Note: I don't own Final Fantasy VIII, and you know why? I went to Square-Enix, and I asked for the rights very nicely, but they just told me I had problems and to "go talk to a wall" ….. Whatever!
I Forgot Your Name
By Kupo
Chapter Seventeen: Surrender
--Balamb Garden, Parking Lot.
"Tch! Too many…" Zell hissed under his breath as the second wave of Estharian and Galbadian began streaming through the side of the Garden. He glanced to his left, where a trio of SeeDs was standing in the midst of the chaos, shocked expressions on their faces as they watched the new wave charge towards them.
"Hey!!!!" he called to them urgently, but the three just moved closer to each other. Zell glanced around himself quickly to make sure that no one was advancing at him, and then ran to the aid of the three. He jumped in front of them just as a Galbadian foot soldier reached the same spot. As the soldier raised his sword to strike, Zell brought his elbow up against the underside of the soldier's chin, causing him to lose his balance and reel backwards. As the man took a step in retreat to steady himself Zell advanced and, with a well-placed knee to the solar plexus and then a crescent kick to the ribs, dropped him to the ground. He turned to look at the SeeDs behind him.
"You guys ok to fight?" he spoke quickly, knowing that there was not time to engage in idle conversation. The tallest of the three looked at him with fear-filled eyes.
"Sir…. it's just that we've never trained for any combat like this… we were only cadets last time Garden was invaded… how can we win this? They are too many…" he spoke brokenly, softly.
Zell clapped a hand on his shoulder and spoke from his heart.
"That's why you gotta try, man," he said, taking a precious moment to look all three in the eyes. "You gotta try, you gotta carry on. Because we're fighting for the right, the innocent. Who's gonna protect them if we are gone? I can't give up, it's not in my nature…. and looking all the three of you, I'm sure it's not in yours either."
The SeeDs seemed to pause for a moment, letting his words sink in. Then the tallest nodded resolutely and looked at his two comrades, who nodded in return. The three drew their weapons and charged into the fray.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!!" Zell called after them. He felt a cold blow strike his back, and whipped around to see an Estharian soldier preparing to cast another round of blizzaga. Without hesitation, he ran at the soldier, dropping him to the ground in just a few moves.
"Zell!"
Zell glanced around him, looking for whoever had called his name. All around him destruction met his eyes. Walls had crumbled, plants were aflame, and every few meters lay a fallen soldier or one of his comrades. Already, the enemies which had slipped through their defenses had begun to mount the stairs to the second floor. Despite his encouraging words a few moments ago, he felt despair rise up in his chest, choking off his air.
"Zell!"
Turning again in the direction of the voice, he finally caught sight of Selphie running towards him, her arms waving desperately. He heard a yell from behind him and turned just in time to quickly uppercut and flip a Galbadian officer. Just as the body connected to the ground with a heavy thud, Selphie reached him. She put a trembling hand on his arm and spoke, her voice betraying the collected front she was trying desperately to maintain.
"They've started to invade the second and third floors. We've been trying to keep them back, but there's so many… Zell, I don't know how long we can hold them off up there. We need you, can you come help us?"
"Selphie, thank Hyne you're here," Quistis interrupted, running over to them. "We can use all the help we can get down here," she said, brushing her blond hair away from her face. There was a deep slash on the arm of her black uniform, and the edges of the fabric clung to her, held there by drying blood.
Selphie frowned and tried to explain her own situation upstairs. Quistis shook her head and gestured around herself.
"Selphie, we can't hold off this wave…. forever…?" she trailed off, looking around the area.
The place was eerily quiet. The gaping hole in the wall was empty, and sunlight steamed through it, creating a strange glow in the large space. The SeeDs left standing were looking at each other, unsure of what was going on.
"This doesn't feel right, guys," Zell said, under his breath to his friends, so as not to alarm the rest of the SeeDs. Quistis nodded, her hand resting upon the whip at her side.
"Heyy? Maybe they gave up?" Selphie questioned softly.
Just then, the sunlight that had brightened the room began to be eclipsed by a dark shadow. Zell watched at the light on the floor shrank to almost nothing. A deep metallic rumble began to grow, causing the ground to vibrate lightly. Suddenly, the wall which had once had a hole in it was gone, exploding in all directions. The three friends turned their back on the explosions to shield themselves, and Zell stood in front of Selphie, his arms around her in an attempt to keep her from being hit by any debris. As the sound of falling cement lessened, everyone turned; trying to peer through the smoke at what awaited them.
