Disclaimer: Thank you for the reviews. You have no idea how much they mean to me. However, as I stated before, I don't own crap (Which includes anything related to, or in relation of Final Fantasy). Yet, if you are interested, I can sell you my pity for a dime (Hey, I got to earn money somehow). Also, please note that this chapter may contain words that could be considered offensive to some readers. Keep in mind that this is only a story, and I have no intentions of offending anyone. Thank you.
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Falling
Rinoa had always considered herself to be very good person. She was caring, sweet, and for the most part, innocent. At least in her mind anyway. She never did like to look for the worst possible outcomes of things. She always listened to her heart, and hoped for the best. These beliefs helped her prepare for whatever life might throw her way.
However, nothing could have prepared her for this.
Rinoa felt as if she was completely paralyzed. She couldn't move, she could barely breathe. All she could do was watch from a distance as an enraged Seifer continued his relentless march over to Squall.
Rinoa felt her heart racing inside her chest. She didn't exactly know why she was so worried, but something told her that things were about to get pretty ugly. So many questions were rushing threw her mind Rinoa could barely find the time to register them all. However, one question stood about above the rest. And that question was…
"Why is Seifer so upset?"
Rinoa then realized that the cafeteria had gotten unusually quiet, as Squall and Seifer were now standing directly in front of one another. They were no more then three feet apart, but the distance still didn't seem safe in Rinoa's eyes. In all honesty, she didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to get up and help stop this mess. The other part of her seemed content with simply sitting back and watching. Despite her best efforts, the latter won.
The silence in the cafeteria remained unbroken. Everyone was bracing themselves for the worst. They all knew what might happen, but no one wanted to do anything about it. No one wanted to go against the tides. No one wanted to try and make a change. Not even Rinoa. They all just sat their, waiting for one of these two men to do something, anything. Finally, the silence was broken as Seifer spoke.
"Well, look what we have here. A blue eyed bitch from Galbadia Garden," Seifer said, never once taking his gaze off Squall.
Squall said nothing. He merely looked back at Seifer with an unchanged face, as if he never even heard what the tall blonde man had said. This irritated Seifer to no end. His patience quickly grew thin as he waited for Squall to respond. Weather it be physically, or verbally. He got neither, only that unchanged expression.
"What's wrong, don't Seeds at Galbadia Garden speak English anymore. Or maybe you were just born mute, you fucking faggot," Seifer shouted, making sure that as many people heard him as possible.
The tension in the room had reached an all time high. Any minute now, that's what the students thought, any minute now, they'll be throwing fists. Everyone expected this. However, despite their predictions, Squall's mood remained unchanged. He simply looked back at Seifer, with nothing more than the same emotionless look in his eyes, as if he was completely unfazed by his words. Rinoa quickly noticed this, and was rather confused by his actions.
"Geez, this guy sure is strange. I mean, not many men can sit there and just take that without even looking the least bit angry. Or even hurt for that matter. It's almost like Squall is above anything anyone could say to him. It's like he's…untouchable or something," Rinoa thought as her mind began to stray away from her again. However, this time, she was able to find enough willpower to force her brain to stay in the real world.
Rinoa didn't exactly know why she cared so much. She had been witness to many school fights in the past, most of which involved Seifer. However, this one, for whatever reason, seemed different. After the many years of attending the Garden, school fights seemed to completely unavoidable. Weather it be a verbal or physical fight. Everyone, for the most part, accepted this, and no one did anything about it. That was the basic tradition. If someone got in a fight, the best thing for you to do was to stay out of it.
Rinoa had generally come to accept this idea, along with the rest of the world. Everyone has to choose their battles wisely. They can't afford to risk themselves for every waking moment of every waking day. This is what the people believed. This is what Rinoa believed. However, for the first time in her life, she didn't want to believe it anymore. Not then, and especially not now.
"Ah, to hell with it," Rinoa thought, as she quickly stood up from her table and began to walk over in Squall and Seifer's direction.
The two men were still locked in deadly gaze. However, the overwhelming silence made Seifer feel like he was going to snap any minute. Squall, on the other hand, still had that emotionless look on his face, making it impossible to determine what he was thinking. As for Rinoa, she was fighting a mental battle within herself as she walked over to them.
