Chapter II; "Lions And Angels, Roses And Wine"
Zone and Watts sat with Xu spread out on the train seat between them.
"Squall and Zell didn't make it...." said Zone slowly.
"You think.....mebbe they got picked up by the Shin-Ra sir?" Watt's asked worried.
"No way!" defied Zone. "Squall is way too fast for them. And Zell is no pushover either."
"Guys...." said Xu. "Does anything about Squall strike you as odd?"
Zone stood up and looked out the window at the tunnel walls. "I've heard stuff about the extensive training SeeDs have to go through. Zell told us he joined Shin-Ra's training programme when he was 10 years old, then quit when he was 16. Now, don't get me wrong, here. Before I met Squall I would have said that Zell is the best warrior I knew, but even Zell doesn't look like he's had half as much training as Squall."
"Yeah." agreed Watts. "And hey, did you get a look at that weapon of his? Ain't it freaky?"
"You mean the gunblade?" replied Zone. "Yeah, I never knew a weapon like that existed."
"I have." stated Xu. "Once, when I was hacking into the Shin-Ra mainframe, I managed to find their weapons research and development plans. There were blueprints and technical schematics for weapons called gunblades. They're a sort of gun and sword mixed together. When it's not firing, it works like a basic sword. But it comes with ammunition, these things that look like bullets. When you press the trigger, it sends a charge into the blade that causes an explosive shock. You saw how he blew open those doors with it."
Zone and Watts nodded and looked around.
"H-hey...." began Watts. "Do you think Squall is gonna join with us Midgar Owls full-time?"
"I dunno." replied Zone. "He's seems like he doesn't give a crap about anything, least of all our movement."
"Man, that's sad. Hey, maybe we can convince him, huh?"
"Good luck." said Xu, and lay back.
After a few minutes, Watts looked up after hearing a strange beating sound coming from the roof. He and zone exchanged glances and shrugged shoulders. Suddenly, the emergency door at the back of the car slid open and Zell's upside-down head appeared through the doorway.
"Is this the dining car? I heard they were having a special on hotdogs." he joked, before a shove from Squall told him to get a move on. Zell flipped himself into the train, Squall following right behind him.
"Well," said Zell. "We all made it after all."
"Yeah." agreed Xu.
"Great!" yelled Watts.
"Super! Job well done!" stated Zone.
"........" Squall said nothing and moved to take his own seat, that bit distant from the others.
The train rushed out of the tunnel and began to spiral down the main support structure towards Sector 7.
"Hey, look at that." said Zell. "We're out of the tunnel. You can see the city now."
Everyone except Squall turned to look out the windows and down at the slums. They were a testament to the will to survive of the people who lived here. Forming their houses from the scraps of metal thrown down by those fortunate enough to live up on the plate. The people were indeed truly oppressed. Some had been forced to live here simply because they didn't have enough money. Others were forced to live here because they had merely been born to those with not enough money. Nobody lives in the slums by choice. Nobody chooses to be born, either. Absolutely nobody would choose to be born in the slums.
It was a sprawling, oppressive, polluted nightmare. But to the people who were looking out the train windows, it was home. Where your heart is.
Xu looked back over her shoulder at Squall. He wasn't looking out the window, and was casually reloading the bullet-charges of his gunblade. He looked up at her idly and their eyes met. He looked away.
Maybe that's why he doesn't care about this place. thought Xu. To us, this is our home. Home is where the heart is. But Squall doesn't seem to have a home. Does that also mean he has nowhere for his heart to be?
Xu limped over and sat next to him. Squall didn't look up.
"Squall....." she began. "I never thanked you for saving my life back there, at the reactor."
He gave no reply.
"I was really scared. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there for me."
Squall lifted up the gunblade and allowed the spent charges to fall out. "Forget about it." he said.
Xu sighed and looked at Zell, who shrugged his shoulders at her. The guy was as cold as ice.
Suddenly, the announcer began their arrival.
["Sector 7 train will arrive at Sector 7 station in five minutes. The next train will be at 7.35am Midgar Standard Time. Thank you."]
