No ownie Squaresoft! Had to add that, in case some moron thinks these
characters are mine.
Legacy 4: Storm's warning
Squall crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the boy, who was currently lounging in one of the seats with his feet up on the headboard, ignoring the astonished, wary looks he was recieving from everyone in the room. His arrogance was infuriating, partly because it reminded him of Seifer and partly because Storm knew he could keep them waiting. His news, whatever it was, seemed of extreme importance, and the cocky brat was going to make them stew and sweat, just because he could. Squall took a deep, furtive breath, and assumed a posture of cold indifference. Two could play at this game.
"I don't suppose you have anything to drink on this flying rust heap?" Storm inquired at length.
Selphie, who was trying to fly the Ragnorock and watch the proceedings at the same time, spun around, bristling like a wet cat. She seemed ready to pounce on the boy who had just insulted her ship, if Irving hadn't yelped at her to grab the controls. Storm snickered nastilly and glanced at Squall.
"This isn't the politest way to treat guests, Leonhart. Don't they teach you manners at that pretty little Garden of yours?"
Squall's expression didn't change. He didn't rise to the bait, either. Quistis stepped forward and gave Storm her coldest, withering look she used for her most unruly students. "Instead of making reference to your utter ignorance, child, why don't you tell us why you're here?"
"Ouch. This must be the famous "ice queen" Seifer kept talking about. Fine, fine. Business before pleasure, right?" Storm sighed and swung his boots off the back of the chair.
"I don't know how to put this in a way that any of you would believe me, so I guess I'll just come out and say it." Storm looked right into Squall's eyes as he continued. "I'm from the future. Seventeen years into the future, to be exact. And before you go all skeptical on my ass, let me tell you a few things that have happened. Or will happen, however you want to look at it."
He paused, and, for the first time, glanced directly at Rinoa. Something flickered in the depths of his steel blue eyes that might have been anger, or fear, or awe, but it was gone before anyone save Squall and the sorceress noticed.
"Exactly one month from today, president Laguna Loire is going to die."
Everyone, Squall included, jerked straight up at that announcement. In the silence that followed, Storm went on, in a voice completely devoid of its normal spite: "He's going to be shot and killed by a sniper's rifle, in full view of the public, and pronounced dead on the scene. The killer will never be found, but a new leader will rise up to take the president's place. A powerful sorceress, the most powerful the world has ever seen."
Squall felt a sickening realization creeping over him as he listened to Storm's words. He didn't want to hear more, and one look at Rinoa told him she was feeling the same. Her skin was deathly pale, and he saw that her hands were trembling. 'Shut up,' he thought at the boy, not wanting to hear more, yet knowing, somehow, what was to come. The venomous look Storm gave Rinoa confirmed it.
"Yeah. Yeah, ms. Heartilly. Its you."
"No," Rinoa said immedietly. She shot a frightened look at Squall, then turned back to Storm, almost pleadingly. "We defeated Ultimacia. She can't possess me again. She's gone. Its over."
Storm glared at her, utter contempt glittering in the steel blue of his eyes. "Who said anything about you being possessed?"
Rinoa put her hands to her mouth and rushed from the room.
Squall's first intention was to go after her. The stricken look on Rinoa's face tore at his heart. His second inclination was to clobber the punk who upset her like that, and who had dropped this bombshell into his relatively peaceful world. He did NOT need to hear this, not now, when his life was finally starting to mean something. He wanted to go to Rinoa and hold her and tell her everything would be all right. He wanted to grab Storm Almasy and pound on him until the brat told him it was a cruel joke, that he was just kidding. Since he could do neither, he sent a pleading look to Quistis, who immedietly got up and went to look for Rinoa. Squall thanked her silently and returned his attention to Storm.
