Final Fantasy VIII

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Chapter Twenty-Five

After he left the reception room, Squall wandered the corridor with nowhere to go. He just wanted a quiet place where he could think and gather his thoughts. Squall stopped running and slowed to a walk, breathing deep to catch his breath. Where was there in Galbadia Garden that was quiet, and where he could think?

He opted for the 2F walkway. This wound all around the Garden's 2F and overlooked the 1F lobby. Squall walked along the walkway until he was halfway across. He leaned against the balustrade, his elbows resting on it. The swordsman sighed and looked down at the floor, and his mind started to wander.

His thoughts were, inevitably, drawn to Seifer. Squall told himself that he did not feel anything over the swordsman's death. He had expected it, after all. It should not have come as any surprise. Yet, for some reason, a part of him felt the loss. It was an old, familiar pain. It was not as strong as it was back then, but Squall felt it all the same.

That was why he had gotten so angry and ran from the reception room. Recalling old memories, talking about someone and wishing they were still there… All of these things were fruitless. It was not possible to bring someone back just by wishing.

As for talking about them—in the past tense, like they were—what consolation did that offer? The only reason they felt such pain and anger now was because they held onto that hope and the belief that no matter what, things would turn out okay. If they had not been so dependant on that belief, then they would not be feeling that pain. Squall knew this, and yet even he got angry and had run from the room. Was that proof he had also been dependant on the belief that Seifer would be all right?

It was not as though Squall held any particular feeling of kinship with Seifer. It was no secret that they did not get on. They did not hang out together or even speak much. In general Squall avoided Seifer, though there were many occasions where the two had come to blows. They trained with one another and Squall had respect for him as a fellow swordsman, but beyond that there was nothing that tied them together. Seifer considered Squall a rival, someone to push himself against in order to come out on top.

Now Seifer was gone. There would be no more rivalry.

Squall stopped his thoughts as he heard the sound of footsteps down in the lobby. The swordsman glanced over his shoulder and watched as Rinoa and Angelo walked into the lobby. Angelo was off his leash as he walked alongside Rinoa, who seemed lost in thought as she ambled across the floor, her hands clasped behind her back. Squall watched her. She and the others must have been released from the reception room, he realised.

The woman walked up to the column of light in the centre of the lobby. Its golden-hued light fell onto her face and hair as she stood before it, giving her the same golden glow. Poets would have a field day describing how she looked standing there, bathed in golden light. Squall was no poet.

As though she sensed him watching her, Rinoa raised her head and looked up at the walkway. She met his gaze. She waved and flashed him a reassuring smile. Squall did not return them, and just looked at her, silent.

Rinoa was another problem, he thought to himself. Rinoa was still his client. What would she do now? Would she still want to go on and liberate Timber after all this? She'd been given a taste of the dangers that were a part of being in a resistance faction. She had said that this was not a game, but… did she really understand what it all meant? Squall couldn't be sure.

At Rinoa's heels, Angelo barked. The woman knelt down and stroked the dog's shaggy fur, whispering to him. She fed him a biscuit. Squall continued to watch her from the walkway. Whatever she decided to do, they would do as well, as per their contract. Quistis, he supposed, would return to Balamb Garden and deliver the news about Seifer to the headmaster. What would Cid think when he heard the news?

Rinoa stood and walked out of the lobby with Angelo in tow. Once they were gone, Squall left the walkway and headed down to the 1F. He wanted to catch a moment alone with her to discuss what she wanted to do next.

He had just entered the lobby when a familiar voice called out to him from above.

"Yo! Squall!"

Squall stopped and turned back. He looked up at the walkway and saw Raijin standing on the balcony above him. The large man waved and then ran off down the corridor. A moment later he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and Raijin came storming into the lobby, with Fujin running close behind. Squall laid a hand on his hip. So both of them were here…

"What are you doing here?" he asked them.

"What am I doin'?" Raijin grinned and patted his chest. "I'm a messenger, ya know?" He looked at Fujin, who silently nodded her head. He nodded back. "Brought you a new order from Headmaster Cid, ya know?" They nodded again.

Squall tried to ignore this strange habit and folded his arms. "What kind of order?"

Raijin shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "Gave it to the head honcho here. Just did what Headmaster Cid wanted, ya know?"

The two nodded their heads again. Fujin, her face an unreadable mask as always, waved her hand at Raijin. "EXPLAIN," she ordered.

"We were suppose'ta go to Timber," Raijin said. "But the trains have stopped, so we had no choice but to come here. Kinda relieved to see you guys here."