***
The train pulled into the station and immediately unloaded its cargo of passengers. Squall watched them go, a couple off to his left walking off, hand in hand. There was also another couple just getting off the train behind them. They were laughing and didn't see him, then bumped into him. They apologised and walked off together, still hugging and laughing.
Squall watched them go. Some people say that falling in love is easy. As Squall watched them go, he watched in puzzlement. For him, it was the hardest thing in the world.
"Yo, Squall!" he heard Zell's voice. "Any time you feel like joining us would be nice."
Squall turned and saw Zell, Xu, Zone and Watts already off the platform, looking at him. He stepped over to them without a word.
"Right, well." began Zell. "The news reports about our work should be coming in soon. Make no mistake people, this stunt of ours has really put the Midgar Owls on the map. They'll be looking out for us in particular, but that should give other groups like the Sector 4 Raiders and the Mako Hawks some breathing space to do some damage of their own. We're gonna come up with a plan tonight, in the meantime take a break, relax, and try to enjoy the festival."
"Festival?" echoed Squall, then he heard the band music for the first time
"Duh! Of course." panned Zell. "It's Winter Solstice. Okay, sure we get no snow in the slums, but we still give out presents, eat, drink, and have a good time. Relax, Squall. Enjoy yourself."
Squall looked at him like that was an order he wasn't happy with.
"Catch you later, Squall!" called Xu as she was helped away by Zone and Watts.
"Try to enjoy yourself, sir!"
"That's good advice." said Zell. "Okay, Squall. I gotta go look for someone. Catch you later."
Zell dashed off into Sector 7, leaving Squall there, high and dry. He sighed and slowly walked over to where the music was coming from.
***
The music was loud and pompous, coming from the band on top of the makeshift stage. There was no vocalist, just a drummer, a violinist, and several others with instruments such as the sax and the trombone.
Couples danced around, lost in the music, the merriment and each other's arms.
There were also several tables with all manners of food and drink laid out on them. Eager to get away from the dance floor, Squall decided to have something to eat. He stood in front of the table, as a large man to his left was also wondering what to have.
"Merry Solstice!" yelled the man. Squall backed away before he tried hugging him or anything.
"Have a beer on me, buddy." he said, holding out a bottle.
"I can't drink alcohol." stated Squall, putting the bottle down.
"Heh, you don't know what you're missing, buddy."
Squall sighed, picked up a glass of mineral water and turned around. He wanted out. One minute spent in a party atmosphere was 59 seconds too long, according to him. Some people were good at relaxing, but not him. Not from where he had come from.
But.....Seifer and I came from the same place, and he was able to relax and enjoy parties and things like this. Perhaps I truly am the weaker one after all.....
He took a drink and walked silently over toward a pile of wrecked cars that had been stacked against each other. He idly wondered where he was to go from here. Zell and the others had promised him good money for this job. Maybe if he stayed a little while longer or for a few more missions, he'd have enough money to continue in his search for Seifer. Maybe...
Squall looked into his glass, noticing what seemed to be moonlight shining on the liquid. Moonlight that could get through the clouds was rare enough, but moonlight that could get through the clouds and the gaps between the Midgar plates? There was an old superstition that if you were able to see moonlight in the Midgar slums, something incredibly special was about to happen.
Squall raised his head back and drank. What nonsense.
As he looked up, he found himself looking through a gap in the plates of the city above towards the sky. Sure enough, the clouds had parted, and there was the moon. It was a pretty sight, Squall had to admit. As he watched, a shooting star shot past through the sky. Make a wish.
He lowered his gaze, which rested on the dancefloor. There was a young woman standing there alone, by herself. She too had seen the shooting star. They'd gazed at it together without knowing. She had dark hair, with just a few streaks of auburn, giving it a slick look. Her eyes were chestnut-brown and Japanese, and her face youthful and angelic. It suited her body, with skin like a pale marble angel. Finally, she wore a shimmering white dress, that made her look completely out of place in the slums. If an angel had indeed come down from Heaven tonight, she had picked one hell of a dump to attend a party in.
She looked over at him and smiled, pointing her index finger up.
Squall looked at her, cocking his head to the side, not knowing what she meant. Uh-oh. What if she mistook that as a gesture for "Hey, come over here"?
Too late, she stepped lightly over to his direction.
