Autumn's Wish
By MoonShadow Angel
Chapter One: Miracle Predestined
:Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of Squaresoft/ Square-Enix's characters.
"Rinoa?" Quistis Trepe turned around from the ridiculous paragraphs of equations that she'd written on the board. It was only but half of what she'd intended to do, considering that the chemistry decathlon was less than a month away. Pushing her glasses back, the blonde captain of R.U.E.'s Science Club sighed, "You gotta go home, girl."
Rinoa Heartilly finally looked up from her book. At first she winced, having been distracted from her concentration. Indeed, Shakespeare was very confusing; yet, our raven-haired heroine now thought that he was also profound and rational.
"It's alright, Quisty. I can wait for you." Retracing her last thoughts, Rinoa scanned her book for a while, "I can't believe I thought of cramming English. I mean, Al Bhed was alright. I can always ask for Rikku's tutoring, but Shakespeare…" She rolled her eyes, "What was I thinking?"
"Theater." Quistis plainly stated, so plainly that Rinoa saw something that made her proud of what she'd done. "It is okay to focus more of your energies to acting, Rin. But don't get me wrong. Our university doesn't credit extra-curricular activities alone."
"I know that…but sometimes, you just get carried away." Rinoa closed her book, stuffing it inside her bag. She stood up, apparently aching for a short break. "I'll go get drinks."
Quistis nodded, turning back to the board with her chalk holder partially raised, "Take your time."
"Oh, and Rin—" Rinoa stopped briefly before completely heading to the classroom's doorway. "Yeah?"
"Iced Mocha Latte, please?" Quistis grinned, "Bad habits are hard to break."
The Royal University of Esthar was the A-1 institution for higher learning in the South East. It houses many programs, ranging from the medical, educational, fine arts and even more fields. Aesthetic-wise, it was considered as the prime example of historical architecture blended with contemporary concepts. Every aspiringcollege student would dream of coming to this university, one day, and Rinoa was one of those many.
"Which way to go?" Rinoa thought to herself. It was a question frequently asked by many students. Alongside with the pride and prestige, was the everyday ordeal of choosing where to go, for a vast variety of places can be thought about for everything. And on Rinoa's condition, she was in the hardest of situations: R.U.E. was bombarded with food stalls, cafeterias and kiosks.
"Hey, RIN!" a familiar sing-song voice came, accompanied by a wild waving of an arm, "Where are you going?"
"Selphie! How was your day?" Rinoa smiled and hugged the shorter brunette. The points of her fly-away hair tickled Rinoa's cheeks, but she didn't mind. Rinoa had been used to that since she was four. "I'm going to the food stalls to buy drinks…or even food!" She stepped back as she said, rubbing her tummy. Selphie took hold of her friend's arm, with hers, just like in the old times.
"Have anything particular in mind?" She looked around, her green eyes scanning, "If I were you, better head for the cafeteria instead. It's gonna be pouring soon!"
Rinoa peered at the skies. It was getting a bit gloomy. She was right.
"That's weird." Rinoa mused as the two girls started for the cafeteria not too far away, "I don't remember hearing the weatherman saying anything about rain today."
Selphie chuckled, giving Rinoa a wrinkled nose, "Of course, you didn't, silly!" She gave Rinoa's arm a little slap, "You didn't have time to hear anything! I broke our alarm clock, remember?"
Rinoa froze for a split second before laughing, "Which reminds me to tie you on the night of the University Festival! Damn it, Sefie! Why did you kill that clock!"
Both girls dissolved into laughter when the thought of Selphie, smashing their cute, chubby, yellow chicobo alarm clock while half-asleep sunk in. You can say that it was the liquor doing that, together with the hidden heartache dwelling inside. Just recently, Selphie had broken up with her three year boyfriend. To make the whole story short, it was a case of right love for the wrong guy—a one way relationship, and by the way Selphie smashed the chicobo which (she eventually admitted) resembled her EX's head, you can conclude which end she was in the relationship.
But it was long over for Selphie. It was a whole darn month of self-hatred and abuse, and she can no longer take it. Good thing she had her BFFs/Roomies/Soul Sisters—a.k.a. Quistis and Rinoa.
