Disclaimer: Me no own Final Fantasy 8. Square Enix own. Tu eres un gato...
~* Rose And Release *~
Chapter TWO: Swarm Habitat Much Partake
****
When Squall came to Rinoa's door that morning, her sister was nowhere to be found. Rinoa figured she had gone to school early for one reason or another, either way she was gone.
Rinoa swung her door open, revealing Squall standing there a wry smile on his face and his hands jammed into his pockets.
"Ready?" He asked as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and placed them to his hips. Something about his smile made her feel uncomfortable... something in her stomach turned as she continued to stare at it. As soon as he noticed this, his expression changed into one of confusion. "Is there something on my face?" He asked, perplexed as he began to viscously wipe his face with the back of his sleeve.
"No-nothing..." Rinoa stuttered as she looked to her feet. "I just need to get my pack." She mumbled as she jogged off into the house. Squall looked to the floor and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
Rinoa returned in a matter of seconds, her pack on her back as she brushed past Squall and to his car. His eyes followed her as she walked steadily to his car parked on the curb. She looked back to him as she neared it and gave him a questionable look.
"Are we going or not?" She called as she waved her hand lightly, attempting to get more of his attention.
"Yeah!" He called with a laugh as he jogged up to the driver's side of the car as Rinoa got in. He started the car up and drove off.
There was a moment of silence, estrangement floating in the midst.
"Somethin' wrong?" Squall asked as he stopped at a red light. Rinoa was quiet for a moment, as if lost in thought. "Hello?" Squall questioned strongly as he waved a hand in front of her eyes. She blinked, realizing reality. She looked to him and gave him a petite smile. "Anything wrong?" He asked again. She did an odd shake of her head... it was more like a minor spasm than anything. A mix of a nod and shake.
"I don't know." Came her final answer.
"Thought so..." Squall mumbled. "You're hard to read." Once more, there was that estranged silence.
"Last night...." Rinoa began and Squall listened attentively. "I had a dream."
"And?" Squall urged, curious about her dream.
"I was hurt." She finished. Squall remained silent, expecting to hear more. She didn't continue though and the rest of the car ride was silent. When they arrived at school, Squall parked his car in the parking lot, like every morning.
"We're here." He said with a smile as he looked to her. He pulled his keys out, but, the keys fell to the floor of the car below. Squall tutted to himself for his own buttery fingers. Rinoa looked to him as he picked it up... his hair, brunette, covered his eyes and a small smirk appeared on his lips. Her dream guy. Instantly, pain ripped through Rinoa's chest. She screamed out and, in surprise, Squall bashed his head against the steering wheel.
"Shit! What's wrong!?" Squall asked, honestly worried.
"My... chest!" Rinoa managed to say through the maze of pain that filled her. Squall immediately, and delicately, began to remove the top buttons of her school uniform. Just above her bra was the emblem of a rose. It was red and glowing only slightly. "What the... fuck?" Squall mumbled under his breath as Rinoa clung to her seat in pain, her fingers digging into the material. She bit her lip tightly to hold back the scream of pain that wanted to release itself. As instantly had the pain began, the pain stopped. Rinoa fell forward slightly and breathed heavily, sweat on her face.
"Oh my god..." She mumbled. She lightly touched her chest and felt no trace of any form of pain. She began to laugh, as if she had dreamt the pain.
"What the hell's so funny!?" Squall exclaimed, not amused at the previous scenario. "Did you just make that WHOLE thing up!?" He exclaimed, pissed.
Rinoa immediately protested. "NO! I... I don't know what it was... Did you see anything?" She asked, her worried expression returning. Squall's thoughts immediately flashed to the glowing red rose, he looked directly into her eyes.
"No." He said, pretending to be honest. "There was nothing." He said, putting on the facade of confusion.
"How strange..." Rinoa mumbled in wonder. "Well, no use in worrying about it now." She said with a smile as she stepped out of the car. Squall bit his lip... he'd tell her after school.
