Epilogue- stability
Rinoa watched the sunset over the horizon of Esthar. It was odd how she felt a part of her life was coming to an end. In one way it was. Squall and she would have to start looking for somewhere else to live soon.
Maybe the recent events had changed their priorities. Squall had been shot and she had cast a spell that had had some effect on her powers. They seemed dormant. She couldn't explain it, understand it and as her mind had been filled with anger and grief she couldn't explain what had happened when she cast the spell.
She was now familiar with the theory about the sorceress powers being conscious. Well she wasn't sure she believed it. But then again she wasn't sure that she would like to believe it. But it fitted in with the legends of Hyne, along with the story of Hyne which she had heard in her childhood.
She had nearly exhausted her powers when she had cast the spell. A little part of her formed the hypothesis that the power was really conscious and that maybe it had lost the battle of dominance over her mind.
And with that thought she wondered if that was why Adel had become corrupted, losing the battle. Rinoa had been fighting something after receiving her powers- she had thought it was fear. But strangely it was gone.
She cared most about the future now. When she began thinking about her powers it gave her a headache. She wanted to concentrate on whatever future she had now with Squall. She was nervous but excited too.
Laguna had brought medical facilities along with the boat which had understandably taken longer to arrive at Centra than the Ragnarok. Back in Esthar the doctors had treated herself and the more seriously injured Seeds after the battle.
The losses had been none for Garden. The casualties had been severe in a few cases but life could return to normal.
The treaties had gone again underway as soon as Squall had recovered. Rinoa laughed as she remembered the sheepish look on Quistis' face when she explained he was expected at the peace talks the next evening.
Leaning against the rail she noticed there wasn't much wind. Which was surprising considering how cold it was getting now, winter was setting in and it was considerably colder than any winters she had experienced.
She smiled again at the new idea she had come up with, persuade Squall to let them go to a warm country. Maybe somewhere down south. She liked the idea of learning another language.
Someone was walking behind her, it was a case of déjà vu switched around as she recognised squall. It was like the time when Squall had been wandering in the quad ages ago to get a bit of peace and quiet.
"Hello Squall." She bit back a laugh; he was surprised she could tell. She could almost feel the emotion radiating off him. She gave him credit though; he continued on his path and slipped a pair of arms around her waist.
"Can't sneak up on you can I?" He murmured into her hair, she being a little shorter than he was.
"I could sense you coming a mile off." That was another thing, since the 'battle' she had fought with herself had left her feeling more focused and she was experiencing other powers. Such as the ability to sense her knight.
"Yeah well next time you won't be so lucky." It was amazing now that Squall could create small talk. Maybe it was from being around politicians for so long.
"It really has been a while hasn't it?"
"What?"
"Since we could talk." She glanced at him, she was right; they hadn't had much time to talk lately. His final duties before he could give up his position as commander had taken up some time. Then sorting things out with his father to whom he did owe something. He owed his life that he was now going to spend with Rinoa.
"I think I should mention something Rinoa." Squall was trying to look embarrassed, but he wasn't practiced in the art of acting and he failed badly. It actually seemed that he was trying not to laugh.
"What?" She asked while twisting her head up to look at him. It wasn't a very good view of his face; she could only see his chin and his nose. She pulled her body out of his arms and he had to settle for looping an arm round her shoulders instead.
"I've got some ideas about where we should choose to go…" She started as they headed into the building as the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping further.
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Laguna was sitting at his desk pretending that he was working. If Kiros or Ward had been there they would have known it was really an excuse to think. This was in itself uncharacteristic behaviour. He never liked to consider things because he had so much faith in his ability to act on impulse and everything turn out fine.
It was strange but it was Squall who had caused the sudden character change. They had spent a long time talking about things, things Squall wanted to know about his mother.
But though they were at an uneasy truce now, things were definitely better. They could talk when they needed to; Squall's awkwardness was caused by his discomfort at talking more than he felt he needed to. He had never been much of a conservationist but he was making extreme attempts to make their relationship easier.
It still hurt as it had always done to look at him and think of Raine. But that was something that could only be changed over time. Right now Laguna could only think of Squall as Raine's baby. He didn't want to think that way but it was how he had come to know of Squall and he only hoped it would be rectified as he came to know him.
