Author's note: Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction, but I think it's pretty good! Please R and R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. Or anything else mentioned in this story.

Rinoa smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress while staring at her reflection in the mirror. It still fit. Her fingertips barely brushed the end of her super-short hemline and her stockings blended in perfectly.

Rinoa still remembered the first time she wore this dress. She still had long hair back then. It was at the SeeD ball, one of the most magical nights of her life. The night she met Squall.

"Honey, you coming?"

Rinoa snapped her head up. Pushing her past memories to the back of her mind, Rinoa took one last glance in the mirror and ran out the door.

"Yeah, Zone, I'm coming."

Squall sat up in his bed. He rubbed his soft brown eyes sleepily. He'd had another nightmare. It had been the usual story. Everyone dear to him had followed him out to the battlefield, and then he watched as they were brutally murdered one-by-one.

Squall glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 am. He sighed and got up. It would be another sleepless night.

Not bothering to throw something over his pajamas, Squall shuffled out into the hallway. No one would be up at this hour. If they were, he would just send them off to bed.

Squall gazed across Isteria Garden. It was so quiet and peaceful at night. No one would guess that this was the most rigorous battle school in the world. Created specifically for Squall to run, Isteria Garden trains SeeD for keeping world peace and assassinating rising dictators.

Squall's SeeD were wearing thin. There were a growing number of rebellions in the area where Trabia Garden used to be. The SeeD needed a break. That's why they were departing for Timber in the morning.

Rinoa gasped for breath, fanning her face with her hand. She and Zone had been vigorously dancing since they arrived. This dance was Timber's celebration.

In the next week, Timber would be working hard to make space for hundreds of SeeD and performers. Selphie and Irvine had moved on to create the most successful entertainment show on the road. They were coming to Timber next and so were hundreds of SeeD to watch the performance. Squall's SeeD.

Rinoa hadn't thought about him since that fateful day years ago. The day Rinoa left to go back to the newly independent Timber. The same day that Squall, Zell, and Quistis left for Isteria Garden while Selphie and Irvine went off to their first performance. And now, for the first time in years, they would all be back together.

"Who's this beautiful girl I see?" came a growl from behind her.

Rinoa laughed as Zone's arms came around her waist, pulling her to him. She grinned up at him.

"It's me, silly," she said, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

"Oh, darn. I was hoping it was some new chick to fall in love with."

Rinoa laughed as Zone pulled her back out to the dance floor.

"Rise and shine, buddy-boy! The hotdogs are calling us!"

Squall lifted his head groggily. Zell's voice reverberated around the room.

"Come on, open up!" he yelled through the door. "We have to leave today."

Squall drug himself to his feet. He stood still for a second and let his spinning head settle before opening the door. Zell bounded into the room and flopped down into a chair. He put his feet up and his hands behind his head.

"Yo, you got major baggage under your eyes. You feeling okay?"

"No."

Squall drug his feet over to his closet and pulled out his suitcase. It was packed and ready to go.

"I didn't think you would with all them nighttime strolls, so I told Quistis to take charge of getting everyone ready."

A jolt of irritation shot through Squall.

"You've been following me."

Zell shrugged.

"We're going to Timber. I knew it would screw with your head, so I've been keeping tabs on you. It's your fault. Every since Rinoa left, you haven't opened up to anyone."

Squall gritted his teeth and rubbed his temples. His fault? His fault?! It was his fault that Rinoa left? It was his fault that he had been hurt again by someone he loved? It was his fault that, because of the Timber trip, he was having nightmares again? Instead of telling Zell this, Squall sighed.

"Whatever. Now get out of my room so I can change."

Author's note: This is the first little chunk that I've finished. The story doesn't really have chapters, so I'm just going to seperate it into the chunks that I write it in. Another update will come soon!