Uploaded: 2009.11.08

Disclaimer: Whatever

Benefiting the World

"It'll be benefiting the world!"

"Who care? Nobody in the world even knows who I am!" Squall retorted angrily.

An equally angry voice met his ears. "That's because YOU didn't go on the world tour I set up last week! If you went then everyone would have known about you!"

"Whatever. I don't have time to argue with you." Squall dismissed his angry father. 'I never knew Laguna could actually yell.' Squall thought with a grin.

"Listen to me! You better be thankful your fiancé ended up not being able to make it! Otherwise you would have just made Esthar look like an incredibly bad host! Just think what they must already think of us! You didn't show up for her first visit! Squall! Are you listening to me? Squall? Squall?"

Squall frowned at the phone and silenced the connection. He really didn't have time for this. Rinoa had convinced him to accompany her to visit the Deling Orphanage and he she should be arriving any moment.

Knock, knock!

Squall hurried over to the door to reveal Rinoa.

"SQUALL!"

The blue bundle of joy leaped into Squall's arms.

"Did you miss me?"

Squall was about to answer when Rinoa took his lips in hers. Squall deepened the kiss for a few moments before pulling away.

"What do you think?"

Rinoa smiled as Squall lowered her safely to the floor. She glanced up at Squall, "Ready to go?"

Squall nodded as they walked out to the parking garage together. Fingers intertwined.

"You know Squall," Rinoa was sitting in Squall's car and glancing around at all the cool gadgets, "I think the children are going to be more interested in your car than me coming to visit."

Squall groaned. "Let's keep the car hidden then. I don't want them messing it up."

Rinoa smirked, "Serves you right to buy such an expensive car! Maybe we should have taken my coupe. I let the children play in it. As long as they don't have the key."

"We'll be sure to do that next time." Squall smirked as Rinoa took his free hand in hers.

Rinoa glanced around. 'So much has changed since I came this way last. I hope they remember me.'

The Orphanage came into view. It was easy to spot. A lone building fenced in along with a small jungle gym. Squall couldn't help but compare it to his Centra Orphanage. 'It's so much smaller, so much more restrictive.' Squall thought a little more. 'So much safer.'

Squall parked his car and followed Rinoa into the building.

"Matron Ma!" Rinoa ran to an elderly lady in the kitchen. Squall dully noted she ran almost as fast as she did whenever she was about to tackle him. 'I hope she doesn't plan to tackle the old lady.'

Luckily Rinoa merely ran up to hug her. The old lady turned with a caring smile and embraced Rinoa back. "My, my! If it isn't Rinoa, back after what, a month? You know the children kept asking me when you would come back to play with them."

Rinoa smiled. Obviously she as proud that the children liked her. "Oh I hope I didn't hurt their feelings. I was just busy with other things."

"Oh yes, I assumed so. They will be very eager to see you though. Especially with the news we just received."

Rinoa tilted her head, "What news?"

"Oh I guess you didn't know it's became public news already. I must say congratulations though! Your father announced your wedding and invited all of Deling to attend! The children begged me to let them go. They so wanted to see you on what I'm sure will be the happiest day of your life!"

Rinoa glanced back at Squall. 'Oh shit, we forgot to find a way to get out of that!' She turned back to Matron Ma. She had mistaken Rinoa's nervous glance to be one of anticipation instead of dread.

"Oh don't look so embarrassed! It's perfectly normal to be happy to get married! Now come here, you haven't introduced me to your friend."

Rinoa didn't really know what to say. "Um, Matron. This is Squall Leonhart. Squall, this is Matron Ma Dincht."

Matron Ma looked at the boy standing awkwardly off to the side. "Ah I see! Welcome to my little orphanage Squall. I'm sure you're a good friend of Rinoa. She's so friendly." Matron Ma smiled at Squall.

At the mention of the last name Squall thought to ask. "Um would you happen to be related to Zell Dincht? The owner of Zell's Autoshop?"

Ma Dincht's face turned to one of surprise. "Why yes! I'm his foster mother. After he grew up I really felt the urge to help more children so I set up this orphanage. How do you know him?"

"Oh he gave me a job when I first moved here."

"Ah yes, Zell has a kind heart! He's a really good boy. I hope he eventually settles down sometime. Preferably before I die."