"Oh… shit…" Quistis swore under her breath as the dust dissipated. Stretched out in a long line were huge machines. They appeared to be somewhat like tanks, but were almost two stories tall and manned by several people from inside. Mounted about 10 feet in the air and on the front of the vehicles were strange nozzles which looked somewhat like fire hoses.
Zell watched apprehensively as these nozzles extended out several feet and seemed to rotate clockwise for a moment.
Almost as if they're turning on a faucet…
Shock and panic overtook him. "Yo! Everyone, get back! Get the hell back!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, pushing Selphie and Quistis back, towards safer ground. As the SeeDs fled, fire began to shoot from the hoses in a flat plane. The line of fire stretched across several feet and connected to the line of fire from the tank adjacent to itself.
"It's not so much an offensive weapon… it's a siege weapon… one to keep us from escaping…" Zell said softly, looking at the line of fire that stretched the whole of the blast range. From the bottom of the vehicles, doors swung open and soldiers streamed out.
"Hey!" Zell heard someone call from behind him. He turned and saw Irvine running towards them, his eyes glued to the wall of fire. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his gun and cocked it while pointing it towards the sky. Falling into line between Zell and Selphie, he spoke, a grim smile on his face.
"Just like old times, guys. Let's do this!"
--Centra Ruins, Tower.
Squall softly closed the door to the room. Inside, he was sure Rinoa was still sitting quietly, eyes fixed on the sun as it arced slowly across the afternoon sky, as she had been for the past few hours. He turned toward the wall, resting his forehead on the cool stone wall.
What am I supposed to do next?
He crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself tightly. He fought to ignore the cries of protest from deep in his mind.
What are you thinking? Are you going to run forever?
He moaned softly, and lightly thunked his head against the stone.
I know I can't run. I know I can't escape this forever. But what do I know that I can do?
"Squall? Could you… could you come in here, please?" Rinoa called from within the room. Taking a moment to pull himself together emotionally, he attempted to mask his worries.
I used to be so good at hiding my thoughts…
He opened the door, somewhat dismayed to see Rinoa just as he had left her. Covering the expanse of the floor in a few large strides, he stood in front of her.
"You alright, Rin?" he asked, his normally cool voice filled with worry. He noticed her hesitation and put a hand on her shoulder to encourage her to speak, and was surprised to feel her body trembling. He lowered himself in front of her, squatting down and sitting on his heels.
"Hey…? Rinoa? Tell me?" he questioned, tucking a finger under her chin to lift her face so his eyes could find hers. She seemed unable to hold his gaze, and turned away, blinking quickly. As she turned, he caught a tear rolling down her cheek in profile. A frown crossed his features as he moved from the floor to sit beside her. After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and just held her quietly.
"Rinoa? I… know I'm not always the best at opening up… but I want you to always be able to talk to me... there's not one thing in this entire world that you could tell me that would ever make me change how I feel about you… and I just want you to know that. I just want you to know that I won't ever stop being here. Protecting you… and…" he paused, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks despite the seriousness of the conversation, "and… always loving you. Okay?"
He received no reply, which hurt him more than he thought it would. He was so used to Rinoa always talking to him, telling him everything about her life, her desires, her plans… it was her passion for life, her spontaneity, which had kept him from forgetting her that first night long ago.
After a moment more, he stood up.
"I'm gonna make a few calls to Garden and find out what their situation is," he explained, pulling his cell phone from his jacket pocket and moving toward the door.
"Squall," Rinoa called softly. He hesitated, his hand hovering above the door latch.
"Yeah, Rinoa?"
"I am…" she began, but trailed off into silence. He turned to look at her, and was surprised to see that she had risen and was standing by the window, looking out at the desolate expanse beyond. Before he could move toward her, she spoke again.
"I am with child. Your child."
Squall paused, slightly reeling back on his heels. His heart had jumped into his throat and he fought to swallow it back down. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a horrible buzzing in his head. Opening them, he glanced over at Rinoa, who had still not turned to look at him. He took a deep breath. He opened the door and walked out.
--Balamb Garden, 2F Corridor.
As the chain snapped taught, it caught an Estharian soldier on the neck with a heavy thwack. With a flick of the wrist, her nunchaku was back in her hand. Peering farther down the hallway, she was dismayed to see more and more soldiers mounting the stairs to the second floor.
