Alright, another chapter, woooo! As the story's plot begins to pick up, I'm getting more and more excited to put it all down into words and as I approach the final chapter which I hope to be chapter 15, I hope that you guys stick around to then and afterwards look for a new story that sprung out of my head while I was writing this, but I won't be thinking anymore about it until this is finished. So, are you worried about Squall? Hehe, I thought so, well here goes Chapter 9, enjoy!
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Chapter 9- "The Plan"
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Rinoa was barely able to comprehend what had just happened. Ten minutes ago she had been dancing with Squall and now he is in Estharian custody "for murder?" All the other students at Garden were quickly shuffled back to their dorms by the Garden Staff but Rinoa couldn't move. Even when the Garden Staff threatened her with various types of punishment, she could not move. Thankfully, Selphie was able to save her.
"Hey, BACK OFF, will ya?!?" she yelled at one of the many now converging Garden Staff.
"Fine, YOU take her then" they said as cold and uncaring as ice.
Selphie tried to pick up Rinoa but couldn't so with the help of Zell and Irvine, she carried her back to the room they shared. "What's going to happen Squall? …I….don't want to be alone…Squall…"
Finally they got back to the room where Selphie suggested Rinoa get some sleep but she felt unable to even think about sleeping. While in her room and complete darkness, she listened to the conversation Selphie, Zell and Irvine were having on the other side of the door.
"…but murder man? I always knew Leonhart was cold but that just takes it" Irvine said in a matter-of-fact sort of way.
"He must have had a good reason Irvine; you don't just kill a senator for no good reason" Selphie spat back.
"Like being a fuckin' psychopath?" Zell suggested and Selphie shot him a death glare.
"I wish there was something we could do…" Selphie said to herself in a near whisper.
"What d'ya think is gonna happen to him?" Irvine asked"
"Murder, high treason, he's probably going to be executed…" Selphie answered maintaining her whisper.
Now with a huge headache, fresh tears drenching her face and fists clenched, Rinoa laid down in bed and cast a sleep spell on herself in order to just forget what had just transpired.
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She stood in a room that had reminded her of Caraway mansion, the house she had come to hate, but everything seemed bigger than usual. Or like she was smaller than usual. Rinoa glanced at a reflection in a window to see she was a kid again, around the age of five.
"What am I doing here?"
She heard someone running behind her into the room and turning around quickly to see who it was, she saw her mother, as pale as a ghost rush into the room.
"He's at it again Rinoa, you have to hide, quickly!" her mom said as she moved her to hide underneath a desk. "You'll' be safe here Rin, I promise" she attempted to assure her daughter but the obvious fear in her voice betrayed her confident words.
Now she stood back up and stared at the door waiting for whatever was after them. Under the desk, Rinoa heard the door literally being kicked off its hinges and a man walked in, but Rinoa couldn't see his face.
"You cheating bitch, how DARE YOU go behind my back?" the man yelled at Rinoa's mom, to which she replied,
"Because you treat me like trash… no… at least trash doesn't get attacked by the things that supposedly love them. HE would never hurt me".
Rinoa heard the sound of knuckles hitting flesh and her mother toppled to the ground, still calm and maintaining silence.
"I'm going to send Loire to his fuckin' death, I going to make sure that the news of your death will completely destroy him. You have both fucked with me for the last fucking time!" The man yelled as he pulled out a handgun and cocked it.
He mom then looked her dead in the eyes and whispered her last, reassuring words to her daughter.
"Rin honey, everything is going to be okay. I love you"
BANG!
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Rinoa woke up with a sharp jolt that was welcomed by an even larger headache then the one she went to sleep with. Groaning in pain, she rolled over while remembering the events of last night, and confused about the dream even more,
"Mom died in a car crash… why am I seeing her being shot….I am really messed up right now, I need some food…" she thought to herself as she left her room to go to the cafeteria, but there were people already there, and they weren't Selphie, Zell or Irvine.
"Ms. Caraway, your father requested us to bring you back home" a man in a Galbadian officer's uniform said, "after the Estharian attack, he no longer believes it safe for you here, you will come with us".
"If I go back, I'll never see Squall again…", "…and if I refuse?" Rinoa asked confidently.
"We have been instructed to take you back by whatever means necessary, you will come with us willingly or we will FORCE you to come with us, be reasonable" the officer said.
"I don't want to go back…I want to see Squall again…he's in Esther and I'll be in Galbadia and he's going to be killed. I have to save him, I HAVE TO", "…then looks like you're forcing me 'cause I have no intention of going with you" Rinoa said as she grabbed her blaster edge and braced herself for a fight.