"Oh don't say that Matron!" Rinoa exclaimed as she walked up to Ma and Squall. "I'm sure you'll get to see your son married. You'll even get to see your grandchildren!"

Ma smiled at Rinoa. "Oh I hope so. But, I'm sure glad I'll get to see you married at least Rinoa. You've been like the daughter I never had. I'm sure you'll make your husband proud. You're so good with the children."

Rinoa frowned. 'This will be a shock.' Rinoa looked up at Ma's smiling face, 'This will be hard.' She cleared her throat, "Um, Matron, I'm not getting married."

Matron's face again took on one of surprise. "What do you mean? It was printed in the newspapers and on both the radio and television. Your own father was the one who submitted it."

Rinoa glanced away from Ma. "Um, that is just what Caraway wants. He set me up in an arranged marriage. But I don't even know who he set me up with! I can't marry someone without loving them."

"Oh I see." Ma's mood seemed to have diminished to depression. "But, Rinoa, you say you haven't even met him, how do you know that you won't love him?"

Rinoa shook her head, "Because I know who I love." She turned to Squall and took his hand in hers, "This is my true love. Squall."

"Oh, okay." Ma took a deep breath, "Well, I agree you should marry for love and since you already found yours I supposed you shouldn't go through with this marriage that your father concocted."

"Thanks for understanding Matron." Rinoa said sweetly.

Ma turned to Squall. "And you. If you ever break her heart I will beat your brains out with this rolling pin!" Ma held up a rolling pin caked with flour. "Even if I need someone to wheel me in a wheelchair!"

Squall had to hold back his own laughter. The image of an old lady in a wheelchair frantically rolling after him with a rolling pin raised was almost too much to contain. Squall managed though. "You don't have to worry Mrs. Dincht, I love Rinoa just as much as she loves me and we plan to find a way out of her arranged marriage."

"Good." Ma simply said before turning back to what she had been doing before the couple arrived. "The children are in the back playing, you might have to break the news to them Rinoa. I'm not sure if they'll understand. They were really excited about the idea of a wedding. Especially your wedding."

Rinoa nodded, not that Ma was watching her for the gesture, and took Squall's hand to lead him out the back to where the children awaited them.

The children were playing. They were running around, climbing the play set, and simply enjoying childhood. A feeling of nostalgia overcame Squall. 'I remember when I used to feel like this. The Orphanage. I wonder if any of them have a living father out there. A living father too childish to take responsibility for their posterity.' Squall thought bitterly.

Rinoa was absorbed in her own world. 'Oh my Hyne! There's Jimmy and Kelly!' She watched as a boy and girl chased each other around in circles. 'And look how much Sally, Christopher and Timmy grew!' Rinoa turned her attention to the only child without a playmate. He stood silently on the porch, arms folded, and head down. 'He's new. I wonder what his name is.'

Rinoa walked over to the new boy. He had brown hair. "Hey." Rinoa touched him lightly on the shoulder to inform him of her presence. The boy looked up. Blue eyes. 'He's like Squall!' Rinoa quickly buried that thought, 'I can't compare every blue eyed brown haired guy to Squall.'

Rinoa smiled, the boy did not. "Hi, what's your name?"

He turned away.

Rinoa tried again, "I'm sorry. My name is Rinoa. Do you want to play something?"

The boy shook his head.

"Well, do you mind if I sit here and talk to you? You don't have to talk back if you don't want."

The boy shrugged.

"Alright." Rinoa happily took a seat next to the boy. "So I come here often. Well, not within the last month. You came here sometime during that time didn't you?"

The boy didn't answer.

"Oh right, I told you that you didn't have to talk. I forgot." Rinoa smiled at her mistake. The boy was at least looking at her now. "So, I love coming here and playing with you kids. I was a lot like you, you know."

Rinoa seemed to have the boy's attention now.

"My mother died when I was real little. I know what it's like to feel alone. But you need to remember that you're not alone. You'll find someone eventually that will sweep you off your feet. Even if you're not even expecting it. Even if you don't even want it to happen. It will."

The boy blinked. Rinoa could almost see his brain comprehending what she was telling him.

"You know, even though the other kids are all playing, they are really just as alone as you are. They would love it if you played with them too. Trust me, it hurts to keep it all inside. It hurts to be alone."

"Tempest."