"What am I doing?! Seriously, there MUST be something wrong with me. I've seen tons of fights before, but I've never once considered stopping one," Rinoa thought, as she finally reached the two men's location. "That had to be the longest walk across the cafeteria I've ever made."
Neither Seifer nor Squall seemed to notice Rinoa's presence. However, the rest of the cafeteria were stunned by her actions. Rinoa was standing directly behind Seifer, her form completely overshadowed by the tall blonde man. For a moment, Rinoa was having second thoughts about her decision, and almost considered turning around and heading back to her table. However, despite what her mind was telling her, her heart willed her body to stay put. She had already come this far, might as well go threw with it. With whatever courage she could muster, she slowly reached out and gently tapped Seifer on the shoulder.
At first, Seifer did not register Rinoa's actions. He was too lost in his gaze with Squall to notice anything around him. However, the soft rustle of his Seed uniform finally got his attention. He slowly turned to face Rinoa, with a bewildered look upon his face. Rinoa just stood there, looking completely dumbfounded with herself. There was awkward silence between the two of them, until Seifer finally decided to speak.
"Rinoa, what in Hyne's name do you want?!" Seifer asked in a confused and angry tone of voice.
"I'll be damned if I know," Rinoa thought to herself. Even now, she still questioned her motives as to why she was doing this. However, in spite of herself, she tried her best to play it cool.
The room had become completely silent, as they waited for Rinoa to respond. However, nothing could have prepared them for what she was about to say. With a big grin across her face, Rinoa spoke loud enough to make sure everyone could here her.
"Come on Seifer, we all know how charming you can be, but this is SO not the way to get a boyfriend," Rinoa said sarcastically. Seifer's face paled as the entire cafeteria erupted in laughter. Rinoa couldn't help but smile at the current situation. She had now embarrassed Seifer twice in one day, which was definitely NOT a good thing.
While Seifer stood there in complete shock, Rinoa took the opportunity to glance over at Squall, who was now standing a little off to the side of the tall blonde man. And that's when it happened. For the first time, Squall's ocean blue eyes locked with Rinoa's chocolate brown ones.
"I think I'm gonna faint," Rinoa thought to herself, as she felt her knees start to weaken under her own weight. Squall's expressions 'still' remained unchanged, as he merely looked back at her with that same emotionless face. Rinoa immediately felt herself regretting her choice of words that she used against Seifer earlier.
"Oh Hyne, I hope I didn't offend him," Rinoa thought as she continued to stare back at Squall, never once breaking eye contact. It wasn't until she felt someone's arm wrap around her slim waist that Rinoa finally broke her gaze. She quickly looked to her side to see Seifer, with cocky smile across his face, standing next to her. Rinoa felt herself being pulled closer to him as he leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"Don't worry Princess, I would never even dream of cheating you," Seifer said in a low, seductive like voice. Rinoa wasn't sure if she should feel flattered or disgusted. However, she was surprised at how quickly Seifer's mood had changed from being overly mad to unusually charming within a few short seconds.
"Hmm, I guess I just have a way with men," Rinoa thought confidently, with a proud smile across her face. However, her smile quickly faded as she turned her attention back toward Squall, who was now making his way out of the cafeteria, without even getting a bite to eat. Rinoa began to mentally kick herself for letting this happen.
"I guess I really DO have a way with men. I can impress the guys I don't like, and offend the ones I do," Rinoa thought, as Seifer graciously escorted her back to their table, with his arm still wrapped firmly around her waist.
The cafeteria, for the most part, seemed to return back to normal almost as soon as Squall left. Rinoa decided that this would be the best time to get some answers out of Seifer. However, she wasn't exactly sure how to ask him. So, like always, Rinoa let her emotions get the best of her.
"Seifer, if you don't mind me asking, what the hell is your problem?! I mean, I know Squall is from Galbadia Garden and all, but you seriously didn't need to be that mean to him," Rinoa said in a harsh tone. Seifer looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. He obviously noted Rinoa's change in behavior, and decided to try and avoid the subject as best he could.
"Look Rin, it was really no big deal," Seifer said casually, trying his best to hide how he truly felt. However, Rinoa wasn't buying it, but decided not to press the subject further. She was desperately seeking answers, but she also didn't want to make Seifer upset again. Once they sat down at there table, Rinoa was surprised to see Irvine, still sitting there, with a big smile across his face.
"What are you smiling about Mr. Kinneas?" Rinoa asked playfully. Irvine merely smiled back before deciding to answer.