"I'll save you Squall; I just need some time…"
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Caraway stood in his office looking out into Deling City, the capital of Galbadia, as it rained. He was expecting his daughter to arrive home soon, as planned. He had to make sure this happened as soon as possible, "she might be starting to remember… I never should of let her go to that school…" he thought to himself while he was awaiting an officer to report in with her current status. He heard voices on the other side of his door and believing it to be about his daughter, he yelled "COME IN!"
A soldier wearing the basic Galbadian uniform walked in nervously and stood at attention fifteen paces away from Caraway and gave the Galbadian salute, and Caraway returned it.
"Sir, Esther has pushed back our Northern Forces back to Trabia. We are unable to hold there for much longer, any day now those Estharians will have pushed back completely off the continent. We need reinforce…" but the soldier was cut off by Caraway.
"Wait outside soldier, I need to make a phone call regarding this matter" Caraway curtly said.
"Yes sir" the soldier replied as he saluted and stepped back outside, shutting the door behind him.
Caraway picked up the phone and dialled a familiar number, and on the other end a familiar voice responded, "Caraway, why are you calling us?"
"Because I just received word that your soldiers are pushing mine off the continent, what about our agreement?" Caraway questioned.
"It's still in effect General, I can't control how well our soldier's fight. I advise that you send reinforcements immediately"
"Do you have any idea how much it costs to send men out to that Hyne forsaken place? I thought the idea was to make money, not spend it?" Caraway accused the voice.
"And it is, listen General; you need to occupy the neutral nation of Balamb. From there it would be easy to send soldiers to the north, understand".
"Balamb….fine, it will be taken by nightfall" Caraway responded.
"Oh and General, do be careful, us here in the Senate have risked a great deal for this plan for you to go and ruin it now."
"I will, take care Senator…" and Caraway hung up the phone.
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Selphie, Zell and Irvine were walking back from the cafeteria with some food for Rinoa, when they heard some yelling, gunshots, and the wisp of a blaster edge blade soaring in the air. Dropping everything they were carrying, the trio ran back to the room just to see the last standing Galbadian soldier fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Holy Rinny, what happened?!?" Selphie exclaimed.
"These guys tried to take me home but I didn't want to, but I think I overdid it" Rinoa said with a smile.
"Fuckin' right you did, look at these guys" Zell said amazed as he bent over to make sure Rinoa hadn't actually killed them.
"That's why you don't interfere with women this time of month, it's dangerous" Irvine said with a smirk as Selphie shot him another death glare.
"You said they were trying to get you to go home Rinny?" Selphie inquired as Rinoa replayed the entire story for her. "Hmmm, it sounds like you have another plan Rinny…"
"I do, I'm going to Esther, I'm gonna save Squall, and I'm gonna bring him back here" Rinoa said in all confidence.
"Save Squall…oh Rinny, nobody even knows specifically where Esther City is, and even if you did, Squall is probably in prison, "or already dead" Selphie added on in her head.
"I wasn't asking for your permission Selphie" Rinoa snapped and then dropped to a whisper, "I know…I know he'd do the same for me, so I'm gonna get him out".
"Alright then Rinny, and we're gonna help" Selphie said beaming.
"Wha-no no no, I can't let you guys put yourselves in danger" Rinoa said feeling instantly guilty.
"Forget it Rin, you know I can't refuse a damsel in distress" Irvine said to another Selphie death glare.
"Yeah, and you'll need all the fuckin' help you can get to get there" Zell added.
"Thanks…everyone…" Rinoa whispered.
"I'm coming Squall, just wait for me…"
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Squall was in a dark prison cell, slouching over while sitting next to the wall in deep thought.
"I'm sorry Rinoa; this never should have happened…It's all my fault…"
Then Squall heard a noise on the other side of the cell door but he didn't bother to look up to see who it was. He then heard a voice say, "Get up murderer, you're to appear in front of the senate now", and Squall stood, still looking downwards.
"What I don't get is, why don't they just fuckin' kill ya right now, why they actually hold court for scum like you…" and the man spat in Squall's face, "…is beyond me".
"Whatever…" Squall managed to say. It took everything he had not to punch the man right then and there but he knew if this made him angry, then the lies and hypocrisy he was about to experience in the senate we going to drive him insane. Sighing at the futility of fighting the man, he followed into the desert sunlight on the way to the senate.
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There we go! Chapter 9! I bet you all have your suspicions and your theories and I'd love t hear them all in your reviews. Cheers!