Hello, I am the author of this fanfiction sequel to "Final Fantasy VIII". A small heads up, the prologue is by far the shortest 'chapter' in the novel. Each chapter is much longer and I try to make it more intriguing with each. I tried to stay as true to the game's nature as possible (I'm FFVIII's biggest fan). So, I hope you enjoy it.

FINAL FANTASY VIII - FATED IMPACT

Prologue – "And She Said. . ."

"Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be alright by yourself?" she said, gazing at him.

Squall's eyes watered and a tear ran down his face. For the first time in years, he cried. His throat felt like swelling, as if there was a knot inside, a knot that didn't allow him to breathe.

I'll be alright, Matron, he thought and turned around. That instant, everything turned black. Darkness was suddenly surrounding him. He looked around, looking for Matron, hoping she could see her dark hair one more time. He didn't, Matron and the boy were gone forever.

The floor was black, firm, he couldn't tell where or what he was standing in, but he was.

I'm not alone. I'm not alone, he thought, if I call, they will answer.

"Quistis . . . Where are you? Zell? Selphie!" he cried out, "Irvine! Matron . . . Rinoa? I want to hear your voice", his own voice cracked and slimmed, a tear jumped from his cheek and fell on the black floor. "Please answer!" The sound only traveled in the darkness. A response never came.

With a loud gasp, he woke up. He was lying on his bed, soaked in sweat. He brushed his hand down his face and took a deep breath. He walked off his bed, making the sheets hiss. The room was dark, the lights turned off.

He looked at the bed, which wasn't empty. Rinoa Heartilly, a long dark haired beauty was sleeping on the bed. Squall couldn't unglue his eyes off her face. For one moment, he wanted to wake her up, just to hear her voice. He didn't. Instead, he quietly opened the room's door and walked out.

The corridor's floor outside was cold, the wind was blowing. He hadn't bothered putting a shirt on, it was freezing. The long, white corridor's sides were thick glass. Squall could see outside, a forest, thick and bathed in moonlight. The sky above was navy blue and filled with stars. Squall sighed again and put his hand in the glass, after a second, his hand was marked there.

There was a creak to his right, he turned around to see Rinoa walk out of the classroom, wrapped in one of the sheets and smiling.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Nothing . . . let's go back to bed," he said and walked towards her. Rinoa looked at the glass; Squall's handprint was there, embedded on it as if carved.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, "You look shook up."

"I'm fine . . . I just," he said and paused when opening the room's door, "I was thinking of you."

Rinoa smiled, her thin lips curled upwards and her eyes squinted. Squall saw her walk in and closed the door behind him.

The room felt so warm, so different from outside. Rinoa was already in bed, spreading the sheet she had taken with her, "Come on . . . it's still early."

Squall lied on the bed and covered himself with the sheets. Rinoa was lying on her shoulder, facing the other side of the bed. Squall ran a finger through her hair and heard her take a breath. Then, he rested his hand on her shoulder and fell asleep.

South, hundreds of miles south, in a desert, the floor began to shake. The loud sound of breaking rock filled the air.

Onno, a ten year old boy had been fishing for two hours. He had walked over three miles from his small hometown to the shores. He turned around. Onno fell on his ass as the trembling became more violent. He felt strange sense of upcoming death, for a moment, he began to think his grandfather's stories were true.

The story he remembered, talked about an event his grandfather referred to as 'The Second Hyne'. He said that when the right moment came, the planet would die, and the human race with it. All that would be left was going to be monsters. Onno was terrified of such an event. His breath quickened as the ground began to crack ahead. He pissed his pants.

He half expected a red light to shine from the crack, like his grandfather had described. Instead, the light was white, almost blinding. There was a squawking sound, so loud, Onno's eardrums popped. He slammed both his hands and cupped them over his ears, the pain was unbearable.

An enormous creature that resembled a bird flew from the hole on the earth, Onno looked up, and all the sound was gone. No longer could he hear the waves behind him. He fell on his back, sand flooded through his clothes. The sun was burning his face, he saw the silhouette of the enormous bird passing over him.

Then, he fainted.