The next installment of The Redemption is finally here. I know it's been a while. I hope that you all will forgive me for that. Just been busy. I haven't had access to a computer for a while either, and when I did, I was working on an original story. Well enough apologies I'll get on with it. As usual the same disclaimers apply.

Squall awoke with a start. He sat up in bed and quickly checked his surroundings. "Whoa there calm down I just came to wake you up." he heard a voice say from somewhere beside him. He looked towards it, and as the sleep began to loose it's grip on his head his eyes began to focus, and he realized that the person standing before him was Quistis Trepe. "I guess Seifer was right about you being jumpy!" she continued with a laugh and a smile.

"Well Quistis, it's been a while." He said matter of factly.

"Yes it has Squall, nice to have you ba......" Quistis began.

"Not long enough!" he cut her off. "I don't know what exactly is going on here, but I'm only here for one reason, and that's to find out about rinoa. Now I want you to go ahead and tell me what you know about her, and what she has to do with whatever it is that caused you to go searching for me."

"Well, I can help you with the reason why we need you right now, but as to what Rinoa has to do with it, I can't. I ordered SeeD to find you to help us fight a war that is soon to come. I can assure you that Rinoa has nothing to do with it." As she spoke, Quistis took time to look at her long lost friend. He had changed so much since he'd left. his hair was longer, and his face was scruffy. He had scrapped his old jacket for a brown leather trench coat. He wore two shoulder holsters each one containing a hand crafted gun dagger. Around his neck hung rinoas engagement ring, and a small tail feather from a dove. He bore a sad look on his face, with eyes that seemed that they could break out into rivers of tears at any moment, and yet didn't. The pain was evident just by looking at him. He hadn't let her go. He still held on to her, and it was all too evident that he wasn't planning on letting go any time soon. "Maybe it's too late." she thought as she saw this shell of a man. "Maybe I should just bid him to take his leave...... no, he is the one, the only one who can save us now." Her thoughts were racing, what to do. When the train had arrived at Balamb, and Seifer emerged carrying Squall, she thought he was dead. Then when he slept for half a week in his bed at Garden, they all thought he was in a coma. But Dr. Tolle had insisted that all Squall needed was a little time, and that he'd be just fine. She'd tried several times to wake him, with no success. It actually surprised her that he responded this time, but she was glad he had. Still, she wondered now that he was there, how could she bring him back? He needed more than just his superior skills in battle for this war, he was going to need something that he'd obviously lost, and that was a reason to fight. Squall had become a vagrant, eventually settling down only to make a life relentlessly unleashing his anger about Rinoas death. He fought to the entertainment of others, but more so to the attempted quenching of his own thirst, a thirst for revenge. "Well, I suppose I'll have to start somewhere with him, so I might as well try." she thought.

"Look Squall, I know that loosing Rinoa has taken a huge toll on you, it's been hard for all of us, but you've got to let her go ." She said casting a sympathetic look in his direction. "Look, if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you." she continued.

"Oh, you want to talk eh? is that it?" Squall began, "Ok I've lived for years believing that I was responsible for the death of the one that I loved the most in this world. I've believed that in essence, I killed Rinoa Heartily Leonhart. I don't know why, but for some reason, I couldn't take my life despite my own internal anger at what happened, but I thought about it non stop. After a while, I decided that I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to fight in order to get rid of the anger and pain. Soon afterwards I heard about the Coliseum. I knew that that was where I needed to be. So I went. I fought, and they loved it. I would take on more monsters, and more different kind of monsters, do the most daring stunts, and run the most feared obstacle courses, but you know what, I soon discovered that the anger and aggression that I fought to relieve myself from was nothing more than a deep well in my soul with an endless supply of hate and rage. Then one day out of no where, Seifer Almasy shows up at ringside, and the next thing I know I'm on a train back here. Now here's the real trick. Why did I come back? Here's why, because in order to convince me to come back, Seifer handed me a note, and on that note was written four words. Four words that obviously you knew would change my mind, but those four words gave me something that I hadn't had for a long time, and that's a reason to hope, a reason to fight, something in life to look forward to, something to believe in. Now I'm here, and were, 'all back together again' as you put it, but I'm here for one reason, and that's to sort out what really happened that night, the night when Rinoa fell. If that fits into your grand scheme then great, but if not I probably won't be of help to you." with that he cast Quistis a look that seemed to ask "any questions?"

