Note: Squaresoft doesn't think its funny if you chain yourself to the tree outside their offices and refuse to leave until they sell you the rights to FFVIII.

I Forgot Your Name

Chapter Fifteen: A Force Divided

--Winhill, Old House.

Squall stood in the doorway, a duffel bag in one hand, and appraised the house with an eyebrow raised. Laguna had offered it to him is case he ever "needed to get away from the pressures of a leader." At the time, he had casually and coolly thanked his father, but now he was so grateful that if the man was around he would have considered kissing him. It was quiet, secluded, and he doubted that anyone would look for them there. However, just because it was in a perfect location didn't mean it was in perfect condition.

The place was dusty from years of non-occupancy. Pale yellow curtains, bleached white in places from the midday sun, hung raggedly around the window-frames. There was an old table with three chairs in the middle of the room. A few old pictures in cracked frames decorated a bureau, and bullet holes riddled one wall. Worried that Rinoa would be put ill-at-ease by the holes, he stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

She was smiling. Of all the expressions that he might have predicted, one of pleasure was not on his list. However, she appeared completely content. Her dark eyes were filled with satisfaction and an easy smile teased the corner of her lips. A frown darkened Squall's features.

Rinoa… I thought that I explained the situation to you on the way here. There are armies looking for you… this isn't some vacation, don't you understand that?

Seeming to sense Squall's eyes on her, she turned to him and winked.

"All it needs is a little love, right? We can fix it up in no time… and then… here, we can be safe, Squall. Just you and me," she said softly.

Squall couldn't help but be a bit taken aback after her final comment and watched her with a critical eye. He still couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something was a little bit off.

Come off it, Leonhart. This girl's got the world chasing after her and she's trying to make the best of it. And all you can do is think that she's got something up her sleeve. She's vulnerable and she needs your support.

A wave of caring for her washed over him, and with his free hand pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head.

"Sure, Rin. Why don't you go upstairs and rest for a bit, I'm gonna go check out the town and give us some good fake names and an alibi as to why we're here." He pulled slightly away from her and looked into her eyes. "I'll be back soon, alright?" he added with a measure of seriousness, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

She smiled at him, and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss the tip of his nose.

"Don't worry about me, everything is going to be alright as long as I have you to protect me," she said softly. She turned from him and began to climb the stairs to the second floor. Halfway up, she turned and looked at him. For a few long moments, nothing was said and Squall began to grow uncomfortable in the silence. Finally, she spoke.

"I love you, my knight," she said simply. Not waiting for a reply, she turned and mounted the rest of the stairs and disappeared from his view. Running a hand through his hair, Squall stood silently for a moment, unsure why words that usually brought him so much comfort should unnerve him so now. With a soft sigh, he pushed away his worries and left the house to explore the town.

--Balamb Garden, 3F Office.

Quistis pushed her glasses farther up onto the bridge of her nose and picked up the phone again. As soon as Squall had left town, she had gotten dressed in her official SeeD uniform and left for Garden. The ensuing chaos was far greater than she could have expected. Those who had been present during the clash between Gardens two years ago were of some extra value, organizing the squads of SeeD at vulnerable points within the facility. However, she had spent much of the morning on the phone, trying to reach officials in Esthar who were interested in talking peace rather than retaliation.

It had been to no avail. Early reports confirmed that a mass of Estharian troops were on the move towards Balamb even as she sat at her desk, feeling like she was wasting time making what seemed to be pointless phone call after pointless phone call.

Think, Quistis! Think of something! How can you graduate ahead of schedule and be some kind of SeeD prodigy when you can't even formulate a defense strategy? There's so much at stake! Think…!

"Damn it!!" she cursed aloud, pulling her glasses from her face and throwing them across the room and against the wall, where they collided with a somewhat satisfying crack. Putting her elbows up on Squall's desk, she rested her face in her hands.

There was a soft knock on the door, and without lifting her face she called for the person to enter.

"Quisty?" came a soft voice.

Quistis looked up and met Selphie's worried eyes. Both she and Irvine were present, and both were also dressed in official SeeD attire.

"Oh Quistis, we're sorry we didn't get here earlier… no one woke us up or told us what had happened!" she explained apologetically, holding her hands up in front of her.

"We've been down to the briefing room, gathering information," Irvine continued. After stealing an uncomfortable glance at Selphie, he continued hesitantly. "We've got some more bad news, instructor. And I know you don't wanna hear any more of it right now, but it's really imperative."

Quistis sighed and made a small brush-off gesture with one of her hands.

"I'm acting Commander, Irvine. It's my job to hear all the bad news… no wonder Squall gets so pissy sometimes," she added as an afterthought, which elicited a small smile from Selphie. All too quickly, the smile wilted as Irvine continued to relate his information.

"Like I said, we were down getting information. And we've discovered that, well… Esthar has been in contact with the other world powers, most importantly, with Galbadia. And through Galbadia, all the other provinces have been notified…"

"Notified of what?" Quistis questioned, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach increasing.

