Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and all its characters are property of SquareSoft

A/N: Early author's note...for those who hate 'happy endings', read no further than the first six paragraphs. Stop there and hit the back button on your browser. Thank you and have a nice day. Otherwise, read on. This is my attempt at an ending that is not clichéd or done like a million times. If it is clichéd, tell me and I'll make sure I get it right the next time. Promise!

~-~

Twilight by remote_mine

Epilogue

The world mourned the passing of Squall Leonhart, ex-commander of Balamb Garden, at the age of twenty-five. A funeral service was held at the orphanage site, as a final respect to one of the greatest SeeDs in the world.

Seifer watched the funeral procession from his perch in a tree, hidden from anyone that still wanted revenge for what he had done during the Sorceress War. He saw the respect, the respect he had wanted so much given to his rival who was considered one of the greatest men ever born. His familiar smirk had softened from the years, but it still covered his mouth as he could only think of one thing at the moment.

If you could see, you'd understand.

He made a conversation with his only rival, directing his thoughts as if Squall could hear him.

But maybe Squall understood too well. But I understand you, too. You never wanted any of this. You hate the adoration, which I lived off of. We're opposites, beyond any conceivable meaning. Hope you're happy.

He could only watch as the casket was lowered into the ground and rows of SeeDs lifted their rifles. The loud bark of the blanks filled the air as they fired, as a sign of respect to those present.

A slight grin covered his mouth. Only two people knew the truth, and both of them were at the funeral. He turned his eyes over to his first girlfriend, to who he had believed he had loved. He knew no one would disturb her, even though Odine was still searching for her. Her friends saw to that she wasn't disturbed.

His final conversation with Squall was relived as the dirt was being filled over the grave.

"I can't make up what I've done to you, but I'll help you in any way I can."

"This is my only request, Seifer. If you do this, I'm calling it even."

"I'm listening."

"Fake my death, with Rinoa's help. Tell her that I said 'I'll be waiting.' Now get me the hell out of here."

The chill of the morning didn't touch him as he had helped Squall out of the Garden to where Squall wanted to wait, no one the wiser. He knew Squall would survive, as that man had been to hell and back. Rinoa had shared her life force with Squall. Their sharing of their life force had bound them closer than anything else ever could. When one died, the other would too.

So Seifer could only grin as he recalled the way Rinoa's eyes lit up again when he told her about what Squall wanted to do. They had planned it carefully, step by step. A fake illusion of Squall was made in his place and was the one that was 'placed' into the coffin. The world didn't know better.

He came back to the present, as the tombstone was placed to mark the spot where Squall lay. Rinoa was off to his side, head bowed toward the marker. Feathers drifted down from the sky, its white in stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the field not far from the orphanage. The feathers swirled around Rinoa as he watched in amazement, a tornado of white that got closer and closer and finally covering her from sight. The whiteness was such a sharp contrast to the rest of the scenery that he nearly had to shield his eyes. And when the feathers dissipated, she was gone.

Live your life to the fullest, Rinoa. He sent out that thought, knowing that she already was doing exactly that.

~-~

She shivered at the chill of the bitterly cold air, wrapping her cloak tighter around her. The night sky did nothing to warm her as she observed the twinkling stars in the enormous expanse above her with her eyes. She didn't really think of where she was going, wanting warmth away from the cold air. Quickening her pace, she caught up to the only other person and huddled closer to him for warmth.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there. It's a surprise." Squall glanced at her and gave her a grin at her question, knowing how much it annoyed her whenever she didn't know what he was going to do.

Rinoa grumbled at his non-answer, wanting to bug him until he would tell her. But she enjoyed the idea of a surprise, even though they had trudged through the Trabian mountains for a few days, to get to some obscure location. So she sighed and stuck her hands into his jacket pockets, trying to get some of the sensation back into her hands. She gave him a slight smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer while they walked toward that destination that only he knew. She put her cheek to the fluffy collar of his jacket, the feeling soothing to her skin.

The crunch of the snow was the only thing they could hear apart from the wind that blew around them, kicking up the snow that had fallen on the trees. And before she knew it, she had already dozed off to the repetitive sounds and the tiredness that crept up from the constant hiking through the snow.

She woke up to the feeling of movement, and realized that she had fallen asleep. "Oops. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. We're almost there."

He stopped for a moment and helped her off his back, having given her a piggyback ride just like when he carried her on that bridge to Esthar. She rubbed her hands together and hurried back to his side, wanting the warmth again.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long, maybe half an hour."

"And you had to carry me."

"You're lighter now than when I carried you on my back to Esthar."

"No one told me that. Tell me about it."

"When you were in your coma, I carried you on that bridge from FH to Esthar. It was then that I told you some of the things I felt. I didn't understand it myself. You were always easy to talk to, but it was even easier then."

"You gave me a piggyback ride? I must've enjoyed that the entire way there."

"Well, you didn't as you weren't conscious."

"Fine. Well, then you can show me now!"

"Alright. Hop on my back again."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he positioned his arms under her legs and stood up. He continued on as she looked around, taking in the surroundings. She tightened her grip on him as he imperceptibly slowed while climbing a somewhat steep hill of snow. When they got to the top, nothing could prepare her for the sight.

For a moment, the wind calmed as she looked out at the scene before her eyes. She saw the way the light from the rebuilt Trabia Garden struck the snow, glowing as a beacon of light in the darkness. The only word that could define what she saw was 'perfect.' And what made it even more perfect was the fact that the person that she loved was by her side.

"Selphie's work. She was the one who led the project to rebuild it." He answered her unspoken question.

"It's beautiful." A comfortable silence came over them, as they looked at the Garden that had been nearly obliterated years ago. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. Let's look for a shooting star."

And when she looked at the stars, she got lost in how they glittered in the dark void of the night. She knew that if a shooting star did come, she already had her wishes fulfilled.

She had been given a second chance; him, a third.

She climbed off his back and lay in the snow as he lay down too, both staring up at the stars in each others arms. The night continued, as she lay basking in the fact that she felt so much more alive by his side than at any other point in her entire life. The dim glimmer of the pre-sunrise light gave the silent answer to her question.

Twilight.

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A/N: Yes, here's another Author's Note. Blah blah, is it sappy? I really don't think of Squall being super-romantic and all that, which is why I tried to show him being affectionate in a different way. Like at the end of the game, that's when he kisses Rinoa, even though there have been numerous signs before that he likes her. Tell me if I characterized him well or not.

bembem: Thanks for your support throughout this entire fic...I can't give enough thanks! I appreciate all the help you gave me with editing it, especially whenever I didn't see my mistakes! Oh, and I'm honored as to what you think of the last chapter. *hug*

BerlinBrownEyes: If you read through the entire Epilogue, you're probably hating me a lot right now...I don't blame you, because I tend to want to throw up whenever I read another fic ending where Rinoa and Squall are playing with their kid(s) in Winhill or living at a beach somewhere (and Squall's super-romantic and all that crap). What's up with beaches?! I intentionally had the part with Seifer and Rinoa at the beach 'cuz I was sort of making fun of those 'oh yay live at a beach happily ever after'...this one wasn't that at the beginning, was it? I had sworn not to do a clichéd ending, so if this is one, tell me and flame me and I'll make a non-clichéd one sometime.

Dark Rinoa36: I'm an evil, evil reviewer. Glad you enjoyed 'Twilight'...I enjoyed writing it! Oh, and as for the 'review' thing, it looks like that people only review on the day I update this with a new chapter. I don't really mind. Most of the reviews I got so far have been positive, so I'm not really complaining.