Ch. 17
Starts it All
Rebels, Emma, the mad man, Emma, his friends, Emma, Emma, Emma. These things kept twirling in Squall's mind over and over again. Everything always ended at Emma.
Slowly Squall began to open his eyes. Black specks blurred his vision, but he focused his gaze eventually making everything become clear.and there she was.
Emma was sitting on the side of his bed looking over at him. Concern had took over her eyes, when she saw Squall open his eyes her mouth began to twitch and small tears began to pour down from her emerald eyes. She was looking stunning as ever.
"My god Squall," she cried "You awake!"
Squall smiles as brightly as he could manage. She was here with him- all worries could be set aside. Emma was there with him that's all Squall cared about.
"We were all so worried Squall. You were out for days, and when you were overcome by that terrible fever we thought." Emma starts to weep. "Well I guess that doesn't matter now."
Squall slowly sits up he could feel an ache coming from his right shoulder, and then it turned into a throbbing pain. Suddenly all the events of all that happened came rushing to his head. The rebels, leaving the others, finding Emma strapped to a wall, a battle with whomever that man was, being stabbed. Faster then he should of Squall stood up straight.
"Calm down Squall," Emma said soothingly. "You shouldn't have quick movements like that."
For the moment Squall forgot the pain and Emma's advice.
"What happened!?" He asked almost threateningly. "I remember leaving everyone with all those soldiers, then I got stabbed and." Squall stopped right there too confused to go on. Emma just smiled sweetly at him her hand running through his damp hair.
"You can relax headmaster your troops are fine. Everyone is fine."
"But.but," Squall persisted confused and entirely exhausted.
After a deep breathe Emma began to explain.
"At the time it was hard to take it all in. There you were in my arms just a breath away from.well from me loosing everything."
Emma stops for a moment to wipe away the tears that were forming in her eyes. At that moment Squall knew there was no going back, she had him now. Now, tomorrow, forever she had him. Squall, however, remained quiet and listened intently as Emma continued.
"Well we were in that room when I heard a hoard of footsteps coming down the hall. Without really thinking I grabbed your gunblade and prepared for an attack, not that I would have done much good, anyways there was no need because the soldiers that come weren't rebels they were Timber and Galbadians soldiers"
Squall looked at her shocked. How would they have known to come? He didn't even get a chance to ask the questions because just then everyone else appeared at the doorway. Quistis was in front of them all, it was her that explained.
"Timber and Galbadia caught wind of what we were doing, and on their own free will decided to come. They said this was their fight from the beginning and they weren't going to let us take it alone."
"And it was a damn good thing they did too," Seifer added. "Or none of us would be here right now explaining all this to your sorry ass."
Squall looks at all of them. "What happened to you guys after I left?"
Zell took this one. "Well it was tough goin for awhile, but then the troops came and once we finished up that area of business we went lookin for you. I gotta tell you man when we saw you with the shoulder wound lying unconscious." Zell let out a whistle. "We thought we lost you."
Irvine with one arm wrapped around Selphie speaks up. "I'm sure you can figure out the rest," He turns to everyone else. "Come on guys I think Squall could use some rest." With a wink Irvine leads everyone one out of the tiny room that is everyone except Emma who continued to stand there.
"I guess I should be leaving too."
She starts to leave when Squall quickly grabs her hand. "Please don't."
He didn't say anything else, and neither did she. Emma just sat back down in her chair getting cozy she smiled at him and Squall smiled back. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but at the moment he was speechless with exhaustion. He closed his eyes and from that point there was nothing he could do as the overpowering force of sleep took him.
What must have been hours later Squall awoke feeling a hundred times better. He automatically looked over at Emma who was still sitting in the chair, only now sound asleep.
Squall watched her, she was incredibly beautiful there was no doubt about that, but there was something else to her-something so much more then that.
Still aching slightly Squall slowly crawled out of bed. He took one of his blankets and laid it across Emma. He stood there for a minute looking at her-she deserved more then this, more then the life he at garden could give her. Bitterly Squall left the room.
Without direction Squall wondered around the garden. He had no idea where he was going, and before he knew it he was standing at 'that' room, that ballroom that started it all.
