CHAPTER I
Regrettable Change
It was late into the evening when her train rolled into the station. Stepping down from the platform Rinoa immediately smelt the all too familiar scent of Balamb's ocean breeze. Uncontrolled memories suddenly floated through her mind, causing a painful cringe to trickle down from her throat all the way to her heart.
She was back in Balamb, back where so many memories manifested. Rinoa Heartilly was regrettably back to where it all started.
With nervous hands Rinoa picked up her suitcase and started to haul it out of the train station.
For the most part Balamb had not changed in the past three years. There was the same shops, same restaurants, same Inn, everything about Balamb felt the same way it did the day she left it. However, there was one thing that had changed. One thing that might have been insignificant to anyone else, but to Rinoa was a monumental difference.
Ma Dinct's home no longer rested in it's nook on the edge of town. Delicious smells of home cooked dinners no longer drifted into the street. Replacing the little home was a bar called 'Booya's' and a rowdy place it seemed.
Where the rest of the town laid calm and tranquil in the late hour, Booya's was obnoxious. Music and laughter echoed along what would have been a quiet street.
Watching the glow of flashing lights and listening to drunken men's laughter made something inside of Rinoa snap.
It had been three years since Rinoa had watched Ma Dinct slave over her hot stove, three years since her taste buds received the pleasure of tasting one of Ma Dinct's home cooked meals. It had been three years since a lot of things, and seeing that bar, loudly destroying all those things that she held so dear to her heart for all those years. It burned her.
Rinoa knew that she probably no longer had the right to care, but the right to know...Rinoa thought that was still in her cards. Straightening her cream tank top and running a hand through her raven hair, Rinoa stormed into the bar to find some answers.
Booya's didn't carry the same charm that the rest of the town did. It was dark, barely enough light to even make out the person in front of you, let alone trying to check out the whole bar. The only thing that allowed light into the room were the one's flashing lights that came from the stage in front of the bar.
Pushing her way through the crowd Rinoa found the bar counter. Feeling around she eventually found an empty stool, setting her suitcase down on the floor Rinoa took a seat.
With her eyes drifting over to the stage Rinoa watched the entertainer that was performing. It was a young woman; even from afar you could tell that she was beautiful. Her long, straight blond hair glistened from the stage; the strapless crimson dress that she was wearing flattered her curved body. All the men in the room were drooling over the woman who was singing angelically to them. Rinoa could find no reason to blame them, even to her the women was captivating.
Listening enviously to the women's song, Rinoa didn't even turn around when the bartender asked if she wanted a drink.
"Ah...just water," she answered, Rinoa's eyes were focused as the women danced off the stage and into the crowd. A spotlight honed in on her, as she gracefully made her way through the mass. She stopped at one of the front tables, where the blond bombshell started to sing seductively to one man.
Straining her eyes Rinoa tried to make out what the man she was singing to look like, when the bartender came back with her glass of water. Taking the glass Rinoa asked him.
"What's the name of the singer?"
"That's Macy Zimmer," the bartender told her; a stupid grin was spread across his face. "All the fellows love Macy, whenever she is scheduled to perform it's always good for business."
The bartender need not tell her that, every man in the bar was entranced. Especially the man in front, whom Macy was still singing to.
"Who's that man?" Rinoa asked the bartender curiously. "Macy seems to like him."
"You defiantly must be new in town," the man said giving her a queer look. "That lucky man is Squall Leonhart."
"Sq...Squall Leonhart," Rinoa repeated in disbelief.
"The hero of the second Sorceress War himself. He comes to he bar a lot, he's good's friends with the owner."
"And who's the owner?" Rinoa questioned, finally turning around and giving the bartender her full attention.
"Zell Dinct, it was his mother's place, but she passed away about a year ago. Good old Zell didn't need a home since he lives up at the Garden, so naturally he turned this place into a bar"
Rinoa was completely stunned, when she had first planned to come to Balamb this was not was she had anticipated.
"I'm sorry miss, did you mention where you're from?" The bartender asked her curiously.
Ignoring his question Rinoa asked her own. "You said Squall Leonhart comes here often, does he come alone or what?"
"Um, Mr. Leonhart is a bit unpredictable. Sometimes he comes with all his friends, sometimes with just his buddies. Though lately, he's been coming a lot on his own. I've heard rumors that he and Macy are intimate. But then again it's only a rumor; you can only take those for what there worth."
All Rinoa could do was nod absent mindedly; even after three years what the bartender was telling her was a little hard to take.
"Anyways," the bartender went on "If anyone deserves Miss Zimmer's affection, it's Squall Leonhart. You heard everything that went on between him and Rinoa Heartilly didn't you?"
"I've heard the rumors," Rinoa said bitterly, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Well I know there were a lot of rumors, but from my sources I know this much is true," looking around the bartender made sure no one was listening in before he began to tell her his story. "Mr. Leonhart and Miss Heartilly were both part of the group that saved the world. I'm sure you know that. Well the two of them soon after started to date, a whole year had followed and by outer appearances everything was well. The world was peaceful, the Garden was running smoothly and Mr. Leonhart was head over heals in love," hearing that Rinoa swore softly to herself, then listened intently as the bartender continued on. "Then one unexpected day Miss Heartilly left him, no reason was given, it was just one day her bags were packed and she was gone."
"You make her sound horrid," Rinoa said, she couldn't help but be sound defensive. "You don't know her side of the story, like her said yourself, you don't know her reasons."
