*Disclaimer* I don't own Final Fantasy 8, and instead of poking fun at it, I'm trying to make a serious story here. So, don't sue, I own nothing. Seriously...

Chapter 2

Somewhere far away from the garden and the gang stood Rinoa. Now 20 and single, Rinoa had found her passion in taking pictures, and writing stories. She still looked amazing, still thin, but now rather mature. She still had her giggle side, and she still was Rinoa, but all grown up, and heart.

"Move it to the left..." Rinoa called to some men fixing a sign, she raised her hands.

"Perfect!" Rinoa squealed taking aim at the sign and taking rapid pictures, after a few moments Rinoa lowered the camera smiling.

"That's a wrap guys! Thanks!" Rinoa yelled at the older men, she then turned and marched into her office thrusting the pictures and an article at her boss.

"There you go Bob, right on time.." Rinoa stated with pride, she slumped slightly tilting her head to the side as her boss read it in a hurry.

"Good work, Rinoa. Now I have a new assignment for you, it's very important." Bob leaned forward-looking at Rinoa carefully.

"I need you to go to the Garden..." Bob stated slowly. Rinoa knew what Garden, he didn't have to say, she knew what it was, and who was there. She was smiling before, now her smiled quickly turned upside down, and her eyes filled with sadness, and rage.

"No, I cant, I wont, I wont go there." Rinoa yelled at her boss, her friendly tone turned into a sort of panic yell.

"You have to, no one else is as good as you, this is an important article, I need you to do this for me and for yourself, and you can't keep hiding from this Rinoa." Bob stood up slowly staring firmly at her.

"I quit then!" Rinoa glared at him, and quickly turned and started walking out of the door, Bob ran around his desk and cut her off.

"Don't be silly Rinoa, this is your future, and this is what you are good at. Just please a couple of days, then you'll be back. I'm asking you as a friend to do this for me, it's extremely important." Bob sighed looking up at her.

"Why not send Frank, or Sam or someone else, why me?" Rinoa stated, her voice creaking with pain.

"Cause your the best, and this is important. I need someone to go and get the scoop why we need soldiers now that there is peace, and why we're still paying for them." Bob gently pulled her back into his office.

"This will be big for your career Rinoa, if you do this, I mean do it well, you wont need this place anymore, you can do whatever you want, go where ever. You just need to finish, with a bang! And this is your Bang." Bob stated finally watching her carefully, already knowing he had won, she would do it.

Zell stood with Irivine, and Quistis at Balamb train station looking down the tracks at the upcoming train.

"I hope this journalist doesn't give us crap, you know.." Zell sighed rocking back and forth looking nervously.

"There's a rumor that he came to get the scoop to put us out of business." Irivine said shaking his head.

" Yeah, a lot of thanks for 3 years ago huh? Geez.." Zell yelled over the train as it pulled up, stopped and after some moment's people started filling out. The three of their eyes were scanning the trains, until Irivine's eyebrows raised up, and he smacked Zell's chest in a hurry, not removing his eyes from their target.

"Ow what the hell Irivine, what did you find him?" Zell turned his head then stopped talking. The two boys stood there watching a graceful figure step off the train, her legs perfect, their eyes pinned on her face.

"Rinoa..." Quistis stated nodding her head. Irivine nodded quickly.

"Of course, who else better to take down the garden.." Irivine finally shook his head, releasing him from his trance.

"Zell?" Quistis elbowed him hard in the side. Rinoa smiled quickly walking over to them.

"Hey Guys!!" She dropped her bags and gave Quistis a tight hug, Quistis was quick to return it. She then turned to Irivine and pushed up his cowboy hat.

"Howdy partner.." Rinoa smirked and gave him a quick hug, Irivine closed his eyes mumbling something about Selphie.

"Zell!" Rinoa jumped at Zell, giving him a tight squeeze.

"We missed you Rinoa, but if you don't mind us what are you doing here?" Quistis said quickly getting straight to the point. Rinoa slowly let go of Zell biting her lip, turned toward Irivine and Quistis.

"I'm here, to interview and do a scoop on the Garden.." Rinoa stated this rather quickly. Irivine slowly nodded looking at Zell, who gave a strong nod back.

"Well..so you're the demon here to put us out of business.." Irivine said as friendly as he could manage. Rinoa turned to Irivine looking shocked, and slightly hurt.

"I'm not here to put you guys out of house and home, just here to see what you guys are up to, and just you know mess about.." Rinoa giggled slightly.

"Right.." Zell muttered looking at Quistis.

"Well, lets get your bags, and head to the Garden.." Irivine walked away from them quickly looking for Rinoa's things. Rinoa stood there looking at Zell and Quistis. Zell slightly glared at Rinoa, as if she was some kind of disease, that would soon infect him and destroy him. Quistis wasn't that friendly either, she kept her tone, serious, and unfriendly. More like a military officer. Once Irivine returned with the bags, they head off toward the car.

"I can carry my bags Irivine.."Rinoa looked at him reaching for the bags, Irivine pulled the bags away.

"That's ok, I got them. The least we can do for ...your kind.." Irivine stated rather coldly. Rinoa bit down on her bottom lip, she didn't want it to be like this, she didn't want to be the odd man out. The car went along, Rinoa stared down at her hands in her lap, and she knew the looks they were giving her, and she didn't want to see them, to feel their hatred toward her. The car gave a jerk stop, and they all got out. Rinoa stepped out of the car, looking at the garden, the past memories flooded her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~1 year ago~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" I saw you kiss him Rinoa! I saw it! " Squall yelled at her.

"It didn't mean anything, I never kissed him back, I don't love him Squall, and I love you!" she had yelled with all her might.

"Whatever.." Squall turned walking away.

"Don't WHATEVER me Squall, you stand there, you turn around, and if you don't tell me you care about me, and if you don't love me, like I love you. I'm going to walk out of that door, and you will never see me again do you understand? So what's it going to be?" she stated pointing downward. Squall turned and looked at her, then turned slowly around and walked away from her, from their "love". Rinoa fell to her knees, and put her head in her hands and cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`Now~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"We're here.." Irivine yelled at Rinoa, pulling her out of the past. Rinoa shook her head, brushing a small tear away from her eye.

"It's not like I don't know my way around Irivine.." Rinoa said this quickly, meaning it as a joke.

"Oh good.." Irivine said dropping her bags at her feet, and handing her a dorm room key.

"Find your room then.." Irivine said turning and walking off. Zell glanced at Irivine, then turned looking back at Rinoa, then followed the cowboy. Quistis lingered for a moment, then started walking after them, stopped and turned around and looked at her.

"Go home Rinoa.." she said quietly then walked after the two men. Rinoa stood there watching her old friends walk and leave her, in her old home with all her bags, and no friends to help her.