Final Fantasy VIII: In The Arms of Mercy
This is a one-shot written by me after I was scrolling deviantart, and saw a picture of Squall and Rinoa, and that's when the story hit me. I've authroed alot of stories over the years that have never been done, and so this is my first attempt at a one-shot. I hope you enjoy! AThousandSuns
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, yo.
"You can't fight love..."
"Squ...W...Why?" The girl with the blondest hair felt blood fill her lungs as her last breath spewed the crimson life onto her murderer's face. He only flinched at the contact, his brows furrowed; not in anger, but disgust. Disgust in himself, disgust in what he's become.
"I'm..." He tried to find the right words, but there wasn't any for him to say that could make up for his crimes, "...So sorry...Quistis..." Her body fell limp in his grasp and he tried to hold her tighter, pressing her chest against his as the slightest of tears fell down his cheek into the nape of her neck. His voice choked as he held his breath in the silence that surrounded him and the lifeless body in his arms.
It felt like eons to him, sitting there with her cradled in his grasp. It took all his being to take the hilt of the Lionheart gunblade, and slowly pull it from Quistis' torso, that sick sound of flesh on metal echoed the vast hall they were in. His eyes tightly closed as he felt more tears build, and the lump in his throat strengthened with each second that passed by. It wasn't until he felt the blade was finally removed from her lifeless body that he began to pry himself from her, setting her down on the black marble floor. His eyes cracked slowly to see her face, her bright blue eyes staring up at him in such sadness that he couldn't bring himself to look into them. His hand moved to her face, and gently pushed her eyelids down before rising with a huff.
Reality set in, and Squall Leonhart remembered where he was. Bodies surrounded him, their blood stained his clothes...some of these bodies...he could remember, though their names seemed long forgotten. But their faces were still in his memory...and they'd haunt him for what he had just done. He brought a free hand to his face in an attempt to wipe the tears and sweat, but only met the hard stubble upon his jawline and cheeks with blood on his fingers and palm. His eyes looked hard at the hand.
Her blood...Quistis blood. It stained the moment it touched his skin, just like the others...His frien...No. He didn't deserve to call them that. He didn't even deserve to exist with what he had done to them...
An enormous boom filled the air, echoing from the large doors that stood twenty feet tall. They were going to try to break in through such a way? The bodies that littered the floor had the smartest idea...but met the deadliest foe for it. Regret immediately took over his mentally weakened disposition as the lump formed in his throat once more.
Shaking himself, Squall looked down at Quistis' lifeless form, a pool of crimson spawning beneath her, "...I...I had to..." Was all he said before taking a deep breath and turning away, walking hastily up the twisting staircase. Another thunderous bang played through the room, though he ignored it, only moving faster.
The sound always reminded him of when he and Zell...
Squall could feel his head ache in pain at the stress of remembering what he had done to...
He moved faster into another room, pushing a door open hard enough for the glass in it to shatter in some places.
His fist and grip on the Lionheart increased as more ill memories corroded his brain. This was it...he wouldn't go on anymore. Too many lives he ended in her name, for her life.
It was moments later that he walked across a long stone bridge that out-looked the vast ocean, the large moon stabbing its way through the blackest clouds to be seen. Now here they were, in the castle-like structure with more forces trying to pry their way in. Squall came to another large set of doors and pushed them open with all his might, both slamming against the walls with a thunderous clap. His eyes darted for her, looking throughout the vast white room. His gaze found the tail of her long dress trailing to the balcony. His pace slowed as the doors behind him closed on their own. She finally came into view...and despite all that just happened, she looked just as beautiful as the first day he saw her...no. She was more than that now, and he couldn't find himself to hate her...
He didn't say anything as he came closer, his eyes following the length of her white, sparkling dress; it shined brightly in the light around them, with gold embroidery following the curves of its ten foot length, though the dress cut up to her mid thigh, her fair skinned legs only just revealing. The most beautiful thing about her was the wings upon her back...the way they glowed an almost gold stunned Squall every time he seen them.
The man swallowed hard as he came up beside her, looking out to the sea as she was doing. Hundreds of ships filled the black ocean, the three Gardens were closest, anchored at the base of the castle.