"That the sorceress has come to power. And that Garden is harboring the sorceress… and as such… is too great a threat to be ignored. Galbadia and Esthar have sent joint forces of about 7,000 to eliminate all Gardens and to find the sorceress. Upon finding her, her powers are to be unconditionally and irrevocably sealed for all time. Any who resist this order or attempt to protect the sorceress are to be executed," Irvine said softly.

Quistis swore softly under her breath. The phone on the desk began to ring, and holding up her index finger, she gestured to her friends to wait for a moment while she took the call.

Irvine and Selphie waited apprehensively while Quistis listened to the voice on the other end of the line. She sighed heavily as she hung up, and pushed her blonde hair behind her ears again.  

"That was Headmaster Martine. Galbadia Garden has had an offer of peace from Esthar and Galbadia itself… to allow itself to be occupied by their military forces and to do its "job" as a Garden…specifically,  to find and eliminate the sorceress threat. He's asked me to consider accepting the offer as well. The same offer has been extended to Trabia. All three Gardens must come to a unanimous decision…"

She watched as Irvine and Selphie exchanged another glance, and then Irvine held both hands up in the air.

"It's not even a choice, is it? There's no way in hell we'll hand Rinoa over to the wolves. She hasn't done anything wrong, she was nowhere near Esthar when all this went down!"

Selphie nodded seriously.

"I agree with Irvine, instructor. Rinoa's one of us… no way can we sell her out."

Quistis indicated agreement with a small nod of her head and a tired smile.

"And I agree with both of you… but I don't have the authority to make the choice. We need to get Squall back here… now. Before the army is at our gates."

With a surprisingly official demeanor, the two saluted Quistis and exited the office. Offering up a small prayer that she could reach him, Quistis picked up the phone receiver and dialed Squall's personal cell phone number. It rang twice, three, four times, and with every additional ring Quistis felt another grain of sand fall to the bottom of the hourglass.

Please Squall… pick up the phone…

--Winhill, Main Road.

Squall sighed in annoyance as he left the general store. Spending the last twenty minutes making idle conversation with random villagers was not his idea of fun; but it was necessary to establish some type of alibi and to pick up some supplies. The store was busy and rather loud and he was glad to escape it. Running a hand through his hair to keep it out of his eyes, he became aware of a beeping from his jacket pocket. His cell phone.

"Shit," he cursed, trying to juggle the bags in his hands and withdraw his cell phone from his jacket at the same time. It rang twice more before he was able to put down the bags and answer the phone.

"Squall?"

Quistis' voice was tense and full of anxiety. He immediately forgot the inane villagers and snapped back into his work mode.

"Yes instructor, I'm here. What's the situation in Balamb?"

"It's not good, Squall. You need to get back here, now. We need your authority. There's no time now, but I'll explain everything when you arrive," she said tersely.

Rinoa…

"Quistis, I…"

"Please, Squall. We need you here."

There was something in Quistis' tone that rang true. Squall knew he could no longer delay his responsibilities. And Rinoa would be fine, no one would find her here.

"Alright, Quistis. I'll be on my way within ten minutes."  He said shortly, flipping his phone shut. Hefting the bags he was carrying, he set off at a jog for the old house.

Opening the door, he looked around. It was quiet, and early afternoon sunlight spilled in through the kitchen window. It was so peaceful.

In another world… I would like it here. This elusive peace. This type of peace will never come through force. The type of peace that we all deserve…

Placing the bags on the small table, he softly climbed the dusty stairs to the bedroom above. Rinoa was slumbering peacefully under an old quilt on the bed, her legs curled up close to her body, her hair falling into her heart-shaped face. Leaning down beside her, he ran his gloved hand lightly across the line of her chin and brushed the strands away.

Rinoa.. I'll never let war come to you. I'll be back soon. Stay safe, love.

He withdrew his hand and looked down at her sleeping form one final time. With a conscious effort to avoid looking back, he left the house and got into his car. He drove away still resisting the urge to glance in the rearview mirror.

About two hours later he sighted Garden in the distance. He slowed the vehicle as he came upon the road block set up and manned by SeeD, but when he rolled down his window to show them his I.D. card, he was immediately recognized and waved through. Parking his car in the lot he jumped from it and ran for the elevator, heedless of the stares and thankful comments that were made as he ran through the halls.

Finally making it to his office, he opened the door without knocking. Quistis and several other high-ranking SeeDs, including Xu, were there. They all rose and saluted when he entered, but he waved them off. Quistis stepped forward and put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Squall… we need you to make a difficult decision now…" she began softly.

After hearing the situation, Squall turned away from the group for the moment. He could feel them all, waiting for a decision, for his decision.

Dammit… I'm not God… why is this all on me? The Second Sorceress War or Rinoa? How can they stand there and expect me to choose?!

"Dammit!" he voiced the thought this time. Without turning around to face his colleagues, he strode from the office and slammed the door behind him. In the hallway outside, he leaned an arm against the wall and let his dark hair fall into his eyes to hide his expression.  He remained lost in his thoughts until a familiar voice brought him back to reality.

