font size=10bDisclaimer:/b I don't own any FF8 characters.brbrbr
bcenterThrough My EyesbrChapter Nine/b/centerbrbrbr
p"Friends, Loved ones, Family, we gather tagether on this glorious day tae celebrate th' Holy Matrimony o' these two lovers, bound tagether by th' Sun an' th' Heavens..."br
pI gulped hard, staring up at the High Priest of the little Dwarf village known as Conde Petie as he recited the--igulp/i--bindings, as they called it there. I glanced to my right, Rinoa kept her gaze steady, straight at the Priest. How did I get myself into this...?br
pI shook my head slightly; come on, Leonhart! I said to myself. Keep your head on straight. But I couldn't... How can a guy keep his head on straight and his thoughts clear when he was standing on the holy 'Kirkboat' of Conde Petie, the Priest standing in some sort of booth above the both of us, as if we were before Hyne, himself....br
p"The Mither Moon smyles down upon us as she watches her children fynd true love..." said the Priest in the Irish accent that seemed to be native in the whole village. Just wondering, how the freak did I get myself into this mess...? Sure, I love Rinoa, and all, but we're just seventeen! I guess it all started when we first arrived here...brbrbr
p~*Flashback*~brbr
p"And here we are!" said Rinoa as we found ourselves at the gates of an odd-looking structure that was suspended over a very wide canyon. It seemed to be a fairly stable structure, but I still had an odd feeling about this...br
p"Rinoa?" She looked up at me. "Are you sure that this is the fastest way back to Balamb?"br
pShe nodded, "My brothers know the land very well. If they say that this is the fastest way to Balamb, then this is the fastest way to Balamb." She fixed her gaze on the large structure over the canyon. "It may be dangerous, but getting to Balamb will be worth it. I know you all want to be home, and I need to see the Headmaster at Balamb Garden about something very important. However, sometimes the fastest routes are the most deadly. Then again, if it's really that important to you guys, it's a chance I'm willing to take. Come on, let's go in."br
p"Wow..." breathed Zell in amazement as the girls all went in. He and I remained outside. "Rinoa's willing to risk her life so you can be happy at home," he said, placing a hand on his hip. Yeah, I realized. She really is... "Hold on to that one." And with that, he ran in to join the girls.br
p"Rally Ho!" said a group of Irish voices as we all entered, seeing that it was a minature Irish village with a roof over it, only it was made up of little green dwarves.br
p"Rally Ho!" said Rinoa. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Say 'Rally Ho!' It's their sacred greeting." I nodded.br
p"Rally Ho!" we all said.br
p"Come on," Rinoa said. "The people here are very friendly. We still have plenty of time, and there's an Inn nearby here. What's say we stay here for the night and spend the day here?" We all nodded, and separated to go and do our own things. Rinoa and I remained. She met my gaze sweetly, "You okay?" she asked.br
pWhat did she mean by that? "Uh... Yeah, I guess..."br
p"Really?" she asked, a bit skeptical. "You just seemed really quiet since we left. This is our second day out on the road, y'know. I've barely heard you say a thing."br
pI scratched the back of my neck, I guess I iwas/i being a little quiet... But it's been such a shock. Yesterday morning, I was deathly afraid of going back to Garden without Rinoa. The next thing I know, her brothers are pushing her out the door to join us. Not that I'm not happy about it, I'm totally fine with it, imore/i than fine...br
p"Squall?" Rinoa called my name, snapping me out of my daze. "You sure you're alright?"br
pI nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it. You go on and have fun, alright?"br
pShe smiled and nodded, "Alright, but you should have some fun, too." She walked up to me and pressed her lips against mine. "I'll see you tonight at the Inn," she said with a wink and left.br
pI stared after her, smirking lazily. I still can't believe that she's willing to leave her family and friends and former life behind just for me... I mean, sure she had said that she needed to do something with Headmaster Cid, like I suggested. Still, though, I couldn't help wondering...was she just making up an excuse so I wouldn't feel so bad? I have no idea...br
