Disclaimer: I own nothing in association with Final Fantasy VIII. All credit goes to Square and the magnificent workers under that company.
I have 8 reviews! I'm so happy! You guys are great. You really have no idea how happy you made me with those inspiring reviews. This chapter is dedicated to all of you.
Baby Rose-You reviewed me three times! Thanks! I also appreciate your advice.
Ink-Your review was amazingly inspiring. I'm glad that you're so excited. You make me very happy=)
Phoenix Blade- Hey... he might do it. Just keep reading!
Pixy Stix Freak- You're excited, too? You're great.
Usagi- You're too nice!^_^
LOL- Hey err... you were my first flame. I suppose... I'll remember you always?
By the way, I changed a few minor things at the end of my second chapter only a few days ago. Those things might confuse you as you read this chapter so you may want to reread the end of my last chapter: Reminisce.
Note: There will be a lot of dialogue included in this chapter that was in the game. I added it in to create more drama and angst.
Chapter 3: The Strife of a Lone Wolf
SQUALL
After five minutes of hopelessly waiting for Rinoa to wake up, Squall finally lifted her up into his strong arms and rushed her to the Hotel. Once inside, he sprinted up the stairs hastily. He didn't even bother to answer the threats issued by the angry Hotel owner. Squall carefully laid Rinoa down on the bed at the top floor after barging through the locked door with his own brute force. Looking up, he saw a heavenly face that sparked up the only happy moments that he remembered having.
Squall sat on the edge of her bed and put his hands on top of hers. He frowned sadly and began to rub her hands with his.
" You're so cold...." His voice drifted off as he realized the familiarity of his sentence.
" I wanna hear your voice. I've missed it for three years.... I've known no happiness for three years."
Squall began to rock back and forth.
" I don't know what good it'll do for me to tell you, but... Angelo had puppies. I thought you would be happy to know."
The lone wolf scoffed and looked to the side.
" Why do I even bother talking to you? It's like talking to a...wall...."
" I can't take you to some doctor this time. They'll try to kill you. Hell... I should be trying to kill you. But I just... can't. It's too impossible."
" Maybe I'm just thinking too much. I should sleep...."
With that, Squall laid his head down on the corner of the bed. He began to think again but the memory of Rinoa's sweet voice sent him into peaceful slumber.
~The Next Morning~
Daylight crept into the room like the shining of heaven onto a dark abysmal terrain. The glittering of the beautiful ocean added an even more celestial glow to the small room. Squall twitched involuntarily at the moment he woke up. His head jerked every which way around the room. Lastly, he placed his gaze on the stagnant Rinoa who had her eyes closed and her body facing him. Before he could even begin to enjoy the sight of her, a familiar feminine voice rang out from the small town.
" Good morning, Balamb! I have arrived here to ask if any of you have seen Sorceress Rinoa! You will be handsomely rewarded for any valuable information that you may have!"
*Does she ever give up?*
A youth piped up from the crowd in an excited voice. " I saw a pretty raven haired lady at the Hotel! Could that be her?"
" Raven haired woman, you say? I'll be on it right away!" Xu replied, rather loudly.
*Damnit! I've gotta get her outta here!*
Squall turned to Rinoa and shook her pale arms forcibly. The young Sorceress awakened with a start and stared at Squall with a shocked look on her face. The lone wolf shook his head and tightened his grip on Rinoa. She tensed and closed her eyes.
" Listen, Rinoa. You've GOT to get out of here. Xu's on your track. And if you don't hide she's gonna find you."
Rinoa looked away and spoke quietly.
" Once she finds me... you'll have to kill me, won't you? Your sword will pierce my heart."
" Rinoa, don't talk like that! I'm your Knight, remember? I could never betray you."
" If you really don't wanna kill me, then how come when Xu said that you were going to you didn't refuse!? If you really meant what you just said then you *would* have refused. You don't mean it. I just... can't believe you. No matter how much I want to."
" Rinoa...."
" Just leave, okay? I don't..." Rinoa trembled, " I don't want you near me!"
Squall's eyes retreated back to look at the floor. He got up slowly and opened the door to the room. Taking a last look back, he exited the room. He would soon regret that action, for at the moment he left Rinoa was on the floor in a heap of sweat.