They've already pushed us up to the second floor, the first is totally lost. I don't know if we can do this much longer… there's no way we can evacuate all the remaining underclassmen from this floor… and everyone's on their last legs…
Selphie watched in shock as a group of SeeD were rocked by a quake spell. Running in their direction, she called a spell aloud.
"Full Cure! And Fast!"
The SeeDs nodded to her gratefully before renewing their battles. She caught a familiar form rush by her right side and watched as they ran to a fallen comrade. She ran to them.
"Irvine?" she questioned, and he looked up at her from his kneeling position on the floor. He gestured to the female SeeD on the ground.
"She's dead, Sefie… so many…"
Her heart ached and she reached for his hand, pulling him up from the ground. In the midst of the chaos, he pulled her close to him and held her tightly. She hid her face in the curve of his neck and tried to tune out the sounds of cries and explosions that echoed in the hall. She felt Irvine shift his grip on her and jumped as a loud bang reverberated in her ears. She lifted her head in time to see a Galbadian solider who had attempted to rush the couple drop to the ground, mortally wounded from a blast of Irvine's shotgun.
Just then, Zell ran past, but skidded to a stop and turned around when he caught sight of the two.
"Hey! Have you guys seen Quistis?" he asked, wiping a hand across his lower lip, which was split and still oozing blood.
Selphie paused, thinking hard for a moment before answering.
"I think I saw her heading for the third floor a few minutes ago, but I can't quite remember. What's up?"
Zell frowned and gestured at the chaos all around him. Irvine nodded and squeezed Selphie's hand.
"Let's go find her."
--Balamb Garden, 3F Office.
You've failed. Everyone's dying. You're no commander.
Quistis ran a hand over her face, a tear smearing a trail through the dirt on her cheek. She hated herself for leaving the battle, which she could still hear and feel from the floors below. But she had to think. Had to weigh her options, and decide when it was time to cut her losses. She jumped as the phone on Squall's desk began to ring. She let it ring until the machine picked up, and then it began to ring again. Sighing, she walked unsteadily towards the desk and picked up the receiver.
"Balamb Garden? Is this Garden? I need to speak with the commander!"
Quistis opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was dry and she coughed a few times before she found her voice.
"This is acting commander Quistis Trepe."
"Trepe, this is Martine of Galbadia. We've sustained heavy casualties and damage to Garden. We can't hold them off any longer. We want to instigate a truce. But they won't accept unless all three Gardens present a united front against the sorceress. I've already spoken to Trabia, and they've agreed to the truce as well. We need your affirmation. Now."
Just as she began to respond, the door to the office swung open and Zell rushed in, followed closely by Selphie and Irvine.
"Can you hold on for a moment, sir?" She questioned, and rested the phone receiver on its side on the desk without waiting for a response.
She crossed the floor to stand in front of her friends.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't run away. I just needed some time… to think. I just don't know what the right move is. Martine is on the phone, asking us to accept a truce and cooperate with the Esthar and Galbadia before they finish us off. But we- but I promised Squall that I would protect Garden. I don't know what the right choice is. I don't know what to do."
Quistis swallowed down the tears that threatened to fall as she locked eyes with each of her comrades. Selphie brushed away a tear and stepped forward.
"Quistis… I can't tell you what to do…" she began, her voice wavering. Irvine moved to stand beside her and then continued the sentence for her.
"But we can't hold them off much longer, and…" he hesitated, and Zell took the opportunity to speak up.
"And… Squall will understand, Quistis."
Quistis pondered aloud, trying to come to a solution.
"It's not a betrayal. So many lives are at stake…. we need to save the ones still left. We have to trust him to protect Rinoa, right?" she asked, glancing at the three for confirmation, and they nodded.
She turned back toward the desk.
We have to trust Squall to understand. We have to trust him to do what we couldn't.
Lifting the phone receiver to her ear, she spoke as strongly as she could.
"Martine, please advise the Estharian and Galbadian forces that they may back down. We are willing to cooperate."
I'm so sorry, Squall.
-- Centra Ruins, Tower.
Squall walked slowly down the winding staircase, trailing his fingers on the cool stone wall, relishing the rough texture. At least that was something he could feel. Suddenly overwhelmed by tiredness, he sat down on the steps, resting his head in his hands and allowing his hair to fall across his eyes.
Rinoa's pregnant? We can't do this right now, I can't think about it. I thought we were always careful? But she has been very… aggressive in that department lately. But it's my responsibility. It's my responsibility.
