Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters. Except for Hannah and the
wolf (unnamed as of now) nothing in this fic is mine.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I just like keeping people on the edge for a while... Mwahahaha!
Rinoa curled up closer to Squall, letting out a sigh of contentment before falling back into a peaceful slumber. Squall felt heavy-eyed, finally, but he still couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept wandering back to that wolf. It was the most opposed being he had ever encountered. Even when he'd seen it all bloodied, it still held an air of pure peace and tranquility within itself. All it had to do was stare at you with its azure orbs, and you knew it held something special. But in this case, it held something not only special, but necessary as well.
Squall had asked Rinoa to spend the night with him. Not because he felt... romantic. He wanted her with him because he was scared. He didn't want to be alone, especially now. Rinoa was the only one who knew about the wolf. If he told anyone else, they'd think he was crazy and put him away even. No. Rinoa was the only one who would understand.
Suddenly, the sound of a howl shattered through the silence of the warm summer night. It broke through dreams and nightmares, it sliced through peace and havoc... heaven and hell. It was the tie between the two opposing worlds, emotions and beings, but it was also the fine line between them. It seperated and bonded them. Squall slowly eased himself to his feet without disturbing the angel sleeping at his side. He peered out the window and into the night. "Where are you?" he whispered as the howling grew louder and more sorrowful.
A flash of white appeared in the moonlight. The wolf had appeared again. It was summoning Squall outside, he knew that. But what for? Squall didn't even allow himself enough time to think it over. He grabbed his leather jacket from the doorknob and put it on over his white t-shirt. He silently said goodbye to Rinoa and exited Garden.
The air was crisp and chilling despite the season. Squall rubbed his arms and walked further out into the open field in front of Balamb Garden. "That's funny..." he though aloud. "I could've sworn it was right here..." He continued out and towards the beach. It was quite a ways from Garden, so he figured the wolf hadn't gotten that far yet. And even if it did, Squall was sure he would've seen the whiteness of its coat against the sandy beach. Another howl broke out and Squall spun around, seeing the wolf standing there brilliantly. It carried itself proudly. Squall stood in wonderment, gazing at the enchanting creature. He felt the same way every single time he saw it - mesmerized.
The wolf lolled it's head towards the same cliff it had shown Squall before. It was incredibly rubbly (A/N: If 'rubbly' is even a word O.o) and had sharp rocks jutting out from the side, and also lining the foot. The only way up it was to climb, which was extremely dangerous in itself. What if he was injured? Rinoa wouldn't be too happy about that. But still... the wolf motioned to that same cliff everytime he came in contact with it in this particular area. Maybe there was something hidden there. There was only one way to find out.
Squall began heading towards the large cliff, and the wolf, surprisingly enough, led the way. "Hey!" Squall exclaimed as he tried to keep up with it. "Not so fast!" Just as Squall thought he was about to lose sight of the animal, it stopped short and allowed him to catch up. As soon as Squall did, the wolf took off again, this time, Squall was able to stay at it's side, but it was going the same speed as before. ~What's going on?~ Squall thought. He didn't get the chance to ponder the subject any longer, because both he and the wolf were now at the foot of the cliff, which he saw was much larger up close. He turned to the wolf at his side. "You sure about this?" The wolf did nothing and kept its gaze locked on the top of the cliff. Squall sighed. "All right then."
He grasped the cliff and pulled himself up. He struggled and strained as the wolf just sat there, watching him intently.
~*~*~*~
Rinoa's head shot up from the pillow. "Squall?" She slid out of the bed and rubbed her eyes free of sleep. "Squall?" she repeated. "Where are you baby?" He definitly wasn't in the dorm room, so she opened the door and looked up and down the hall, noting that his jacket was missing from its usual place on the knob. She couldn't find Squall anywhere. She raced down the hall, not caring she was only in a tank top and short cloth shorts, and exited Garden. "Squall!!" she cried into the night. "Hyne it's cold out..." she muttered as she began walking towards the beach. She continued to call Squall's name, until a sudden rustling of bushes and a flash of white caused her to jump in fright.