"You're the best-looking guy here." she said, actually meaning it. "Dance with me?"
Squall turned his face away, secretly wondering just what the hell he was supposed to do.
"Let me guess." she continued, good humour flowing in her voice. "You'll only dance with someone you like? Okay then....Look into my eyes."
Squall looked up at her face as she began to swirl her finger in front of his eyes.
"You're-going-to-like me...You're-going-to-like-me..." she chanted. "Did it work?"
"...I can't dance." replied Squall finally.
"You'll be fine. Come on." said the girl, grabbing him by the wrist. "I'm looking for someone. I can't be on the dance floor alone."
Squall had no time to react as she pulled him right from where he was standing and dragged him onto the dance floor, pulling him along behind her through the dancers. She released her grip, only to spin around, take his hands and place them into the correct positions. Her pace not slowly, she began to time her body to the music and lead him.
Before Squall could warn her that his feet were moving too slowly and hers too fast, he bumped straight into her, one of his heavy combat boots narrowly missing her dainty toes. She didn't seem to mind, and just continued dancing, grabbing his hands and placing them on her again.
They began again. All went smoothly, well, for a few seconds anyway. She spun away from Squall, who didn't have time to see this move coming before he was pulled after her and collided with her again.
Hell with this. thought Squall, embarrassed. As he moved to walk away, the girl grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. She smiled at him again, actually enjoying what fools they were making of themselves. And then a strange rush came over Squall – He actually didn't mind, for some reason.
As they tried again, Squall felt himself finally getting the hang of it. The music and their bodies seemed to be moving together, right in harmony. They foolishly allowed themselves to lose themselves in the dance, and ended up bumping right smack into another couple. It was Zone, dancing with some blonde girl.
Squalls face was a mask of apology, but the dark-haired girl just went and stuck her tongue out at Zone. Zone winked and danced off, looking like he had been privy to a private joke. With Squall? Or the girl?
Squall looked at her again, and she smiled right at him, looking into his eyes.
The music built up, and they began again, this time really losing themselves in the dance and the moment. Squall felt nothing else in the whole world but the music and the girl who had drawn some strange enchantment over him. They danced, they spun, they stepped and waltzed, before the music came to a crescendo. They finished perfectly, spinning away from each other and drawing right up close to one another, their bodies almost pressed together. She looked at him and smiled. As he almost did too, the lights illuminating the sector dimmed and the fireworks went up, set to go off a few seconds early so as not to hit the plates above.
They both looked up at the colors bursting in the sky. The girl smiled, and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Squall felt the urge to smile too. He relaxed and allowed a slight smile of contentment to creep from the corner of his mouth. In such a long time, it felt good to feel peace.....
The girl smiled at him, then something caught her eye. Someone who had been looking for her.
Squall looked at her. She winked at him and smiled, offering it as a "So sorry, gotta run." apology.
She left him standing there and walked briskly across the dance-floor. She turned a corner and walked out of the party........and out of his life.
Squall instantly knew it had been stupid to pretend that he was one of these people. Parties were not his forte. They were all social creatures, and he was a lone wolf. He reminded himself of that, that he was meant to go through this life alone. He had no business believing that could ever change.
Squall left in a hurry, walking away in the opposite direction the girl had left in.
***
He crouched on the roof of the Sector 7 hotel, looking down at the partygoers below him.
Yes, this is where you belong said a voice Squall recognized as his self-loathing. This is where you are supposed be. On the outside, looking in. You can't ever be like one of them. Remember, Squall Leonhart, you are only like them in exterior. You are a SeeD, a soldier. Moreover, you are solitary creature. You were never meant to be loved, or to feel love. That was meant for other people. Sociable people. You're not one of them, and you never will be. Get over it.
Squall raised his eyes away from them, remembering the moon, the shooting star, and the girl.
"I can be like them." he said aloud. "But.......do I want to?.........."
He could hear Zell walking up behind him.
"Heh, I think I'll announce myself this time." said Zell. "How are you doing Squall?"
Squall looked back at him, then turned away.
"Wow, you could almost give the impression that the lost art of conversation ain't exactly your strong point."
Squall still gave no answer, the lone wolf looking at the social animals.
