Squall's Memorial
I glanced at the boy shoving the island's residents into quickly growing quicksand.
"It's going to swallow the islands, soon!" a gray haired woman, about 5 feet, 3 inches tall, screamed, to her dark-haired son.
(Adam, that's your name, isn't it?)
I walked over to the boy, watched his black curly hair swing lightly in the pressure of the people's bodies. As I neared him, the mansion behind me began to crumble more. Down went the 2nd floor, bringing everyone on it into the deadly quicksand below. The 1st floor quaked violently, making the people grasp onto the weak supporter known as the walls, which collapsed in a matter of seconds.
I looked at the woman, knowing she caused all of this death. She ignored everyone around her, chomping on an arm she had torn off one of the sinking bodies. Adam stopped, watched her, disgusted.
A small toddler walked up to him slowly, weary of what he could do, as she saw him lift a 350-pound woman into the hair, only straining a little. He tossed her in, not much effort required. The toddler knew she would be like a tiny bead to him. She clutched onto her soft bunny rabbit toy as she minimized the distance between them.
"Mister, are you going to throw me in, too?" she asked, her green eyes icing over, soaked with tears. I saw Adam's eyes deepen, if only for a moment. He had a soul; he wasn't just a killing machine.
"I'm afraid I have to, yes." He responded, almost too quietly.
"Will you come with me?"
"I'm sorry, I can't. But I will tell you what I can do. I'll give you one wish."
"Okay." The girl's face brightened, her hair shook gently. "I wish to die quickly. No pain."
Adam smiled quickly, the first smile I had ever seen him crack. "Hey, cheer up. I've got something to tell you."
"What?"
"Don't be afraid of death. It comes some day, for everyone."
"Even you?"
Adam paused for a second, the faint smile disappearing. "Yes, even me. Eventually."
"Um, can I join Mommy, now?" the toddler's blonde hair floated into the air lightly, as Adam -without a word- pulled out a dagger. He plunged it into her heart, twisting it. She gave out and fell backwards, right into his supporting arm. He slid the dirtied dagger into its holster, lifted the girl up gently, watching her bright red blood slide down his fingers, down his arm, soiling his black shirt, staining it a dark crimson. He neared the quicksand, handling the girl's body with the utmost care. As he walked, he tripped over a root, falling face first into the sand, arms stiff at his sides, still holding the girl. The woman didn't notice him; she was too busy chowing down on her buffet. She finished it and reached for Adam's arm, which was flailing around, trying to find a way out. I could see his black hair faintly through the watery sand, but his head had completely disappeared.
His mother tugged at the arm, surprised at the way it struggled.
"This' a tough one." She muttered to herself.
"Wait!" I called out, running up to her. "That's your sons arm!"
"Oh?" she let it drop. I gazed after the arm as it sank, completely went under.
"Oh no…" I sighed.
"Why do you care if my son dies? Thought you civilized people all hated cannibals." She said haughtily.
"…Cannibal or no cannibal, he's a living person. He breathes, talks, and sometimes acts just like everyone else in the world. It's not just limited to 'civilized people' anymore." I watched the sand completely engulf Adam. "Only your diet is different." I glanced once more at the spot where he had fallen in. There was no trace that he had ever been there, now. "You are one of us."
Our attention was diverted away from each other as the quicksand glowed a passive yellow, and something shot out of it.
"What is that?!" I asked. The thing that flew out landed in front of me was Adam, his normally black, curly locks soaked in blood, matted to his forehead, his black clothes drenched to the bone. His full lips were formed in a scowl, his black eyes aimed directly at his mother.
The 1st floor of the mansion was now in the quicksand. Adam's rise from the sand had shaken the support loose, and then it had gone down. Now all that remained of the once-proud 5-story mansion was a frame.
I looked at Adam's right arm. It was bleeding a little.
"Your arm…" I murmured.
"Yeah…" he frowned, then turned to his mother. "Thanks a lot, mom. You almost tore it right off!"
"Sorry! I would have tasted the difference." She backed off, shielding her face.
"It would have been too late, then, huh?" he growled.
"Adam…" I said softly. He glanced at me, his black eyes softening. "That is your name, right?"
He nodded.
"I can fix the wound for you, if you want." I told him.
"Sure." He smiled, not glancing at his mother.
