Falling Stars

Falling Stars.

By Arian

Author's note – Not a lot to say this time. This is my first attempt at writing properly about Squall and Rinoa. Well, mainly Rinoa. I have been remarkably restrained and I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear that Laguna only gets a mention. He isn't in this story. *sob* That's right folks, Arian has finally managed to write a fic that isn't about Laguna (I told ya I could, Ryn!).

Well this is the usual bit I tack onto stories. I figured I'd put it on the beginning for a change, even though it gives away a few clues…

Though I can stand a thousand trials,

The strong will never fall,

But watching stars without you

My soul cries…

Sorry if I got the lyrics a little wrong, this is from "I'm Kissing You"

Written by Des'ree and Tim Atack.

It was a monster that started it. Just one monster, that looked much like an Elnoyle, but couldn't be. It was too tough, too impervious to everything they could throw at it.

Quistis sighed as she prepared another spell. Not even GF's or Limit Breaks had an effect.

She, Squall and Irvine had been out on a SeeD mission, just a simple case of scouting the land, when they had encountered the beast. It wasn't a mission important enough to warrant Squall's presence, but he got restless from time to time and wanted to get out of Garden.

Quistis watched, anxiety growing, as her spell made little impact. Even when they'd fought Ultemecia five years ago, that spell at least had an effect.

She turned her head to glance at Squall and realised he was preparing for his Limit Break. Lionheart was the only thing they hadn't yet tried.

Irvine winked at her as Squall ran forwards, a wink that told her "This'll do the trick" as surely as if he'd said the words.

Squall hacked at the monster, the blows finally doing some damage, but the beast, now enraged, twisted and swiped at Squall. Quistis watched in horror as it grabbed Squall in one paw, claws digging deeply into him.

"Quistis! Irvine! Run! Get the hell out of here!" He yelled, still tearing into the creature with his gunblade.

"Not likely, Squall." Irvine shouted back as he and Quistis ran forwards to help him. Before either of them could get a blow in, the creature slumped to the ground, already too severely injured from Squall's attack to survive. Quistis ran to where Squall had been thrown clear of the collapsed monster, terrified at the sight of the blood that flowed from his side.

"I gave you an order." He croaked. "You… you should have ran. You might've been…"

Quistis shook her head fiercely, her eyes filling with tears at the sight of her proud student reduced to this state.

"Irvine, get back to the Ragnarok. Get Selphie and Zell to fly it here so we can get Squall aboard." Her voice quavered as Irvine ran for help and Quistis tried to stop the blood that flowed from Squall's side, realising just how bad the wounds were. Her horrified eyes sought his and for a moment he looked like the small brown-haired child in the orphanage again. The child that everyone had left behind. The one who had sat silently in a corner, always alone.

"Quistis? I'm scared." He confided quietly.

"It's alright, Squall. It's going to be alright." She tried to reassure him, knowing that she was lying through her teeth.

"Rinoa… tell Rinoa…" he coughed heavily, and didn't finish the sentence, his eyes starting to cloud over.

"Oh no… Squall!" Quistis shook him desperately and some life seemed to seep back into him.

"Sis? Where are you? I'm frightened." He whispered, then his eyes closed.

Quistis stared for a moment, unable to believe what had happened.

"It's Ok, Squall. Ellone will take care of you." She managed through her tears, hoping that wherever he was, he could hear her. "Ellone will look after you now."

***************

Five years had passed since the threat posed by Ultemecia had been removed from existence and too much had happened. The world had been peaceable for a while, but now Galbadia was at war with Timber again, over the issue of independence, and Esthar was in turmoil.

It had been believed by many in Garden that Esthar was stable. No one seemed to have any quarrel with the president and all had been well. Until a year ago.

It had started with Ellone. She had been quieter than usual and seemed upset – she would never say to anyone what she was depressed about. Then, one morning, she had been found in Winhill, sat outside the house her parents had once lived in. No one would know now what had been the cause of her sadness. She had cut her wrists and her ever-present green stole was stained a deep crimson.

Squall had taken it badly, but learned to live with it, with the help of Rinoa. Laguna on the other hand, had done the one thing no one had ever expected him to do and simply vanished. Kiros and Ward had looked for him one morning and found that he had disappeared. Esthar was at a loss and, in desperation, the palace aides had offered the job to Kiros or to Ward. It was declined. Their loyalty had never been to the country itself, and they travelled, just as they had long ago, but this time they were searching for Laguna, if he was alive.