"You know, you really are a great soldier, Squall. All the stuff you done at the reactor was perfect."
"....Thanks."
"Hey, come on. I'm gonna introduce you to the team."
"I already met everyone." said Squall, meaning; "I'm staying here. Leave me alone."
"Not everyone." said Zell, grinning. "Come on, we're holding a meeting."
Deciding that there was no way Zell was going to leave him be, Squall got up and reluctantly followed him down off the roof and out of the hotel. Zell led him towards a bar located just across the way from the hotel. A flickering neon sign gave away the title of the bar;
"Roses And Wine"
Zell pushed open the swing doors, Squall following behind him. He glanced around. It was shoddy and as run-down as the rest of the slums, but whoever ran the place had done their utmost best to make it as cozy as possible. Zone, Watts and Xu were here, sitting at a table just to the left of the door. They were drinking and playing cards, Xu resting with her foot on the table.
"Man, I just don't get this game Zell invented." Zone complained. "It's starting to get too complicated to remember. What did he call it again?"
"Triple Triad, sir."
"More like Confusion By Numbers."
Looking around, Squall made out a slightly out of place pinball machine the far corner, gathered around it were pictures of beautiful scenery from all around the world. Flower baskets hung from the ceiling. Flowers didn't grow in the slums. The owner must have bought them from somewhere...
There was a fridge to the back, which Zell was now removing a root beer from. "Hey, pull up a chair and sit yourself down." he suggested. Squall remained standing. He noticed the gigantic widescreen TV just behind the bar, which was badly tuned to a news report. Squall's trained ears easily filtered out the distortion of the TV and the noise of the others talking;
"......today the No.7 Reactor was bombed. The terrorist group known as The Midgar Owls has claimed responsibility for the bombing. It is expected that the Midgar Owls and other Anti Shin-Ra terrorist groups will continue their reign of terror. But citizens of Midgar.... there is no need to fear. Shin-Ra have immediately mobilized SeeD to protect our citizenry against this senseless violence. Thank you and good night."
Yeah right thought Squall. He'd grin if the truth weren't so tragic. SeeD have much bigger fish to fry.
"Hey Rinoa!" said Zell, breaking Squall's concentration. "Come on, I want you to meet someone."
A girl stood up from behind the bar whom Squall recognized instantly. Her chestnut-brown eyes also shone with the glimmer of recognition. She walked out from behind the bar, smiling the whole time. She had changed out of the white dress and was now wearing a light blue shawl with angelwings decorated on the back. She also wore a darker-blue skirt, and a black body suit under it all. Other than that were light-blue warmers on her arms, the same color as her shawl, a pair of light combat boots, a little similar to his, and a necklace with a ring on the end of it. There was also a black armband on her left arm. Odd. Wasn't such a thing a symbol of mourning?
She smiled she as approached him, as if sharing in a private joke.
"Rinoa Heartilly, Squall Leonhart." introduced Zell. "Squall Leonhart, Rinoa Heartilly."
Zell was about to tell her not to try to shake his hand, when she darted her hand forward and shook his.
"Delighted!" she giggled.
"....Likewise." replied Squall, oddly not letting go off her hand until she did.
"Rinoa helped form the Midgar Owls." Zell explained. "It was her who convinced me to use the skills I learned as a SeeD cadet against Shin-Ra in the first place. Zone, Watts and Xu joined soon after."
"And now we got a new member." said Rinoa, still smiling.
Let's not jump the gun thought Squall.
"Come on, people." said Zell. "We're starting the meeting."
Zell walked over the pinball machine in the corner and flicked the hidden switch in the side. The pinball machine and the section of the floor he was standing on began to slide down, revealing a hidden basement. Xu, Zone and Watts took it in turns to follow. Squall was about to go when Rinoa grabbed his hand for the third time that night.
"You cut quite a rug." she stated. "Ex-SeeD, huh?"
"So do you." replied Squall. "Resistance Fighter, huh?"
"Okay, you win, I'll call it quits." she giggled. "Hey, how about a drink?" she offered, walking back behind the bar. "I got some wine here I was saving for a special occasion."
"....What's the occasion?" Squall wondered aloud.
