Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine, is not mine. The game, the characters, they are not mine. The concept of the story is mine, but the elements added that were not originally mine, are definitely not mine. I hope that's enough disclaimer!
Author's Note: I seriously didn't think the last chapter would receive so much love, and that love was overwhelming! Guys, thank you so much for the faves, the follows, and most of all the reviews! I'm really happy to know that people are actually enjoying my story! You guys keep me going! I was able to directly thank those reviewers posted with their accounts. Shoutout to ChaosreigN, Cerulean Twin, kikodaisywrites, and Angel-Wings Naya! Thank you! So for those who posted as guests namely Rebekka (thank you for always reading and reviewing my stories! You rock!), ohmuhguhh (I'm glad you're enjoying the kind of Squall I'm writing. I try my best to stick with the Squall that we all know and love! Rinoa will get her moment somewhere in the future chapters, and I hope it's as badass as you imagine it would be! I will write more!), and Elendyr (better late than never! I'm still glad you found this story, and I really hope you're enjoying it! A good day to you too!), thank you all so much! And as always, I hope you'll enjoy this one as well!
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Quistis stopped scribbling numbers midway on her log when she heard soft knocks on her door. She looked up from her papers through the illumination of her lamp.
"Yes?" she said wearily.
"It's me." Irvine called back behind the door.
Quistis sighed. "Come in."
Irvine slowly pushed the door and let himself in, wearing a smile he wished would be acceptable as an apology for his intrusion. Quistis smiled back, albeit tightly, and gestured at the only chair free of papers.
"Sorry if there's little room for any more." Quistis said, her eyes not leaving Irvine. "Financial statements are piling up for two missions."
Irvine looked around her office. "How do you even breathe in here."
Quistis pointed a thumb behind her. "All offices have windows like that. Just so you know."
Irvine chuckled and nodded.
"What brings you here, Irvine?"
"Oh nothing. Just, you know, checking out how you've been cooping yourself up in your cave."
"Surviving just until I've reached the end of these financial request forms." Quistis replied, stamping on another document and signing on it with a few strokes.
Irvine sat down on the offered chair. "It's getting late. Any plans on calling it a day?"
Quistis shrugged. "Maybe in an hour."
Irvine nodded. "Okay."
Quistis took a deep breath and raised her eyebrows. "So, how's the Commander?"
"Good. He seems good. A little grumpy."
"Thank Hyne for that, then. If he isn't, then that's a problem."
Irvine chuckled. "Yeah." He then followed with a thoughtful look. "Although, I did notice something weird."
That got Quistis' attention. She paused on her log and looked at Irvine. "What's that?"
Irvine shrugged. "I just noticed that… well, you see, when we saw Squall back in Timber, he had a thigh in bandages."
"Yeah. I remember that."
"Didn't it look bad to you?"
"It did, but it looks like it healed well. What about it?"
"Exactly. It healed too well. In fact, he can walk as if nothing happened on it."
Quistis raised an eyebrow. "And that's a bad thing?"
"No, of course it isn't." Irvine said. "But, don't you think it's weird how it healed too quickly and well? Not even our best curaga can manage to close deep cuts. I mean, yes it can, but it would take a week, tops."
Quistis almost rolled her eyes. "Irvine, it took us almost a week before we rescued him."
"You're right, maybe if we got there sooner, we might have seen how it all went down for him. But get this, remember how there was a storm in Timber?"
Quistis frowned, not understanding what the storm had anything to do with Squall. "Uh huh…"
"Over dinner, I asked him how he survived it. And he said he was able to hunt for food before the storm hit Timber."
"... okay?"
"And he was able to bring back logs for fire and work on patching up the cabin."
Quistis paused for a moment, slowly understanding where Irvine was getting at but afraid to confirm it herself. "What are you trying to say?"
"Well, I mean," Irvine shrugged again uneasily. "Do you think Squall had, you know… help?"
"You mean Squall wasn't alone in Timber?"
"Yeah."
Quistis' eyes narrowed at her friend. "What did he tell you?"
"When we found him, he said he was alone. Like seriously alone. But if, and we're saying if here, if he really found help, it makes no sense because there was no one else who would help him in that island, right?"
"But it turned out that he wasn't alone. Because we found…" Quistis' eyes moved away from Irvine.
Irvine began laughing nervously. "Yeah. We found the sorceress."
Quistis' eyes widened at Irvine. "So he received help from the sorceress?"