He stood, trying to clear his head.
It's my responsibility. As is Rinoa.
He turned to look up the winding staircase, and began to climb. With each step upwards, he felt a little bit better, his choice seemed a little bit clearer. He reached the top of the stairs and opened the door. Rinoa had been looking out the window, but she turned to face him. Her skin was pale and her eyes seemed haunted.
My responsibility. My child. My love.
He quickly crossed the room and pulled her to him in a tight hug. He felt her shake in his arms and he stroked her hair softly.
"Rinoa, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to leave you here alone. I just needed time to think. I won't leave you alone again. I promise," he whispered, he voice tight with emotion.
Rinoa made no reply, but her arms tightened slightly around him. As he stroked her hair, he looked over her shoulder and out the window. He froze.
Rinoa, seeming to sense his distress, took a step back from him, and then followed his gaze. A long line of vehicles could be made out on the horizon, the dust rising behind them and contrasting with the red hues of the setting sun. Finally, Rinoa turned to him and spoke.
"They're coming."
Boom. There we go! How is everyone? I'm sorry it's been like.. .a month since an update. It should have been only about 2 weeks, but I got to go to Spain! You all understand, don't you? *big innocent eyes* And then when I got back, I found out that my roommate had used my computer and that it had a big virus, so I needed to reformat the whole darn thing and I lost this chapter, which I had halfway done already. And so for a few days more I lost the motivation to write… I hate having to rewrite! But in any case, I am home now and will update again by say… next Thursday. One week. Yay!
Anyway, I hope that everyone liked this chapter. I kept Rinoa (both of them) pretty quiet this time for good reason- the next chapter's gonna be full of them. I hope that no one's too upset that the Gardens had to surrender, but I really couldn't see our friends letting everyone die- and they have faith in Squall! And the story isn't over yet! Just wait and see! =)
Thank you to my Chapter 16 reviewers! A record number! Go you guys!!!
Rinny Leonhart / Rikku- Ya, poor little puppy. But.. I'll try and make it up to you later =)
Noacat- I hate sad endings, so be prepared for some figurative ass-kicking in the near future, hehehe.
squeakychris- I tried to bulk up my fight scenes for you! Did I do ok? It's my first time writing a fic, nevermind an action one! I hope you liked it! =P
gabbygav2002- Sorry to keep you waiting for so long! I'll try and wrap this one up within the next two weeks! Happy reading!
Ariennye- No worries about forgetting to update, since I wasn't able to update for a long time either! So we're even, hehe. And I'm working up to the big conflict, I hope you won't be disappointed!
Sain- Oh my gosh! Such nice praise! Thank you so much! Really really! Thank you! =D
eDSta- Hehe… I always saw him driving something like a Spyder. But a Skyline def. works too! Get ready for Squall to kick some serious butt next chapter—but who's??
Evan'sRinoa- Here's the update! Sorry that it took eons! Thank you for your nice comments =)
DemonRyu- Oh yes, there will be so much angst to come. Squall is going to be a very angsty little boy when he figures everything out, hehehe. You always have such an insightful review. Thanks! ^_^
Knighted- Of course you got mentioned! I figure, if you guys take the time to review, I can take the time to say thank you, ya? I owe my editing to my beta-reader, Karla, praise her, not me, hehe… But thank you for the praise! It does feel very nice to have so much support for my first fic =)
Karla3- Karla, thank you for not thinking I was dead! I'm sorry to have been gone for so long! And thank you, as always, for editing and reviewing! Early Happy Birthday!
SoulSwhispers666- hehe, okie. let me try and explain. *puts on teacher hat* So like, Rinoa's starting to feel her sorceress powers. But there's apart of her that resists them. This is the "good" Rinoa. The "bad" Rinoa is the part that is going around trying to get power, cause wars, and off people. The "good" Rinoa, which is really her conscience, is stuck up in a corner of her mind, and is powerless to stop the "bad" Rinoa from doing what she's doing, but she can see her doing it. And the "good" Rinoa is trying to find a way to fight the evil within herself. Does that help? Hehe. I hope you liked this chapter =)
Rinoa Leonheart1- I hope that the time it took to read all the chapters was worth it! Thanks for your review! ^.^
A Lifeless Beauty- Why thank you! Such a sweet review! *hug* I hope this chapter was up to par! =)
Thank you to everyone who is reading! Drop me a review and you will be loved forever! Te amo~ Kupo
Up Next: The Evil Within!