"You certainly do have a way with men, don't ya Rinoa," Irvine said bluntly.
"Yeah, so I've noticed," Rinoa thought, as she started to eat her food.
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The bell sounded once more, signaling the start of 3rd period classes. Fortunately enough, Rinoa was already where she needed to be. Unlike most other schools, the Garden not only cared about advancing your academic education, but your physical education as well. Magic and combat training were no exception, which is one reason why Rinoa enjoyed the class so much. The classroom, itself, was nothing more then a gymnasium, with some work-out equipment and a large battle platform located in the center of the room.
Students were piled into their own little groups, talking amongst themselves as they waited for their instructor to arrive. Rinoa, of course, was among her own group of friends, which included Irvine, Selphie, Zell, and Seifer. There were also two other students, a dark skinned man named Raijin and white haired women named Fujin, who were also conversing with them.
Everyone was so involved with their conversations, that no one noticed the instructor enter the gymnasium. He was tall, slender man with dark skin, and a foreign look to him.
"Good afternoon everyone, my name is Kiros Seagill, and I will be your new combat instructor," he said, as his voice echoed off the gymnasium walls. The class suddenly got quiet, and Rinoa couldn't help but be amazed.
"I swear, it's like they heard the voice of God or something," Rinoa thought, as Kiros started to explain the rules and regulations of 'his' combat class. While the majority of students were listening to their instructor, Rinoa's eyes began to wander about the gym. She quickly took note that every student was now wearing more casual clothing. Most of the guys were wearing simple black shorts and white t-shirt. The girls, on the other hand, were wearing mostly short-shorts and tank-tops.
Rinoa's eyes continued to wander until they eventually settled upon Seifer, who was not wearing any shirt whatever so ever.
"Hmph, show off," Rinoa thought as she continued to study Seifer's perfectly shaped muscles. She could feel herself blushing slightly, and decided it was best to 'try' and look somewhere else.
As Rinoa continued her surveillance of the room, her eyes quickly spotted something she couldn't believe. Standing alone in the corner of the gymnasium was none other then Squall Leonhart. He was leaning up against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest, as he stared at the floor with a lifeless look on his face. Rinoa took note that was still wearing his leather pants and white t-shirt, and didn't seem very interested in Kiro's 'safety' speech.
Rinoa could feel herself blushing again, but unlike with Seifer, she couldn't stop herself from staring. She felt as if her eyes were completely locked on the man before her. It wasn't until she felt someone tap her arm that Rinoa was finally able to return to her senses.
"Hey Rinny, are you ready to start?" Selphie chirped, in her usual cheery voice.
"Gack, I gotta stop zoning out like this," Rinoa thought as she nodded at her friend. Kiros was currently assigning students with training partners, and Selphie had obviously wanted to be paired up with Rinoa. Normally, Rinoa would have enjoyed having Selphie as a partner. However, she was actually hoping that she might get the chance to have Squall as her 'training buddy'.
Kiros had just finished assigning Zell and Seifer as partners when the tall blonde man spoke up.
"Hey instructor, no offense and all, but do you really gotta pair me up with this chicken-wuss," Seifer said smugly, pointing over at Zell, who responded by giving him a deadly glare. Kiros didn't impressed by Seifer's choice of words, but decided to let him have his way.
"Well then Mr. Almasy, who would you like to paired up with then?" Kiros asked curiously.
"Well, I mean, if you really wanna test MY skills, why don't you pair me up with that 'zombie' standing over there in the corner." Seifer said, looking over at Squall, who didn't even bother acknowledging him. By this time, the entire class had drawn their attention on Kiros, as they eagerly awaited their instructors answer. Kiros raised his eyebrow in suspicion, but didn't see the harm in letting them train together.
"Very well, if that's what you want, then I don't see a problem with it," Kiros said.
"Alright, you hear that puberty boy? Looks like I'm your executioner," Seifer said, causing Kiros to glare at him. "Um, I mean, your training buddy."
Squall didn't move, or even acknowledge Seifer's words, which only pissed the young blonde off.
"Hyne, don't tell me this guy fell asleep standing?" Seifer said, causing a few students to laugh amongst one another.
"Don't worry Seifer, maybe that Galbadia goon is just afraid of facing someone from Balamb," a random student said, causing the laughter in the gymnasium to increase even more. Yet, despite all this, Squall refused to do say or do anything. He just stood there, leaning against the wall, as if he was completely lost in his own little world.