There was a silence between them before the woman spoke, "It's almost like the stars are in the sea..." She said, her voice carrying an almost heavenly tone that echoed. Squall could feel his heart beat fast at just the sound of her voice, "Look up." She said, pointing towards the sky. He did so, away from the ships below to see the sky above which forbid anything from being seen with black clouds, part and disperse them to reveal the stars above. His gaze fell from the sky to her, seeing her smile as she looked back at him.
Hyne, that smile...he couldn't help but feel his mouth move on its own and return that smile, "Rin..." Squall felt himself move to her, but a flash of Quistis' face stopped him, and he could only turn his gaze back to the sea, his grip on the Lionheart tightening again.
"What's the matter, love?" She asked, a tone of concern in her voice as her smile faded and she took a small step toward him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. He could feel his body warm by that slightest touch. He attempted to fight it, but his body only eased. Setting the gunblade against the concrete railing, his bloodied hands sat upon the cool stone as his head lowered. A short silence followed before he spoke, "...They're all gone now...she led the assassins." He said, that lump forming in his throat once more.
Rinoa removed her hand from his shoulder, and turned to the sea again, "...Good. They have no commander now." She replied, her arms crossed over her chest as the wings on her back flapped slowly against the wind. Squall took a deep breath before bringing a hand to his face and scratched at the thick stubble on his cheek, "It's been nearly 6 years since..." He tried to remember how and when it all started...it was ages ago, but the guilt made it feel like it happened only a few hours from now.
"Since they conspired to 'terminate' me, Squall." Rinoa spoke bitterly, her eyes not leaving the sea of ships below. Squall shook his head, "But how do we know they-"
"You saw the contracts. Their names were signed." Her voice rose in anger as her love only tightened his eyes. She was right...the assassination contracts were signed...and he did see them when they showed them to him...the contracts wouldn't be carried out unless he signed them also. He was just trying to hide the truth from himself.
"...This...can't go on." He said after another moment of silence, "It has to end today." His eyes opened slowly as he took in a deep breath. Rinoa nodded, "So? End it. Kill them all." She looked over at the battle-hardened man who looked back, hurt in his eyes, "I..." Staring at her was almost a gift from Hyne himself. Hell...She was a gift from Hyne, she was a sorceress; THE sorceress.
The wind blew slightly, and her long raven hair flew with it, reaching just to her lower back. Squall found it hard to speak when she looked at him with that same smile...it hadn't changed since they were 17...
"I am only one man, Rin...They...they are thousands." Squall desperately looked for an alternative...though he knew otherwise.
"You've killed thousands before. There is no number that can defeat you, my love." Rinoa spoke, fondly reaching for Squall's arm, and giving it a light, reassuring squeeze.
"Hyne..." He spoke lightly, his eyes closing at her touch. His head fell forward as he took in a deep breath of the sea. A large explosion erupted below with Squall's eyes opening to see dozens and dozens of troops now rushing through the open castle doors, entering the vast hall where he felled Quistis.
"There isn't much time now...they'll find their way up here and cast me down." Rinoa turned back to the sky, looking up at the stars. Squall shook his head, "No..." His voice was authoritative and full of determination, "I...I won't let that happen..." How had he gone from saying he couldn't do it, to saying he wouldn't let it happen? In his mind, he couldn't; or wouldn't see crimson stain Rinoa's beautiful dress just as his clothes were.
"But you are only one man, Squall. They are thousands. They are SeeDs none the less." Rinoa pointed toward the ships below, quoting the words he used earlier. Squall looked down before he shook his head, "I'll find a way..." Picking up the Lionheart, he stepped away from the balcony and back into the hall before he stopped.
"Do you...remember the first time I said I loved you?" He asked the sorceress, turning to face her. Rinoa smiled as she faced him, her wings out-stretched fondly, "Of course...it was at that Festival of the Fairies at Trabia Garden 8 years ago..." She said with a warm smile.
"We danced slowly in the soft snow flakes..." Squall smiled also.
"I was so cold, so I wrapped my arms around your neck."
"And mine around your waist..."
Rinoa took a step closer, "You lifted me slightly off the ground, I could feel your warm breath against my neck...I felt so safe."