"Well, apart from Winter Solstice, it just seems to have this magical feeling in the air tonight. I had this funny feeling when I woke this morning that this night would be special. Well, here it is and here I am, and I don't know why, but I still got that magical feeling, you know?"
Squall didn't know, and just sat down at the bar.
"Can I pour you a glass?" she offered, uncorking a bottle of red wine.
"....I can't drink alcohol." Squall explained as a decline.
"Hey, you're not in SeeD anymore." Rinoa reminded him. "You can relax."
"No, you don't understand." explained Squall, "I can't drink alcohol. In my training, my metabolism was conditioned so that my body would be immune to judgement-impairing chemicals such as alcohol, and that I was also made immune to most poisons."
Rinoa looked right at him. Squall had said that like they weren't his words, like he'd memorized them from a book he had read. "Well...." she replied. "You can drink this stuff, it's okay. It's got hardly any alcohol in it anyway. It's my mother's recipe. She called it 'Rose Wine'. It's only for sale in this bar alone. But for you and me, this ones on the house."
She poured it into a glass and set it in front of him. Yes, it was the color of a red rose, hence the name. It was also very pretty the way the light shone through the contours in the glass, illuminating it that bit more.
"...Your mother is winemaker?" Squall hazarded.
"Nope." answered Rinoa, pride filling her voice. Squall looked up to where Rinoa was showing him the signed albums, posters and platinum discs that hung on the wall behind the bar. Of course. Squall should have guessed it the first time from his two hints; Rinoa's last name and the resemblance. It was Julia Heartilly, the famous singer. Squall remembered that the first time he had ever heard music, it had been from Julia Heartilly. So, Rinoa was the daughter of a celebrity. It certainly begs the question....
"Why am I down in the slums when I'm the daughter of a world-famous singer?" Rinoa asked for him. "I'm not like other people. I'm down here by choice. When I was younger, I saw all the suffering, hardship and injustice that goes on down here, and I couldn't do anything about it. But now I'm all grown up, and I'm strong enough to help do something about it now. My mother respected my decision, saying I was entitled to lead my own life, and that I was helping people, well, that was something special. Not everybody wants to help these days. Some people just hole themselves up in their own private world and don't want anyone else's burden. But me, I chose to reach out and help others. My mother said I was very special for that. She said I had too much love for one heart to hold."
"Where's your mother now?"
Rinoa cast her eyes upward. "On the plate, still living in the family mansion. She has staff and lots of friends, so she's never lonely. But, she does miss me much. I guess she must worry about me a lot too. I still make a trip up to the plate every now and then to see her.....How's the wine?"
Squall remembered the glass, still resting on the counter in front of him. Without a word, he took it and raised it to his lips, downing the whole thing in one long extended gulp.
"It's.....nice." he said, unsure of how to pay a compliment. He'd never done it before.
Rinoa smiled at him. "Better get to that meeting." she said, walking over to the pinball machine....
***
The 'meeting' was not exactly what Squall had expected. Zone and Watts were squatting next to a table, drawing plans and scenarios. As soon as Rinoa stepped out from behind Squall and off the lift, she squatted down and joined them. Xu was sitting next to a computer, resting her leg and seeing what information she could prise from the remote hack of the Shin-Ra mainframe. Apart from Squall, Zell was the only one standing, well, throwing punches and kicks at his shadow.
"We done good work tonight people." said Zone. "I think a lot of it is down to our newest member, Squall."
Squall leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. He didn't remember signing anything to join the team. He was just here until he could get enough money to start looking for Seifer again. Until then, he would do whatever missions they gave him. After that, they wouldn't see him for the dust of his boots on the horizon.....
"The next mission may be to blow up the Sector 5 Reactor!" announced Watts "Squall, you're great! With you on our team, we can't fail. Don't you ever get nervous? Or are you like, impervious to feelings? Naw, that couldn't be it..."
Squall didn't listen to him. All he gathered was the Sector 5 Reactor bit.
"Yo, Squall." said Zell. "You listening?"
"Yeah, I heard." Squall replied from his dark corner.
"Hey, Squall. I wanna ask you something." continued Zell. "Did you see anyone from SeeD in the reactor or on the streets tonight?"
"No."