Once again, the two nodded. Then Fujin looked around at the lobby, her single eye scanning the area. She turned back to Squall. "SEIFER?" she asked.

"Oh yeah! Wasn't Seifer with you?"

Squall hesitated. These two were Seifer's best friends, his only friends in Garden. Squall never thought he would be the one to break this news to them. "I believe Seifer may be dead…" he said, choosing his words carefully. "I heard he was tried in Galbadia and then executed…"

Fujin gasped. The cold mask that she always wore slipped for an instant, betraying the shock in pain that she felt on hearing the news. Then the mask returned and her good eye hardened. She scowled.

"LIES!" she declared.

Raijin shared her sentiments, and he burst out laughing. "BWAHAAHAAHAA!" he guffawed. "That's gotta be a lie ya know!" The man put his hands on his hips and thrust out his chest. "There is no way he'd put up with a trial, ya know! Or an execution for that matter! It's just not Seifer, ya know!"

Fujin waved her hand. "FIND!"

Raijin looked at her. "O'What…? We're gonna meet up with Seifer?" Fujin nodded, and Raijin turned back to Squall. "Well, see ya, Squall. We're gonna head off to Galbadia to look for Seifer." With that, he and Fujin ran past Squall and headed out of Galbadia Garden.

The swordsman watched them as they went. What they said… they had a point. Seifer was not the type of person who would put up with all the rigmarole involved with a trial. He certainly was not the type to go willingly to an execution, either. But whether he was that type of person or not did not change the fact that it did happen. Raijin and Fujin were chasing after a ghost.

With nowhere else left to go, the swordsman also headed for the exit. He had not even reached the other side when the Garden's PA system, in its usual cold and emotionless manner, made another announcement:

"Attention. SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please assemble in front of the gate."

The message repeated itself several times as Squall headed over to the turnstiles. Quistis was there waiting for him, pre-empting his actions like she always did. Squall passed his card over the scanner and walked through the gate.

Quistis turned to him. "Okay," she said, "it's time to meet. Let's go!"

Squall nodded. Quistis opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly shut it again. She wanted to speak with Squall, to ask if he was okay after his outburst in the reception room. But a look into Squall's face told her this was a subject that was best avoided.

The two left the Garden and hurried down towards the front gate. On the way they spotted Zell and Selphie running ahead of them. Rinoa was already by the exit, walking at a leisurely pace with Angelo by her side. When Zell and Selphie ran past her she broke into a run, calling for Angelo to run with her.

The companions gathered in front of the main gate. Once there Quistis informed them that new orders from Balamb Garden had arrived while she was in meeting with the headmaster. Now they were to wait for Martine—headmaster of Galbadia Garden—to come and give them the new orders. Quistis knew nothing of what the orders entailed except that they were issued from Headmaster Cid himself, and addressed specifically for Squall and his team, Quistis included. So they sat back and waited for the Galbadian headmaster to arrive.

Rinoa stood apart from the others, leaning against the rail that lined the drive. Angelo lay on the ground, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted in the heat of the afternoon sun. Only once did he open his eyes and look up at his mistress, saw that nothing was amiss, and lay his head back down again.

Squall looked over at her. He wondered if it was best for her to go back inside Galbadia Garden. These orders they were waiting to receive were Garden business, not something she should get involved in. He knew she would not like it, but Garden's orders overrode a client's orders.

He approached her to tell her of this, but then Angelo raised his head and barked. Squall stopped and looked down the main drive. A car bearing the traditional colours of Galbadia Garden was driving down towards them. Rinoa also looked up.

"Oh! I think that's him," she said. She pushed herself away from the rail and looked up at Squall. His face was troubled. Rinoa smiled, guessing what he was thinking. "Just pretend I'm a SeeD, too," she told him. "It'll be less complicated that way."

Squall hesitated and looked away from her. He put his hand on his hip, thinking. Rinoa was not a SeeD… but it was better than explaining to the headmaster how their first mission had ended as a complete failure. It wouldn't make much of a difference if he believed that Rinoa was also a SeeD… For now, anyway.

The five of them lined up by the gate. The car drove down and pulled up in front of them. The door opened and a man stepped out. He was tall and wore a long, military coat emblazoned with the colours of Garden. His hair was a dark blond and was slicked back against his head, without a single hair out of place. His face was set, his lips pressed together in a firm line. His eyes were hard, with a look that demanded respect. In every way different to Headmaster Cid, whose jovial face and rotund image was present in the minds of all the SeeD, subconsciously comparing them.

