A/N: It's a feat that has been attempted numerous times. I guess that makes me another hopeful candidate, seeking to finish a complete novelization of Final Fantasy VIII. I admit that I was tempted to give up several times, and I had left this project to sit for seven months before finding the momentum to continue. But here it is at last, twelve years after the game was released and almost a year since I began writing. I have about ten chapters finished, which will quickly make their way onto the site. After that, updates will be quite rare; I write and edit really, really slowly, and I also refuse to update chapter by chapter. It'll be in clusters of chapters.

Obviously, my rendition has been tailored to my own preferences as well as to fit the novel format, and so you may find several facts, events, and time lines to be different than they were in the game. For example, the Draw system has been modified to be more of an MP system, while retaining most of the Draw/Junction aspects ("Squall stocked three Waters!" just sounds silly in a book). You will also find some scenes and events to be completely original. On the other hand, I've tried to incorporate as much dialogue directly from the game as possible.

Many crossover elements from other titles in the series have found themselves inserted, mostly in the form of items, terms, and concepts. Consider them to be like Easter eggs if you notice them hiding around.

Please feel free to review; as a matter of fact, I strongly encourage you to tell me what you think. I won't get any better labouring under my own delusions.

Disclaimer: *Sigh* Do I really have to do this? What a waste of space. But I'll be paranoid and write a disclaimer.

I, the author, do not own Final Fantasy VIII, or any of the other titles in the series. I am not in any way affiliated with Square Enix (Squaresoft at the time), nor do I gain profits from the (...er) reading of this novelization, which is intended solely for entertainment. All characters, dialogue, themes, images, and other indicia, except those of my own, are property (subject to copyrights?) of Square Enix Co., Ltd.

Geez, was that really necessary? Whew. Now you can go enjoy your reading. Thanks, everyone!


Fithos

Wake from your sleep, my children

Lusec

Your childhood years are gone

Wecos

Wake from your sleep, children of fate

Vinosec

Your rest is gone

Farewell, children

From the day of fate


PRELUDE

"I'll be here…"

"Why?"

"I'll be 'waiting' here."

"For what?"

"I'll be waiting… for you… so… if you come here… you'll find me. I promise."

The unsaid words danced around her, laughing, taunting, and crooning.

The girl stood in the field of flowers, clutching her elbow with her hand. She shifted her weight uneasily as the wind picked up, the train of her sleeveless, blue duster dress trailing behind her. Her eyes flickered wearily across the landscape. The meadow was deserted. This obviously wasn't the place. She sighed as the sun was engulfed by a cloud, frowning in an effort to remember. The girl started to run again, not sure where she was going, but not caring much either. Her long, black hair blew into her face, and she shook it away impatiently. What seemed like a minute passed by and she stopped again, panting lightly. She had searched across plains, mountains, deserts, fields, and even oceans, but still, she couldn't find him. Had she forgotten where they were to meet?

The patches of sky above the clouds were still a bright cerulean, but she knew it was getting late now. She'd have to head back soon. The wind picked up, hurling pink primrose petals into the air. They tickled her legs as she stared blankly at her surroundings.

He wasn't there. The inevitable conclusion was like poison. It leached through her body, knotting her throat, churning her stomach, and blurring her vision. Her ears pounded with deafening fury in the silent air. Dazed, hazel eyes swept over the vistas that did not exist. It took her a while before she returned to her senses.

The sky grew darker and darker as clouds fused together, strangling the tentative streams of light peeking through. Another gust of air rustled through the grass, sending more pink petals flying. One of them hovered in front of her. She reached out a hand and it landed in her palm. Before it could flutter away, she clenched her fist, crushing it in misery.

A curious tingling spread through the girl's arm, and when she opened her hand, a single slender, white feather floated out. Her eyes widened in amazement, and she brushed her hair back absently as she watched it float higher and higher, disappearing into the now opaque sky.

A distant rumble broke her gaze. Despair flooded through her mind, shattering her calmness; she needed to leave now. She looked down at the silver ring strung onto her simple chain necklace. Her right hand moved up to clasp it. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then headed for the direction she thought was home. A fork of lightning flashed in the distance, and for a split second, it was as though the faded angel wings painted on the back of her ribbed dress were glowing pure white.