"Sure?"
"Positive." stated Squall. "SeeD are.........SeeD are busy with other matters."
"Really?" said Rinoa, raising her head. "Like what?"
"It's not important." said Squall, dismissing it already.
"Hey come on!" pleaded Zell. "If you know stuff about SeeD operations, we could really use that kind of Intel for our mission and stuff."
"Don't forget you're working for the Midgar Owls now." said Zone, his back to Squall. "Don't get any idea's about staying with SeeD or hanging on to Shin-Ra."
"What did you say?" demanded Squall coldly.
"Nothing." apologized Zone. "I was just–"
"Good." Squall cut him off. "Because there's no way I'm staying with SeeD or Shin-Ra. But don't get me wrong. I don't care about your resistance movement, or the Planet or whatever! I'm only here until I get enough money so that I can go and be on my way. I don't want to carry anyone's burden."
"But, you'll still fight with us, won't you, Squall?" asked Xu.
"...Don't worry about me." replied Squall. "I'll honor any contract, verbal or written. I'll fight your enemies based on your decision. That's my duty here until I leave."
"....How sad." said Rinoa from the back of the room, genuine pity in her voice. "Act on our decision? That's your duty? It must be a sad life, brought up to believe in nothing but orders. Isn't that what they do in SeeD?"
"Call it what you want." replied Squall, his tone never changing. "All I want is for you to achieve your goal using my help. I find it hard to believe that you can do it, though..."
"W-What did you say?!?!" reacted Zell. "If you have something to say, just say it!!!"
"Zell, please..." said Rinoa, trying to him to calm down. "Squall, if something is on your mind, say it. Please?"
"...Just forget it." said Squall, hoping they would.
"Come on, tell me." said Rinoa. "Please? I'm asking you. I don't want to order you. We don't work like that here."
"How serious are you...? Really...?" probed Squall. "All of you plop down on the floor to discuss strategy? On top of that, you can't make a decision without my input, right? How do you think I feel, working for such an organization?"
"I'll admit, it's not the well-organized war machine that is SeeD, Squall." replied Rinoa. "But we're not SeeDs. We're civilians. And, as much as you may not like to admit it, so are you too now."
Squall understood her feelings, but Zell was less understanding.
"You know..." he said, getting worked up and his fists flying harder. "Maybe this was all a big mistake. I thought everything would work out fine once Squall joined us. But, I guess nothings that easy. He was hired. It's not like he's one of us. He doesn't believe like we do. He said it himself. He doesn't care about nuthin'. So...Squall probably thinks this is all a game to us....Well, it's not! We're serious! So serious...it hurts!"
"I'm outta here." dismissed Squall, heading up on the lift. As he did, he glanced down and noticed Rinoa looking up at him.
***
Squall walked out of the bar and back across and up to the roof of the hotel. The party was finished by now, leaving just a few people left to clean up after the festivities. Squall sat on the roof, looking out over the desolate slums, partially cloaked by a dark mist.
Lonely, desolate, dark.....
He heard someone step out from behind him and onto the roof. A feminine hand reached over the side, fumbling for a grip. Squall grabbed Rinoa's hand and pulled her up.
"Thanks." said Rinoa, sitting beside him.
"...You're welcome." Squall replied, then fell silent.
They looked out in the same direction, out across the wasteland of slums and scrap. Little lights of houses poked foggily out through the dark mist. It was about five minutes before either of them spoke.
"What's it like?" said Rinoa suddenly, attempting conversation. They still looked out over the slums together. "Being in SeeD, I mean. What's it like?"
Squall was silent. He knew Rinoa would like an answer, but conversation was not Squall's strong point. Rinoa sighed quietly and continued watching the slums.
"...Fear."
Rinoa looked at him. Squall glanced over at her. "...Fear...and discipline." he explained.
Rinoa blinked. "Even now??"
"...Always." said Squall. There it was again, Rinoa noticed. Squall saying words that didn't sound like his. Words that he had been told to say, but wasn't sure if he believed them himself. She felt pity for him. What must it have been like to be raised as a SeeD in a world of fear and discipline?
"Listen, Squall." she said. "I'm asking you. Please join us."
"...I can't. I have....things to do. Something important."
