Disclaimer: Alright I don't own any of the characters that were on FF8. They belong to Square so shoo! However… I do own the original characters and story line. Bwah hah hah!
Summary: Squall Leonhart, an ever powerful figure in the eyes of fate but what happens when Rinoa leaves him for Seifer and later gives birth to their child and never tells him. What will happen to the two Leonhart's and how will Squall cope with being alone once again? The answer is still unclear but now that events from the past are brought to fruit who knows what role they will play as the future unfolds in all its uncertainties.
Guardian of the Lion
Chapter 1: Beyond Redemption
"My Lady, you must leave this place!"
Said lady looked up at the man with a faint smile on her beautiful face. For she was beautiful, as all the few survivors of her race were. Hair as pale as moonlight and her skin was smooth as cream but her eyes, while green as life itself, were old. Far older than the twenty years she appeared to be.
"Lord Leonhart, tell me. What can I do for so courageous a man?"
"You will leave this place and seek safety!" He growled at her and slammed his palms on the desk behind which she sat. His long dark hair was tied back in a low ponytail but his storm colored eyes shifted from grey to quicksilver-blue with anger.
"And why is that?"
"Because you are the last hope for this country's survival!" He shouted.
"Not anymore," she answered softly, sadly and stood so that she could move beside him. "My kind is dying Maximus; our time here in this world is ending except for those who choose to see as Guardians. Forfeiting their natural forms in order to assume those that would better serve mankind."
"Serve mankind," he snorted. "We should be groveling at all of your people's feet for the sacrifice you have made for us."
"Max," she sighed softly and shook her head. This man was truly an embodiment of his name. Maximum for greatest and Leonhart for lion hearted. In all her long years she had known few like him and she was glad to have someone like him with her now. For into his care she would place her most guarded secret.
"I cannot escape my fate," she said and slipped her arm through his and led him out onto the balcony and for a moment they both watched the sea lap at the shore while the stars overhead shined brightly.
"Why not Airlia?" He asked miserably. "My family has served and guarded you for generations and now it has come to me and I have failed both you and my family. I have failed to protect you from harm. Tell me why you will not save yourself!"
"I do it to save my daughter," she answered simply and he looked at her in shock.
"Yes, Maximum. I have a daughter and what I am about to tell you is to be told to your first born and they to their first born and so on. No others may ever know."
"You do my family great honor my lady." He whispered in shock.
"I place your family in great peril," she corrected softly. "My daughter is the only one of our kind who will not be affected by this curse which consumes my kind. I have guaranteed this by giving to her all of my strength and powers and sealing her within this ring." And she handed him a silver ring made of a silver material that was carved in the shape of a lion.
"I don't understand Airlia," he said and used her name again. "When did you conceive a child and how is she in this ring?" There was a note of hurt in his voice now, a pain that Airlia understood all too well.
"I am adept at hiding my appearance Maximum and as for my daughter… Let's just say that she is on another plane and that ring is the only link to this one."
"But who was her father?" He asked tightly but she did not answer.
"It could not be you Maximum," she said softly and looked into his eyes. "Your love for a child born of our bodies would have pulled her out of that haven and into this world. It is not the time for that yet."
"You are cruel," he whispered and suddenly swept her into his arms. "Must I lose everything of you then?" He asked.
"Just as I must lose everything of you," she replied softly.
"May I request one favor then?"
"Of course," she agreed.
"Let this ring be called Griever, for I can think of no sadder circumstances for it to be forged in."
"If that is your wish," she agreed and let him kiss her even as she kissed him back as the sky began to lighten and the ring glowed softly in the light of the new dawn.
Squall woke from his dream with a start and sat up quickly. What was that? He asked himself but didn't say anything aloud. It had been two years after the last battle and now he'd recently begun to have strange dreams. He looked over at where Rinoa slept and was surprised not to see her there. I wonder what's up? He thought to himself but thinking she was in the bathroom or something he wasn't worried. However, he was wide awake now and wouldn't be able to get some sleep any time soon. So rather than staying in bed he decided to get dressed and maybe head to the Training Center or something. Anything to get my mind off those dreams.
