I Wasn't So Lucky
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII, nor do I own any of its characters or settings. I do own any and all original characters in this book, and therefore if for some reason you wish to use them, you must ask me before you do. Thank you, and please enjoy the story!
Chapter one: Beginning Of A New Era
Something I always wondered about when we defeated Ultimecia was what happened next? Fate made that decision for me.
I wondered the dry wastelands, alone, for hours and hours. It felt like years, walking in that depressing, forgotten, God-forsaken valley of the damned. I struggled on until I could go no further, and the land seemed to reflect it. Clouds of silvery death fell before me, and behind me; suddenly, out of nowhere, I stood on an island. Unable to take it anymore, I collapsed, no longer bearing the strength to go on. It seemed my inner weaknesses found their way out... and doomed me in the process. A feather fell from the sky, as if to mock me, yet refresh me just enough to ponder one name, the name of the one I would never see again, but would always remember. . .
. . .Rinoa, why did you leave me?
Then I fell into my own alcove of darkness, and shadow shrouded me.
I still remember the best and also the most horrible day of my. . .our. . .lives. Everyone else picked one person to hold on to so they wouldn't die or be lost in time itself, and I picked you. I picked the man I had grown to love.
But you lost yourself, unable to choose, too afraid to choose. You let your past overcome you, and you chose no one. Instead, the essence of time threw you into that horrible place. It was after victory over an immortal that you and I were to find our greatest challenges; to find each other. Sensing that I still clung onto your essence, fate threw me into the wasteland. I wandered, I ran, I screamed your name. I couldn't find you. I had almost gave up, when I found the innermost reserves of my love, and you were there. You had given out. You were dead.
I fell to my knees, and whispered your name, refusing, perhaps not knowing, that you had maybe been taken from me, even after you took me from death so many times. I couldn't bear it. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I knew how you had felt when Ellone had left you all those years ago. I felt like the one true person to me had gone away, forever, had abandoned me.
As I whispered your name again, I flung myself into you, burying myself in your chest, and all of a sudden, the warmth that had gone cold in my heart regenerated, and I looked up to see the dark clouds parting, the ground blooming into flowers all around us. It was beautiful. I wish you had seen it all begin. But as I looked down, you opened your eyes, your soul brought back to you.
Squall's Point Of View
It was in the dinner party almost three months, maybe four, ago that I met you. And now, so long later, we were together again. And this time, it was far more of a happy moment. I was, again, leaning in my usual corner, searching for you. And you snuck up on me, scaring me out of my wits. We were heroes, and there were some, like Irvine, who enjoyed all the attention from the ladies, and others, like Zell and Selphie, who enjoyed any attention at all. Quistis was busy with Headmaster Cid deciding what would happen next, and Seifer was, of course, unable to attend. You were nowhere to be seen.
Until I saw you, and you saw me. We made our way through the crowds, not having seen each other for over a day. After the horrible ordeal after Ultimecia, any time away from you was the most horrible moments ever. And now, we found our ways outside, to the balcony where I had so often stayed when I didn't want to go anywhere else.
"Oh my Hyne. . .it's. . .beautiful!" Rinoa mouthed in awe, staring wondrously at the stars above. I looked above too, noticing at once the bright, spectacular shooting star gracefully dart across the midnight sky in a slight arc. Music, and the chatter of people back in the ballroom danced their way out to us, creating a perfect murmur of sound.
"I know. . ." I spoke to her. "It really is."
"You know. . ." Rinoa spoke, turning to me and smiling. "This is so much like the first night we met, isn't it." She pointed her index finger up to the sky, her arm going no higher than her chin in length, a graceful movement. I knew what I had to do.
"It is." I returned. I turned to her, taking my hand off of the balcony and gently sliding it into hers. With my other hand, I pulled her closer, around her lower back, and we glanced into each others eyes, before we made the first contact to consummate our love. We kissed, underneath that sky, just dreaming of the future, for what seemed like so long, until Zell came out and interrupted us.
"Hey, damn, sorry 'bout that!" He stuttered. "Whoa, didn't know-"
"What do you want?" I interrupted, slightly annoyed.
"Ah, sorry!" Zell laughed awkwardly. "Cid wants you two to come back inside, he's got a-" I knew what he was saying before he finished his sentence, and he must have sensed this, because he immediately stopped.
"Oh Hyne no. . ." I muttered.
"Speech!" Rinoa laughed gently, embracing me. "Don't worry! I'll go up with you!"
"Uh, actually, Headmaster Cid only wants Squall first to make the largest speech." Zell interrupted.
"Oh, I see." Rinoa shot. "Well, in that case, I guess I won't be! But don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine." She laughed, closing her eyes. "Get in there! I'll be watching, Squally!"
