Chapter 2: To Save One's Friends
"What do you mean?" Squall asked as he huried towards the girl.
She was catching her breath, unable to speak. (strange considering she was using gills to breath underwater...)
"I saw... a storm coming! Garden is still standing on the sea because they're still looking for you. They don't have time to get to cover. I think they didn't even notice the storm coming their way."
"How come you saw it?"
"I didn't 'see' it, I felt it. Don't forget that I'm a mermaid. The water curent felt a little different to me."
"I must tell them!"
He suddenly took his head in his hand, weak.
"Easy," Maureen said. "You nearly drowned, remember?"
"But I must..."
"You would never get to the surface..."
"But I can't just let them die!"
Meanwhile, Rinoa, Coran and SeeDs in underwater suits were still looking for Squall for a while underwater but he was nowhere to be found. The sun was going down and even with lamps, the SeeDs could barely see in the dephts. When they ran out of oxygen, they didn't have any choice but to return to Garden. Even though they were desperate to find their lost leader, they doubted that after all that time underwater, he would still be alive. He was dead...
But Rinoa and Coran refused to give up. Coran knew Squall was still alive. As twins, they were sharing everything, if he would have been dead, she would have felt it.
The Sorceresses were using their powers to light the undersea. Rinoa trusted Coran and believed Squall was still alive but maybe not in the water. She was 'flying' close to the surface and Coran deeper.
"You don't have to go that deep, Coran," she said telepathically.
The girl kept silent and looked again, deeper.
Rinoa suddenly noticed it waqs getting darker but not around her, rather under her. She looked at Coran and saw her aura diminish drastically. It faded then disappeared completely.
"Coran!" she exclaimed flying down to her.
She grabbed her and hurried to the surface. She brought Coran up to the quad where Seifer was still standing. He appeared worried when he saw Rinoa carrying Coran, uncounscious. He reached out to her and Rinoa gently placed Coran in her lover's arms. He carefully rested her on the floor.
"What happened?" he asked as he stroked her face from the soaked strands of hair.
"She's exhausted. She couldn't hold her barrier anymore. My Angel Wing doesn't use my power."
Seifer took a sorry look as he held Coran in his arms.
"It's my fault. If I would only have caught him..."
"It's not true Seifer," Rinoa said. "If Coran would hear you, she'd say you tried to catch him. You couldn't, not your fault..."
"Squall..." Coran whispered under her breath.
Rinoa folded her wings and kneeled down beside the girl. Seifer brought his head closer.
"Squall... we'll get you out..."
Rinoa clenched Coran's hand and got up.
"I'll find him, Coran. Even if it's the last thing I'll do, I'll find him."
She spread her wings and dived down Garden into the water one more time.
She decided to try and look farther. As long as she wouldn't have proof he was dead, she knew he could be alive. She clenched her necklace. She could feel it, just like Coran.
"I've gotta tell them! They're still looking for me, the least I could do is tell them I'm fine and try to save them!"
"But Garden can't leave since they don't want to leave you."
"We could bring them all here until the storm passes," Akuma suggested.
Squall looked at him.
"Yeah! There's plenty of room here! But I want to tell them myself. If you show up, they might get scared."
"Alright," Maureen said. "You hold onto me and I'll get you to them. I swim fast so you better hold on tight!"
Squall entered in the water right away then blushed, not knowing where to place his hands. He could grab her tail she wouldn't be able to swim. Her waist, he would never be able to hold on with all the swimming.
Seeing he had trouble dealing with that question, she faced his her back.
"Put your arms around my neck. Don't worry about choking me, my neck is harder than yours."
"Alright."
He did as she said.
"Now hold your breath."
He did then they dived. Squall was surprised. She could really swim fast! They ended up to the surface really quick, so quick, Squall wasn't sure they were until he saw Garden standing a bit farther. He looked around and saw someone swimming away. He recognized Rinoa.
She was desperate. She couldn't use her powers to breath underwater anymore. She could still use her angel wing but just holding her breath and dive was tiring. What if he was dead? What if Coran was to busy searching she didn't feel anything? No he had to be. She had to believe he was, for Coran!
"Rinoa!!"
What? Was she hallucinating? That voice... it couldn't be...
She turned her head and saw a familiar bronze head. He was not alone but she didn't care. She felt her heart sqeeze with emotion and her eyes fill with tears of relief.
"Squall!"
She flied towards him and he took her in his arms.
"I knew you couldn't be dead! I knew it! Coran never doubted either! She exhausted herself looking for you! Seifer's gonna be relieved as well..."
Squall held Rinoa at arms length looking grave.
"I'm sorry to have scared you but there is an emergency. A storm is coming, huge and Garden's right on its track! It's too late to move it and everyone's in danger! I was saved by an unknown GF who knew my father and he said we can take everyone in his undersea cave. Everyone must gather at the Quad!!"
"I'm not sure I understand but I'll go tell everyone. You just get your GF ready!"
"I'm taking care of that," Maureen said.
She disappeared underwater and Rinoa frowned.
"Who's that?"
"She saved me too," Squall said blushing slightly. "I'll tell you everything later. For now we must save everyone!"
"Okay!"
Rinoa flied up to the Quad after Squall insisted on staying in the water so everyone would trust Akuma once he was there.