"Why I killed the clock?" Selphie repeated, with full confidence in her voice, "Let's just say that it was a sign of burying the hatchet."
"Oh, so you mean, you couldn't dig a very deep grave that you had to crush that poor chicobo to make it fit?" Rinoa teased, lightening up the mood, "That is just cruel, Sefie! As if the clock had anything to do with it!"
"Uh-uh! Yes it does!" Selphie pulled Rinoa out of their building. They had to go through the catwalk across the street to get into the cafeteria, which was, fortunately, close to their designated hall. "It was yellow! Just like him!"
Rinoa frowned, "You must have really loved him Selphie. To still like him after knowing that he loves yellow amongst all colors and digs porn movies 24/7." The girls now reached the catwalk, but unlike a while ago, they slowed down their pace.
"You wanna know something Rin?" Selphie whispered after a long pause. The cafeteria's lights were now visible, even illuminating their way at some point. "Before what happened to me and my EX, I believed in destiny. It's just so sad…so sad that my belief had to be taken away."
Rinoa held their arms tighter. She looked at Selphie with compassionate eyes. She knew that Selphie still hurt, and she wanted her to know that she was there to support her.
"But you…" Selphie forced to sound cheerful, but it came out a bit differently at the start, "You still have it, don't you? You still have that whimsical faith in destiny?"
Rinoa nodded, replying quietly, "I think I do."
Selphie grinned happily, "Then good. I know that I'm not in the position to say 'Follow your heart' but that's the way it's done. We learn from mistakes, you know…but…"
"If you're lucky enough to find him in one shot…better be sure not to let him go."
"OH MAN!" Rinoa grumbled to herself as she walked briskly on the sidewalk. For the 'nth' time, she tried keeping her feathered hood in place, but because of the rain and wind, it just stubbornly slipped back, partially covering her vision. She'd be seen gripping both sides of her collar in hope of making it stay still, but alas, to no avail. It was as stubborn as its owner itself.
"How can Selphie keep up with this!" She thought wildly, now regretful that she'd agreed to switch coats with her best friend, and for 'fashion purposes', as the little brunette had claimed. Now, Rinoa was having a hard time seeing much of the pavement. It was either her hair getting wet or not seeing anything at all!
Rinoa continued walking, somehow relieved when a familiar 'Junction Point' sign lit from nearby. Her dorm was five blocks east of the university, but what a long five blocks it was now! Scurrying ahead, Rinoa decided to take a shortcut. If she'd round that corner building right across the street, a narrow trail would veer her straight to their dorm's backdoor. With this plan decided, Rinoa pushed her hood away. She better choose 'her hair getting wet' when it came to her, crossing the street.
"Uhhhhhh…." Something whined, Rinoa clearly heard. She was in the middle of the pedestrian crossing when it occurred to her that it came from a little muddy sack left under the stoplight. Checking all her fours, Rinoa watched it closely as it moved, hearing the soft tingling of bells as it did. Finally, a foot away from the sack, Rinoa stooped down to reach it. She carried it in her arm as she tried loosening its strings up.
And the moment she did, a hairy little head popped out, making Rinoa jump back in sheer surprise, "AH!"
It was the cutest little puppy that Rinoa had ever seen; with just a little care and warmth, she knew the little fellow would be fine in no time.
"TUUUUUUT-TUUUUUUUUT!"
"OH MY HYNE!" Rinoa saw a lady in the sidewalk scream at her, her eyes bulging as she shouted, "LOOK OUT!"
And that was when Rinoa finally saw it: headlights flashed so hard it hurt her eyes. Hyne-damn! She was in the middle of the street, damn it! She was in the middle of the street and she can't move and she was going to die because she was stupid, so stupid that her legs refused to obey her!
Somebody screamed from her back, another in her left. Rinoa was certain: She was going to die, now, with all her blood going to spill in this Hyne-freaking pedestrian crossing! The little puppy in her arms whined again, and that was when Rinoa's heart started pounding in fright! OHMIHYNE! The puppy! Very quickly, Rinoa protectively hugged the sack in her chest, sitting low on her feet. At least one of them was going to survive…
Screeching of tires…Rinoa thought. Any minute now…
BOOM!
