--Reminiscence--
Zell was shocked as he witnessed Galbadians coming... 10... 20...
"W-What the hell is this?!"
Everyone was frightened, but Squall kept them going. "We'll fight them, and we'll win!"
The group stood their ground, weapons at the ready. Irvine smiled humorlessly and put his eye to the scope on his rifle, finger on the trigger.
He squeezed the trigger. One soldier dropped down.
By now, Squall's group was within firing range of the Galbadians. Squall yelled and ran speedily toward the soldiers, along with Zell, Selphie, Quistis, and Rinoa. Irvine stayed behind, laying on the ground and randomly sniping enemies.
Squall fought furiously, bullets whizzing left and right, soldiers rapidly falling to his blade, shining in the sunlight that shone over the barren wilderness of Esthar. Zell was fighting equally fiercely, his fists flailing wildly yet accurately. Selphie and Quistis were back to back, chain and whip flinging every which way. Meanwhile, Rinoa was having a difficult time with her Pinwheel weapon in close quarters.
Squall saw an enemy soldier take careful aim at Rinoa. His finger began to squeeze on the trigger when Squall dashed toward him. He was a fraction of a second too late. The bullet from the dead soldier's gun hit a bit below her shoulder in the same fashion that Edea's ice crystal pierced Squall.
Everything began moving in slow motion. The only thing that Squall could see was Rinoa clutching her shoulder in pain, the only thing he could hear was her yell of pain. In Squall's mind, he had failed her.
("Rinoa's been shot, she's in pain. I could've prevented it, but I wasn't fast enough. I should've learned my lesson the first time I lost someone... Don't grow to close to somebody, you'll only lose them...")
Squall looked around. There were dead Galbadian soldiers all around. They had won the battle, but at a price. Rinoa was wounded.
Squall felt tears running down the sides of his face. Tears? He hadn't cried in years, and he had forgotten what it felt like to weep.
He turned around, looking at the group. He took command. "Quistis, do everything you can to keep Rinoa alive! Selphie, contact the Headmaster and tell him that we need help for Rinoa! Zell, Irvine..."
He thought for a while, then said, "...Just do something."
Quistis and Selphie nodded and went to do their duties. Quistis was casting Cure spells, as Selphie called Cid.
At Garden, Cid's telephone rang.
("Damn telemarketers, always trying to sell cheap junk...")
He answered it, and found that it was Selphie.
"Hi, this is Cid Kramer."
"Oh! Why, hello, Selphie! I heard you snuck off with Squall..."
"...What? That's terrible..."
"You'll just have to come back as fast as you can. You see, without Ragnarok, there's no way for us to get to Esthar."
"...I'll see you at Garden, then," said Cid, hanging up the phone.
The telephone rang again.
"Hi, this is Cid Kramer speaking."
"Good afternoon, Xu. Have you discovered anything yet?"
"... Galbadia attacked Esthar because they seal away sorceresses?"
"... Yes, they have taken a certain liking to sorceresses, such as Edea."
"I'll keep an eye on her, then."
"Well, keep up the good work."
Cid hung up the phone, wondering how long this war could last.
At the cafeteria in Garden, classmen were discussing the Ragnarok.
"Hey, are you sure you really saw it?"
"Yeah! It was flying toward Esthar, I know it!"
"You're just plain damn crazy. You didn't see Ragnarok. It was donated to Esthar!"
"Hey, maybe Cid could've been lying!"
Seifer, at another table, slammed his fist down.
"I'd bet money that Cid's hiding something. He's been suspicious lately, and doing suspicious things. He's married to a sorceress!"
Zell and Irvine in Esthar had decided to put their time to good use. They were going to rescue Laguna themselves.
They had reached the Sorceress Memorial and stood firmly against a wall. They heard footsteps approaching nearby.
Zell whispered, "What're we gonna do?!"
Irvine winked and shot his gun in the general direction of the soldier and ran in the opposite direction, dragging Zell.
Irvine saw the entrance guarded by two troops. "It's payback time," Zell said.
Zell snuck behind the first soldier on patrol and knocked him hard on his temples. He went down soundlessly. The other soldier rushed to the dead one as Zell hid from view, then applied the same treatment to him.
"Come on," Zell whispered to Irvine.
Irvine and Zell ran into the Sorceress Memorial, where they found Laguna in a drug-induced sleep. They grabbed him and ran off, only to be pursued by Galbadian soldiers.
At the Ragnarok, Squall was waiting impatiently for Zell and Irvine.
"One more minute..."
Just then, Selphie noticed Irvine carrying Laguna. "Oh, look! It's my Irvy-poo!"
Quistis sighed. "When are you going to get over him..?"
Zell and Irvine ran into the ship just in time for it to take off.
"Yo! We got Laguna, but he's sleeping right now," Zell said.
"Good job. I suppose that's a mission accomplished," Squall said.
Rinoa was just barely conscious, but laid reflecting upon herself.
("I wish I weren't always in the way. First I inherit a sorceress's powers and get possessed, now I'm wounded and causing everyone worry. I just wish I could be better... So that I won't be in Squall's way...")
Suddenly, as Squall sat lounging in a chair on the Ragnarok, a message was sent by Cid.
"Galbadian homing missiles have targeted your ship."
I hope you're enjoying this! The next chapter might be a while... I feel the emptiness that I feel when writer's block strikes... Just be patient, I'm doing my best!