The remaining five fighters waited atop the tower of Ultimecia's
castle, each one watching the distant tower, each one waiting for the
outcome. Then, the castle began to fade, it's ancient stone walls
transmuting into white nothingness, taking Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine,
and Rinoa with it.
"Let's get back to our time, everyone!" Quistis yelled, her feet pounding along the whiteness of empty space toward something only she could see.
"Don't fall into a time warp." Selphie added, as she too ran off into the distance and disappeared.
"Remember, we have to believe in each other to make it back." Irvine warned, chasing after Selphie into the stark white distance.
"Think about where you want to go and who you want to be with." Zell said, jogging in place for a moment before fading away.
Rinoa walked out into the white nothingness, her joy at victory overcoming her. 'I want to go there, where Squall and I promised.' She started running, her arms spread wide. Suddenly, she stopped and looked around.
"Squall?" she whispered to herself, "Where are you?" Nobody answered and she too faded away. When she reappeared, Rinoa found herself standing in a wide open field of flowers. Daisies, violets, roses, petunias, tulips, painted a wonderful picture as far as she could see. The only other people within sight were her four friends. Squall was not there. Rinoa collapsed to the ground, her bittersweet tears drenching the flowers with her grief.
"Rinoa. Rinoa! Rinoa!" Zell began yelling, trying to get her attention. "Look over there." At those words, she looked up, her face wet with fear and her brown hair hanging limp. Her face turned towards the direction Zell had indicated, and she saw a familiar figure. She jumped up and ran straight for him, brushing away her tears as she ran. As she neared the figure, it became clear that it was indeed Squall. Or, it had been Squall, but now it was his statue. Still, she smiled. Petrification was easy to cure.
"Esuna!" Rinoa yelled, holding onto the thought that her spell was sure to return him to normal. A hope that faded away with the blue light of the spell when she saw that it hadn't worked. Still unwilling to give up, she pulled out another bottle of soft and threw it at Squall, the clear liquid running down his rock-hard body. The liquid trickled down the stone, leaving the statue intact, and slowly sank into the ground. Now Rinoa began to cry once again, her last hope shattered. The others came to stand beside, having observed her failed attempts to help Squall. Every one of them looked like they were about to break down as well. Quistis knelt down to help Rinoa, her face averted from the statue. Zell rent the air with his lightning-fast fists, wishing he had something to fight right now. Selphie and Irvine took comfort in each other's arms, their shared sorrow bringing them even closer than they had been.
"It's time to go, Rinoa," Quistis said, yanking up on Rinoa's arm and pulling her up.
"I don't want to leave. Squall needs me!" Rinoa protested, dragging her heels as Quistis tried to pull her along.
"I don't intend to leave Squall here, Rinoa," Quistis said, growing exasperated, "Float!" A small feather appeared above Squall's head and his statue began to levitate a few inches above the ground.
"Zell, will you bring him along?" Quistis asked the only other unoccupied SeeD. He nodded and moved around the Squall statue, pushing it toward the Ragnarok.
"Selphie, Irvine, we're leaving!" Quistis called to the couple, who were still hugging each other fiercely. They reluctantly unlatched and moved toward the waiting spaceship as well. Quistis renewed her pull on Rinoa, slowly moving toward the bright red ship.
Finally, they were all aboard. Selphie jumped into the pilot's seat, immediately perking up, and the spaceship began to ascend in a rush, propelling them high into the sky.
"Where to, Quistis?" Selphie yelled back, not bothering to turn around.
"Take us to FH, Selphie. We'll go back to Garden and make a report. From there, we can try to figure out what to do about Squall," Quistis said, gathering herself. She realized that she had to hold them together now that Squall was unable to do so. Selphie gave a quick nudge to the wheel and the Ragnarok turned and headed straight for FH.
"Let's get back to our time, everyone!" Quistis yelled, her feet pounding along the whiteness of empty space toward something only she could see.
"Don't fall into a time warp." Selphie added, as she too ran off into the distance and disappeared.
"Remember, we have to believe in each other to make it back." Irvine warned, chasing after Selphie into the stark white distance.
"Think about where you want to go and who you want to be with." Zell said, jogging in place for a moment before fading away.
Rinoa walked out into the white nothingness, her joy at victory overcoming her. 'I want to go there, where Squall and I promised.' She started running, her arms spread wide. Suddenly, she stopped and looked around.
"Squall?" she whispered to herself, "Where are you?" Nobody answered and she too faded away. When she reappeared, Rinoa found herself standing in a wide open field of flowers. Daisies, violets, roses, petunias, tulips, painted a wonderful picture as far as she could see. The only other people within sight were her four friends. Squall was not there. Rinoa collapsed to the ground, her bittersweet tears drenching the flowers with her grief.
"Rinoa. Rinoa! Rinoa!" Zell began yelling, trying to get her attention. "Look over there." At those words, she looked up, her face wet with fear and her brown hair hanging limp. Her face turned towards the direction Zell had indicated, and she saw a familiar figure. She jumped up and ran straight for him, brushing away her tears as she ran. As she neared the figure, it became clear that it was indeed Squall. Or, it had been Squall, but now it was his statue. Still, she smiled. Petrification was easy to cure.
"Esuna!" Rinoa yelled, holding onto the thought that her spell was sure to return him to normal. A hope that faded away with the blue light of the spell when she saw that it hadn't worked. Still unwilling to give up, she pulled out another bottle of soft and threw it at Squall, the clear liquid running down his rock-hard body. The liquid trickled down the stone, leaving the statue intact, and slowly sank into the ground. Now Rinoa began to cry once again, her last hope shattered. The others came to stand beside, having observed her failed attempts to help Squall. Every one of them looked like they were about to break down as well. Quistis knelt down to help Rinoa, her face averted from the statue. Zell rent the air with his lightning-fast fists, wishing he had something to fight right now. Selphie and Irvine took comfort in each other's arms, their shared sorrow bringing them even closer than they had been.
"It's time to go, Rinoa," Quistis said, yanking up on Rinoa's arm and pulling her up.
"I don't want to leave. Squall needs me!" Rinoa protested, dragging her heels as Quistis tried to pull her along.
"I don't intend to leave Squall here, Rinoa," Quistis said, growing exasperated, "Float!" A small feather appeared above Squall's head and his statue began to levitate a few inches above the ground.
"Zell, will you bring him along?" Quistis asked the only other unoccupied SeeD. He nodded and moved around the Squall statue, pushing it toward the Ragnarok.
"Selphie, Irvine, we're leaving!" Quistis called to the couple, who were still hugging each other fiercely. They reluctantly unlatched and moved toward the waiting spaceship as well. Quistis renewed her pull on Rinoa, slowly moving toward the bright red ship.
Finally, they were all aboard. Selphie jumped into the pilot's seat, immediately perking up, and the spaceship began to ascend in a rush, propelling them high into the sky.
"Where to, Quistis?" Selphie yelled back, not bothering to turn around.
"Take us to FH, Selphie. We'll go back to Garden and make a report. From there, we can try to figure out what to do about Squall," Quistis said, gathering herself. She realized that she had to hold them together now that Squall was unable to do so. Selphie gave a quick nudge to the wheel and the Ragnarok turned and headed straight for FH.