The Purpose
Chapter 1
It was now twilight in Fisherman's Horizon. The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a pinkish shade of orange. The sun was a sliver of red just beyond the horizon. Squall and Rinoa had had a good day. Squall had taken them on a weekend trip to Fisherman's Horizon, otherwise known as FH to locals. They had spent the day walking the streets, a bit of shopping and sat on the sea front. They ate lunch at a nice little café. The headmaster had given them both the weekend off as to enjoy their special occasion. Squall and Rinoa had been going out one year. Not only that, but it had been a whole year since they had fought and defeated the evil sorceress Ultimecia. Headmaster Cid never usually gave special leave to students, but this was a special case. Everyone had a lot to owe Squall and his five comrades. All of them had been through so much at such a young age, and often, they would wonder how they survived it all. And yet they did, and the proof was here, walking along the sea front, holding hands.
"Squall?" asked Rinoa.
"Yes?" he turned to face her and looked into those big brown eyes that held him for what seemed a lifetime.
"Do you love me?" they stopped walking. The sea breeze gently cooled their faces, too late feeling the effects of mild sunburn.
"Rinoa," he replied "you know I do."
"Tell me you do." Squall paused. He began to blush.
"But you know I do." he repeated.
"A girl needs to hear it sometimes." Squall looked down at his hands. Then he noticed the Griever ring on his finger, the same as the one he had made for Rinoa, that she always wore around her neck. He loved her, of course he did. But to say it was completely another thing. Anyone in his past he had loved had abandoned him. He often wondered if he was cursed. His mother died bringing him into the world. His father, until recently, unknown, and had such not made any effort to contact him. His sister, the only person he could rely on when a child in the orphanage had disappeared when he was young. Many years later, they reunited, but there were still a lot of bridges needed building to repair the relationship. And now this. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy. And it scared him. He was used to being on his own. He didn't like to rely on people. You're by yourself, but you do your best. But now, he felt himself relying on Rinoa more and more. He didn't now what he would do without her. She was his rock, but what he didn't know was that he was hers. The worst thing he could imagine was being without her or her never knowing how he felt. He had to tell her. He would hate himself if he didn't.
"Rinoa." He paused and looked her straight in the eyes, and took both of her small hands into his. "I love you." Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew how hard it had been for him to say it, but he did and she knew he meant every word of it.
"I love you too." She fell into his arms, and they embraced. He had saved her life so many times before, and he asked for nothing in return. He was always there for her. Even tough he had trouble expressing how he felt; she knew what was in his heart.
"Squall I was thinking, that tonight, it being our anniversary we could.... Ahhh!" Rinoa screamed. She had felt her shoulder be jerked backward by some force. She turned around to see a figure in a large green overcoat running away, taking her shoulder bag with her. "Squall!" she shouted. But before she could say anything more, Squall had unsheathed his Gunblade and was running down the street after the thief. Rinoa began to run too, but her shoulder had been badly bruised and maybe dislocated by the mystery bag snatcher. She fell to the floor in pain. She just hoped Squall would come back safe.
Squall had been running for about thirty seconds when he caught up with the thief.
"Stop, or I will be forced to take action!" he shouted, the mandatory SeeD warning. The thief began to run, this time even faster, and Squall had a challenge to try and keep up. But then the thief made one terminal error. Squall had the figure in the grey coat exactly where he wanted. Squall on one side, the sea on the other. They had no choice but to surrender.
Squall grabbed their arm. He couldn't see the face, it being covered by the hood. "Right!" he yelled, this being one of the few occasions he lost his temper. "Hand over the bag." He pulled the hood of the coat down. What he saw surprised him. The thief was a teenage girl, no more than seventeen. Through the coat he could feel her skinny arms, and her face was thin, dirty and gaunt. Her chin length black hair was a mess. She had absolute terror in her eyes. For a moment, Squall actually felt sorry for this gutter rat, and then he thought of Rinoa, beautiful Rinoa. "I said give me the bag, and no-one gets hurt!"