"Holy crap, I think he might be dead," another random student cried out, causing even more laughter among the students. At this point, Rinoa was beginning to get disgusted with whole situation. She couldn't stand the fact that so many students were finding humor in all this. Didn't they know that Squall is new here, and that he probably doesn't have any friends whatsoever? Yet, they pick on him if he was some sort of freak of nature.
At this point, Kiros had become concerned with the attitude of the class, and decided to try and get an answer out of Squall before things got any worse. As the laughter started to quiet down, he took the opportunity to speak up.
"Squall, are you okay?" Kiros asked intently. There was a moment of silence, but eventually, Squall slowly raised his head and looked over at his instructor with cold blue eyes.
"He lives," Seifer shouted, causing a few students to snicker amongst each other once again. Squall, as usual, didn't appear to be moved by Seifer's words. He just stood there, leaning against the wall, as he finally decided to speak.
"I'm sorry instructor, I'm just not feeling very well," Squall said casually as he pushed off the wall, and began making his way toward the exit doors. Everyone stood still, in complete silence, as Squall finally walked out of the gym. Kiros had a bewildered look on his face, while Seifer was smiling proudly.
"Geez, I swear that guy is freaky," Seifer said, as he looked over at his instructor. Kiros, for the most part, was still a little taken back from Squall's actions, but decided to continue on with class without him.
"Alright everyone, enough gawking, get back to work. Come on, lets go," Kiros shouted, getting his students full attention. Rinoa, however, still only had one concern on her mind. And that concern was Squall.
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3rd period had come and gone, and students were now free to roam about the Garden on their own. Most of them often took this time to socialize with their fellow classmates. However, Rinoa was not interested in 'socializing' at the moment. She was more concerned with finding her way to her dorm room.
"Great, here I am, lost and alone in a place that's as big as a small city. I guess you can call me a damsel in distress. All I need now is for my 'Prince Charming' to come and save me," Rinoa thought sarcastically, as she turned a corner. Then, as if fate had planned it, Rinoa felt herself bump into someone. Her mind barely had time to register who she hit before she started speaking.
"Hey, why don't you watch were-," Rinoa stopped in mid-sentence as she finally looked up at who she was speaking too. Her eyes were quickly met by a pair of cold blue orbs. It was then that she immediately recognized who it was.
"Hyne, I'm saved," Rinoa thought; as she stood face to face with her very own 'Prince Charming'. She could feel her legs begin to weaken, as her heart starting pounding inside her chest. Rinoa still couldn't believe this was happening. She was actually standing face to face with none other than Squall Leonhart.
Squall, for the most part, stared back at Rinoa with his usual emotionless expression. There was a long silence between the two of them, as Rinoa began to get nervous. Working up whatever courage she could muster, she was finally able to speak.
"Oh, um, I really…am sorry. I should have…um…been watching where I…was going," Rinoa said shyly. Squall didn't seem register her words, as he continued to stare into her chocolate brown eyes. Rinoa felt a shiver run down her spine, as her nerves were starting to kick into overdrive. She felt like turning around and running down the hallway with all the strength she had left. However, Squall's storm blue eyes had somehow managed to keep her still. And then, it happened. Against all odds, Squall finally spoke.
"Don't worry about it," Squall said in an emotionless voice. Rinoa could feel her heart leaping inside her chest. She desperately wanted to say something, anything. However, no words came to mind. She simply stood there, unable to utter a sound, as Squall walked past her and continued down the hall. Quickly realizing what was happening; Rinoa turned around and shouted back at him.
"Um, I'm Rinoa by the way," she called out, causing Squall to stop in his tracks. At first, Rinoa began to regret saying a single word; for fear that she might have been annoying him in some way. However, despite her beliefs, Squall finally decided to answer her.
"I'm Squall," he said coldly. "And-" he paused in mid-sentence as if to think about what he was going to say next. Then, very slowly, Squall turned around, and Rinoa quickly noticed a small smile across his face.
"Oh Hyne, he's smiling at me," Rinoa thought as she felt her heart melting inside her chest.
"Ya know you're the first person to say anything nice to me all day," Squall said in a warm, almost sweet voice. "Thank you."
