Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8...
A/n: Yes, the beginning is a hybrid of .hack and FF but the FF part will shine more as the story progresses... I just like how .hack is presented....
IMPORTANT!!!! Note: In MY story there are things called 'Summon Crystals' that one equips to summon GFs (Summons). They are equipped to the users weapon and the person can only hold up to a certain limit!!!!
Summary: (TRY-2) AU! The pain of loss and despair... hope is a bait to lour despair.... lost and alone... the obsession to another... the realization that you are not yourself... and the dignity that binds us all. squinoa.
~* The Full Moon Over Balamb *~
~ Chapter TWO: Where the Sky is High ~
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99 Red Balloons~
You and I in a little toy shop buy a bag of balloons with the money we got. Set them free at the break of dawn, til' one by one, they were gone. Back in base, bugs in the software, flashed the message "Something out there floating in the summer sky." 99 Red Balloons go by...
A young women, in her late teens stood on a high ledge that protruded from the island of Balamb and over the ocean. Her arms were crossed in thought as she looked out at the clear, blue waters that stretched out before her. Her blonde hair blew gently with the gentle wind. She was wearing standard Garden staff clothing, however the bow that was needlessly tied around her neck was not the same color as the other students. It was instead a bright red, almost pink. The crunching of grass could be heard from behind her. Her head turned and her eyes spotted a man, looking of the same age as her, with an emotionless expression on his face. It was the burly man, the Leader of the 12th Century Garden Nights.
"I was figuring you'd find me here." the blonde women said nonchalantly as she turned her whole body to face him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her glasses. She placed them on her head delicately and looked at him once more.
"Besides the school... this is the only place you are." The man said.
"I'm boring like that aren't I?" The women asked, not meaning it all to seriously.
"No, no!" The man quickly said. "That's not what I meant at all Lady Trepe!" He continued, trying to correct his 'wrong doing'. 'Lady Trepe' just smiled at him lightly and pleasantly. "What I simply meant was that the school and this place are your two favorite places... that's all." The man said, feeling ashamed.
"Do not call me Lady Trepe when we are outside of the school like this... call me Quistis." Quistis told the man.
"Yes, Lady Quistis." The man said. Quistis smiled at him.
"I guess that's a habit, isn't it, Raijin?" She asked Raijin. The man smiled sheepishly and nodded. "But what did you come here for, veering back to our original conversation." Quistis said, starting the conversation back up again.
"I should ask you the same question. You only come here when you want to think about a deep thought." Raijin noted as he stepped closer to her. Quistis turned herself around to look at the ocean once more.
"That's perceptive of you..." Quistis complimented. "... and how might you know that?" Quistis asked.
"We have veered away from our original conversation yet again. This is the second time you have done that. You don't want to talk to about what is on your mind?" He asked, piecing things together one by one.
"You ARE sharp, aren't you?" She questioned with a smile as she pushed her glasses up and back to the bridge of her nose with her index finger.
"Thank you. Now, please. Enlighten me, what is on your mind. Perhaps the Nights can fix this problem." Raijin said helpfully. Quistis nodded and turned to him.
"Perhaps they can." Quistis said as she stepped closer to him, arms still crossed. "You have heard the reports of the cat person, correct?" Quistis asked.
"I have not only heard reports, I have seen it myself." He said, wanting to speak more about his experience, but dared not.
"Interesting... so it's not just a myth." Quistis said, unfolding her arms and placing her hands to her hips.
"No. It is indeed not." He repeated.
"Where did you see it?" Quistis asked.
"It was by the Well, no more than 4 kilometers outside of Garden." He told her, pointing to the general direction of where it was.
"Hmmm... that's odd. Most of the reports were around Garden." Quistis noted questionably.
"The cat seemed to be interested in one of our new students, but I do not think the student knew the cat was near him." Raijin told her.
"What happened to the two?" She asked.