He stumbled to the balcony, so many emotions had occurred on that small area. He felt that part of his heart stayed there as the rest of him moved on-maybe some of it really had, but Squall wouldn't let himself think about that. He had spent too much time thinking about the past. He had to start considering the future for he knew there was a lot to decide.
He had lost track of time out on that balcony. Lost in thoughts and confusion he didn't even notice when someone had walked up beside him.
"You shouldn't be out of bed."
Squall jumped back startled. "Emma, what are you doing? How did you know I be here?"
"I didn't know," she told him her voice almost saintly. "I never know I just feel."
Curiously Squall asked her. "What do you feel right now?"
Emma sighs taking a step closer to him.
"Like I'm the luckiest person alive."
Squall turns away from her. "Emma I'm not the man you dream me up to be."
"Squall, I"-
Squall didn't let her finish. "I'm not, but I'll spend the rest of my life trying to be." He turns back to Emma.
"I love you Emma. I can't believe it, I don't know how it happened, but I know I'll spend the rest of my life thanking the guardians that it did."
Emma hugged him almost squeezing the life out of him, but Squall didn't care it felt good to be hung on to like that.
She raised her head to his ear and whispered.
"I love you Squall."
Smiling that rare smile of his Squall whispered back to her. "Then I'm the luckiest person alive."
Emma giggles and with nothing else left got the two lovers' they embrace in a kiss filled with so much love and passion that it would make any onlooker blush.
Squall would never know how things will turn out, but he could feel that everything would be okay.
He would always love Rinoa, she was so much a part of his heart that she would never truly die, but he wasn't going to look back at the roads that he had already taken. He finally realized that there was so much ahead of him. He was going to do what he promised the first person he loved, and move on.
Holding Emma's hand the two of them left the balcony filled with so many memories and began to live their life, for Squall it was living it all over again.
THE END
AUTHORS NOTES: Sorry for all those die hard Squall and Rinoa fans out there. Truly I'm one myself, but I couldn't do another story with those two. I needed to mix it up so maybe, just maybe, when I do my next final fantasy story it will be something fresh. Thank you to those who actually read the whole story. I hope you came to appreciate Emma despite her biggest flaw, in not being Rinoa. Thanks again I can't thank anyone enough who ever gives my stuff a chance.
Always, Leah
Starts it All
Rebels, Emma, the mad man, Emma, his friends, Emma, Emma, Emma. These things kept twirling in Squall's mind over and over again. Everything always ended at Emma.
Slowly Squall began to open his eyes. Black specks blurred his vision, but he focused his gaze eventually making everything become clear.and there she was.
Emma was sitting on the side of his bed looking over at him. Concern had took over her eyes, when she saw Squall open his eyes her mouth began to twitch and small tears began to pour down from her emerald eyes. She was looking stunning as ever.
"My god Squall," she cried "You awake!"
Squall smiles as brightly as he could manage. She was here with him- all worries could be set aside. Emma was there with him that's all Squall cared about.
"We were all so worried Squall. You were out for days, and when you were overcome by that terrible fever we thought." Emma starts to weep. "Well I guess that doesn't matter now."
Squall slowly sits up he could feel an ache coming from his right shoulder, and then it turned into a throbbing pain. Suddenly all the events of all that happened came rushing to his head. The rebels, leaving the others, finding Emma strapped to a wall, a battle with whomever that man was, being stabbed. Faster then he should of Squall stood up straight.
"Calm down Squall," Emma said soothingly. "You shouldn't have quick movements like that."
For the moment Squall forgot the pain and Emma's advice.
"What happened!?" He asked almost threateningly. "I remember leaving everyone with all those soldiers, then I got stabbed and." Squall stopped right there too confused to go on. Emma just smiled sweetly at him her hand running through his damp hair.
"You can relax headmaster your troops are fine. Everyone is fine."
"But.but," Squall persisted confused and entirely exhausted.
After a deep breathe Emma began to explain.
"At the time it was hard to take it all in. There you were in my arms just a breath away from.well from me loosing everything."
Emma stops for a moment to wipe away the tears that were forming in her eyes. At that moment Squall knew there was no going back, she had him now. Now, tomorrow, forever she had him. Squall, however, remained quiet and listened intently as Emma continued.