"The Planet is dying." she said. "Someone has to do something about it."
"...You were all doing fine before you hired me." Squall replied. "I don't want anyone else's problems."
"So you said. But, you sound like you got a few problems of your own."
"..........."
"You also said you would honor any contract, verbal or written." began Rinoa. "So, can I make a deal with you? A special deal, just between the two of us?"
"What do you mean?" asked Squall.
"Well, if you leave like you said you would......I would......I'd like to see you again, Squall." explained Rinoa. "So, look. If I'm ever in trouble, I want you to come and rescue me. Like a knight in shining armor rescuing a damsel in distress. Although, I don't think "damsel" is politically correct...."
"Rinoa...."
"Please, Squall. Just say you'll do this one thing for me."
Squall sighed and looked out over the slums one last time. "Alright." he said finally. "I will."
"Yay!" replied Rinoa, smiling. "Promise me!"
"....I promise."
As they looked though the plates for the last time, the shooting star flashed by again, as if sealing the contract.
"Come on." she said, standing up. "Let's get back to my bar. I managed to calm Zell down and explain your side of the story to him. He may have a short fuse, but he doesn't stay mad for long."
"Thank you." said Squall, and walked after her.
***
Upon entering the bar again, Squall saw Zell sitting on a table, waiting for him.
"Hey, Squall, man." he said. "I'm sorry. We cool?"
Squall sighed and humored him. "Yeah, we're cool. Whatever...."
"Sure thing!" beamed Zell. "Okay, I'm gonna go hit the sack. Nightie-night you two."
Zell walked away and upstairs towards the bedrooms.
"Oh yeah." said Rinoa. "That's one thing. We don't actually have enough rooms. Only rooms for Zell, Zone, Watts, Xu and myself. You'll have to sleep down in the hideout. You don't have to worry, it's quite comfortable."
"...Okay."
Rinoa giggled. "Hee hee. Unless you were thinking of trying to convince me to share my room with you."
Har har thought Squall sarcastically.
"Goodnight Rinoa." he said, walking over to the pinball lift.
"...Whatever." she giggled.
***
Squall lay on his back in the far corner, lying on an old mattress. She was right, it was quite comfortable. He lay there with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.
I wonder how long it will be until I get enough money to continue the search for Seifer. Man, it's been just over a year. There's no guarantee I'll be able to find him too. But what if I can find a way to make him come to me? What was that voice in the reactor? Was it really her? Is she coming here? Coming here to kill me? To kill everyone?
Suddenly, Squall began to hear a high-pitched whine, like the signal from a TV showing white noise. It got loader and loader, and his head began to buzz. He fell back, falling asleep instantly like he had been hit with a mallet....
* * * * * * *
~Dreamworld~
* * * * *
"Everybody!" shouted a female voice. "Try to protect the children! That's who they're after!"
It came from woman with long black hair that trailed down to her waist. She also was dressed entirely in black, and her face bore more than a passing resemblance to Rinoa, if she was in her early thirties.
She was running across a section of elevated ground. In the background were the red rocks of a valley or a canyon. People were running around her too, frantic and panicking.
"They're here for the children!" she shouted again. Parents began rushing their crying children into whatever shelter they could find.
"Adel!" she shouted out suddenly. At this, another woman who looked like her, only slightly taller than her and with crimson-red hair ran over to join her.
"They're coming up the valley, Sister." said Adel, almost out of breath. "They seem serious."
"So am i." said the dark haired woman.
"Matwyn. What's happening?" asked a voice from behind them. Adel and the Matron turned round. Two young children, about five years old stood there. A little girl with brown hair and green eyes, and a boy with slightly lighter and slightly longer hair.
"Everyone's scared." said the girl. "What's going on?"
The Matron picked the green-eyed girl up in her arms. She wrapped her arms around the Matrons neck, so that Matron could carry her on one hand.
"Edea!" cried Adel. "They're coming up towards the sanctuary! What should we do?"
"The only thing we can." replied Edea. Adel nodded and took her free hand.
The Shin-Ra soldiers rushed up the valley, the first platoon resting on the steps of Cosmo Canyon. They trained their weapons on the two Sorceresses, completely ignoring the fact that one of them was carrying a child.