But there would not be so much chance of that now.
Squall had quit SeeD. He had come to some decision that being a SeeD and the partner of the sorceress was nothing short of hypocritical. It was choosing between duty and who he loved that had caused so much conflict ever since meeting Rinoa.
Than again Laguna decided, it could all be guesswork on his part; he was assuming that this was a welcome change for Squall. There was nothing worse than closing a door totally; you were inevitably drawn toward it again when you could never walk back into your old life so he hoped it was a god thing.
He had Ellone still though and now Squall was on speaking terms with him. He couldn't imagine what had made Squall change his mind about wanting to know his own family but it had been near death for Squall before Laguna had shown up with backup. Maybe Squall was re-assessing his priorities.
Ellone wandered in again, which could only be a good thing. He had Ellone near at hand, Squall would be leaving with Rinoa soon and he would have only remnants of his family left.
Not true, the optimistic side in him refused to give in to misery. Squall would have one settled home so it would be easier to contact him; he was going to have a longer life expectancy out of Garden. The missions considerably shortened that for a SeeD.
And there would be no animosity between them either. That was something to be grateful for.
Ellone was talking about Rinoa's plans for her and Squall to live somewhere in a little town that was rarely visited by tourists. Laguna directed his attention to Ellone who was at that moment was describing Rinoa's plans to persuade Squall to choose that place to go.
Rinoa would win no doubt.
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Selphie and Irvine were doing well Quistis decided. Well, Selphie hadn't said that she would go out with Irvine yet but it would happen. Irvine was winning her over and Zell would win over the library girl.
A few people had joked about her getting together with Seifer, but that was ridiculous. She had heard of the saying of opposites attract but not that opposite.
No, for now she was content with being on her own, she might meet someone in Garden, she was returning there next week. There was someone out there for her, she just didn't know him yet that was all.
Meanwhile, Rinoa and Selphie were planning a shopping trip in Deling city soon and she had been invited. It would be one of her few chances of being a normal teenager, it was strange that sometimes she forgot her age and acted considerably older.
She had been promoted permanently; she had just coped with the workload last time and without her old work added to it she could cope. Xu was taking over her old position.
She walked along the halls of the hotel she was staying in, bumping into everyone she knew at the palace had been too much and she had to settle for her own room in a nearby hotel.
She glanced out of the window. Something wasn't finished in this situation. She couldn't describe it. An uneasy feeling crept into her heart and she had a feeling it was to do with Rinoa's powers.
The scientist couldn't be entirely wrong could he?
She thought of Squall and Rinoa, planning their new life elsewhere. What did the thoughts mean?
A comet burned in the sky, visible as a firework across the sky. She had learned that nothing in life was ever so simple as they looked. Maybe this was another case.
Laughter rang throughout the city; the surface of things looked fine. What was underneath was the problem.
She tried to shake off the unhappy thoughts. She was going to meet up with her friends and they would plan their immediate futures. What was waiting ahead for them all would have to wait.
She picked up her pace and reached her room just as another comet burned in the sky.
I've finished this story, I was reading someone's fic lately and I felt really sad when I read it, so this ending is a way to bridge the gap between this and the next part I want to write. This will continue with the theme of the sorceress powers having a consciousness.
It was so tempting to leave it here and say that was it but as with the game I believe there is sufficient enough plot holes left from this that I can fill when I write the next story.
This is my first completed fic and it will always be special to me because of the reviews I got and the massive learning curve I've been on since I started writing.
This was initially meant to include much more Rinoa and Squall relationship stuff but I didn't know how to write it and it didn't seem to fit in my plot.
Thanks reviewers- you kept me going even if I did take so long to write the epilogue!
The initial idea I had of making this a dark fic didn't quite work out but I hope I keep enough of my dark mood for when I write the next story.
I think I started writing this when I finished reading Crimson lies; I started writing the ending when I read another brilliant fic recently.
The next plot will be focused on Squall and Rinoa as always and when I can get round to writing the next plot plan I hope my story stays true to it this time.
Thanks everyone.