"Well we were in that room when I heard a hoard of footsteps coming down the hall. Without really thinking I grabbed your gunblade and prepared for an attack, not that I would have done much good, anyways there was no need because the soldiers that come weren't rebels they were Timber and Galbadians soldiers"
Squall looked at her shocked. How would they have known to come? He didn't even get a chance to ask the questions because just then everyone else appeared at the doorway. Quistis was in front of them all, it was her that explained.
"Timber and Galbadia caught wind of what we were doing, and on their own free will decided to come. They said this was their fight from the beginning and they weren't going to let us take it alone."
"And it was a damn good thing they did too," Seifer added. "Or none of us would be here right now explaining all this to your sorry ass."
Squall looks at all of them. "What happened to you guys after I left?"
Zell took this one. "Well it was tough goin for awhile, but then the troops came and once we finished up that area of business we went lookin for you. I gotta tell you man when we saw you with the shoulder wound lying unconscious." Zell let out a whistle. "We thought we lost you."
Irvine with one arm wrapped around Selphie speaks up. "I'm sure you can figure out the rest," He turns to everyone else. "Come on guys I think Squall could use some rest." With a wink Irvine leads everyone one out of the tiny room that is everyone except Emma who continued to stand there.
"I guess I should be leaving too."
She starts to leave when Squall quickly grabs her hand. "Please don't."
He didn't say anything else, and neither did she. Emma just sat back down in her chair getting cozy she smiled at him and Squall smiled back. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but at the moment he was speechless with exhaustion. He closed his eyes and from that point there was nothing he could do as the overpowering force of sleep took him.
What must have been hours later Squall awoke feeling a hundred times better. He automatically looked over at Emma who was still sitting in the chair, only now sound asleep.
Squall watched her, she was incredibly beautiful there was no doubt about that, but there was something else to her-something so much more then that.
Still aching slightly Squall slowly crawled out of bed. He took one of his blankets and laid it across Emma. He stood there for a minute looking at her-she deserved more then this, more then the life he at garden could give her. Bitterly Squall left the room.
Without direction Squall wondered around the garden. He had no idea where he was going, and before he knew it he was standing at 'that' room, that ballroom that started it all.
He stumbled to the balcony, so many emotions had occurred on that small area. He felt that part of his heart stayed there as the rest of him moved on-maybe some of it really had, but Squall wouldn't let himself think about that. He had spent too much time thinking about the past. He had to start considering the future for he knew there was a lot to decide.
He had lost track of time out on that balcony. Lost in thoughts and confusion he didn't even notice when someone had walked up beside him.
"You shouldn't be out of bed."
Squall jumped back startled. "Emma, what are you doing? How did you know I be here?"
"I didn't know," she told him her voice almost saintly. "I never know I just feel."
Curiously Squall asked her. "What do you feel right now?"
Emma sighs taking a step closer to him.
"Like I'm the luckiest person alive."
Squall turns away from her. "Emma I'm not the man you dream me up to be."
"Squall, I"-
Squall didn't let her finish. "I'm not, but I'll spend the rest of my life trying to be." He turns back to Emma.
"I love you Emma. I can't believe it, I don't know how it happened, but I know I'll spend the rest of my life thanking the guardians that it did."
Emma hugged him almost squeezing the life out of him, but Squall didn't care it felt good to be hung on to like that.
She raised her head to his ear and whispered.
"I love you Squall."
Smiling that rare smile of his Squall whispered back to her. "Then I'm the luckiest person alive."
Emma giggles and with nothing else left got the two lovers' they embrace in a kiss filled with so much love and passion that it would make any onlooker blush.
Squall would never know how things will turn out, but he could feel that everything would be okay.
He would always love Rinoa, she was so much a part of his heart that she would never truly die, but he wasn't going to look back at the roads that he had already taken. He finally realized that there was so much ahead of him. He was going to do what he promised the first person he loved, and move on.
Holding Emma's hand the two of them left the balcony filled with so many memories and began to live their life, for Squall it was living it all over again.
THE END
AUTHORS NOTES: Sorry for all those die hard Squall and Rinoa fans out there. Truly I'm one myself, but I couldn't do another story with those two. I needed to mix it up so maybe, just maybe, when I do my next final fantasy story it will be something fresh. Thank you to those who actually read the whole story. I hope you came to appreciate Emma despite her biggest flaw, in not being Rinoa. Thanks again I can't thank anyone enough who ever gives my stuff a chance.
Always, Leah