__________________________________
RINOA
Rinoa sat on the floor, her cloak cascading down the arch of her back and onto the floor. She breathed heavily now and fought the urge to let her mind take over. The Sorceress grasped the edge of the blue bed near her and struggled to get to her feet. As she rose, a woman barged forcefully into her small hotel room. Rinoa jumped in fear, but recoiled when she recognized the person.
" Long time no see, Xu. So, what kind of sinister plans have you been masterminding lately?"
Xu was strolling around the room while Rinoa talked and took a sudden stop upon hearing her last words. " What?"
" Oh, yeah. I know you all too well. Too well for only knowing you for a few months until I was shipped onto another planet for being a 'troublesome' Sorceress." Rinoa stressed the word troublesome with her own quotations that she made with the index and middle finger on her left and right hand.
"...."
Rinoa made circles around the shocked Xu. " I was naïve then. I thought that you were right. I thought I *was* a 'troublesome' Sorceress. You said that I would bring destruction on my twentieth birthday. When I heard that I got scared... so scared that I would bring harm to Squall. That's why I let them take me without fighting back."
The Sorceress stopped suddenly to stare at Xu with deadly eyes. " But YOU. Why did you take away our happiness?"
Xu's eyes watered as she looked away. Wiping away the tears, she returned Rinoa's glare.
" You.... You came waltzing in like some *Princess* right into the Garden. Right into Squall's heart. It wasn't fair at all. I had known him for much longer than you did. *Years* longer. I... I wanted his attention. For years I craved for it. Yet when you came in, all you had to do is stare into his eyes and you had him twisted around your finger! You... *whore*!"
Rinoa was taken aback at Xu's abrupt outburst. She clenched her fist and continued to fight the urge to let her mind take over.
" Besides, you *are* troublesome. You killed so many people before you took your leave of this planet. Don't you remember in the ship up in space? You let loose thousands of monsters. And who do you think lost their lives because of your stupidity? Yes, that's right. *Innocent* people."
Rinoa looked away. " But... I was possessed. How could I have known what I was doing? I--"
" That does NOT justify your actions! It's just that sentiment that Edea Kramer shared. And she killed just as many, or more, people as you have! I sent you to that planet not only to separate you from Squall but to stop you from getting possessed again and killing other innocent people."
" It's not like I murdered them myself!"
Xu ignored Rinoa's remark and continued on. " Just think of how many children were left without a mother to care for them." Rinoa winced. " I'm sure you know how that feels. And to think... you were the one who caused that pain."
Rinoa turned away and felt the sweat tricking down her back. The blood began to rush to her head. Xu, seeing this, began to feel afraid but resumed her talking nevertheless.
" You caused pain that you didn't want anyone else to suffer. You're... a monster unfit to receive Squall's love."
Rinoa, finally infuriated to the maximum level, lifted her hands up in a swift motion to clasp them together. " I've... heard... ENOUGH!!"
The sheets on the bed flailed across the room to find its escape outside of the window and into the endless ocean below. Rinoa unclasped her hands and put them in front of her, all too willing to unleash a deadly attack that could kill hundreds in a single blow. Xu screamed the only name that seemed to be on her mind.
" SQUALL!!!"
___________________________________
SQUALL
Squall perked his head up from the ground upon hearing the high-pitched feminine voice of his instructor. On instinct, he rushed to the hotel where he had just retreated from only minutes before. When he entered he saw something that he could never have imagined seeing.
Rinoa stood tall by the remains of the bed. Her cloak had risen to her shoulder with minor tears at the bottom that had been caused by Rinoa's sudden power. She had small, blue spheres of magic in her palms that glowed brightly in the demolished hotel room. Xu stood across from her wearing a countenance that spelled out only pure fear. The possessed Sorceress stepped forward to come closer to Squall.
" Squall... I'm scared."
The lone wolf's eyes filled with concern for Rinoa. This sudden plea did not phase Xu, however, as she turned around to Squall and grabbed hold of his arm affectionately. She pointed to Rinoa.
" This is your only chance! Kill her now!"