As the bell for the next class rang Rinoa exited the classroom like the rest of the students and walked to her next class. As she rounded the corner, someone rammed into her, full speed. She dropped her things. Papers, books and binders were scattered. She cursed under her breath and began the process of picking everything up as she was about to finish she noticed the halls had cleared out considerably, she knew the passing period was to soon end. She cursed once more as she hurried her things together and was about to run off when the bell rang, signaling her destined tardiness. She rolled her eyes and continued her jog, but before she could get very far the searing pain from earlier this morning penetrated her being. She cried out and fell to the ground, she dropped her things but they did not spill about her. She picked herself up from the ground and rested on her knees, holding her shirt and twisting it violently. The tears wetted her face and her random shouts of pain hurt her throat. The pain increased its volume and Rinoa closed her eyes and let the darkness take her in. Her body fell forward and onto the cool, dirty, floor...
Another bump...
and another...
and another and another and another...
Her arms were draped around someone. She felt the persons gloved hands grasp onto the back of her thighs. Her head rested on the persons neck and she secretly felt at peace. The person's skin was so warm and smelled of musk that her senses delighted to. She felt her cheeks redden....
She opened her eyes and the world revealed itself to her. They were on a bridge... crossing the waters, accented orange by the amazing setting sun.
"I want to be your prince." said a rough voice. "Your knight..." The voice continued. She felt herself blush furiously. "Protect you from the world.... I want to be your prince." The boy finished. She closed her eyes and listened to the boy's calming breathing and fell into a deep sleep...
Rinoa's eyes opened with a flash and she threw her body up. Her eyes darted around, finding the school's nurses office. She was no longer with her prince, or on the magical bridge surrounded by the surreal ocean and sun. Now she was in a dark room that screamed uncomfortable and indeed she was.
She moved her legs off the make shift bed and sighed as she placed a hand to her head. Instantly, she recalled why she was here in the first place. She had passed out from the pain, the pain in her chest. She stood, found her bag and books on a nearby chair. She looked around the small room and found no nurse, nor anyone else for that matter. She decided to leave the room in pursuits of the current time. When she stepped into the halls, they were deserted, just as she had seen them when she first fainted. She jogged through the halls, anxious of the clock's answer. She couldn't find one anywhere in the halls. It was still day out so she assumed classes were in session and didn't want to barge in and ask 'what's the time?'. She sighed and stepped out into the peaceful quad that connected the two main buildings of the high school.
The quad was peaceful, but usually only during class hours. Otherwise it was a bustling hub-bub of activity. The student body ate lunch here, talked her, basically everything outside of class was done here. The occasional illegal drink or drug was found down ones throat or up ones nose... but only on the rare occasion. At the front of the quad was an overhang that protected the students from nature when walking from building to building. It was elaborately decorated if only for an overhang, as if it had served another purpose in a previous lifetime. Plants and shrubberies extended off the top 'gutters' and spiraled and twirled around the poles lodged to the earth. The over hang was long and from far away it could have looked like the hanging gardens of Babylon. The roof of it was not slanted, like it should be but instead was flat, as if a bridge. And a bridge it could have very well been as it was thick enough, wide enough, and long enough. But what would a bridge be used for here?
Rinoa looked to her hands for a moment and flicked her fingers about. The sun warmed them comfortably as her hands had been seemingly cold all day, probably from the experience in the morning and the fainting scenario.
"So..." A voice began, quite tauntingly in front of her. She lifted her head and found Seifer staring at her with shallow eyes and a placid smile. A long, thin sword glistened in his hand. She eyed the sword with horror, afraid as the blade began to slowly turn and reflect strong beams of light into her face. "Little girl has gotten lost?" He mocked with the same expression.
"Seifer...?" She questioned, surprised he was wielding this sword. She attempted to stand but the sword flew up and pointed to her, threateningly, the sharp tip pointed to her chest. Rinoa took the hint and took her seat.
"Lost... little girl?" He asked, once more, the sword now pointed to her head.
"I.. I just came to get some fresh air." Rinoa told him, looking to the ground so as to not provoke him further. She knew Seifer hated her, but not to this extent. Not to kill her.
"Got lost... and ended up in Babylon's Quad?" Seifer questioned, a tad skeptical.
"Babylon's Quad?" Rinoa questioned.