pI sighed and decided to walk around and see if there were any useful places around here. Not far from the entrance, I found the Conde Petie Inn, which had a bit of an odd design. It was just one big room with tree roots on the walls that made a slight border between the sleeping quarters and what seemed to be a lobby. At the far end, there were two stone staircases, each leading to pools of crystal clear water. Right in the middle were four of the dwarf people, sitting on mats and talking about local news or whatever.br
p"Ah still need tae fynd a wyfe fer me wee William," said a female dwarf, sipping some sort of tea.br
p"Oh, aye," said a dwarf sitting across from him. "Tha' William o' yers is ah hard one tae bind."br
p"Why no' have him marry one o' th' lassies from tha' troupe jus' come in?" asked another dwarf with his low voice. Marry one of the girls? In iour/i troupe??? My mind screamed in thought. Stay away from my Rinoa!!!br
pAnother female dwarf appeared at the sleeping quarters of the Inn, "Rally-ho!" she greeted me.br
p"Rally-ho!" I said back.br
p"Mah name is Margaret Miller, a pleasure tae meet ye. D'ye need a place tae rest, laddie?"br
p"Huh...?" I could barely understand a word she said. But I think she's saying... "Yes, please, my friends and I are very tired, and--uh--they should all be here later tonight."br
p"Oh, aye, laddie. Ah've seen ye 'round wi' those bonnie lasses, and the strong young laddie, like yerself. Ye kin stay the night fer 100 gil, and Ah'll save th' room fer ye."br
pI fished through my pocket and pulled out 100 gil. "Is this enough?"br
p"Oh, aye, laddie, tha' it is. Ah'll save th' room fer ye and yer friends." I thanked Margaret and left, thinking what an odd way of speech they used.br
pJust outside the Inn was a stone staircase that led to the central part of the village, which had some sort of 'boat' suspended in the very center where the floor seemed to be cut out. I walked around it and bumped into a young dwarf with hair that was a truly bright orange. Next to him, stood a white, brown-spotted dog.br
p"Rally-ho!" we both said.br
p"Yer th' scarred one th Grocier's been talkin' 'bout?"br
p"Uh... Yeah, that'd be me."br
p"Yeh've gune 'round th' warld, havenae ye?"br
pWhat'd he say? "... ...Yeah, I guess."br
p"Sumday, Ah'll go 'round th' warld wi' me doggie! Tha's mah dream."br
pDream...? "Well, I... I hope it comes true." I said, not knowing what else to say.br
p"Thank ye! By th' way, Ah saw tha' lass ye were wi'."br
p"Which one?"I asked.br
p"Th' one wi' th' long haer. A real bonnie lass, she was! Said she was lookin' fer ye."br
p"Really?" I asked. "Thank's, kid!" I said, sprinting up to the upper-right corner of the village center, where a tall dwarf was standing, holding a spear.br
pAs soon as I was at the exit the dwarf held up his spear and shouted, "Hold on there! Ah cannae let ye pass, laddie! On'y those who've undergone th' ceremony can pass me, and donnae think fer a minute tha' ye can pass wi'out th' Sacred Blessin'."br
p"Uh... Sorry, I didn't know," I said, holding up my hands in defense.br
p"Yo! Squall!" yelled Zell, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He waved at me from the bottom of the village center. I sprinted up to him, "Guess what? The Grocier dude has a brother who sells and modifies weapons. I looked at 'em, and saw that they're actually weapons that you can't get anywhere else. They make 'em from weird metals, and armour from chain mail and this weird stuff called 'Mythrill.' C'mon, let's check it out!" I nodded and we sprinted off out the bottom of the square.br
pThe next area we entered was just a large room with a dwarf behind a round counter, talking to Rinoa and Quistis. "Yo!" Zell attracted their attention.br
p"Squall! There you are!" said Rinoa. She met me in the middle of the room, "I wanted to tell you that Margaret already reserved the room for someone. We can't stay at the Inn."br
p"Oh, that was me. I went to the Inn and reserved the room for us all."br
p"Really?" she asked. "Wow, thank you! You didn't have to pay too much, did you?"br
pI shook my head and waved my hand as if shoeing off a fly, "Nah, don't worry about it." She smiled.br
p"Rally-ho!" said the female dwarf behind the counter. "Have ye come fer th' weapons?"br
p"Yeah," said Zell. "We wanted to know about your weapons and this 'Mythrill' stuff."br
p"Mercy me! Are nae ye a han'some one..." said the dwarf to Zell. "Runnin' errands here, are ye? Well, we're always happy fer yer business." She bent down and took out a beautifully crafted axe. "Thi' axe i' made from adamantine, a nearly indestructable metal. I's very powerfu' stuff. Are ye lookin' fer anythin' in particular?"br
p"Yes," said Rinoa. "Can we look at some Mythrill weapons and armour?"br
p"Oh, aye, lassie!" said the female dwarf. "Bah th' way, me name's Fiona, an ye are?"br
