Squall Leonhart's eyes opened. His brow and palms were sweaty. Quickly he
tossed the sheets off his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
The images continued to play in his head again and again.
Rinoa, in pain. She was dying, and Irvine Kinneas was standing over her, shotgun in hand. Squall winced at the image, which again forced itself into his mind.
He tried to think of other things, yet the first thing that came to his mind was a beautiful, but extremely evil and powerful sorceress, raising her arms and summoning creatures beyond imagining. Squall winced again as he stood up.
At one time he slept in his leather outfit, boots, and gloves. It had been comfortable, but his days of youth were coming to an end, and he could only sleep in a white undershirt and boxer shorts. Anything else would make him lie awake.
He managed to smile. The thought of his change in sleeping habits took the place of those frightful images. Before stepping out into the hallway, he looked at Rinoa, sleeping on the bed peacefully, and felt relieved that he had not woken her.
He and Rinoa Heartilly had been wedded fifteen years earlier. Sorceress Edea, Squall's surrogate mother in a past that seemed to be another lifetime, had led the ceremony. Squall would have chosen nobody else to wed them, and Rinoa felt the same way.
Each year had brought its ups and downs. Their love was strong, but Squall's position in Balamb Garden, the headquarters of an elite mercenary force known as "SeeD", managed to cause more trouble than expected. Cid Kramer had retired from his position as Headmaster, and Squall rose to the challenge of filling his shoes after he left. Rinoa had no doubt he could do it, but the tension was almost unbearable. Field missions were the worst, in which Squall was required to settle territorial disputes, fight off rebellious masses, and maintain security worldwide.
He downed a glass of water, and then a second. Satisfied, he went back to bed, slipping in easily so as not to disturb his wife. Instinctively, her arm came around him. "Are you all right?" she whispered into his ear.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he said quietly, as if to keep from disturbing her any more.
"I don't mind. Was it another dream?"
Squall nodded. "But this one was different."
"What was it?"
"I."
He paused.
"Well?" Rinoa prodded.
"Don't worry about it. Go back to sleep, Rinoa."
She frowned, and Squall could see that he had worried her nonetheless.
"All right, but you'll tell me if-"
"Yes, of course," Squall said.
"I love you," Rinoa said, her arm tightening over his neck.
"I love you, too."
That was the last thing Squall remembered before he drifted off to sleep.
***
The next morning, Squall and Rinoa walked down the Garden halls together. He had an old leather outfit on, and a necklace of Griever's symbol was around his neck. He shuddered every time he saw it, but it was still an emblem of pride to him. Rinoa was wearing an old favorite as well, a blue skirt that draped behind her like a small cape, with a black shirt beneath.
Since Squall had been appointed Headmaster, he had made sure that each instructor and personnel of Garden had a dormitory of their own. All the students and staff of Garden lived, worked, trained and studied in Garden.
Rinoa helped out where she could, usually acting as advisor and attending all the board meetings. Which was where they were headed now, at 7:00AM in the morning. Before they reached the board room, though, they were stopped by some unexpected visitors roaming the halls.
"Cid?"
"Hi, Squall, how are you?" Cid Kramer asked with a smile, arm in arm with his wife, Edea Kramer, as they walked down the hall.
"And Edea? It's. good to see you."
"Hello, Squall, Rinoa," said Edea. She, too, was smiling, happy to see the both of them.
"What are you two doing here?" Rinoa asked, just as happy to see them.
The smile on Cid's face faded a little. It was still there, but the edges of his mouth had drooped just a bit. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"
"Actually, we were just heading for the board meeting-"
"Let's leave the board out of this one, shall we?" Cid interrupted Squall. His smile was all but gone, and a grim atmosphere now surrounded him. "We need to talk with you."
"Sure, Cid, if it's that important," Rinoa said. Squall looked at her reproachfully. "We really can't. This meeting is important," he said to the Kramers, hating to reject them. "Why don't you join us?"
"We need to talk about Irvine Kinneas."
Squall's heart leaped into his throat and remained motionless there. Irvine had just been in his dreams last night. towering over Rinoa, who was crying out in pain. an evil glint in his eye.
"He's run and done something. rather rash," Cid continued. "And I think only you two can do something about it."
Squall gulped and nodded. Beside him, Rinoa was just as silent. Edea had that same grim look on her face as her husband. Irvine was in trouble, that much was for sure.