I felt his arm, dragging my fingers around the bloody line. In a few seconds, the wound was gone. He looked up, his wet hair almost smacking me in the face. He pushed it away and closed his eyes. When they opened, they weren't a pitiful black anymore. They were a hypnotizing ocean blue, a familiar blue. His hair changed color, into a soft golden brown. An evil looking, familiar scar appeared on his face, starting in the middle of his forehead, continuing across his face until it reached under the middle of his eye. It was a little longer, but I knew who had originally worn the same scar. Squall Leonhart.
"You…you're related to Squall Leonhart, aren't you?" I reached out for his face. Just as Squall would have done, he pushed my hand away. I saw an angry look on his mother's face.
"Something like that." He replied. "Who are you?"
"My name is…Rinoa Heartilly. I knew Squall before I came here…"
"…"
"Do you think I'll ever see him again?"
"…"
"…" Neither of us could think of something for us to say.
"Mom! It's a quicksand tidal wave! The guardian is attacking us!" he screamed.
"Come on, we've got to get out of here!" his mother called, watching me for a second as Adam sort of pushed me to run. A fierce look was on her face for that second. Adam grabbed my hand and we ran, as fast as we could, to an awaiting helicopter.
"Get in!" I felt him shove on my legs and I collapsed on the hard metal floor.
"Leave him!" his mother screamed as the wave began to get stronger, and Adam was trapped.
"No!" I pulled on Adam's arms, but I felt powerless against the wind, trying to suck him into the sand, trying to make him join the people he had killed.
But I continued to be my stubborn self, and eventually, the wind gave out and Adam collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
For the next few moments, his mother stared at my flesh, making me uncomfortable.
"There's a room in the back, you can take there if you wish." She waved me off, rendering me unfit to eat, or something like that.
I hoisted up Adam's surprisingly light body and hauled it into the back. A bed lied there, and nothing else but a chair. I laid him onto the bed and sat in the chair calmly.
The next few minutes, I watched his soaked shirt rise and fall. Then I got bored and began to trace a pattern on his chest- a lion's head. For some reason, it had just painted itself into my head.
"Related to Squall…who knew he would be a cannibal? He sometimes looks like Squall, sometimes not. I never would have guessed Squall if I hadn't seen that transformation. Why did he save me from his wraith? Why didn't I die just like the others?" I wondered, staring out the window, watching the island I had just been on. Now it was nothing but quicksand, for miles and miles. The last of the island's stable ground was being sucked up, and I watched the mansion's frame collapse into the deathly sand. Now no living creature remained, they had all been sucked up, thrown in, or killed. I turned back to Adam. "Why me?"
I continued to trace the lion pattern until I felt the urge to feel his scar. So I did, keeping my other hand spread across his heart.
"Are you just like Squall? Reluctant to speak, to express your feelings?" I asked to the motionless body.
(I'm talking about Squall just as he never wanted anyone to…)
I felt something graze my hand, and I ignored it.
"He never wanted any love, but I gave it to him…now he's dead. I would give all my sorceress powers to bring him back to life."
(Why do I keep talking to him? He can't hear me.)
"I tried and tried to heal him, but it was to no use. He was gone…" I almost broke down, and then I felt something graze my hand again. I glanced down to see what it was. Adam's hand, caressing mine softly, slowly.
(He's more romantic than Squall, that's for sure.)
"Adam?" I started.
He glanced at me, letting me know I had his attention.
"Are…are you really a cannibal?"
"…No, not really." He said quietly, frowning, letting his hand slip from mine. "Used to be, though."
"Your mother is a cannibal."
"She's not really my mother."
"I know. Raine Loire is." I said.
"Who?"
"It's a complicated story."
"Tell me."
"Okay, sure. There was a girl named Julie who played piano at a bar. Laguna Loire and his Galabedian friends, Kiros and Ward, used to go to that bar every time they were in Deling City. Then Julia wrote a song for Laguna, called Eyes on Me. They both thought they were in love. Then one day…Laguna left. He never came back, and Julia met General Caraway. They married, creating me. Laguna and Raine were back in Winhill, and they married, creating Squall. Then Julia died in a car accident. Raine died at childbirth. Laguna was not there when Squall was born, so the newborn and Ellone, his adopted sister, were taken to the orphanage. By the time Laguna got back, the children were gone, and Raine was dead. And now I'm here, after a long time of torture from my father."
