Igor, Thanx again for all your suggestions and support, what would I do without you? Happy birthday again!! (^_~ Sorry!)
~I believe in you. ~
Exhile87 thanx, thanx for everything!
Words in … are voices in head, or memories.
*I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters, but you know it already*
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*Chapter 7 – Emptiness*
Irvine was waiting for Selphie in front of Cafeteria; it was lunchtime.
*Announcement: Irvine Kinneas, please come to my office. *
Irvine sighed silently ~Sorry Selph, looks like you'll have to wait. ~ He turned around and started walking toward the elevator.
"Sir" Irvine saluted. "You wanted to see me?"
"Actually, I was the one who wanted to see you." Edea approached with her usual smile.
Irvine smiled back. "It's nice to see you Matron." He saluted again.
Edea's smile widened. All of her children became SeeDs, she was very proud of them. They looked happy, though she still wasn't sure if they were really happy about it or it was just because they didn't have other opportunity.
"I would like to talk with you, please sit down." Irvine sat.
"I have some work to do, if you need me, I'll be in Squall's office." Cid said to Edea with a strange we'll-see look. It looked like she tried to convince him about something, but she didn't really succeeded. She, on the other side, smiled to him and gave him a trust-me look. Irvine watched them, rather confused. Cid left and the two of them stayed facing each other and sitting on comfortable chairs.
Edea was still smiling and still quiet. Irvine began felling uncomfortable, and decided to start a conversation.
"So, why did you want to see me Matron?"
"As I said, I would like to talk to you." She stopped for a moment, and than continued. "I've noticed that something strange is happening. I tried to talk to Squall about it, but he wasn't…well, he wasn't really delighted to talk about it. I wanted to talk with Rinoa. We agreed that she'd come to me this morning, in order to improve control over her powers, but she didn't showed up. I saw Selphie and that new girl…Elly I think, running trough the garden like if Ruby dragon is chasing them, when I went to Library. Then, when I was returning, I saw Selphie, Zell and you running, even faster. Quistis and Selphie showed up an hour ago. They tried to explain Rinoa's dorm's broken door, but to be sincere, I didn't understand a bit of it, and they seamed in a hurry. It all looks like when little children try to hide something they did, with not much success." She gave him a look, expecting him to explain.
Irvine felt like when he was seven, day after Zell's birthday. He took a big piece of Zell's birthday chocolate, while Zell was sleeping. When Zell woke up, he blamed Seifer, who, not knowing what to do, accused first person he saw and said that Selphie did it. Selphie started crying, and yelling, "I didn't". Quistis came in and started yelling at Squall, because she thought that he said something rude to Selphie. Everyone was yelling, except him and Squall. When Matron came, she immediately knew whose fault it is seeing Irvine, who stood in the corner and looked at others with guilt in his eyes. It was as obvious as if someone had written it on his forehead. The worst part was when he had to explain it.
"So…what exactly you want to know?" He raised his eyebrows and asked carefully.
"For beginning - What happened?" She smiled to him again. ~My little Irvy, he'll never change. ~
"I would really like to answer you, but the problem is that I don't know." Suddenly he became serious.
~Or maybe he has already changed. ~
"What do you know?"
~She was both, mother and father to us; I guess she has a right to know. Maybe she can help us?~
"I know that Squall is acting strange lately."
"How?"
"He is closing in again, works all days long, sometimes even nights. Nothing seams to interest him except his job, not even Rinoa."
Edea stood in silence for a moment. Irvine was awaiting her reaction. She put her head down, and it was obvious that she was thinking hard about it.
"When did it start?" She suddenly raised her head.
"After that mission in Esthar."
Edea stood up and went toward Cid's desk; she opened the drawer and took few papers from it. She looked through them and picked one. Finally she sat back and started to examine the file. When she finished, she saw the signature – Irvine Kinneas.
"Is everything in report? You didn't leave anything out?"
"Everything is in it…well, except the strange creepy feeling in the cave, but that isn't really the thing to write in a report."
"Tell me more about the cave."
"The entrance is quite small, but the cave is huge for what I saw and it seams that it has the infinite number of halls. The walls are cowered with tiny green crystals. They're lightening the cave with strange eerie green light. We didn't go deep inside it, we were looking for Squall, who was close to the entrance."
Edea was listening him carefully. ~Green Cave, there are lots of rumours and legends about that place.~
"What about this creature?"
"It was a dragon like creature, but it was much bigger than usual dragons. It was gold-green."
Edea was thinking about something again.
"You can go to lunch now if you want, I'll call you if I need something." She looked at him. Her usual smile was nowhere to be seen.