"Haven't you noticed?" He began. His shifted his sword to the direction of the over hang. "Babylon's Gardens." He explained. She immediately understood. "Where's your Prince... your Knight?" He asked, returning the sword's point to her forehead.
"Who?" She asked. Her mind instantly recalled the dream, but she shook the idea away.
"Anytime now." Was all he said. There were moments of silence as Seifer and Rinoa stared at each other, their eyesight unwavering. But to break their contact was the opening of the double doors from the left building. Their eye line shifted to the intrusion. It was Squall, now out of breath.
"Shit! There you are Rinoa! What are you-" He was about to continue his rant until his gaze fell upon Seifer and his threatening sword. "What the fuck is going on here?" He mumbled as he stepped closer to the two. His mumbled question was inaudible to the two due to the distance. As he neared them, he asked again. "What the hell's going on!?" He exclaimed, now demanding.
"Something inside me has been tugging for the longest of times. I've wanted Rinoa so badly... but I could never have her as she is yours." Seifer admitted. Rinoa blushed furiously and Squall seethed as his fists clenched.
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Squall yelled, stepping ever closer to Seifer. Seifer threw his sword between Squall and him, the tip pointed to Squall's heart.
"A woman..." Seifer began. "... told me she can lead me to a castle high in the sky, supported by chains over a pit of nothingness. Inside the castle..." He paused. "She said that I had to wait and accomplish this task before I could visit her and find out was is inside."
"For all you know that could be some crazy drunken, coked up, hippie lady!" Squall backfired. Seifer glared and took a step forward and his arm locked its position.
"She will be mine." Seifer told him, referring to Rinoa. "Unsheathe your sword and let us begin." Seifer instructed as if it was obvious.
"What sword? Are you high on something!?" Squall exclaimed. Seifer, now infuriated, pointed to Rinoa. Instantly, her forehead lit with a blue aura. She stood in surprise and as soon as she did, she felt faint. She was about to collapse backwards but Squall caught her. His left arm under her back, his right hovering over her body. The blue aura on her forehead materialized into the handle of a sword. He hesitated on what to do.... to pull? Or not? Seeing Seifer's patience thin rapidly, he gently grabbed the hilt in his hand and he felt the sword loosen. He pulled and a long, glittering sword emerged from Rinoa's forehead. Rinoa fluttered her eyes a bit in a waking state. Squall placed her gently back to the bench and she felt dizzy once again. Squall was amazed... what the hell was going on? But he played along with Seifer's game anyways.
"Well then... shall we?" Seifer asked as he sheathed his sword into his belt and began to climb the Ivy entwined pole to the top of the 'Babylon' overhang. Squall followed, now royally pissed at Seifer for his cracked up talked.
Once at the top Squall prepped himself and smiled a bit at the pure excitement of the chance to kick Seifer's ass, with a sword no less.
"Ready?" Seifer asked, over confident as he took a fighting stance.
"Of course. More ready than you'll ever be." Squall said, taking any chance to taunt him. Seifer smirked and rushed forward, Squall looked in alarm at the charging Seifer. He wasn't expecting this sudden onslaught of violence from Seifer.
Squall quickly brought his sword up in defense. Seifer's sword collided with Squall's with a loud clang and Squall pushed him off. Seifer readied himself quickly and charged again, now predicting his move Squall ran forward a bit, sword pointed dead ahead. Squall angled his sword just as Seifer came into range. Squall pushed his sword against Seifer's, sending Seifer to his right. Squall dashed past, cutting Seifer's shoulder without hesitation. Seifer winced in pain, but kept the duel going. Seifer charged again, as predicted but instead of his sword ahead of him, he held it over his right shoulder, in preparation for a slash. Squall, himself, charged forward, his sword extended to Seifer's neck. As the two met, Seifer brought his attack around which knocked Squall to the left and Seifer brought up his sword again to slash Squall into nothingness.......
****
I wanted to make a good cliffhanger... but I didn't know where to end it. So.. this is better than nothing I guess..
a/n: I found the perfect song to write this to so it's real easy for me to write at the moment... but 'At Times, Love Can Be...' might not be up for a bit.