He'd been having them for awhile now and so far they had always been about that same man and woman. Squall wasn't an idiot. He knew that the man in his dreams was an ancestor of his but as for the woman… He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as she'd been (alive or in a dream) but it wasn't like the beauty that Rinoa had. Rinoa was beautiful and far more graceful than he was but hers was a beauty that soothed and was meant to be touched. The woman was almost too beautiful to be real. An ethereal kind of beauty that was meant to be admired and perhaps even worshipped but not touched. And as for the ring… was it possible that it really contained a child?
I'm thinking too much again. He realized in disgust and quickly threw his clothes on and left his room. He started to head for the Training Center but about halfway there he changed his mind and headed for the Quad instead. He was in a pensive mood and didn't feel like fighting tonight.
Instead he was thinking about Rinoa. They'd been seriously together for over a year now and it had been the best time of his life. But he wanted more. Or rather, he wanted everything. He'd been seriously thinking about this for awhile now and last week he'd even gotten Irvine to go with him and help pick out an engagement ring. He'd thought about bringing Zell but decided that the blonde would get too hyperactive.
He had just passed the entrance to the Quad when he heard Rinoa's familiar voice talking with an all too familiar person.
"I have to get out of here!" She exclaimed to Seifer and Squall blended into the shadows to watch. And although he outwardly didn't make a sound, he was screaming inside.
"Then why haven't you left?" Seifer asked coolly.
"How?" She wanted to know. "Squall would know that's something up then and he wouldn't ever let me leave!"
What?! Squall wanted to ask. Why are you doing this Rinoa? I love you…
"So, Puberty boy's gotten protective has he?" Seifer asked snidely.
"Seifer please!" Rinoa begged and threw her arms around his neck. "Take me away from all of this," she crooned and moved her face closer to his. "Be my Knight."
Never trust anybody. All they'll ever do is hurt you and leave you. Squall thought harshly as he watched the two of them kiss deeply.
"What's going on here?" Irvine's voice rang out and Rinoa jumped guiltily away from Rinoa.
"None of your business Cowboy," Seifer said snidely and wrapped his arm around Rinoa's waist.
"What's going on Rin?" Selphie asked as she also walked up.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rinoa asked and discreetly tried to step away from Seifer, who was having none of it, while trying to look innocent.
"Oh, just getting things ready for the party tomorrow." Irvine answered coldly. Her act wasn't fooling him one bit. "But then we heard someone talking and decided to come see what was going on. I must say Rinoa. I never imagined you for a two-timer but then again, from what I hear you still had a thing for Seifer when you started to develop feelings for Squall."
"Irvine," Selphie said gently. She could tell just how angry her boyfriend was and she was still hoping that this was some sort of bad joke. "Maybe it's not as bad as it seems."
"Oh no." Squall said and finally made his appearance. "It's much worse."
"Squall!" Rinoa screamed and jumped away from Seifer and looked guiltily at her boyfriend.
"Just leave," he said emotionlessly. His eyes were completely devoid of any emotion as Rinoa gazed frantically at him. Having him look at her like that hurt more than anything else. She thought that he would have been angry but now he was merely looking at her as though she were nothing.
"Squall I-"
"Get your belongings out of my room before you leave with him," he interrupted and nodded towards Seifer and started to leave. "If it's not gone within the next thirty minutes I'll have it burned." And then he left them all there and that was that. What Squall said went for he was the Commander.
"Slut," Irvine hissed at Rinoa as his eyes flashed in anger. He opened his mouth to say more but Selphie stopped him with a gentle touch to his arm.
"How could you?" She asked softly and then the two of them left together.
Thirty minutes later Rinoa and Seifer were escorted out of Garden by Quistis and Xu with strict warnings to never come back to Balamb Garden. Thirty-one minutes later Squall had ordered everything that she'd left to be burned along with the bed sheets and everything else that the two had shared. Then he set about cleaning it himself until it surpassed the old Garden Faculty's standards and kept right on going. He even went so far as to have the mattress replaced.
