Disclaimer: I do not own any Final Fantasy VIII characters from the story. I only own this storyline, and the fictional places/things in the story.
Authors Note: I feel so proud to have finally gotten this
far. It's the summer, and I've gotten a lot of time to get this story on its
way. ^.^ Anyway, I'll let you read the story. Reviews/Comments please!
~*Lixia
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Squall rushed into Headmaster Cid's office once they were
back at Balamb Garden. The entire trip back had been agonizingly slow. Squall
knew every moment they were traveling, and every moment Zell, Quistis, Selphie
and Irvine spent laughing and joking, Rinoa was spending those same moments,
locked up somewhere dark, and all alone.
It made him feel horrible.
Cid showed the SeeD's into his office.
"Commander Leonhart…Squall, I know you must be quite
worried about Ms. Heartilly. I know I am. But I'm sure she's all right."
Squall shrugged, ignoring the sympathy from Cid. "Sir,
what are the coordinates of the prison?"
Cid took out a laptop computer and began typing a few
numbers and letters.
"Ah yes…it is in a barren land across the river, near…near
Daragof. Location: N380, W482."
"Near Daragof?! But…we were there just hours ago!" Squall
shouted, slamming his fists on the table.
"Now Commander, please. Contain yourself. You needed to
bring the metal here. It shouldn't be left unattended. I will send you and your
SeeD crew to the prison. You may leave tomorrow morning. But do be careful. Not
even I know what's out there." Cid explained.
Squall nodded in understanding, still impatient. "Yes
sir," he said.
Once they were dismissed, Squall turned to the others. "I
don't think I can wait until tomorrow morning. I have to leave tonight. I'll
meet you all there tomorrow." He said.
Zell looked at Squall shocked. "What? But you heard what
Cid said. He doesn't even know what's out there!"
Squall sighed, "I do. I know Rinoa's out there…and she
will be in danger if this is going on too long. They may even… kill her. I
don't want that to happen to her. I'm sorry."
Quistis nodded, in understanding. "Squall, we'll meet you there
tomorrow. But Zell, you're going with Squall."
Zell spread his feet apart and raised his arms. "ME? Why
ME? I didn't do anything to deserve this!"
"You'll accompany Squall in case of emergency," Quistis
stated. "Squall, we'll meet you tomorrow morning."
~***~
"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Squall
said, when they were inside the car. Zell shrugged, "Naw, it's all right now.
I'm going to come with you. Hey, I'd like to see Rinoa safe as much as you do."
Squall nodded, almost grateful for company. Loneliness was
such a miserable thing, he realized. They drove back towards the direction they
had just come from.
Rinoa…please be all right. If anything happens to you, I don't know what I'd do. Please hold on. I'm coming for you.
~***~
Rinoa lay asleep until she heard footsteps. Immediately,
she hid her communication device and sat calmly as if she was pathetically
ready for death.
A lock turned, then another bolt slid across, followed by
a series of laser key cards. Then the door opened and a soldier peered his head
inside.
"Ah, you're awake I see." He said.
Rinoa looked at him and was surprised to see it wasn't a
soldier. He looked like a monk, or priest.
"Sir…what am I doing here?" she asked, her voice hoarse
from screaming.
The man smiled, ignoring her question as if she never
asked it. "I'm here to clean up those bruises and wounds. Follow me please." He
lead her out of the prison she had spent the past half day in, through a hall
decorated with metal, to another room. One that looked much more livable.
"Lie down," he said. Rinoa obeyed. She found it was
useless to fight when she was so weak even though there were questions itching
in the back of her mind.
In moments, the man in the cloak had cleaned up the wounds
with wet towels and given her a two curas.
Once the healing was complete, Rinoa looked at the man.
"Who are you? Why are you helping me?"
"I am but a humble man, only here to help others in need.
I cannot tell you anything further. You are in great danger, dear. This is no
place for someone like you. Those soldiers are called the Black Soldiers, and
they worship the late Ultimecia. Ever since the SeeDs destroyed her, they have
been seeking revenge. There are so many more dark evils out there wanting
revenge on the SeeD. My dear girl, and you are a SeeD aren't you?"
Rinoa stared at the man briefly, taking in the new
information. She shook her head, hoping the man would believe what she would
tell him. "I am but a traveler, looking for my mother." She said. Part of it
was true. She was looking for her mother.
The man eyed her carefully, but nodded all the same. "If
that is your story, then your story it shall be. Now…"
He was interrupted by knocks on the door. The man smiled
at Rinoa before leaving her to open the door.
"Yes?"
The figures outside the door began talking, but Rinoa
couldn't hear what they were saying.
The man nodded twice before closing the door. "Excuse me,
but would you please follow me? It seems the leader would like a word with
you."
Rinoa nodded and followed the man. She was lead through a
series of tunnels, halls and rooms. It seemed like an hour had passed before
the man finally stopped in front of a large oak-wood door.
"Dear, if you step into that room, I advise you to watch
yourself. Once the leader decides you have told a lie, you are automatically an
enemy," he whispered cautiously.
Rinoa nodded at him again, and watched as he made his way
back down the hall—rather quickly, his cloak shuffling behind him. Rinoa took a
deep breath and knocked on the door once.