"That may be true," the bartender said to her nodding "But I know this, when Miss Heartilly left she left Squall broken hearted. I've watched him closely over the years and it's been a long time since I've seen him as happy as he looks now." The Bartender looked back up towards the stage, Macy's show was now over, the lights were now all back on and for the first time that night Rinoa got a clear view of Squall. He was talking to Macy; the two looked to be completely engaged with each other. His eyes were burning into hers, the way that they use to burn into her own.
Not able to look anymore Rinoa suddenly stood up. The bartender looked at her surprised.
"Is everything alright Miss?"
"I have to go," she told him curtly. Quickly grabbing her suitcase Rinoa turned to leave, when her body unexpectedly collided with someone else's. Rinoa stared up at the person she ran into. There gaping down on her in utter shock was Quistis Trepe.
Before any words could be exchanged Rinoa pushed away from her one time comrade and ran as fast as she could out of the bar.
From behind her she could hear Quistis call out her name, but she didn't dare turn around. From the beginning that was the only way she was able to move forward.
She had only caught a glimpse of the girl before she fled the bar. It was only one look, but with that single glance Quistis was absolutely positive that the girl was Rinoa Heartilly. There was no doubt in her mind.
From there instinct simply took over. Quistis called after her, but when Rinoa didn't turn around Quistis chased after her. Outside the bar she called Rinoa's name again, but still she ran. Down the street and into the night Rinoa went. Quistis chased her until the raven haired girl became out of sight.
Defeated Quistis trudged back to the bar, trying to make sense of what just happened.
Three years ago Rinoa left Squall, she left the Garden, she left them all. Squall never gave anyone a reason for her departure, Quistis didn't even know if he had one. It took such a long time for Squall to adjust, and with Squall it took longer then it would with most. Now he was doing alright, but there were still days when you looked into his steal blue eyes that you could tell...that for him the pain just never goes away.
Going back to the bar Quistis went to join her friends. She found Selphie was the only one at the table; the lively girl was looking at her curiously as Quistis sat down.
"What took you so long?" She asked "You don't even have the drinks."
Quistis gave Selphie a hard look. Over the years a lot of things had changed between the six heroes of the second Sorceress's War.
Irvine had transferred to Balamb Garden where he easily earned his SeeD verification and later his own instructor license. He was currently the weapons counselor at the Garden.
Zell remained a SeeD until his mother passed away a year ago. For a long time he was a grief stricken man. He walked with no purpose or desire, two characteristics that would normally walk hand-in-hand with the martial arts expert. Then, out of no where, Zell hit an epiphany in his life. He decided to turn his mother's home into a bar. From that point on Zell regained the charisma and passion that they all loved about him.
For Selphie, shortly after the Sorceress War, she resigned from being an active SeeD. Instead she created the position of Garden Event Organizer, which the energetic girl described as the 'best job ever.'
Even Quistis had gone through her own set of changes. She reissued her instructor license, but once again transferred back to being simply a SeeD. She couldn't deny that being on the field was where she was meant to be.
For all of them a lot had changed professionally and personally, but pass all the time and through all the change one thing had stayed exactly the came. Selphie still loved to gossip.
"Nothing," she told her friend at last.
"You're lying," Selphie quickly responded, that girl never missed a beat.
Quistis would have defended herself hadn't Irvine and Zell rejoined them at that moment. Immediately Selphie complained to her cowboy playfully.
"Irvine, Quistis is keeping secrets from me."
"Now that isn't nice darling," Irvine said turning to her.
"Well it's not like I don't have my reasons," Quistis told them defensively.
"Care to share what your reasons are then?" Zell asked his left eyebrow rose curiously.
"Not at the moment," she told her friends firmly.
Knowing that it was a dead end, Selphie changed the subject. "Hey guys, what do you think of Squall and Macy? They have been spending an awful lot of time together."
"Hey Selph, for once could you stay out of other people's business?" Zell asked teasingly.
With her head held high Selphie told him indignantly. "It goes against my better nature."
Quistis, Zell and Irvine gave each other quick glances before giving their friend slight nods. Selphie simply smiled proudly.
"Speaking of Squall," Quistis spoke up before anyone could change the subject. "Does anyone know where he is?"
The four of them looked around the room, when nobody's eye caught what they were searching for they all landed back on her.
"He's probably with Macy," Selphie said, making sure she emphasized each word.
With a deep sigh Quistis nodded, an anxious feeling had suddenly sprung into her heart.
Nobody wanted Squall to move on from Rinoa more then Quistis did, nobody wanted Squall to be happy more then her. If being with Macy made Squall, basically feel again, then Quistis could live with that, but upon seeing Rinoa again...it made her start to think about the whole situation differently.
All these years Quistis had thought Rinoa as the heart breaker, as the villain that destroyed Squall's soul, but when she saw her one time comrade, even for just that brief moment. Suddenly a whole new thought occurred to her...What if Squall wasn't the only victim, what his wasn't the only heart that was broken.
With all these new thoughts and theories a question that burned inside of her had suddenly resurfaced for the first time in three years. A question that left everything else inside of her clouded.
"What happened three years ago that ever made the two break up?"
AUTHORS NOTE: Well this is my first strictly Squall and Rinoa story in quite awhile. I think I spent a lot of time with this story and I hope it shows. As always I hope all is well.
Sincerely,
Leah