From the bushes crept the wolf - Squall's Wolf, as she called it. What was it doing here? It's eyes gleamed as it began racing towards the cliff. "Hey! Wait!" Rinoa began chasing after it. The wolf stopped quickly to make sure she was following, and when it knew she was, it began running again. Rinoa started breathing heavily and stopped, resting her upper body on her knees. "This... is... so... dumb!" she scolded herself between pants. She looked up and saw the wolf again. It howled and motioned for her to begin following it again, almost desperately. "No!" she shouted. "I'm trying to find Squall! Not chase after some wild animal!"
The wolf pounced at her, sending her flying onto her back roughly. She let out a shriek, thinking it was going to maul her. It took her necklace in its jaws and snapped the chain from her neck. Then, it took off in the same direction it had been going before. "Hey! Stop you little thief!" Rinoa almost had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to lose that necklace. On it was the ring Squall had given her. It was very, very special to her. She chased after the wolf, soon ending up in the area it had led Squall previously. Rinoa stopped and sighed heavily, letting out a groan as well. "Will you *please* bring that back?!"
She heard a soft whine and saw rustling in the tall grass that lined the spiked rocks at the foot of the cliff. She slowly proceeded in the direction of the noise. She parted the grass and gasped. "Squall! Oh Hyne!" She knelt down beside Squall's motionless body. His left arm was twisted underneath his body, his nose and lips were bloodied, and his right leg was visibly snapped in half.
Rinoa turned to the wolf, suddenly realizing that it had only been trying to lead her to Squall and not cause her any trouble. She put her arms around the creature. "Thank you..." she whispered. It whined and licked her face to show it's affection. She let go of the wolf and stroked Squall's hair gently. His eyes were shut, so she wasn't sure if he was even alive, and she had no idea how to correctly check for a pulse, so she told the wolf to stay there with him while she went back to Garden for help.
There's the next chapter! Now you don't think I'd be mean enough to let Squally die... or am I? Heh heh... guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out. ^_~ Oh yeah! And if you can think of any good names for the wolf, please let me know in your review, k?
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I just like keeping people on the edge for a while... Mwahahaha!
Rinoa curled up closer to Squall, letting out a sigh of contentment before falling back into a peaceful slumber. Squall felt heavy-eyed, finally, but he still couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept wandering back to that wolf. It was the most opposed being he had ever encountered. Even when he'd seen it all bloodied, it still held an air of pure peace and tranquility within itself. All it had to do was stare at you with its azure orbs, and you knew it held something special. But in this case, it held something not only special, but necessary as well.
Squall had asked Rinoa to spend the night with him. Not because he felt... romantic. He wanted her with him because he was scared. He didn't want to be alone, especially now. Rinoa was the only one who knew about the wolf. If he told anyone else, they'd think he was crazy and put him away even. No. Rinoa was the only one who would understand.
Suddenly, the sound of a howl shattered through the silence of the warm summer night. It broke through dreams and nightmares, it sliced through peace and havoc... heaven and hell. It was the tie between the two opposing worlds, emotions and beings, but it was also the fine line between them. It seperated and bonded them. Squall slowly eased himself to his feet without disturbing the angel sleeping at his side. He peered out the window and into the night. "Where are you?" he whispered as the howling grew louder and more sorrowful.
A flash of white appeared in the moonlight. The wolf had appeared again. It was summoning Squall outside, he knew that. But what for? Squall didn't even allow himself enough time to think it over. He grabbed his leather jacket from the doorknob and put it on over his white t-shirt. He silently said goodbye to Rinoa and exited Garden.
The air was crisp and chilling despite the season. Squall rubbed his arms and walked further out into the open field in front of Balamb Garden. "That's funny..." he though aloud. "I could've sworn it was right here..." He continued out and towards the beach. It was quite a ways from Garden, so he figured the wolf hadn't gotten that far yet. And even if it did, Squall was sure he would've seen the whiteness of its coat against the sandy beach. Another howl broke out and Squall spun around, seeing the wolf standing there brilliantly. It carried itself proudly. Squall stood in wonderment, gazing at the enchanting creature. He felt the same way every single time he saw it - mesmerized.