Irvine pressed his lips downwards and lifted his eyebrows up. "No one ever said anything, but it is safe to assume that."
"But…" But, if she, indeed, helped Squall, why did Squall allow her capture, and…
Quistis shook her head. "No. It can't be."
Irvine slightly pulled his head back. "What do you mean?"
"We have no proof of this possibility. I mean, a sorceress helping a SeeD?"
"Why not? It makes more sense to me."
"Then why is she here? Why is Squall not helping her out?"
"I don't know. Why is he so interested in being part of the Headmaster's project with her?"
"Who said he is interested?"
"Zell." Irvine said, extending an arm to the door. "Zell told me. Squall requested to be part of the research on the sorceress."
Quistis' lips opened halfway and pushed them close again. Irvine knew as much as she did that Squall was not impulsive with his actions. When he wanted something done, he planned them carefully before moving. Even in the most fast-paced battles, he was a tactician, quick in thinking which attack and spells were best to take down any particular enemy. He always waited for the right moment to strike, no mistakes were tolerated. Of course, with the exception of Timber, but that had something to do with the unexpected surge of power among sorceresses that not even the Captain had anticipated. In this case, he involved himself with the sorceress project to open more options and make it easier to place himself at a more advantageous position. As he did, he made sure not to drop any hint that may spark suspicion on his involvement and true objective, even if it meant lying. He might not have been careful with Irvine, but try as he might, Irvine knew him just enough to see right through him.
"Was it granted?"
Irvine raised his eyebrows. "What do you think? He's a Commander, of course it was granted."
"Then you better not tell anyone about this."
"Not a soul. Don't want to lose our Commander again."
Quistis firmly nodded. She was not sure about the agreement she was making with Irvine. In fact, she didn't know if either of them understood what it meant at all. There would be consequences the Headmaster wouldn't like, but she trusted Squall's judgement over anyone else's, good or bad. If he wanted to help the sorceress, then so be it. They were innocent. They didn't know anything. They didn't see it coming.
"Great." Quistis shook her head. "Not a soul."
Irvine firmly nodded. "Yep." He said before standing up. He was about to head out when he turned around again. "Do you think there was more to it?"
"Like what?"
"Like he's under her spell?"
Quistis shook her head. "I wouldn't think it like that."
"Why?"
"If our suspicions are true that she, a sorceress, helped Squall survive Timber, then it is only natural that Squall would pay her back in kind. I know I would."
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The white room came in blurry as she slowly opened her tired eyes from a dreamless sleep. Rinoa blinked a few times, hoping that her reality yesterday was no more. It was all a nightmare that was meant to pass. Her heart dropped when she recognized how real it all felt to her.
She curled herself tighter on her bed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again, only to open them to a clearer sight of her silent confinement. A few moments later, her contemplation was stolen by the sound of the door opening and of footsteps closing in. Rinoa slowly pulled herself up to sit and watched four female SeeDs enter. One of them, a petite one with short brown hair tweaked outward in a bouncy manner approached her. She gently took Rinoa's arm and motioned for her to stand.
Rinoa couldn't help but observe the young SeeD. The way she walked and moved reminded her so much of the lively and sweet Vanille that she smiled a little at the memory as she looked at her. They even both have round green eyes! The other girl gazed up and caught her smiling and smiled back.
The girl began talking in a high-pitched voice as she took Rinoa's spare clothes and lead her behind a short rail of white panels the two other SeeDs set up. She sounded friendly, almost nurturing. Wearing a look to encourage her, she held out the spare clothes at Rinoa.
Rinoa looked at them then at her. "What would you like me to do?"
The girl abruptly stood straight at her question, looking a little startled as she glanced around her comrades. It might have just occurred to her that Rinoa spoke and understood a different language, and whatever she had been saying the whole time may have fallen on deaf ears. Despite that, she looked determined to deliver her message to the sorceress.
She took the hospital gown and held it above her head. She then slowly pulled it down just over her chest.
"Oh." Rinoa said, nodding. "You wanted me to change." she added, mirroring the other girl's movements.
The girl finally smiled and nodded with a little more fervor before handing the clothes to Rinoa. She said something while twirling a finger around and turned on her back, prompting Rinoa to dress in private as she waited. She didn't know why she was complying to this girl's requests, but she had been asking her too nicely that she felt no other choice but to follow. Her smile was the first kind deed she had in a while, she didn't want to pay it back by making it any harder for her.
