Title: A Journey Never Forgotten

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I've been doing some checkups on the story and have since corrected a few things. Realising that the second chapter is too short, I have decided to mix two chapters together. So for those who have read the story before I had done the corrections, I apologise for the mistakes.

The morning sun spread its warmth all over Balamb Garden and into the room of Rinoa Heartilly, waking her up from her deep slumber. Opening her eyes, she quickly closed them back again as sunlight reached her eyes, blinding her for a moment. She stretched her arms, working the kinks out of them. Rolling over to the side of the bed, she felt a dent in it and how unusually warm it felt considering she didn't sleep there.

"Squall was here last night. Oh, now I remember." She laughed to herself, smiling at last night's memories.

Selphie looked disgustedly at Zell who was trying to choke down three hotdogs at once. "Come on Zell, we don't want anybody dead here." She moaned. He gave her a glare and swallowed all three down, much to the amazement of Rinoa as she made her way to their table.

"Hah! I ain't chokin' one bit!" He smirked at her. Picking up another hotdog, his eyes suddenly bulged and his face turned blue. Selphie sighed. She looked at Irvine; a silent message being shared. Smirking, he went over to Zell and smacked him on the back. The slap was so loud, everybody in the cafeteria stopped to look at them when they heard the sound. Rinoa wince, thinking about how that must have hurt.

Zell's face distorted in pain as he swallowed the piece of hotdog that got stuck in his throat a while ago. He made a small whimpering noise, his back arched painfully as he tried with all his might not to shout out in pain. Rinoa ran to him, putting her hand on his back and did some magic on it, relieving the pain.

"Oh man, thanks Rinoa." He said, feeling relief. He turned to Irvine and Selphie. "You!" He pointed an accusing finger at them. "You're gonna pay, man!" He shot up from his seat, chasing after the duo who had already started to flee from the cafeteria, laughing their heads off. Quistis ate the last of her breakfast, shaking her head in disapproval. "Kids these days…" Rinoa heard her mutter.

A loud 'thump' was heard, silencing the whole area once more. Apparently, Zell had bumped into Squall when they were running around the corner. Squall frowned, his lips set in a thin line as he squinted and snatched away the hotdog that he was about to throw at Selphie and Irvine. Quistis could hear Rinoa giggling beside her as they watched how Zell scrambled away from him and continued chasing after the two best friends.

"Here, I saved some of these for you." Quistis pushed the plate of hotdog to Squall who had just arrived at their table.

"Poor Zell. I'll pack the leftovers and hand them to him." Rinoa said, pitying the boy with the weird tattoo. "Ah, well. Maybe you should. Handy stuff you did with his back. Got to go now. See you guys later." The older woman gathered her papers and left the place.

"Slept well?" Squall asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah…thanks again." She watched him reach for a hotdog. "Squall…we have to do something." He cocked his eyebrow at her. She lowered her voice. "Being a sorceress, having that kind of dream isn't something to be taken lightly. There's got to be some explanation on why they need help. Whoever they are."

"Help with what?" He questioned.

Rinoa brushed her hair back, feeling lost. "That's the problem. I don't know." She paused to think about the possibilities. "Insanity…could it be…"

"Rinoa!" She was interrupted when General Caraway approached them. "Having breakfast, I see." He inspected one hotdog before biting into it. Squall stood up to leave but he stopped him.

"Commander, don't need to leave just yet. Sit down." Squall hesitated before seating down again.

"What are you doing here?" Rinoa seethed.

"I'm just taking a look around the Garden." He looked at Rinoa who ignored him.

Standing up, she turned to Squall. "Well then, would you mind if you escort me to class, Commander?" Squall wasn't sure if he should follow her or have a chat with the General. Making up his mind, he took one last glance at the General and ran after Rinoa.

As soon as they were away from the cafeteria, Rinoa quickly let go of his hand and muttered an apology. He gave her a suspicious look. "Class doesn't start for another hour."

"Sir…" she began mildly. "I'm…a sorceress. Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Just yesterday she called me Squall, he thought irritably. "Rinoa, look. About what I said yesterday…"

"I'm dangerous." She interrupted quickly. "People like me…we kill people! We're a threat! We…we should be…eliminated. Like the others before me." She whispered the last part so softly that it was hardly audible. She felt so stressed out. Why hasn't he killed her yet?! Why is she still alive?

Without thinking, he grabbed her arm to stop her from trying to pull all her hair out.

"You're not dangerous. You're different." Something in his tone calmed her down. Soothed her frantic mind. "And that's why Cid trusted you." It had to be the tone. "I trust you." The sincerity in his voice and the honesty she saw in his penetrating deep blue eyes probably won her heart over and maybe of so many others.

