Chapter 25
Squall was blinded by rage. He charged into the opposing Garden with strict disregard for his own safety.
"Commander, be careful," the doctor screamed after him, but Squall couldn't hear, his head too filled with thoughts of Rinoa.
"I caused her all this trouble. If I hadn't have told her how I felt, none of this would have happened. She'd still be in safe in Deling with Seifer and her father. Sure, she wouldn't be happy, but bettre unhappy than dead right? Right?"
No matter how much he thought about this, he just couldn't find the answer. Although he would gladly give up his life to be with Rinoa, he just couldn't face the reality that she might have to die because she had chosen to be with him.
"No use thinking about any of this. I'm not going to find an answer. I just need to find her." To his dismay, he found that the layout of Galbadia Garden was very different than that of Balamb. He had no idea where he might find Rinoa. Thankfully, though, the inside of the Garden was surprisingly quiet. He hadn't come across a single soldier since he had entered the building. "They must all be fighting." He decided to take advantage of this fact and explore the Garden.
After what had seemed like hours had gone by, Squall was beginning to lose his patience. He had already explored the whole of the ground floor and found no sign of Rinoa. His worry for her safety had begun to grow. He came to a halt at the foot of a flight of stairs.
"Nowhere else to go," he thought, as he began to climb. At the top of the stairs he found an elevator to his right. "Hmm, it needs a keycard. This would be the safest place that they could take her." He examined the control panel for the keycard and found that it was identical to those in Balamb. Squall thought back to the days when he was just a Junior Classman, and was forever losing the keycard to his dorm. He always managed to get into his room by running the tip of his gunblade through the card the card reader, shorting the circuit. He quickly got to work opening the door. A light pinging sound told him that he had been successful.
Inside the elevator, he found a choice of floors and opted for the highest, as it was where the Headmaster's office was in Balamb Garden.
The doors shut, and the elevator began to ascend.
"General. Something's happening over here," warned Seifer. Caraway moved over to the computer terminal.
"What is it?"
"The elevator's moving."
"Does anybody else have a keycard."
"Nobody but us. It must be an intruder."
"Do you think it's him?" asked Caraway. Seifer nodded.
"Leonhart," he growled. "I'll kill you."
"Now, now Seifer. We mustn't be too hasty. After all, he won't fight." He looked towards the back of the room where Rinoa was lying, still unconscious on a sofa.
"What do you plan to do?"
"You'll see. You'll see."
The elevator slowed down gradually before coming to a stop. The doors opened, and Squall, unprepared, found a blade pressed to his throat.
"Welcome, Commander Leonhart. Do come in," offered Seifer, almost as if he were a cat, toying with his prey before the final kill.
"Drop the gunblade," oredered Caraway. Squall did nothing.
"He said drop it." Seifer pointed towards the lifeless body on the sofa.
"Rinoa." Squall gave a sigh of relief. They haven't killed her.
"Now drop the gunblade." Squall noticed the obvious threat in Seifer's voice, and complied.
"Now then, Commander Leonhart," began General Caraway. "You have a choice. Either you go with Seifer now, and order the surrender of your Garden, or she dies. It's up to you."
"You wouldn't kill your own daughter," Squall challenged.
"How presumptious." He began to laugh, making Squall wonder whether he really had it in him to kill Rinoa. After all, his alliance with Seifer now seemed secure. That was all had wanted Rinoa for in the first place.
"Could I really take that risk?" he thought. "On the other hand, how could I betray Garden. There are so many students relying on me. Could I really just hand them all over to Caraway?"
"Well? Have you made your decision?"
Thanks to:
Riona
Rinoa Leonhart73
Riny Beoulve
Selphie Tilmitt
Lost Soul
Squall was blinded by rage. He charged into the opposing Garden with strict disregard for his own safety.
"Commander, be careful," the doctor screamed after him, but Squall couldn't hear, his head too filled with thoughts of Rinoa.
"I caused her all this trouble. If I hadn't have told her how I felt, none of this would have happened. She'd still be in safe in Deling with Seifer and her father. Sure, she wouldn't be happy, but bettre unhappy than dead right? Right?"
No matter how much he thought about this, he just couldn't find the answer. Although he would gladly give up his life to be with Rinoa, he just couldn't face the reality that she might have to die because she had chosen to be with him.
"No use thinking about any of this. I'm not going to find an answer. I just need to find her." To his dismay, he found that the layout of Galbadia Garden was very different than that of Balamb. He had no idea where he might find Rinoa. Thankfully, though, the inside of the Garden was surprisingly quiet. He hadn't come across a single soldier since he had entered the building. "They must all be fighting." He decided to take advantage of this fact and explore the Garden.
After what had seemed like hours had gone by, Squall was beginning to lose his patience. He had already explored the whole of the ground floor and found no sign of Rinoa. His worry for her safety had begun to grow. He came to a halt at the foot of a flight of stairs.
"Nowhere else to go," he thought, as he began to climb. At the top of the stairs he found an elevator to his right. "Hmm, it needs a keycard. This would be the safest place that they could take her." He examined the control panel for the keycard and found that it was identical to those in Balamb. Squall thought back to the days when he was just a Junior Classman, and was forever losing the keycard to his dorm. He always managed to get into his room by running the tip of his gunblade through the card the card reader, shorting the circuit. He quickly got to work opening the door. A light pinging sound told him that he had been successful.
Inside the elevator, he found a choice of floors and opted for the highest, as it was where the Headmaster's office was in Balamb Garden.
The doors shut, and the elevator began to ascend.
"General. Something's happening over here," warned Seifer. Caraway moved over to the computer terminal.
"What is it?"
"The elevator's moving."
"Does anybody else have a keycard."
"Nobody but us. It must be an intruder."
"Do you think it's him?" asked Caraway. Seifer nodded.
"Leonhart," he growled. "I'll kill you."
"Now, now Seifer. We mustn't be too hasty. After all, he won't fight." He looked towards the back of the room where Rinoa was lying, still unconscious on a sofa.
"What do you plan to do?"
"You'll see. You'll see."
The elevator slowed down gradually before coming to a stop. The doors opened, and Squall, unprepared, found a blade pressed to his throat.
"Welcome, Commander Leonhart. Do come in," offered Seifer, almost as if he were a cat, toying with his prey before the final kill.
"Drop the gunblade," oredered Caraway. Squall did nothing.
"He said drop it." Seifer pointed towards the lifeless body on the sofa.
"Rinoa." Squall gave a sigh of relief. They haven't killed her.
"Now drop the gunblade." Squall noticed the obvious threat in Seifer's voice, and complied.
"Now then, Commander Leonhart," began General Caraway. "You have a choice. Either you go with Seifer now, and order the surrender of your Garden, or she dies. It's up to you."
"You wouldn't kill your own daughter," Squall challenged.
"How presumptious." He began to laugh, making Squall wonder whether he really had it in him to kill Rinoa. After all, his alliance with Seifer now seemed secure. That was all had wanted Rinoa for in the first place.
"Could I really take that risk?" he thought. "On the other hand, how could I betray Garden. There are so many students relying on me. Could I really just hand them all over to Caraway?"
"Well? Have you made your decision?"
Thanks to:
Riona
Rinoa Leonhart73
Riny Beoulve
Selphie Tilmitt
Lost Soul