"Hold Fire!" came a nasal voice from the bottom of the steps. Some soldiers moved to clear a path, then came the sound of footsteps up the stone pathway. Finally, there stood the infamous Hojo, and behind him, Professor Gast.
"Well, well." said Edea, coldly. "Professor Hojo. And of course, Professor Gast. Where's Odine?"
"Back at Midgar." replied Hojo. "Couldn't make it. Very busy. But, he did request the pleasure of your presence, Sisters of Hyne."
"Invitation declined." growled Adel.
"Oh well." mused Hojo. "His research on creatures like you never held any appeal to me. Well, not so far."
"Creatures?" echoed Adel.
Don't let him get to you. said Edea, in mind contact. We must keep our minds and concentration linked.
Yes, Sister. replied Adel telepathically.
"We know why you're here, Hojo." said Edea. "We won't let you have the children."
Hojo looked at her for the first time, then at the green-eyed girl in her arms. He smiled with crocodile teeth. The girl turned her face away and buried it in Edea's shoulder, scared.
"Well, this really is a bit of a deadlock, is it not?" replied Hojo. "You see, the children are exactly what we need for the Generation; NeXus project. Shin-Ra would rather you handed them over to avoid bloodshed. We promise we're not going to take all the children. We are looking for particular subjects with the perfect genetic qualities for the project."
"Hojo." said Gast from behind. "Stop toying. Kill them so we can get what we came for."
"I deplore impatience, Gast." replied Hojo, not turning around. "Especially with matters of science. But still, my colleague has a point. Hand your children over for 'Genetic Interrogation.'."
Nobody flinched.
"Okay, be that as it may." resigned Hojo. "Shin-Ra soldiers! Open fire!"
There was a roar of machine-gun fire as the soldiers opened up, aiming directly at the two Sorceresses. The bullets ricocheted and sparked against thin air.
"Hold fire you idiots!" shouted Gast. "They're concentrating a shield! We couldn't hit them with a missile!"
Adel grinned, but Edea remained adamant.
"There will be no bloodshed in the sanctuary or the orphanage." she stated firmly.
"So, you'll keep your little shield up forever, will you?" growled Hojo. "Very well."
A soldier came running up the steps and whispered something to Hojo and Gast which made them smile.
"A piece of advice, Sisters of Hyne....." cackled Hojo.
"Help!" shouted a child's voice.
"You really shouldn't let children play outside the sanctuary, and with an unarmed minder too. It was almost embarrassing for my men to shoot him, but imagine my delight when they found out the children he was protecting were the very children we came for."
Adel and Edea could see where the shouts were coming from. They looked in horror, helpless as four of their children were being bound by the soldiers and forced into a prison-van. They recognized them all instantly; The quiet boy with light hair, the domineering boy with blonde hair, the blonde-haired girl, a Sorceress just like them, and the eldest child, the girl with dark hair.
"Damn you, Hojo!" hissed Adel.
"Ah, but this is not my fault, Witch. It's yours." cackled Hojo. "Oh, you can stop me, I have no doubt about that, given your incredible powers. But to stop me, you would have to take down that shield of yours, and everyone in the sanctuary would die. Perhaps you could try to stop me, but I doubt you would break your sacred oath never to harm a mortal with your powers."
The prison-van carrying the children began to drive away, and several soldiers began to withdraw, Hojo and Gast walking contentedly back to their transports.
"I'm taking a new oath, Hojo." Edea whispered angrily. "I swear, One day, I will be the last thing you ever see, and you will never harm another living being again....."
Hojo's laughter echoed across the canyon walls....
* * * * * *
~Dreamworld End~
* * * * *
Squall bolted forward, awake in an instant, a cold sweat running across his forehead. He was in Sector 7 slums now, not that hauntingly familiar red canyon. What was that? Who were they? And worse still, why did that all seem familiar? And why did they all look like familiar faces?
Squall sat up, Hojo's laughter still fresh in his ears. But the laugh began to melt, distort, and finally become feminine. A feminine voice very familiar to him, but also made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Sis?" his voice said, quietly in the darkness. "Elle.....Ellone?"
* * * * * * * *