"Sir…"

"Squall." He corrected. She smiled a small smile.

"Thank you…Squall."

"Don't think. Concentrate."

"People 'think' to concentrate." Selphie pointed out lamely. Irvine raised the brim of his hat slightly higher, sighing.

They were at the middle of the garden, sitting beside a fountain on which a chocobo stood. Irvine was teaching Selphie how to handle a rifle. But by the looks of it, it didn't seem like she got very far.

"You got a point." He wondered thoughtfully, earning a sigh from Selphie. He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"C'mon, nothin's impossible for you." Selphie smiled, tweaking his nose. He always could make her feel better. She picked up the rifle again and aimed it at her target. He noticed her hesitate before putting back down the rifle.

" But…" she frowned. "It's only a chocobo…"

"A stuffed chocobo. And a toy water gun." He reminded her. "Selphie, darlin'" He took of his hat and placed it atop her head. "If you're gonna be a cow gal', you gotta learn to shoot." She frowned harder. "Well then, I don't want to be a cowgirl." Selphie fiddled with the hat, looking up at him coyly. "I have my cowboy right here with me. And he isn't going anywhere 'cause I won't let him." She exclaimed happily, jumping up and down, making him laugh.

How was he able to get so lucky and meet her? She was always full of energy. Always brightening up the day with her bubbly personality no matter the mood. And the best thing was, she was his Selphie. His hyperactive sunshine. And nothing was going to take that away from him.

He grabbed her and placed her on his lap. "You're givin' me a headache."

"Am I?" Selphie kissed both his temples, making him smile at the sweet gesture.

"Better?"

"Much." He leaned back further in the bench. Yup, we really are meant for each other, he smiled inwardly.

"Where's Zell?" Rinoa checked her watch. She looked back up at the two guys and gave them the 'look'. "And you're late." Beside him, Squall didn't say anything. He scratched his head and replaced the hat back onto his head.

"We can't make it." Irvine answered. "But why? You promised! Today is my birthday."

Selphie argued. Irvine sighed and placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her but she pushed it away. "There's a mission, isn't it? But you're not a SeeD. And neither is Rinoa."

"His talents as a sharpshooter are needed in this mission. Cid's orders. We are to report at his office in three hours for the mission update." Squall explained. He glanced at the watch around Rinoa's wrist. "And both of you are included in this mission. So pack up. Zell's already in his room."

"Something sucks here, and I know it." Selphie muttered under her breath.

"Thank you all for coming in punctually." Cid said sarcastically as Zell came barging in through the door.

"The mission that was given to us is of high importance and the client has offered a high amount of money. As all of you know, Ultimecia is out there somewhere running around the country and causing lots of destruction. We are to capture Ultimecia and send her to Esthar to be sealed at the sorceress memorial."

"So where do I come in?" Rinoa asked casually. She felt a bit intimidated when he stared at her straight in the eye.

"I'm sure, Rinoa, that you and I very well know the importance of your role in this mission."

"Yes. But they don't." Squall and Selphie stiffened whereas Zell and Irvine had clueless looks on their faces.

"What is it that we don't know?" Zell asked.

"You'll know soon." Rinoa gave him a small smile as if to reassure herself but Squall could see the uneasiness in her eyes. She signalled to Cid to continue.

"Now, you will move out in two days. Quistis will be joining you. She has been briefed in this mission. Any questions?" Everybody shooked their heads.

"Very good then. Report here at noon tomorrow for the latest update on the mission.

Both Rinoa and Irvine will be excused from their lessons starting tomorrow until you are asked to resume studying. Dismissed." After making a crisp salute, they promptly left the office.

"What was that about?" Zell continued to ask Rinoa as they were making their way back to their respective rooms. Sighing, she laid an arm on his shoulder.

"Zell…and Irvine," she turned her gaze to the Galbadian. "When the time is right, you will know. I promise." She smiled at them and opened the door to her room. "Good night, everyone."

"Night Rinoa." Selphie said brightly then frowned at the guys as soon as her door was closed. "I suggest, you don't ask her any personal questions or anything concerning just now. She'll tell you when she's ready. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to catch up on lost sleep." Kissing Irvine on the cheek, she bid them goodnight and retreated to her own room.

The long-abandoned warehouse along the forested area near the car park was shuttered and dark, the noon sun unable to crack through the old slabs of wood and thick piles of walls that framed the walls. And in it, lay the Ragnarok.

