Surgeon General's Warning: If you hate fluff, skip this chapter and go on to chapter ten.
Chapter Nine
"Sayaki?" I asked hesitantly.
"Hiya, Squall!" she smiled up at me cheerfully from a notebook full of tiny scribbles that just might have been letters...they were too small to tell. "How are you doing?"
"Pretty good, you?"
"I'm definitely alive," she beamed happily.
"You busy?"
"I'm never to busy to spend time with you," she said, closing her notebook and looking up at me.
I smiled at her.
"So do you wanna go to dinner or something?"
"Sounds like fun," Sayaki smiled, standing up.
"Alright." I smiled, glad I hadn't made an idiot of myself.
"Are we leaving now, then, or what?"
"Depends. You ready?"
"I'm ready anytime," she smiled.
"Okay then." I walked to the garage and to my car.
"Hey, um, favor!" she looked over to me. "Seeking permission to drive...I kind of need to learn my way around here, incase I stick around, and all..."
"Alright." I opened the driver's door for her.
"I won't wreck your car," she smiled up at me as she hopped in.
"Alright. I'll take your word for it." I beamed.
I got in myself thoughtfully. Quetzalcoatl... my mind drifted on the dream for a while, completely undisturbed. Sayaki drove silently, and it wasn't until probably an hour later that I noticed we definitely should have been in Balamb at least fifteen minutes ago...that and the scenery didn't look at all familiar. I fumbled around for a minute. Then I remembered taking my map in. Stupid, stupid mistake. I tried to get a sense of direction and failed. Crud...
"Eiyakish!" she suddenly yelped, slamming to a stop. Thank heavens for seatbelts. "Cripes!" she gasped. "I didn't know there was a CLIFF on the way to Balamb!!!"
"There's... not." I sighed, smiling at her. I didn't really mind all that much, being lost. Alone it would have bothered me. But with someone to talk to, especially Sayaki, the time would fly while we found our way back. We couldn't get lost forever.
"I... I definitely think we're lost."
"But...I was driving the right way...wasn't I?" she looked over at me with an innocent, hopeful look in her eyes, voice quiet and small. "Wasn't I going the right way?"
"I..." I felt bad to tell her for some reason. "Eh...no. No, not really. That's okay. We can find our way back... we can't be that far."
"But we are lost..."
I nodded.
"Oh..." she sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry..."
"No problem." I smiled. "We'll find our way back."
"It's a tiny island...why is it I can find my way across the entire world but not a tiny island?" she looked out across where she'd slammed the car to a stop, admiring the scenery. "Oh, it's pretty..."
"Yeah." I nodded and gazed at her rather than the scenery. 'Yeah, you are' ran through my head and I almost said it. But I didn't.
"The view back at Deling wasn't so nice," she shook her head. "I loved the look of the city, though, from the top floor apartments...the lights were pretty. But this?" she gestured out in front of us. "This is almost just as beautiful...if not more, perhaps...I was never one of nature's fans, but this is enough to make me want to be..."
She paused, then continued much more quietly with, "...enough to make me consider staying in Balamb..."
"Really?" I grinned.
"Maybe," she stared up at the sky, then down at the floorboard, internally struggling with choices she obviously didn't want to make. "Maybe," she echoed quietly.
I nodded and decided to shut up. I didn't want to affect her choice... I was afraid of affecting her judgment and helping her make the wrong choice. But apparently I was a combination of really brave or really stupid. I reached over and squeezed her hand, smiling.
"I'm just glad to have you as long as you're here."
She smiled over at me, and squeezed my hand back.
"Y'know, I--ack!" She fumbled for the breaks as the car started rolling backwards. She looked over at me and blushed sheepishly.
"I, er, must have put it in neutral instead of park..."
I laughed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. She wasn't perfect, but she was very close. The greatest combination of all. Perfect is so boring. But she was perfect. To me she was. I felt for her in that moment something I had never felt for Rinoa.
