BLACK RAIN
As you know, I, like yourselves, don't own any of these characters…etc except the imagination we have to give them stories of their own.
"I just don't THINK she's not dead, I KNOW she's not dead" – Squall
Chapter 13 – The Aftermath
(Rinoa -?)
Her eyes were closed, but she could hear things around her. She couldn't move either. It was almost as if her body was still asleep, or unconscious, but her ears were tuned into the real world. She hears voices form above, s if there are people standing over her.
"Get the Elder, ask him to hurry."
Rinoa tries to open her eyes, but they stay firmly shut in defiance. She hears a door opening and several noises that suggest there are more people walking up to her.
"What happened to her?" says one.
"We do not know, Elder. We were standing here on duty, when a white light flooded the area. This girl fell through and then the light disappeared. There was a huge bang as well."
Her eyes flicker slightly. She just makes out a couple of shapes. One is tall the other is small. Both are bent over her. The one called Elder speaks again.
"I know who this is. Take her to the village. She needs help. She has been through a terrible ordeal, one which is a precursor to a bigger ordeal."
"Right away," say two voices. She feels two sets of hands slide under her body. Their hands are shaped like shovels. She knows who these people are, but the name eludes her…
(Squall/Irvine/Selphie – Ragnarok Wreckage)
Squalls eyes blink open. He is lying down on his back. A coat is stuffed under his head and a blanket is over his body. He stares up at the roof of the place he is in, and realises that it is tilted at an awkward angle.
"Oh thank Hyne! Your awake!" says a voice. He turns his head and Selphie is kneeling next to him, a look of delight on her face.
"You look terrible," she says, "but at least your ok. Me and Irvine thought you were dead."
Squall says nothing, letting his eyes focus on Selphie and the rest of the room.
"You don't look so good either," he says. Indeed, Selphie didn't look 100%. The left side of her face was blackened and her left arm is in a sling. Her legs and arms are covered in cuts and bruises.
"Nah, I'm fine. You should see Irvine, he's perfectly ok!"
At the mention of his name, Irvine walks in. Squall recognises he's missing his trademark coat.
"Where's your coat?" he asks.
Irvine chuckles. "You've been lying on it the past 6 hours."
Squall tries to sit up, gets dizzy and falls down.
"Next time, take it easy." Selphie giggles. Squall grunts. He sits up.
At this viewpoint. He can see the room clearer. The whole room is a mess, and is indeed cocked at a curious angle, as if it was a table missing one of its legs.
"Where are we?" he asks.
"Were still in the Ragnarok. We have been since it crashed. Luckily, there were no major fires, but we did get beat up a bit when it crash landed."
"Except me" says Irvine. "Sorry Squall, but when that thing blew, the force of it knocked you into me. You took the blast while I was behind you. Sorry." He smiles.
Squall says nothing.
"Anyway…" says Irvine, thinking he's offended him. "I took care of you, then Selphie. We got as much stuff as possible from the cargo bay and have been sitting in here. You can still get outside, but it's like an obstacle course."
Squall nods his head, and tries to stand up. He still feels sore all over, and when he tries to walk, his right leg buckles under him. Selphie and Irvine both grab him in time.
"Thank you" he says awkwardly.
"I'm amazed you still have your legs," says Irvine. "That blast engulfed you."
"So am I" he says. He tries to stand up and succeeds, but his right leg won't allow him to walk.
"My legs gone…" he says.
"Ill fix it," says Selphie. Squall sits back down, as Selphie rolls up his trouser leg. "It's not broken, just severely sprained. There are bruises all up it. Ill have to make a support for it."
Squall curses. "Can I walk?"
Selphie smiles. "Yes, you can, but with a severe limp. It will heal, just a question of how long."
Squall says nothing, but listens as Irvine tells him what happened when the ship crashed and after it.
"Selphie got covered in glass and debre" he says. "I was fine. I dragged you into here Squall" he gestures around the room, which Squall recognises as the main hall. The stairs leading up to the upper levels are wrecked. "Then I got Selphie. After that I went around the ship as much as I could, and salvaged this food and stuff. I sealed the doors to stop the fires getting through. Selphie woke up after an hour, and we both tackled the fires. Like she said, luckily there was nothing major."
Squall nods his head. "Good, well done."
Selphie giggles. "Typical Squall, well done! That's you by the way."
Squall gets back up; he is able to put a bit of weight on his leg.
"We have to try to get outside. Maybe someone's came for us."
"Sounds good," says Selphie. "Lets go."
They fight their way to the loading ramp. Squall realises that the ship isn't just tipped at an angle, its practically upside-down, as what's left of the landing ramp is attached to the ceiling. Masonry and metal litter the floor. Squall needs help to step over the wreckage.
Irvine is outside first.
"Hey! There's a car coming!" he yells.
(Zell/Quistis/Laguna – Esthar)
"What do you mean, your dreams came true?" asks Laguna, looking down at Zell. He looks back up and sees a ship screaming off into the distance, the back an angry colour of red and yellow fire.
"We knew this was going to happen," says Zell, picking himself up. "But not like this…"
He quickly shakes his head, then grabs Laguna.
"Follow that ship! We have to help them!" he shouts.
"OK! OK!" Laguna yells back. "Get in the car, we can follow it!"