Storm was gazing in the direction Rinoa had gone with a curled lip, a cruel sneer twisting his young features. "Don't feel too sorry for her, Leonhart," he spat. "After everything she's done, its hard for me not to put a sword through her black heart right n--"
He got no further. Squall's fist smashed into his mouth, knocking him out of the chair with a sickening thud. The young commander towered over the boy, his face a stone mask, violence edging every hard line of his body. Zell jumped forward, and Irving put a hand on his shoulder, but Squall made no further move towards the body on the floor.
"Get up," he ordered, and Storm crawled to his feet, glaring at him over a darkening purple bruise. "The next threat out of your mouth, you're going to have to back it up with steel, because I will come after you with everything I have. This is your only warning. Understand?"
Storm turned his head and spat a gob of blood onto the metal floor. "Perfectly."
Squall nodded at the chair and Storm sank back into it, running a thumb over a split lip. "Well, I'm thrilled to see that you're the same sentimental idiot Seifer told me about," he monotoned, watching Squall out of the corner of his eye, probably to see that he didn't get clobbered again. "That's great. Makes my job a lot more interesting."
"And what is your job?"
"I told you." Stom spat again and grinned through bloody teeth. "I'm here to save the world."
Squall wasn't amused. "You'll have to be more specific," he said coldly.
"Fine. You want specific?" The boy crossed his arms and glared around the room, letting his gaze linger on everyone there. "I'm here to prevent a Sorceress war that will slaughter hundreds of thousands, including everyone in this room. In the span of a year, Rinoa Heartilly will unite the Esther and Galbadian governments under her and go on a bloody rampage that will touch every corner in Gaia. No one will be able to stand against her. Garden will fall. SeeD will be annihilated. Citizens will die by the thousands, all for her lust for power. Do you want more specifics, because I can go on. For hours. I can tell you every atrocious thing that will happen for the next seventeen years, unless Rinoa Heartilly is stopped."
Squall felt cold, down in the very bottom of his soul. "You're an assassin, then," he said, hating this boy more and more by the second. "You were sent here to kill her." For a moment, the temptation to draw Lionheart and cut Storm in two was almost overwhelming. Zell and Irving must've been thinking the same, for they were on edge, ready to grab him if he made any threatening moves.
Storm sighed. "No," he said regretfully, shaking his dark head. "No, I'm not here to kill her. She can't die, not yet, anyway. That was made very clear."
"Why?" Squall demanded.
"I can't tell you." Storm shrugged. "I'm not even sure myself. I just know my duty--what I'm supposed to do here. I can't tell you more then that."
Squall could've pressed him, but he didn't. Storm sounded pretty sure about his duty, whatever it was, and would probably follow it down to the letter. He understood that. The concept of duty. They had that much in common, at least.
The boy was watching him, scrutinizing him with those shrewd blue eyes that saw a lot more than he let on. His grim face told Squall that this was far from a cruel joke. That, if Storm's wild time traveler story was to be believed, the situation was serious indeed.
"You don't believe me, do you, Leonhart?"
"Your claim is too serious not to take into account," Squall answered in a neutral voice. Past experience, both with Ellone and Ultimacia's terrible Time Komprehension attempt, had taught him time travel was not impossible. Unlikely, but not impossible. "How did you get here, if you are from the future?"
"Ah." Storm nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Do you remember a machine a certain whacked out doctor was working on, several years ago? One that would supposedly utilize the powers of a young girl, who could transport people's consciousness into the past?"
'Ellone.' Oh, yes, he remembered. How could he forget those weird dreams, when he had viewed the world through the eyes of his father, Laguna Loire? And, of course, there was that time in space, where he attempted to reach a drifting Rinoa using Ellone's special gift. "What about it?"
Storm grinned, taking his time. "Well, a certain faction got a hold of those plans, finished them, and created the world's first "Ellone Time Travel machine." Sounds hokey as hell, but what can I say? It works, apparently."
"Apparently?"
"Ah, well, I was their first test subject. That little incident the other day in Garden? That was our first test. We wanted to run more, for safety's sake, but we were...um...pressed for time."