"I attempted to attack the cat, in an attempt to knock it out but the new student and the cat vanished into thin air. I don't know where they are now." The man said, hesitantly as his story was sounding more outrageous as he spoke.
"That's quite normal of the sightings that are reported. The cat seems to suddenly vanish when any other foreign presence looks to it." Quistis said, questionably. "I want you, the Garden Nights, to gather information about the new student you saw, and report the information back to me... and don't forget that when the second that student enters Garden, place a tracker on him." Quistis commanded. Raijin nodded. There was silence between the two until Raijin finally spoke up.
"Shall we head back for Garden, Lady Quistis?" He asked, extending his hand out, in a symbol for following him.
"Yes, I think we shall." Quistis told him as she stepped for him, but before she could finish her short walk towards him, a rustling from the forest next to them caught they're attention and Raijin eyed it suspiciously.
**
The brunette threw a few slashes of his gunblade to the odd blue bug that was roaming the planes. The bug dodged it easily with a few quick flips and turns. He slashed more violently this time but the bug just seemed to keep evading very nonchalantly. The golden sun, high above, reflected off the magnificent blade. He growled between his clenched teeth as he began to slash even more violently.
For a short moment, the bug seemed to be turned around whilst doing a fancy trick to avoid the brunette's attacks. The brunette caught this moment and brought up his blade ready to strike down, but the bug moved just in time and flew off. The large force that the brunette had sent down, trying to kill the bug, had sent his blade deep into the grass and soil. The brunette scowled.
"Hehe." Came a chuckle from the left of the brunette. He turned his head to find a man leaning against a nearby tree with smile on his face. His hair was blonde and spiked, he looked no more older than 16. He had fighting gloves and his arms crossed, trying to act cool. The brunette scowled at him for laughing. "I do that sometimes when I'm mad." The boy said, trying to ease the discomfort that was growing quickly. "My name is Zell Dintch." Zell greeted in a friendly manner. His distance was still far. "I like coming out here and blowing some steam from the days previous happenings." He said, rephrasing his previous statement. There was more silence. "You must be new..." Zell said with a smirk. The brunette did not answer. "... well... I'm not one to talk. For I am new to this school as well." Zell said with a sharp and nervous laugh. There was more silence as Squall continued to stare at him. "You don't talk much do you?" Zell asked.
"I don't like you." Said the brunette in a very irritated voice as he yanked his gunblade from the earth. Zell stumbled back in surprise, the comment caught him off guard. "You're related to that girl aren't you?" Squall asked him rudely as he sheathed his gunblade.
"Huh?" Was Zell's response. "What girl?" He asked.
"Just forget it." The brunette said, agitated, as he turned from Zell.
"Hey-Hey! Wait!" Zell called. "I-" Zell cut himself off as the cat appeared once more, above the brunette. "Woah... is that a new summon or something?" Zell asked, amazed.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Squall asked, annoyed and impatient.
"The-" Zell couldn't finish his sentence as the cat pressed his furry hands to Squall's head and they disappeared. Zell stood there, shocked. "I wanna go home." He said. "Home is where normal people are." Zell said turning away from the scene like nothing had just happened.
**
The brunette was sitting in the middle of a field, resting against a rock that was strangely out of place. There was no wind, just the high sky and the clouds that came with it. The brunette unsheathed his gunblade and looked at the hilt to see his Summon Crystal's. He knew he shouldn't have any summons but one was equipped anyways. It was black, with a pink star in the middle. His eye's narrowed in curiously at the foreign jewel. He tried to pull it out, but it was of no use as the jewel would not move. His annoyed brow changed into a curious one. He tried harder to pull the jewel from its prison, but still, it did not work. "... stupid." He muttered as he bent his head low.
**
"Selphie!" Rinoa yelled as she threw Selphie's door open. Rinoa wore a smile as she blasted the door open with a swing of her hand. "Oh Selphie!" Rinoa called once more. "C'mon hurry!" She commanded as she stepped into the room with light steps.