Eight thousand miles away, the same burst of light glinted off the blade of a sword, spinning wildly as it came crashing down.

LIBERI FATALI

There was a loud crack as the weapon sliced into the ground. A monstrous boom rang out from the sky while rain continued to pelt down at the two men duelling below. The black gunblade stood there, poised and ready to be reclaimed. Its name was Hyperion, a fusion of sword and gun, custom built by the owner so it was lighter and swifter than any common sword.

The man with cropped blond hair grabbed the handle and wrenched it out of the cracked, calcified dirt. He pointed Hyperion at his rival, a cruel grin on his face. The brown haired man replied with a swing of his own gunblade, Revolver, which the blond dodged easily. Though a simple model, Revolver proudly displayed its unique lion tattoo, engraved onto the forte. An identical lion keychain hung off the handle, rocking violently with each strike.

The blond's green eyes softened tauntingly at his opponent as he swung his blade up to parry a blow. A third shot by Revolver's wielder was deflected. The blond spun around, his grey trench coat flaring out as he flung his sword up into the air again. The other stopped dead and stared up at the dark sky, squinting from the rain to see where cold steel would land. A flash of lightning pierced through the stormy air, blinding him and forcing an arbitrary dive to the side. The blade struck far from where he crouched, carving harshly into the ground. As Hyperion's master grabbed his weapon, the other rushed towards him, unleashing a flurry of strikes. One, two, three, four, and five clangs echoed off the rocky terrain as each was tossed aside. The trenched man smirked devilishly as he beckoned at his rival with his finger.

As the brunet charged forward, his rival swung his blade out in a circle, causing the other to duck. He ended his roundabout with an uppercut, forcing the black-clad man to roll to the side. With a swift flick of the wrist, Hyperion came slicing down at his opponent, who blocked poorly and staggered backwards. The broad, black sword struck out with its flat surface, hitting him in the stomach. The blond stood waiting as his enemy tried to get back up.

Completely winded from the blow, the brunet struggled to his feet, wiping his soaked hair out of his eyes. Again, Hyperion was pointed at his chest. Knocking it away, he made a quick swipe across his opponent's waist. Hyperion's wielder leaned back to dodge, then lunged his sword forward. The brunet quickly sidestepped it, and lifted his weapon for a coronal cut from the head. There was a loud grinding noise and a shower of sparks as Revolver slid down Hyperion, and with a quick thrust the blond forced the other back. The red cross on the shoulder of the his trench coat started to glow, and the brunet's eyes widened in alarm. He spun his sword in his right hand and charged ahead with his left palm out. But the taller man had started charging his attack first. He unleashed a fire ball, which hit the unsuspecting man hard, lifting him off his feet and hurtling him backwards.

The leather of his jacket protected his skin as it scraped across the rough dirt. Revolver clanged to the ground beside him; he could barely maintain his grip. The brunet stirred feebly, grimacing and pushing himself onto his elbows, but as he met the malicious eyes of his opponent, he froze in traumatic horror. There, towering above him, the blond held Hyperion high above his head. He watched hopelessly as the same grin spread across his face, and the blade came whistling through the air, slicing into his forehead. Blood splattered onto the earth, fading instantly as the rain washed it out. The brunet's free hand scrambled to steady his bruised body as tears of pain welled at the fringes of his eyes. With a contorted glare, he unhinged himself from the ground.

Damn you, Seifer Almasy.

In a second, he was on his feet. As electric blue streaks of light surrounded him, he drew the tip of his sword along the ground, bringing it into Seifer's stunned face with all his strength.

The brown haired man woke up lying on a hard bed. It was probably early morning the next day, though he was too tired to open his eyes and check. For a few seconds his mind was ecstatically empty, but then the haunting memory of the previous night bubbled into reality. He and Seifer had been on the cliffs inside the training centre. They were supposed to be practicing on the monsters residing there, but Seifer, complaining as usual that they were too easy, had suggested a duel, "just for fun, of course." Squall knew if he refused, the news would spread throughout the academy. And so they fought, and… well… at least he'd managed to return Seifer's cut. They had both walked to the infirmary in silence, enveloped by countless stares and whispers. Instructor Aki hadn't exactly looked delighted either, with all the blood dripping through the halls.

