Authors Notes: Let me introduce myself and pass along news that has struck me and my family to the very core. My name is Alicia, my husband, Brian, the author of this story, passed away on July 28th of this year from cancer. He had this story with him in the hospital on a laptop trying to finish it in-between treatments, writing was a great passion for him and he wrote many great love poems for me that I will treasure for all my days. He asked me to put this together and post it here after his passing, while I had reservations of doing this, I know that he had some really great friends here that loved his writing, so I do this for you. He asked me to give a special thanks to Ashbear for being so supportive of him, he sends you his love. So here is the first of the last 4 chapters of "Truly Eternal". Brian finished this story three days before he died, I think you will all find it emotional and depressing and romantic and funny and adventurous, because he has taken these characters to new places while giving them the familiarity that we all know and love. To my husband, if you're reading this on the big Internet in the sky, I love you always.

Alicia

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Chapter 12: Between Heaven and Hell...

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"It never ceases to amaze me how utterly stupid you are, Squall. You would think that after 32 time loops, which...adds up to about 589 years, you would have learned NOT to catch the orb when Seifer threw it at you."

Griever snorted and turned to look at the unconscious young man laying on the cot before him.

"But then you and I have never been known to have a great deal of common sense, have we?"

The old man chuckled softly to himself as he slowly sat down on the chair beside the bed. He stared at Squall, losing himself in the memories that came rushing back to him of a time when he was Squall, when he was young and strong, ready to defend the world from The Sorceress and to give his dying breath to protect his Rinoa.

Squall stirred, "W-What the...?"

Griever grinned, leaning closer, "Welcome back, Squall...have a good nap?"

The young knight leapt up and backed against the wall, "You!? What the hell is going on!? Where am I, and where is Rinoa?!"

"Don't worry...she's safe...for now. We have more important matters to deal with at the moment." Griever paused to le this sink in, "Namely Ultimecia..."

Squall expression changed to one of cold hatred, "She did this...her and Seifer...what happened to me?"

Griever sighed and stood up, "You have been banished, Squall, from the realm of the living...this is a place outside reality, where everything ends and begins...over and over."

Squall eyes widened as the reality of his situation struck him, "They think I'm dead...Rinny and the others...don't they?"

Griever nodded, his eyes expressing his sympathy, "Yes they do. But you will surprise them, my friend. I am going to send you back, to finally finish this."

"How? If like you said, I've been banished by The Sorceress, how can you send me back?" Squall asked.

Griever smirked, "You don't really think that Ultimecia is the final power in the universe do you? That there isn't something or someone out there more powerful than her? Well, let me tell you, Squall...there is. And she has been watching over you...for a long time, both you and Rinoa.

Squall starred at the older man, the man who looked so much like himself, "Who?"

"It's not important...when the time comes you will learn the truth and deal the killing blow to the Witch, once and for all..."

Squall nodded, "When?"

Griever hesitated, this next part would truly hurt the young man. Noticing the old man's hesitation, Squall grew angry.

"When!?"

Relenting, Griever finally answered.

"Squall...time moves differently here, faster in some cases, slower in others. You really need to look in the mirror."

Squall jumped off the bed and ran across the small room to the mirror over the sink. Words failed him as he looked back at himself, an older him, not greatly older, but more matured, his face was fuller, yet still lean and masculine, a full beard now covered his face and his hair, while still the same auburn brown was now longer in the back, coming down past his shoulders.

"What the fuck!?"

Griever snorted, "I think you look good. Don't be so touchy, now Seifer can't call you puberty-boy anymore."

Squall shot him a look.

The old man shrugged, "Hey...silver lining and all..."

Squall smiled a little, noticing the irony of that statement, "Exactly how long have I been gone?"

Griever grimaced, "Here, you've been here for about 2 years, give or take...from there, back home...2 maybe 3 months."

Squall nodded, "I understand...what do you want me to do?"

Griever smiled widely, "Kill the Witch, save the world, all that blah, blah, blah crap...you'll notice that you don't have your gunblade...that will be one of the things that will anchor your return."

Squall cocked his head, his confusion evident, "One of the things? What else will anchor me?"

The old man smiled gently at his younger self, "Rinoa."

