BREAKING THE MIRROR

Disclaimer – I don't own any of the FF8 characters etc, but I do however own some original characters that are going to be included in this story, and the imagination I have to give them life. Hope you like it…

"The quieter you are, the less people notice you are there."

Chapter 1 – The Quiet Storm

A few months. That's all that had passed since the sorceress war. Ultimecia's defeat had brought nothing but peace to the world. Of course, there were small matters, like the monsters plaguing the world, and the odd town had to be rebuilt, but in the whole, life was calm and peaceful. Even Galbadia had somehow restored order within a short few weeks, and was living life normal.

It was this 'peace' that bothered Squall, who sat in his office in Balamb Garden. His office, which he hated, was as simple as could be, which he wanted. Sitting in his seat, Squall stared at the wall, musing to himself. Thinking was something that he did a lot, and, these days, he realised it was mainly good thoughts that occupied his mind. The number one reason for this came through the door at that moment.

"Hey, your in early" said Rinoa, walking over to where he sat and kissing him on the head.

Squall smiled, still a rarity, but pleased Rinoa none the less. "I know, though I don't know why. What's my job? To command the SeeD's. But since there's been no contracts that involve commanding a large number of SeeD's, I'm pretty much sitting here making the place look good, bored as hell."

Rinoa laughed. "Squall, you cracked a joke, as rare as your smiles." She realised he was annoyed, so she cut to the point. "But something's bothering you."

Squall looks at her, deciding not to lie, since Rinoa had an annoying habit of being able to tell when he was thinking about something not good. And he was, but he could not tell her. As much as he hated it, he had to, for hopefully the one and only time in his life, lie to her.

"I don't know exactly what's bothering me Rinoa, but if I had to put it bluntly, it's the fact that this is probably the first time ever, where I have had nothing to do. When I was a student, there was always an assignment, or a lecture, or training to do. As a SeeD, obviously the contract for you, and eventually Ultimecia, kept me busy" he sighs, "I guess I'm just not used to it."

Rinoa smiles at him. "So to put it simply, you're bored?" she laughs, Squall frowns, but says with humour in his voice, "yes, I am."

"Then come on" she says, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the seat. "Let's go."

"Go? Where?"

"A walk, get you out of this stuffy room."

Seeing no other option, as in any excuses to, he follows her.

Walking into the Quad, they see Selphie, Irvine and Quistis. Selphie walks up and hugs both of them.

"Hiya, how's things?" she asks, noticing the cheery smile on Rinoa's face, and the as-usual-stern face of Squall's. Squall ignores her, instead looking at Quistis. Quistis nods her head, and smiles.

They spend an hour there, talking and watching Selphie fix things up for the Annual Garden Festival. Squall sits at the edge of the Quad, looking over the edge at the ocean, where Garden is hovering over, not moving. The only noises are Selphies orders and the whirr of the Gardens rotor. Quistis sits down beside him.

"Hey, you thinking about Zell?" she asks.

Squall nods his head. Zell, it has been 2 weeks now. Squall had sent him off on a mission 2 weeks ago, to go and spy on a number of people within the new Galbadian government, after a tip-off from another SeeD. Zell, who was sent the next day, was sent with the orders to spy on them, retrieve any details and then report back.

He was only supposed to be gone a week.

He had been gone for two

He was supposed to report to Garden with intelligence every night.

He only reported back twice.

Squall, after the second day, immediately sent out another party of SeeD's to retrieve him, but they too vanished, and just yesterday, 6 bodies had been recovered near the tomb of the unknown king….

"I am, Quistis, I've been thinking about this, and I have decided to go after Zell myself."

Quistis eyes widened. "You can't. Squall, you can't you're needed here."

Squall spat. "Zell needs help, I'm not taking anything away from the SeeD's that went out there and died, since you saw the report, they died fighting. And also, the report had one other detail that you probably overlooked because you haven't said anything about it."

"What?" she asks, fearing the answer.

"Only one person killed them, and it was a sword-type weapon that was used."

Quistis simply stares in shock. "I am sorry, I didn't read it all…" she hangs her head solemnly. Squall places a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault, you have been really busy these days, and your stressed, that's why I gave you 3 weeks off, but here you are, still working."

"Well, I am second in command you know." She smiles, then quickly drops it. "Who knows about Zell?"

Squall looks at the ocean, serious. "Only you, me Cid and Xu. The others have asked, but as soon as I said 'SeeD matters' they haven't asked since, though they have joked about him being kidnapped and all that" he looks at the ground. "I don't want to think about it Quistis, but if its who I think it is, then I have to go."

"And you do realise it may be a trap" she says.

"Then where's the ransom etc? I think it's a trap too, but a damn good one. Come on, Cid told us to wait until the SeeD's were found, they have been found. Dead. Now, It's time for some serious action."

They both get up, and proceed to leave. Rinoa spots them leaving, and quickly dashes up to them. "Hey, where are you going?"

Squall turns to her. "I have to go and see Cid, Rinoa, important."

Rinoa, having been around SeeD's long enough not to question, doesn't. Instead she kisses him and says "See you later."

Squall says nothing and watches her leave, then rejoins Quistis and goes to Cid's office.

There was a lot of things going through his head, like the SeeD's who died, how they died and where Zell could possibly be.

He didn't want to think of answers.