Martine approached them. In his hands he held a small brown envelope. As he drew near Squall and the others immediately came to attention and saluted him. Rinoa looked around at them, startled, before she too stood at attention. She glanced down the line, copying the SeeD salute. The others then lowered their arms and, after a moment, Rinoa did the same.

The headmaster did not seem to notice her delayed actions, and came to a stop in front of the companions. He looked around at them, and Squall noticed a look of worry in his otherwise serious face. Worry lines formed on his brow and there were dark circles beneath his eyes, as though he had not slept well for a while. His lips were turned downwards, with no hint of a smile.

Headmaster Martine looked up and down the line. "Good day," he said.

The SeeD (and Rinoa!) did not respond. They remained silent, arms fixed to their sides and their eyes facing forward. The headmaster nodded and folded his hands behind his back. He then began to pace in front of them, walking up and down.

"I have official orders from Headmaster Cid addressed to you…" he said. "Following regulations, I have gone over these orders. After careful consideration of our options, we have decided to fully assist and cooperate with Headmaster Cid. Actually, we too, have been planning for this for quite some time now. In order to stress the importance of this mission, I must first brief you in on the current situation." The headmaster stopped pacing and looked around at the group, who were still standing at attention. "At ease," he told them.

The five stood at ease.

"You all know about the sorceress being appointed as the peace ambassador for the Galbadian government," Martine continued. The group nodded. "However, this ambassador thing is just a cover up. There will be no peace talks, only threats. The sorceress creates fear among people. Therefore, peace talks are impossible. Galbadia is planning to use this fear to negotiate favourable conditions for itself.

"It is clear that Galbadia's ultimate goal is world domination. Garden is no exception, either. It is a fact that the sorceress is planning to use this Garden as her base." Martine stopped pacing. He sighed and shook his head. "…We have very few options available to us," he said. He looked up, and his eyes moved over the five young men and women standing before him. "We entrust world peace, and the future to you."

Squall and the others came to attention and saluted as the headmaster's speech came to a close. Again, after a moment, Rinoa did the same.

Martine, however, did not notice. He held up the envelope he had been carrying. "Details of this mission are enclosed in these official orders." The headmaster then went over to Squall and gave him the envelope. Squall took out the document enclosed and read it over. Martine returned to stand in front of the group. "Any questions?" he asked them.

Squall finished reading the document. "The orders say by means of a 'sniper'," he said, looking up at Martine. "We have no one with that skill."

Headmaster Martine smiled. It was the first time he had smiled since he addressed the companions.

"Don't worry about it," Marine replied. He walked to the side. "Let me introduce you to an elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden." Stopping, the headmaster raised his voice and shouted: "Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!"

In the gardens lining the driveway, a hand lifted up from the grass. It belonged to a man who had until now been lying unobserved on the ground, listening in. The man pointed his finger at the sky and a butterfly, one of the few insects that had managed to survive in the warm climate, fluttered by and landed on his fingertip.

The man took a breath and then exhaled softly,

The man flicked his finger and made a shooting sound under his breath. The butterfly, startled, flew away. Lowering his arm, the man pushed himself to his feet. The long folds of a light tan, cowboy style trenchcoat fell behind him as he stood. It seemed this man much favoured the old-fashioned cowboy look, for his boots and his trousers were of the same style, and a broad-brimmed cowboy hat sat on his head.

As the man stood he picked up a shotgun that had been lying by his side. It was a simple, double-barrel shotgun; a standard weapon, but reliable. The man pressed the gun against his shoulder and turned to face the group. He was young, around the same age as Squall and the others. His face was handsome with smooth skin, and bright eyes that had a playful twinkle in them. His long, chestnut-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few thick bangs framed the side of his face. He smiled as he saw the group, and headed over towards them.

When he reached the fence he sheathed his gun and jumped onto the drive. He then paraded in front of Squall and the other SeeDs, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. Every so often he looked up, gazing into the faces of the five people standing before him. When his gaze met Selphie's he smiled and winked at her. Selphie flushed but said nothing.

"This is Irvine Kinneas," Martine said. The newcomer stopped pacing and stood next to the headmaster. "He will be your sharpshooter. Leave whenever you're ready." Martine then turned and headed back to his car. He took only a few steps before he stopped and looked back at them. "Failure is not an option," he told them. Then he got into his car and drove back to Galbadia Garden.

The man called Irvine turned around and pointed his finger at the car as it drove away. "BANG!" he said in a loud voice, drawing his finger back.