Squall stood in the centre of the high-ceilinged chamber, his shoes resting on the damp floor, his back to the rundown door with eyes peering into the shadow. He turned his head when he heard the footsteps behind him and saw the rest of his teammates.

"Light wouldn't be such a bad idea." Quistis remarked dryly. "I always like to know what's in front of me."

"It's wartime," Irvine said, standing less than ten feet away. "You can't always get what you want."

"I came like I said I would." Zell said, totally missing the serious tones in his friends' voices. "At noon…and on time."

Squall stepped out of the shadows. "You also made mention of Ragnarok," he said. "And I don't happen to see one here, do you?"

"Hey guys," Rinoa stood in the middle of the doorway, blocking their only light source with her figure. "You'd start to look stupid if you continue looking for Ragnarok in this old warehouse." She chuckled, cocking her head to the side. "Come on, Selphie's already waiting outside for us. She's been giving it a test run all morning."

Squall took a deep breath, briefing himself on the mission details inside his head. He was broken from his train of thoughts when Selphie called out to him.

"Commander, seeking permission to land in Esthar. They want to talk to you." She handed him the radio.

"Clarify identity and purpose, over." The voice crackled over the radio.

"Commander Squall from Balamb Garden. We're here to see the president of Esthar regarding a mission requested by Cid. Over."

"Clarification accepted. Please proceed. Over and out." The crackling stopped once the radio was switched off.

"That went well." Selphie remarked from beside him.

"Too well." Squall agreed.

As soon as they got out of the cockpit, they saw a couple of man waiting for them at the end of the ramp.

"The name's Chris. Hope you have a nice stay here." In their handshake, Squall concluded that despite his lean figure, those arms could do serious damage.

"Thank you. These are my teammates." He waved at them. "Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Rinoa."

"Nice to see you all too. Lets not waste any more time. I'm sure the President would be waiting for us at this very moment. If you please," Chris stepped aside for the six of them to walk into the huge mansion first.

Smooth, very smooth. And polished, Rinoa mused silently. She smiled at Chris as she walked past him.

Opening the heavy mahogany doors, they saw a man seating at the far end of the table with another two tall at his sides. The man seating looked up as soon as he heard the door opening. Flipping his long hair back, he jumped up from his chair, startling even the two well-built man beside him.

"Welcome!" He grinned wildly, spreading his arms wide and hugged Squall. His usual stoic face betrayed a hint of surprise as he tried to wiggle out of the man's death grip.

"Call me Laguna. But of course, I wouldn't mind the sir's." He laughed. "Ah! You must be that Galbadian sharpshooter, Irvine." He went on to shake all of their hands and remarking about what they were well known for. But when he reached Rinoa, he stopped.

"And you…you remind me of someone." She smiled at him nervously.

"Uh…remind you of someone, sir? If it helps, sir…my name is Rinoa Heartilly." Stupid answer! She reprimanded herself angrily. He already knows your name!

"Heartilly…" He mused, his brows furrowed. But when she looked into his eyes, she could see the pain and sorrow it held. And love…a lost love. And there was also something that he was hiding from them. A secret of some sort that he's been wanting to tell since their arrival.

If Rinoa had tried a bit harder, she would have found out what kind of problems the president of Esthar was having. Reading people is something she had done ever since she was eight years old, old enough to understand people. It came naturally to her and she wondered if it was just one of her sorceress powers in the working.

"Sir…is there anything wrong?" She asked but they were interrupted when Squall spoke up.

"I hope we can cut down on the chit-chats but there is a mission going on here." He stressed.

"Commander Squall. Always the serious one eh?" He joked but then got into a serious mood as soon as all of them had taken a seat.

"I'm sure you know that Ultimecia is being considered a threat to the world." Laguna nodded as Squall spoke. "Our purpose here is to replenish our stock on necessity supplies and seek permission from the President to seal Ultimecia at the sorceress memorial."

"Yes, I'm sure that can be arranged. Some of my troops have been tracking her down and reports show that she is currently somewhere in an island called 'The Island Closest To Hell'. You probably know about the dangers of that island, so I guess Ultimecia thinks that would serve as a good hideout for the time being."

"What does she need a hideout for? She's a sorceress." Selphie asked.

"Injuries, hunger, she's tired. You have to understand, despite contrary beliefs, sorceress are humans just like us. The only extra thing is that they have powers. And they aren't superhuman either. They can get injured, just like us. Although they heal pretty fast."

"The thing about them is that all sorceress have knights. These knights pledged their loyalty and would risk their life for their sorceress before she offers hers. In legend, it says that the bond between the two is so strong, that they are inseparable and if anything were to happen to the other, he or she will suffer greatly. Most of the times in stories, it is a bond of love and friendship. A bond stronger than any else."