The grazing sound Rinoa's dress was making as she folded it in her arms prompted the perky SeeD to turn back around. Still smiling, she offered to take the blue dress from Rinoa before leading her out of the panel, revealing a large, cushioned chair in the middle of the room. Attached on its arms were leather straps, and on its headrest was a glass helmet. It looked intimidating at the very least, and her concerns were confirmed by the perky SeeD's audibly worried voice as she turned to one of her comrades, possibly asking what it was for. Rinoa wished she could understand the other SeeD's reply so she would be at least aware if the chair was meant for her. After receiving an answer, the friendly SeeD nodded with a smile, seemingly satisfied with the other's response. However, it did not assure Rinoa enough to soothe the angry beating of her heart, nor the tremble in her breath. She might be friendly, but she was still a SeeD following orders. She gave her full trust to a SeeD before, and she learned not to commit the same mistake again.
The girl bit her lip as she approached Rinoa again. Her eyes were apologetic when she spoke as if she was asking her a huge favor. Rinoa merely looked at her, shaking her head.
"What is it?"
The girl huffed and gently pulled Rinoa closer to the chair before patting it. Rinoa tried to withdraw herself, declining to get anywhere near it. Her reaction alerted the SeeDs who were about to unsheathe their weapons, but the girl held out an arm, seemingly to reassure them and to drop whatever they were about to do, which they reluctantly did. She turned her attention back at Rinoa and to appease her apparent anxiety, the girl happily plopped on the questionable furniture, bouncing on it slightly. The other SeeDs around her didn't react on her playful behavior, as if it was something they dealt with everyday. The girl slid off the chair after she appeared to be clearly content and held out her arms toward it encouragingly for Rinoa. The latter looked around nervously before slowly approaching the chair and sat on it, defeated again under the command of her captors. The other SeeDs promptly placed each of her arm on a rest and strapped it in place.
By this time, the girl asked her fellow SeeDs something in slight despondence, but didn't receive any response. Her expression turned to worry when she looked back at Rinoa, her eyes starting to brim with tears. Looking at her certainly didn't help when all Rinoa was trying to do was assure herself that it was going to be okay. The girl didn't look okay, and she wasn't the one strapped on the chair.
The moment they fitted the helmet on her head, the older woman in white laboratory gown from the day before entered the room. She looked at Rinoa before asking the SeeDs a few questions. The friendly one barraged her with inquiries while pointing a hand at Rinoa. The older woman only shook her head and held up a hand, trying to calm her down and refusing to say anymore. The girl turned briefly at Rinoa then back to the woman before stomping out of the room. The moment she did, Rinoa felt a heavy drop at the pit of her stomach.
The older woman walked closer to her side, surveying her subject. Rinoa's breaths were sharp and shallow now, but it didn't seem to change the blank expression on the woman's face, nor the three remaining SeeDs'. She nodded at the younger ones around her before walking farther away and out the door.
Rinoa's eyes began darting around the room, counting seconds, waiting for something to happen.
A minute passed, and still nothing. Her chest was beginning to relax.
And then, a sudden surge of electrical power coming from her helmet bit her endlessly all over her body. She shook violently against the chair and could not manage to make a sound from her silent scream. The burning pain ran through inside of her, but what magic left in her began to spark and take over to keep her breathing. Despite her defenses, it wasn't enough, and she lost herself to an agonizing sleep as soon as the electrocution stopped.
"Good afternoon, Commander." another SeeD cadet greeted in a salute as Squall passed through the corridors on his way to the board room. He hastily nodded at the cadet before pushing the door and allowing himself in. Already inside the room were Cid and Angeal, sitting at the farthest side of the long table. They broke from their conversation and turned to Squall. He nodded at the two in greeting and took the chair next to Angeal.
"Ready when you are, Squall." Angeal said.
Cid peered at the space in front of the Commander. "Where are you reports?"
"Squall never brings documents." Angeal pointed a finger on his head. "It's all in here."
Cid smirked, clearly impressed. "Okay." he nodded at Squall.
Squall nodded back. "We can start with Timber. 223 qualified SeeDs arrived with me in Timber, 223 came back. Casualties, none, but a total of 179 took damage. 100 outsourced doctors who were recruited on standby before the mission arrived to help our resident medics accommodate all the wounded. Medical duty was accomplished in two days' time. 415 reported damaged equipments during the attack, mostly night vision pieces as sorceresses were observed to aim for the upper extremities. They have failed insofar as mutilation attempt is concerned, but wounding most recipients of their attacks, myself included."