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When Irvine entered the Cafeteria, everyone was already there. They were all sitting at their table; two seats were empty. He compared the situation with the same one two weeks ago, and he didn't like it. The atmosphere was different; he didn't like it at all. In the place of laughter and jokes, now were silence and concern. Selphie waved him to come.
"Hi, what's new? A mission?" She asked when he came there.
"No, Matron wanted to know what's goin' on."
There was a short silence.
"Hey man, here's your lunch, I got it for you." Zell interrupted silence.
"Thanks." Irvine sat down.
"Irvine?" Elly suddenly raised her head.
"What?"
"Did Edea know something more about the Green Cave or that dragon thing?"
"I guess not. I didn't ask her, but she would tell me if she knew, at least I think so."
Elly continued eating; actually she was more playing with her fork than eating. Silence fell upon them again.
Irvine looked his friends.
~We must do something about this!~
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~What is she talking about?~
"Would you mind to share your idea with me, my queen?"
"Actually, I would mind, but I need your help"
Ian barely hid his satisfied grin.
"I will help you whenever I can, my queen."
She watched him for a while. Suspicion appeared in her eyes, but it disappeared as quick as it came.
"I've found a way to hasten our victory, actually, I've found a ally."
Ian looked at her, not knowing what to expect.
She enjoyed in his confusion.
"Who?" ~I feel I'll regret this question.~
"Knight, my dear, knight will help us." She smiled proudly.
~What?~
"Searyn you're completely out of your mind! You want whole garden at our neck? Or all three of them! He's damn Commander!"
Searyn gave him an annoyed look.
"What…." ~Control yourself.~
He took a deep breath.
"Sometimes you're really stupid. Yelling at me like that! You'll just have to trust me! No Garden will care about this."
Ian took another breath.
She looked at him. "Will you be able to do it?"
" …I will."
"Great." She said and left.
~Maybe it isn't as crazy as it sounds.~ He thought as he was leaving the green room.
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Rinoa was lying on her bed, with Angelo next to her. She was reading a book, or at least, she was trying to. She couldn't stop thinking about the SeeD party. She took the small golden heart in her hands, sighed and closed her eyes.
"You're beautiful tonight my angel."… "Close your eyes"…
She shook her head and continued reading.
"Lets go I want to show to the world how beautiful my girlfriend is."
She tried again to concentrate on reading.
"Come, I'll show you something." ……"It's so nice here!" … "Why did you brought me here?"…… "I was afraid that you'd run away like last time." …"And ... to tell you that ... I love you."
She closed the book and stood up, she did it so suddenly, that she scared Angelo.
"Sorry boy, I didn't want to scare you." She said silently, and went toward her balcony.
It was a beautiful day outside, but the beauty didn't reach her. Although she promised herself that she'll forget him, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She sighed again.
Suddenly, she heard knocking.
"Hey Rinny, are you there?" She heard Selphie's voice.
"I'll be right there." She said and started walking toward the door, not with much hurry.
She opened the door and saw Selphie and Elly; they were both smiling.
"Hey Rin! We're going to Balamb for a walk, and to see what's new in the shops. Coming with us?" Elly ask her.
"… I'm not really in the mood."
"Come on!" Selphie started jumping. "It's going to be fun!"
"Please?" Elly looked at her pleadingly.
"…I don't know…"
"Woof!" Angelo waved his tail.
"See? Even Angelo wants to go!" Selphie knelt and gave him a tight hug.
"…Okay, I'm going. Come in, just wait till I take a quick shower."
Two girls entered, Angelo was jumping around Selphie. They both sat on Rinoa's bed. Elly gave Selphie a we-did-it look. Selphie smiled back. They wanted Rinoa to go with them and to have fun, and than maybe she could forget her worries, at least for a moment.
"Hey Rin?" Selphie yelled.
"Yes?" Rinoa answered from the bathroom, sound of her voice mixed with sound of falling water.
"Would you rather go by car or take a walk?"
"…I'd rather walk!"
"Great! Me too!…Angeloooo, stop it! Bad boy! Leave my dress alone!"
Elly giggled as she was trying to help Selphie.
Rinoa entered the room. Her eyes widened as she saw the funny scene. Angelo was pulling Selphie's dress, and growling while waving with his tail. She was doing everything to release her dress, but after a while she started laughing hysterically, and finally gave up. Elly was also more laughing than helping. Rinoa giggled, but didn't do a move to help them.
"Rin! Call this dog! He'll…he'll eat my dress!…"
Elly gave up any attempt to help Selphie and threw herself on bad, laughing.