The car did not stop and headed back into Garden. Once it was gone Squall and the others broke up from their line and spread out. Each one of them looked at Irvine. The young cowboy looked back at them, the playful twinkle still in his eyes.

"Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb," he said. His voice had a strong, south-Galbadian accent. Irvine flicked his hat. "Greetings."

At once, Zell raised his fists. His face creased into a scowl. It seemed that, already, he disliked this new addition to their party and wanted to make that dislike known.

Squall looked at him. Zell… he thought. Why do you have to overreact to everything?

"You cool with me helping you?" Irvine asked, turning to Squall.

Squall turned to face him. "That depends on your attitude," he responded.

"I say things that get a rise out of some people," the gunman confessed with a meaningful glance at Zell. "Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine."

That was easier said than done. As Irvine met Zell's gaze, the fighter's face turned even redder and he clenched his fists even tighter. Irvine did not seem concerned and shrugged it off, serving only to anger Zell further.

Squall looked from one man to the other. I shouldn't put him together with Zell… he decided. This man—Irvine Kinneas—was new to their group and it would be unfair to judge him before they had the chance to learn about him and his skills. Placing him with Zell would only serve to create friction amongst the group. Squall made a mental note to speak about it with Zell later. "I'll remember that," he said to Irvine. Irvine nodded and flicked his hat again.

"What's our next mission?" Selphie interrupted.

"Our next mission…" Squall looked down at the orders in his hands. Headmaster Cid's seal was stamped to the bottom, proving its authenticity. Squall walked to stand in the centre of the group. "This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. We're to… …assassinate the sorceress." At this everybody but Irvine jumped in surprise, and Squall continued. "We're to shoot her from afar. Kinneas will be our sharpshooter." Irvine, in response, flicked his hat.

"We're to support Kinneas to our fullest," Squall carried on. He walked over and stood in front of Irvine. "Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head on."

"Thanks for the support," Irvine said, "but I never miss my target."

Squall nodded. He turned from Irvine and walked back to the centre. Everyone's eyes followed him. "Eliminate the sorceress. That's our order. We're going to head to the capital of Galbadia, Deling City. There, we'll meet up with General Caraway to go over the details for the plan." He looked around at the group. "Let's get going."

His gaze then went to Rinoa. The young woman had become very quiet as Squall made his speech about their mission, and had moved away from the others. Now she was shuffling her feet and rubbing her arm in that peculiar way she had when she was worried about something. Squall started to wonder what it was, but then dismissed it. Whatever it was, it was none of his business.

"Well then…" Irvine said, breaking into Squall's thoughts. "We'll need to choose a party for the trip to Deling City."

The sharpshooter walked forward. First he went to Selphie and took her by the hand. The girl gasped in surprise as Irvine led her forward. He then went to Rinoa and slid his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Rinoa stared up at him, completely startled. Irvine led both of the girls to one side and then turned back to Squall. "How's this?" he asked, gesturing to the two girls.

Squall stared back at him. So this was the kind of man Irvine Kinneas was. Squall placed his hand on his hip. Was it okay to let Irvine have his way and team up with Rinoa and Selphie? Yeah, whatever, his thoughts answered. "Have a good time…" the swordsman said.

Selphie turned and glared at him. "Are you being sarcastic!" she demanded. "You are, aren't you!" She stamped her foot. "Well, fine then. We WILL have a good time!"

Rinoa also seemed angry. "We understand very well," she said, and wrapped her arms around Irvine's arm. Zell jumped back in shock, his jaw falling open. "Come on, Mr. Kinneas," said Rinoa in her most alluring voice. "Let's go!"

Squall blinked, confused. …H-Hey.

"Call me Irvine," Irvine said to Rinoa. He looked down at the two women on either side of him. "I'm a pretty lucky guy. Hand in hand with two beautiful girls!"

Selphie jumped and latched onto Irvine's other arm. She tugged him towards her and rubbed her cheek against the sleeve of his coat.

"Irvy Kinnepoo! I'll make you happy!"

Both women glared at Squall. Their gazes were fierce, challenging. Even Zell flinched beneath the angry faces of the two women. Squall, on the other hand, just turned his head away.

Did I say something terrible? he asked himself. He shook his head. Women… I don't understand them.

So, with the two women latched onto either arm, Irvine Kinneas left Galbadia Garden. Both Rinoa and Selphie made a point of ignoring Squall as they walked past, keeping their attention firmly devoted to the oblivious Mr. Kinneas.