Squall suspected there was more to this story than Storm was letting on, but at that moment, Selpie crowed from the pilot's seat: "We're approaching Winhill now, Squall! Do you still want me to drop you and Rinny off?"
"No." Squall turned, his mind made up. "We're going to Esther. President Loire needs to be informed of this right now. Until I say otherwise, this vacation is officially on hold."
No one complained. His teammates were SeeD, first and foremost, and understood duty came before all else. Squall said nothing, but was secretly proud of them.
Irvine must've seen the worry on his face, though, for he leaned in and murmured: "Why don't you go check on our lovely ladies and see that they're both okay? I'll keep an eye on the brat."
Squall gave him a nod of thanks and went searching for Rinoa.
He found them in the lower section of the Ragnorock, the place where he and Rinoa had their "heart to heart" talk, not so very long ago it seemed. Quistis was standing next to the very chair he had been sitting in that day, looking utterly lost. She caught sight of Squall and walked over to him, a worried frown creasing her face.
"She's really shook up, Squall. I don't know what to say to her. I'm not really good at these kind of things."
"It's okay, Quis. I'll take it from here." Squall gave her a grateful nod and gestured to the second floor. "Just make sure our "guest" doesn't do anything stupid. I'm not sure I believe him, yet, and I want to keep an eye on him." Quistis saluted smartly and walked briskly out, leaving him alone with Rinoa.
"Rin?" He walked down the isle, his boots knocking softly against the metal floor. "Rin, you okay?"
She was curled up in the chair, in the way that she did whenever she was scared or upset, with her knees drawn up to her chest, shaking uncontrollably. Again, he was strongly reminded of that day in space, before the Esther guards took her away to be frozen, when he realized he was completely and hopelessly in love with her. And, just like that day, he wanted to take her in his arms and shield her from whatever dangers threatened. Because she was his light; she was the one who saved him from his demons, and he would fight the world to protect her.
"Its happening again," came a small, muffled voice from the curled up person in the chair. "Ultimacia is going to possess me again, and I'm going to do horrible things to you and everyone, and people will die fighting me, and...and you'll hate me because I'm so evil and horrible--"
Squall knelt down and pushed Rinoa's knees away from her face, uncurling her so that she had to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears; she shivered and dropped her gaze, but Squall cupped her chin and gently forced her to look at him.
"Remember what I promised you, that day behind Edea's house?" he asked in a soft voice. Rinoa sniffled and didn't answer. Squall brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I said I would always be your knight. Even if the whole world stood against you, I would be by your side. That promise was not made lightly, Ms. Heartily. Whatever happens, I'm with you. Okay? You don't have to face anything alone." He scooted closer and drew her into his arms, and Rinoa buried her face in his jacket as he smoothed her hair, feeling her heart beating against his. 'I won't let anything happen to her,' he thought feircely. 'I'll fight the whole damned Garden if that's what it takes. Nothing will ever take her away again.' He wondered, later, whether this was commitment or just plain possessiveness, but then decided he really didn't care. Let people think what they would. He had precious little to be possessive of in his lifetime.
Rinoa sniffed and nestled deeper, calmer now, though she still shivered occasionally. "I love you, Squall," she whispered, clutching his shirt as though she were afraid he would disappeared before her eyes.
Squall hesitated. Normally, Rinoa would let him get away with not saying it; she knew he loved her, but today it seemed essential to let her know in words. "Love you, too, Rin," he murmured, as her breathing quieted and she relaxed against him. 'Now and always,' his heart echoed. 'No matter what.'
End part 4 **********************
Geez, it's been awhile. Well, after not having a computer for nearly a year, I was browsing fanfics and realized I still had a story that needed to be completed. I hate leaving stories unfinished. But, as I still don't have a computer, I have to borrow my sister's to finish this. It will get done, I promise you that. Unless, of course, something happens to THIS computer. Oh well. Life is full of risks, yes? Hope to update soon.