"Yo… Squall man, when did you get back?" Zell questioned, leaning down and looking up at Squall from under his hair.

Squall sighed and turned away from his friend.

"Zell… not now.. you know the choice that I have to make…" he tried to explain, his voice a low monotone.

Zell moved around Squall so that he was in front of him again, and stood there patiently until Squall reluctantly lifted his cool blue eyes to meet his gaze.

"Squall, it's like Irvine said to me just a little while ago. What kind of choice is there to make? Trust your heart, and make the choice that it tells you to. We'll stand behind you… all of us. We all love you," he explained, his eyes conveying his faithfulness and the truth of his words.

"Although," he added as an afterthought, "we guys just love ya in that manly 'let's-go-kill-something-and-cook-it-outdoors' kinda way…"

Squall managed a weak smile more for the benefit of his friend than for the humor of the statement. Clapping Zell on the arm as a gesture of thanks, he squared his shoulders and walked back into his office. Saluting his officers, he began.

"I apologize for my behavior moments ago. I allowed my emotions to overwhelm my judgment and my conduct." He paused and looked each person in the room in the eye before he continued. "I've come to a decision. There will be no deal. We will not allow our institutions to be overrun by military force. We will not be bargained into a corner. We will not be threatened or intimidated. We will defend ourselves. We will fight- for our honor, for our ideals, for our innocence and for those who are innocent but cannot defend themselves. We have trained, we are ready, and we will fight."

The room was quiet for a moment while his final words seemed to hang in the air by invisible thread. Finally, Quistis broke the silence. Her voice was full of emotion, and she was clearly as inspired as the rest of the group by Squall's impassioned speech.

"Sir… yes, sir. I will notify the other Gardens immediately," she said, and exited the office.

The others saluted and then departed as well, until just Squall and Xu were left. She looked at him and smiled.

"It's an honor to be fighting on your side again, sir," she said with pride. He was about to respond to her when a SeeD ran in and saluted quickly.

"Commander, I apologize for the interruption but enemy forces have been sighted through our scopes, about seven miles and closing. Your presence is required on the bridge, sir."

"How many?" Squall questioned.

"About 3,500 sir," the SeeD replied.

Xu frowned.

"That can't be right, Squall. Our intelligence showed that a force of 7,000 left bound for this Garden alone. Where are the rest of them going?"

"Ma'am, as far as we can tell, the rest changed course and boarded boats bound for the Galbadian continent. It's believed that they will search towns for any sympathizers and to cut off possible hiding places for the sorceress."

Xu turned to speak to Squall, but all she saw was his retreating back as he ran from the office and towards the elevator.

Rinoa…

Whew. Chapter Fifteen. Good lord. I hope I didn't lose anyone in this chapter, ya? The next three are gonna be my action chapters, followed by THE chapter (ya know.. like the big one where everything is make or break) and then a resolution chapter. At least, that's how I see it. I may need to add another chapter here or there to give it some depth, but we will see.

Hey you guys!!!! I have 100 reviews!!!! Does anyone understand how excited I am? I had but 1 review I would still be happy, but 100?! Awesome! And it's all because of you, reader who is reading this! I love you 3!

And a big thank you to my beta reader, Karla! She's got some wonderful insight and I am glad to have her helping me out and catching all my silly little mistakes that I always make. Read her stories, they are all very good! =P

Karla3: Beta-Reader here! Kupo, I didn't even have to do anything for this chapter, it was brilliant, so much detail. Especially at the start. Nice curtains! ;) *Salutes*

Hey! Thank you, reviewers! =)

Rinny Leonhart/ Rikku-  Hehe, now comes the time when Squall will actually have to put his promise to protect her to the test, ya? Let me know what you think of this one!

Noacat- Man, I tried so hard to get Angelo into this chapter, but I wouldn't have been able to do it without some huge plot hole, ya? But it's gonna happen! And yay I'm so glad you liked the convo between Rinoa and, uh,  herself. Wahoo! I hope that this chapter was good enough =)

Evan'sRinoa- Hehe, sorry that the last chapter was a little short. Hehe, ya too bad that Zell didn't notice, huh? Because look at the big mess everyone's in now! Mwahaha. Send me a review and let me know what ya think!

cusp of a butterfly- Teehee, yes! Very sneaky! And you win the prize! For noticing the names of the officials. I was gonna put a note in at the end of last chapter, but I decided to just leave it and see if anyone noticed! What can I say, I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean while I was writing ^_^

Karla3- Silly girl, I just talked to you today. You know how much I appreciate your reviews already =)

azn_angel4- Thank you for such a nice compliment, I hope that you liked this chapter, let me know what you think if you have time =P

DemonRyu- Good! I want her to be creepy. The next chapter is gonna have a lot of creepiness in it, mwahaha. And don't scare me… can you imagine an evil Selphie? We'd all be so doomed! O_O And your question is the big question: how much can he protect her? Thanks for the great review!

That's it! Please read and review—well.. you already READ it, I'm assuming, so now just review, hehe. Thanks so much to everyone for their support! Te amo~ Kupo