"So sorceresses attempt to behead but never succeeded on it?" Cid asked.
"Yes."
Cid nodded. "Interesting."
"Though intel said we were to expect a rough total of 100 sorceresses in the coven of Timber, it is believe that we dealt with more. The miscalculation that failed to follow the two is the one rule-of-thumb ratio believed to have cause the failure of the mission. Estimated cost of damage is 9.3 million worth of Gil against our request of twenty-seven million."
"Okay." Cid said. "Let's hear your Timber survival story."
"After battling a sorceress, I woke up alone." Squall started. He knew he was called for this story, and he had something practiced in his head.
"And the sorceress?"
"Nowhere to be seen after I regained my consciousness. I had a large lesion on one of my thighs, but I managed to reach a cabin. I found a sturdy branch nearby and used it as a walking aid. I used Curaga spells until the bleeding stopped."
"How many times have you used your Curaga?"
"I'm afraid I can't remember anymore. But by the time I was done, I had eight casts left. I was able to find a bandage from abandoned clothes in the shelter–"
He caught Cid look at his phone and read a message. He typed something before glancing back up at Squall. "I'm sorry, something came up at the Research Center."
Squall felt his muscles tense.
"Please, go on."
He searched for his voice before speaking again. "As I was saying," he cleared his throat. "I managed to find bandages to tend to my thigh. By day three, when I was sure I could somewhat walk, I left the cabin to hunt for food and logs."
"That's some incredible feat." Cid added. "Setting out to find food and logs, planning ahead of time."
Squall nodded. He wanted to cut this meeting short. "Luckily I did. Because a storm came and I was stranded for two more days. The supplies I hunted for and the ones I found inside the cabin kept me well sustained."
"So there was an evidence of residents in the cabin?"
"They most likely fled after the attack in Timber."
"That's good. Good that it was cleared of sorceresses for you."
Not really. "Yes."
"And the rest is history, I presume?"
Squall nodded. "Yes."
"So what are your recommendations following this incident?"
"I would recommend a backup group on standby for the next mission. This can be achieved by requesting for the participation of Trabia and Galbadia Gardens. This will reduce damages and casualties, as well as chances of failure."
Cid nodded. "It would cost more, but it makes sense just as much."
The truth was, Squall didn't know why he was suggesting those things to make more effective and efficient missions against sorceresses– against Rinoa's kind– when all he wanted to demand was to forfeit all future attacks and delve deeper into the true nature of sorceresses. Were they really that hostile? Or did their hostility come with their defenses against the attacking SeeDs?
"Would you like to add anything else?" Angeal asked.
Squall shook his head. "None as of the moment, Sir."
"Good. This brief meeting is adjourned, then." Cid sounded to be in a hurry as well and taking quick glances at his phone. "I will bring your suggestion up the next time I meet with the other Headmasters."
"Okay." Angeal stood up and Squall followed.
"Squall," Cid called, pointing his phone at the Commander. "You still up for the sorceress project? Dr. Kadowaki got some results after a test."
"Yes, Sir."
"Angeal?"
"I'll pass on this one. Got things to do."
"Okay."
Squall followed Cid silently to the Research Center, gloved fists in his pockets. He caught a glance of Selphie just outside the door, crouching against a wall and crying. Cid appeared to have not noticed her before entering the room, but Squall decided to listen to what Selphie had possibly witnessed. He knelt beside her.
"What are you doing here?"
Selphie looked up and rubbed the back of her hand over her puffy eyes. "They hurt her, Squall. They hurt the poor sorceress!"
Squall frowned. "How? What did they do?"
"I don't know! They made me dress her up, and then they brought in this chair! They told me it was going to just run some stats on her, and I thought it was all harmless. I mean, they wouldn't do anything bad on a sweet, harmless sorceress, right? So I even convinced her to sit on it. And then they began strapping her. I asked Dr. Kadowaki what they were going to do, but she declined to answer me. Then… then they hurt her! And then she wouldn't respond anymore and never opened her eyes again and–" she began sobbing hysterically. "I'm so sorry!"
Squall remained silent for a while, a groan almost escaped him. He glared up at the door before standing up. He had to see it for himself. He had to see Rinoa.
Selphie suddenly shot a hand up and gently tugged on Squall's trouser.
"Squall?"
Squall gaped down.
Selphie sobbed. "Do you think she did something to me? Like a mind controlling spell?" Her eyes fell on the floor. "Why do I feel so bad for her?"
