iFinal Fantasy VIII... Afterwards/i: Chapter One: iNew Life/i
p It was a warm, clear night at Balamb Garden. The glass dome
ceiling allowed the full moon to shine in, which was the main lighting
for the spacious ceremony hall. She spied upon him from across the
dance floor. The young woman, wearing a cream colored dress noticed a
handsome man, standing alone in the corner. He didn't notice her when
she approached.
br"You the best looking guy here. Dance with me?"
brHe stood silent, taking another sip of his drink.
br"Let me guess... you'll only dance with someone you like. Ok then,
look into my eyes." The girl started to swirl her finger in front of
the guys face. "You're-going-to-like-me...you're-going-to-like-me...
did it work?"
brHe sipped his drink again, then said "I can't dance."
br"You'll be fine. Come on. I can't be on the dance floor alone"
p She then grabbed his arm and walked to the dance floor. She
placed his hands on her body and led him into a waltz, but he moved a
little too slow and bumped into her. She tried again, this time with a
spin, but he got pulled along and bumped into her again. He starts to
walk away, but she pulls him back. She tried again, but this time he
bumps into another couple. The music picks up tempo slightly, and they
try again, this time doing the routine perfectly. When the dance ends,
they both look up at the ceiling and watch some fireworks fly overhead.
p Rinoa Heartily Leonheart woke up from her dream, it all
happened fifteen years ago. The second sorceress war was long over, and
she had found peace in her life. As she turned over in bed, she saw
her husband, Squall Leonheart, the man from the dream. Rinoa and Squall
got married just twelve years ago, on the anniversary of the romantic
night they had aboard the Ragnarok. Rinoa decided to let him sleep
some more, and got dressed. As she walked down the stairs of their
small Timber home, she saw their ten year old daughter, Raine, playing
in the street. She was joined by young Laguna, the son of their
neighbors Selphie Tilmitt Dincht and Zell Dincht. They had just moved
in the year earlier from their quaint Balamb home. Zell had wanted to
move because of the memories of his adoptive mother, who passed away a
year before they moved. Selphie wanted to move to be closer to her good
friend Rinoa, and because she loved trains. Selphie and Zell were
outside, drinking coffee, enjoying the crisp and tranquil air of the
small train station town. Rinoa poured herself a cup of coffee and went
outside to greet her friends.
p"Hi, Rinoa!" said the always cheerful Selphie.
br"Hi Selphie, how are you doing?"
br"I'm doing ok."
p Zell thought of saying something, but decided not to. The
three watched the 10:30 am train to Deling City pass by, Selphie
smiled.
p"Is Squall up?" Zell finally said, after a short pause.
br"No, I decided not to wake him up this morning" Rinoa replied.
br"Oh." Zell said, before drinking the rest of his coffee and going
inside.
pThe kids walked further down the street.
br"Remember, Laguna. No going past the pub!" Selphie yelled out.
br"Yes, mommy." Laguna replied, reluctantly.
br"That goes for you too, Raine!." Rinoa added.
br"Yes, mom" Raine said, with the same enthuasism as the little boy.
p Squall finally woke up and leaned over to kiss his angel, just
to find that she was not there. Stopping himself from feeling that
sense of abandonment that he felt most of his life, he got dressed and
went downstairs to find something to eat. After a quick search of the
fridge, he went back upstairs to find some money. iThere's never
anything to eat around here,/i he thought to himself. He headed
outside, and saw Rinoa and Selphie talking to each other. Squall walked
over and kissed his lovely wife on the cheek.
p"Ooh..." Selphie said, almost laughing.
br"What, doesn't Zell kiss you good morning when he wakes up?" Squall
asked.
brSelphie blinked, then looked at her and Zell's house "Sometimes...
but not this morning"
br"I wouldn't worry about it, he's very forgetful" Rinoa said.
br"I'm going to go to the store." Squall finally said, after another
short pause
p Squall walked down the street, but stopped when he reached the
kids. "You two be careful. You don't want the evil sorceress getting
you..." Squall said before rubbing Raine's hair into a mess and walking
off. Laguna laughed while Raine tried to comb her hair back into place
with her fingers. Raine remembered the bedtime stories of the evil
sorceress named Ultimecia, who possessed helpless angels and forced
them to do bad things. Raine then remembered the happy ending of the
story when a heroic lion stopped her from taking the most beautiful
angel of them all, and sent her back to the evil place that she came
from. She loved that part most of all, so did Squall
p Two hours later, Squall finally remembered a phone call he got
a couple days ago. "Did I tell you who was coming over today?" Squall
asked Rinoa, who was feeding their dog, Angela.
br"No, who"
br"Quistis Trepe is going to pay us a visit."
br"Thats great! I'll go tell Raine that a visitor's coming." Rinoa
went upstairs to tell Raine, but she was taking a nap on their bed.