p"Rinoa Loire of Madao Valley, pleasure," she said. "Now, about that armour...?"br
p"Aye, aye, lassie! Ah've jus' th' thing, here," said Fiona as she pulled out some sort of chain-mail T-shirt. "This is made from pure Mythrill." She took notice to me. "Laddie, try it on, ye'll be needin' tha' procection if ye're gonnae pass through th' mountains to th' north. Every man'll need one to be a proper protector of they're wife." Fiona tossed it to me, strangely, the Mythrill mail wasn't heavy.br
p"This doesn't weigh a thing," I said in pure amazement, staring at the silvery shirt.br
p"Nope, not a thing!" said Rinoa, a smile on her face. "Mythrill is the most amazing material, my father gave me some Mythrill mail just like that one." She pulled up her already skimpy tank-top to reveal that she had Mythrill mail on underneath, she let her shirt fall. "Try it on, you wear it under your clothes." I nodded and tossed off my jacket and pulled off my shirt.br
pI slipped on the Mythrill shirt, feeling that it was lighter that my T-shirt. "Wow..." I breathed in amazement.br
p"Cool, huh?" asked Rinoa.br
p"Looks good on you, Squall," Instructor Trepe said with a wry grin.br
p"I agree," said Selphie with a wink. "iVery/i sexy."br
pRinoa laughed and pulled out her sword. "Now, let's test it!" The next thing I knew she was shouting a battle cry and lunging right at me with her sword!br
p"RINOA!!!" I shouted. I shielded my face, waiting for unbelievable pain, but nothing came, just a cracking sound. I peeked at the corner of my eye and saw that Rinoa's sword was cracked at my side where it had hit the Mythrill.br
p"Aw, man!!!" cried Rinoa in exasperation. She held up her ruined sword. "I forgot how istrong/i this stuff is!"br
p"Awesome," said Zell. He then turned to Fiona, "We'll all take one of those Mythrill shirts! How much does it cost?"br
p"Hmm..." said Fiona. "Ah think it'll be 'round...4000 gil total!"br
p"4000?!" Selphie screeched. "That's iway/i expensive!"br
pI slammed the gil down on Fiona's desk, "We'll take 'em!" I said.brbrbr
pI stared up at the dark ceiling, nothing to light the dim Inn's room but the stars and a few flickering candles. So much had happened in one day, and I would soon be back in Balamb with my friends and Rinoa. I looked over at her sleeping form on the bed next to mine, her hair tossled around her face; God, she's beautiful... I suppose that the only downside to today is the fact that we can't pass into the Northern mountains unless... Unless one of us gets married. I found out from Fiona earlier today; I've told Rinoa and the others, they think that iwe/i should get married! Ridiculous!br
pBut... Then again... Is it ireally/i that ridiculous? I mean, we love each other, and we've been through quite a few things together... If it's the only way we can get to the Northern mountains... Is Balamb really worth getting married for? ... ... ...No! I can't get married! I'm only seventeen, there's no way I could ever get married, now... Not even if it was to--br
pNot even if it was to... Not even to Rinoa! ... ... ... ...But... I really love Rinoa... I suppose we could get married, but not for a long time! We're both really young, and it just wouldn't be practical--not inow/i, anyway... ... ...But, if we love each other, then our age shouldn't matter, right? No, it shouldn't, but I just can't do it, not now...br
p"Squall?" My thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice. I looked over to see Rinoa was sleepily staring at me, "What's wrong?"br
pI smiled, "Yeah, just thinking."br
pShe sat up, "What about?" She walked over to me and sat next to me on my bed. "You know you can tell me anything."br
pI leaned on my elbows for support. "Just thinking about the whole marriage thing, you know. About it being the only way to leave here and go back to Balamb; I just wish there were some other way. I mean, I may not know too much about this...but... When you get married, it's supposed to be because you want to, not just because it's some dumb law."br
p"So you're not willing to do it?" asked Rinoa. Did I hear a tinge of disappointment in her voice...?br
p"Well, it's not that, I just..." I was silent for a moment. "I just wish I had some confirmation you know? I mean..." I trailed off.br
p"You mean what?" Rinoa asked, anxious to hear my reply.br
pI looked her straight in her eyes. "...I love you, Rinoa, more than anything," I said, letting my knuckles caress her soft cheek. "But...do you really think that we're ready for, well, you know..."br