"Sure, let's take a walk," said Squall.
Rinoa, in pain. She was dying, and Irvine Kinneas was standing over her, shotgun in hand. Squall winced at the image, which again forced itself into his mind.
He tried to think of other things, yet the first thing that came to his mind was a beautiful, but extremely evil and powerful sorceress, raising her arms and summoning creatures beyond imagining. Squall winced again as he stood up.
At one time he slept in his leather outfit, boots, and gloves. It had been comfortable, but his days of youth were coming to an end, and he could only sleep in a white undershirt and boxer shorts. Anything else would make him lie awake.
He managed to smile. The thought of his change in sleeping habits took the place of those frightful images. Before stepping out into the hallway, he looked at Rinoa, sleeping on the bed peacefully, and felt relieved that he had not woken her.
He and Rinoa Heartilly had been wedded fifteen years earlier. Sorceress Edea, Squall's surrogate mother in a past that seemed to be another lifetime, had led the ceremony. Squall would have chosen nobody else to wed them, and Rinoa felt the same way.
Each year had brought its ups and downs. Their love was strong, but Squall's position in Balamb Garden, the headquarters of an elite mercenary force known as "SeeD", managed to cause more trouble than expected. Cid Kramer had retired from his position as Headmaster, and Squall rose to the challenge of filling his shoes after he left. Rinoa had no doubt he could do it, but the tension was almost unbearable. Field missions were the worst, in which Squall was required to settle territorial disputes, fight off rebellious masses, and maintain security worldwide.
He downed a glass of water, and then a second. Satisfied, he went back to bed, slipping in easily so as not to disturb his wife. Instinctively, her arm came around him. "Are you all right?" she whispered into his ear.
"I didn't mean to wake you," he said quietly, as if to keep from disturbing her any more.
"I don't mind. Was it another dream?"
Squall nodded. "But this one was different."
"What was it?"
"I."
He paused.
"Well?" Rinoa prodded.
"Don't worry about it. Go back to sleep, Rinoa."
She frowned, and Squall could see that he had worried her nonetheless.
"All right, but you'll tell me if-"
"Yes, of course," Squall said.
"I love you," Rinoa said, her arm tightening over his neck.
"I love you, too."
That was the last thing Squall remembered before he drifted off to sleep.
***
The next morning, Squall and Rinoa walked down the Garden halls together. He had an old leather outfit on, and a necklace of Griever's symbol was around his neck. He shuddered every time he saw it, but it was still an emblem of pride to him. Rinoa was wearing an old favorite as well, a blue skirt that draped behind her like a small cape, with a black shirt beneath.
Since Squall had been appointed Headmaster, he had made sure that each instructor and personnel of Garden had a dormitory of their own. All the students and staff of Garden lived, worked, trained and studied in Garden.
Rinoa helped out where she could, usually acting as advisor and attending all the board meetings. Which was where they were headed now, at 7:00AM in the morning. Before they reached the board room, though, they were stopped by some unexpected visitors roaming the halls.
"Cid?"
"Hi, Squall, how are you?" Cid Kramer asked with a smile, arm in arm with his wife, Edea Kramer, as they walked down the hall.
"And Edea? It's. good to see you."
"Hello, Squall, Rinoa," said Edea. She, too, was smiling, happy to see the both of them.
"What are you two doing here?" Rinoa asked, just as happy to see them.
The smile on Cid's face faded a little. It was still there, but the edges of his mouth had drooped just a bit. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"
"Actually, we were just heading for the board meeting-"
"Let's leave the board out of this one, shall we?" Cid interrupted Squall. His smile was all but gone, and a grim atmosphere now surrounded him. "We need to talk with you."
"Sure, Cid, if it's that important," Rinoa said. Squall looked at her reproachfully. "We really can't. This meeting is important," he said to the Kramers, hating to reject them. "Why don't you join us?"
"We need to talk about Irvine Kinneas."
Squall's heart leaped into his throat and remained motionless there. Irvine had just been in his dreams last night. towering over Rinoa, who was crying out in pain. an evil glint in his eye.
"He's run and done something. rather rash," Cid continued. "And I think only you two can do something about it."
Squall gulped and nodded. Beside him, Rinoa was just as silent. Edea had that same grim look on her face as her husband. Irvine was in trouble, that much was for sure.
"Sure, let's take a walk," said Squall.