Chapter 9

No, I don't know anything about you

            Rinoa stepped out of the limo with relief; Selphie had been becoming very restless after the delights of the 'magic remote' had worn out. Irvine had been quiet most of the way only speaking when spoken to, and Rinoa had finally left him alone after he complained of travel sickness.

            As soon as they were all out of the limo the driver unloaded their bags and drove off. Rinoa watched him leave them until her brain snapped back into the real world.

            "Hey! He just left us here." She said annoyed. Selphie looked undaunted and was more interested in the crumbling building in front of her.

            "Don't worry Rin, Squall's supposed to be here soon and we have our tents." Irvine said smiling. Rinoa laughed.

            "Your right." She replied still smiling. "Well, I wanted to come here, so lets go explore."

            Rinoa walked up to the main entrance, the doors were covered by dust from the surrounding dessert and she rubbed a patch clean. After peering inside to see only darkness, Rinoa looked up to the large door handles to see that they had been fused shut. Selphie joined Rinoa in trying to open the doors.

            "Let a man show you how it's done." Irvine said after they had given up. Rinoa found this statement amusing and laughed.

            "Go on then Mr Muscles." She said smiling. Irvine rubbed his hands together and pushed up his sleeves. The door opened immediately and he fell over. "Yes very well done Irvine." Rinoa remarked.

            "Gosh, don't know my own strength!" Irvine exclaimed. Selphie held out her hand to pull him up.

            "It's all that tiddlywink practice," She said smiling. Rinoa rolled her eyes; Selphie was obsessed with that game.

            "I doubt it Selph." Irvine answered.     

            The dust on the floor was in Rinoa's reckoning two inches thick. Her footsteps waded through it like forgotten prints in the snow. Two more sets of footprints joined hers' as they advanced further into the derelict building.

            "Rinoa, this place is creepy." Selphie remarked. Rinoa nodded but didn't reply. There was something here that didn't want visitors. "Rin, I think we should leave." Selphie said taking hold of Irvine's sleeve and holding it tight.

            "No, lets go further." Rinoa said, leaving her companions behind her in her strides.

            "Rin slow down." Selphie complained. But Rinoa couldn't, something was drawing her deeper into the heart of the building.

            Selphie and Irvine watched in despair as their friend disappeared around a corner. Sighing Selphie sat down on the floor.

            "I'm hungry." She said putting her hands on her stomach to emphasise the statement. Irvine nodded in agreement and sat down next to her.

            "Yeah, well I have some gum." He offered. Selphie's face lit up and she snatched the gum.

            "Cheers!" She said happily. Irvine smiled and took the opportunity to carefully place his arm around her back before she noticed.

            Before he had even moved to carry out his plan, footsteps were heard up the corridor they had just come down. Selphie sat up nervously and squinted into the heavy darkness. Whoever it was, was carrying a torch and walking without caution. As the light on the wall came nearer, someone appeared on Irvine's left. Selphie let out a sigh of relief.

            "Oh Squall. I thought it was a monster." Selphie said, her face serious in the dark situation she found herself in.

            Squall remained silent, not sure whether the last remark had been sarcastic or not.

            "Why don't you two go and make a campfire of something." He said handing them a small flashlight. Irvine took it eagerly and pulled Selphie to her feet.

            "We'll do that. Rinoa went that way." Irvine said pointing in Rinoa's direction and hurrying out. Squall heard Selphie's complaints about hunger growing fainter and continued in the direction he was pointed to.

            Rinoa ran her hand over the base of a large statue; the contours of the face were twisted in pain and anger. Rinoa looked into the tear filled eyes of the stone-carved woman, in her mind they blinked. Rinoa felt herself become dizzy and took her hand away sharply.

            "Rinoa?"

            Rinoa turned at the mention of her name to see Squall stood behind her.

            "You scared me." She said after a pause.

            "Sorry." He replied. Rinoa faced the statue once more and felt Squall's hands snake over her middle. Rinoa was aware of the involuntary loud beating of her heart his touch had caused, and forced herself to relax into his embrace despite the irregular fluttering in her chest.    