Squall took a closer step, "I could feel it in my stomach, how nervous I was. But that was when I whispered your name..."
"...and I looked up with a smile..." A few more soft steps closer, Rinoa was now standing in front of Squall.
"...That's when I said those three words..." Slowly he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She didn't fight, only moved her arms around his neck with a warm grin.
They embraced tightly, with the lips meeting into a deep, loving kiss. They had turned to world into a warzone for the past 6 years...ever since her powers manifested, it had only ever been them against the world. Squall could feel that hole in his heart fill as they kissed, he was complete with her in his arms...and if they were going to die today, it'd be just so...he knew what he had, and wanted to do. Slowly, they parted lips and Squall's face fell into the nape of her neck, taking in her scent for one last time. Rinoa's head fell to his shoulder, cuddling him closely with a loving smile on her face. This was her knight...her protector who would cut the world in half if it meant her well being. He'd be hers till the end...
Nuzzling her neck, Squall slowly lifted his head so he could whisper in her ear, "...Rin?" His voice was quiet as a mouse as he refused to let her go, "Mm?" Was all she responded with, caught up in the loving embrace they were sharing.
"...I love you." He whispered so softly, but it felt as if it echoed in the quiet hall they stood in. Her smile widened as she squeezed him tighter, "I love you too, my knight..." She said into his neck, planting a light kiss against his skin, her glowing wings wrapping around him in effort to hug him more. When she said those words, he felt his whole body shutter. He gripped her tightly with his arm around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground. He could feel tears well up in his eyes again, and he shut them tightly, not wanting the moment to end. But it had to...
There was silence as they held each other for what seemed like forever until Rinoa peeked through the slits of her eyes to see his neck, "...Squall?" She asked softly, but received no response.
"Squall?" Her smile slowly faded as she felt his heart racing in his chest and his arm that held the Lionheart moved. But again, there was no response. Worried, she began to lift her head from his shoulder, "Squ-ah!" A sudden sharp pain raced from her back throughout her entire body, and she couldn't help but wrap around Squall's neck tighter.
"I...love you so much, Rinoa..." He said as he began to sob, tears streaming down his face, "S-Stop-" Her voice tried to get through to him as the pain in her back increased. Her wings that covered them now shot out, flapping on instinct and causing glowing feathers to fall to the ground around them. The Lionheart pushed further into her from behind. She let out a terrified cry of pain and anguish, her hands gripping his shirt tightly and beating against him in an effort to somehow stop him pushing the blade any further, "Wh...Why?" The sorceress couldn't form anymore words as blood began to fall from her lips and onto his shoulder. Squall fought back the urge to cry as she continued to fight the blade he was now pulling into her, "F...For us...For the world, my love..." He said as he felt her fight further, "I'm sorry..." It was all he could say as he began to sob into her neck.
Slowly, her body stopped fighting, and her grip on his shirt loosened, "I...lo...you...Squall." It was those last words she tried to say with her last breath before her head collapsed onto his shoulder and her arms fell to her side, her wings going limp as the life left them. His grip only tightened on her and the hilt of the Lionheart. So many thoughts rushed through his head all at once, what had he done? He could feel the purpose of his life slip through his fingers and...stop living.
He let out a loud cry that echoed throughout the vast hall that he stood in. He wished for things to be like they were 8 years ago...when they were young and saving the world, "...Please...Please forgive me, Rin..." He said through huffs of breath and sobs, hoping she'd say it'd all be okay, and they could go to bed.
Slowly, he began to pull the blade even more until he felt it against his own chest. His grip on Rinoa's body tightened and his eyes closed, fighting back more tears. He swallowed hard before he let out another cry and pulled the gunblade with all his strength. That familiar feeling of something piercing his flesh sent waves of pain throughout his entire body, but he didn't stop, only pushed the Lionheart further till he felt his knees grow weak, his body falling to them with Rinoa planted against him. Blood seeped from his mouth as he tried to gasp for air.
"I...I...lov..." The words never came out as he felt his grip on the gunblade loosen and finally fall to his side, his head falling against his loves shoulder. His vision blurred before it went red, and finally his thoughts, his sorrows, his pains and regret all ceased at that moment of his final breath.
The End