A soldier opened the door, dressed in black attire, and a
grim look on his face. "You've been expected." Said a dark deep voice.
It was filled with such dreadful emotion. Rinoa said
nothing, but walked into the room. There was no light in the room except for a
fading fire in the fireplace. Rinoa didn't want to admit it, but she was so
scared. She didn't know what to expect. Where Watts and Zone were, she still
didn't know.
And regrets of life passed through her mind in lightning
flash speed. She missed Balamb Garden desperately. She missed Squall, most of
all. And this was all because she foolishly wanted to find her mother.
"Are you afraid?" the dark voice asked.
Rinoa shook her head slightly.
"Do you know SeeD?"
Rinoa remained silent, standing in her same position.
Finally she nodded.
"And what have you done to be associated with them?"
Rinoa cleared her throat quietly, making up a story as
fast she could. "I am but a traveler. I know SeeD because as I've traveled,
I've heard great stories about them. I'm looking for my mother."
"LIES."
Rinoa stared, shocked. The dark voice grumbled with anger.
"I know your plan. You've made a dreadful mistake by lying to the superior
powers of the Black Soldiers."
"But sir, you must understand. I am a
traveler! I'm only searching for my mother."
"I've seen you, back in the Realms of Ultimecia. I was,
but a faithful servant to the Sorceress Ultimecia. I know who you are. You are
that amateur sorceress Rinoa Heartilly. You cannot lie to me."
Rinoa swallowed. She didn't remember seeing him before.
She should have followed that priest's advice. Now her mistake would cost her
something dear to her: her life.
~***~
Squall followed the coordinate directions until they
reached a small clearing surrounded by trees. They parked the car and continued
walking until they found a tall building, shrouded in dark storm clouds.
"Cozy looking place," Zell muttered sarcastically, gazing
up at the building. Squall nodded.
Rinoa, if only you could hear me… he
thought.
"C'mon Zell, we better get this over with." Squall said,
his Gunblade in hand.
Zell shrugged his shoulders and followed Squall.
Once they reached the front door, three guards were there
to greet them.
Zell threw a few hard punches to the guards in the face
with his new metal gloves, made immediately after he had asked the leader of
Daragof.
"Booya! These things kick ass!" Zell grinned, finishing
the last guard off.
Squall slashed the two other guards skillfully, and ran
off without a word. Zell followed.
"Those guards weren't too hard, eh?" Zell commented.
Squall shrugged, "Whatever…" All he wanted to do was find
Rinoa. They had little time. He knew it.
~***~
"Now my dear sorceress, you shall die, just as you've
condemned Ultimecia to death!" the dark voice boomed, motioning for his guards
to take her out of his chamber.
Rinoa kicked and screamed, and tried to fight off the
guards, but it was useless. She was definitely outnumbered, and tears began to
trickle down her cheeks. She didn't have time to say goodbye to her friends,
her home, and her love.
It was all going to be over, and she didn't even have time
to say goodbye.
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stop the crying.
Goodbye everybody…goodbye.
~***~
Squall shuddered, as the darkness of the rooms filled him
with sorrow and hate.
They arrived at a hall that led to three different paths.
"Where to, now?" Zell asked frustrated. Squall didn't know
the answer. He felt the same frustration Zell did.
Some hero he turned out to be.
Suddenly he heard screams. Screams of a female. "This
way!" Squall shouted, to Zell. Squall was already a few paces up ahead of his
friend, but he was determined. He knew those screams. Those were screams of
pain, coming from Rinoa. He had to find her.
~***~
Rinoa collapsed to the floor; the bruises she had healed
from the priest were back, and darker than ever, with the addition of many new
ones.
"Get up bitch. You know you deserve your punishment." The
soldier growled.
Rinoa tried to stand up, tried desperately to cast a
spell, but she was so scared, her mind blanked out.
Another blow to the side.
Rinoa fell again, holding her pained side. "Please…don't
do this." Rinoa pleaded.
The soldier snickered, his laugh menacing. "Then tell me
what my leader wants to know."
"Never," Rinoa said immediately. If anything, she'd rather
die than reveal where SeeD was, and what they planned to do. She didn't even
know that there were soldiers like the Black Soldiers out to get SeeD. It was a
good thing Cid knew to let Balamb Garden be hidden, floating or not. The
soldier performed another punishing blow, this time to Rinoa's rib cage.
"Pathetic SeeD."
This time Rinoa couldn't get up. She tried desperately,
but found it was no use. She would die here. Today. And she would never get to
fulfill her goals and dreams.
Thoughts about her mother attending her wedding, the
re-union of her and Squall. Oh, forget the fight she had with Squall…those
things would never happen now…
~***~
Zell threw himself against the side of a massive door that
looked like the "punishing chambers". It was where Rinoa's screams had led
them.
The five guards, who had once been guarding the door had
been easily knocked down, and killed, what with the overwhelming anger Squall
felt right now. Even Zell had been surprised by the amount of hate and anger
Squall had in him. With the impatience Squall felt, he summoned his GF,
Diablos, to bust the door open.
The door came crashing down, and the smell of blood,
sweat, and fear filled the room.
Squall looked around and realized what he saw; it was
something he never would have imagined.