His head felt like a lead balloon, both expanded and heavy. It didn't help how the bandages across his forehead were too tight. He wanted to adjust them, but was afraid if he moved them, his face would explode in pain. The soft wind playing over from the window was a nice relief, though the shadows dancing over his eyelids as the drapes fluttered back and forth were confusing. He heard footsteps approach his bed and finally opened his eyes. Doctor Kadowaki's face loomed over him, her hands on her hips. Her pitying eyes rendered him a pushover.

"How are you feeling?" She was a short woman, whose long, white lab coat reached further than her dark blue skirt. Her black hair was done up in a tight bun under her hairnet, which she always wore, even when she wasn't working.

"Fine."

"Are you sure? Nothing wrong at all?"

"… My head hurts." He regretted the detail immediately.

"Well no wonder!" The doctor launched into speech, her expression twisting into a stern frown. "You and Seifer could have killed each other. The training centre is not for students to… brutally murder one another. You're lucky he didn't pull the trigger on his gunblade. That would have been really bloody… …Anyways, looks like your eyes are focusing. You should be fine. Say your name for me."

What the hell? I'm not three. "Squall Leonhart," he said, very annoyed with the treatment he was getting. He closed his eyes again.

"You sound sane enough." She started to search her lab coat pockets.

"…Is he here too?"

"Seifer? No, he requested to be discharged yesterday. Said he was feeling fine and didn't need to stay, so I let him leave. His cut wasn't very deep. You on the other hand…" She extracted a pair of scissors. "Let's change those bandages, then. Sit up please."

Squall slid himself into an upright position, becoming rather light-headed as he moved. He noticed he was in the single intensive care unit in her office. The glass wall on his right had the drapes open, so anyone in the inpatient room could see him. Not that there was anyone else here, except maybe the occasional medic or alchemist doing research. Doctor Kadowaki cut the bandages and threw them out into the blue trash can under the night table.

"Why don't you take it easy in training?" Her tone was much softer now. "Next time you might not be so lucky."

Squall looked away, annoyed. "Tell that to Seifer."

"That Seifer…" she said, shaking her head and reaching for a bottle of ointment on the nightstand. "Won't listen to anyone. Why don't you ignore him?"

"I can't just… run away," Squall finished lamely, slumping back on the headboard.

"So you want to be cool, huh? Well don't kill yourself in the process." The doctor applied the gel to his cut, holding his head still as he winced in pain. Standing back, she admired the bottle. "Hm, this new skin repairer works really well. Odine brand. He's the best in magical goods. But you should know all of that by now."

Indeed he did. Almost all of Squall's textbooks referenced the man's astounding work. Dr. Odine was the famous scientist who discovered the Junction System that allowed normal humans to use a weak version of sorceress's magic with the aid of powerful beings. These creatures were known as Guardian Forces, or Summons. 'Para-magic', as it was coined, could be produced by a user whose mind had been 'junctioned' to that of a GF. GFs were the whole basis of Balamb Garden's mercenary force, SeeD. They could dramatically augment the powers and abilities of any human aligned to them, boosting brains, brawns, even beauty to superhuman levels.

The doctor snipped a strip of white gauze fabric and bound it to Squall's head. "You're still going to be left with a scar, though. At least until Odine comes up with a wound vanisher. Let's see… Your instructor is… Ms. Trepe! Right?"

Squall nodded.

"I'll call her now. Just wait a minute." Dr. Kadowaki walked back to her desk. Squall heard her pick up the phone and dial. "Hello? Quistis? You can come and pick up your student now. Yes, yes. Nothing serious, it'll probably leave a scar. What? Oh, of course! The Headmaster loved it!" She laughed heartily. "Oh, and have you heard?" Her voice dropped below an audible level. Squall's forehead had stopped burning, so he lowered himself back down and covered his eyes with his arm, careful not to apply too much pressure to his wound. A few moments later, he heard the phone click back into its receiver.

