Chapter Twelve: Black under the Moonlight

                Squall made sure that he did not linger in the palace. He had left it as fast as he could without drawing the attention of the guards. It felt like he was running, even though he took a slow casual pace of one foot in front of the other.

                He wanted to run far away, maybe into the desert like the prince. But what was the point? Squall was already keeping a low profile in this town. It didn't make sense for him to hide from his hiding spot. It wouldn't make one bit of difference if he moved to another town; someone would soon find him again.

                Or maybe he didn't want to leave.

                Squall didn't know. Somehow he had taken root within this new life of a slave. He had new friends that truly cared for his well being. Albeit, he only had two friends, but it was enough—literally, those two had enough energy combined to count for at least ten people.

                Zell and Selphie were their names. Each of them always could manage to smile even though times were hard. A life of a slave was never easy, but they managed well enough.

                The short blonde, Zell, had been the one to find Squall dehydrated and passed out in the desert. The strong man had carried him all the way to Zamir. Selphie had taken over from there. The petite brunette was a professional mother hen. She had given up her own bed for the nearly lifeless Squall. There was little hope to save him, but Selphie had stayed by his side and scarcely slept. She fed him herself, the honey, water and herb mixture that sustained life.

                Then one day Squall woke up from the darkness and was greeted by two relieved smiles. Only later did he learn that Zell had been running away from his life of slavery when he had stumbled across Squall in the desert. By taking him all the way back to Zamir, Zell had also brought himself back to the life under a guard's whip—just in hopes of giving Squall a second change at life.

                Zell had not been the only one to make sacrifices. Selphie had suffered for Squall's sake as well. During the days when she faithfully sat by his side, she had been skirting her work. Guards would come by checking the houses for slackers and each day the brunette would argue that she had to stay home. Sometimes she even had to fight them off and the scars on her arms were proof enough.

                The two had shared their small home and what little food and water they had with Squall. He felt like he owed them deeply. He also couldn't help but feel like a burden every time he saw Selphie's scars or when he caught Zell looking longingly towards the desert.

                 Because of this debt, Squall didn't have the ice of heart to just run away from his problem with the sorceress. They had given him a second chance at life, even though Squall had been wishing to die.

                But maybe he wanted to live after all?

                Regardless, Squall couldn't face those two just yet. He couldn't go home or return to work. Instead he would retreat to the temple that was calling to him. A cold power was pulsating from his arm. Squall needed to return it to its rightful owner, Shiva.

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                "At least you still follow orders," Rinoa sang the words while exiting her bedchambers.

                Fujin stood passively near the doorway. Her face wore an apathetic expression, but Rinoa could sense the uneasy aura around the other woman. There was no response as usual. It didn't matter. Nothing Fujin could say would mean, or change anything.

                Rinoa smiled and walked towards one of her room windows. The desert was absolutely stunning. It was evening now and the sand was burning with the dying colors of the sun. From this window Rinoa could see the river stretching into the distance. The wave sparkled with the colors of fire, ones that were more alive than the ones of the sand dunes.

                Spectacular.

                "Once I dismiss you tonight, you are to return to the town and resume your work in the quarry," Rinoa spoke while laying her hand on the windowsill. A cold metal object greeted her fingertips.

                A cruel smile passed over her lips as she took the metal chisel into her hand. Rinoa turned around to face Fujin while keeping both arms folded behind her back.

                "Now tell me where Seifer is hiding.."

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                Squall remained in Shiva's temple until nightfall. The priests didn't seem to mind his presence. Actually, none of them even noticed him. All of them were bustling over the recent blessing from the goddess. It seems that part of her statue had actually frozen over.

                'She is trying to speak to us!' they raved.

                Fools, Squall thought as he silently slipped out of the temple. It was he who had frozen half of the ice maiden's statue. Squall wasn't disrespecting the goddess; he was merely returning the power to its rightful place.

                Rinoa had put the energy into his body and he needed to discard it. There was no reason for him to keep it—there was going to be no later use of the magic. Squall did not wish to draw power and store it. [1] He didn't want anything to do with magic! It was only by a twist of fate that he was able to not only draw and stock magical power; he was able to cast—perhaps even summon a god. It all started that day…

                Squall violently shook his head. He would not think about the past.

                He exited the temple and was greeted by the crisp night air. The night was always so calm and silent. Squall loved the tranquility. The shades of blues and grays streaked with depthless black shadows soothed his soul. But it was only temporary, Squall needed to return to a mother hen that would be worrying.

                Squall shrugged himself loose of the night's grip. He began to quicken his pace but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard someone stumbling around the corner ahead of him. Squall pressed against the wall hoping that this late night wanderer was not a prowling guard.

                A small wooden crate went rolling over the stony path followed by a string of sharp curses. Pale fingers flecked with blood gripped the corner. Squall watched as the figure pulled itself out from behind the building.

                Short silver hair hung limply in the girl's eyes. Her pale skin was tinted a faded blue under the moonlight. A dark liquid rivet down from her left eyes—where her hand was pressed to hide whatever injury had occurred.

                Squall instantly recognized Fujin. He silently gaped at the sight as the girl staggered forward with one arm reaching towards the next building for support.

                A stab of guild made Squall wince at the sad situation. He knew Fujin was at risk of injury; Rinoa had made that obvious. The sorceress must have known he wouldn't of gone and warned the girl—he was too self-absorbed in his own problems to even care at the time.

                Squall let his head tilt down in shame. Then against his will, he walked up to Fujin and gently took her arm in effort to help. The brunet didn't expect to be roughly shoved away. Squall backed away a step as Fujin whirled on him. Crimson eyes burned with familiarity.

                "You," Fujin growled the word hatefully while taking an apposing step towards the brunet.

                Squall backed off another step. Why was she angry at him? He was only trying to help her out—maybe take her to Selphie to get her wound treated. Squall sighed and reached out again, "Come with me, you're hurt.."

                "IDIOT!" Fujin yelled and retreated out of range.

                Squall winced and let his arm drop loosely to his side. He glanced nervously around at the dark shadows. The loudness of Fujin's voice worried Squall. If the night watch guards found them there was no telling what punishment they would receive.

                "Fujin, calm down, I'm just trying to help you.." Squall's voice sounded like a whisper after the girl's outburst.

                "NEVER," Her voice, if possible, grew louder. She fisted her hand in anger while the other remained pressed over her left eye.

                "Would you be a bit quieter?" Squall hissed with another wary glance down the vacant streets. "Just came with me and have someone take care of that wound."

                He made another motion to soothe the girl. She swiped her hand through the air to stop him, "RAGE!"

                Fine.

                Squall turned his back on the stubborn woman. If she wanted to suffer out in the cold empty streets, than so be it. She was just like him—so damn headstrong.

                He didn't want to help anyway! It was their problem, not his. Squall's only problem was to think of a good excuse to tell Selphie and Zell when he got home.

                End Chapter.

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A/N: Just a little chapter to explain a tiny bit on why Squall was in Zamir.

[1] Draw, Cast, Stock. It's the magic system of the game. Wait.. don't they have to be junctioned to a GF in order to be able to use those abilities? Oh yes, yes they do :3