p"Marriage?" she asked. She sighed and leaned her head on my chest; I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and layed back in bed with her, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. "If I were to be married, I would want it to be back home, in the Temple of Odin... I'd want Odin himself to bless my marriage; I'd want all of my friends and family to be there; I'd want my father to be there... After all, if Odin saw it fit to see me wed, then I'd have no doubt whatsoever. But, then again, if he saw it fit to send us here... I can't help but wonder..."br
pI looked down. "Are you saying that you really--"br
p"I'm isaying,/i" said she, looking up at me. "That I love you better than all the world. But I also love my village and my temple back home, and I would do ianything/i to keep them from being threatened; I imean/i it." I stared at her, confused and half-shocked. She really...loved me enough for this?br
p"...Do you love me?" I asked, unsure.br
pShe smiled and locked eyes with me. "If I didn't truly love you, then my eyes wouldn't have changed," she said. I sighed. "Listen," she said. "I love you. However, love is not the only reason for marriage." I stared at her, shocked. She was the last person on earth I would expect to say something like that... br
p"...Rinoa, I--"
pShe smiled, "Squall, if I know you as well as I think I do, there is only one thing I need to say." I looked up; does she mean she wants to...? She leaned her forehead against mine. "I'm willing to if you are." And then we kissed.brbrbr
p*End Flashback*brbr
pSo, that's how it went down. Now, I'm here with Rinoa at the altar. Why did my life have to be this way...? It seemed as if my whole life had just gone by me in an instant, that I went straight from the delivery room to this place... I caught the sight of Rinoa's fist tightning out of the corner of my eye; I grabbed her hand, causing her to look up at me. I smiled at her reassuringly.br
p"An' now, Ah pronounce ye man an' wyfe!" And then I kissed her.brbrbrb
p~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~brbrpSee? SEE??? I itold/i you guys that I'd have it done! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that it took so long like this!!! I can't believe how much I've been slacking. I've been working on my latest work, the Kinira Chronicles. It's a DBZ fic--even if you don't like DBZ, please read and review anyway! PLLEEEEAAASSSEE???!!!! Thank you!/font
bcenterThrough My EyesbrChapter Nine/b/centerbrbrbr
p"Friends, Loved ones, Family, we gather tagether on this glorious day tae celebrate th' Holy Matrimony o' these two lovers, bound tagether by th' Sun an' th' Heavens..."br
pI gulped hard, staring up at the High Priest of the little Dwarf village known as Conde Petie as he recited the--igulp/i--bindings, as they called it there. I glanced to my right, Rinoa kept her gaze steady, straight at the Priest. How did I get myself into this...?br
pI shook my head slightly; come on, Leonhart! I said to myself. Keep your head on straight. But I couldn't... How can a guy keep his head on straight and his thoughts clear when he was standing on the holy 'Kirkboat' of Conde Petie, the Priest standing in some sort of booth above the both of us, as if we were before Hyne, himself....br
p"The Mither Moon smyles down upon us as she watches her children fynd true love..." said the Priest in the Irish accent that seemed to be native in the whole village. Just wondering, how the freak did I get myself into this mess...? Sure, I love Rinoa, and all, but we're just seventeen! I guess it all started when we first arrived here...brbrbr
p~*Flashback*~brbr
p"And here we are!" said Rinoa as we found ourselves at the gates of an odd-looking structure that was suspended over a very wide canyon. It seemed to be a fairly stable structure, but I still had an odd feeling about this...br
p"Rinoa?" She looked up at me. "Are you sure that this is the fastest way back to Balamb?"br
pShe nodded, "My brothers know the land very well. If they say that this is the fastest way to Balamb, then this is the fastest way to Balamb." She fixed her gaze on the large structure over the canyon. "It may be dangerous, but getting to Balamb will be worth it. I know you all want to be home, and I need to see the Headmaster at Balamb Garden about something very important. However, sometimes the fastest routes are the most deadly. Then again, if it's really that important to you guys, it's a chance I'm willing to take. Come on, let's go in."br
p"Wow..." breathed Zell in amazement as the girls all went in. He and I remained outside. "Rinoa's willing to risk her life so you can be happy at home," he said, placing a hand on his hip. Yeah, I realized. She really is... "Hold on to that one." And with that, he ran in to join the girls.br