"Stay away from me!" she yelled. She threw the bag at him. "Have it, but please stay away from me!" Squall was not going to stand for this. He held on to her arm.
"You're not getting away with this. You're coming with me, back to garden. They'll deal with you."
"Please, stop it!" She began clawing at his arm, arms and legs flailing everywhere. "You'll get hurt!"
"As if you could hurt me!" Squall replied.
"I won't be able to control my actions. I swear, you'll get hurt. I don't want to hurt you! Let me go! Let me go!" Squall felt his hand tingle where he was holding onto the girl. Then energy surge through his body like electricity. He began to spasm wildly, unable to let go of her. The ground began to shake, and the walls of neighbouring buildings began rattling. Squall's eyes had gone back into his head the whites only showing. Rinoa ran around the corner, and saw what was happening. She ran over to Squall, but was propelled back by some sort of barrier. Unable to help, all she could do was watch.
The sky clouded over and all around was dark. Thunderbolts shot out of the sky, surrounding Squall and the girl. Electricity encircled his body causing it to spasm even more. The girl had her eyes tightly shut and a look of terror on her face. Then it seemed as if his body became engulfed in flames. At the same time, a great wind had built up. It lifted Squall clean off his feet. The lightning subsided, the fire extinguished, and the wind died, and Squall was able to let go of her at last. He fell to the floor, barley conscious. Rinoa ran over, the invisible barrier now lifted. She knelt down, cradling Squall's head in his lap. He was unable to speak.
"What did you do to him?!" She screamed at the girl.
"I m sorry...I.I.warned him. I didn't mean to!" Before Rinoa could answer back, the girl ran away as fast as she could. Rinoa did not give chase. "Squall. Talk to me, are you alright?" Squall opened his mouth and tried to speak. "No, don't speak. We'll get you back to garden and fix you up."
Squall managed to mumble "Rinoa..." and then lapsed into unconsciousness.
Chapter 1
It was now twilight in Fisherman's Horizon. The sun was beginning to set and the sky had turned a pinkish shade of orange. The sun was a sliver of red just beyond the horizon. Squall and Rinoa had had a good day. Squall had taken them on a weekend trip to Fisherman's Horizon, otherwise known as FH to locals. They had spent the day walking the streets, a bit of shopping and sat on the sea front. They ate lunch at a nice little café. The headmaster had given them both the weekend off as to enjoy their special occasion. Squall and Rinoa had been going out one year. Not only that, but it had been a whole year since they had fought and defeated the evil sorceress Ultimecia. Headmaster Cid never usually gave special leave to students, but this was a special case. Everyone had a lot to owe Squall and his five comrades. All of them had been through so much at such a young age, and often, they would wonder how they survived it all. And yet they did, and the proof was here, walking along the sea front, holding hands.
"Squall?" asked Rinoa.
"Yes?" he turned to face her and looked into those big brown eyes that held him for what seemed a lifetime.
"Do you love me?" they stopped walking. The sea breeze gently cooled their faces, too late feeling the effects of mild sunburn.
"Rinoa," he replied "you know I do."
"Tell me you do." Squall paused. He began to blush.
"But you know I do." he repeated.
"A girl needs to hear it sometimes." Squall looked down at his hands. Then he noticed the Griever ring on his finger, the same as the one he had made for Rinoa, that she always wore around her neck. He loved her, of course he did. But to say it was completely another thing. Anyone in his past he had loved had abandoned him. He often wondered if he was cursed. His mother died bringing him into the world. His father, until recently, unknown, and had such not made any effort to contact him. His sister, the only person he could rely on when a child in the orphanage had disappeared when he was young. Many years later, they reunited, but there were still a lot of bridges needed building to repair the relationship. And now this. For the first time in his life, he was truly happy. And it scared him. He was used to being on his own. He didn't like to rely on people. You're by yourself, but you do your best. But now, he felt himself relying on Rinoa more and more. He didn't now what he would do without her. She was his rock, but what he didn't know was that he was hers. The worst thing he could imagine was being without her or her never knowing how he felt. He had to tell her. He would hate himself if he didn't.