"It's okay. We all make mistakes. Accidents happen. Otherwise life would be boring."
She smiled a little, and then laughed too.
"It's kind of funny...I can fly that forkin' Ragnarok like it's a paper airplane but when it comes to cars I'm about as horrid as they come..."
I smiled at her. "You aren't horrid. You just... need some practice, that's all."
"No, I'm horrible at this! It's okay, it's not gonna make me mad or anything...I just can't see a mile in front of me in this thing and therefore I just can't drive it! I'm perfectly okay with that..."
I laughed. "Well, while we're out here... do you wanna take a walk and see if we can recognize anything?"
"Yeah, it beats driving," Sayaki laughed, smiling and hopping out of the car.
I got out, looking up at the moon and the stars twinkling. I sucked in a breath. A subject popped to mind but part of me was afraid to discuss it due to indecision of where Sayaki would go.... She stood beside me, silently staring at the stars. On a cloudless night you could see all of them...the moon was nothing but a silver crescent, but in a way it just enhanced the beauty of the stars...
"It's so beautiful out here...."
"I agree," she said quietly. "It's nice to see the sky from a different view...it looks different from Galbadia. Not necessarily better, just...different." She stared up at the stars. "It's harder to find the constellations I learned in Galbadia here..."
I blinked at her. "Thank you, Sayaki. For everything."
I let myself be covered by a blanket of thought. I owed her so much. My life on more than one count. My world... she had saved me from darkness, death, destruction, all I was afraid of...She glanced over at me, looking slightly confused.
"Um, you're quite welcome," she said, although she obviously wasn't quite sure what I meant.
I continued with, "You've... changed my life. Thank you. You've blotted out the darkness, saved me and helped me get away from the idea of suicide and cold exteriors. I owe you more than I could put into words."
"You've done a lot for me too," she said quietly, reaching over and squeezing my hand. "I'm not sure you realize it yet, but maybe someday you will. You're welcome...for anything I might have done for you. I...I don't know..." she shook her head. "From the moment I met you there was something about you I liked...I'm still not exactly sure what it is, but whatever it may be, I'm thankful for it..." she trailed off, gazing at something that I couldn't see.
I kept my hand in hers. I felt a slight heat creep into my cheeks. I didn't mind. Sayaki did that to me. Made me want to melt... I smiled at her.
"What are you going to do?" she asked suddenly. "What are you gonna do when we fight your GF?"
"I... I talked to him. He said it was right to fight him, and even though I hate to fight him, I'm okay with it."
"No...Squall, we're gonna seal him away forever," she looked up to me. "I didn't want to do that to Bahamut ZERO, but it was okay, because...because it had to be done and it's different for me. But I don't know how close you and Quetzalcoatl were...are you really okay with sealing him away forever in time compression? Honestly?"
"No, but it must be done."
"I...think I know an alternative," she said quietly. "It might not be the best choice, but I'm really uncomfortable with all of that knowledge being sealed away...I'd kind of like to keep one GF around, and it seems that yours is the most trustworthy. And...and I think I know a way around sealing him, and yet sealing him at the same time and..." she trailed off, looking to me nervously for my opinion.
"Really?" My heart pounded. Would I get Quetzalcoatl back?
"Maybe...I mean, you're not gonna be able to draw off of his powers anymore, and he's not gonna be junctioned to you ever again or anything but...I mean...I think I have an idea, but I'll need your help, so..."
"I'll do whatever you need me to. Besides, I don't need his powers... I just need him around."
"That's what I figured," she nodded. "And I have an idea. But, um, you can't tell anyone, because, it's, like..." she looked away. "It's like, forbidden magic, in a way. This is a spell that's only been used once before and there's kind of an unspoken rule that you just don't do it. But I've never been much of a conformist, have I?" she smiled weakly, and then continued with, "We'll have to fight Quetzalcoatl and defeat him, and then seal him away. There's no way around that," she said professionally, thinking as she spoke. "Then you'll send me in, I'll unseal him, and when you call me back, he'll come too. It should work just fine."