"Well, Squall, you're a little late with the story, I've already heard it all well, except for the part about the note. I mean, I figured that that not I sent with Seifer wouldn't really have an effect on you. You've never been one who only looked out for money. I mean It was a last resort, but, I'm glad you've found something to live for, even if it is just a large monetary reward. This War will be tough, but if money will convince you to fight it then I'm glad I sent the note. But what does the reward note have to do with Rinoa, Squall?

Squall cast Quistis a slightly confused glance and then said "You wrote me a note but it had nothing to do with money, it said simply four words, and those words were powerful enough to make me come back, I don't need your money. As far as I know There's no money involved or reward of any kind for that matter."

Quistis was now the confused one, "yes I wrote you a note four words, and it read like this.... 'Squall, how's 1,000,000g sound?' that would seem to me to be quite a healthy reward, that has nothing to do however with Rinoa, it has everything to do with mercenaryship."

Squall looked at her, and as he did, it all started coming back to him, his encounter on the train, and what the strange man had said to him..... yes, all of it was coming back, so someone else wanted him to come back here, and it did have to do with Rinoa. a look of intensity and life came into his eyes, and it cought Quistis off guard.

"Squall, what's up? What's going on, is there something I'm missing?" She said.

"My first quess would be that both of us are missing quite a bit in this situation. The note I received didn't say the same four words as the one you sent. The not I got passed to me in the lounge that night said this. 'Squall, Rinoa's still alive!'. And that's why I'm here. I think that someone besides you wants me involved in this, and I don't know if maybe that's what should be going on here, but I will give it some more thought, and I'll stay around at least for a little while. By the way what did Seifer tell you about the train ride back?" Squall said.

"Well, it was obvious by looking at the train that something happened on the trip, but when I asked Seifer to fill me in, he said that he wouldn't until there was a debriefing with you involved. So naturally I tried to exert my authority and tell him that we didn't know when you'd wake up, but we didn't know when you'd wake up, but we do know a war is approaching and we need to be prepared. And to my utter surprise he still refused me, which left me thinking......"

"What did I do to deserve this." Squall cut her off with a chuckle.... "seems like I'm getting to know my teacher a little bit better, you're the same old Quisty Trepe I remember!" He smiled for the first time since the conversation began.

"Well, I may be the same except for now it's not Instructor Trepe, or Quistis Trepe, It's Commander Quistis Trepe Almassy." Quistis informed him.

Squall's jaw dropped open. "My my my, I have been gone a while haven't I? well, let me know when the meeting's set to begin....... Commander Trepe" He laughed amused at the title. Just then the door opened, and a tall strong looking man in a three piece suit came through the door.

"Well, I guess we'll go start that meeting right now Squall!" the man said

"Well, I guess we won't" Squall stated, "I think I'm going to take a shower and wash my clothes first, if you don't mind thanks."

"Um Squall, this is Head Master Orion Huges, and if he wants to start the meeting, we really ought to do so." Quistis said.

"Good, well I'm glad he's in such a hurry, but I hate it when people listen in on my conversations through the other side of a door, so Head Master Orion will just have to wait."

"Squall, Quistis pressed, it shouldn't take too long if we hurry up with the meeting, we just need to..."

Orion cut her off, "No quistis it's quite fine, Mr. Leonhart is our guest, and he's been through a lot. He is doing us quite a favor by being here in the first place. We'll give him all the time he needs. Squall I'd show you where everyting is, but you know your way around. Just meet us in the cafeteria when your ready, sound good enough?"

"I suppose that'll do.. See ya then." Squall answered. And with that they all went their separate ways. Squall kept thinking to himself, "Where do I go from here."

Author notes:

Well, the series is getting thick, and I'm hoping that you all are enjoying it. The next few chapters will take a while, because the depth and plotline are going to become very clear. This story is very long, and I'm releasing it in small bits to make it easier to digest. It looks to be about thirty five chapters long, so it's going to be a big one. E mail me with any comments you have, but also review it. Thanks,

DH