I don't own squaresoft or any of the other stuff, though I would like to own Rinoa for a couple days :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Descent into Memory

Squall rushed through the house, the grey stone walls of the little orphanage on Centra blurring together in

his tear-eyed vision. "Maaa-troon?" he called again and again "Maaa-troon, he rushed up to her like a black

streak "Where's sis matron?" she turned around, gazing out the window, and though Squall couldn't see, he knew she was crying. "sis…

is… gone." Squall, although very affectionate, had always been quiet, and Edea thought it was strange to see him so shocked at

something like 'sis' leaving. She could see a rift growing through his very heart.

13 years later

Here he was. Staring out the very window, where so long ago, Matron had told him of Ellone's imminent departure. A single sigh

escaped his lips. To Rinoa standing behind him, such a noise from squall sounded more like a whine of pain. "Squall, are you… okay?"

This turned him around with a light rustle. The penetrating eyes fixed on her, she knew now why people seemed to fear this gaze in anger.

She saw, instead, love. It had been there since he had woken her up in Timber. Now, it had only intensified. After defeating ultimecia,

they had decided to in a much more casual sense of the word, elope. Here they stood, in the orphanage, and Squall with a tear in his eye,

and Rinoa with all the respect a sorceress garners. "… yes.." he turned around, almost mechanically, to stare at the flowers that were

imprinted in her memory, and hopefully his. Here they stood, among a lake of memories, and Rinoa thought she saw a single bead of

moisture fall from his face, and hit the floor. Roiling in an inner agony all his own, the past and present melded together, and Squall began

his descent into an inner madness, which maybe even love could not save him from.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sorry for the short chapter, and the weird spacing, I got a new computer

ch2. coming up: Lifeline