Arigato! SilverKitsune
Legacy 4: Storm's warning
Squall crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the boy, who was currently lounging in one of the seats with his feet up on the headboard, ignoring the astonished, wary looks he was recieving from everyone in the room. His arrogance was infuriating, partly because it reminded him of Seifer and partly because Storm knew he could keep them waiting. His news, whatever it was, seemed of extreme importance, and the cocky brat was going to make them stew and sweat, just because he could. Squall took a deep, furtive breath, and assumed a posture of cold indifference. Two could play at this game.
"I don't suppose you have anything to drink on this flying rust heap?" Storm inquired at length.
Selphie, who was trying to fly the Ragnorock and watch the proceedings at the same time, spun around, bristling like a wet cat. She seemed ready to pounce on the boy who had just insulted her ship, if Irving hadn't yelped at her to grab the controls. Storm snickered nastilly and glanced at Squall.
"This isn't the politest way to treat guests, Leonhart. Don't they teach you manners at that pretty little Garden of yours?"
Squall's expression didn't change. He didn't rise to the bait, either. Quistis stepped forward and gave Storm her coldest, withering look she used for her most unruly students. "Instead of making reference to your utter ignorance, child, why don't you tell us why you're here?"
"Ouch. This must be the famous "ice queen" Seifer kept talking about. Fine, fine. Business before pleasure, right?" Storm sighed and swung his boots off the back of the chair.
"I don't know how to put this in a way that any of you would believe me, so I guess I'll just come out and say it." Storm looked right into Squall's eyes as he continued. "I'm from the future. Seventeen years into the future, to be exact. And before you go all skeptical on my ass, let me tell you a few things that have happened. Or will happen, however you want to look at it."
He paused, and, for the first time, glanced directly at Rinoa. Something flickered in the depths of his steel blue eyes that might have been anger, or fear, or awe, but it was gone before anyone save Squall and the sorceress noticed.
"Exactly one month from today, president Laguna Loire is going to die."
Everyone, Squall included, jerked straight up at that announcement. In the silence that followed, Storm went on, in a voice completely devoid of its normal spite: "He's going to be shot and killed by a sniper's rifle, in full view of the public, and pronounced dead on the scene. The killer will never be found, but a new leader will rise up to take the president's place. A powerful sorceress, the most powerful the world has ever seen."
Squall felt a sickening realization creeping over him as he listened to Storm's words. He didn't want to hear more, and one look at Rinoa told him she was feeling the same. Her skin was deathly pale, and he saw that her hands were trembling. 'Shut up,' he thought at the boy, not wanting to hear more, yet knowing, somehow, what was to come. The venomous look Storm gave Rinoa confirmed it.
"Yeah. Yeah, ms. Heartilly. Its you."
"No," Rinoa said immedietly. She shot a frightened look at Squall, then turned back to Storm, almost pleadingly. "We defeated Ultimacia. She can't possess me again. She's gone. Its over."
Storm glared at her, utter contempt glittering in the steel blue of his eyes. "Who said anything about you being possessed?"
Rinoa put her hands to her mouth and rushed from the room.
Squall's first intention was to go after her. The stricken look on Rinoa's face tore at his heart. His second inclination was to clobber the punk who upset her like that, and who had dropped this bombshell into his relatively peaceful world. He did NOT need to hear this, not now, when his life was finally starting to mean something. He wanted to go to Rinoa and hold her and tell her everything would be all right. He wanted to grab Storm Almasy and pound on him until the brat told him it was a cruel joke, that he was just kidding. Since he could do neither, he sent a pleading look to Quistis, who immedietly got up and went to look for Rinoa. Squall thanked her silently and returned his attention to Storm.