A/N: Ah, finally... I updated. I'm really sick so that explains the long wait. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review, please! ~Bianka-chan
I have 8 reviews! I'm so happy! You guys are great. You really have no idea how happy you made me with those inspiring reviews. This chapter is dedicated to all of you.
Baby Rose-You reviewed me three times! Thanks! I also appreciate your advice.
Ink-Your review was amazingly inspiring. I'm glad that you're so excited. You make me very happy=)
Phoenix Blade- Hey... he might do it. Just keep reading!
Pixy Stix Freak- You're excited, too? You're great.
Usagi- You're too nice!^_^
LOL- Hey err... you were my first flame. I suppose... I'll remember you always?
By the way, I changed a few minor things at the end of my second chapter only a few days ago. Those things might confuse you as you read this chapter so you may want to reread the end of my last chapter: Reminisce.
Note: There will be a lot of dialogue included in this chapter that was in the game. I added it in to create more drama and angst.
Chapter 3: The Strife of a Lone Wolf
SQUALL
After five minutes of hopelessly waiting for Rinoa to wake up, Squall finally lifted her up into his strong arms and rushed her to the Hotel. Once inside, he sprinted up the stairs hastily. He didn't even bother to answer the threats issued by the angry Hotel owner. Squall carefully laid Rinoa down on the bed at the top floor after barging through the locked door with his own brute force. Looking up, he saw a heavenly face that sparked up the only happy moments that he remembered having.
Squall sat on the edge of her bed and put his hands on top of hers. He frowned sadly and began to rub her hands with his.
" You're so cold...." His voice drifted off as he realized the familiarity of his sentence.
" I wanna hear your voice. I've missed it for three years.... I've known no happiness for three years."
Squall began to rock back and forth.
" I don't know what good it'll do for me to tell you, but... Angelo had puppies. I thought you would be happy to know."
The lone wolf scoffed and looked to the side.
" Why do I even bother talking to you? It's like talking to a...wall...."
" I can't take you to some doctor this time. They'll try to kill you. Hell... I should be trying to kill you. But I just... can't. It's too impossible."
" Maybe I'm just thinking too much. I should sleep...."
With that, Squall laid his head down on the corner of the bed. He began to think again but the memory of Rinoa's sweet voice sent him into peaceful slumber.
~The Next Morning~
Daylight crept into the room like the shining of heaven onto a dark abysmal terrain. The glittering of the beautiful ocean added an even more celestial glow to the small room. Squall twitched involuntarily at the moment he woke up. His head jerked every which way around the room. Lastly, he placed his gaze on the stagnant Rinoa who had her eyes closed and her body facing him. Before he could even begin to enjoy the sight of her, a familiar feminine voice rang out from the small town.
" Good morning, Balamb! I have arrived here to ask if any of you have seen Sorceress Rinoa! You will be handsomely rewarded for any valuable information that you may have!"
*Does she ever give up?*
A youth piped up from the crowd in an excited voice. " I saw a pretty raven haired lady at the Hotel! Could that be her?"
" Raven haired woman, you say? I'll be on it right away!" Xu replied, rather loudly.
*Damnit! I've gotta get her outta here!*
Squall turned to Rinoa and shook her pale arms forcibly. The young Sorceress awakened with a start and stared at Squall with a shocked look on her face. The lone wolf shook his head and tightened his grip on Rinoa. She tensed and closed her eyes.
" Listen, Rinoa. You've GOT to get out of here. Xu's on your track. And if you don't hide she's gonna find you."
Rinoa looked away and spoke quietly.
" Once she finds me... you'll have to kill me, won't you? Your sword will pierce my heart."
" Rinoa, don't talk like that! I'm your Knight, remember? I could never betray you."
" If you really don't wanna kill me, then how come when Xu said that you were going to you didn't refuse!? If you really meant what you just said then you *would* have refused. You don't mean it. I just... can't believe you. No matter how much I want to."
" Rinoa...."
" Just leave, okay? I don't..." Rinoa trembled, " I don't want you near me!"
Squall's eyes retreated back to look at the floor. He got up slowly and opened the door to the room. Taking a last look back, he exited the room. He would soon regret that action, for at the moment he left Rinoa was on the floor in a heap of sweat.
