Author's Note: Please don't throw rocks at me! I know, I know, I'm terrible, I left Squall in space. But you have to read the conclusion before you kill me! I promise, someday, if I get the bug, there will be a sequel. About what, you say? Well, read the conclusion and find out. Thanks for staying with me through this whole fic, everyone. Your reviews, your support, and your devotion to the story have meant the world to me. I never expected such a good response to Binary; it was more than I could've hoped for.

And now...the epilogue of Binary.

Epilogue:

Season of Pain

With the memories so clear, that it's as if you're still before me
My once in a lifetime star of an age
Fare thee well, my bright star
Last night the tongues of fire circled me around
And this strange season of pain will come to pass
When the healing hands of autumn
Have cooled me down

"Rinoa! Rinoa, wake up!"

The sun was shining brightly outside, but Rinoa had pulled the shades across all the windows. There was no reason for Zell to wake her; she'd never fallen asleep.

Dragging herself out of the warm bed, she made her way to the door, unlocked it and let Zell inside. He looked somber, as he'd looked for weeks now. As everyone had looked. Since the only person who had showed up from the Ragnarok was Rinoa, everyone had lost their spirit, it seemed. Without their commander…they were lost.

"What is it, Zell?" Rinoa asked in a low voice, scratching the back of her head and walking back to the bed. She sat at the end, and Zell followed suit.

"They found the ship," Zell revealed abruptly, as if he'd been holding on to the information and ready to burst. Rinoa perked up from her slouched position. Her eyes widened and she turned a little more to face her friend.

"They…they did?" she fumbled, trying to grasp coherent thoughts. "And?"

The frown remained on Zell's face while he shook his head. "Nothing. There were a couple pieces scattered from the crash, but they searched through everything."

Rinoa tried to hide her disappointment, but the effort was rather wasted. After a month, holding out hope that Squall was still alive somewhere was ridiculous, she knew. "Where did they find it?"

"Just off the coast of Esthar. Laguna's helping fund the search. He's still hopeful." Zell smiled a little.

Rinoa's brow was knitted together as she sorted through the information. If the Ragnarok had landed in water…it probably did minimal damage to the inside. The crash would've hit hard, but there was still a chance.

Stop it, she scolded herself. Don't waste your time with pointless searching. You made a promise. However, she still wanted answers. Meeting Zell's intense gaze, she said, "Is there anyone who can tell me what exactly happened to it?"

Zell nodded. "The Esthar technicians have been going over all the info. They said if you come out there, they'll show you the wreckage and explain what they think happened. That's why I'm here. I'll take you if you want me to, but I didn't know if you were ready to do that yet."

Rinoa smiled weakly, placing a light hand on Zell's knee. "I appreciate that. But I want to go. I'll never get another full night of sleep until this thing is really over. I need closure." Her stomach performed a sickening turn. The words felt like a betrayal to Squall.

"I get it," Zell responded gently. "Can you take the train with me tomorrow morning to the Great Salt Lake at 9?"

"I'll be there."

The bright, swirling colors of Esthar were giving Rinoa a headache. She'd been secluded in her dorm room for so long with the shades drawn all day, every day that the light was too intense for her. The glint reflecting off the buildings wasn't helping, either.

Laguna had started to rebuild the city that had been crushed by the Lunar Cry. He'd departed from the city shortly after the disaster to find help to reconstruct it, and hadn't heard a word about Squall and Rinoa until he returned. He was devastated after hearing the news of Squall and dedicated himself to not only the city, but the search to find answers and clues in Squall's disappearance. Everyone seemed to know he refused to believe Squall was dead, so they were doing all they could to help.

Zell led the way to the Presidential Suite, where the technicians Zell spoke up said they'd be waiting. When they finally reached Laguna's office, they found him speaking very seriously with several of the men working on the Ragnarok. When he spotted them, however, a smile lit his face immediately, as if nothing was wrong at all. "Rinoa, Zell!" he exclaimed, hurrying over to greet them. "How are you two?"