"No, Selphie." Squall said softly. "Please don't think about it anymore."
After a few sniffles, she finally let go, slowly dropping her hand to her lap. He looked up from her and entered the room.
Cid was searching the busy place for Dr. Kadowaki while Squall walked closer to the transparent wall. Rinoa was in a short hospital gown, lying on her bed unconscious, a pale red light pulsating from her skin with every shallow breath. Inside with her were three people in hazmat suits pressing something on their tablets while examining her from a short distance.
Squall could feel himself seething, his jaws clenched, and his grips tightening. What the hell did they do to her?
He quickly turned around when he heard Dr. Kadowaki's voice and approached her and Cid.
"You better listen to this, Squall." Cid advised.
Dr. Kadowaki scrolled down at a chart on her tablet. "This morning, we performed a magic test on her, to see how much lightning energy can she tolerate."
The hell you wanted to see.
"The tests was cut short thirty seconds later when her magic evidently tried to counter the electricity. We couldn't identify what spell it was because she abruptly lost consciousness."
"Shouldn't a sorceress be able to handle it? Given how powerful they are." Cid prodded.
"That's the interesting thing, actually. Her body was fighting back, but she couldn't produce enough magic energy to cast a spell to defend herself. We can safely say that sorceresses have limits in their powers. At least that's what we saw with this one."
Squall swiftly looked up at the doctor.
"We have observed from her physical development that she was growing paler and slower in her movements. She was weaker by the day, and her magic wavering. We had a hypothesis that magic is to sorceresses as metabolism is to non-magic humans. Magic is comparable to a battery for sorceresses, and with each use or movement they were drained of it. In this case, the sorceress shut herself down when her environment demanded more from her. It can be observed from the red energy emanating from her which could very well be her last spell."
"Will that spell kill her?"
"We don't know it yet, Sir."
"Then make another test."
Squall's head snapped at Cid, so did Dr. Kadowaki.
"Might I suggest against it."
"Sir, I'm taking Dr. Kadowaki's side on this matter." Squall added.
"We won't make any progress on our reports if we don't initiate something."
"But she's–"
"She's no more than an experiment subject." Cid assured with a smile.
"If there was any sudden outburst of power, she might burn everyone with this place..." Dr. Kadowaki warned.
"Isn't the shell magic of the room activated?"
Dr. Kadowaki blinked a few times. "It is, but–"
"Aren't we surrounded by SeeDs equipped with necessary spells to protect us?"
"Yes, indeed we are."
"So what else should we be worried about?" Cid challenged in a high tone, slowly facing her.
After a moment of disbelief, Dr. Kadowaki nodded. "Very well. We shall commence with the second session."
"Good." Cid turned back to face the white room.
Squall's breaths became shallower, pulling his hands out from his pockets just in case he needed to unsheathe his gunblade. Just up until that point, he didn't know the extent of Cid's ruthlessness when it came to sorceresses.
Dr. Kadowaki spoke through her communicator and the ones in hazmat suits looked up and turned around. Carefully, one of them carried Rinoa to the chair and strapped her again. Squall would be seeing for the first time what kind of test they did to her, and he wouldn't like it.
Should he just break through, grab her and run for it? But he had to knock down the three other people inside without killing them. That might take some of his time and lessen his chances to make his escape quicker, considering they were surrounded by abled SeeDs. He should be able to take the people in the room easily, but the other SeeDs in the Garden would be summoned to the room, guaranteed. Then again, he wasn't exactly alone, was he? Selphie was just outside the door, refusing to participate anymore. But he couldn't involve her, this was his business of extracting Rinoa to safety, no one else's.
"Activating simulation lightning in three, two..."
Squall gripped his gunblade.
"One."
He swung his sword, hitting the closest uniformed spectator on his back. Everyone was on high alert now, as expected, shooting bullets and casting spells towards him as he dashed swiftly from one wall unto the other, pushing any surface under his feet with all strength he could muster, successfully dodging each attack. Those almost hitting him were promptly deflected by his weapon back to their sources.
"Give me the radio! Get me the radio!" Cid yelled through the commotion. As soon as he had his hands on one, he looked around in panic, searching for Squall who was attacking everyone with unrelenting speed.
"Alert all SeeDs, Commander Squall Leonhart is attacking us in the Research Center! I repeat, Squall Leonhart is attacking us here at Research Cente–" He said thru the receiver, but his announcement was cut off with a thunk of an ice block onto his head. Cid fell unconscious, his radio still in his hand.