"Fuck!" Squall Leonhart growled, hitting the steering wheel with a clenched fist. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he knew there was something important than fretting over his car—the girl he tried evading to run over. Looking over his windshield, Squall made one final sigh of grievance for his hood, and then swiftly glanced to the other way where he remembered seeing the girl last. His entire engine's smoke was making him difficult to spot her, so he went off the car in search for her instead.
She was still shakily sitting on the street when he found her; clenched close, with arms wrapped around her legs, and was very scared. Taking one look at her, Squall found it uneasy to approach her—he wasn't very good at this. He stood there, frozen, staring at her vulnerable profile for so long that details flashed in his mind. She was a bit skinny, but she had long, beautiful, raven-black hair. For a moment, Squall lost himself, and a second after, he just found it very appealing to touch her. He was the one who frightened her afterall; not being careful while he sped up the road...
Rinoa exhaled, trying to ease the quivering inside. Does death always take this long? Or, does the process of death really startswith scaring you with the thought of dying first, which will eventually lead to mental shutdown? She gulped, incomprehension surfacing. Her little puppy was wiggling in her chest; apparently the poor thing was undergoing the same ante-mortem process, itself. So she shifted, digging her face even deeper in her arms. Maybe this way it wouldn't hurt much for the both of them. She was about to shift again when a voice that would resemble a celestial being's came, "It's alright. You're gonna be fine…" and he smoothed a hand on her hair.
Rinoa's throat went dry…I'm dead…already? She was so surprised that it didn't hurt. She didn't even feel anything forceful at all! Taking a peek down to her chest, the cute little puppy looked back at her, and Rinoa could have sworn that it was a smile she's giving. It would have to be a smile! All living creatures would be equally gifted with expression in heaven!
"Miss? Could you see? Does anything hurt?" the 'Angel' said again, that Rinoa had to look at his direction. Oh yes, indeed, she was dead. No one would look like THAT on Gaea.
"Uh…" Rinoa had to mentally shake herself. Wait until Selphie—ergh—you're already dead, mind you! How can you possibly spill this encounter on her! Rinoa sighed again, "I'm fine, thank you." She felt the Angel's arms going around her, and under her knees. "Where are you taking me? Uh, I mean, us?" Rinoa added, remembering her little puppy.
"To the hospital." He replied with a frown. Rinoa stared at him with disbelief.
"You got hospitals in here?" She asked incredulously, so incredulously that her eyes widened. The Angel frowned even more.
"Every city has a hospital, Miss." He sounded a bit worried, as if that mere information was solely for sane people alone, which, he apparently thinks, she was not anymore, "Are you sure you didn't hit yourself?" He looked at her closely, his cerulean gray eyes piercing, "Tell me where it hurts."
"I'm fine, really." Rinoa started to feel uncomfortable. Bending her head down, she looked at her puppy, which made her accidentally take a quick look at her knees. Her right knee got scraped, and something red and liquid was coming out from it. She looked at the 'Angel', but he was busily carrying her to some place. Rinoa knew that it was no use asking him; her judgements were somehow overruled by this man, so whatever he says would not help her at all. Scanning the place around, Rinoa slowly turned red.
'Junction Point', a big sign said. Welcome back to Gaea, Rinoa!
Squall noticed that the girl became silent. Although he enjoys such hobby, it was just very unlikely that the same sort would come out from this girl—she wasn't just the type. Giving her a look, Squall asked, "Are you sure that you're okay?"
An ambulance can be heard approaching, but, on the contrary, Rinoa was sure they melted away from her earshot. She wasn't certain if she was to stay embarrassed or laugh at herself. When the ambulance has finally arrived, the 'Angel' sat her inside, even riding the vehicle with her. Rinoa looked at him curiously, still tugging her 'little puppy' close.
It is impolite to stare, Rinny. And so does this guy thinks. Rinoa lowered her eyes when she met his compelling gaze, covering her actions up by saying, "Sorry…I just wanted to thank you."
Like the breaking of a spell, everything went back to normal. The sirens blasted on Rinoa's ears, the pain on her scraped knee came…
And his answer was a grunt.