As the trio headed out onto the plains, Quistis folded her arms and grimaced. "I think I feel sick…" she confessed, glad that Irvine had not chosen her for his entourage.

Zell ran forward. "Irvine Kinneas…" he called after him. "Loser…!"

Irvine, in response, just raised a hand. He waved it in farewell. Then he put his arms around both women and strolled leisurely across the plains. This only served to anger Zell even more and he murmured curses under his breath, his fists trembling.

As she watched Irvine and the girls leave, Quistis had an idea. She turned to Squall. She slipped her arm into his and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Come on, Squall," she said. She rubbed her cheek on his fur collar. "Let's go!"

Squall stared at her. …H-Hey. What was that all about?

Zell, unable to hang around any longer, ran forward. "Squall, let's get going!" he shouted. "We have to get there before they do!" The fighter then ran off into the plateau, shouting insults after Irvine Kinneas all the way.

Squall meanwhile, with Quistis still holding onto him, put his hand to his head and sighed. Grow up! he pleaded. He didn't hold is breath, though.


An hour later the companions had arrived at Monterosa Station on the eastern side of the plateau. The train had not arrived yet, so the companions relaxed in the synthetic gardens surrounding the platform and waited for the train to arrive.

Monterosa Station, like East Academy Station, was nothing more than a simple platform. Since Galbadia Garden was rarely visited by anyone other than the Galbadian military, there was no need to build a proper station.

They were not the only ones waiting for the train. A few students from Galbadia Garden were also waiting, talking amongst themselves as they walked through the gardens. The conductor waited at the top of the platform, keeping an eye on the people below.

The trip across the plateau was… less than peaceful. Despite splitting into two groups the parties remained in close proximity to one another. This was partly due to the fact that they were all heading the same way, but also because Zell was adamant that Irvine needed to have an eye kept on him.

It seemed that Zell had been right about that. Not long after leaving Galbadia Garden they had heard shouts coming from Irvine's party. When they looked over they saw that Selphie and Rinoa had left Irvine and were storming ahead, leaving Irvine behind to cradle a slapped cheek. From which woman he had received the slap no one knew, but it lightened Zell's mood.

There were numerous monsters to fight on the way, as well. Blood Souls and Belhelmels were among the ones native to the plateau. Irvine warned them that the attacks of these two particular monsters often left status changes on the body, so it was advised to avoid getting hit by them. Of course, he only told them of this after Zell left Squall and Quistis and had rushed in to defeat a Blood Soul that Irvine was fighting. He was struck by one of its breath attacks and as a result had ended up being silenced. It had caused an uproar (mostly laughter) from his friends, and it was with great reluctance that Squall used Esuna magic to release him from its hold.

Rinoa also made good use of the journey, using the time to master her new skills. She was becoming very adept at using magic and experimented with different ways of using and deploying it. Selphie was a good teacher—being talented at magic herself—and from her Rinoa learned things such as harnessing magic within her to boost her defences, or to make her own attacks stronger. Selphie was impressed at how quickly Rinoa learned and proclaimed that she was just as good as any member of SeeD. Rinoa was thrilled to hear this, and vowed to work even harder.

After about fifteen minutes the train to Deling City arrived. While the others were busy paying for their tickets, Squall got onto the train.

It was quiet inside the train, a nice change from the noise outside (most of it from Zell). Squall took a moment to enjoy that silence, for he knew it would not last for long. Almost on instinct, he went over to the ticket machine and inserted his ticket. While the machine worked, Quistis and Zell entered the car.

"Confirming… Access granted…"

Squall headed back to the door to call for the others to hurry up. Before he reached it however, Rinoa and the others walked in. Squall backed up, letting them pass.

Selphie headed straight for the other door. When it opened she grinned and turned to Squall. "Hee! You caught on!" she said, and ran into the corridor.

The carriage door closed. Overhead, the intercom rang into life.

"This train, bound for Deling City, will be departing shortly."

A moment later the train lurched forward, causing everyone in the car to stagger. Rinoa wrapped her arms around her churning stomach as the train moved out of station and headed out across the rugged plains of the Monterosa Plateau. The movement did not ease even as they left the station, so Rinoa fought against her nausea and stood upright. She giggled.

"This is the only train bound for Deling City anyway," she said.

Squall and Quistis nodded. From Galbadia Garden, this was the only train anywhere. It was just lucky for them that the only stop just happened to be their destination. So for now, all they could do was relax and wait and enjoy the journey.

