Thief's Treasure
Chapter Eight: Here In Heaven
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: I just came to the realization that Angelo is FEMALE. o.O Okay, next story I write, Angelo will be female. I apologize. ;_;
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply - I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
*This must've been the hardest, longest week of my life...* Rinoa thought to herself as she fell down on her bed. She sighed heavily and put her arm over her head, right over her eyes.
She spent most of the time trying to make sure she was never left alone with Squall. She feared that every time they would be alone, she would break down and run to him. Luckily for her, Squall had spent the majority of his time in his own cabin, most likely for the same reason she was now in hers.
Dinner had just ended and Selphie let the others to the upper deck to do their nightly star gazing. They had to admit, Zell was getting good as pointing out directions. While he, Selphie, Irvine, Raijin and Fujin would relax there, Quistis would 'help' Seifer in the kitchen.
Whatever she 'helped' him with involved having the door closed. When Irvine realized this, he automatically assumed something else and grinned every time Quistis ushered everyone out of the kitchen after their meal.
Rinoa would return to her room and go over the leather book Yuna had given her. It turned out that Yuna was now the caretaker of Rinoa's mother's house. A massive estate just outside of Deling City. Technically, it was still under Rinoa's name and Rinoa, therefore, owned it, however with her currently disaffiliating herself with her family - both sides, Yuna had taken it upon herself to take care of her elder cousin's property.
It was the house where Rinoa had been born and where her mother had died. While cleaning out one of the rooms, Yuna stumbled across a hidden box of Rinoa's mother's things and found the leather book.
Seared into the leather cover was the word 'diary'. So when Yuna was asked to try to find Rinoa and coax her to return to the family, she brought the diary in hopes that it would remind her of her mother and bring her back.
Unfortunately for Yuna, the diary had the opposite effect. Rinoa turned on the light by her bed and opened the drawer on her night stand. She took out the leather book and sat down against Squally-poo.
Dear Diary,
Hyne, I hate these people. Why can't they just stop with the feud? Every time we think we've come with an answer to lead to peace between the families, they have to bring up old memories. Yes, I do understand that something's are unforgivable, we but we are not all that innocent either.
I know full well what this family has done to his family. I can understand why they are angry at us. It is for the same reason we are angry at them. I just don't understand it! No one is even sure WHY we are fighting any more. What was the reason this started anyway? I doubt anyone knows. It's so frustrating!
I REALLY thought that we could be together. After meeting him, I really find it hard to believe that the Loires are the demons that my family makes them out to be. He's so silly!
At any rate, I really wish that my family would re consider all this fighting. I don't think it's worth it and no matter what, I'll never change my mind about HIM. I don't care what my family says. I love Laguna Loire!!
Love,
Julia Heartilly
"What do you mean you don't think the treasure's entrance is underwater?" Irvine asked incredulously as Squall laid out the maps in front of them. "It was last time!"
"He has a point," Zell said. "You told us that you figured it was underwater because it was supposed to have happened on a ship wreak, right? So if the treasure was on a ship wreak here, shouldn't it also have some underwater clues?"
Squall shook his head. "Think about it like this," he stated. "What are the chances that BOTH ships washed up on two separate islands like that?"
"As slim as the chances are," Quistis said. "That's they way the legend goes."
"I think that there is a cavern somewhere on the island that holds the treasure," Squall stated. "When I was in the first cavern at the Island Closest to Hell, I found a scroll. It said that there was another cavern with the only treasure worthy of Princess Sara."
"So we have to go on to the island this time?" Irvine asked, suspiciously.
Squall nodded. "I'm not asking everyone to go with me," he asserted. "I'll go by myself if necessary."
"Squall, you know we can't let you do that," Irvine sighed as. He leaned back on his chair. "I'll go with you."
"Same here!" Zell agreed. "That island's name is pretty deceiving. It's just like the Island Closest to Hell."
"Thanks, guys."
"I want to go, too!" a female voice said. The group looked up and saw Rinoa standing at the door. "I want to go with Squall and the others to the island."
"No." Seifer and Quistis stated sternly.
Rinoa narrowed her eyes. "You can't stop me!" she stated.
"Rinoa, it'll be fine," Squall assured her softly. He suddenly felt warm all over. "Zell and Irvine will be enough-"
"I said that I would help you through this to the best of my ability," Rinoa told him sternly. "And I plan to!" she said.