"I had to be born in there somewhere, right?"
"I think so. Squall never told me about a brother."
"Maybe he never knew."
"Maybe. But…Ellone would have told me if there was a twin." I played with my jet-black hair.
"…" He began to play with his own hair. Then I realized his appearance had returned to normal.
"What happened to your hair?"
"What?"
"You…you changed earlier. Your hair turned a golden brown and you got a scar and your eyes turned blue." I explained. A look of confusion came over his face.
"I never changed my appearance." He said. I noticed the scar was still on his forehead, and his eyes were still blue.
"…" I was motionless, except for both of us playing with our hair. "Why did you save me?"
"I did…because…" He was cut off by his mother, who stepped into the room.
"What are you two doing back here?" She smiled cruelly, staring at my flesh.
"Mother! Lay off her, okay!" Adam stood up. He had let go of his hair, and now his fists were balled into fists. "You don't eat females, so lay off!"
"Yes, Adam. I do not eat females. You do." She responded.
(Had he planned to eat me the entire time?)
"I…. I'm not going to anymore."
"You mean…no more cannibals?" She asked, as surprised as I was. "Weren't you going to eat this girl? Or did you bring her for pleasure?"
"No, Mother. I do not want to eat her, do not want to be pleasured. I brought her here because I wanted to!"
(So, he really is not a cannibal. He is a human. A normal, mistake-making human.)
"Fine. Then when we get home, you can take a bath, pack your things, and then you can rid yourself of my house!" She stormed out of the room, slamming the metal door behind her. Adam smiled faintly.
"No more house…" He ran his sentence off, choking on his tears.
"Adam…" I started to comfort him.
"I'm not a cannibal…"
"I know."
"I'm bloodthirsty."
"What?" I wasn't sure what that was, but it didn't sound good.
"I kill random people, watch their blood run over my fingers, the hot feel of it on a cold, winter day…"
"You…you're going to kill me?" I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.
"No. You saved my life. Why should I kill my heroine?" he frowned and inhaled deeply.
"So, what? What can I do? I have no where to go." I said, changing the subject.
"…" He wringed his hands and stared out the window behind him. "Wherever I go, you can come with, if you want. Unless you want to stay with the remaining cannibals…"
"No…but I can't go with you either."
"I gave up killing a long time ago."
"How long ago?"
"Five seconds."
"Really?" I asked skeptically.
"Yes. I was going to kill you…but I can't now."
"Why not?"
"It's just cold. Mother eats them, I kill them. It's narrowing the population down one by one…"
"You can't just give up a thing you've done for a really long time just like that. It takes time."
"Well time is something I don not have. I promise, I will try. I'll try really hard." He looked at me, sincerity in his eyes.
(He sounds just as Squall made his promise to me. Somehow, I know he will keep it. Squall is with him, and the passion flares like fire from him…)
"So, where is Squall?" Adam asked.
"He's…he's in a flower field…waiting for me." I blinked away tears.
"How could he be there for so long? Shouldn't he just wait at home?"
"It is his home. And he promised me. He never breaks a promise."
"…"
"I'll be waiting. Why? I'll be waiting…here. For who? I'll be waiting…here…for you…so…if you come here, you'll find me. I promise." I repeated exactly what happened as if it had happened yesterday.
"He's dead, isn't he?" Adam closed his eyes thoughtfully.
"Seems he got lost in the desert…after we defeated an evil sorceress. He was wandering around, most likely looking for me, and then he must have fainted. His body just…appeared in the flower field, and I knew already he was dead. Then he sent a sign…to tell me he was alive and well…that he would wait for me until my time came…"
"I'm sorry…"
"You didn't cause it."
"No, but I felt it."
"What?"
"Last year…I was sleeping, and then I had this awful headache. Soon, I was aching all over, then…I fainted…"
"…"
The helicopter came to a sudden halt.
"We're here…" Adam said quietly. He squeezed my shoulder and I followed him out.
He then took a quick shower and packed his things. We left the small village together, no one at the gate to bid us farewell. Which was okay, since in his current state, Adam would not have cared or noticed anyway.