As the train left the station behind, Irvine turned from the window and pushed back his hat. "Hmm…" he murmured, mostly to himself. "Perhaps it's fate?" Everybody's eyes then followed him as he crossed the room and went into the corridor.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Zell spun around to face Squall. "So, what do we do about HIM?" he demanded.

"…Irvine just kind of went off…" Quistis said… "Shouldn't you check?"

Squall put his hand to his head. What did they expect him to do? Squall could not say he particularly liked Irvine, either. Irvine Kinneas was a stranger, but he was also to play a major part in the assassination mission. Whether they liked him or not, they had to work together with him. They would just have to deal with their dislike and get on with the mission. Still, Quistis and Zell were expecting him to say something. Perhaps it would not do much harm to let Kinneas know where he stood.

The swordsman went into the corridor. He found Irvine there, standing with Selphie by the window.

"Selphie…" Irvine was saying to her. "We're destined to be together!"

Selphie looked sceptical. "Y-Yeah right…!" she said. She sighed and shook her head.

Irvine turned to the window and leaned his elbows on the narrow ledge. "A sigh of love?" he asked her.

Selphie jumped, and her face flushed a bright pink. She turned to him. "N-No…" she said, trying to sound forceful. But her voice was hesitant. She looked past Irvine's shoulder and spotted Squall in the doorway. She gasped.

Hearing her gasp, Irvine turned around. When he saw Squall there he grinned and pushed himself away from the window. He strolled over to Squall, his gait casual, as though nothing was amiss. He stopped next to Squall and flicked his hat. Squall stepped aside.

"Pardon me…" the gunman said, and then went through the door to the waiting room. It slid shut after him, leaving Squall and Selphie alone.

Selphie took a deep breath and sighed. Her face was still flushed. The girl put her hand over her chest. "My heart's pounding…" she said. "What is this I'm feeling?"

Nerves, probably, Squall told himself. He turned back to her. "It's an important mission," he said. "Get used to handling pressure while you still can."

Selphie looked at him, and then she nodded. She still looked agitated, her face troubled. Then she turned back to the window and looked out at the landscape. Outside, the Monterosa Plateau whooshed by, a blur of cream and grey colours. She sighed again, and then started to hum a little tune to herself. She would be all right, Squall decided.

He returned to the waiting room. He immediately spotted Irvine talking to Rinoa, saying the same things he had said to Selphie just moments before.

"Rinoa…" Irvine said.

But Rinoa would not listen. She ran from him and stood next to Quistis, whose face was angry as she glared at Irvine. Zell slammed his fist into his palm in warning. Squall placed his hand on his hip, watching.

"Irvine Kinneas!" Quistis snapped, her voice raised. "You're playing a major role in this mission. Now behave yourself!"

The playful twinkle in Irvine's eyes vanished, and his face fell. "No one understands me…" he complained. He walked across the room and stopped by Rinoa, who pulled away. "Sharpshooters are loners by nature…" Irvine raised his eyes to the ceiling. "We hone our instincts," he said, "pour our whole being into a single bullet."

Squall crossed his arms. What was all this about?

Irvine turned and walked back across the floor. "The pressure of the moment… An instant of tension…" The gunman paused and dropped his shoulders. He sighed. "That's what… I have to face alone…" He walked over to Squall. "It's not easy." He then walked to the door, his back to the group. "So like… Just do me a favour, and let me be!"

He then turned back and grinned, the playful twinkle back in his eyes. "You get my drift?" he asked.

Nobody spoke. Then Zell gave a yell and punched his fist into the ground. The impact was so great that it caused the whole train to shake. The overhead lights flickered and dimmed, before finally failing and leaving the car in darkness. Everybody looked up and then turned to Zell, whose face was guilty.

Overhead, the intercom crackled into life. The train driver's voice—sounding somewhat anxious—spoke.

"Err, there was no damage to the train from that, err, minor vibration… I, uh, repeat… Err, there was no damage to the train from that, err, minor vibration…"


A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS

Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter done. I've got a lot going on with work and that kinda sapped my writing spirit for a while. I've also been spending some time redoing my script for this game. The original copy is handwritten in the most microscopic writing you could possibly imagine (I used to write very tiny!), so I've made it easier on myself by typing it out on computer like my Crisis Core and Final Fantasy 13 scripts. I'm up to… Esthar, with that one.

I've also finished the scripting for Final Fantasy 10, and next I'm gonna work on FFX-2. Then I just have to retype Final Fantasy 9 and that's it. I have no plans for FF12 at this stage. There is a possibility that Kingdom Hearts and The World Ends With You may be done in the future. FAR future, of course.