"Excuse me?" Rinoa was taken aback when the little boy said something. 'His voice is soothing. Like Squall's. Maybe, someday, he'll open up and be more like Squall."

"My name."

Rinoa smiled in understanding, "Why, it's nice to meet you Tempest. Did you know I know someone very similar to you?"

Tempest shook his head.

Rinoa kept smiling but inside she frowned slightly. 'Damn he's back to not talking.' Rinoa glanced off in the distance to see Squall was still watching the rest of the children play. "Wait right here Tempest, I'll introduce you to my… friend."

Tempest shrugged and Rinoa darted off to bring Squall.

Squall wasn't really having fun but he wasn't bored either. He was merely watching the little kids play. It brought back memories. Jimmy and Kelly were riding brooms, both with cowboy hats. Their hands were shaped like a pistol. They were shooting each other, at point blank, but Squall noted with amusement that neither one ever claimed to be hit.

The other group, Squall wasn't sure if they were playing as nicely together. Sally was slapping Christopher while he laughed at Timmy who seemed to be teary eyed in the corner of the play place. He heard Christopher calling the smaller cowering boy 'Chicken-wuss'. Squall shook his head. 'Maybe I should go tell Matron Ma.'

Squall turned around to head back and inform an elder only to be tackled to the ground by Rinoa. He looked up after he was able to remember where he was.

Rinoa was smiling. Grinning widely even. "Trade ya places! Go say 'hi' to Tempest over there. He looks a lot like you."

Squall glanced over at the sulking 5-year-old. "Alright, but you might want to inform Ma Dincht about that group of three in the corner. It looks like the little boy is being picked on." Squall waved towards Sally, Christopher, and Timmy.

Rinoa watched and frowned. "Christopher is always picking on the other kids. The only one he doesn't pick on is Sally. She's always defending the others against him. Maybe because they are the two oldest in the group." She got off her boyfriend and headed to the three children.

Squall dusted himself off and headed towards the loner.

"Christopher Yasmla! Don't you think you've picked on poor Timmy Thcnid enough?" Rinoa had her hands on her hips as she glowered down on the little bully.

All three of the children immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up at Rinoa. Their faces brightened immediately.

"Matwon Rinoa!" They all shouted, rose to their feet and tackled Rinoa to the ground.

Rinoa laughed while trying to sound offended, "Hey! I'm not THAT old yet! I'm just Rinoa!"

Squall took a seat next to the brown haired boy. "So I was told you look like me. I'm Squall."

Tempest turned to see a man. A man just like himself. Brown hair, blue eyes. He didn't say anything.

Squall noticed his silence. "You know, I used to be even more like you. I used to be an orphan too."

Tempest remained quiet.

Rinoa had just begun to stand up when a ball of yellow energy struck her causing her to fall back down. "Matwon Rinny!"

Rinoa laughed at the brown-haired girl in a yellow dress. "Hi Kelly, um, can I get up?" She looked at the other 4 children who had all piled on top of her as soon as Kelly tackled her to the ground again.

Jimmy shook his head, his long brown hair held in a ponytail shook from underneath his cowboy hat. "Nu uh. You have to tell us about your wedding!"

Rinoa silently groaned.

'Damn this kid doesn't know how to hold a conversation.' Squall complained to himself. He glanced over at Rinoa to see her buried underneath the other 5 children. He didn't envy her. Squall turned his attention back to Tempest who was staring at his shoes. "You know, I bet you're pretty lonely. I was too. I bet you feel like someone deserted you. Someone you depended on."

Tempest's eyes raised from his shoes to Squall's face.

"I used to depend on someone. Her name was Ellone. She was my sister. Well, not really my sister but she looked after me."

Squall had Tempest's full attention now.

"Um, well I don't really have anything to say about the wedding." Rinoa didn't know how to tell them there would be no wedding.

"Okay! We will tell you!" Kelly screamed excitedly. Rinoa wasn't sure if she was more surprised in her eagerness to talk about Rinoa's wedding, or that the little girl jumped up and down when she said that. On Rinoa's stomach.

"Oof… Oh… Kay." Rinoa gasped out.

"I heard you're marrying a great guy!" Sally exclaimed dreamily as she took hold of Rinoa's hand, hugging it. "I heard he's a prince!"

Squall looked at Tempest. "Ellone and I were sent to an orphanage when my mother died."

Tempest remained silent.

