xi. the fallen solider
'Rinoa...just stay close to me.'
His words repeat in her head and she gazes out to the vast plains of thistle and wild violet. Anxiety has set into their hearts as they make further strides in the battle against Ultmecia.
Rinoa wishes she had the confidence Squall did in her ability to handle the powers of being a sorceress. A gift he reminded her, it's a gift.
"How about this," Squall's says interrupting her thoughts. "I'll be here..."
"...Why?" Rinoa asks confused to what he's talking about.
"The reason why you couldn't find me was because we haven't promised yet."
Now she's really confused. "Promised...?"
"I'll be waiting for you..." his voice is full of comfort, and she hasn't felt it in ages since her mother passed away. "So if you come here, you'll find me. I promise."
Her heart skips a beat and Rinoa is a little breathless. She smiles grabbing Squall's arm ecstatic about their commitment to each other.
"If you come here, you'll find me. I promise."
Rinoa's eye flutter open as she feels a shake of turbulence from the Ranganork. She's laying down in a makeshift bed that was made from extra pillows and SeeD travel blankets. Her head and chest aches with throbbing pain; she can't remember much after she confessed to Squall about her affair with Seifer. Everything just blacks out from there.
Squall.
He's completely aloof in the cockpit with a junior SeeD pilot. Broken on the inside, but he would never let her or anyone else in the world see. She pushed him away, forever maybe.
"I will talk to him when this is over," Matron whispers to Seifer.
"Matron, I'm not afraid to die," Seifer says indifferently preventing her from finishing. "I know I..." Seifer pauses. "Rin," he whispers under his breath as her eyes meet his.
"Rinoa!" Matron rushes over to her side checking her vitals as Rinoa slowly props herself up.
"It's ok," she answers the lingering questions on everyone's mind. "I feel fine, but I don't remember anything after...Squall...Oh! What have I done to the bond? The world is in danger because of me!"
"We're almost at the Esther Base," Squall announces moving closer to her, and Rinoa's heart is filled with worry and depsair. "You're going to be okay, Ellone will fix our connection."
She ruined him.
Rinoa doesn't know how this could be fixed. Maybe they were doomed from the start when the met.
"Was it necessary to handcuff him?" Rinoa asks processing the fact that Seifer has again been made out to be the criminal that he isn't. Matron glares at Squall nodding her head in agreement giving him the closest form of a mother's guilt.
"It's fine," Seifer whispers slouched over looking at his hands. "As long as you are okay."
"Yes," Squall replies in a curt tone and turns his back without even looking at her. "Any jury would find him guilty for conspiring to resurrect the succession of witches causing world chaos. He's done it before."
"Well, I'm equally to blame so handcuff me too." She quips angry that he is still painting her out to be innocent when both her and Seifer were unfaithful.
Squall stops clenching his fists, "as if any chain could hold you."
-xx-
It hit him in the bathroom of the Ragnorark when he least expected it; he saw his reflection in the mirror. There was silence for a brief moment and that's precisely when the panic over Rinoa's state was compounded with the fact that their bond was broken.
What could I have done better for you? What more did you need?
"I'm sorry," he whispers carrying her on his back like he once did when they were saving the world from Ultimecia. Her head is buried in the hollow of his neck; Squall can feel both the heat and dampness of hot tears as Rinoa quietly sobs from their feud in the Ragnorak. A year ago, he would have whispered something soothing to her, promising everything would be okay as long as she stayed close to him. That's all shattered now as he fears the uncertainty of her state as a sorceress.
Why did you have to run away?
With him.
"Squall, welcome," Ellone greets them as they enter Dr. Odine's lab in the bizarre city of Esther. He always hated it here, too many harrowing memories of near death experiences. The city itself is cold, unwelcoming, and Squall would be happy with never setting foot in again.
"Can you help us?" Squall asks as he gently puts Rinoa back on her feet. He's got a firm grip on her hand, like he really is never letting her go this time.
"I will try my best," Ellone says as she faces Rinoa and grasps her shoulder. "There's no guarantee this will work."
Time stops as Squall watches Ellone close her eyes and begin her connecting magic. He observes Rinoa who's eyes are bloodshot from tears; she won't look at him, or anyone else for that matter as she stares at the patterns in the tile floor. He still wants to hold her, to undo the damage that is between them, and maybe this is the way.
Ellone steps away from Rinoa as she releases her shoulder, "I recommend to transfer the power to another host. The connection is..." Her face has an expression that Squall can't decipher. She hesitates avoiding eye contact with with everyone in the room. "The connection between Seifer and Rinoa is too strong to undo or change."
"What?!" Squall exclaims. "How is that possible?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help much further," she sighs in defeat. "I think this is the best way, really the only way, for a favorable outcome."
"Dr. Odine, can't you do anything else?" Squall urges looking directly at the doctor who has been unusually quiet.
"Squall, no-" Ellone interrupts.
"Zer iz," Dr. Odine says in a stoic tone. "We freeze her in ze zame container as we ze did with Adel."
-xx-
Seifer is standing in the corner of the room observing the pandemonium that is about to erupt. Part of him wishes he had dinner to accompany him with, under normal circumstances, what would be a great show seeing Commander Puberty fly off the handles.
"That's not gonna happen!" Squalls yells at the quack doctor. "I won't allow it!"
"Zat is ze only way."
"Please doctor," Matron begs. "I would offer to take the power from Rinoa, but I don't have a knight anymore. There has to be another way."
"Zer lies your problem," Dr. Odine starts to pace around. Seifer still can't get over that this quack is the best sorceress researcher in the world, how can anyone take him seriously? "Ze knight and zorceress bond iz broken. Zer will never be balance, zo we have another zorceress zat will be consumed with ze power. It iz best if we lock her away."
"Over my dead body," Squall growls at Doctor Quack.
"She iz no longer trust worthy," Odine counters, a retort meant for Squall, but Seifer can see the hurt in Rinoa's face. Rinoa's cheeks flush while she tries to hide her quivering lip by averting her eyes to the floor.
Her allure and radiance is now diminished to embarrassment; everyone in the room will blame her, but Seifer can only blame himself. They are both infamous now. He's the rouge knight that was corrupted by the villainous witch. She will forever be marked as a reckless adulterer incapable of being a sorceress. All this falsehood because they were unfinished. Why couldn't he let go of what wasn't his?
Her face.
A sorceress full of rage because of a broken heart, unleashing her sorrows onto the miserable world, while toy soldier SeeDs fall across the battlegrounds like domino's protecting future generations from a fate elders have suffered long ago. Seifer has seen how this played out all too well and every bone in his body knows it needs to be put to a stop from the destructive cycle it has had for aeons.
"I'll do it," Seifer announces, and the whole room goes silent as he walks closer to them. "The doc can transfer the power to me and freeze me in space or wherever," he pauses lifting his cuffed hands to scratch the side of his brow. "I'm the reason behind this whole mess," he voices and looks over at Rinoa as she shakes her head protesting his suggestion. "Let's get this over with."
"No!" Matron cries as she grabs his shoulder. "You have come so far! We can find another host, another way!"
"It doesn't matter," Seifer shrugs off Matron as he turns to face Squall for the first time since they beat the shit out of each other. "I'm a dead man walking anyway."
-xx-