"Elly…help ...me! Rin? Please? DO something!"
Now Rinoa was laughing too. "What can I do?" She asked innocently.
"Rinoa!"
Rinoa continued laughing for a while, and then decided that she has tormented Selphie for long enough.
"Here boy!" She called him.
"Woof!" Angelo raised his head, left Selphie's dress, and sat in front of Rinoa, looking at her happily.
"It's not …fair!" Selphie laughed even harder. "You knew…you knew… how to do it all… time long!" She and Elly were now both lying on Rinoa's bed and laughing hysterically. "Why… didn't you do it …earlier?
"What fun would it be than?" She said looking at them happily. She started walking toward them and suddenly threw herself on the bed between her best friends, laughing.
"Oh you'll pay for this!" Selphie said with sly smile on her face. She stood up and started tickling Rinoa.
"AAAaaa stoooop…pleeeease!" Rinoa laughed.
"What fun would it be than?" She continued tickling her.
"Angelo! …Help …me! Come boyiiihihihi…stop it!
"Woof!" Angelo jumped on the bed and started licking Selphie.
"Eeew, stop licking me Angelo." Selphie rolled away from Rinoa.
Three girls continued laughing and trying to catch breath.
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"Look! There's a new shop!" Selphie pointed her finger toward a blue neon sign while she was jumping up and down. "Let's see it!"
"Selphie, it's the twelfth shop you wanna go in! I'm tired!" Elly gave her a tired look.
"Come on, just one more!" Selphie gave her a pleading look.
"Yea, that's what you told us for the last ten shops." Rinoa smiled. "But if you really want to go, Let's go!"
"You're the greatest!" Selphie gave her a quick hug and ran toward the shop, leaving Rinoa and Elly behind her. Two of them looked each other, and followed their friend with a smile on their faces.
"Wait here boy, dogs aren't allowed in there. We'll be right back." Rinoa explained to Angelo.
"Hey, what do you think?" Selphie put a very short red dress in front of her.
"Er…I think Irvine would like it." Rinoa said.
"Yea, you're right." Selphie put the dress back.
"Ow! Look at this!" Elly took a light blue sleeveless dress in her hands. "Rin, I think it would suit you perfectly!"
Rinoa didn't look too sure about it.
"Come on Rin, try it on!" Selphie started jumping again.
"Okay." She took the dress, and went to try it on.
She moved the curtain and turned around herself.
"So? What do you think?" She asked them.
"Omigosh! You definitely have to buy it!" Elly said.
"I'm not sure if I look good in it." Rinoa smiled shyly.
"Come on Rinny, we both know you look gorgeous!" Elly looked at her happily.
Selphie just stood with her mouth open.
"Show yourself to Squall in this, and I'll assure you that he won't be able to take his eyes off you!" Selphie finally managed to say something, but by the look Elly gave her, it seemed that this wasn't a good thing to do.
Rinoa lowered her look, but after a moment looked at Selphie's eyes again, this time there was a determined look in her eyes. ~I promised myself…~"Selphie? I think you replaced Squall with Irvine." Rinoa said and smiled, confusing her friends. They both looked at her, and after a short silence, Selphie couldn't suppress laugh any more, and she started laughing, her friends followed her.
"I say we go to drink a cup of hot chocolate and then go home, it's getting late." Elly said when Rinoa changed into her clothes.
"What are we waiting for?" Rin put the dress on the li'l table and started walking toward the door.
"Er… Rin? Aren't you forgetting something?" Elly asked.
Rinoa faked a puzzled look.
"The dress?" Elly reminded her.
~I don't want that damn dress.~ "You're right, silly me, I forgot it." She gave them a fake smile, took the dress, and went to pay it.
Elly stood behind, ~What's wrong with that dress?~
Three girls were walking toward the Garden. Elly felt that something is tormenting Rinoa, so she didn't want to bother her, and Selphie just felt guilty, cause of what she said, so she was silent too. Rinoa's been silent since they left the shop. The presence of the bag with blue sign, and a blue dress in it, was tormenting her. ~What do I need dress for; I'm not planning to go anywhere… Or maybe I should, I stayed here because of him, but he isn't worth it… I started thinking too much, like him.~ She sighed silently ~I really should go away, but where… Maybe I should try to give my father another chance…I'll go to Delling then, tomorrow morning… I don't want to stay here any longer.~
"I'm going home tomorrow." ~is that really my home? I thought Garden is my home… I guess it was, but it isn't any more.~
"What are you talking about?" Selphie asked. Elly was silent.
"I want to spend some time with my father."
"But why?" Selphie was confused.