Rinoa couldn't believe that everything happened that fast.
Angel, huh?
Cid scanned the class, his eyes stopping at one single person, "Auditions for this year's University Festival Musicale would be open tomorrow, at 5pm, sharp, in the Theatre Guild's Auditorium."
He snapped his eyes away, now addressing the rest of the class, "All interested parties should bring a partner, for a duet is mostly required in the first stage of rehearsals. Those who'd fail to do so, would have to wait for role openings after the first rehearsals has been made."
And just as what the forty members of the class have been wishing for, the bell finally rang. Professor Kramer dismissed the class shortly, which led to the slight congestion of the class' doorway. Selphie was one of those who tried fighting the horde, desperate to get out of OLD MAN CID's boring class. But with her small height and tiny figure, she was pushed all the way back to where Rinoa was.
"Hey stranger! Have I seen you before?" Rinoa teased, bending her head sideways for a cuter effect. Selphie rolled her eyes.
"Oh C'mon, Rin. You know how I hate this class!" Selphie hissed, her eyes darting at something, or someone, behind her friend's back. She visually pointed at it at last, before evaporating away in a second.
"Miss Heartilly! May I have a word with you for a moment?" Rinoa turned around to see Cid's eyeglasses gleaming. The black-haired girl nodded, following him to the teacher's desk.
"Interested in the musical?" he knowingly asked. Rinoa didn't have to answer. "I knew it. See you in the auditions then, I would be expecting performance level from you."
"Um, Sir, without intention of disrespect," Rinoa paused, first making sure that the professor was really listening, for he sometimes tend to look like he's listening when he's not. "I'm actually not thinking of making a big show at all…"
Cid looked at her wearily, "I don't expect you to do that, Miss Heartilly. Just do it how you've done it last year—pure talent. You'd do fine, and without any doubt you'd make Juliet's part."
"We're doing Shakespeare this year?" Rinoa exclaimed, forgetting what she was about to say. But just as fast, she recovered, "What I'm saying, Sir, is that…" she gave a sigh, as if it was very laborious to say her next words, "I cannot spend as much time with the guild as I've done last year…"
"Oh? And why is that?" Cid raised a brow.
"Sir…you are my English instructor, I'm sure you are very much aware of my class standings this semester in your class. I've backed-down, haven't I?" Rinoa saw him nod and smile somewhat suspiciously, but continued nonetheless, "I would want to keep up with my studies first, you see. I cannot do two things at the same time."
To Rinoa's surprise, the English professor laughed merrily.
"OF COURSE, you CAN!" Cid clasped his hands together, placing his elbows on top of the table, "Miss Heartilly, would you be interested in a suggestion?"
"Be my guest, Sir." Rinoa frowned. Sometimes, Professor Kramer could be a wacko.
"Well, let me let you in a tiny secret…The University Festival, Child, is not only a day of commemoration of talents and festivities…it is also a dayfor extra credits."
Rinoa gaped, "Huh?"
"Exactly as how you've heard. That day is an opportunity for students to really prove themselves worthy for better grading, and you, Miss Heartilly, are going to be one of them."
"So you mean…?"
"Yes." Cid nodded amiably, "Your English grades would be pulled up if you'd make a great job in our Musical. Not only that, if you'd impress your other instructors with your performance, IF and ONLY IF, you made it to be 'Juliet'…then that's an even more becoming advantage to your report card."
Rinoa was in the brink of exultation. She giggled with relief, raising her clenched fists, "YES!"
Cid gave an approving look, "So, I'll take that as your reconsideration?"
"You betcha!" Rinoa made a peace sign, before making a bow of excuse. "Thank you, Sir! I won't let you down!"
"That's the spirit!" Rinoa smiled, and she was excused. On her way to the door, she smiled wider at her professor's parting words, "See you on stage, then!"
A/N: Hello everyone! I still have a lot of decisions and ideas to make in this fic, so there is a good possibility that this might turn into a fic with more than ten chapters. Hopefully, I can hold on to that…Please R&R! Thank you very much!
Tootles,
MoonShadow Angel