            "This statue is so cold. What a cruel thing to imagine." Rinoa said in a voice that was no more than a whisper. Squall squeezed her tighter and started to plant kisses down the side of her neck. But Rinoa was determined to succumb to his kisses so easily.

            "It's not a statue Rinoa." Squall said brushing her hair softly out of his way.

            "It's not a statue? Then, what?" Rinoa asked.

"She used to be flesh and blood like we are. But thousands of years ago, when sorceresses still wielded their magic over the world, controlling the weather and the earth to help their fellow man. Another sorceress arose. Her name was Adel. Consumed by the power she possessed, her magic deeds turned gradually into selfish acts, until finally she held all the magic in the world. But the Great Hyne would not let Adel destroy the humans and so she created Guardian forces. Powerful beasts that would drain from her a special type of magic each, and protect those who fought to restrain her.

            And so after many years of fighting, the sorceress was imprisoned here in Esthar and the guardian forces wait patiently until the day when they are needed again." Squall said softy. Rinoa closed her eyes and listened to Squall's story.

            "And she is frozen here forever?" Rinoa asked, not knowing why this thought filled her with so much fear.

            "Frozen forever." Squall confirmed, aware of how his story was affecting the girl in his arms. "Some say that she waits here for her knight that she never found in life."

            "That's so sad." Rinoa whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. They spent the next few minuets in silence, until Squall remembered Selphie and Irvine.

            "Well shall we go back? I do hope your friends managed to start a fire." Squall said taking her hand. Rinoa laughed and wiped away her tears.

            "Don't count on it." She replied smiling. "But, yes lets go back now."

            Rinoa and Squall emerged to find Selphie and Irvine sat around a small fire. Squall raised an eyebrow to Rinoa.

            "Well, ok I underestimated them!" She said in her defence. Around the fire, but some way off stood three tents, the third only half constructed.

            "What happened to the last tent?" Squall asked when they came into hearing range.

            "Oh yeah, well Irvine dropped the hammer on his toe, so we hand to abandon plan. But here, have some marshmallows." Selphie said handing Squall a stick with an expertly toasted sweet on the end. Squall smiled at the story and took the stick.

            "Marshmallow expert I see!" He said seating himself next to Irvine. Rinoa followed Squall and sat next to Selphie.

            "You cooked anything else yet?" Rinoa asked looking at the half empty bag of marshmallows.

            "No not yet." Irvine answered.

            "I couldn't work out how to cook the sausages and I wasn't letting Irvine near them. Last time he cooked, we all ended up in hospital with food poisoning." Selphie said, guiding the last bit of the statement in Squall's direction so that he would understand the joke.

            "It was only a mild case, and I wasn't my fault!" Irvine said sulkily. Selphie flicked a marshmallow at him, and it stuck to his jacket. "Hey!" He said pulling the melted sweet off of his tan coloured coat.

            "Oh lighten up Irvy, it was only a joke." Selphie said pulling the flashlight towards her. "Lets tell scary campfire stories." Selphie said turning the light up under her chin so it lit up her face from beneath. The reddening sky behind her told them that dark was fast approaching and Selphie considered this perfect for stories. Rinoa wondered if Selphie would be feeling so very enthusiastic once dark came.

            "So who is going first?" Selphie asked. Rinoa looked to Squall who seemed to be smiling in a very wicked way.

            "I'll go first." Squall offered. This hadn't surprised Rinoa, but Selphie looked excited.

            "Ooh yey! Tell a scary one ok." Selphie said settling down on her seat on the floor. Rinoa watched Squall through the growing flames and reminded herself that he had the upper hand here. They were all in the middle of nowhere, but Squall knew where he was.

            '"On a dark night, not unlike this one tonight" Squall began. "A thousand followers of the dark-magic brought their angel speaker to the sacred spot. Their journey was a hazardous one, as many villagers of the towns they passed through feared and hated them. The angel would speak to the town's people, and bewitch them with her dazzling beauty until they agree to join and worship her.