"…"
"It would be easier for you if you talk with somebody, it's what you told me once." Elly said after a short silence.
Rinoa didn't answer.
"Tell us what bothers you, tell us how you feel, you'll feel better, I promise."
"I'll be here." … "…Why?" … "The reason why you couldn't find me was because we haven't promised yet." … "Promised...?" … "I'll be waiting for you. If you come here, you'll find me. I promise."…
Rinoa felt tears in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry, she promised herself that she wouldn't cry any more.
"Everything is okay, really. I just think that I should give another possibility to my father."
"If you say so." Elly didn't sound convinced. "If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."
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Searyn entered in a small, dark, green room. In one corner was a simple bed. Ian was sitting on the floor, in the centre of the room. His legs were crossed, and he was deeply concentrated on something. She waited till he raised his head.
"Any problems?" She asked with a small grin.
"For some unknown reason, I can't convince him to leave." He said, obviously anxious.
"You said you can do whatever you want with him," She said.
"I can, anything except this." He stood up. "I can't convince him that leaving the Garden is a good thing to do."
"I don't get it."
~Gee!~ "Whatever I say, to him it seems like his own idea, and he does it. But I can't convince him that he wants to leave the Garden. I'll keep trying." By his tone, it was obvious that he didn't want to talk any more, and Searyn wasn't in the mood to listen him, so she left.
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Rinoa exited from her bathroom. She wore the blue tress she bought with Selphie and Elly. She looked herself in the mirror and smiled happy with the image she saw. She put the necklace off her neck and took the Griever. She put the necklace back, and Griever on her finger. She took another look at the mirror, put off the light, and left.
She was walking trough the main hall and suddenly she realised that she doesn't know were to go. She tried to remember where she should go.
~Where should I go? Where're we supposed to meet?~
She started to panic.
~Where are you?~
She left the garden and found herself running trough the mountains, the desert, the plains. Trough Timber, Balamb, and Galbardia. At once she realised that she doesn't have the strength to continue. She wanted to see him so badly. She was tired, and felt pain in every muscle. She fell on her knees, and felt tears running down her face.
"Squall where are you!?" She screamed.
She closed her eyes. She didn't want to open them ever again, but then she felt the sweet fragrance. The flowers. She opened her eyes and saw the flowers all around her, and than he appeared. He was walking toward her and offered her a hand to get up. She took his hand. All she wanted was to hug him, never let him go away, but than she realised something.
"If I fell under Ultimecia's control again…SeeD will come to kill me, right? And the leader of SeeD is you, Squall…Squall's sword will pierce my heart… I guess it's okay if it's you Squall, if that ever happens.
"That's enough." He finally spoke. "I'll never do anything like that. The sorceress I'm after is not you, Rinoa. My enemy is sorceress from future…Ultimecia."
She started panicking again. "Ultimecia lives in the future and possesses me. She uses my body as her extension in this world. How? How will you save me?"
"I'll come up with something…There's gotta be a way.
"…" Rinoa didn't know what to think.
"Don't worry."
Suddenly, appearance of his face changed. She saw this before. Wind started playing with his hair. His eyes, Once again she saw this expression in his eyes. Desperation. Helplessness. Sadness. They looked each other for few minutes, which felt like centuries. And once again with every minute she was more scared. She feared that she knew what is coming next.
"Squall?" She whispered.
"I'm sorry." He muttered. "I'm not strong enough." A tear showed up in his eye. She wanted to run to him, to hug him, console him, and tell him that everything is fine. But she couldn't move. She couldn't say a word. She froze.
He closed his eyes. "Believe in me." He pleaded,
And stepped into the nothingness.
Rinoa opened her eyes in terror. She stood up, put on the light, and started packing her clothes. Her tears were falling down her face. She couldn't bear to stay in this place anymore. Angelo stood up and came in front of her, watched her with sad looking eyes.
"I'm okay boy, I'm okay."
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ReViEw!!! (pleasepleaseplease)
I hope you recognized Rinoa's dream!
**Exhile87: Thanx *blushing* you're so sweet. And clever too, you sure you can't read others minds? How are things in NZ? I miss u!
**Hiasha: Sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be much squinoa moments in next few chapters, but I'll try to think of something, just for you ^_^! (Note: don't bother yourself with flames!!!)
**Icicle: It won't be a real sorceress, but I can't tell you anything more. That thing with Ultimecia bothers me too, but I'm sure there's an explanation for it.
**Naiomi: ^_^ First answer: You'll have to find out by yourself, second: I've just updated ^_~
**rebekka: Thanx for reading and reviewing!
THANX AGAIN EVERYONE!!!