"You'd go into time compression..?" I gazed at her worriedly.
"It shouldn't take me long. And I'll be okay. I will be. I can do this," she nodded as if to reassure herself. "Your GF will help me, and I'll do this."
"Thank you." I smiled, somewhat relieved and somewhat worried.
"Anytime," she nodded. "I...I just want you to be happy, and if this is what it'll take, this is what I'll do..."
I looked over at her. "Thank you Sayaki..."
I was overwhelmed by a sense of affection. I had come to know Sayaki over the past months and I had never felt anything like being around her. I loved her. I loved her more than life itself.
"You're welcome," she said quietly. She glanced up and beamed suddenly. "Shooting star! Hurry and make a wish!" she closed her eyes.
I wish... This was so hard. I wished for Sayaki to be happy. I wished for a life with her. I wished for...
"I wish to find love in you forever, no matter how far apart, because I don't know how I could live without you." I whispered.
She looked over at me, almost as if not expecting this, then hugged me suddenly, tears in her eyes.
"Squall...."
I hugged her back. "I love you, and I always will." I whispered in her ear. Tears also sprung to my eyes. I didn't want to lose her. If she left, she'd take all of my heart with her... I'd be nothing more than an empty shell.
"I'll stay in Balamb as long as I can, okay? And when I go back to school, I'll come home on the weekends, okay? And I'll call when I'm gone and it'll be just like when I'm here, I promise..." she hugged me tighter, voice sounding different, probably because she was crying and yet trying not to all at once.
"Thank you. I'll write or email you everyday.... Sayaki, you're the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Thank you, Squall...thank you..."
"Sayaki…"
I smiled a somewhat watery, teary smile. She had simply won me over...It was amazing how she had so easily slipped under my guard and stolen my heart. I wanted whatever was best for her, and it was selfish to wish she was here with me.
"Stop that," she smiled weakly. "Look at you, you're making me cry too!"
"Sorry," I laughed, wiping my eyes no my sleeve and then brushing away her tears.
"You'd best be," she grinned.
"Alright," I stuck my hands in my pocket, the moment over, but still the feeling I got when she hugged me remained. I had fallen for her beyond belief…she was amazing. I loved her so much.
"You know, I've been thinking about everything. And maybe after I'm done in space, I'll get a job like, in Balamb. Because you know what? I think journalism sounds interesting too. Blame it on Laguna," she laughed. "But I can do that too. And I mean, this place isn't really that bad or anything…hmm…I don't know. You know? I guess it goes back to the whole planning thing. Maybe I should just take it as it comes."
"Thank you, Sayaki. Maybe someday, if you want to stay in Galbadia, I can try that place for awhile. Y'know, since you've tried this place out. I'd be glad to do it for you…I mean, if that's okay and all," I added hurriedly, wondering suddenly if she would want me in Galbadia.
"You know, I…I really appreciate you saying that. I really do. But there's nothing left for me in Galbadia…I'm either sticking around here or heading to Esthar, but…Galbadia…I just can't go back there," she shook her head.
"Alright," I nodded. "I understand," I said, placing my hand on her arm.
"I knew you would," she smiled up at me.
I went back to staring at the sky, stars twinkling like diamonds, stretching over the expanse of a black velvet sky. It was a perfect night. Mainly because I could share it with Sayaki.
"You know, have you stopped to consider this situation? We're in Balamb, which is like in the middle of nowhere to begin with, and we're in Balamb's like, wilderness. So we are REALLY lost in the middle of forkin' nowhere," she smiled. "But y'know what? I don't feel lost at all…"
"Me either, Sayaki," I smiled at her, hesitated to see if she would stop me, and put my arm around her shoulders.
"You know," she said, resting her head on my shoulder, "it's hard to believe in moments like these that there are still GFs to seal, still work to be done…it's like all the evil in the entire world should just stop whenever everything's this good…but it doesn't…it never stops…?"
