Parallel

Illusion's End

Squall and Rinoa ran at their fullest to stay ahead of the destruction as the world around them continued to obliterate. As they moved, a horde of thoughts swirled in Rinoa's head – the fear she was overcome with born from the shock and confusion of exactly what was going on. She had never experienced any cataclysm of this magnitude before. Of everything they had ever come across – nothing could even begin to compare to this.

"RINOA! RUN!" Squall shouted.

Her heart beat heavily at the sound of his voice, those words bringing back that same haunting memory from that night – the night that had started this whole thing. It was almost exactly the same situation and she could feel her eyes water as her stomach quickly dropped. She closed her eyes tight as the tears started rolling down, fearing for their lives as she tried to force herself to move faster. Just like that day one year ago, she then felt someone grab her hand and opened her eyes to see Squall running alongside her as he pulled her with him – leading her down the endless road as they did their best to stay ahead of the catastrophe. Everything was exactly as that first time had gone, and her heart sank as she recalled how it had ended. The horror at such a memory physically playing out once again as she was forced to relive it filled her with a new kind of terror – the ending of the whole event fresh on her mind as she began to believe she knew what came next.

"Please." she begged desperately in her head, as she and Squall kept running frantically.

She stared ahead, hoping at any point that the gateway to take them home would open before them and they could make their escape in time. However, as they ran, she saw nothing of the sort – just an empty road stretching across the endless, dark world as its very fabric continued to be torn away around them before their very eyes.

Rinoa tried to shake that horrible moment in time as they kept running, but it stuck in her head - frozen at the front of her mind. She began to feel her breath cutting short from the recollection of that nightmare that had changed her life, even if only for a time, and her knees began to feel weak as she could feel herself slowing down. She looked ahead at Squall between the tears that continued swelling in her eyes as she did her best to force herself onward – her hand grasped tightly in his as he continued to lead her forward.

"…Squall…" she thought, as she squeezed more tears from her eyes.

Despite her fear, Rinoa felt a faint smile form on her face as she stared at Squall - his fearlessness as a leader and his loyalty as her knight shining through more than ever as he kept running with her - her safety his only concern once again. He really had remembered everything – and this moment was living proof of it. Even during this instant: the most harrowing and frightening ordeal she'd ever experienced - she was comforted to know she could, once again, count on him – and, for that brief moment…she forgot all fear.


A little further along, they came to stop as Squall appeared to search frantically for something.

Rinoa looked at him in question as panic now took over once again. Why had they stopped? If they didn't keep moving, they'd be caught in the ruin. What was wrong?

"Squall?"

He didn't reply for a moment as he kept looking around, Rinoa now doing the same – even though she had no idea what he was searching for. She still hoped that the portal home would appear and take them out of here, but again…nothing could be found – a fact that only served to greatly concern and worry her. Were they really trapped here? Were they doomed to fall into the depths of oblivion with this fated world as it rapidly faded from existence? The fear of such a thought overwhelmed her as her heart sank drastically.

"Come on!" Squall hastened, grabbing her hand once again as he led her forward once more – the calamity instantly coming over where they had just been as the magnitude of the destruction now appeared to increase.

The two barely managed to stay ahead of the catastrophe as it destroyed the scene around them almost as quickly as each step they took. Rinoa began to think they truly were bound to the same fate as this world as it quickly appeared to her that there was no true escape from this massive cataclysm.

"Accept the fate set before you!" Ultimecia's voice rang out over the realm, "There is no escape; no salvation provided from the binds of this world so long a prisoner of time!"

Squall made a strained face at her words as he closed his eyes tight. He didn't want to accept it; didn't want to have to give up everything he had – especially upon having just remembered it all. However…he had come to realize he could no longer run from it. At this rate, he and Rinoa would both surely find themselves swallowed with this world if he didn't do something. Glancing at Rinoa, he smiled lightly to hide the vast swell of sorrow and regret that quickly overwhelmed him. It was the hardest decision he could ever make – but, he couldn't stand the thought of her suffering such an end. The fate set before them was his burden alone – and he was willing to face it as long as it meant Rinoa's safety.

With that thought on his mind, he quickly stopped - Rinoa running past him before quickly turning around upon realizing such.

"Squall?" she asked, the confusion clear in her voice.

Squall stood with his back to her as he glared at the sky toward Ultimecia – only one thing on his mind as he pulled out his gunblade. Upon seeing this, a look of horror came over Rinoa's face as she became ever more perplexed.

"Squall! What are you doing?"

"Just keep running, Rinoa!" he answered, as he kept his back to her, still staring ahead.