The wolf lolled it's head towards the same cliff it had shown Squall before. It was incredibly rubbly (A/N: If 'rubbly' is even a word O.o) and had sharp rocks jutting out from the side, and also lining the foot. The only way up it was to climb, which was extremely dangerous in itself. What if he was injured? Rinoa wouldn't be too happy about that. But still... the wolf motioned to that same cliff everytime he came in contact with it in this particular area. Maybe there was something hidden there. There was only one way to find out.
Squall began heading towards the large cliff, and the wolf, surprisingly enough, led the way. "Hey!" Squall exclaimed as he tried to keep up with it. "Not so fast!" Just as Squall thought he was about to lose sight of the animal, it stopped short and allowed him to catch up. As soon as Squall did, the wolf took off again, this time, Squall was able to stay at it's side, but it was going the same speed as before. ~What's going on?~ Squall thought. He didn't get the chance to ponder the subject any longer, because both he and the wolf were now at the foot of the cliff, which he saw was much larger up close. He turned to the wolf at his side. "You sure about this?" The wolf did nothing and kept its gaze locked on the top of the cliff. Squall sighed. "All right then."
He grasped the cliff and pulled himself up. He struggled and strained as the wolf just sat there, watching him intently.
~*~*~*~
Rinoa's head shot up from the pillow. "Squall?" She slid out of the bed and rubbed her eyes free of sleep. "Squall?" she repeated. "Where are you baby?" He definitly wasn't in the dorm room, so she opened the door and looked up and down the hall, noting that his jacket was missing from its usual place on the knob. She couldn't find Squall anywhere. She raced down the hall, not caring she was only in a tank top and short cloth shorts, and exited Garden. "Squall!!" she cried into the night. "Hyne it's cold out..." she muttered as she began walking towards the beach. She continued to call Squall's name, until a sudden rustling of bushes and a flash of white caused her to jump in fright.
From the bushes crept the wolf - Squall's Wolf, as she called it. What was it doing here? It's eyes gleamed as it began racing towards the cliff. "Hey! Wait!" Rinoa began chasing after it. The wolf stopped quickly to make sure she was following, and when it knew she was, it began running again. Rinoa started breathing heavily and stopped, resting her upper body on her knees. "This... is... so... dumb!" she scolded herself between pants. She looked up and saw the wolf again. It howled and motioned for her to begin following it again, almost desperately. "No!" she shouted. "I'm trying to find Squall! Not chase after some wild animal!"
The wolf pounced at her, sending her flying onto her back roughly. She let out a shriek, thinking it was going to maul her. It took her necklace in its jaws and snapped the chain from her neck. Then, it took off in the same direction it had been going before. "Hey! Stop you little thief!" Rinoa almost had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to lose that necklace. On it was the ring Squall had given her. It was very, very special to her. She chased after the wolf, soon ending up in the area it had led Squall previously. Rinoa stopped and sighed heavily, letting out a groan as well. "Will you *please* bring that back?!"
She heard a soft whine and saw rustling in the tall grass that lined the spiked rocks at the foot of the cliff. She slowly proceeded in the direction of the noise. She parted the grass and gasped. "Squall! Oh Hyne!" She knelt down beside Squall's motionless body. His left arm was twisted underneath his body, his nose and lips were bloodied, and his right leg was visibly snapped in half.
Rinoa turned to the wolf, suddenly realizing that it had only been trying to lead her to Squall and not cause her any trouble. She put her arms around the creature. "Thank you..." she whispered. It whined and licked her face to show it's affection. She let go of the wolf and stroked Squall's hair gently. His eyes were shut, so she wasn't sure if he was even alive, and she had no idea how to correctly check for a pulse, so she told the wolf to stay there with him while she went back to Garden for help.
There's the next chapter! Now you don't think I'd be mean enough to let Squally die... or am I? Heh heh... guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out. ^_~ Oh yeah! And if you can think of any good names for the wolf, please let me know in your review, k?