p"Rally Ho!" said a group of Irish voices as we all entered, seeing that it was a minature Irish village with a roof over it, only it was made up of little green dwarves.br
p"Rally Ho!" said Rinoa. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Say 'Rally Ho!' It's their sacred greeting." I nodded.br
p"Rally Ho!" we all said.br
p"Come on," Rinoa said. "The people here are very friendly. We still have plenty of time, and there's an Inn nearby here. What's say we stay here for the night and spend the day here?" We all nodded, and separated to go and do our own things. Rinoa and I remained. She met my gaze sweetly, "You okay?" she asked.br
pWhat did she mean by that? "Uh... Yeah, I guess..."br
p"Really?" she asked, a bit skeptical. "You just seemed really quiet since we left. This is our second day out on the road, y'know. I've barely heard you say a thing."br
pI scratched the back of my neck, I guess I iwas/i being a little quiet... But it's been such a shock. Yesterday morning, I was deathly afraid of going back to Garden without Rinoa. The next thing I know, her brothers are pushing her out the door to join us. Not that I'm not happy about it, I'm totally fine with it, imore/i than fine...br
p"Squall?" Rinoa called my name, snapping me out of my daze. "You sure you're alright?"br
pI nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it. You go on and have fun, alright?"br
pShe smiled and nodded, "Alright, but you should have some fun, too." She walked up to me and pressed her lips against mine. "I'll see you tonight at the Inn," she said with a wink and left.br
pI stared after her, smirking lazily. I still can't believe that she's willing to leave her family and friends and former life behind just for me... I mean, sure she had said that she needed to do something with Headmaster Cid, like I suggested. Still, though, I couldn't help wondering...was she just making up an excuse so I wouldn't feel so bad? I have no idea...br
pI sighed and decided to walk around and see if there were any useful places around here. Not far from the entrance, I found the Conde Petie Inn, which had a bit of an odd design. It was just one big room with tree roots on the walls that made a slight border between the sleeping quarters and what seemed to be a lobby. At the far end, there were two stone staircases, each leading to pools of crystal clear water. Right in the middle were four of the dwarf people, sitting on mats and talking about local news or whatever.br
p"Ah still need tae fynd a wyfe fer me wee William," said a female dwarf, sipping some sort of tea.br
p"Oh, aye," said a dwarf sitting across from him. "Tha' William o' yers is ah hard one tae bind."br
p"Why no' have him marry one o' th' lassies from tha' troupe jus' come in?" asked another dwarf with his low voice. Marry one of the girls? In iour/i troupe??? My mind screamed in thought. Stay away from my Rinoa!!!br
pAnother female dwarf appeared at the sleeping quarters of the Inn, "Rally-ho!" she greeted me.br
p"Rally-ho!" I said back.br
p"Mah name is Margaret Miller, a pleasure tae meet ye. D'ye need a place tae rest, laddie?"br
p"Huh...?" I could barely understand a word she said. But I think she's saying... "Yes, please, my friends and I are very tired, and--uh--they should all be here later tonight."br
p"Oh, aye, laddie. Ah've seen ye 'round wi' those bonnie lasses, and the strong young laddie, like yerself. Ye kin stay the night fer 100 gil, and Ah'll save th' room fer ye."br
pI fished through my pocket and pulled out 100 gil. "Is this enough?"br
p"Oh, aye, laddie, tha' it is. Ah'll save th' room fer ye and yer friends." I thanked Margaret and left, thinking what an odd way of speech they used.br
pJust outside the Inn was a stone staircase that led to the central part of the village, which had some sort of 'boat' suspended in the very center where the floor seemed to be cut out. I walked around it and bumped into a young dwarf with hair that was a truly bright orange. Next to him, stood a white, brown-spotted dog.br
p"Rally-ho!" we both said.br
p"Yer th' scarred one th Grocier's been talkin' 'bout?"br
p"Uh... Yeah, that'd be me."br
p"Yeh've gune 'round th' warld, havenae ye?"br
pWhat'd he say? "... ...Yeah, I guess."br
p"Sumday, Ah'll go 'round th' warld wi' me doggie! Tha's mah dream."br
pDream...? "Well, I... I hope it comes true." I said, not knowing what else to say.br
p"Thank ye! By th' way, Ah saw tha' lass ye were wi'."br
p"Which one?"I asked.br
p"Th' one wi' th' long haer. A real bonnie lass, she was! Said she was lookin' fer ye."br
