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.
'Does the end more than justify the means?'
Chapter 18 – Finality
(Squall – Cape of Good Hope)
He stands there, looking at the headstone.
It is a simple one. Simple in its design, but also more than fitting for her. It would have suited her. He admitted that she was a lot like him when it came to the simplest of things. Like him, she also would not have wanted all this fuss about her. She would have wanted just what she wanted, despite the protests of others.
It has been 3 years now, but ever since her funeral, Squall has came to this spot every day, same time without fail. He stands for ten minutes looking at the headstone, no longer, no less.
A lot has happened over the last 3 years.
He remembers it all too well.
(After the fight – 3 years ago)
The Garden is a shambles, but all monsters are vanquished. The majority of them had followed them to the orphanage, and was slain by Griever. Squall heads out first of the gate made by Rinoa, carrying Quistis body in his arms. She looks as if she is asleep. But the looks on the SeeD's faces make it all too clear what had happened. Squall ignores them as he walks past, carrying her to the Infirmary.
Dr Kadowaki says nothing. There are few casualties to the students and staff. The doctor ushers Squall into a side room, where he gently lays Quistis body onto the bed. The doctor says nothing as the others file in behind him. And as they all stand over her body, a voice speaks softly to them.
"Let me in please."
It is Edea. She too looks sad, but she also looks as if she has been crying. The others back up slightly, but not Squall. He feels Edea's hand on his shoulder.
"I know you tried. You all did, I'm sorry" she says.
Squall says nothing. He lets out a shuddery breath, and simply nods his head.
"May I have some time alone?" she asks. The others look at her curiously, but they also realize they must depart. Though the reason is not clear.
"All of you, except you Rinoa, please."
Rinoa looks at her suddenly. Deciding not to ask, she simply says, "OK."
They depart, even the doctor, leaving the two sorceresses in there.
(1 hour later)
Rinoa leaves the room; her face is downcast, but also determined. She looks at Squall.
"Edea would like you all to go in, one-by-one, and pay your respects" she says simply.
Squall does not reply, merely nods his head. They file in one by one.
Squall goes in first. Edea is sitting there. She does not open her closed eyes, nor does she make any movement. Squall, realizing she is doing something, merely bows his head for a moment in front of Quistis. He leaves. The others follow suit. Afterwards Edea and Rinoa leave. Squall asks her what happened, but Rinoa answers simply.
"I can't tell you, and I'm sorry Squall I never will. I swore not to."
(2 days later)
The funeral is a somber affair. The entire Garden, even Trabia and the last students from Galbadia Garden, line the rocky pathway leading to the Orphanage. She would be laid to rest here under Edea's orders. No one questions it.
Afterwards, the Garden seems (to Squall) to suddenly get back to normal, as if nothing happened. But Squall can see it in his friends that they are all hurt by what happened.
As the depart, Squall looks to his left, he thinks he sees a black- cloaked figure vanishing over the hills, but he thinks nothing of it. For now.
(7 days later)
Selphie and Irvine announce they are engaged. They decided to spring it on the others as a way of cheering them up. Everyone is happy. Even Squall himself smiles. A few days later, they take off for Trabia Garden. Apart from their wedding, Squall hasn't seen them.
Zell… well Zell was Zell. After the funeral, not many people saw him. He was too busy working his ass off in missions. Confiding to Squall one day he simply said
"Keeping busy, that's my way of beating it."
Squall agrees. A week later, he too finally comes clean to the others. Rinoa had been pestering him about it, so just for the quiet, he decides to tell the others his plans.
"I'm quitting SeeD," he says simply. Cid and Edea, who have stayed in Garden since Quistis funeral, don't express anything. Unlike Zell, Xu and Nida, who make a lot of noise about it. Cid calms them down.
"Why Squall?" he asks.
Squall looks at Rinoa. She smiles.
"Because I'm hurting too. Because I want to quit, because…" he trails off. He lets out a breath.
"Because I want peace."
Edea says nothing, merely smiles slightly. Cid nods his head.
"Very well Squall, if that is your wish."
"Thank you" he says simply. Then, with Rinoa, he leaves. The others say nothing as Squall walks out the door.
"Hey, Cid? Why didn't you stop him?" asks Zell.
Cid looks at him. "Something inside me told me this was going to happen."