A new president had eventually been elected, but then different factions had arisen, all struggling for power. The rest of the world found it hard to keep up with just who was currently ruling the country, and it made them nervous. Esthar was the most technologically advanced country in the world and if it chose to attack, there was little that could be done in the way of defence.

Through the chaos, SeeD had flourished. They were requested from all over the world and Squall had done well in choosing which missions would be worthwhile. Laguna's disappearance had thrown him for a while, but they had never been close and in the aftermath of Ellone's death, Squall felt very little. There were no tears left.

***************

Rinoa stood on the grass, not far from where Garden hovered, waiting for the Ragnarok to land.

She knew. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. She felt it when she had watched Squall leave, that morning. She had had a foreboding feeling that he would not return, but she had dismissed it without further thought. The feeling had intensified throughout the day and now she stood, waiting, and hoping that she had no reason to be so scared.

The wind blew through her hair as Esthar's flagship settled on the plain in front of her. One look at Quistis' blotched face, as she emerged from the ship, said it all.

"He's dead." Rinoa said quietly in a monotone, unable to comprehend it for a long moment.

Quistis nodded wordlessly and then explained what had happened as best as she could. "There was nothing we could –" She finished, but was interrupted by Rinoa's angry voice.

"You should have saved him! You should have done something!"

Zell, Selphie and Irvine had trailed slowly down after Quistis, all lacking their usual bounce.

"What did you want us to do?" Irvine asked softly. "I would've done anything to stop this."

"You should have died." Rinoa said coldly, anger boiling inside her, trying to block the grief. It shouldn't have happened, they should've done something more! "Even if all of you died, it'd be worth it if he lived. He was worth more than any of you! None of you could've done the things he did!"

Her friends accepted her accusations in silence, knowing that she was upset. She didn't mean it, they reassured themselves in the vaults of their minds, she's so distraught…

The words that echoed in Rinoa's mind gradually changed as she grew more and more angry. They should've done something… They didn't do anything to help him… They killed him… They murdered Squall.

She had called upon her powers as a sorceress before she had even realised she'd done it. Her mind blank of any other thoughts, she lifted her hand and watched as her friends were obliterated. They never had a chance to realise what was going on. She caught a last glimpse of Quistis' despairing face as the fire swallowed her from view.

Rinoa stood stock still for a moment, beginning to realise how alone she was. She was more alone now than she'd ever been. Still clutching at straws, still needing to quench her anger, she lifted one hand and turned to face Garden. She watched passively as Garden, and all its inhabitants, flew to pieces. The blank expression on her face not changing as some few screams invaded her ears.

SeeD. SeeD caused the mission. She thought, her mind glossing over the fact that Squall had chosen to go out on the mission in the first place. SeeD killed Squall. I hate them. I hate them all.

***************

The stars began to show as the sky darkened. Rinoa didn't notice. The sky seemed to have been dark for so long now. She was sat on the grass, the wreckage of Garden, forgotten, on the plain behind her. In front of her, the Ragnarok remained intact. Squall's body was in there. She knew that she'd have to do something about that soon, but she didn't want to see him like that. She couldn't stand her image of Squall being tainted by the sight of him, crushed like an insect.

Rinoa lifted her head and her eyes searched the stars for the answers. As she watched, one star parted from the rest and left a trail of light burning across the sky in its wake. Rinoa's eyes filled with tears as she remembered watching similar sights with Squall. They had even met under a shooting star, and now they must part under one.

She had no one, now. They had all fallen to her anger, or else they had fallen before today, to other tragedies. She had no one left, and yet, in spite of a deep sadness and remorse at what she had done to her friends, still the anger burned and it seemed to require more. There were many SeeDs still living. SeeD had killed Squall and must not be allowed to continue. SeeD was a false friend. They would all fall, eventually. She would make that happen. She would kill every one of them, if she could.

Her eyes fell back to the red metal of the Ragnarok. Shadow cast and doom laden it appeared, the cold fire of the stars making it all the more mysterious.

It was the most beautiful airship she'd ever seen, the most perfect of its kind, and it seemed to Rinoa that it was fitting for the role she had a mind for it to play.

She slowly raised herself to her feet and lifted one hand in front of her, watching as a fire grew from under the Ragnarok, turning it into an immense funeral pyre.

"Squall, why you? Squall…" She uttered his name, over and over, trying to find an answer she could comprehend. Her litany did not stop, or even slow, as the tall flames engulfed the Ragnarok and tears streamed down her face.

"Squall…" She continued to whisper as the flames reflected in her eyes and her tears.

In the sky above her, stars started to plummet like rain, their bright trails falling behind them, leaving only the memory of their once proud fire.

***************