Rinoa felt her heart beat faster once again as she began to breathe heavily - the great cataclysm rapidly closing in on them as she stared at the sight, nearly petrified. She glanced from the destruction to Squall - still standing there with his gunblade in hand, as she finally realized what was going on.

"Squall, NO!" she screamed, pleadingly.

Squall still didn't look at her – his eyes locked intently on Ultimecia as he had made up his mind. That promise he made to Rinoa froze at the front of his mind as he recalled that day one last time. It had been the most defining moment of his life and he hadn't regretted a word that emerged from his mouth. Everything he'd said had come from his heart – those long buried emotions he'd tried so hard to conceal from the fear he had of losing those close to him once again. He had lived by that moment to his fullest ever since – up to the time he'd suddenly forgotten it. Now – here, having finally been able to recall it all once more, his words echoed loudly in his ears as he heard the sound of his own voice speak that promise he'd made to Rinoa. It had given his life meaning and purpose – and it had all been because of her. She had risked everything by coming here to save him – and it was his turn to return the favor. He had promised to be her knight…and he would do whatever he had to in order to fulfill that role.

He closed his eyes for a moment as he thought back to that day.

"I'll be here…waiting. So, if you come…you'll find me." "Rinoa, I'll…I'll be your knight." his memories echoed.

Squall opened his eyes again as he glared ahead once more – quickly throwing his gunblade out to the side as it transformed into the Lionheart once again. Rinoa watched him in confusion and horror as he braced himself to take on the calamity before them.

Taking a deep breath in his final moments, he looked back at Rinoa – the tears swelling in her eyes as she saw his face, knowing what he was thinking. She couldn't believe he was doing this. She had just gotten him back and now he was going to throw his life away? What had come over him? Why was he doing this to her all over again? She felt her heart break once more – a feeling she'd never thought she'd experience again once he'd finally recalled everything they'd been through together. Was he really willing to put her through such heartache all over again?

She looked at him closely as she was overcome with sorrow – a heavy stream of tears running down her face as they stood there in their final moment together. That haunting memory returned once again: the day he'd risked his life to save her, resulting in a series of events that separated them for a year's time. The moment was playing over again right before her now, and though it was a slightly different scene…it was nevertheless the same situation.

Squall smiled at her as he spoke one last time.

"Thank you…Rinoa – for everything."

Rinoa didn't reply as she kept crying harder than she ever had – even compared to those long days and cold nights without him, those moments in her travels to Esthar to find him. Of all of those times…this was by far the most devastating as she now knew what came next.

"…Squall…" she said, through the tears and cracked voice.

She had tried to say his name clearly, but it had come out in a faint squeal. She couldn't believe this moment was happening. She couldn't accept it. She didn't want to. How could he do such a thing to her again? She shook her head in defiance at the whole ordeal – overcome with immense grief, and anger.

As she lifted her head to look at Squall again, he turned to face forward – and without hesitation, quickly rushed toward the destruction without looking back while Rinoa looked on in sorrow and disbelief – trying to shake the harrowing ordeal while hoping desperately she could wake up from this nightmare and everything would be as it once had been; as it should be – just she and Squall, together, at home once again. She fell to her knees in agony as she watched him through heavily watered eyes.

"Now! GRIEVER!" Squall shouted, as he jumped high into the air.

The monstrous, lion-like GF quickly appeared and Squall once again jumped onto its back – both immediately rushing forward as Griever jumped toward Ultimecia.

Squall then proceeded to jump off the lion's back toward her head-first as he glared up at her angrily, the Lionheart held tightly in both hands at his side as a light blue aura formed around him. He unleashed all of his potential through his attack as he unhesitatingly collided into the sorceress – a bright light emerging from the clash as the remnant of the faded world was pulled into the void.

"SQUAAAAAAAALL!" Rinoa wailed, upon witnessing the whole event.

At that moment, the long-awaited escape opened as the gateway home appeared before the young sorceress. Rinoa stared at it as she slowly stood up - the tears on her face still rolling down as she was pulled into the portal while, at last, the distant world finally faded completely.


Rinoa was suddenly shot through the portal back into Odine's lab as she slid across the floor, stopping at the feet of Zell and Quistis – everyone looking at her in shock as they knelt beside her.

"Rinoa!" Quistis cried.

"Where's Squall?" Selphie asked, surprised by his absence.