"Coming!" Rang a sweet voice. Selphie emerged from her bathroom, hair wet but obviously ready as she was fully clothed.
"Good... Irvine's not going to wait all day!" Rinoa told her as they both exited Selphie's room.
"Uh-oh... Irvy's driving?" Selphie asked, inputting Irvine's cute little nickname for the heck of it.
"Yep. That's why I told you to hurry your ass up!" Rinoa told her.
"... let's speed walk." Selphie said as she began to walk really, really fast towards Garden's garage. Rinoa followed her example.
Rinoa was in the backseat of the car while Selphie and the driver, Irvine, took the front. Rinoa looked out the window, a depressed face covering her usual happy mood. Her hand propped her head up. Her elbow was resting on the arm rest while her hand held her chin firmly in place. Her eyes were planted on the fast moving world outside the car. The grass, just off the road swept by so fast it was a green blur and the pavement below, a gray, gigantic mass it seemed. Something caught the corner of her eye, she looked and found Selphie's hand creeping besides Irvine's head. Rinoa sighed lightly. Selphie's hand finally reached it's target, Irvine's cowboy hat. She pulled it off of him and threw into the seat behind her, next to Rinoa. Selphie giggled. Rinoa only sighed once more
'... I used to be like that.'
Irvine began to speak. Rinoa wasn't paying attention, she didn't care.
'How could that have possibly amused me even the slightest...'
Selphie began to speak. Rinoa still wasn't paying attention.
'... why did I even start...'
They both began to laugh. Rinoa ignored them.
'Did I like him? Who cares anymore... I don't.'
The two began talking once again and Rinoa finally zoned back into reality.
"You're so stupid..." Irvine said with a shake of his head, referring to Selphie. Selphie stuck her tongue out in a juvenile fashion and turned her head to the look out the window. "Oh! We're here..." Irvine said, curiosity in his voice. "That was quick..." Irvine said with a shrug of his shoulders and a boyish smile. He noticed Rinoa getting out of the car, an emotionless look on her face. "Wasn't it, Rin?" He asked as he patted her on the back. She didn't respond, only moved away from his touch as she walked into the Town of Balamb. Selphie watched her friend with worried eyes, but decided not to speak of it and followed her in.
As the three entered the town Selphie immediately grabbed Rinoa's hand and said. "Hey, Irvy. We'll be a little while, we just need to modify our weapons for Ms. Trepe's exam. You go on ahead." Selphie smiled as the two girls walked away.
"But-but... I'm new around here! I..." Irvine trailed off his yell. It was hopeless as the two were already far away from him. "Whatever..." He said casually as he wandered off.
Selphie looked back over her shoulder to watch as Irvine left for who-knows where. "Good, he's not following." Selphie said quietly to Rinoa.
"What is it?" Rinoa asked, looking down at the ground as they walked ahead.
"What's wrong?" Selphie asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked nonchalantly.
"You know what I mean!" Selphie said with a harsh tone. Rinoa stayed quiet. "When we were in the car... and even right now, you just don't look like you usually do..." Selphie said trailing her sentence, afraid of hurting her friend.
"I... just haven't been feeling well. I get... car sick." Rinoa lied. Selphie didn't believe and Rinoa knew it, but whatever would by her time. Selphie led Rinoa to the park in the middle of Balamb. The park wasn't very crowded, convenient for them. They followed a path until they reached a wooden bench. Selphie was the first to sit, Rinoa just stood there, looking at the bench.
"Aren't you going to sit?" Selphie asked curiously. Rinoa took a seat next to Selphie. There was an awkward silence. "I know how you feel." Selphie comforted as the silence was broken.
"Do you really?" Rinoa asked, looking a the ground.
"I do. You might not think so because I have Irvine, but... my life on this planet has been 17 years, I know heartbreak and I know loss." Selphie reminded her comfortingly. "Forgive me if I offend you, but... you can't be ingnorant of people's pasts. Alot can happen in a year, a month or even a day." Selphie told her with a sweet voice.