Storm was gazing in the direction Rinoa had gone with a curled lip, a cruel sneer twisting his young features. "Don't feel too sorry for her, Leonhart," he spat. "After everything she's done, its hard for me not to put a sword through her black heart right n--"
He got no further. Squall's fist smashed into his mouth, knocking him out of the chair with a sickening thud. The young commander towered over the boy, his face a stone mask, violence edging every hard line of his body. Zell jumped forward, and Irving put a hand on his shoulder, but Squall made no further move towards the body on the floor.
"Get up," he ordered, and Storm crawled to his feet, glaring at him over a darkening purple bruise. "The next threat out of your mouth, you're going to have to back it up with steel, because I will come after you with everything I have. This is your only warning. Understand?"
Storm turned his head and spat a gob of blood onto the metal floor. "Perfectly."
Squall nodded at the chair and Storm sank back into it, running a thumb over a split lip. "Well, I'm thrilled to see that you're the same sentimental idiot Seifer told me about," he monotoned, watching Squall out of the corner of his eye, probably to see that he didn't get clobbered again. "That's great. Makes my job a lot more interesting."
"And what is your job?"
"I told you." Stom spat again and grinned through bloody teeth. "I'm here to save the world."
Squall wasn't amused. "You'll have to be more specific," he said coldly.
"Fine. You want specific?" The boy crossed his arms and glared around the room, letting his gaze linger on everyone there. "I'm here to prevent a Sorceress war that will slaughter hundreds of thousands, including everyone in this room. In the span of a year, Rinoa Heartilly will unite the Esther and Galbadian governments under her and go on a bloody rampage that will touch every corner in Gaia. No one will be able to stand against her. Garden will fall. SeeD will be annihilated. Citizens will die by the thousands, all for her lust for power. Do you want more specifics, because I can go on. For hours. I can tell you every atrocious thing that will happen for the next seventeen years, unless Rinoa Heartilly is stopped."
Squall felt cold, down in the very bottom of his soul. "You're an assassin, then," he said, hating this boy more and more by the second. "You were sent here to kill her." For a moment, the temptation to draw Lionheart and cut Storm in two was almost overwhelming. Zell and Irving must've been thinking the same, for they were on edge, ready to grab him if he made any threatening moves.
Storm sighed. "No," he said regretfully, shaking his dark head. "No, I'm not here to kill her. She can't die, not yet, anyway. That was made very clear."
"Why?" Squall demanded.
"I can't tell you." Storm shrugged. "I'm not even sure myself. I just know my duty--what I'm supposed to do here. I can't tell you more then that."
Squall could've pressed him, but he didn't. Storm sounded pretty sure about his duty, whatever it was, and would probably follow it down to the letter. He understood that. The concept of duty. They had that much in common, at least.
The boy was watching him, scrutinizing him with those shrewd blue eyes that saw a lot more than he let on. His grim face told Squall that this was far from a cruel joke. That, if Storm's wild time traveler story was to be believed, the situation was serious indeed.
"You don't believe me, do you, Leonhart?"
"Your claim is too serious not to take into account," Squall answered in a neutral voice. Past experience, both with Ellone and Ultimacia's terrible Time Komprehension attempt, had taught him time travel was not impossible. Unlikely, but not impossible. "How did you get here, if you are from the future?"
"Ah." Storm nodded and leaned back in the chair. "Do you remember a machine a certain whacked out doctor was working on, several years ago? One that would supposedly utilize the powers of a young girl, who could transport people's consciousness into the past?"
'Ellone.' Oh, yes, he remembered. How could he forget those weird dreams, when he had viewed the world through the eyes of his father, Laguna Loire? And, of course, there was that time in space, where he attempted to reach a drifting Rinoa using Ellone's special gift. "What about it?"
Storm grinned, taking his time. "Well, a certain faction got a hold of those plans, finished them, and created the world's first "Ellone Time Travel machine." Sounds hokey as hell, but what can I say? It works, apparently."
"Apparently?"
"Ah, well, I was their first test subject. That little incident the other day in Garden? That was our first test. We wanted to run more, for safety's sake, but we were...um...pressed for time."