We both built a fair sized cottage out by a crystal clear pond. Adam created most of it, but I created the materials and fastened them together with my powers. Together we created a big bathhouse with a huge whirlpool in it, which Adam was fairly proud of. I created a wall of glass overlooking the lake, and at sunset or sunrise, it was beautiful.
One day, I was relaxing in the whirlpool when Rinoa stepped into the house. She was dressed in nothing but a towel.
"Oh! I didn't realize you were in here!" she exclaimed, her face turning bright red. "I'll leave."
"No, you look like you really need a bath." I said, nodding to her twig-filled hair.
"Yes…" She smiled.
"I'll get out." I offered, and began to get out. Then, halfway through emerging, I remembered I was completely naked, and slid back into the warm water.
"Um…" We both tried to figure out what to do.
(Author's note: I did not want Rinoa to leave the pool house for certain reasons.)
"How about if I get in with you?" Rinoa asked.
"What?"
"I think it's the only way." She smiled. A slight grin tugged at the corner of my mouth too. Neither of us would have minded getting out of the pool house, it's just that we were so desperate to spend more time with one another…in more than one way.
"Ummm…sure." I turned away from her, towards the window. However, she cast a reflection in the glass, and I could not help but watch as she slipped the powder blue towel off and slipped in the tub silently beside me. Then she slipped on something and fell on top of me. When she sat up, my bewildered expression told her that her top was exposed. She turned pale scarlet and slipped deeper into the water.
We sat there for a while, until I started to play the water, splashing it every which way. Some of it hit her, and our mini water battle began.
Soon, we got bored, and we settled down. It was getting dark, and I was getting tired. She eventually crawled over to me. Wrapping her soft arms around me, she began to sing:
"My last night here by you…"
Of course I knew that song. It was my favorite, Eyes on Me.
"Same old songs, just once more…"
I wrapped one arm around her.
"My last night here with you…"
The other arm slid around her petite form.
"Maybe yes, maybe no…"
I began to hum the melody.
"I kind of liked it your way,
How you shyly placed your eyes on me,
Oh, did you ever know?
That I had mine on you?"
"That song…it relates to you and Squall, doesn't it?" I asked, tightening my grip on her.
"Yes…I'd like to think so."
"What would you give to see him again?"
"I would give…anything. I would even die a thousand deaths for all eternity." She smiled at me, a weak smile. "But it's impossible."
(Not completely impossible.)
We stayed in the bath for another hour, until someone rapped at the door.
"I'll get it." I got out of the tub, wrapping a towel around my waist. I heard Rinoa get out, and I waited until she clutched onto my arm to open the thick mahogany door.
Two heavily built men stood side-by-side at the door, holding dangerous looking guns.
"Can I help you?" I asked, king of surprised to see them, whoever they were. My eyes lingered on their guns, watching wherever they went.
"Yes. We're looking for a young man named Adam Markinson." One said. He had a scar running all the way down his face.
"…" I could not reply.
(Looking for me?)
"You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" the other asked.
"No, we do not." Rinoa cut in for me, as I was unable to speak at the moment.
"I don't believe you."
"You're hiding something." The first said.
"No." I said, a little too quickly.
"You are Adam, the son of Annie Markinson."
"…" I shook my head.
(They know. They have to know, or they wouldn't be sticking around and pressing for answers.)
"His name isn't Adam!" Rinoa said defensively.
"Oh?" The second one asked defiantly, just as angrily as Rinoa.
"Yes it is. Look at his birthmark." The first one smiled.
"What birthmark?"
"His secret birthmark. Let him explain."
"Adam, what are they talking about?"
"Uh…um…" I stumbled over my words.
(She just blew my cover!)
"Tell her…Adam." The first one's smile grew wider, showing remains of flesh through his yellowing teeth.
"…" Rinoa frowned, clutching my arm tighter.
"Birthmark…um…" I tried desperately to find my voice.
"Tell her, now." The second one pulled out a gun in one fast motion, pointing it at my back, where my heart was. Or, where my heart would have been were I facing him.
(These guys don't know much, do they?)
I decided to take my chances at ticking the men off, even after seeing Rinoa's frightened look of worry. I could see her straining just to swallow her scream back.
"My mark…it's hidden." I felt stupid for standing here like an abandoned child, forced to do what their parents told them to, or they would get in serious trouble, only I had a gun to my back.
"Hidden where?" The first man asked me in a teacherly voice, as if I were a child and he was the grown up.
