Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII or any of its characters. The original characters however, I do own.
A/N: Thanx to Angel Greenleaf, ColdBlackFlames (my two best net buddies in the whole world!) and Keitaro for their kind reviews. Love ya'll!
Squall sat in his quiet dormitory, all alone. He never thought he would be having these thoughts again. He was thinking about once again isolating himself. But he knew he couldn't do that. Not after what it had taken everyone to get him to come out of his shell. Anything was better than the way it felt to consistently be alone. He knew it was stupid to be so in a state about this. Hannah Leonheart. He didn't even know the girl, so why was it such a major concern that she was deceased? Well, she was his sister. Flesh and blood. But he didn't see how him showing his face at her funeral was showing respect to her. He, in fact, thought of it as being horribly disrespectful. Showing up at a complete stranger's funeral and saying nice things that didn't mean anything to him. That was pure and utter insolence. But everyone else seemed to feel differently about it.
A soft knock came to his door, interrupting his thoughts, aggravating him slightly. Rinoa stood there uneasily. "Can I… Can I come in?" she asked softly.
His eyes traveled from her face down to the floor. He nodded. She strode in and sat beside him on the bed, resting a hand on his strong shoulder. "Squall, you have to make a decision," she stated softly, "The funeral is in two hours. You have just enough time to get there." She hadn't meant anything by it, but Squall took it completely wrong.
"Who says I have to go anyway?!" he demanded as he stood. " I didn't even know the girl for Hyne's sake! What should I go and do Rinoa? Should I go and say 'Well, she was a wonderful person, but I never met her in my life'?!"
Rinoa narrowed her dark eyes. Usually, she didn't let Squall's attitude get to her, but for some reason, it was now. "Squall, I can't believe you! She was your sister! How can you just… not care this way?!"
Squall shook his head. "Look…" He spoke more calmly. "If you think it's that important… I'll go." Rinoa's face didn't change. She simply stood and exited the room with a low 'I'll see you later'. Squall sighed, contemplating between chasing after her or making his way outside to his car. He chose the latter.
~*~*~*~
He felt incredibly uncomfortable at the funeral. He knew he had no place being there, sister or not. No one said one word to him the entire time. A few people whispered among themselves that Hannah looked a great deal like Squall, but no one had ever approached him about the subject.
He walked slowly up to the open casket. Everyone was getting a final chance to say their goodbyes before they lowered the beautiful pearl and gold coffin into the earth. Squall had never been to a funeral before, and as he stepped towards Hannah's coffin, his palms grew sweaty and his throat became tight.
Lying inside on a blood colored silk blanket, was a fifteen-year-old girl. She was, simply put, gorgeous. He thought it was rather morbid to think a dead young woman was beautiful, but he couldn't help feeling that way. The way her makeup and hair were so perfectly done, and the elegant white dress she was in were stunning. A peaceful expression adorned her pretty face. Her long russet hair flowing like a river along her shoulders. Squall admitted only to himself that they did resemble each other. It was proof that she really was his sibling. He hadn't been able to admit he even had one until now. "I'm sorry I never knew you," he whispered gently. He stared at her for a while, and he first noticed that her wounds from the murder weren't visible. She had to have either gone serenely, or her clothing covered her wounds. He sighed and turned away. He didn't have it in him to stay any longer.
~*~*~*~
Squall ambled along the beach towards Garden slowly. He didn't think seeing Hannah would sadden him as much as it did, but it had. He felt as though he'd known her forever, and now she was gone. But he hadn't, and that's what confused him so much. Was it possible to care for someone you've never met, just because you're related? That question spun through his mind as out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of snow white. He turned fully to see that same white wolf staring him right in the face. It's indescribably striking cobalt eyes glittering in the sunbeams. It tilted its head to the side, almost as if it were waiting for Squall to speak. "What do you want?" he asked. He shook his head at his own stupidity. "Yeah right… Like you can actually understand me."
The wolf howled mournfully, then turned its gaze towards a large cliff all the way at the other end of the shore. Squall's eyes followed the wolf's. "The cliff? What about it?"
The creature didn't remove its eyes from the cliff. It howled once again, this time longer and louder. Squall scoffed. "This is so stupid." He turned to the wolf, only to see it had disappeared without a trace.
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