"Cid's wife was a sorceress. She changed somehow. Is that what you mean?" Rinoa suddenly looked up.

A surprise look appeared on Laguna's face but it disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

"Why yes. Not all sorceresses are bad, like what your friend here has brought to point. A sorceress and her knight compliment each other. Sometimes, a knight can save a sorceress from herself. But when both knight and sorceress hunger for power, then both of them will turn over to the dark side and may eventually cause their own deaths. I know that all these must sound quite complicated but I'm sure you understand as you go on." He stood up, signalling the end of the meeting.

"Thank you sir. We appreciate your help in this matter." Squall said formally as they shook hands.

"No, no, no. It's quite all right." He said brightly, turning into his self that greeted them half an hour ago. "Well, I must be going now. Have a nice stay everybody."

"We'll see you tomorrow sir." The room turned quite once Laguna left the area.

"So…" Irvine began, breaking the silence. "To get to Ultimecia, we have to get to the knight."

"But the only problem is, where is he?" Zell cut in.

"No, no, no. I think the question is, 'who' is the knight. And then everything'll fall into place." Quistis corrected.

"That's the first thing we have to find out." Squall pushed back his seat and stood up.

"Squall wait." Selphie stopped him, as he was about to exit the room. "Where's Rinoa?"

They didn't have to look far as they soon found her in the Ragnarok, going through the computers system.

"Whoa! I didn't realise you knew how to operate the Ragnarok. I mean, like me, Squall here took a couple of days to understand its functions and you took one day! I'm impressed." Selphie complimented, patting her back.

"Yeah well, I learn fast." Rinoa shrugged her thin shoulders.

"Too fast." Both of them laugh, agreeing.

"Where're the others?" She looked around here, seeing no signs of her teammates. Her gaze returned to Selphie who sat down beside her on the pilot's chair.

"They headed back to the mansion. Checking up on supplies and stuff I guess." She looked over Rinoa's shoulder. "So what have you been doing?"

"Nothing. Just looking around for more information about 'The Island Closest To Hell'." She waved her hand at the pile of books at one corner of the ship. "I've also been checking up on sorceress and I myself know about the legend that Laguna told us about. But there just isn't much about knights. I wonder if they have a library in there. Maybe we can find some books about them."

"You've been thinking. Very clever Rinoa." She smiled and looked at the mansion. "With a building like that, they probably have the whole of Balamb Garden in it." Selphie took a book and flipped through it. "Tell you what, we'll look for a library after dinner, okay?"

"You don't like the food?" Quistis asked they ate dinner together for the first time in the big mansion.

"No, nothing like that. It's very nice. I just…don't have any appetite." Rinoa set down her utensils and wiped her mouth with a cloth.

"What's wrong? I for sure know Zell has a huge appetite." She smiled at the sight of her friend stuffing his face with hotdog that was specially prepared for him.

"He has a bottomless stomach and a bladder the size of lake Michigan."

"Hey! I heard that!" Zell scolded, making both of them laugh.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Rinoa." Selphie said from beside her, placing her plate inside the sink and was currently fighting with the cook about washing the dishes.

"It's the cook's job to wash the plates Selphie. Don't make him lose his job." She winked at the cook who was muttering his thanks in French. "I got information on where we might find the library. Let's go already."

"Wait a minute, missies. 'Where do you think you're goin'?" Irvine stood at the entrance of the kitchen, blocking their way.

"None of you're business." Selphie said teasingly. "Now let us through."

"Password?" She rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I regretted creating that system but if it helps…" She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. Irvine was smiling throughout the whole process and god knows what the password was.

"Now you can go." He stepped aside, the smug look still evident on his face.

"Good. Now you and Quistis take care of Zell and the statue of liberty sitting at the corner of the table there. God knows what could happen." Selphie said, pulling Rinoa along with her.

Sneaking a glance at Squall, she laughed when she saw him frown a little at being called the 'statue of liberty'.

"Okay. The guy said go straight, take the turn to the left, go right on the turn up ahead, go up two stories and turn left again and …"

"Whoa! Wait a minute lady." Rinoa was cut off from her sentence when Selphie interrupted her. "I think you should repeat that again. Slowly." She stressed.

"Selphie! We've been through this a thousand times!" She exclaimed. "Okay, okay, go straight. You got that?" She took a deep breath as Selphie nodded her head.

"Turn left." She said in a very slow monotone tone.

"What? Turn left where? First turn or second turn?"

"Ookay…let's just…" She waved her arms wildly in the air. "You know, walk."