"I believe you," Squall answered as he stood up off his chair and walked over to her. "But the fact of the matter is that it's much too dangerous-"
"I'm not completely helpless, Squall," Rinoa told him seriously. Her brown eyes were filled with determination. "As your FRIEND, I am going to accompany you."
"Rinoa," Quistis sighed heavily. "You KNOW how dangerous that island is. It's a risk just letting these three go."
"I said I would help him, Quistis," Rinoa told the blond seriously. "And I will."
Seifer opened his mouth and Quistis held up her hand to silence him. "If that's what you want," Quistis relented. Seifer and Selphie both looked at her with surprise. "Then I won't stop you."
Selphie looked over at Rinoa and narrowed her eyes. "If Rin's going, so am I!" she said.
"What!?" Irvine gasped, nearly falling off his chair. He looked over at her with large eyes, horrified at the very idea of it. "WHY!?"
"I'm not going to let Rinoa face that stuff by herself!"
"She won't BE alone!" Irvine nearly shouted. "WE'LL be with her!"
"If Selphie is going, then so am I." Quistis added.
Slowly Seifer's head turned to look at her, looking extremely displeased. He saw this coming. If Rinoa was going, then so would Selphie. If Selphie and Rinoa both went, the Quistis would go as well. She'd been that way since they met. Regardless, Seifer was displeased with the situation.
"That means I have to go, too, doesn't it?" he asked simply.
Quistis turned her head away from him and shrugged. "I'm not in charge of your life. You can do whatever you want," she stated, sounding slightly bitter. "But if you WANT me to die...I can't stop you."
He frowned. "You KNOW I don't want you to die," he grumbled. "Why do you have to go with them anyway!?"
"Because they're my friends, Seifer!" Quistis growled back, narrowing her blue eyes. Seifer suddenly wanted to shrink back in his seat.
"Fine!" he growled instead. "I better go to make sure you don't get yourself killed or trip over a root or something..."
A sly grin crossed Quistis' lips, as if she had planned it from the beginning. "It's settled then. We're all going. I'll have Fujin and Raijin stay here and watch the ship."
"Booyaka!" Selphie shouted with smile as she jumped her chair. "One for all and all for one! We're like the three muskrats!"
"That's the three musketeers, hyper girl," Seifer said as he rolled his eyes. "Why am I always surrounded by idiots...?" he mumbled under his breath.
"Because you are one." Quistis replied, rather quickly. Seifer glared at her and she pretended to study her nails.
Squall let out a heavy sigh. He really hadn't expected this many people to go with him. Let alone expected Rinoa to come. He glanced over at her, she seemed quite pleased.
"We leave tomorrow at dawn," he sighed tiredly. "I'm going to bed."
He walked past them and out the door. Behind him, the others continued to talk. Rinoa quickly went after Squall. "Wait a second, did you ever decide where we were going to start!?" He was already half way down the stairs to the lower level when she reached him.
"Rinoa, you really shouldn't be going," Squall suddenly stated. She jerked her herself back, is if singed, and frowned. "You could get hurt."
"So could you, and that's not stopping you!" she retorted proudly. Squall stood by his door and looked back down the narrow hall way. She stood a few feet from him.
He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't want to have to worry about you, too." he admitted.
Rinoa had a determined look on her face. "You're being selfish!" she stated. Squall looked surprised.
"I'M being selfish?" he questioned as he frowned. "You're the one who wants to go out there and risk your life and drag everyone else with you!"
"If anything happens to you, I want to know what!" Rinoa told him seriously. "I don't want to spend another night wondering if you're alive or not..." her voice was shaking. "I'd rather know than not know," She turned around and headed up the stairs. "Goodnight, Squall!"
Squall opened his mouth, but found that no words would come out. He let out a heavy sigh. *Hyne...tomorrow will be hell in heaven.*
"Why do I have to stay on the boat!?" Zell cried out as he watched Irvine and the others remove their things from the inflatable raft that Rinoa had basically bought from Cloud and his friends.
"Someone has to stay here and make sure the boat is okay," Squall began. "We've leaving you a walkie-talkie. If you need anything, call Fujin and Raijin on the ship."
"That's all well and good, but I don't see why I can't go with you! Why can't someone else stay?" Zell demanded.