On top to the highest hill, a hill closest to heaven, they proceeded to perform their wicked dreams. A fire illuminated their painted faces as they danced to the evil beats of the drums in hell.

            The angel speaker arose from within the crowd and spoke to the gods of darkness. "Give me power. Power to rule over these people. Oh father of evil, grant your daughter power." As the words left her lips, a rush of hot air swept over and down the hill, killing all that was in its way. The people of the valley below fell to the floor in agony. The children screamed as the disease filled air deformed their faces, and they clambered in their blind state for their mother's hands.  

            "Dark angel of mine, you ask me to give you what you already own. For your foolishness I send you an enemy, fiercer and deadlier that any you have ever known." Said the dark gods in their voice of pain.

            "And what do I care of these mortals? No enemy you send can hurt me!" Boasted the angel.

The dark gods became angry, without goodness, evil cannot survive and so they punished the angel, and sent a lightening bolt to capture her."'

As Squall said his last word he paused, pitch darkness had come and they were all listening intently to every word. Rinoa smiled to him and he noticed that she didn't seem too concerned about this story; things that were true appeared to affect her more.

After this brief pause, Squall pressed a button in his pocket. Instantly the car behind them came to life.

The listeners who were not expecting such a sudden noise jumped, but then fell about laughing.

"You nearly had us Squall." Selphie said through laughter.

Rinoa smiled weakly, she hadn't enjoyed the fright from the car and sat silent.

"Yes, very nearly." Squall said. "But you know that there used to be a dark cult that practiced around here, hundreds of years ago. But some say the sprits in the area still remain." Squall informed them.

"Shut up!" Selphie said still trying to calm down. Squall looked slightly shocked at this comment but kept quiet.

"Is that true?" Rinoa asked.   

"Well its what the historians believe." Squall answered.    

            "Squall you are so mean." Selphie remarked. "But anyway, my turn."   

            Selphie managed to tell a good story, it wasn't scary and Squall wasn't sure if it was even meant to be. But Selphie enjoyed telling it and it was worth it just to her see her little face looking really dynamic.

            Finally the time came for them to sleep, and Selphie declared that she and Irvine should sleep separately. Rinoa looked a little down heartened at this; secretly she had wished to share with Squall.

            "Well I guess it's the tumbledown tent for me. No use trying to separate the lovebirds." Irvine said sulkily. Rinoa felt a huge amount of relief. She'd never been so grateful to Irvine's stupid remarks as she was right now.

            Rinoa climbed into the tent and lay down on the surprisingly soft floor. Squall climbed over her and pushed her over to the wall.

            "Hey!" Rinoa exclaimed shifting over closer to him. Squall smiled and pulled two sleeping bags from a pocket at the back of the tent. Rinoa watched as he zipped both together to form a double sleeping bag. "Very clever." Rinoa remarked when he had finished.

            "Don't tell my father that I know how to do this. It's one of his tricks and he's rather proud of it." Squall said as they both climbed in and zipped the fastening back up around them.

            "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me." Rinoa promised smiling. "I'll just make sure that I add it into my book."

            "Oh yes your book, well you needed worry about that while you're here." Squall said turning on his side to face her. Rinoa frowned and pushed him onto his back.

            "You still owe me an interview Mr Leonhart." Rinoa said. Squall shrugged.

            "Don't you know enough already?" He asked. Rinoa thought about this and the result scared her.

            "No, I don't know anything about you."  

            But her words had fallen on deaf ears, as Squall was almost nearly asleep.   

A/N: Thank you for reading and please review!

Special thanx to: Angelprinczess29, Cute Mooglez, Carie Valentine, Rinoa leonhart73, Cherry13, RPG Hui, Karla, Phoenix Blade, Angelwingedprincess, Sammy-Chan, The Angel of the Lion, Steel Magnolia, Sandra Leonhart

(The Squall Interview coming shortly. Just a thought, but if anyone has any ideas as to what they want Rinoa to ask Squall, just put them into a review!)

Griever Leonhart, Mariko.