Rinoa could hardly believe her ears, as a thousand thoughts came rushing threw her head. She couldn't believe how quickly his mood had changed from being cool and collective, to sincere and affectionate.
"Hyne, I can't believe it. Not only did he talk to me, but he also spoke with sincerity. He even smiled. And my God, what a beautiful smile," Rinoa thought as Squall turned and headed down the hallway once more.
"Um, so…I guess I'll…see you around sometime," Rinoa shouted back down the hallway. However, this time, Squall didn't bother responding. He simply continued on his way down the corridor.
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At long last, Rinoa was resting safely within the confines of her dorm room. It had only taken her one whole hour to find the damn place, but she was still glad to be there all the same. The sun was beginning to set, and a storm was now raging outside the Garden. Most students had already turned in for the day, which was completely understandable. Many teens often found the first day back to the Garden rather difficult. Learning to get up early, and wait to eat can easily bother the average teenager.
As for Rinoa, she was completely content with sitting next to the window of her dorm room, watching the rain fall.
"The storm really looks pretty bad," Rinoa thought, as she continued to stare out the window. Rinoa was the never the type of girl that enjoyed rainy days. She was more drawn to beautiful morning skies, with a soft, gentle breeze. Not to heavy downpours and lightening bolts.
Rinoa continued staring out the window, as her mind began to wander away from her once more. Some of her thoughts were directed to her friends, others to the Garden. However, most were drawn to 'him'.
Rinoa let out a heavy sigh as the mere thought of him began to drive her wild. She quickly pictured his handsome figure, his perfect body, his beautiful eyes, his gorgeous face, his muscular arms.
Rinoa began to wonder what it would feel like to be wrapped in those strong arms, the arms of her 'Prince Charming', the arms of Squall Leonhart. Even then, she still didn't understand why so many people could hate such a nice person. Rinoa then remembered an old expression her mother once said to her.
"People can't trust what they don't understand."
Rinoa thought about this, and breathed in deep. She didn't want to believe that was the only reason. How could she? There had to be more to it then just trust. Didn't respect, friendship, or even love count for anything? Didn't understanding someone mean more then just trusting them?
While considering all these things, Rinoa eventually allowed herself to be swallowed by her emotions once again. However, like before, all her thoughts ended up drifting toward Squall once again.
"I can't wait to see you again tomorrow," Rinoa said to herself, as she let out a heavy sigh.
As Rinoa continued to stare out the window, she suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye. After turning her head slightly, she finally spotted a dark shaped figure walking alone in the storm. At first, Rinoa thought it was nothing more then a monster roaming around the Garden perimeter. However, upon further inspection, Rinoa quickly realized that the mysterious figure actually looked human.
As she continued to study the shadowy figure, Rinoa was able to determine that this mystery person was actually a man. However, the heavy rainfall prevented her from gathering any further information. It wasn't until a lightening bolt streaked across the sky, that Rinoa had enough light to make out who it was.
"Squall?!" Rinoa gasped in surprise. Another flash of lightening lit up the Heavens, allowing Rinoa enough time to confirm her suspicion.
"Hyne, that really IS Squall," Rinoa thought, as she continued to watch him threw her window. "What's he doing out there in a storm?"
Although she didn't understand why he was out there, Rinoa still felt compelled to watch him. As far as she could tell, Squall seemed to be heading down the road to the city of Balamb. Why he was doing this, was anyone's guess. The Garden had always provided dorm rooms for all their students. Although the dorms didn't have much to offer, they will still descent compared to sleeping outside in a tent or something.
Rinoa continued to watch as Squall walked calmly threw the rain. She quickly noticed that he seemed totally unaffected by the storm. It was as if Squall had already made peace with the tempest, and was now walking through it, knowing that he was completely safe.
Rinoa began to think about how lonely Squall must have felt, walking alone in such a horrible storm. She then wondered if maybe, just maybe, that's the way he might have grown up, all alone, fighting his own battles, his own storms, with no one there to help him.
Rinoa tried her best to keep his imagine in her line of sight, as he continued to journey off into the distance. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and all Rinoa could see was the dark outline of his shadowy figure. Then, as if reality finally returned to the world, Squall disappeared into the storm.
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Authors Notes: I'm sorry for taking so long to update this story, but I really am trying. Getting spare time to write isn't exactly easy for me. However, I 'will' continue to update this story. Please read and review. I need encouragement.