Squall let out a heavy breath. "Zell, don't make this so difficult," Squall explained. "Someone stays by the beach and then the rest of us will go inland. We might split up and it's easier if it's even."
"So why can't..." Zell's eyes drifted across the group. Selphie was looking at a map while Irvine pointed out where they were currently standing. To his right, Quistis was examining her whip intently as Seifer loaded Hyperion with bullets.
Standing behind Squall with a shoot star on her arm was Rinoa. She was kneeling down on the sand and talking to the furry member of the team. "So keep Zell company, okay, Angelo? Be good and I'll give you some doggy treats next time we dock."
Angelo barked and Zell frowned. "I'm stuck with the dog!?"
"He's Angelo - SUPER dog," Selphie corrected. "Don't brush Angelo off. He's really smart."
"Yeah! For getting people to follow him!" Zell gasped. Angelo looked over at Zell and tilted his head, as if studying Zell. "Hyne, what happens if we're attacked by a T-Rexsaur or something!?"
"Just because he's a dog doesn't make him any less of a member of this team!" Rinoa retorted.
"Yeah, chicken-wuss," Seifer snickered. "The dog's more useful that you."
"Shut up, Seifer!" Zell snapped.
"Nothing personal, Zell," Squall said. "But I don't want to leave one of the girls alone with the ship and I don't think Irvine and Seifer are willing to leave Selphie and Quistis behind."
Zell kicked the sand bitterly. "Fine..." he mumbled. *I'm being punished, aren't I? This is because I told you I'm in love with your fiancée!*
"Zell," Rinoa said. She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Trust me on this...Angelo is a special dog."
"I'm sure he is, Rin-"
"You don't believe me?" Rinoa sighed. She turned and looked around the beach. "Ugh! Listen, there's nothing to attack. But when there is, point to it and tell Angelo - Angelo Strike! Easy as pie."
Zell looked at Rinoa suspiciously. "Are you sure that's even going to work?" Rinoa nodded. Zell looked at Angelo and grinned. He pointed to Seifer. "Angelo STRIKE!"
"Angelo, NO!" Rinoa gasped. Irvine shook his head as Squall ran his hand down his face. Rinoa's command over powered Zell and Angelo stopped half way to Seifer and sat down. "Zell, please! Don't waste Angelo's energy like that."
"We'll see you later..." Squall sighed heavily.
"How long do you think it'll take!"
"If we can't find it by tonight, we'll come back," Squall stated. "We won't stay on the island over night."
"We'll try to make it back by sunset," Irvine said. He draped his arm around Selphie as he walked away. "Don't get lonely!"
Zell grumbled as he watched the six people walk into the island. He looked down and saw Angelo sitting next to him. The dog looked back up at him with large eyes. "I can't believe I'm stuck with a dog..."
He sighed and Angelo looked straight ahead. *I can't believe I'm stick with this guy...*
"Think they'll be all right?" Rinoa asked as they proceeded through the island. Squall merely nodded.
"He'll be fine." he stated coldly.
"So where exactly are we going?" Irvine piped behind him.
"Check your compass." Squall said simply.
"I don't have a compass."
Squall rolled his eyes and reached into is pocket. He pulled out a small, circular object that would fit in the palm of his hand. He tossed it over to Irvine. The cowboy caught it. "What do you think?"
Irvine narrowed his eyes as he looked at the face of the compass. "I think your compass is broken."
"Let me see!" Selphie said. She looked over as Irvine lowered his hand. The needle was moving from side to side wildly. "Whoa! What's up with your compass, Squall?"
"The compass on the vest of the scuba gear did the same thing when we reached the mermaid underwater," Squall stated as he used his gun blade to cut through the brush. "When we actually reached the mermaid itself, it began to spin around, quickly, in a circle."
"I see," Quistis nodded. "So you think that there might be a marker on land like the mermaid that will cause your compass to do the same thing."
"And that marker will be the key to the entrance, right?" Seifer said. He let out a snort. "It's so simple..."
"The markers must be made of a material that screws with the magnetic waves in the air," Quistis deduced. "So I take it we move in the general direction the compass is moving to find the marker?"
"Exactly." Squall agreed.
Irvine let out a whistle. "Smart, Squall," he admitted. "So once we get to the cavern...then what do we do?"
"We mark it and take as much of the treasure back," Squall stated, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "If we need, to, we'll make as many trips as necessary."
