Chapter 4: I Grieve For You
The air was rigid, and the dusty ground lay dormant. The sorceress memorial stood tall piercing the sky above with a halo of clouds above it. Having changed into the usual attire both Squall and Zell ventured away from Garden which was parked some distance from the memorial. The sorceress memorial grew larger as they approached. Quistis stood at its base, leaning on one leg with her hand covering part of her face, she crossed her arms as they came closer. Leaning her head to the side she said:
"Hi, I'm guessing you saw what happened earlier."
Zell burst immediately: "Yeh did you see it, it was amazing, I don't really understand what happened but wow, the Guardian Forces and all. Rinoa seems to think that it was the original lunar cry but in reverse or something, but I don't think she knows what she's talking about…"
Squall closed his eyes and looked down towards the ground. Quistis stopped listening to Zell and noticed Squall's endless contemplation.
"What is it Squall?"
Zell stopped talking realising that no one was listening to him.
Squall opened his eyes but remained focused on the ground, it was cracked and dry, tiny pebbles were scattered at Squalls feet and then the flashbacks began. Image after image flooded into Squalls head, the flickering became unbearable and Squall was reduced to his knees. Both Zell and Quistis called his name and flocked to him.
Quistis called to Zell, "Zell get back to Garden, get someone to help"
Zell looked at Quistis to make sure she'd be okay before running at a tremendous pace back towards Garden. The panic in Zell made his whole body seem to streamline through the air.
Hearing a loud cry from where he had just been standing, caused Zell to grind to a halt. He looked back to see two giant flaming wings glowing from Squalls back. The wings became brighter and brighter till they exploded into a waterfall of feathers.
Realising he was stood at the base of Garden Zell began to call out for help. He could see now that both Quistis and Squall were lying on the floor barely moving, so he ran back towards them.
"Squall…Squall…where are we?"
"We're here, the place where she promised to meet me."
"She? You mean Rinoa? But she's not here Squall."
"That's because this is a dream."
"Hey Squall! Quistis! Wake up. C'mon you guys."
"Zell? Where are you? Squall can you hear him?"
"He wants us to wake up Quistis"
"Wake up?"
"From this dream"
"Well how do we do that Squall"
"I don't think I can now, but you can"
"What? Why can't you?"
"Because…If I wait here, she will come."
"I… don't understand…Squall!" With that, Quistis awoke from the dream to greet a worried Zell standing over her. Sitting up she looked towards Squall. Zell knew that he was missing something here and asked:
"What's happening to him?"
"He's dreaming, he's waiting for Rinoa to come find him."
"Rinoa is on her way from Garden"
"No Zell, I think he has to find her in time."
Zell's manner changed, he held his 'I'm confused' stance. At that moment the Ragnarok descended from the sky landing near Garden.
"You know Zell, I think that something happened to Squall during time compression, he's seen things, I don't know how to explain it but, just now we were in a dream together and he was completely calm, he told me to wake up saying that he couldn't come with me. It was as though he was saying good-bye you know?"
"No I don't know, but you shouldn't talk like that, Squall isn't gone forever" Zell picked up Squall at that point and began to carry him back to Garden to get him some help.
'I don't think it is Squall that is leaving us…
Maybe, maybe I'm the one who is leaving'
Zell turned around to see that Quistis had closed her eyes and was swaying as though she was in a trance. "Quistis?" He called out to her.
"I'm okay, come on let's get back, oh and Zell?"
"Yes Quistis?" Zell was beginning to struggle to carry Squall at this point.
"Did you see those wings that came out of Squall's back?" Quistis' gaze pierced through Zell's eyes, as though she wanted him to instantly understand what she was trying to say.
"Yeh, what was that all about?" Squall's arm slumped out of Zell's hands and Zell had to re-adjust his grip on Squall.
"Did you not recognise them?"
"Nuh-uh, should I have done?" Zell turned around and began to walk back to Garden.
Realising that Zell was getting tired, Quistis said: "I'll explain when we get back to Garden." Turning to Squall, Quistis muttered "I grieve for you."