__________________________________
RINOA
Rinoa sat on the floor, her cloak cascading down the arch of her back and onto the floor. She breathed heavily now and fought the urge to let her mind take over. The Sorceress grasped the edge of the blue bed near her and struggled to get to her feet. As she rose, a woman barged forcefully into her small hotel room. Rinoa jumped in fear, but recoiled when she recognized the person.
" Long time no see, Xu. So, what kind of sinister plans have you been masterminding lately?"
Xu was strolling around the room while Rinoa talked and took a sudden stop upon hearing her last words. " What?"
" Oh, yeah. I know you all too well. Too well for only knowing you for a few months until I was shipped onto another planet for being a 'troublesome' Sorceress." Rinoa stressed the word troublesome with her own quotations that she made with the index and middle finger on her left and right hand.
"...."
Rinoa made circles around the shocked Xu. " I was naïve then. I thought that you were right. I thought I *was* a 'troublesome' Sorceress. You said that I would bring destruction on my twentieth birthday. When I heard that I got scared... so scared that I would bring harm to Squall. That's why I let them take me without fighting back."
The Sorceress stopped suddenly to stare at Xu with deadly eyes. " But YOU. Why did you take away our happiness?"
Xu's eyes watered as she looked away. Wiping away the tears, she returned Rinoa's glare.
" You.... You came waltzing in like some *Princess* right into the Garden. Right into Squall's heart. It wasn't fair at all. I had known him for much longer than you did. *Years* longer. I... I wanted his attention. For years I craved for it. Yet when you came in, all you had to do is stare into his eyes and you had him twisted around your finger! You... *whore*!"
Rinoa was taken aback at Xu's abrupt outburst. She clenched her fist and continued to fight the urge to let her mind take over.
" Besides, you *are* troublesome. You killed so many people before you took your leave of this planet. Don't you remember in the ship up in space? You let loose thousands of monsters. And who do you think lost their lives because of your stupidity? Yes, that's right. *Innocent* people."
Rinoa looked away. " But... I was possessed. How could I have known what I was doing? I--"
" That does NOT justify your actions! It's just that sentiment that Edea Kramer shared. And she killed just as many, or more, people as you have! I sent you to that planet not only to separate you from Squall but to stop you from getting possessed again and killing other innocent people."
" It's not like I murdered them myself!"
Xu ignored Rinoa's remark and continued on. " Just think of how many children were left without a mother to care for them." Rinoa winced. " I'm sure you know how that feels. And to think... you were the one who caused that pain."
Rinoa turned away and felt the sweat tricking down her back. The blood began to rush to her head. Xu, seeing this, began to feel afraid but resumed her talking nevertheless.
" You caused pain that you didn't want anyone else to suffer. You're... a monster unfit to receive Squall's love."
Rinoa, finally infuriated to the maximum level, lifted her hands up in a swift motion to clasp them together. " I've... heard... ENOUGH!!"
The sheets on the bed flailed across the room to find its escape outside of the window and into the endless ocean below. Rinoa unclasped her hands and put them in front of her, all too willing to unleash a deadly attack that could kill hundreds in a single blow. Xu screamed the only name that seemed to be on her mind.
" SQUALL!!!"
___________________________________
SQUALL
Squall perked his head up from the ground upon hearing the high-pitched feminine voice of his instructor. On instinct, he rushed to the hotel where he had just retreated from only minutes before. When he entered he saw something that he could never have imagined seeing.
Rinoa stood tall by the remains of the bed. Her cloak had risen to her shoulder with minor tears at the bottom that had been caused by Rinoa's sudden power. She had small, blue spheres of magic in her palms that glowed brightly in the demolished hotel room. Xu stood across from her wearing a countenance that spelled out only pure fear. The possessed Sorceress stepped forward to come closer to Squall.
" Squall... I'm scared."
The lone wolf's eyes filled with concern for Rinoa. This sudden plea did not phase Xu, however, as she turned around to Squall and grabbed hold of his arm affectionately. She pointed to Rinoa.
" This is your only chance! Kill her now!"
A/N: Ah, finally... I updated. I'm really sick so that explains the long wait. Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review, please! ~Bianka-chan