Author's Note: Wow…I'm amazed that you guys are still reading this story…I feel so happy. Many thanks to PasifiKStaR like always. And thanks to diamonddust1414: it's okay if you're busy so you can't review, I respect that. Thanks, The wise. I notice you're a new reviewer. I hope you enjoy the story, though sad to say we're not far from the ending.
Oh yeah, I don't know how else to thank my reviewers for my songfic for Rinoa's Theme so I'll thanks them here. Thanks to Kimmie Sisslac and Fujin Kazano.
Here's Chapter Seven. Have fun!
Chapter Seven
"No!" Rinoa said firmly. Irvine and Quistis just stared at her for a minute. They were in an empty classroom, telling her what Raijin had said. "I don't know what you're talking about! Squall did not kidnap me!"
"Rinoa…it's okay, whatever he did to you or told you or whatever---" said Irvine.
"We want to help you---" Quistis told her.
"I said no!" Rinoa yelled, getting up from the chair. "Help me? With what? Squall did not kidnap me, I'm sure of it!"
She stormed out of the classroom and went immediately to her bedroom. She locked her door and sat on her bed, hugging the chocobo doll Squall had given her. "I love you," it said. Rinoa felt tears brim her eyes.
"Squall…" she whispered, looking at the chocobo doll's blue eyes. "I don't understand what's happening anymore…please…I need you here…" She lay in bed curled up in a fetal position. "I need you…"
- : - : - : -
Rinoa lay awake in bed the next morning. She hadn't slept the entire night. "You are engaged to a man named Seifer Almasy," Irvine had said.
'Seifer…' she thought. 'He was the man in my dreams…I'm engaged to him…? But wasn't that just a dream…?'
"Rinoa, you don't have to pretend anymore," Quistis had told her. "You can tell us what really happened. You can tell us what Squall said or did to you."
'What had happened?' she thought. 'I don't even know myself and yet they are asking me? I feel so confused…'
She got up and took a cold shower before leaving her room. Not many students were awake yet. Rinoa walked around for a while then stopped when she saw Quistis, Irvine and Headmaster Cid talking to three people near the directory. She stood there, watching them for a while when one of the three people, a blond man, caught sight of her.
"Rinoa!" he said, running to her and embracing her. "Oh, Hyne, I'm so glad you're safe." Rinoa pushed him slightly away and stared at him. He looked so familiar.
"I'm sorry but…do I know you?" she asked. "Who are you?"
He stared at her. "What have they done to you?" he asked. "Don't you remember me? It's me, Seifer. Rinoa…don't you remember?"
"Seifer?" she said. "Your name is so familiar but…" She shook her head. Everything was so confusing and now her head had begun to throb. She placed a hand on her forehead and said, "I don't know you…"
"What are you saying?" Seifer said. "Rinoa…Rinoa, what's wrong, what happened to you?" She looked away from him and he grabbed both her wrists. "Rinoa, stop it! Look at me!"
She tried to pull away from him, starting to cry. "Let go of me!" she screamed, her eyes tightly shut. As she cried, she was starting to see images of Seifer in her mind. Seifer was there, embracing her. He was talking to her, smiling at her. They were driving together and laughing together. What were these? Memories…?
She opened her eyes again. "Seifer…" she whispered. 'Who are you?' she thought. She was so confused…her head was hurting so much.
"Squall!" she heard Quistis say.
Rinoa looked back at the others and saw Squall standing not far from them. "What the hell?" he asked, talking to no one in particular. Rinoa felt Seifer's grip loosen and she instantly pulled away and ran to Squall, embracing him.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"We'd like you to tell us," said Irvine.
Quistis nodded, adding, "Tell us the truth, Squall. Tell us the truth about Rinoa."
Squall looked at Rinoa and saw she had the same question. "They're saying something about you kidnapping me. They said I'm not supposed to be here and that I'm engaged to Seifer," she said pointing at Seifer who just stood there. "I…I don't know…I feel so confused, Squall…what are they talking about?"
He didn't say anything. 'If I tell you the truth…' he thought, 'you would probably hate me…you would leave me…' He wanted to hold her closer and kiss her but he couldn't. He remembered that he told himself he would never give her back to Seifer. But what choice did he have now? He wanted to die.
"Rinoa…" he said. "Listen to me, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay…"
"I…I didn't kidnap you but…but I lied to you," he said. He could think of no easier way to say it. Better say it as it is than change it and get into worse trouble.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You really are engaged to Seifer," he said. "You never knew me before you woke up, before I saved you. I didn't know who you were until that night."
"S-Squall…?" she asked. "Are…are you serious?"
He nodded. "I'm sorry, Rinoa…"
She backed away from him. "I…I don't want to believe any of this!" she screamed. She ran away and all they could do was watch her.
Seifer glared at Squall, with the look of death in his eyes, but said nothing. Squall understood his anger. If he had been in Seifer's place he would have been angry enough to kill. Squall left and walked around the Garden a couple of times. At last he got tired and went to his room, wanting to lie down and think.
He opened the door and found Rinoa seated on his bed, crying. In her arms was the chocobo doll he had just recently given her. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'I didn't want to hurt you…' he thought. 'I'm so sorry…' He walked towards her and sat down beside her. They just looked at each other for a moment then Rinoa leaned on him, letting go of the chocobo doll to be able to embrace him.
Squall instinctively wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "I'm sorry, Rinoa," he said. She looked up at him and he lovingly pressed his lips to hers in a warm and affectionate kiss. When he let go, she hugged him once again though she was still crying. "I love you so much, Squall," she said. "I love you…"
"I know, Rin, I know," he said. "But you have to go home with Seifer. You don't belong here…you…you don't belong with me."
"I wish I did," she said softly.
"Me, too," he answered. "Me, too…"
She got up and walked towards the door. Squall looked at the doll he had gotten for her and he called, "Hey, Rinoa," he said. She turned around and he tossed her the doll. "I got it for you. Keep it. Don't forget me."
"I won't," she said and she left the room. He lay on the bed and embraced the pillow, still bathed in her scent. "I love you, Rinoa…" he said.
Rinoa looked at Garden one more time. She had said good bye to all her friends, which was just about everyone in the Garden. Seifer said she could visit them once she had gotten her memory back. He always smiled at her and always held her hand, not like Squall who hardly smiled and only held her hand now and then. Seifer's voice was caring and tender; Squall's had usually been mediocre and could almost be cold at times.
But whenever she lay in Seifer's embrace, whenever he caressed her cheek or kissed her hand, she longed for something else. As they rode the train to Deling City, Rinoa could not let go of the chocobo doll.
"Why are you still hugging that thing? Wasn't it from that guy…Squall?" Seifer finally asked, watching her stroke the doll's head.
"It's special," she said simply. "You aren't going to take it, are you?"
"No, of course, not," he said, though he had a grimace on his face. "If it really is special to you…then I guess you can keep it…"