(Now)
He resigned as a SeeD, and, with Rinoa, takes off into the unknown. He really can't think at all about it, as it seemed like a blur to him. But here he was, at the orphanage now. And even now, a lot has changed. His home, his life and his family.
His home is in Winhill. The Winhill folk were suspicious at first, but they asked no questions. All they saw was a newly married (Rinoa wanted something huge, but Squall made some noise about it. In the end it was just a small affair, with only the orphanage gang, Cid, Edea and Xu in attendance.) couple just wanting to move in. Squall was even more shocked when Rinoa told him she was…
"Hey, what are you doing daddy?" a little girl asks. Squall turns, and sees her running up to him.
Expecting a child.
"I take it mum let you come here, then huh?" he asks with a smile on his face.
The little girl nods her head. She is about 2 years old, and is the double of her mother.
"Yes, me too" says Rinoa, walking up to him. She stands alongside him and they both look at the stone.
"What are you staring at mom? Dad?" asks the little girl.
"Nothing sweetie, just a stone" Rinoa answers.
"What's so special about a stone?" she asks. Squall lifts her up.
"It's special, because it reminds your mum and dad of someone special."
"Special person? Like an angel? Mum is an angel. She has these white wings. She showed me."
Squall laughs. Rinoa also. Squall looks into the eyes of his daughter.
"Yes, she was an angel too."
"What does the stone say?"
Squall looks at the stone quietly, then reads out to her:
QUISTIS TREPE
BELOVED FRIEND, SeeD AND INSTRUCTOR
FOREVER MISSED
"Hey that's the same name as me!" the little girl says.
"I know," says Squall quietly. "I know, Quistis Leonhart."
No more is said as they stare off out to the ocean, Squalls arms around his wife and daughter.
He closes his eyes. He hears something.
Thank you, for such an honor.
Squall smiles. Rinoa turns to him.
"We're going home, want to come with us?"
He shakes his head. "No, I think ill stay here a bit longer, if that's ok."
"Ok dear, ill leave the gate open for you" she kisses him, and leaves.
He stands there for a further few minutes. He nods one last time at the stone, then turns around, only to be frozen to the spot. Someone is behind him, someone he hasn't seen in a long time.
"You come here too?" says Seifer. Squall says nothing. Seifer walks up alongside Squall.
"So do I."
Squall faces the stone, then turns to Seifer. He looks beaten, a man now who looks as if he has been doing nothing but travelling. Squall heard a report about a month after Quistis death, about a man fitting Seifer's description heading to this location…
"I've been watching over everyone, since this" he says, gesturing to the stone.
"Me as well?" asks Squall.
"Yeah, and Rinoa, and your kid. Also Irvine, Selphie, and even Zell. Your all doing good for yourselves I see."
"I'm getting by" Squall answers. Finally he decides to cut to the point.
"Why were you watching?"
Seifer looks at the ground. "For two reasons. One, I still blame myself, even to this day, for what happened to her" he says flatly. "And I thought, that if I watched over the others, I could still make up for it. I know it was her choice and all, but I still feel it was I…" he says nothing more. He turns around and walks away. Squall calls to him.
"What was the other reason?"
Seifer turns around, and looks him in the eye.
"I'm going to ask you a question Squall, and I want you to answer me honestly."
"Well, your going to have to ask it first," he says gruffly.
"Truthful answer?" he says sternly.
"Yes, truthful answer" Squall says in a final voice.
Seifer looks at him quietly for a minute.
"It's about your daughter," he says. Squall's eyes narrow.
"No, she's fine, I'm just curious that's all, because, you know, she is a girl, and what she may become."
"Cut to the damn point Seifer" Squall snaps.
Seifer walks up to him and asks his question. The question spreads an evil feeling through his whole body.
"Are you afraid?" he asks simply.
Squall takes a step back, before answering.
"Yes, I am. But it won't happen, not this time."
Seifer says nothing as they look at each other. It begins to rain. They both look down.
The rain is black.
Authors Note: Well that's it. I would like to dedicate this story to My little sisters Kellie and Samantha, who, if it wasn't for them (Kel especially) squabbling over the color of rain, I would never have thought about the title OR the story.
I think this story is a way of defying the future. You see people saying 'I believe in fate'. I do, but I also believe you can decide what fate it is. I am going to work on the prequel now, mainly because I want to, but also because I'm getting hassled by certain folk. (Col, BSS, you know who you are lol)
Take care everyone, thanks for all the reviews. All were read and much appreciated.