"I know. I wish that evil would just…go away, however corny that may sound. But it's true. It never, ever leaves, and evil is always in the future. Quetzalcoatl told me that in the future, the GFs would be released again. He didn't know who, but someone, someday, will unseal them and undo all that we've worked to accomplish. I wish there was a way to stop that…"
"We don't have to worry about it. I've read that book a hundred times over and it says that it'll take longer than our lifespans combined for the GFs to be unsealed. By then there will be nothing I can do about it. Not my problem anymore…"
"Yeah, I guess…" This was disturbing, but I would save my thought for a later time. "Hmmm…" I mused. "Should we head back or not yet?"
"I'm not driving," she said quickly. "I proved to myself tonight that I can't drive anything with less than six wheels that doesn't fly. Not to mention without some sort of navigation system, I'm as lost as they come. I'm sorry I got us lost…I'll leave it up to you to get us un-lost, Commander," she grinned.
"Alright," I laughed, opening the passenger door for her.
"…" she grinned and got in, smiling and laughing to herself, but making no attempt to tell me what about.
"Dare I ask?" I grinned, getting in myself and starting the car.
"You're funny, that's all."
"Okay," I raised my eyebrows. "Whatever you say. Feel free to explain yourself though."
"It's pointless to explain myself when this is about you," she smiled cheerfully. "No, it's not important. You'll never get it, and that's okay. Hehehe…you're just so funny!" she giggled.
"Whatever," I smiled, leaving it at that.
"Whatever," she echoed, still grinning.
I drove in silence, searching for something I recognized. Finally we found our way to Balamb again.
"Rain-check on dinner, or are you still up for it?" I looked at my watch, alarmed at the time.
"Rain check," she smiled. "I've got work I should be doing…not that I'd rather be doing it," she rolled her eyes.
I got out of the car quickly and opened the door for her.
"See ya tomorrow, Squall," she smiled.
"See ya," I gave her a hug and a quick kiss. "Sweet dreams."
I walked away, reliving the night in my mind. It had been perfect. Still, the GF problem bothered me. I didn't tell her that it was going to happen in the near future. Whether two years or twelve, or even twenty, I had no idea… Who knew, though? Maybe he or she or whoever would do it would be defeated or changed before it could happen.
I didn't want to tell Sayaki when it would be because the fact that she had been learning this spell her entire life…I had a feeling she wouldn't take it the same way I had, since I'd only known it a few months. All her life she had trained for these days…she'd be picked off, most likely, and she'd think I was an idiot, and I absolutely didn't want that. Not at all. I sighed, walking into my room and locking the door behind me.
Xifa's notes: First of all, I want to apologize for that taking so long. Really, I do. I said Friday and it's like, two Fridays plus a day later. I also feel kinda bad about this because Sefie and I are both gonna be gone all week next week…so the earliest I could update would be Friday. And I promise I'll get one up this coming Friday or Saturday. Not today, but the upcoming ones. In acuality, I already have chapter ten…but I'm gonna be mean and make you all wait on it until Friday on account of Sefie and I won't be able to write chapter eleven until Monday. o.O So…yeah…
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, MS word for not giving me any trouble this morning, my computer for working, Fanfiction.net for letting me post all this stuff, and The Pillows for being awesome and writing 'Ride On, Shooting Star'.
Also, before I go for an entire week (cries…sort of), let me say two things. Number one, I'm not gonna leave any more this summer, so there won't be any more of these problems! Number two, if you like this story, me and Sefie wrote another story that's being posted when I post chapter ten…I'll get chapters one and two up maybe then, but I'm not sure what the title of mine is…it'll be my newest story . and Sefie Lynne Tilmitt should soon have a story up called 'I'll Be', if she hasn't posted it already. This is another duet project we did, so if you like this one, maybe you'll like those. Okay, I'm done now.
…Squenix owns FF8. Go them.