"Rinoa." He paused and looked her straight in the eyes, and took both of her small hands into his. "I love you." Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew how hard it had been for him to say it, but he did and she knew he meant every word of it.
"I love you too." She fell into his arms, and they embraced. He had saved her life so many times before, and he asked for nothing in return. He was always there for her. Even tough he had trouble expressing how he felt; she knew what was in his heart.
"Squall I was thinking, that tonight, it being our anniversary we could.... Ahhh!" Rinoa screamed. She had felt her shoulder be jerked backward by some force. She turned around to see a figure in a large green overcoat running away, taking her shoulder bag with her. "Squall!" she shouted. But before she could say anything more, Squall had unsheathed his Gunblade and was running down the street after the thief. Rinoa began to run too, but her shoulder had been badly bruised and maybe dislocated by the mystery bag snatcher. She fell to the floor in pain. She just hoped Squall would come back safe.
Squall had been running for about thirty seconds when he caught up with the thief.
"Stop, or I will be forced to take action!" he shouted, the mandatory SeeD warning. The thief began to run, this time even faster, and Squall had a challenge to try and keep up. But then the thief made one terminal error. Squall had the figure in the grey coat exactly where he wanted. Squall on one side, the sea on the other. They had no choice but to surrender.
Squall grabbed their arm. He couldn't see the face, it being covered by the hood. "Right!" he yelled, this being one of the few occasions he lost his temper. "Hand over the bag." He pulled the hood of the coat down. What he saw surprised him. The thief was a teenage girl, no more than seventeen. Through the coat he could feel her skinny arms, and her face was thin, dirty and gaunt. Her chin length black hair was a mess. She had absolute terror in her eyes. For a moment, Squall actually felt sorry for this gutter rat, and then he thought of Rinoa, beautiful Rinoa. "I said give me the bag, and no-one gets hurt!"
"Stay away from me!" she yelled. She threw the bag at him. "Have it, but please stay away from me!" Squall was not going to stand for this. He held on to her arm.
"You're not getting away with this. You're coming with me, back to garden. They'll deal with you."
"Please, stop it!" She began clawing at his arm, arms and legs flailing everywhere. "You'll get hurt!"
"As if you could hurt me!" Squall replied.
"I won't be able to control my actions. I swear, you'll get hurt. I don't want to hurt you! Let me go! Let me go!" Squall felt his hand tingle where he was holding onto the girl. Then energy surge through his body like electricity. He began to spasm wildly, unable to let go of her. The ground began to shake, and the walls of neighbouring buildings began rattling. Squall's eyes had gone back into his head the whites only showing. Rinoa ran around the corner, and saw what was happening. She ran over to Squall, but was propelled back by some sort of barrier. Unable to help, all she could do was watch.
The sky clouded over and all around was dark. Thunderbolts shot out of the sky, surrounding Squall and the girl. Electricity encircled his body causing it to spasm even more. The girl had her eyes tightly shut and a look of terror on her face. Then it seemed as if his body became engulfed in flames. At the same time, a great wind had built up. It lifted Squall clean off his feet. The lightning subsided, the fire extinguished, and the wind died, and Squall was able to let go of her at last. He fell to the floor, barley conscious. Rinoa ran over, the invisible barrier now lifted. She knelt down, cradling Squall's head in his lap. He was unable to speak.
"What did you do to him?!" She screamed at the girl.
"I m sorry...I.I.warned him. I didn't mean to!" Before Rinoa could answer back, the girl ran away as fast as she could. Rinoa did not give chase. "Squall. Talk to me, are you alright?" Squall opened his mouth and tried to speak. "No, don't speak. We'll get you back to garden and fix you up."
Squall managed to mumble "Rinoa..." and then lapsed into unconsciousness.