"You aren't gonna call me that now, aren't you?" I smiled, obviously surprising Zell (no wonder, as I had never smiled up until now, let alone him seeing).
"Of course I am." She chirped in reply, before gently pushing me into the room and slowly following me. I was immediately greeted by Cid, who embraced me rather awkwardly with a beaming smile and then a grateful handshake.
"Congratulations, Mr. Leonheart!" Cid beamed. "You have not only saved us all, but you saved time itself, did it in true SeeD style, and went above and beyond all of our expectations!" He stopped, before his bespectacled eyes turned to a formally-dressed man in a military outfit, obviously of high rank; his suit was a veritable Christmas tree of badges and stripes and awards. I recognized him immediately as a top-ranking officer of Balamb City's military. "I would like you to meet this man. His name is Mr. Gerald Haradrine, and he is the General of the Army of Balamb City." Go figure.
"Hello, Mr. Leonheart. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you also, Sir." I responded, shaking his hand.
Mr. Haradrine continued. "I did not expect you to be so young, despite what I had heard from Headmaster Cid. He is known to. . .exaggerate the exploits of his young cadets." At this, Headmaster Cid emitted a playful laugh. "I would like to extend an offer to you, one that I find you will perhaps have a rough time declining."
"What are you offering?" I questioned, curious yet expecting to understand the answer.
"Ahh, straight to the point I see." Laughed the general. "I like your attitude already. I would like to extend an offer for you to train a brand- new regiment that we have recently created; the Gunblade Masters. They are to be trained to be the shock troops of our army, and I expect after your exploits are viewed via media, many will travel from far and wide to make their mark, hoping to achieve what you have, although I doubt many, if any at all, will be able to achieve your level of skill." I didn't particularly care about the flattery, as I had received praise from just about all who had seen me on my level of skill with the Gunblade. But never from someone this important, so it had a higher impact.
"I. . .see." I replied, a little shocked by the offer, despite that I had predicted it. "I would like a while to think about this generous offer. I am happy to have met you General, and I shall certainly consider this great offer."
"There is more." The General continued, as I had just began to walk away. Although I just wanted to find Rinoa and leave with her after my speech, it was polite, not to mention diplomatic, to hear out his offer.
". . .Yes, of course." I responded, turning to face him once more.
"You shall be offered three hundred thousand Gil a year to do so."
Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII, nor do I own any of its characters or settings. I do own any and all original characters in this book, and therefore if for some reason you wish to use them, you must ask me before you do. Thank you, and please enjoy the story!
Chapter one: Beginning Of A New Era
Something I always wondered about when we defeated Ultimecia was what happened next? Fate made that decision for me.
I wondered the dry wastelands, alone, for hours and hours. It felt like years, walking in that depressing, forgotten, God-forsaken valley of the damned. I struggled on until I could go no further, and the land seemed to reflect it. Clouds of silvery death fell before me, and behind me; suddenly, out of nowhere, I stood on an island. Unable to take it anymore, I collapsed, no longer bearing the strength to go on. It seemed my inner weaknesses found their way out... and doomed me in the process. A feather fell from the sky, as if to mock me, yet refresh me just enough to ponder one name, the name of the one I would never see again, but would always remember. . .
. . .Rinoa, why did you leave me?
Then I fell into my own alcove of darkness, and shadow shrouded me.
I still remember the best and also the most horrible day of my. . .our. . .lives. Everyone else picked one person to hold on to so they wouldn't die or be lost in time itself, and I picked you. I picked the man I had grown to love.
But you lost yourself, unable to choose, too afraid to choose. You let your past overcome you, and you chose no one. Instead, the essence of time threw you into that horrible place. It was after victory over an immortal that you and I were to find our greatest challenges; to find each other. Sensing that I still clung onto your essence, fate threw me into the wasteland. I wandered, I ran, I screamed your name. I couldn't find you. I had almost gave up, when I found the innermost reserves of my love, and you were there. You had given out. You were dead.
I fell to my knees, and whispered your name, refusing, perhaps not knowing, that you had maybe been taken from me, even after you took me from death so many times. I couldn't bear it. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I knew how you had felt when Ellone had left you all those years ago. I felt like the one true person to me had gone away, forever, had abandoned me.
As I whispered your name again, I flung myself into you, burying myself in your chest, and all of a sudden, the warmth that had gone cold in my heart regenerated, and I looked up to see the dark clouds parting, the ground blooming into flowers all around us. It was beautiful. I wish you had seen it all begin. But as I looked down, you opened your eyes, your soul brought back to you.