"That's quite a lot of work for a dowry, Squall," Quistis began. "Are you sure it's all worth it?"
"A lot of people's lives depend on this." Squall found himself repeating the words he had used to convince himself that marrying Kadowaki's daughter was the best move.
"You sound like you're having a lot of doubts, Commander Puberty," Seifer said casually. "Having second thoughts?"
"...." Squall merely shot Seifer a grin as the man smirked behind the group. Squall turned his head around. "How would you know?" he hissed under his breath.
"I know that I'm marrying for love!" Seifer countered, making Squall's anger flare. "And that I know that marrying Quistis because I love her is worth more riches than there could ever be made!"
"I'm worried about Squall," Ellone said as she sat down to dinner with her uncle. She looked down at her food, gently pushing it around with her fork as her uncle looked up from across the table and tilted his head to the side in question. Ellone let out a heavy sigh. "What if he doesn't come back?"
Laguna smiled slightly. "He'll be back," he assured her. "He wouldn't just leave us like that."
"He looked so friendly with Rinoa," Ellone said, referring to the picture that Laguna had kept. "He had this look in his eye like he was in love or something! What if he decides to stay with her rather than come back to Esthar?"
Laguna looked down at his food. "He won't do that, Ellone," Laguna whispered quietly. "He knows what'll happen if he doesn't return."
Ellone looked up at him and frowned. "I thought they said that Squall volunteered to marry Kadowaki's daughter."
Laguna's eyes went wide as he sat up straight and looked at her. "Uh..." he began to stammer nervously. "I mean that he knows what's riding on this marriage-"
"No," Ellone cut him off. "Uncle...what's going on?"
Laguna's eyes darted around the room. "Uh...well...you see..."
Ellone leaned over and studied him. "Squall never wanted to marry Kadowaki's daughter, I know that much. But they said that he volunteered to do so anyway for the sake of the family. But something doesn't add up..."
"Really!?" Laguna piped nervously. "Like what!?"
Ellone narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Well for one, Squall never cared about the family's war against the Heartilly family before...why would he suddenly care now?"
"Responsibility?" Laguna suggested. Ellone raised an eyebrow. "AH! LEG CRAMP!" Laguna howled in mock pain as he grabbed his leg with both hands, dropping his fork and knife on the nearly empty plate of food.
"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone demanded. "Tell me why! The REAL reason!"
Laguna swallowed hard and he brought his hands back up. With down cast eyes let out a heavy sigh. "It was either Squall got married to the Kadowakis or you get married. Squall couldn't stand the thought of letting you marry someone you didn't love..."
He trailed off as Ellone fell back on her seat and looked out with a dazed look on her face. "So he said he would marry her so I wouldn't have to deal with a loveless marriage..." she mumbled. She closed her eyes and ran her hand down her face. "Oh, Hyne..."
"I tried to talk them out of it, Ellone," Laguna explained. "I really did! But the elders of the family wouldn't listen!"
"Why didn't anyone tell me!?" Ellone gasped. She turned to Laguna. "Why didn't YOU tell me!?"
Laguna looked down sadly. "I didn't want you to get married either..."
"But he's your SON, uncle!" Ellone gasped. "Why would you put him in a loveless marriage like that!?"
"Because I know that Squall would have less trouble," Laguna mumbled. He looked up at Ellone. "You're just like Raine, Ellone..." he whispered sadly. "If you had an arranged marriage without even knowing your husband, you'd be miserable."
"But Auntie Raine wasn't in an arranged..." Ellone trailed off. Laguna was shaking his head.
"Now that I think about it, I wonder why she even bothered with me," Laguna mumbled. "I mean...she was intelligent and beautiful and charismatic...but when she found out that she was to be married to ME...oh, Hyne, how she cried."
"But...but I thought you two fell in love..." Ellone whispered quietly.
"We did, Ellone. But it took some time," Laguna admitted. "Raine felt she lived under another woman's shadow. I felt that I was giving her so much grief. But we grew on each other."
Ellone stared at her uncle. "There was another woman?"
Laguna looked down shamefully as the door opened and Kiros and Ward walked in. They had heard them talking and decided to get something before walking in on the conversation. Kiros handed Ellone a small box. With shaking hands, Ellone took it from him and opened the lid. There was a 5x8 framed picture of a beautiful woman along with some other trinkets and scented envelopes that contained love letters.
