Echoes of Time
Chapter 8: Knights
By Sephiroth 4000

Sweat trickled down the side of his pale face, even as he hunched his shoulders. Zell absent mindedly swiped at the drop of sticky moisture, roughly gloved hands brushing the sensitive skin around his tattoo. Although it was probably only his imagination, the tattoo always seemed to throb a little, and suddenly become rather itchy whenever he was nervous. He raked a hand through his already disheveled blonde hair.
From the other side of the walls, he could hear the sharp footfalls of booted feet, and the orderly murmur of voices. General Caraway had hurriedly woken them up this morning, shoving the SeeDs into a secret passageway which smelled like it led to the sewers. Ick.
And everyone else looked so damn calm. Oh sure, Selphie was kind of clenching her small hands, a half frown on her usually cheerful face. Sure, Irvine was idly fiddling with his cowboy hat. And yeah, Instructor Trepe was biting her lip. Yeah, Squall looked like he was a statue more then ever. And Seifer wasn't smirking for a change. No doubt he was worried about Rinoa. Raijin and Fujin were the only ones who were as inscrutable as ever; no doubt they trusted Seifer to make everything right.
Bah!
Not one of them looked like they wanted to just scream in frustration. Only he couldn't that would let those searching Galbadian soldiers find them, and if they did, all of them would be in deep shit. Zell knew that all too well. All of them were SeeDs, but they were only eight people, and could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, like at the thrice damned parade. But even when he had been little, he hated the necessity of having to hide from a golden haired nemesis, always sneaking, always hiding. He had liked the feeling the training at Garden had given him, a feeling of competence, that he could defend himself, he was one of the best.
Only. . .It didn't mean anything anymore. Garden had been utterly destroyed. The Headmaster, the Garden Masters, the Triple Triad obsessives that hung around the quad challenging everyone. . Even that cute girl he had asked out just before leaving for his first mission. They were all. . .dead.
And it was back to hiding.
He would have sighed, but his throat had tightened up too much. Instead, he simply rested his head on his arms, shivering.
The passageway entrance swung open with a groan. Zell's gaze shot up, and he was immensely relieved that it was only General Caraway. "They're gone?" he blurted out.
The General nodded. He looked utterly exhausted. "They're gone."

She was drowning. Drowning in a white silence, lost in the overwhelming power of a Sorceress. She struggled, constantly, despairing, but the only thing that kept her going. . .
Was the memory of a pair of blue eyes.
She could see him. She could feel him, trying to reach out to her, straining to keep her with him. And sometimes. . .
Sometimes she could feel their minds touch. And she would almost awaken.
But then a wave of knowledge would break over her, and she would once again be drowning, helpless, her mind unable to cope with this terrible power.

It was always at night when he visited her.
And he always took pains to make sure no one saw him go to the room where she slept, by the simple expedient of going when everyone else had gone to bed. It wasn't like he wanted to really do anything. . .Seifer had mocked him about 'coming into puberty', but the truth was the onset of puberty simply hadn't hit Squall very hard. Sure he had had 'uncomfortable' moments, but that was it.
It simply took more then a body to interest him. And while Rinoa was attractive in her own way, that beauty was diminished when her spirit wasn't there in the sparkling black eyes, in the careless toss of her hair.
Idiot.
He had never mooned over a girl in his entire life. Anymore of this and he would start to sound like one of Instructor Trepe's fan group, only about Rinoa.
He shook his head, bangs falling into his face. He simply watched her in the moonlight, reminded of the events of the past week, about what had happened in D-District. Not the torture. His mind shied away from that, to be dealt with later. No. . .what had happened after his torture, when he had first regained consciousness. It happened whenever he was around her, Squall finally admitted to himself, even as he inwardly rebelled. He. . .He couldn't trust. . .not after her. . .Trusting. . .even just being with a person everyday, laughing with them, sharing your life with them even a little. . .It simply hurt too much when you remembered that there was somebody you had loved with your whole being, and that they were gone. . .

You're gone. . .

 And. . .I. . .I want to protect you. . .But I don't know if I'm worthy. . .I can't. . .I just can't. . .

 I've known you for so little time.

Am I supposed to trust you? Rely on you?

 No. You can't rely on anyone but yourself.

 No one. . .Not even you.

