Part 8 – To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
The time had come to settle his score with Seifer and get his friends back from his clutches. The Garden floated towards the large continent of Galbadia at a furious pace to match the people inside. Squall's knuckles turned a bright, holy white with the grip he had on the bridge and on the situation. His heart was set on the goal he had pursued for years. To beat Seifer once and for all—this time, Squall had a more than a good, adequate reason to fulfil his destiny—he had a determined look on his face constantly throughout the journey and Quistis found it rather menacing every time she took a look at him.
A large bang broke the silence as the Garden docked against the land. Squall pushed away from the bridge and made his way outside. Sheathing his Gunblade within his belt and straightening his newly repaired jacket, he stepped down the ramp and his footsteps echoed through the entrance and brought an eerie sense of suspicion. Headstrong yet a little naïve, Squall wasn't going to give up this time without a fight. He started his forty five mile trek across the vast wonderland of the exhilarating fields and grasslands, as the moon and the sun's courtly dance had run it's course across the sky, days passed yet he was still walking with the same look on his face. Everything remained the same. The sun. The moon. The stars. Everything stood still as if the elements knew what was going on and were trying to savour the moment of victory that was bound to a destiny that a never ending furnace, and dreams that were tied to a horse that would never tire. Time ran through Squall's hands as he paced through the masses of tall grass listening to the calmness of his own heartbeat and looking at the serene steam from his own breath. Galbadia was in sight. Sitting peacefully on it's base ready to be invaded. Squall slotted perfectly into the ebony shadows of the night with only the metallic resonance from his jacket buckles glistening in-between the forest of tall grass. He was like a sleek Black Panther stalking its prey, his prey, this time, being Seifer. The lights reflected in his eyes as they once had done in the City of Deiling with the attempted assassination of Edea.
Fear ran through his soul but was undermined by the sense of exhilaration and determination as he climbed the lightly guarded walls of the structure where he was going to end all his suffering. The icy marble matched the ice in Seifer's eyes and this would normally fill Squall with rage, but he was passed all that. His determination took over everything. He sneaked through the corridors that were crawling with Galbadia students yet not a single one of them noticed who he was. They are probably all new student after last time and have no idea of who I am. Still can't risk being seen though. Squall took deep breaths and hid in every shadow to conceal himself until he came across the dorms that he had visited one too many times before. His footsteps were silent and his breathing was shallow as he sneaked into the only dorm that was unlocked. He found all of the weapons that his friends had previously possessed.
"They have got to be nearby…" He picked up Irvine's gun and noticed singular spots of blood over the handle and his jaw dropped. The fire was once again blazing in his eyes as he stood up and showed his sharp, muscular figure and stormed out of the door. He no longer cared if anyone saw him, he went to the nearest dorm that was locked and blew off the padlock with one foul swipe of his mighty blade. The padlock clashed with the floor and the doors burst open to reveal his teammates slumped on the floor. Drugged, they're all out cold. Unable to move them, he decided to finish what he set out to do and come back to them later.
"I see that you have returned then. Pitiful attempt really. I thought you would do better." Squall slowly turned with his Gunblade firmly gripped in his hand. The sweat trailing down his face unveiled a calm look on his face with his eyes lightly closed. The voice surrounded him yet did not affect him whatsoever as he placed a tight fist on his heart and dropped his gunblade on the floor.
"Why? Why did you do it Seifer? I know how much she meant to you." Squall's stare was cold but with an emotionless face like a mannequin.
"Do you seriously think I was meant to kill her? I was aiming at you, but now, in retrospect, I'm ever so glad that I did kill her because it killed you." A force that couldn't be matched carried Squall and Seifer into the air. Seifer looked around him and saw that they were both amongst the clouds, soaring high above any bird, surrounded by a gust of feathers and distant memories the seemed to be projected upon the silky clouds. The heat of the sun pelted at them both and as Seifer wilted under the intense heat, Squall stood there as sturdy as his passion for life. Seifer's coat disintegrated and the white cloak with the infamous red cross was no longer shielding Seifer from the world outside. Seifer looked up and through his red eyes he saw the most magnificent, yet impossible thing happen. Huge, silky feathered wings shot out of, it seemed, Squall's jacket and lifted him high above the sun that even he couldn't be seen anymore. A shadow overwhelmed Seifer as Squall came belting down above him with his Gunblade towering above his head—His instincts were to grab his own blade and attack, but all his did was step to the side and ready his own mighty weapon—Squall reappeared and swung his blade with all his strength towards Seifer's head. Seifer blocked the fierce attack but not without being knocked to the floor by the sheer impact of the blow. As soon at the sparks flew from the two metal monsters clashing, the scene changed and they were back in the Balamb Garden Training Centre. Squall didn't seem to notice as his flurry of attacks cut mercilessly through the air as Seifer evaded them all.
"You're getting good boy, but never as good as me." His voice rang throughout the stadium-like structure as his hand rose before his body again and a hideous ball of energy spiralled through his hand and the flames licked through his fingers. The intense heat could be seen and felt from where Squall was standing. The rain fell harder this time and Squall just stood there free from fear and full of spirit. The flame ball shot out from Seifer's hand and hit Squall square in the chest, which sent him flying towards the floor. This time, instead of the impact vibrating through his body as he hit the floor, his body floated upward by the power of wings lifting him up. Seifer stood in sheer awe as he saw a faint silhouette of Rinoa's face over Squall's left shoulder.
"Seifer, she never died. She stayed with me and she will always stay with me. It's time for you to give up."
"NEVER!…" He rushed upto Squall and as his furious, clear-cut swipes fell upon Squall's own blade, a blinding light surrounded them both. This light was a clean, pure light that had the effect of a thousand stars. Piece by piece, Seifer's body turned to stone by the touch of Squall's break-effected blade on Seifer's shoulder. A single tear came to Seifer's eyes.
"I'm…sorry…" Eternal sleep has been bestowed unto Seifer for all his deeds of cruelty and evil and the sentence he was about to carry out was never ending.
Squall closed his eyes and felt the most wonderful sensation run throughout his body, as his soul was lifted above his physical state and floated around in the atmosphere that had sustained him. Rinoa was floating beside him. They were finally reunited. A heavenly scent filled the air as he felt his feet touch the ground and the soft ground give way slightly beneath him.
"The flower field." He looked into Rinoa's hand and saw a single, immaculate feather, undisturbed and resting in the palm of her delicate, womanly hands. Rinoa raised her head and looked into Squall eyes like she had done in the past so many times before.
"I love you Squall, I always will." She stroked the light, fluffy stubble that had accumulated on his chin over the days.
"Rinoa, there is only one thing I want to say to you…" They both looked at each other and the emptiness in their hearts had been filled, "…what has happened is like a dream…" He held her hand close to his heart, "...and from every dream, you have to wake up." He placed his other hand upon the feather nestled safely in Rinoa's other hand and smiled.
"You're not leaving me again…"