Squall continued, "One day Ellone was adopted by a family. I remember wishing she'd return. I didn't want to play with the other kids. I just wanted my Sis back."

Tempest looked away. Something had struck a cord.

"He is not a prince!" Christopher exclaimed loudly as he sat on Rinoa's leg as if it were a downed tree trunk. "He is a knight! A magic lady's knight!"

"There is no such thing as a magic lady dummy!" Timmy exclaimed.

"Shut up Chicken-wuss!" Christopher shouted back before getting off Rinoa's leg and tackling Timmy to the ground.

"Boys! Christopher! Stop that!" Rinoa shouted, she was still being pinned down by Kelly, Sally, and Jimmy. But Rinoa's mind wasn't on the fight. 'He's NOT a prince. He's not a knight. He's a jerk. He's a rude jerk. He's not Squall! Squall is my knight. Squall is my prince!'

"Ellone never did come back." Squall took a deep breath, the memory was still quite strong for him. "I felt alone. I felt abandoned."

Tempest searched his own feelings. Was this what he felt?

"I heard he is fun to be around! I bet he would play tag with us!" Kelly shouted.

"Yea! And Monopoly! Strip Monopoly!" Jimmy chimed in.

Rinoa stared at him, temporarily forgetting the scuffle occurring between Christopher and Timmy. "Jimmy Saennik! You shouldn't be thinking of games like that!" Rinoa thought back on her own experience. 'Squall, food tag. Squall, Monopoly. Squall, Strip Monopoly. I bet whoever I was to marry would have told me I was stupid.'

"I tried to be strong. I wanted to be strong enough to survive on my own."

Tempest thought some more. Was this what he was trying to do?

"He IS a knight!" Christopher exclaimed. He had stopped picking on Timmy for a moment. "Matwon twold me he was kind and caring! Just like her stowies of the magic lady knights!"

Rinoa couldn't really move her arms. One being clasped by Sally, the other being sat on by Jimmy. Otherwise she would have clasped her head. 'No! NO! He is NOT kind and caring! Squall is kind and caring! Anyone Caraway would pick would be the exact opposite of kind and caring!'

"I wanted to block out everyone else. I wanted to depend on only myself."

Tempest looked within himself. Was this his goal?

"Matron said he's pretty!" Sally released Rinoa's hand and clasped her own to her chest while fluttering her eyelids like in the movies.

"He is NOT pretty! He is tough! He a rawrrior!" Timmy cried out from his position near Rinoa's head.

Rinoa found that he was actually sitting on a lot of her hair too. 'No! President Loire's son is NOT handsome! Squall is! They're just little kids! They believe whatever they are told and Caraway fed them lies!'

"I closed myself off from the world. I created a shell. Nobody could break in."

Tempest thought. Did he encase himself in a shell?

"He is a prince!" Sally cried out again. "Matron told me herself! He owns that big city, Esper!"

Rinoa was impressed to say the least. Sally was the only one in the orphanage with near perfect speech, despite mistaking Esthar for Esper.

"So he is famous!" Jimmy cried out. "Matwon Rinoa! You is marrying a famous man! That make you famous too!"

Rinoa wasn't even trying to hide her frown now. 'No! I will not marry for fame! Only Caraway is interested in his reputation!'

"I couldn't break out."

Tempest spoke up for the first time. "What happened?"

Squall looked at Tempest in surprise. He had forgotten he was actually talking to someone. He felt like he was talking to a wall. "Um, I hid. For a long time. So much that when my father eventually found me at the orphanage, when I was 17-years-old, he felt it necessary to force me to open up. He forced me to 'make friends'. He forced me to 'be happy'. He's forcing me to marry."

Tempest didn't know what to say.

Squall turned to the little boy. This was obviously too complicated for him. Squall smiled at him. "Just remember, you're not alone. You have 5 good friends out there." Squall pointed to the children still piled on top of Rinoa. "Why don't you go and have fun with them? Don't do what I did."

Tempest nodded, got up and turned to run off only to turn back. He walked up to Squall and hugged him. "Thank you." With that he raced off to the others.

"He could take you all over the world! Think of how much money he has! I want to see the world!" Kelly was lost in thought as she rocked back and forth on Rinoa's stomach.

Rinoa could feel tears begging to be released. 'No, this isn't supposed to happen. That man is a monster! He was chosen by Caraway. He can't be any of those things! Caraway, how could you poison these young minds?'