"I can't believe this happened." Zell stated simply. The whole gang had gotten together (minus Squall of course) and were discussing the rather disturbing events that had happened over the past day and a half.
"Yeah," Irvine muttered darkly. "Right after the guy goes and picks out a ring too."
"Do you mean…"
"That he was going to propose?" He asked and looked over at Quistis. "Yeah."
"I guess we'll just have to see how everything goes." Quistis said after a few long minutes of silence. The others agreed, besides, what else could they do really?
And for awhile, it was very bad. Squall refused to talk to anyone but as the days turned to weeks and weeks to months he began to let go of the pain and talked to his friends. It was a slow process but he was eventually becoming the Squall he was before Rinoa had left. Before you knew it a year had gone by and although he seldom smiled or laughed Squall was very much back to the way he used to be. Except he didn't allow anyone to get truly close to him. He'd learned his lesson and he'd be damned if he ever gave anyone the power to hurt him like that again. And he never told anyone about the dreams that had stopped after the first nine months.
1 Year and a Few Months Later – Elsewhere…
Seifer glared hatefully down at the sixth month old baby who was nearly the picture image of a baby Squall. The only difference was that he had Rinoa's dark hair. But the eyes, the eyes were Squall's. He'd absolutely forbidden Rinoa to name the baby until it was clear whose son he was and now… now it was only too clear.
"Get rid of it," he hissed at Rinoa who could only stare at him fearfully and hoped he wouldn't get loud enough to wake the children. He and Fujin had been married before she and Seifer got together but she died in childbirth to their twin children.
"Seifer, please." She pleaded.
"Get rid of it or I will," he threatened and pulled out his Gunblade and held it dangerously close to the baby's head.
There was no warning for what happened next. The ring that Squall used to wear on his hand and had never asked back for after that night, came to life in the jewelry box that Rinoa had put it away in. There was a white flash and then there was a woman with long hair that was a mix of midnight black and silver. Her golden eyes though beautiful, were not human, and if truth be told they resembled a cat's more than a human's.
Pathetic little mortals. She growled at both of them in their minds and smirked in pleasure when both humans grasped at their heads. Then she looked at the baby and picked him up and cradled him tenderly in her arms. Will you surrender the Leonhart's child to me? She asked Rinoa.
"No!" She cried. "I will not give my baby to a monster!"
A monster? Echoed the woman. Perhaps you should look in the mirror human. You who have kept this baby underfed and have not even given him a name. Rinoa went silent at that and looked at her baby in the arms of another. He actually seemed happy there. He was smiling up at the woman rather than showing very little emotion as he did when she held him. Sometimes she'd wondered if Squall's soul had not transferred over to their son along with his distain.
"What will you do with him?" She asked.
"Raise him," she answered in a normal voice and smiled at the baby. "Love him and allow him to become the storm that he was meant to be."
"Storm?"
"Indeed. Which is what his name shall be, though I doubt you care. Like his father before him he will be a force to be reckoned with." Her eyes cut to Seifer then and narrowed in disgust. "Unlike this one who will never be anything more than a shadow of what he could have become had he been willing not to through his soul away."
"What was that?" Seifer growled and raised his Gunblade once more.
Be silent! I do not wish to speak with you! She snapped and Seifer found himself unable to move. In truth he was barely able to breathe. Will you give me the Leonhart's child?
"You don't call him mine." Rinoa said sadly.
That is because you are a betrayer.
Rinoa jerked back at that but with that last comment all of the resistance faded out of her. "Take him then." She said, defeated.
And with that she was gone. And with her was the baby that had been her's and Squall's. Later that night she went and looked for the ring that Squall had given her but it too was gone.
And that's the end of the first chapter. So as you can see. Squall's going to have to share the limelight a bit. (Not that he'll mind I bet). And as for me being so rough on Rinoa… I just read three fanfics straight in a row where Rinoa is very whiny and I guess this is my reaction… In any case this should be good (in my humble opinion). So please leave a review!