"Ellone...She was Laguna's first love." Kiros said softly.
Ellone ran her finger down the picture. The woman's face was familiar. "She's beautiful..."
"They had run away to get married," Kiros said as he took a seat across from the young woman. "And got caught in a storm. She died at sea...Laguna was distraught..."
Ellone looked over at her uncle, who had a pained look on his face. "A few years later, I met Raine for the first time. The decision had already been made to be married. At that point, I no longer cared about anything. Raine changed all of that..."
"So this is the woman who Auntie Raine felt she lived in the shadow of?" Ellone asked. "What was her name?"
Laguna closed his eyes. "Julia Heartilly."
Ellone's eyes went wide. "HEARTILLY?"
"To make peace Laguna and Julia wanted to get married," Kiros explained. "When she died, everything went down hill."
Ellone looked back at the picture in shock. "Why does she look so familiar...?"
Laguna reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and removed a small picture. "Because..." he said. He handed the small picture to Ellone.
The girl's brown eyes went wide. "Hyne...she looks like Rinoa."
"We've been climbing for HOURS!" Irvine grumbled. "Are we THERE yet!?"
Seifer was grinding his teeth as he struggled to hold back his anger. That had been the hundredth time that Irvine had asked that question. Finally, he gave in. "No, we're not THERE yet!" he growled angrily. "If we were there, would we still be walking!?"
Irvine took a step back as his large eyes blinked. "It's just a question..." he mumbled. "Don't freak out on me."
"I'm not freaking out!"
"Seifer...calm down..." Quistis told him behind narrowed blue eyes.
"He started it!" Seifer gasped. Quistis shook his head and Seifer growled.
"Shut up!" Squall shouted over his shoulder. The group looked up ahead where Squall was sitting on a rock while Rinoa cast a healing spell over the gash on his arm.
Hours of fighting off beasts had finally taken it's toll. Squall had always been the one that was at the front of the group, taking the blunt of the attacks. Rinoa had been right behind him to attack with a spell while the others surrounded the creature.
Regardless, Squall had several nasty cuts and bruises. This had been the second time that they had stopped to rest so that Rinoa could heal some of his mounds. "How's that?" she asked intently as her hand gingerly traced his arm.
"That's fine." Squall said coldly. He looked over at Rinoa and stood up, offering his hand to help her up from her kneeling position. She took it and allowed him to pull her up.
"This is strange..." Quistis said. She was looking over at the compass her hands. Selphie turned and looked.
"Hey! It's spinning!" Selphie said. She looked around. "But I don't see a statue any where..."
"We're in a clearing..." Irvine mumbled. "Any statue would stick out pretty easily."
"Hey..." Selphie said. She looked over at Squall and Rinoa. "Squall, what were you sitting on?"
"I don't know...a rock?" Squall sighed.
Rinoa looked behind him to the white stone that he had been sitting on. She smiled. "Selphie, you're so smart!" she gasped.
"Thank you!" Selphie piped.
"WHY!?" Seifer asked, looking absolutely perplexed.
Rinoa began to kick away the fallen leaves and debris on the clearing floor. Just as she expected, she found cold white marble. "Help me clear this stuff away!"
"Right!" Selphie said. She began brushing debris aside with her feet. "Irvy, don't just stand there! Come on!"
"Huh? Oh right!" He nodded and also began to help move the things aside.
"Seifer," Quistis said, using her tone of warning. "You're not moving."
"This is dumb." the blond male stated simply.
Quistis put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Seifer..."
"Fine..." he grumbled. As Quistis returned to helping the others clear the marble, Seifer slowly dragged the edge of Hyperion across the area, making a thin line that revealed marble. "Look...I'm helping..."
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Smart ass..."
"Check this out!" Rinoa gasped. She stepped back and tilted her head to the side. "It's not a mermaid..."
The group all stepped back and looked over the five foot in diameter marble seal on the ground. It was a large circle and inside, was a woman in the fetal position. She had long hair and wings coiled around her body. The stone that Squall had been sitting on was an extension of the seal. It used to be part of a wing that jutted from the ground.
"I get it..." Irvine nodded. "The Island Closest to Heaven...it's an Angel seal."
"No shit." Seifer rolled his eyes.