p"Really?" I asked. "Thank's, kid!" I said, sprinting up to the upper-right corner of the village center, where a tall dwarf was standing, holding a spear.br
pAs soon as I was at the exit the dwarf held up his spear and shouted, "Hold on there! Ah cannae let ye pass, laddie! On'y those who've undergone th' ceremony can pass me, and donnae think fer a minute tha' ye can pass wi'out th' Sacred Blessin'."br
p"Uh... Sorry, I didn't know," I said, holding up my hands in defense.br
p"Yo! Squall!" yelled Zell, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He waved at me from the bottom of the village center. I sprinted up to him, "Guess what? The Grocier dude has a brother who sells and modifies weapons. I looked at 'em, and saw that they're actually weapons that you can't get anywhere else. They make 'em from weird metals, and armour from chain mail and this weird stuff called 'Mythrill.' C'mon, let's check it out!" I nodded and we sprinted off out the bottom of the square.br
pThe next area we entered was just a large room with a dwarf behind a round counter, talking to Rinoa and Quistis. "Yo!" Zell attracted their attention.br
p"Squall! There you are!" said Rinoa. She met me in the middle of the room, "I wanted to tell you that Margaret already reserved the room for someone. We can't stay at the Inn."br
p"Oh, that was me. I went to the Inn and reserved the room for us all."br
p"Really?" she asked. "Wow, thank you! You didn't have to pay too much, did you?"br
pI shook my head and waved my hand as if shoeing off a fly, "Nah, don't worry about it." She smiled.br
p"Rally-ho!" said the female dwarf behind the counter. "Have ye come fer th' weapons?"br
p"Yeah," said Zell. "We wanted to know about your weapons and this 'Mythrill' stuff."br
p"Mercy me! Are nae ye a han'some one..." said the dwarf to Zell. "Runnin' errands here, are ye? Well, we're always happy fer yer business." She bent down and took out a beautifully crafted axe. "Thi' axe i' made from adamantine, a nearly indestructable metal. I's very powerfu' stuff. Are ye lookin' fer anythin' in particular?"br
p"Yes," said Rinoa. "Can we look at some Mythrill weapons and armour?"br
p"Oh, aye, lassie!" said the female dwarf. "Bah th' way, me name's Fiona, an ye are?"br
p"Rinoa Loire of Madao Valley, pleasure," she said. "Now, about that armour...?"br
p"Aye, aye, lassie! Ah've jus' th' thing, here," said Fiona as she pulled out some sort of chain-mail T-shirt. "This is made from pure Mythrill." She took notice to me. "Laddie, try it on, ye'll be needin' tha' procection if ye're gonnae pass through th' mountains to th' north. Every man'll need one to be a proper protector of they're wife." Fiona tossed it to me, strangely, the Mythrill mail wasn't heavy.br
p"This doesn't weigh a thing," I said in pure amazement, staring at the silvery shirt.br
p"Nope, not a thing!" said Rinoa, a smile on her face. "Mythrill is the most amazing material, my father gave me some Mythrill mail just like that one." She pulled up her already skimpy tank-top to reveal that she had Mythrill mail on underneath, she let her shirt fall. "Try it on, you wear it under your clothes." I nodded and tossed off my jacket and pulled off my shirt.br
pI slipped on the Mythrill shirt, feeling that it was lighter that my T-shirt. "Wow..." I breathed in amazement.br
p"Cool, huh?" asked Rinoa.br
p"Looks good on you, Squall," Instructor Trepe said with a wry grin.br
p"I agree," said Selphie with a wink. "iVery/i sexy."br
pRinoa laughed and pulled out her sword. "Now, let's test it!" The next thing I knew she was shouting a battle cry and lunging right at me with her sword!br
p"RINOA!!!" I shouted. I shielded my face, waiting for unbelievable pain, but nothing came, just a cracking sound. I peeked at the corner of my eye and saw that Rinoa's sword was cracked at my side where it had hit the Mythrill.br
p"Aw, man!!!" cried Rinoa in exasperation. She held up her ruined sword. "I forgot how istrong/i this stuff is!"br
p"Awesome," said Zell. He then turned to Fiona, "We'll all take one of those Mythrill shirts! How much does it cost?"br
p"Hmm..." said Fiona. "Ah think it'll be 'round...4000 gil total!"br
p"4000?!" Selphie screeched. "That's iway/i expensive!"br
pI slammed the gil down on Fiona's desk, "We'll take 'em!" I said.brbrbr
pI stared up at the dark ceiling, nothing to light the dim Inn's room but the stars and a few flickering candles. So much had happened in one day, and I would soon be back in Balamb with my friends and Rinoa. I looked over at her sleeping form on the bed next to mine, her hair tossled around her face; God, she's beautiful... I suppose that the only downside to today is the fact that we can't pass into the Northern mountains unless... Unless one of us gets married. I found out from Fiona earlier today; I've told Rinoa and the others, they think that iwe/i should get married! Ridiculous!br