Rinoa looked away, letting one hand drop and holding the other close to her side. "Right," Laguna said softly. "Stupid question. Uh…Rinoa, Zell, let me introduce you to Mr. Cale Sair, he'll be showing you the crash site."

Both of them extended their hands, but the technician kept his hands behind his back. "Pleasure," he said to them, then looked directly at Rinoa. "Are you ready to visit the wreckage of the Ragnarok, Miss Heartilly?"

No…

"Yes," she answered quietly. "Yes."

The sun was extremely hot.

As the waves lapped at the shore of Esthar, Rinoa stood in front of the dilapidated remains of the Ragnarok. Most of it was in one piece, but it was dented, battered and broken all around the remaining structure. There were noticeable pieces missing, which looked like they'd been ripped or broken off. It was a mess.

"We think it crashed right about two or three hours after they rescued you. The remains of it have been found as far as five miles off shore, which is why it took so long for anything to surface at all," Cale started to explain.

"Any ideas why it crashed?" Rinoa asked, staring up at the ship fixedly.

"As far as we've been able to tell, it was nothing to do with internal problems. Most of its inner mechanics were intact. We've hypothesized that it was pulled out of orbit by some much larger object. Do you have any idea what it could've been?"

The Lunar Base. It was connected so we could search for supplies. Squall told me there was the possibility we'd be pulled out of orbit… Hyne, why didn't I think of that before? Rinoa shook her head slowly. "No, I couldn't tell you."

The technician made a noise of thought, then shrugged. "Well, we figure the chances of survival from a crash like this are slim to none without landing gear."

"And with it?"

He hesitated, looking at the wreckage. "Still slim."

Rinoa fought threatening tears away while clenching her fists at her sides. Zell stood right beside her, and the last thing she wanted was for another person to see her cry. "Feel free to have a look inside," Cale told her casually. "The outer structure looks worse than the inside."

She nodded, suddenly wishing desperately for one more moment in the Ragnarok. Turning to Zell, she asked, "Can you give me a few minutes?"

Zell nodded once. "Take as long as you need."

"Thanks."

Wandering around to the front, she walked up the ramp and into the belly of the ship. It was strange, yet comforting to be back. Once, she'd thought she would never want to see the Ragnarok again. But it was familiar…and the memories it held; her star-filled memories with Squall lived on here.

The lift to the cockpit was broken in the crash, but a ladder still remained. Climbing it to the top, she made sure the foundation was sturdy, and walked toward the co-pilot's seat. Looking out across the ocean, she remembered the view of space, and longed to see it again. Just one more time would be enough.

I...had a dream. A scary dream.

She'd envisioned a perfect future for them here. She'd broken through to Squall…she knew he cared about her. She knew even before they fought Edea, to some extent. She wanted to take what they had and embrace it for all it was worth.

…But that future disappeared with Squall.

How about this…

A large device pulled it out of orbit, Cale had said. Rinoa had no doubt it was the Lunar Base. That explained the shudders they were feeling just before she left the ship. She'd known something was terribly wrong, and now she knew for sure what it was.

Did you know all along, Squall? Why didn't you try to fix it?

The tears she'd been fighting back won over. Burying her head in her knees, she remembered his face…his stoic, yet gentle face. Those eyes that burned into hers. They all flashed through her mind at once.

I'll be here…

Why?

At that moment, her head, stomach, and the rest of her body felt empty and numb. Without Squall, what would keep her going? How could she keep her promise to him if she couldn't find the strength?

Two other thoughts crossed her mind at the same time.

I'll be waiting here.

Right here in the cockpit? For what?

Though her body felt empty, there was one thing that felt so full, it was ready to explode: her heart. She was convinced that if Squall Leonhart was truly gone, her heart, above all things, would be an empty shell. And if he wanted her to keep her promise to him, why shouldn't he keep the one he made to her? He made his oath first.

I'll be waiting for you, so…

If you come here, you'll find me.

Wiping her cheeks, she looked up and around the cockpit, as if searching for him. resolved, she stood and placed her hands on the control panel, staring out at the water with a fiercely determined stare.

You must be out there, Squall, she thought. I know it. You said you would be. I'll come looking for you because…I love you.

I promise.