"On…on my stomach." I gulped, really embarrassed. I felt my face starting to change its color from ivory to scarlet.
"Tell us how to reveal it."
(This will all go away…maybe, if we cooperate.)
"Blood…"
"…" The men laughed, small smiles on their faces. "Goodbye…for now."
They started to walk away, and I held my breath.
"Oh," The first one turned around. "Annie said to give this to you."
A gun went off, and I watched them walk away. Rinoa screamed, but I felt nothing. Then, before I knew it, I was falling…
"R…" I looked down to see Adam glancing up at me.
"Adam, I'm sorry…" I started to say, but he lifted a finger to silence me.
"R…Rinoa…Squall said to…to take me there…" He blacked out again.
"Take him? Take you where?" Tears flowing down my face, I lifted my dying friend into the bathhouse, where I put him in. The water quickly changed from clear to crimson as the blood from his wound flowed freely. I cast a few simple healing spells, but I knew it would do no good. It did nothing significant, as I knew it wouldn't, but it did one good thing. It jolted him enough that he woke up.
"Rinoa?" He asked, his voice weak and cracking.
"You're in the bathtub. I put you there." I added quickly.
"…" He lay his head against the rim in back of him, and shifted slightly. "…"
"What happened? Why did you black out?"
"I…don't know…"
I had the feeling he was hiding something, but I said nothing.
"The lion…it's hidden right now, but it's been there since I was a child. My birthmother whispered something about it in my ear…she said that when I become one, he will disappear, along with the X that covers it…"
I was surprised of how he could talk that much, with a bullet imbedded in his chest. I was also surprised at how he could remember as far back as he did.
(The lion…the X…not complete? Become one? Does that mean that when he becomes one, the X will disappear, showing a whole lion, and then the lion will disappear too?)
We both sat in silence for a while until nighttime came. Adam didn't want to leave my side, I guess he was afraid of his assassins, so I let him rest in my bedroom. He insisted this would be the only time, that he didn't want to be alone, but only for today would he be in there.
(Squall had the same problem. I've got Adam, and since I failed Squall, I won't fail Adam. I made a promise…)
My thoughts were mostly jumbled up like that all night.
When the pain got really bad for Adam, he would take my hand and squeeze it, just like Squall had done to show me he was fine. I tried to help with a few spells, but it never did much.
Over the next few nights, the pain got so bad that Adam passed out on the sofa. Whenever he would, I would sit by him until he awoke, rendering himself useful again.
He liked awaking up to me in the morning; I would always be right there, next to him. He'd wake me up, and we would resume whatever we had been doing the night before. Usually it would be talking or cleaning. I tried to keep him in activity so he might forget about the pain, and it usually worked. It came to the point where I had to follow him everywhere so he wouldn't pass out and I couldn't help.
But, as all hurt people do, he began to get better. After about a year, he had completely healed and was now looking after me. It was then that he worked up the courage to ask me a question.
"Rinoa?" I walked up behind her as she organized her bedroom.
"What?" She turned, surprised to see me.
"I've got a question."
"What is it? You look pale." She frowned as I shook her hand away.
"Can we go…to the flower field?" I braced myself for her answer.
"Why?" She put the blanket she was folding down and looked at me curiously.
"I want to do something there. I want to see his grave."
"…Alright." Her eyes fogged up, and I saw she wasn't excited about going.
We both slept downstairs that night, as we were going early the next morning. She slept on the sofa, while I reclined on the floor.
The next morning, we took a helicopter to the old orphanage.
"Hey…" I started to say aloud. Rinoa gazed at me as we began to enter the old building.
(I remember this place. It's the orphanage I was at thirteen years ago. That is where I met Squall, sort of. I remember Ellone was five years older than everyone else. Then there was Quistis, Zell, Seifer, Irvine, and Selphie. Then Squall and Ellone. And…me. Supposedly I just showed up at Matron's door one day… She took me in, and I became known as Squall's little brother…even he called me that, when he was talking to me, or to anyone. I remember I got along best with Seifer and he insisted I wasn't anything close to his friend, but still he woke me up at four in the morning to go steal Zell's covers or put worms in Quistis' bed. Then everyone began to leave…)
"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Old memories." I knew I looked pretty distracted. I was, of course. Lost in memories of my days spent in the flower field off to the side. Selphie once found me playing there and told Matron, who came over to me and asked why I spent so much time there. I never answered her.