pBut... Then again... Is it ireally/i that ridiculous? I mean, we love each other, and we've been through quite a few things together... If it's the only way we can get to the Northern mountains... Is Balamb really worth getting married for? ... ... ...No! I can't get married! I'm only seventeen, there's no way I could ever get married, now... Not even if it was to--br
pNot even if it was to... Not even to Rinoa! ... ... ... ...But... I really love Rinoa... I suppose we could get married, but not for a long time! We're both really young, and it just wouldn't be practical--not inow/i, anyway... ... ...But, if we love each other, then our age shouldn't matter, right? No, it shouldn't, but I just can't do it, not now...br
p"Squall?" My thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice. I looked over to see Rinoa was sleepily staring at me, "What's wrong?"br
pI smiled, "Yeah, just thinking."br
pShe sat up, "What about?" She walked over to me and sat next to me on my bed. "You know you can tell me anything."br
pI leaned on my elbows for support. "Just thinking about the whole marriage thing, you know. About it being the only way to leave here and go back to Balamb; I just wish there were some other way. I mean, I may not know too much about this...but... When you get married, it's supposed to be because you want to, not just because it's some dumb law."br
p"So you're not willing to do it?" asked Rinoa. Did I hear a tinge of disappointment in her voice...?br
p"Well, it's not that, I just..." I was silent for a moment. "I just wish I had some confirmation you know? I mean..." I trailed off.br
p"You mean what?" Rinoa asked, anxious to hear my reply.br
pI looked her straight in her eyes. "...I love you, Rinoa, more than anything," I said, letting my knuckles caress her soft cheek. "But...do you really think that we're ready for, well, you know..."br
p"Marriage?" she asked. She sighed and leaned her head on my chest; I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and layed back in bed with her, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. "If I were to be married, I would want it to be back home, in the Temple of Odin... I'd want Odin himself to bless my marriage; I'd want all of my friends and family to be there; I'd want my father to be there... After all, if Odin saw it fit to see me wed, then I'd have no doubt whatsoever. But, then again, if he saw it fit to send us here... I can't help but wonder..."br
pI looked down. "Are you saying that you really--"br
p"I'm isaying,/i" said she, looking up at me. "That I love you better than all the world. But I also love my village and my temple back home, and I would do ianything/i to keep them from being threatened; I imean/i it." I stared at her, confused and half-shocked. She really...loved me enough for this?br
p"...Do you love me?" I asked, unsure.br
pShe smiled and locked eyes with me. "If I didn't truly love you, then my eyes wouldn't have changed," she said. I sighed. "Listen," she said. "I love you. However, love is not the only reason for marriage." I stared at her, shocked. She was the last person on earth I would expect to say something like that... br
p"...Rinoa, I--"
pShe smiled, "Squall, if I know you as well as I think I do, there is only one thing I need to say." I looked up; does she mean she wants to...? She leaned her forehead against mine. "I'm willing to if you are." And then we kissed.brbrbr
p*End Flashback*brbr
pSo, that's how it went down. Now, I'm here with Rinoa at the altar. Why did my life have to be this way...? It seemed as if my whole life had just gone by me in an instant, that I went straight from the delivery room to this place... I caught the sight of Rinoa's fist tightning out of the corner of my eye; I grabbed her hand, causing her to look up at me. I smiled at her reassuringly.br
p"An' now, Ah pronounce ye man an' wyfe!" And then I kissed her.brbrbrb
p~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~brbrpSee? SEE??? I itold/i you guys that I'd have it done! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that it took so long like this!!! I can't believe how much I've been slacking. I've been working on my latest work, the Kinira Chronicles. It's a DBZ fic--even if you don't like DBZ, please read and review anyway! PLLEEEEAAASSSEE???!!!! Thank you!/font