Squall suspected there was more to this story than Storm was letting on, but at that moment, Selpie crowed from the pilot's seat: "We're approaching Winhill now, Squall! Do you still want me to drop you and Rinny off?"
"No." Squall turned, his mind made up. "We're going to Esther. President Loire needs to be informed of this right now. Until I say otherwise, this vacation is officially on hold."
No one complained. His teammates were SeeD, first and foremost, and understood duty came before all else. Squall said nothing, but was secretly proud of them.
Irvine must've seen the worry on his face, though, for he leaned in and murmured: "Why don't you go check on our lovely ladies and see that they're both okay? I'll keep an eye on the brat."
Squall gave him a nod of thanks and went searching for Rinoa.
He found them in the lower section of the Ragnorock, the place where he and Rinoa had their "heart to heart" talk, not so very long ago it seemed. Quistis was standing next to the very chair he had been sitting in that day, looking utterly lost. She caught sight of Squall and walked over to him, a worried frown creasing her face.
"She's really shook up, Squall. I don't know what to say to her. I'm not really good at these kind of things."
"It's okay, Quis. I'll take it from here." Squall gave her a grateful nod and gestured to the second floor. "Just make sure our "guest" doesn't do anything stupid. I'm not sure I believe him, yet, and I want to keep an eye on him." Quistis saluted smartly and walked briskly out, leaving him alone with Rinoa.
"Rin?" He walked down the isle, his boots knocking softly against the metal floor. "Rin, you okay?"
She was curled up in the chair, in the way that she did whenever she was scared or upset, with her knees drawn up to her chest, shaking uncontrollably. Again, he was strongly reminded of that day in space, before the Esther guards took her away to be frozen, when he realized he was completely and hopelessly in love with her. And, just like that day, he wanted to take her in his arms and shield her from whatever dangers threatened. Because she was his light; she was the one who saved him from his demons, and he would fight the world to protect her.
"Its happening again," came a small, muffled voice from the curled up person in the chair. "Ultimacia is going to possess me again, and I'm going to do horrible things to you and everyone, and people will die fighting me, and...and you'll hate me because I'm so evil and horrible--"
Squall knelt down and pushed Rinoa's knees away from her face, uncurling her so that she had to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears; she shivered and dropped her gaze, but Squall cupped her chin and gently forced her to look at him.
"Remember what I promised you, that day behind Edea's house?" he asked in a soft voice. Rinoa sniffled and didn't answer. Squall brushed a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I said I would always be your knight. Even if the whole world stood against you, I would be by your side. That promise was not made lightly, Ms. Heartily. Whatever happens, I'm with you. Okay? You don't have to face anything alone." He scooted closer and drew her into his arms, and Rinoa buried her face in his jacket as he smoothed her hair, feeling her heart beating against his. 'I won't let anything happen to her,' he thought feircely. 'I'll fight the whole damned Garden if that's what it takes. Nothing will ever take her away again.' He wondered, later, whether this was commitment or just plain possessiveness, but then decided he really didn't care. Let people think what they would. He had precious little to be possessive of in his lifetime.
Rinoa sniffed and nestled deeper, calmer now, though she still shivered occasionally. "I love you, Squall," she whispered, clutching his shirt as though she were afraid he would disappeared before her eyes.
Squall hesitated. Normally, Rinoa would let him get away with not saying it; she knew he loved her, but today it seemed essential to let her know in words. "Love you, too, Rin," he murmured, as her breathing quieted and she relaxed against him. 'Now and always,' his heart echoed. 'No matter what.'
End part 4 **********************
Geez, it's been awhile. Well, after not having a computer for nearly a year, I was browsing fanfics and realized I still had a story that needed to be completed. I hate leaving stories unfinished. But, as I still don't have a computer, I have to borrow my sister's to finish this. It will get done, I promise you that. Unless, of course, something happens to THIS computer. Oh well. Life is full of risks, yes? Hope to update soon.
Arigato! SilverKitsune