"Seifer, quiet!" Selphie said with a frown. "It might be a big thing for Irvy to realize it!"
"Thank you, Selphie..." Irvine paused. "Wait...what?"
"Now that we found it," Quistis said. "How do we get in?"
"What did you do last time?" Irvine asked Squall.
The brunette was crouching down next to the head of the angel. Slowly, he reached down and touched the sapphire on the angel's forehead. Immediately, they heard a grinding sound.
"Shh..." Selphie said, holding her finger to her lips. "What's that...?"
"It sounds like...gears..." Rinoa mumbled. Everyone was stepping back from the seal as Squall stood there and awaited the action to happen.
Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Squall looked down and his eye's flew open. The marble beneath him was no longer there as it tumbled down into dark abyss. "Holy-"
"Squall!" Rinoa cried out. Without a second thought, she jumped after him reaching for him.
"Rinoa, no!" Squall shouted in vain. It was too late.
"Rinoa! Squall!" voices screamed above them. Quistis sent her whip down, but barely brushed Squall's extended hand. "No!"
"Rinoa!" Squall shouted as he fell. The darkness was swallowing him up.
"Squall!" A hand touched his and he grabbed on to it, pulling her forward. He held her tightly against him with both arms as they fell. He was looking up.
"Are you crazy!?" he gasped as wind rushed past them. Above them the group was getting farther and farther away as the light became a small hole in the endless darkness.
Rinoa clung on to him. "Don't leave me..." she whispered. Squall's eyes went wide as suddenly, his back slammed hard into something.
Water surrounded their bodies as the sounds of yelling above them were suddenly drowned out.
"Shit! We need a flash light! A torch! Anything!" Irvine said.
"We have to get back to the boat!" Selphie gasped. "We need to get down there!"
"There should be some rope in the storage room!" Quistis added. "C'mon! We need to get help!"
"It was half a day's walk to get here!" Irvine exclaimed suddenly. "It'll be dark by the time we get back! We'll never find our way back here!"
"Then we'll just have to wait until the day time!" Seifer said. He was busying putting together dry leaves and such in a pile.
"We can't just leave them there over night, Seifer!" Quistis growled. "What if they're hurt!"
"We can't help them until we get that rope and find a way to get down there!" Seifer snapped. He pulled out a lighter and lit the pile of dried leaves and twigs. "It's too dangerous for us to say here tonight and you know it."
"But what about Rinoa and Squall...?" Selphie whimpered, nearly in tears.
"We'll use the burning material as a signal to find our way back," Seifer said. He was gathering more sticks and fallen branches. He looked back up at the group. "We have to get back on the ship before night fall."
Quistis ran her hand through her hair and closed her eyes. "He's right," she said. "If we stay here...we'll be in more danger."
"Squall!" Irvine yelled into the hole. "Squall! Rinoa!"
"GET US OUT OF HERE!" a voice growled.
Irvine raised an eyebrow. "Well...Squall seems fine."
"We'll be fine for the night!" Rinoa shouted back. They had obviously heard them. "Just get us out of here!"
"We'll be back as soon as we can!" Selphie yelled back. "Don't worry! Everything will be fine!"
"Are you guys okay!?" Quistis shouted.
"We seem to have landed in a pool of water!" Rinoa said. "It broke our fall!"
"Are you sure, you'll be okay, Rin!?" Seifer asked. "Don't touch her, Commander Puberty!"
Rinoa rolled her eyes as she and Squall treaded water. "Just go get a rope or something!"
"Hey, you know what's ironic," Selphie suddenly piped. "We're going to go back to Angelo, the dog, and say that Rinoa's stuck in a well sort of thing..."
"Selphie!"
"We're leaving a fire to keep away the animals!" Quistis shouted. "We'll be back! Just hang on!"
They listened to their friends run off and Rinoa let out a heavy shy. Squall turned his head. "Let's go over there," he said. "The water's getting shallower if we go this way."
Rinoa looked over at him and nodded. The small sliver of light was enough to provide some light in the dark cave. She swam behind Squall until her feet touched sand. She stood up and began to drag herself on to the shore with Squall right in front of her looking around.
"Now what?" she said as she looked around as well.
"We need some sort of light..." Squall said. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a wall. "With any luck this is similar to the cave on the other island."