A soft rustle of covers, and the clearing of a dry throat. He didn't dare look at her, he couldn't bear to hope at all. . .And then, "S. . .Squall?" Her voice was soft, raspy, and painful. But oh, so welcome to hear.
His eyes slowly rose to her face. They were widened, pupils dilated, his eyes were black pools with only a thin rim of grey. Other then that, he gave no sign of his worry, his shock, but it was enough. On his usually silent face, it was enough.
She smiled at him.

Rinoa felt cleansed. Refreshed. Everything was going to be okay.
It was amazing what a shower could do for her spirits.
She raked a hand through her damp hair, then combed it dry with the hairdryer. She studied her reflection critically.
Never fat, the week she had been asleep (more like in a coma) hadn't helped her any. Now, she had to admit to herself, she looked anorexic. Her shoulder muscles had wasted away, ribs poked out from her waist, and her waist itself was thinner then she had seen it in years. Being this. . .bony was scary.
But now she was clean, she was really, really hungry.
Exiting the bathroom, accompanied by the blast of steam that escaped when she opened the door, Rinoa entered the living room.
"GOD! You scared me so damn much!" With a shout, Seifer swept her up, and swung her around in a circle. She laughed weakly, even as he embraced her fiercely. His radiated warmth, and she hugged him back. Despite his faults, (namely his overweening arrogance) she knew Seifer did care for her.
But as a friend? Or a girlfriend?
Why would it matter anyway?
She gently disentangled herself from him. "Seifer? I'm sorry. . .but I'm starving!"
He laughed, and from behind him, she could hear other people laugh too, even as she saw their beaming faces over Seifer's broad shoulder. Raijin, Fujin, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Irvine. . .they were all grinning, and they all seemed genuinely pleased to see her well. She couldn't help the surge of sudden feeling she felt for them. She hadn't known them very long, but she had a feeling that in them she had found life long friends.
And then she saw Squall. He was steadfastly avoiding looking at her, gaze trained down. As usual.
She shrugged off the odd feeling of concern he always summoned to her, and instead let her friends lead her to the well stocked kitchen.

The recently fed girl sighed and stretched blissfully.
They had retired back to the living room, and Selphie and Quistis were filling her in on what had happened. Their news was grave, but she couldn't help but feel happy.
"I'm really sorry," was she could say, rather lamely. How could she commiserate with them, though? Well yeah, your home's blown up, everyone you know is probably dead. . .hey wanna go back and stir up more rebellion in Timber?
Quistis shook her head. "It's okay." Blue eyes met with black, and both girls smiled. Rinoa gave the two SeeDs hands a gentle squeeze. "So what now?"
"Actually. . ." Seifer's deep voice broke in, uncharacteristically hesitant. "I. . .wanted to talk to you about that."
"Seifer?" she asked, automatically standing in deference to his grave tone.
He paused for a moment, searching her face. And then knelt down in front of her.
"Seifer!?"
"Look. . .Rin, I know that. . .you're a Sorceress now, right?"
As much as she shied away from that fact, as much as something inside her screamed at her that it wasn't possible, she couldn't deny the power inside her. "Yeah."
"I know. . .that things are probably going to be tough for you. . .It's in enough books how hard it is to master Sorceress power. But yet. . .Rinoa, I. . .care about you. And, I know you care about me."
The cockiness of his last statement didn't offend her. It more made her laugh rather fondly. Arrogant, he was always so arrogant, even when he was uncertain.
"What I'm trying to say to you. . .I want to protect you always. I think, somehow, some part of me has known that I would need to protect you one day. . .What I'm asking you is. . .Rinoa, will you have me as your Knight?"
She stilled in shock. Seifer. Her smile froze fixedly on her face. A numbness spread throughout her. . .Hyne. . .How can I tell him no? I can't!
 She looked down at Seifer's earnest face, devotion shining from summer sky blue eyes. And beyond, across the room, Squall Leonhart looked at her, head up, gloves straining over his fisted hands, face utterly cold, wintry grey eyes boring into her. Pleading with her not to. . .don't. . .
The words came leadenly. She knew they would hurt, and her heart beat within her breast slowly, painfully.
"Yes Seifer. I accept you as my Knight."

Author's Note: ARGH! That didn't turn out right! I think I must have seen that scene between Rinoa and Seifer a gazillion times, only it ended up. . .odd. Eh well . . .Hmm. . .next chapter should be focusing on SQUALL and his Sorceress. Ja ne!