With the Headmaster taken care of, Squall turned his attention on the other ones left standing.
Behind him Rinoa's eyes opened wide at the familiar pain that shot through her body again. It felt hotter and stingier, more excruciating than the last one. Her body began reacting again and this time, she screamed as loud as she could to draw whatever kind of power she began to feel from her core. It was painful, but she would do anything to free herself from the torture of the contraption.
With a shriek, she felt the flare magic flow right out of her skin and exploded everything around her.
Squall looked at the white room in horror as a glaring red light spread around Rinoa and blasted through the glass wall. He was thrown against a metal wall and fell front first. He pushed himself up on his elbows, coughing and squinting his eyes to survey the damage. Dust from the fallen debris darkened the now lightless room, save for the faint red light from Rinoa's figure. Squall stood up and staggered through the mess towards Rinoa, an arm covering his nose.
"Rinoa." He coughed, but he tried to call out louder. "Rinoa!"
Rinoa was on the floor, her arms supporting herself, her back on him. She was crying, almost wailing from what he could only assume pain. He bent over and placed his free hand on her shoulder.
"Rinoa. I'm here to–"
She rapidly turned around, hissed at him and pushed him away with a weaker flare spell. Squall halted his fall with his elbows on the ground. He looked at Rinoa with widened eyes, shocked at what happened.
Her shoulders were drooped, her head slightly tilted to a side, and her once peaceful eyes full of sorrow. Squall was breathing heavily as he stared at her in absolute anguish, his thoughts blank of what more he could do. He was there to help, and she could not even understand that.
Why was she pushing him away?
Had she stopped trusting him too?
Squall's heart dropped at the thought, but there was no time for him to mull over his misgivings. He knew he should have escaped with her sooner, before they had the chance to hurt her this much. But it was all too late for that. He scrambled back up and ran again to her side. He had to try.
"C'mon." Squall said again when he heard the alarm blaring just outside the room. He placed an arm around her back and as soon as he slid another under her knees, she started to wiggle free.
"I can't let you hurt me anymore!" Rinoa screamed. "No more!"
Squall ignored her weak remonstration and held her firmly in his arms.
Rinoa's arm fell limply on her side. "Please… no more."
He looked around, stepped on one rubble over the other as he made his way to the exit. Squall almost tripped as he stepped down from an elevated ground just beyond the door and rest of the basement level. His eyes fell on Selphie who was standing right by where he left her, eyes widened as they locked with his. He was the first one to tear away when he heard Zell's voice and saw him approaching just behind Selphie with his arms shielding his head.
"Selphie! What's going on!" Zell called over.
Selphie watched as Squall sprinted away as fast as he could.
"W-wait! Was that–"
"No time to explain!" Selphie yelped back and smacked Zell's chin upward with the butt of her nunchaku, knocking him out cold.
They made it to the upper level with no encounter, and Squall persisted on his flee out of the Garden. The closer he got to the lobby, more SeeDs and cadets tried to bar his way with weapons and spells, which he retaliated with more forceful ones while holding Rinoa safely in one arm. He hid behind walls, struck, and cleared a path for the both of them with whatever it took until he could see the green fields of Balamb through the door. He began to run again and skidded to a stop when he saw Seifer plodding closer before him, his own gunblade resting on one shoulder.
He cocked his head at the motionless Rinoa. "What are you doing, Squall?"
"Let us go, Seifer." Squall said, trying not to sound pleading.
Seifer halted. "Why are you helping her?"
The jig was up. He needed to tell the truth. "She saved my life in Timber."
Seifer frowned.
"We gotta get out of here. Rinoa needs help."
"Who?"
"Rinoa." Squall dipped his head at the sorceress in his arms. "Her."
Seifer raised his gunblade at Rinoa. "That one has a name?"
Squall matched his glare and prepared himself to battle it out with him. He jerked and looked over his shoulder when Seifer shot a fira spell aimed at a male cadet behind him.
"Go."
Squall spun back at Seifer, who tipped his head at the exit. "Go. Now."
Squall spared no moment and ran past Seifer who marched further in and swung his gunblade at whoever dared pass through him. They didn't stand a chance, and he didn't expect anyone would.
"Sorry." he smirked as one female SeeD tumbled over one of his attacks. "I owed him one."
A/N: Next chapter, they receive help from cameo appearances! You can toss in your guesses at the reviews!