Rinoa nodded and watched as he put his hands up against the wall and felt around. She didn't catch the smile on his face as he realized that the same wet and sticky material was on the wall. He began to pat his jacket sleeve.
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"A lighter...crap..." Squall grumbled.
Rinoa tilted her head. "Are you going to start a fire?"
"Something like that," Squall said. "There is this sticky substance on the wall that's flammable...it's what lit up the wall last time."
"Stand back," Rinoa said. Squall looked up. "Stand back..." she urged. Squall took on step back and Rinoa raised her hand. A ball of fire collected and she shot it out.
Squall's eyes went wide as the fire spell hit the wall and ignited it, sending a flame up the wall and into more of those metal gutters. "Thanks..." he mumbled.
Rinoa took a step forward as she saw the gutters light up and lead deeper into the cave. "Wow!" she gasped. She smiled. "Can we go in? Is it safe?"
"It should be," Squall nodded. He held his gun blade in front of him as he stepped in front of Rinoa. He extended his hand to her and looked back. "Stay close to me."
Rinoa looked up at him and smiled softly. She nodded and took his hand. Quietly, Squall lead her through the narrow passage. The walls didn't have the images painted on them as Squall had seen in the other cave. Instead, they were blank.
Rinoa, however, kept looking around. "Do you know where it leads?"
"It should lead to the last cave," Squall explained. "That's where the treasure should be."
"What kind of treasure?"
"Probably the same as the other," Squall shrugged. "Gold, silver... precious stones..."
"You're sending someone to go back for those, right?" Rinoa asked. Squall nodded.
"We're going to bring back what's in here...or as much as we can bring," Squall explained. "This treasure is supposed to be bigger. It's supposed to be the only true treasure worthy of the princess."
Rinoa giggled. "That's kind of romantic."
Squall said nothing. Rinoa still held his hand and smiled to herself as he lead her down the hall. Just like before, they ended up at a heavy gate. Squall saw the key hole and let go of Rinoa's hand. She looked at him questioningly as he pulled out a key from his jacket.
He looked over at her. "Rinoa..." he said. "This is supposed to be the key to the treasure...the key to...everything."
The young woman merely nodded and smiled. "I see," she said. "So... after this...it's it, then..." He nodded. He put the key in the key hole. "Squall!" she said suddenly. He turned around.
"Yes?" he asked, giving her a questioning look.
Rinoa swallowed. She reached up and kissed him softly, sensually, on the lips. Her eyes closed as his warm lips replied. "No matter what happens..." she said as they parted. Her eyes looked away from him. "I..."
Squall looked at her, unsure of what to do. "Rinoa..." he whispered.
She pasted a smile on her face and looked back up at him. "Open the door, silly!" she piped. "Can't stand here all night, can we?"
Her eyes had a pained look in them as Squall nodded slowly. He reached over and turned the key. The sound of a lock turning and unlocking the door sounded and both of them realized they had been holding their breath.
Squall looked back and Rinoa reluctantly. He opened the door.
"WHAT!?" Fujin gasped, her eye wide open with shock as the group brought themselves on deck of the Siren.
"We have to go back for them tomorrow with some rope," Irvine sighed. "They're okay though. They landed in some water and that broke their fall."
"Okay?" Fujin asked.
Selphie nodded. "She'll be fine. Squall's with her!" she smiled brightly. Fujin nodded.
"I'll go look for that rope right now, ya know..." Raijin said.
"We can't do anything until tomorrow," Quistis sighed. "I think that they're actually safer on that island underground than they are above it."
"Hey, Quisty..." Selphie said as she followed the blond into the captain's cabin. "Do you think that they found the treasure yet?"
Quistis paused and shrugged. "It's always a possibility...why?"
Selphie looked down. "I...I kind of don't want them to..."
Quistis raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
Selphie took a deep breath and raised her green eyes to meet Quistis' blue ones. "If Squall doesn't get the treasure...that means that he can't get married, doesn't it?"
Quistis' eyes softened, knowing where the other girl's train of thought was going. "Selphie..." Quistis began. "There are no promises...even if he doesn't find the treasure."
Selphie nodded. "I don't know..." she sighed. "But just watching them... it's like they were made for each other. I know they agreed to just be 'friends'...but still..."
"I have a feeling that when they come out of that hole tomorrow," Quistis stated. "Squall will have decided on what to do for sure. Whether or not they found the treasure."
