Alexis Dormait, but the nature of that relationship shall remain disclosed until the proper time comes to reveal it.

Alexis, soon after moving into Balamb Garden, passed her SeeD test and joined the team under Squall's command as the fifth and final member. From then on out, Alexis remained with this team and had an effect on everyone on that team including Squall.

After the news of Rinoa's death and the arrival of Alexis, five years passed without much incident. The conflicts in Galbadia continued until war finally broke out within the country, and that is where our story begins...

A/N: This is the prologue for my new story that I hope you guys will like. It's an action adventure with a little romance. R&R please and Later Days!!! (Yes, it's still here!)