Dark Kiss

(Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Final Fantasy 8 and they belong to whoever owns them.)

The stars shone like diamonds in the midnight black sky. The rain fell like jewels. Ellone knew if she took one step out she would be drenched. She went anyways. The woman lifted her face to the sky, savouring the refreshing feeling. In the distance she saw a figure stumble and then struggle to get up. She ran in the stranger's direction, and helped the familiar face get up.

" You shouldn't be out here," she said, smiling. " It's after curfew."

The man said nothing, causing Ellone to look at him with surprise. He appeared pale, paler than usual. She touched the side of his face.

" You're so cold..."

He finally looked at her, then held his head in his hands.

" No..." he whispered. " I...I can't...."

" Are you all right?" Ellone asked. She held onto the mans shoulders. In response he slowly lifted his head, then grabbed Ellone.

" What....what are you doing?" she cried out. She turned her face, afraid to look at his. Something was wrong.

The Next Day

Zell swore, then shuffled to the table.

" Out of hotdogs?" Selphie asked. She was about to take a bite out of her own when Zell grabbed it from her, finishing it in two bites. " Hey!"

Zell yelped as Selphie kicked him, then took her seat at the cafeteria table. At that moment, Quistis walked in slowly appearing worn out and grim. She took a seat at the table and looked at Zell then Selphie with tears in her eyes.

" Ellone...was found dead this morning."

Silence hung over the three like a suffocating fog. Selphie began to cry and Zell held her.

" How did she die?" Zell asked quietly.

Quistis took a deep breath in and spoke quietly. " Massive blood loss. Rinoa found her just outside the Garden."

" How is Rinoa feeling?"

" Not good. Squall and Irvine are with her right now," Quistis sighed. This was going on too fast, too sudden. She couldn't recall any type of monster with the ability to cause close to complete blood loss. So was it a case of murder? She hadn't seen the body herself; Ellone had been taken away minutes after the discovery.

" I'm going to go see Rinoa, " said Selphie, getting up. Zell followed leaving Quistis lingering behind for awhile but then joining them as well.

~~~~

Continuing to cry in Squall's arms, Rinoa tried to accept what had happened, what she had seen but it was becoming increasingly overwhelming. Rinoa held onto Squall tighter, not wanting to ever let go. Over and over again the same scene repeated itself in her mind; Ellones delicate, fragile body lying directly in front of the head gate, lifeless.

" Squall..." Rinoa whispered. " She was so young...so innocent...why did this have to happen to her?" She gazed up to meet with her boyfriend's blue eyes. "Why?"

" I...I don't know..." A single tear ran down Squall's cheek and he brushed it away with the back of his hand. He had cared for Ellone more then anything; possibly he cared for her more then he cared for Rinoa. She was the only family he had. It was a blow to the head losing her the first time when he was seven; now the pain would be permanent leaving a scar that would never fade, a wound that would never heal.

Irvine remained silent, standing near the window in Rinoa's room. Squall remembered how Ellone was the one who taught Irvine the skill of attracting butterflies. He held Rinoa tighter.

A knock was heard on the door and Irvine answered the call.

" How is she?" Selphie whispered. She struggled to look over her boyfriend's shoulder so she could see how the princess was coping with her startling discovery. Irvine motioned for the three SeeD's to come in, remarking that Rinoa has been better. Noticing the visitors, Rinoa plunged into Selphie's arms, sobbing and saying words that no one could deceiver. Selphie stroked her hair and comforted her while Quistis motioned for Irvine, Squall and Zell to meet with her outside of the dorm room. Once the door was closed behind them, she began to talk.

" The question here is who did this and how," she stated. The boys remained silent. " We will have to track down that creature and kill it," Now Quistis was trembling. "Whatever did this is mad and deranged. It must be stopped at all costs!" Irvine put his arms around the instructor, struggling to calm her down.

" Quisty, we've all been affected by this, you can't be so hasty."

" I agree with Quistis," Squall said abruptly. Anger began to boil inside of him, extinguishing the sorrow. He vowed to make Ellone's killer pay.

" So where do we start?" Zell asked, leaning against the smooth wall.

" The attack was at night, so I'm assuming another attack may happen again at night as well."

" What makes you so confident that this killer will strike again?" Zell narrowed his eyes.

" One victim is never enough," Quistis said, feeling purely confident. " We shall stake out the Garden from dusk until dawn. Is that understood?"

The boys nodded and from this, Quistis turned on her heals, sauntering out of the dorms.

~~~~

The Garden was in a stir. News regarding Ellone has traveled fast through the mouths of the teenaged Garden cadets and now everyone was in knowledge of what had happened. Squall winced as he walked through the buzzing halls of the Garden, rubbing his sore arm from the shot the new infirmary doctor had given him. Squall hadn't felt sick over the past month yet everyday the doctor had insisted that Squall be given the shots.

" You have a terrible virus in your blood, Squall," He had stated. " If it spreads, you may become severely ill or worse, perhaps even die. The best option that you can choose is for you to come here daily so I can inject you with the medicine required to cure this illness."

If there was anything Squall hated, it was being sick. Luckily, that rarely happened. Until now.

Zell came bounding down the hallways, disrupting Squalls train of thought.

" You ready for the stake out?" he asked, expression serious. Squall nodded and Zell continued. " Quistis told me to inform you about the whereabouts of our stations. Irvine is guarding the Infirmary to the dorms. I've got the other side. Quistis is outside and you're assigned to the second floor."

When finished, he left Squall to his post. Zell had only gone a few steps when he heard Squall cry out. Squall was gripping the worn side of a bench and was keeled over.

" Squall, what's the matter, man?" Zell dropped down beside Squall and struggled to lift him up.

" I feel dizzy but I can still go, " Squall protested while gasping. He got up and took one step forward before collapsing on the polished floor.

~~~~