"Let's go." I took Rinoa's hand and led her inside. She seemed surprised that I was leading her there.
"Hey, I thought…"
"I know where it is." I whispered softly. She nodded.
She watched with interest as I turned into flower field.
"You know, today is Squall's birthday." She said.
"Same as mine." I smiled faintly. "Where is the grave?"
"This way." I saw signs of tears in Rinoa's eyes as she led me somewhat blindly through the endless field of flowers. We stopped at a headstone. Nearby was the end of the field, the beautiful ocean.
(I can feel Squall here. He's ready.)
"Rinoa…" I let go of her hand and walked over to the stone.
Squall Leonhart
Born: 2472 Died: 2489
Born a mere cub, died a mighty lion
"…" I heard Rinoa behind me. I glanced at my watch. It was squall's birth time in seven minutes. I had to get this done right.
I hunched over Squall's grave for a second, to tell him I was ready, and willing.
"Rinoa, whatever you do, stay away from me. Just stay away from me." I warned her.
"But…what are you doing?"
"It might bring Squall back. Stay there."
I reached my arms up to the sky, brought one arm down to see my watch.
(One minute left.)
As I counted down the last fifteen seconds, my last thought shrieked itself out.
"Rinoa." I knew these were going to be my last words, so I had to make them count. "Rinoa, I love you!"
As I leaned over to kiss her, a streak of lightning hit me. A million volts ran through me like water through a fosset. I braced myself as I felt Squall slip into my body. I began to lose feeling of everything. In two seconds, the process would be finished. In those two seconds, I kissed Rinoa, and fell over for the last time.
"Adam!" I kneeled over to my fallen friend.
(Oh no…first Squall…now Adam. I've lost them both!)
As I began to mourn, rose petals began to fall. One brushed my cheek and another landed in my palm. I closed my fingers around it and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw Adam's lifeless body begin to rise and change. Squall's appearance took over, and an astounded look came over his face. A big set of white wings appeared on his back. He floated up into the air, and I saw his eyes were still closed. As the wings disappeared, he began to fall. I caught himand he opened his eyes.
"Rinoa…" He said in a choked whisper.
"I'm here." I stroked his hair softly as I sat down, bringing him with me.
"I…I'm back. Like I said I would be…"
"Where's Adam?" I asked. I felt rude deserting my friend, and I had the feeling he was gone.
"Over there." Squall stood up and pointed sadly to where his grave had once been. Now a coffin rested there instead.
"…" I walked over, tears beginning to come out. As I opened the mahogany box, I held my breath, awaiting to see the contents.
It felt like someone had thrown a metal fist at me and had knocked all of my oxygen away.
"Adam…" I turned around and buried my face in the fur of Squall's jacket so I wouldn't have to see my friend at his worst.
Squall began to lead me away, but I stopped him.
"One more look." I said, and gazed at my former friend's face. His pale, lifeless, dead face. I shut his eyes, pausing to look at his colorless lips.
As I reached to shut his mouth that was gaping open, I felt something brush against my stomach. I saw what it was, but my brain just couldn't register it.
(His hand…it moved. It touched me.)
I was startled to see him move again. This time, it was his head. I heard a sickening crack, and my head shot over. Blood leaked from a thick crack in the side of his neck, staining the white clothes he was wearing to a crimson red.
(He didn't move…did he?)
I whipped around to see Squall staring at the large crack, a puzzled look on his now-pale face.
"What did that?" I asked, shaking. He wrapped his protective arms around me.
"The force…his head moving on such fragile bone…" He gazed hypnotically at the blood flowing steadily from the cut.
"Who…who moved his head?" I asked, bracing myself for the answer.
"He did." He took one last glance at the mangled body.
"Let's leave." He decided, shaking.
"Yes." I turned around to shut the coffin lid. Before I did, I saw Adam look at me and smile, despite the blood that flooded his new home.
"Love you." He mumbled, and froze in the position. I shut his eyes again after gazing at them one last time. Staring into those hypnotic, dead, ocean blue eyes. I shook myself out of my trance and closed the lid. Squall took my hand and we walked away, through the shower of petals, not one of us looking back or regretting the events that passed.