"Great idea Rinoa. Genius." Selphie remarked sarcastically. Rinoa was about to retort when they heard somebody laughing behind them.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard the both of you arguing. It's just that I find it intriguing how most of the time, it doesn't really affect their friendship when friends have these kinds of petty arguments."

"That's why they're friends." Rinoa concluded for the mysterious woman.

"My name is Ellone." The mysterious woman introduced herself as they shook hands.

"I'm Rinoa. My friend here is Selphie."

"Nice to meet you all. Oh, if you're wondering, I can show you the way to the library." Ellone suggested.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you." Selphie said excitedly making Ellone laugh.

"You're welcome. I work here, you see." The both of them walked alongside Ellone as they turned a corner.

"Laguna can be a funny man with the character of an eight year old kid. But when it gets down to business, he's very serious. But overall, he's a great guy. Though sometimes you need to stop him from doing certain things like jumping around too much or he may break a vase." She explained.

Rinoa was starting to like her already. And come to think of it, she sort of looks like someone familiar…

"Here we are." Ellone announced as they stopped in front of the library. "You're free to browse through. If you need any help you can call…"

"Squall!" Rinoa suddenly burst out.

"Excuse me?" Both Ellone and Selphie said at the same time.

"You look like Squall. Doesn't she?" She asked Selphie who immediately started to peer closely at their newfound friend.

"I don't know about that, Rinoa. I'm not very good in recognising similarities." Selphie shrugged.

"You mean Squall? 'The' Squall Leonhart?" Ellone asked. Rinoa blinked.

"You know him?"

"Sort of…it's a long story. Uh…is he here?"

"The last time we saw him was in the kitchen. Knowing him, he probably went back to the Ragnarok."

"Oh…okay then. I'll take my leave now. Call me if you ever need anything."

"Sure. And thanks." She said as Ellone went back down the stairs.

"Selphie, look at this. I think I found it." Rinoa showed her an old leather bounded book. With considerable care, she opened the book and blew away the dust that covered the pages.

"Must be quite old." Selphie remarked, waving away the cloud of dust.

"Knights," Rinoa began, cutting off any future conversations. "are well known in fairy tales to save and marry the princess. But fairy tales are made believe stories. The truth is, knights do exist. But not as princess saving human beings whose only purpose is to marry someone of royalty, but "

"Stop here. I'm convinced it's the book we need." Selphie said, nodding her head.

Going back to the kitchen, they didn't see anybody else save for the cook. It turned out that the others had returned to their respective rooms about an hour ago.

"It doesn't hurt to turn in at this time, huh? After all, it's already midnight." Rinoa suggested.

"Yeah. I've been wanting to see how big the beds are in the guests room." Selphie said excitedly.

After many wrong turns and dead ends, they finally managed to get to their rooms with a little help from the cook who was about to turn in for the day. Biding goodnight to Rinoa, Selphie entered her room and closed the door behind her, leaving her friend all by herself.

Moving to the room next to Selphie's, Rinoa was about to turn the doorknob when she heard a conversation going on in a room across from hers. Though she knew that eavesdropping was frowned upon, she couldn't help but let her curiosity get the better of her. She silently tip toed to the room and peeked through a crack along the doorframe where the owner had not closed the door properly.

What she saw was definitely far from what she had expected to find. There, in the room was Squall and the woman who had so kindly helped Rinoa and Selphie find the library. They were hugging each other tightly and on Squall's usual emotionless feature was a small smile. She could have stared at him forever at that very moment. He should smile more often, no matter how small and unnoticeable the smile may be.

Her grip on the old book unconsciously tightened and she immediately backed away from the door, suddenly feeling guilty for having intruded on an intimate moment. But with it came a wave of jealousy.

"What am I thinking? It's not like his my boyfriend or anything…" She thought out loud, leaning against the doorframe of her room as soon as she had closed it, brushing back a lock of hair behind her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the thoughts about Squall and the woman named Ellone. Who was she and what is her relationship with Squall?

Opening her eyes again, she averted her gaze to the book which she had took from the library. "I guess there's no harm in reading a bit before sleeping." Rinoa sat on the king-sized bed and leaned back on the feather-soft pillows. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly opened the book and started reading from where she left off.

a/n: Hmm…have any of you noticed that Rinoa is giggling too much? Chapter two! Got six chapters ready but no time to upload yet at the moment. School's starting tomorrow and I've gotta sleep early. Yeah! Heheh…

Just want to say thank you to 'Rebellious Princess' and 'Leonblade' for being my first two reviewers. Your words have encouraged me and helped me realise my mistakes. Lots of love people!