Squall's Point Of View
It was in the dinner party almost three months, maybe four, ago that I met you. And now, so long later, we were together again. And this time, it was far more of a happy moment. I was, again, leaning in my usual corner, searching for you. And you snuck up on me, scaring me out of my wits. We were heroes, and there were some, like Irvine, who enjoyed all the attention from the ladies, and others, like Zell and Selphie, who enjoyed any attention at all. Quistis was busy with Headmaster Cid deciding what would happen next, and Seifer was, of course, unable to attend. You were nowhere to be seen.
Until I saw you, and you saw me. We made our way through the crowds, not having seen each other for over a day. After the horrible ordeal after Ultimecia, any time away from you was the most horrible moments ever. And now, we found our ways outside, to the balcony where I had so often stayed when I didn't want to go anywhere else.
"Oh my Hyne. . .it's. . .beautiful!" Rinoa mouthed in awe, staring wondrously at the stars above. I looked above too, noticing at once the bright, spectacular shooting star gracefully dart across the midnight sky in a slight arc. Music, and the chatter of people back in the ballroom danced their way out to us, creating a perfect murmur of sound.
"I know. . ." I spoke to her. "It really is."
"You know. . ." Rinoa spoke, turning to me and smiling. "This is so much like the first night we met, isn't it." She pointed her index finger up to the sky, her arm going no higher than her chin in length, a graceful movement. I knew what I had to do.
"It is." I returned. I turned to her, taking my hand off of the balcony and gently sliding it into hers. With my other hand, I pulled her closer, around her lower back, and we glanced into each others eyes, before we made the first contact to consummate our love. We kissed, underneath that sky, just dreaming of the future, for what seemed like so long, until Zell came out and interrupted us.
"Hey, damn, sorry 'bout that!" He stuttered. "Whoa, didn't know-"
"What do you want?" I interrupted, slightly annoyed.
"Ah, sorry!" Zell laughed awkwardly. "Cid wants you two to come back inside, he's got a-" I knew what he was saying before he finished his sentence, and he must have sensed this, because he immediately stopped.
"Oh Hyne no. . ." I muttered.
"Speech!" Rinoa laughed gently, embracing me. "Don't worry! I'll go up with you!"
"Uh, actually, Headmaster Cid only wants Squall first to make the largest speech." Zell interrupted.
"Oh, I see." Rinoa shot. "Well, in that case, I guess I won't be! But don't worry, you'll be perfectly fine." She laughed, closing her eyes. "Get in there! I'll be watching, Squally!"
"You aren't gonna call me that now, aren't you?" I smiled, obviously surprising Zell (no wonder, as I had never smiled up until now, let alone him seeing).
"Of course I am." She chirped in reply, before gently pushing me into the room and slowly following me. I was immediately greeted by Cid, who embraced me rather awkwardly with a beaming smile and then a grateful handshake.
"Congratulations, Mr. Leonheart!" Cid beamed. "You have not only saved us all, but you saved time itself, did it in true SeeD style, and went above and beyond all of our expectations!" He stopped, before his bespectacled eyes turned to a formally-dressed man in a military outfit, obviously of high rank; his suit was a veritable Christmas tree of badges and stripes and awards. I recognized him immediately as a top-ranking officer of Balamb City's military. "I would like you to meet this man. His name is Mr. Gerald Haradrine, and he is the General of the Army of Balamb City." Go figure.
"Hello, Mr. Leonheart. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you also, Sir." I responded, shaking his hand.
Mr. Haradrine continued. "I did not expect you to be so young, despite what I had heard from Headmaster Cid. He is known to. . .exaggerate the exploits of his young cadets." At this, Headmaster Cid emitted a playful laugh. "I would like to extend an offer to you, one that I find you will perhaps have a rough time declining."
"What are you offering?" I questioned, curious yet expecting to understand the answer.
"Ahh, straight to the point I see." Laughed the general. "I like your attitude already. I would like to extend an offer for you to train a brand- new regiment that we have recently created; the Gunblade Masters. They are to be trained to be the shock troops of our army, and I expect after your exploits are viewed via media, many will travel from far and wide to make their mark, hoping to achieve what you have, although I doubt many, if any at all, will be able to achieve your level of skill." I didn't particularly care about the flattery, as I had received praise from just about all who had seen me on my level of skill with the Gunblade. But never from someone this important, so it had a higher impact.
"I. . .see." I replied, a little shocked by the offer, despite that I had predicted it. "I would like a while to think about this generous offer. I am happy to have met you General, and I shall certainly consider this great offer."
"There is more." The General continued, as I had just began to walk away. Although I just wanted to find Rinoa and leave with her after my speech, it was polite, not to mention diplomatic, to hear out his offer.
". . .Yes, of course." I responded, turning to face him once more.
"You shall be offered three hundred thousand Gil a year to do so."