Rinoa didn't respond in anyway, even with a glance, as she slowly rose to her feet – the whole event that just happened sticking in her mind as she stared at the blank machine before them. She was once again overcome with emotion toward the whole ordeal as she thought of Squall and what he'd just done. It had all been in thanks; in appreciation for all she'd done for him: having gone out of her way to find him and bring him back home to the world he'd so long been stripped from. Even after all the struggles, after all the pain she'd gone through of him having forgotten her; having forgotten them – he, in his final moments with her, had risked it all – paying the ultimate sacrifice so she could escape the fate those bound to that hollow world should face. The realization of such a fact hit her hard as she cried at the memory of him. He was really gone now. It had been his final act of courage and loyalty to her and now – it was truly, finally the end. She couldn't believe it had happened this way after everything she went through to find him and get him back. It couldn't have really all been for nothing…could it? She struggled with that question as his memory stuck at the front of her mind and thoughts.

Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine looked at her closely and curiously as she cried quietly to herself. No matter how much she tried to understand, Rinoa still couldn't bring herself to accept that this could truly be it.

"…He's gone," she said, in a cracked voice, "Squall's gone."

She leaned forward as she held her stomach – crying harder at the thought now as her friends exchanged looks of confusion and worry while consoling her.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Zell asked.

Rinoa shook her head hard as she kept crying.

"He didn't come back with me. I wanted him to. I tried to get him to," she answered between tears, "But, instead…he just…."

She cried into her hands now as she tried to shake the image of Squall's sacrifice from her mind. There had been a lot she hadn't expected; hadn't anticipated upon arriving in that world to find him – but, that moment was certainly at the top of those things. A million thoughts rushed into her head as she stood there crying to herself – trying to understand; asking herself what and why. After all that time apart from him, was she really supposed to go on without him from now on? Had all of that happened just to make a point: that she had to move on and continue forward without him? She shook her head in disbelief and defiance at such a thought. It angered her that it could even be a possibility. What kind of sick twist of events was this? She wished she could go back in time; relive that moment in the eerie world, or even go back to that day that had caused all of this to happen – change the past and keep him from risking his life. Then, he would have never been brought to Doctor Odine and that accident that caused him to become stranded would never have happened. She wanted to believe there could have been another way for things to go back then. This wasn't fair. After everything she'd gone through to see him again – this was her reward? The misery from the reality that suddenly came crashing down on her was vastly overwhelming.

"What, Rinoa?" Irvine asked, stepping forward a little, "What happened?"

She winced tightly, squeezing the tears from her eyes as she reflected on everything.

"…He's gone," she said, quietly, trying to hide the pain and sorrow in her voice, "…And, he's not coming back this time."

Selphie and Quistis looked at each other in shock, the same interchange occurring between Zell and Irvine – all four turning their attention back to Rinoa as they felt a brush of sorrow sweep over them. Rinoa continued to stand there in immense grief – that moment playing over and over in her mind, try as she did to shake or change it. This couldn't be real. How could this happen after everything she went through just to see him again? She had now, not only lost him once - but twice. How could life possibly be so cruel? What had she done to bring such suffering on herself? She could only ponder these haunting questions as she stood there, shaking her head once again – a shiver running down her spine as she felt goosebumps fill up and down her arms. It was that same feeling of dying that she'd had the day before that strange dream – only this time, she felt she really might. Without Squall…what was left to hold onto? How could she let go of him just like that? It had to be a mistake; some sort of horrible dream somehow. She couldn't let him go. She wouldn't.

"Squall…why? Why did you do this to me?" she thought to herself.

Rinoa's amount of grief, along with the endless tears that flowed steadily from her eyes, was a great source of unease and pity for her friends. They didn't know exactly what had happened: the source of Rinoa's great despair – but, they knew one thing…they couldn't stand to see her suffering any more than she already had over the past year. Whatever had happened, happened – and with or without Squall…they would do their best to try and help her carry on – vowing never to abandon her ever again until she was truly ready to let go this time.

"Rinoa, come on," Zell said, softly.

He sighed as he looked at the floor for a moment – unable to believe, as well, that Squall could truly be gone for good this time.

"…Let's go." he mumbled.

The other SeeDs nodded as they started guiding Rinoa out of Odine's lab – the young sorceress still pouring out tears as they streamed down her face excessively.

"I'm sorry," she said, the pain and regret for not holding to her promise and bringing Squall back pulling at her terribly, "I'm so sorry."

They all consoled her once again as they made their way out of Odine's lab – Ellone, Laguna, Kiros, Ward, and Seifer watching them leave as shock, sorrow, and confusion overcame each of them. Seifer stared ahead at Rinoa with a deep sense of apology, and sympathy, for all she'd been through engraved in his heart as he quietly watched them walk out of sight – a heavy sigh of grief emerging from his mouth as he looked at the ground.