Zell carefully places Quistis unconscious body in the back seat. He then gets in and rests Quistis head on his legs. He looks more closely, as if he was sure he saw Quistis stirring.
"Quistis?" he asks. No response, but Zell feels unease about himself about her. As if something was different about her. He wonders why Ultimecia knocked her out. But he was really wondering why Ultimecia had a look of fear and horror on her face…
The car journey is non eventful. All the time Zell wonders about what happened in the Pandora, and to Squall and Rinoa. Also about the ship, as he was sure Selphie was in that thing. His thoughts are interrupted by Kiros.
"Were almost there, as there is debre form the ship littered here."
Laguna looks down solemnly. "That's if there's a ship to find. Some of these parts look as if they fell form the landing legs."
"Don't say that" Zell says bitterly. "Well find them, they're alive, I know it."
Laguna nods his head. "Your right, but we've been driving for 4 hours now…"
"I don't care!" Zell yells at him. "They're alive! I know!"
Kiros looks at Laguna awkwardly. Laguna doesn't return the stare.
"Yes, your right, faster Ward, hurry."
Ward grumbles softly as the car goes faster.
"There it is!" Yells Zell from the back seat a while later. "There!"
The others say nothing. The ship is crash landed upside-down in the desert. Smoke comes from the ship, but not badly. Debre from both inside and outside the ship are strewn all over the place.
"By Hyne…" is all Kiros can say.
"Ill say! Look!" yells Laguna with delight. He points to three figures standing outside. Selphie, Irvine and Squall, who is leaning on Selphie.
"All Right!!!!!" Zell yells so loudly that Ward almost skids. He growls slightly, but opens the door for them.
Selphie is smiling broadly, and Irvine is calling. All Squall can do is look at the ground.
We made it. Our visions did play out differently, as Hyne said…
Squall smiles slightly himself as Kiros and Ward help him up to the car. He stops, looks in the back seat, and his small smile quickly vanishes.
"Where's Rinoa?" he asks sternly.
Zell looks at him. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?" he asks more angrily.
"Please, lets get in the car and go," says Laguna "Ill take you to…"
"No" Squall says. "Take me to the Pandora wreckage. She's alive."
The others look at him.
"Do you think so?" asks Kiros.
Squall stares at him. "I just don't THINK she's not dead, I KNOW she's not dead."
Kiros looks away.
"Very well, lets go."
They climb into the car. Squall moves into the back. He looks at Quistis.
"Ill do it Zell," he says, resting her head in his lap. He looks down at her. A wave of mixed feelings come over him as he looks at her.
Quistis? But… what about Rinoa? I was destined, meant to be your knight, but…What Hyne told me is true. All of it. Now I have to worry about what to do now. Our visions played up to the Pandora, but not after it…
He is broken from his thoughts as a voice talks to him.
"Squall?" Quistis asks, opening her eyes and looking at him.
"Quistis? You OK?" he asks solemnly.
"You look terrible" she says, she reaches up with one hand and strokes his cheek. The others see this, and are amazed when Squall takes her hand, instead of brushing it away as normal.
"I'll live. Or rather, I did." He whispers, so that only she could hear.
(Rinoa -?)
Her eyes were flickering, letting in little bits of light. She opens them halfway, and sees the same two shapes looking down on her. She feels softness under her and a blanket over her.
"I think she is awake, Elder. Medic is sure of it." Says the little shape.
"No, she is still away, but she is coming back. Even though her eyes are open barely, she is still away."
"What shall I do Elder?" the one called Medic asks.
"Nothing for now. Just see to it that she remains comfortable. Also she cannot be allowed to get upset." The one called Elder sighs. "She is going to have a hard time, even harder than the one she went through. This ordeal was a small test compared to the next one."
"That hard? Are you sure?" says the Medic.
"Yes, her eyes, even like this, tells me the story of what happened." His shape blurs away from Rinoa, as he continues to speak. "But she will not face her next ordeal alone, as another of her kind will end up being a massive help for her."
There is silence for a bit, before the Elder voice speaks again.
"I must go, as soon as she wakes, I will come over. Notify me when she does."
"I will Elder."
Rinoa hears the voices fade away as she lapses into a sleep again.
(Lunatic Pandora/Tears Point Wreckage)
There was just junk littered about the place as the car stops. Squall gets out first, leaning on the car as he helps Quistis out. Again they look at each other, but Squall looks away quickly.
"Come on" he says, and starts to walk. He winces with the pain, but Quistis grabs his arm and hangs on to him.
"I'm fine, ill help."
Squall says nothing. The others walk about the debre too. After a while, Zell shouts.
"Yo! I found something!"
Squall walks over to the spot where Zell is standing. He and the rest say nothing as they look down at the scene.
In the middle of a perfect circle of debre, two gunblades lie crossed over each other. Lionheart lies on top of Hyperion. At the bottom, a small piece of white trenchcoat lies there. Squall bends down and picks his blade up. It is in perfect condition. As is Hyperion, when Laguna picks it up. Squall looks at the blades with interest. He feels compelled to listen to something.
"Find him, he will help you. He is the last choice."
A/N will be a while before new chap is up, as im going to finish 'White wind and Red Sky' first. Thanks for reading. All Reviews welcome.