Has class started yet? What time is it? I wonder what we're doing today. Heard some rumours…

"Squall, so we meet again." Squall opened his eyes and turned his head. A woman was looking at him through the window. Short brown hair framed her familiar face. Squall frowned as he tried to remember where he had seen her before. She wore a blue camisole top with a white skirt. Her arms were bound by a simple green scarf. What was even stranger than her familiarity was that he had heard her soft voice clearly through the glass. It seemed to resonate in his head. Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe he had just chosen to open his eyes when she arrived. The woman gave him a sad smile and left the window. Was she a medic whom he had talked to a while ago, but forgotten? Whatever…

Squall closed his eyes again, but before he could settle back down to his thoughts, he heard the airlock on the office door release. At first he thought it might have been the mystery woman so he opened his eyes in anticipation, but a clacking of heels was followed by the appearance of his instructor. Quistis Trepe walked up to his bed, wearing her usual SeeD uniform.

The teacher saw him lying there and sighed, her blue eyes sparkling from behind round framed spectacles. She leaned over at him, her red tie swinging forward. Squall saw the shiny instructor's badge pinned in the middle and shifted uncomfortably as she gave him an all-knowing smile. She crossed her arms over her black blazer and brushed away her dark blonde hair, done up at the back. Two long fringes hung in front of her shoulders; it was her usual style. There was a moment of silence, as if she was testing him to see if he would spew an excuse or shake off his injury, but then she spoke.

"I knew it'd either be you or Seifer. Everything fine?"

"Yes."

"Come on then, let's go. Today's the field exam."

"Field exam?" The doctor rolled her blue armchair out from behind her desk with a sceptical expression. "Are you sure he should participate?"

"He'll be fine. Don't worry. He's my best student." Instructor Trepe smiled at her and exited the infirmary.

"Don't get injured again!" Kadowaki called out after Squall, who stumbled slightly as he followed his teacher. "I have a class to deal with today, so I can't help you!"

Voices from the courtyard drifted into the sunlit corridor through the pane-less windows. Apparently, class had not started yet, which would also explain why Squall was being escorted from the hospital wing by his instructor. Squall noticed she was staring at him as they slowly made their way to the main hall through the open passage. He ignored her, keeping his gaze fixed on the purple stripe painted on the floor.

"Squall, is there something on your mind?"

He continued to walk for a bit, maintaining steady eye contact with the ground. "…Not really." He turned to look at his instructor, who was smiling to herself. She had echoed his words at the exact moment he had said them. Trembling, she held back a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Funny? No, no, it's not that. I'm just happy. I feel like I'm finally beginning to understand my student a little, that's all." She distracted herself by adjusting the red and gold cuffs of her outfit, brushing a lock of hair out of her collar.

Squall continued walking, taking no notice of her actions. He stepped to the right of a small stream of students coming their way, annoyed at their hang up to get a good look at his forehead. But he couldn't resist countering his teacher's remark. "I'm more complex than you think."

"Oh, really? Then tell me. Tell me more about yourself."

Squall scowled at the ground and started to walk faster. "That's none of your –"

"Business!" She stopped moving and laughed again, attempting to muffle the sound with her hand. Squall put his hands on his hips and looked away, waiting for her to finish.

They resumed their passage, but Squall was now staring pointedly at the students chatting and laughing in the quadrangle, hoping she'd take the hint.

"So tell me, is there anyone in this world you confide in? Whom you talk to just for fun?"

Squall was spared the task of answering with a simple "no" by a series of chimes that reverberated around the building complex.

"Oh gosh, it's already nine!" said Instructor Trepe, double checking with her watch. "I have to have a quick word with Instructor Xu before today's homeroom. Better run!"

Squall gave her quite a bit of distance before he started to follow.


A/N: I absolutely HATED that fight scene. Of all the scenes that I've written, that one took the most editing, and it still isn't quite right. You will never again see such a detailed battle.

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