Chapter 5
I don't own Final Fantasy.
Squall was tearing himself up inside.
"Where are you Rinoa? Where are you?"
"Squall. We're all going down to the bar." He was so wrapped up in thought that he hadn't noticed Quistis enter the room.
"I don't want to go."
"Please Squall, we're all worried about you. Please come."
"Fine." He slowly rose off his bed and took the elevator to the reception area before heading down the stairs to the bar. Everything about it was exactly the same as when Laguna had been here. Things hadn't changed one bit. Even the grand piano was exactly the same. The only difference was that it was not Julia playing tonight, but another pianist. Squall wondered if Rinoa had ever come here as a child to watch her mother play. Before he could ponder this any more, the pianist began to play. Squall immediately recognised the song and it filled him with a great sadness.
Eyes on Me.
Their song.
Squall ran out of the bar and onto the streets of Deling.
"Rinoa," he screamed. "Rinoa." No answer. He fell, crying to his knees. "Where are you?"
Seifer had found them. Dr Odine and the guard, lying there dead on the floor. Next to them was Rinoa, unconscious but alive. Odine's body had been badly burned and the guard had suffered severe head injuries. Rinoa was untouched.
"Maybe she's more powerful than I thought."
Rinoa came round in her cell several hours later, but couldn't remember anything.
"What happened? I remember being strapped into the chair and then.and then what? Something happened but I can't remember it."
"You,ve got a visitor," the guard told her. The door to her cell opened, and in strolled her father.
"You knew I was here?"
"I just found out."
"What have you got to do with this?" Major Caraway sighed.
"I had discussed with Seifer ways of preventing you being a sorceress. But I swear, I didn't know that he would take you."
"Are you going to get me out?" Caraway shook his head.
"It's for the best Rinoa."
"What? How can you say that? He's going to destroy Balamb Garden and kill Squall."
"Maybe that's for the best too. Leonhart will only hurt you."
"No he won't, he loves me."
"Even if he does. It won't stop him hurting you."
"How do you know that?" Caraway was silent. "Tell me."
"Because I hurt your mother. I used to be just like Leonhart, but then my work started to take over. It was my fault your mother was in a car crash. I was too busy to drive her. It's my fault she died and she hated me for it. I don't want you with a man that could do that to you." He began to cry at these painful memories.
"Dad, don't cry." Caraway looked up, shocked that she had called him dad. "I was with mum when she died. The last thing she said was
"Tell your father I love him"
"Really?"
"Yes. So you see, she never hated you. She never blamed you for what happened. She loved you." Caraway smiled. "So you see, Squall would never hurt me."
"I believe you now." Then, Rinoa did something that she hadn't done since she was five. She hugged her father.
I don't own Final Fantasy.
Squall was tearing himself up inside.
"Where are you Rinoa? Where are you?"
"Squall. We're all going down to the bar." He was so wrapped up in thought that he hadn't noticed Quistis enter the room.
"I don't want to go."
"Please Squall, we're all worried about you. Please come."
"Fine." He slowly rose off his bed and took the elevator to the reception area before heading down the stairs to the bar. Everything about it was exactly the same as when Laguna had been here. Things hadn't changed one bit. Even the grand piano was exactly the same. The only difference was that it was not Julia playing tonight, but another pianist. Squall wondered if Rinoa had ever come here as a child to watch her mother play. Before he could ponder this any more, the pianist began to play. Squall immediately recognised the song and it filled him with a great sadness.
Eyes on Me.
Their song.
Squall ran out of the bar and onto the streets of Deling.
"Rinoa," he screamed. "Rinoa." No answer. He fell, crying to his knees. "Where are you?"
Seifer had found them. Dr Odine and the guard, lying there dead on the floor. Next to them was Rinoa, unconscious but alive. Odine's body had been badly burned and the guard had suffered severe head injuries. Rinoa was untouched.
"Maybe she's more powerful than I thought."
Rinoa came round in her cell several hours later, but couldn't remember anything.
"What happened? I remember being strapped into the chair and then.and then what? Something happened but I can't remember it."
"You,ve got a visitor," the guard told her. The door to her cell opened, and in strolled her father.
"You knew I was here?"
"I just found out."
"What have you got to do with this?" Major Caraway sighed.
"I had discussed with Seifer ways of preventing you being a sorceress. But I swear, I didn't know that he would take you."
"Are you going to get me out?" Caraway shook his head.
"It's for the best Rinoa."
"What? How can you say that? He's going to destroy Balamb Garden and kill Squall."
"Maybe that's for the best too. Leonhart will only hurt you."
"No he won't, he loves me."
"Even if he does. It won't stop him hurting you."
"How do you know that?" Caraway was silent. "Tell me."
"Because I hurt your mother. I used to be just like Leonhart, but then my work started to take over. It was my fault your mother was in a car crash. I was too busy to drive her. It's my fault she died and she hated me for it. I don't want you with a man that could do that to you." He began to cry at these painful memories.
"Dad, don't cry." Caraway looked up, shocked that she had called him dad. "I was with mum when she died. The last thing she said was
"Tell your father I love him"
"Really?"
"Yes. So you see, she never hated you. She never blamed you for what happened. She loved you." Caraway smiled. "So you see, Squall would never hurt me."
"I believe you now." Then, Rinoa did something that she hadn't done since she was five. She hugged her father.