Squall's eyes were wide with confusion as he looked at the massive cavern before him. It's high domed ceiling and wide floors only served to make what it carried stand out. And what it carried was nothing.
"I...I don't understand..." Squall mumbled. "It's EMPTY. Has someone gotten here before us?"
Rinoa was standing at the door way, watching him walk around the room. Squall seemed to be examining everything. The walls, the floor. That was basically it.
As she watched him, she narrowed her eyes. "What did it say was supposed to be in here again?"
"The treasure."
"The exact words." Rinoa stated.
Squall sighed and stood in the middle of the room. He looked over at her. "The first cavern held the treasure of the first ten years of searching. Each year he returned to Garnet and saw Sara, but every time he did, he realized that he had not yet attained enough wealth worthy of her. So he returned to his search. This cavern was supposed to hold the final and greatest treasure. The only treasure worthy enough for the Princess Sara."
Rinoa let his words sink in. Her pink lips began to curl into a smile. "Hahaha!!" She began to laugh as she leaned against the door way.
"Rinoa?" Squall asked. He looked confused. "Now what?" he sighed.
"Squall! It's so simple!" Rinoa laughed. She shook her head as she looked up. "Hyne, I can't believe it!"
"Believe WHAT?" Squall grumbled. "That it's EMPTY!?"
"That I'm actually RIGHT!" Rinoa said. She turned to look at him. "Squall... if you loved someone with all your heart," she said with a tearful smile. "And you were willing to anything of them...what do you think would be worthy of them?"
"I don't know!" Squall shrugged. "Gold? Silver? Jewels?"
"If you really loved them?" Rinoa urged.
Squall looked at Rinoa and paused. Suddenly the revelation hit him as he looked at her. She was standing at the door way, her body silhouetted against the fire from lit the hall way. She was smiling an angelic smile, warm and inviting. "Hyne..." he whispered. Rinoa realized he understood. "Nothing...would ever be worthy...of you..."
Rinoa didn't hear the last two words, but nodded. "He realized after ten years of searching that nothing would ever be worthy of Sara. She was beyond anything material he could ever attain," she told him. "Because he loved her."
Squall stared at her. "It was right in front of me the whole time..." he mumbled quietly.
Rinoa nodded. "Actually, Squall..." she said. "If I was Sara, theoretically speaking. And you were Leon...and we were standing right here where we are right now...I believe that there was ONE thing that was worthy of Sara."
"What?" Squall asked, his mind running to try to figure it out.
Rinoa smiled. "The only thing in the room," she said, raising her arms. "Leon."
"So did you find the treasure!?" Zell said as he helped pull Squall out of the hole. Rinoa was being wrapped in a warm blanket by Quistis and Selphie to their left.
"Yes, I found the treasure," Squall said as he was helped up. Irvine handed him a blanket. "Or rather, the treasure room. It was empty."
"WHAT!?" everyone turned to look at him. Rinoa giggled slightly.
"What do you MEAN it was empty!?" Selphie gasped. "Are you sure!?"
"Ask Rinoa," Squall shrugged. "We found the chamber and it was empty."
"I don't understand..." Quistis mumbled. "So there is nothing there? At all?"
"I can't believe this," Seifer grumbled. "All this trouble for NOTHING."
Rinoa giggled some more and Squall smirked. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
"So now what?" Irvine said. "We're just going to return to Esthar empty handed?"
"There is still the treasure back on the Island Closest to Hell," Squall reminded him. "I'll have someone pick it up."
"Think they'll need our help?" Zell asked.
"I have a detailed map drawn out," Squall said. "Don't worry about it."
"So that's it then?" Selphie piped, trying to conceal her disappointment. "We're dropping you off at Esthar? And part ways?"
Irvine frowned and walked over to her. "Now, Selphie...you know that you're always welcomed to come by...I have a bed with your name on it waiting for you at my place."
"Oh, Irvy..." Selphie smiled warmly. Irvine put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug as they headed back down towards the beach where Raijin and Fujin were waiting with Angelo.
"Hey..." Zell mumbled as the group walked through the thick brush. "Irvine, don't you live in a one bedroom?"
"Bingo." Irvine smirked.
"Rinoa," Squall said. She turned around and smiled. He looked at her. "No matter what?"
She nodded and smiled. "Always," she said with a warm smile. "I promise."