"Then... I take it you know why I'm in the best of moods." Rinoa said, still looking to the ground.
"Yeah... I'm pretty sure. But it's okay now Rin. Besides the fact that he's transferred, your heartbreak was once in a lifetime." Selphie comforted. "Think of it as a very painful learning experience. You now know which guys are dicks or not!" Selphie said with some of her classic charm. Rinoa giggled and looked to Selphie for the first time in awhile.
"Thanks Selphie. While that didn't quite help as much as I thought it would, it made me smile and that's all that counts." Rinoa told her with a smile. Selphie frowned at her statement, but ended smiling anyways, knowing she had done a good thing.
**
"Arrrggghhh... damn thing..." The brunette growled in annoyance pulled on the little black and pink Summon Crystal that was in his gunblade. He was in a back alley way, between two houses. He leaned on the large house to the left of him and struggled some more with the crystal. 'What the hell is wrong?' He thought in anger. He suddenly stopped his train of thought as he heard foot steps, cautious and quiet, coming down the alley way towards him. He didn't move but gripped the hilt of his gunblade. He swung around, the deadly point of his blade staring in the face of his 'enemy'.
"You're an awfully paranoid, aren't you?" Rinoa asked, pushing the shining point out of her face. The brunette took the hint and placed his gunblade down. He didn't answer her, just stared right at her. "Weren't you struggling with something?" Rinoa asked, looking to the gunblades hilt.
"Like's it any of your business." The brunette said rudely as he turned around and walked away from her. She followed him. "Stop following me." He demanded.
"You can't get a Summon Crystal out, can you?" Rinoa asked with a tiny smile. He stopped and turned around to face her.
"Maybe." Was all he said. She looked down to the blade's hilt and found the pink star crystal there.
"Have you been up to no good?" Rinoa asked him.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" The brunette asked with even more annoyance than usual.
"Well? Have you been doing anything to attract the attention of the Garden Nights?" Rinoa asked, frustrated in his lack of knowledge.
"Why?" He asked, his arms crossed, now more interested.
"Because when people get in trouble with them their weapon's Summon Crystal slots are filled with those. Depending on the severity of the thing her or she does, the more slots will be filled up by those ugly things. And to get ride of them... You have to confront the leader of the Garden Nights and discuss a punishment and the pink crystal blocker will be removed, now the person would just have to fill out the 'sentence'." Rinoa explained. The brunette hid the pink crystal blocker with his hand.
"Wait... how do they put them on?" He asked.
"The second you enter Garden a tracker is put on you and your weapon. They pinpoint your location with some fancy computer and then they send out those pink blockers. The pink things can fly to their designated destination as they are actually robots." Rinoa told him.
"But... I never entered Garden." The brunette told her.
"Huh... that doesn't make any sense..." Rinoa said. "C'mon, lets go to the weapon's smith and they'll remove it. We'll explain the situation." Rinoa said as she began to leave but he stood where he was. He didn't want to go, for afraid of the consequences. He turned around and ran the other direction. "Hey!!" Rinoa called in annoyance. He stopped and turned to her.
"Stop meddling in my affairs!" He yelled. Rinoa walked up to him and pulled out her improved pinwheel. "Next time I see you, I'm ignoring you." Squall told her. She smiled and smacked him over the head with her pinwheel. He clutched his head in pain and fell to the ground. "arrggghhh...." He moaned in pain as he held his head tighter.
"See you around!" She said as she left him there.
"That hurts really badly..." He sighed as he slowly and gently removed his hand from his head. He brought down his hand to eye level and looked at it. There was blood on it. "Ow." He whined as he gripped his head again. He held his hand there for a little longer and looked up at the cloudless blue sky and asked. "Why?"....
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A/n: Please... review... it's now 4:53 in the morning... I need sleep.... badly.