"Hi."

Rinoa looked up to see Tempest. 'He spoke!'

Tempest looked to the ground embarrassed, hands folded behind his back as he rubbed his shoe into the dirt. "You guys want to play?"

Kelly was the first to respond, "Okay!" She jumped off Rinoa's stomach and tagged Tempest. "You It!" The yellow ball of energy darted away with the others chasing after her.

Rinoa thanked Hyne. She was finally able to breathe.

Rinoa sat in the passenger seat of Squall's car. She didn't notice the fancy gadgets or the ultra smooth ride across town. She merely thought. Thought of something other than what she wanted for once.

'I don't want to marry him. But I don't want to hurt the children.'

Rinoa watched the setting sun turn the horizon into a beautiful painting of colors.

'The children think this marriage will be beautiful. They are so full of hope and joy. Their lives have been nothing but trouble.'

The city streets were eerily quiet. Such a stark contrast from moments earlier where she watched the children play tag with their newest friend, Tempest.

'Will the world feel like this, bleak, desolate, if I reject President Loire's son?'

The car drove by the building Rinoa's father went to everyday, sometimes every night too. The Hexagon.

'Will more children be added to the orphanage because I didn't marry to seal the alliance with Esthar? Will we break out into a another world war?'

The car drove by the army training grounds. Young men were lined up training. Training to fight. Fighting to kill.

'If I refuse to marry, will Irvine someday have to fight Seifer in a Galbadia-Esthar war? Will Seifer and Squall choose to fight for Galbadia or Esthar? What if any of them don't come back? Will Selphie and Quistis blame me? I could have stopped the war. By just marrying his son…'

The car pulled up to Squall's apartment building. Rinoa had made up her mind.

Both Squall and Rinoa got out of the car and hugged each other. Squall thought it was a normal hug, Rinoa thought it was her last.

Squall leaned in and captured Rinoa's lips.

Rinoa felt horrible. She knew what she had to do. She pulled away.

"Squall," Rinoa got his attention, "I… I've been thinking."

"About what?" Squall asked curiously.

"I… I don't think I can do this anymore." Rinoa quickly blurted out. 'There it's done.'

Squall stared at Rinoa briefly. "Rinoa, I'm sure we can make it work. It doesn't matter if your father has already planned the wedding. It doesn't matter if he has already sent out invitations."

The first sign of trouble came when Rinoa didn't correct Squall for calling Caraway her father. She merely shook her head. "You don't understand Squall! Those children in the orphanage need me to do this."

"Rinoa…"

"No Squall. They need me to! This is their only sign that the world isn't the cruel thing they have grown up to believe. You should have seen how happy they were to talk to me about the wedding. About the marriage. You would have thought it was their own. Did you know they are looking forward to attending Squall? Did you know they think it's the most important event that has ever taken place in their short lives? More important than their birthdays? More important than Christmas? I can't disappoint them! I have to give them hope."

"Rinoa…"

"No! Listen to me! If I don't do this. People could die! Mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters! I might be responsible for creating more children without parents! More... More orphans!" Rinoa had a hard time actually saying the word. She hated making children without parents feel different, feel less important. "I don't want to be responsible for that! Just think of all those poor children! They'll hate me! Squall, you were one; you know what it's like to not know who your parents were. I couldn't live with myself if I were to cause that to happen to anybody. Remember Tempest? He was so alone."

"Rinoa…"

"No! If I do this, our generation won't be drafted into a war. We won't have any more wars! This arranged marriage is Caraway's way to solidify an alliance. It will protect Galbadia. I can protect the entire country by just agreeing to this marriage! I can protect my friends! It will ensure Irvine and Seifer never have to fight in a war; never have to die in a war! It will ensure YOU will never have to fight in a war!"

"Rinoa…"

"What if you died Squall? How do you think I would feel knowing I could have prevented it? I would rather die to a life without love than live in one where I killed my true love! Please don't make this any harder for me Squall. This has to end."

"Rinoa…"

"Right now!" Rinoa tore away from Squall's grasp and dove into her coupe and sped away down the road, into the sunset.

The sun set.

'What alliance?' Squall stood there dumbfounded, in the darkness. 'Does she really think she'll be benefiting the world by this marriage? Does she really think being with me would harm it?'