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Rinoa stood on the balcony of Garden, watching the sea go by, mesmerized by the waves, the simple yet intricate way they would impact each other.

"Rin?"

The young woman turned her head, "I'm not in the mood for company right now, Zell..."

Zell sighed, "Rin...you have to get out of this funk. I know you miss Squall, hell we all do...he was like a brother to me. What Seifer did was cruel and unforgivable, and he will pay for it if it's the last thing I ever do...he will pay."

Rinoa faced her friend completely now, her eyes full of tears, "He was more to me, Zell...he was everything...he was my balance, my light...my hero. I look at this world, now that he's not in it, and I don't want to be here, not anymore."

Zell felt the tears sting his eyes, "By Hyne...Rin...Squall wouldn't want that. He would want you to go on, to finish what he started. We have a mission, and whether or not you believe it right now, his mission is now yours. You are a Sorceress...one of your kind has gone rogue, you have a duty to stop her, a duty to do right by your knight, who died for you, to save the world."

Rinoa turned her head away slightly, "I don't know if I can...do it without him."

Zell stepped towards her and put a comforting hand on her arm, "You wont be alone, we will all be with you, die with you if we have to. Squall will be avenged, I promise you that, Rin."

Rinoa smiled sadly, "He always liked you...trusted you. You are a true friend, Zell. Thank you."

Zell smiled, not bothering to wipe away the tears that now rained down his face, "I aim to please. Now, the Headmaster wants us all in the briefing room. They have some new information on how to reach Ultimecia's castle."

Rinoa sighed, "We will have to fold time, bend reality to get to her."

Zell blinked, "How did you know?"

Rinoa smiled, "I have magic powers remember?"

Zell nodded, returning her smile, "Like you'd let us forget."

Rinoa giggled, "That's just not in my nature."

Zell put his arm around her shoulder and began to lead her to the briefing room, "Come on...we have to go to Esthar and pick up some special device that will allow to do that folding time thingy."

The two friends walked away in silence, both knowing that their hearts would never again know the completeness they had once felt, but knowing that what they were about to do would at least set some things right.

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Squall starred at the ancient hyper gate that towered over him and Griever, his expression changing from one of confusion to awe.

"So...all I have to do is wait for your signal, then I jump through this doo-hicky here and I'm back in my reality?"

Griever wanted to laugh at Squall's disbelieving tone, "Pretty much, but remember you can't jump until I give you the signal, and once you get back you will be where the gunblade and Rinoa are, which if I am correct, probably wont be in your reality."

Squall finished tying his hair back, letting the pony-tail drop against his shoulders, "Is SeeD really going after her?"

Griever nodded, "Yep. Just a couple more things first...when you get back, you will be out of phase with that reality, while your physical body catches up to your spiritual."

"Okay, what else?"

Griever placed his hand on Squalls shoulder, "When you go through...you will see everything, the beginning and the end. Life and death, and everything in the middle. You will see generations come and go as you cross realities, and it wont be pretty. You will see people you love grow old and die countless times, and you will be powerless to prevent it."

Squall's jaw dropped open, "Shit...I-I, are you serious?"

Griever nodded, "Dead serious, literally. You have to be strong Squall. For you it will seem like an eternity but will in truth be hardly a second."

Squall leaned heavily against the hyper gate, "Heaven and Hell huh?

Griever looked up at the black sky, "Heaven and Hell, Squall...that's what life is. It gives and it takes, in the end you realize that it all balances out, it's painful. It's a world where first love doesn't always work out, where soul mates don't always end up together. But it's a world worth trying to find those things, and make them work. Because if you don't at least try...you've wasted the chance life has given you."

Squall leaned his head back against the stone structure, "I get it. I'm going to get it right this time...I promise."

Griever looked at the young man, "In hope you do, because if you don't...there wont be any going back next time. She'll just end it all..."

Squall watched as the old man stepped through the hyper gate, "I'll be in touch...just be ready."

Squall nodded as the ancient stone machine lit up brighter then the sun, so bright that Squall had to look away, when his vision cleared, the old man was gone.

"I'll be ready." Squall whispered.

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TBC - The next installment will be posted tomorrow (Sunday). So be ready.

Alicia