[ chapter iii ]
He seems so peaceful...
Raven hair leaked through her ivory fingers.
Squall... why aren't you here?! Can't you tell when your father's in need?
Of course... she reconsidered, where was I when my mother died? Too busy worrying about my own needs...
Tears glossed over her soft eyes, threatening to break the dam of her self control.
"Ugh... Raine..."
Laguna's soft voice attracted her eyes to his face.
"I... I have made my decision..."
"What?" Rinoa replied, now puzzled at his outbursts.
"I... I can't... leave you."
"What are you talking about?!" Rinoa exclaimed, panic stricken. Throwing herself forward, she grabbed onto his forearm. "Laguna!"
-----------
The pain was intense. Dropping to his knees, his knuckles pointed against his temples. Cries of pain unleashed from his lips.
"Laguna!" echoed through his head.
Shaking slightly, he peered up at Raine. "I'm sorry... it's just..."
"It's just that it is not your time."
"What?"
"You can't leave the Material Plane... You have too many things to do."
"But Raine, I..."
Raising a finger to his lips, her eyes begged to silence him. "Go... you're needed. I can wait until the time is right."
"No, Raine! I... I want to be with you!"
Her brown hair closed around her face, closing off from his view, her tears gluing it to her cheek. "I understand... but you... you must leave..."
"No! Listen to me!" Frustration clouded his eyes with tears. "Why can't you understand..." His arms embraced her tightly, pressing her face against his chest. "I love you so much..." Tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto her hair. "I... I can't leave you again!"
"But Squall..."
"Squall doesn't need me anymore... He has his own life now. You'd be so happy how well he's doing..." Sobs crowded at his throat. "He has your reasoning..."
"And your looks," she smiled up at him, through her tears.
"I must tell them..."
"What?"
"Before I go... I have to explain why..."
----------------
His eyes focused slowly, peering at the face that stared back. Black hair dangled onto his neck and splashed on his neck. Lifting his hand, he brushed against it, attempting to waken his sleeping arm.
"Laguna?" Pushing herself up, Rinoa gazed down at his face.
"Where's Squall?" His green eyes squinted in the light of the lamps.
"He's at a Garden meeting... he's been notified and is currently taking the airship as we speak." Her eyes grew dismal and soft. "I'm sorry... but he left so early..."
"Don't apologize..." Laguna whispered, peering up at her. "I have so much to tell him... but I'm afraid I don't have much time."
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, her eyebrows curving in question.
"I... I want you to take care of Squall for me."
"What?!" A nervous giggle emitted from her, a cheery smile plastered over her lips. "Don't be silly, Laguna. You'll be fine. You'll be up and about soon enough."
"No... I won't."
"What do you mean?" Realization came upon her, tears shining in her almond eyes. "No, Laguna. No!" Her cry bounced in the room, acoustics almost ear-shattering. Throwing her face down onto the blankets, she sobbed uncontrollably, fighting for breath.
"Rinoa... I can't remain here to be tortured day by day... I have no purpose any longer..." His eyes closed, picturing nirvana. "It's just... my time."
Rinoa froze, staring at the floor, her face dripping with tears.
"Good bye... Rinoa." Feeling a great release, his eyes closed, never to open again.
---------------------
Footsteps sounded in the hall as Rinoa was setting the blanket over Laguna's peaceful face. "May Bahamut show you to supreme happiness..."
"Rinoa!" Squall exclaimed, running into the room. "Wh-what are you doing?"
Bowing her head, Rinoa turned to face him. Drawing her arms around him, she whispered softly, "It was just his time..."
:: Fin
He seems so peaceful...
Raven hair leaked through her ivory fingers.
Squall... why aren't you here?! Can't you tell when your father's in need?
Of course... she reconsidered, where was I when my mother died? Too busy worrying about my own needs...
Tears glossed over her soft eyes, threatening to break the dam of her self control.
"Ugh... Raine..."
Laguna's soft voice attracted her eyes to his face.
"I... I have made my decision..."
"What?" Rinoa replied, now puzzled at his outbursts.
"I... I can't... leave you."
"What are you talking about?!" Rinoa exclaimed, panic stricken. Throwing herself forward, she grabbed onto his forearm. "Laguna!"
-----------
The pain was intense. Dropping to his knees, his knuckles pointed against his temples. Cries of pain unleashed from his lips.
"Laguna!" echoed through his head.
Shaking slightly, he peered up at Raine. "I'm sorry... it's just..."
"It's just that it is not your time."
"What?"
"You can't leave the Material Plane... You have too many things to do."
"But Raine, I..."
Raising a finger to his lips, her eyes begged to silence him. "Go... you're needed. I can wait until the time is right."
"No, Raine! I... I want to be with you!"
Her brown hair closed around her face, closing off from his view, her tears gluing it to her cheek. "I understand... but you... you must leave..."
"No! Listen to me!" Frustration clouded his eyes with tears. "Why can't you understand..." His arms embraced her tightly, pressing her face against his chest. "I love you so much..." Tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto her hair. "I... I can't leave you again!"
"But Squall..."
"Squall doesn't need me anymore... He has his own life now. You'd be so happy how well he's doing..." Sobs crowded at his throat. "He has your reasoning..."
"And your looks," she smiled up at him, through her tears.
"I must tell them..."
"What?"
"Before I go... I have to explain why..."
----------------
His eyes focused slowly, peering at the face that stared back. Black hair dangled onto his neck and splashed on his neck. Lifting his hand, he brushed against it, attempting to waken his sleeping arm.
"Laguna?" Pushing herself up, Rinoa gazed down at his face.
"Where's Squall?" His green eyes squinted in the light of the lamps.
"He's at a Garden meeting... he's been notified and is currently taking the airship as we speak." Her eyes grew dismal and soft. "I'm sorry... but he left so early..."
"Don't apologize..." Laguna whispered, peering up at her. "I have so much to tell him... but I'm afraid I don't have much time."
"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, her eyebrows curving in question.
"I... I want you to take care of Squall for me."
"What?!" A nervous giggle emitted from her, a cheery smile plastered over her lips. "Don't be silly, Laguna. You'll be fine. You'll be up and about soon enough."
"No... I won't."
"What do you mean?" Realization came upon her, tears shining in her almond eyes. "No, Laguna. No!" Her cry bounced in the room, acoustics almost ear-shattering. Throwing her face down onto the blankets, she sobbed uncontrollably, fighting for breath.
"Rinoa... I can't remain here to be tortured day by day... I have no purpose any longer..." His eyes closed, picturing nirvana. "It's just... my time."
Rinoa froze, staring at the floor, her face dripping with tears.
"Good bye... Rinoa." Feeling a great release, his eyes closed, never to open again.
---------------------
Footsteps sounded in the hall as Rinoa was setting the blanket over Laguna's peaceful face. "May Bahamut show you to supreme happiness..."
"Rinoa!" Squall exclaimed, running into the room. "Wh-what are you doing?"
Bowing her head, Rinoa turned to face him. Drawing her arms around him, she whispered softly, "It was just his time..."
:: Fin