I do not own FF8 or the characters. I am making no money with this story (or in real life).
Descent Into Darkness-Prologue
A cool breeze slipped through the warm night, like a premonition of things to come. On the balcony of the Garden a lone figure shivered, not from the cold, but from the sinking feeling that knotted in his gut. His ice blue eyes traveled to the sky and watched a single star begin its maddened decent to the earth.
Everything that is born is destined to die. Nature is a reciprocal relationship, always in a delicate harmony; a single change can tip the scales into destruction.
A nagging thought lingered in the back of Squall Leonheart's mind that has existed since the destruction of Ultimecia six months earlier. The battle ran through his mind once more. It was not the battle itself, but what Ultimecia implied.
"You shall meet the strongest GF of them all. Griever make them bleed!"
Squall involuntarily reached up to caress the ring on his index finger. It was not original Griever ring, which still hung on the delicate gold necklace around Rinoa's neck. As promised, Zell and the rest of his friends had made a copy of Griever but he was the one who wore the remake. The cool ring reminded him of the desolate future that was destined to come, a future he was sworn to prevent.
That sounds so cliché. Squall silently chuckled to himself.
What would drive Rinoa to transform into Ultimecia if it was even true at all? Before the battle he would have laughed in anyone's face if they even suggested that Rinoa would become Ultimecia. But, everyone changed after the battle. Zell became more confident, Quistis more independent, Seifer was, well, less cocky. Irvine learned that there was no need to be a macho pig. And I learned that I was not alone.
Rinoa also changed. Being possessed by three sorceresses can do that to a person. We formed a symbonic relationship. As I became more carefree, she became darker, like a shadow was growing within her soul. Ultimecia left Matron's body and went to Rinoa before Matron died. Why? A sorceress passes her powers on before she dies and Matron was nowhere close to dying during that fight. Later on, while fighting, Ultimecia during time compression she made the suggestion for me to seek the orphanage. She wanted me to see her powers being passed on, but why? Was it something I needed to know, to prevent in the future? Was it Ri…Ultimecia telling me a way to break the cycle?
Squall slowly closed his eyes and clutched his hand, squeezing the Griever ring into his palm, hoping inspiration would come. He opened his eyes and watched the tranquil night. He wished there was someone he could confide his suspicions but his friends would automatically assume that he was he was scared of commitment, or thinking too much.
But Matron knows, doesn't she. Whenever you visit her eyes reflect an unspoken sadness, like she knows something you do not. Rinoa also knows, you do not get possessed by three sorceresses and not have an idea what the future holds, or the past. She is too scared to admit the possibility. So am I. I need to talk to Matron, by myself.
As another cool breeze slipped through his coat Squall realized that little time was left. An answer had to be found, and quickly. Who, or what, would cause Rinoa to lose all hope. If the problem does not arise soon I fear we will repeat the same events again and again, for eternity.