Rinoa smiled at her daughter, then went downstairs. "Have I told you
today that I love you?"
br"No, but I'll bet that your about to."
brRinoa laughed, then kissed Squall. "We should go to the train
station and greet Quistis."
br"You go ahead. I'll tell Zell and Selphie, then we'll catch up with
you."
p Rinoa went outside and headed for the Balamb station, while
Squall went upstairs to get Raine.
p~End of Chapter One~
p It was a warm, clear night at Balamb Garden. The glass dome
ceiling allowed the full moon to shine in, which was the main lighting
for the spacious ceremony hall. She spied upon him from across the
dance floor. The young woman, wearing a cream colored dress noticed a
handsome man, standing alone in the corner. He didn't notice her when
she approached.
br"You the best looking guy here. Dance with me?"
brHe stood silent, taking another sip of his drink.
br"Let me guess... you'll only dance with someone you like. Ok then,
look into my eyes." The girl started to swirl her finger in front of
the guys face. "You're-going-to-like-me...you're-going-to-like-me...
did it work?"
brHe sipped his drink again, then said "I can't dance."
br"You'll be fine. Come on. I can't be on the dance floor alone"
p She then grabbed his arm and walked to the dance floor. She
placed his hands on her body and led him into a waltz, but he moved a
little too slow and bumped into her. She tried again, this time with a
spin, but he got pulled along and bumped into her again. He starts to
walk away, but she pulls him back. She tried again, but this time he
bumps into another couple. The music picks up tempo slightly, and they
try again, this time doing the routine perfectly. When the dance ends,
they both look up at the ceiling and watch some fireworks fly overhead.
p Rinoa Heartily Leonheart woke up from her dream, it all
happened fifteen years ago. The second sorceress war was long over, and
she had found peace in her life. As she turned over in bed, she saw
her husband, Squall Leonheart, the man from the dream. Rinoa and Squall
got married just twelve years ago, on the anniversary of the romantic
night they had aboard the Ragnarok. Rinoa decided to let him sleep
some more, and got dressed. As she walked down the stairs of their
small Timber home, she saw their ten year old daughter, Raine, playing
in the street. She was joined by young Laguna, the son of their
neighbors Selphie Tilmitt Dincht and Zell Dincht. They had just moved
in the year earlier from their quaint Balamb home. Zell had wanted to
move because of the memories of his adoptive mother, who passed away a
year before they moved. Selphie wanted to move to be closer to her good
friend Rinoa, and because she loved trains. Selphie and Zell were
outside, drinking coffee, enjoying the crisp and tranquil air of the
small train station town. Rinoa poured herself a cup of coffee and went
outside to greet her friends.
p"Hi, Rinoa!" said the always cheerful Selphie.
br"Hi Selphie, how are you doing?"
br"I'm doing ok."
p Zell thought of saying something, but decided not to. The
three watched the 10:30 am train to Deling City pass by, Selphie
smiled.
p"Is Squall up?" Zell finally said, after a short pause.
br"No, I decided not to wake him up this morning" Rinoa replied.
br"Oh." Zell said, before drinking the rest of his coffee and going
inside.
pThe kids walked further down the street.
br"Remember, Laguna. No going past the pub!" Selphie yelled out.
br"Yes, mommy." Laguna replied, reluctantly.
br"That goes for you too, Raine!." Rinoa added.
br"Yes, mom" Raine said, with the same enthuasism as the little boy.
p Squall finally woke up and leaned over to kiss his angel, just
to find that she was not there. Stopping himself from feeling that
sense of abandonment that he felt most of his life, he got dressed and
went downstairs to find something to eat. After a quick search of the
fridge, he went back upstairs to find some money. iThere's never
anything to eat around here,/i he thought to himself. He headed
outside, and saw Rinoa and Selphie talking to each other. Squall walked
over and kissed his lovely wife on the cheek.
p"Ooh..." Selphie said, almost laughing.
br"What, doesn't Zell kiss you good morning when he wakes up?" Squall
asked.
brSelphie blinked, then looked at her and Zell's house "Sometimes...
but not this morning"
br"I wouldn't worry about it, he's very forgetful" Rinoa said.
br"I'm going to go to the store." Squall finally said, after another
short pause
p Squall walked down the street, but stopped when he reached the
kids. "You two be careful. You don't want the evil sorceress getting
you..." Squall said before rubbing Raine's hair into a mess and walking
off. Laguna laughed while Raine tried to comb her hair back into place
with her fingers. Raine remembered the bedtime stories of the evil
sorceress named Ultimecia, who possessed helpless angels and forced
them to do bad things. Raine then remembered the happy ending of the
story when a heroic lion stopped her from taking the most beautiful
angel of them all, and sent her back to the evil place that she came
from. She loved that part most of all, so did Squall
p Two hours later, Squall finally remembered a phone call he got
a couple days ago. "Did I tell you who was coming over today?" Squall
asked Rinoa, who was feeding their dog, Angela.
br"No, who"
br"Quistis Trepe is going to pay us a visit."
br"Thats great! I'll go tell Raine that a visitor's coming." Rinoa
went upstairs to tell Raine, but she was taking a nap on their bed.
Rinoa smiled at her daughter, then went downstairs. "Have I told you
today that I love you?"
br"No, but I'll bet that your about to."
brRinoa laughed, then kissed Squall. "We should go to the train
station and greet Quistis."
br"You go ahead. I'll tell Zell and Selphie, then we'll catch up with
you."
p Rinoa went outside and headed for the Balamb station, while
Squall went upstairs to get Raine.
p~End of Chapter One~