The rescue.
Squall frowned as he comforted his fallen Sis. It seemed as though he was being selfish about using her to try to help Rinoa; but then again, she was selfish about using the orphanage gang to try to change her past.
A week has gone by as he was in a coma, but to him it felt like years. Because Rinoa was there each day to watch over him, talk to him and just be there, she appeared in his mind and memory. And to him, she's been there though those years.
The first time he laid eyes on her swept him off his feet. Of course, being the way he was, he hid it quite well. So used to letting people bounce off the barrier he placed around himself to prevent any more pain; she broke it. He tried to stop her, but because of Rinoa and her persistent ways, it was broken. Not only because of her persistent ways it was broken, but because of her eyes… her lips… her voice…
He was in love.
And he would do anything to get her back.
"Did you get to find out what happened to Rinoa?" The poor girl groaned, shivering under Squall's comforting hands.
Squall leaned back some, giving her some space to sit up. "Yeah, but I couldn't do anything…. what should I do?" Ellone leaned up from her knees and ran her hands through her hair. She looked up to Squall, through that space suit helmet, and at his grayish-blue eyes. It made her heart melt and tears almost came to her eyes. That look…
"I remember those eyes." Squall blinked a few times and stared at her as she spoke. "You just looked at me with the same eyes you had when you were little," Ellone frowned helplessly as she managed to smile a little. "Those curious, innocent, puppy dog eyes. I loved those eyes."
He didn't want to burst her bubble, but he had to get this through her head or else she would live with it forever. "That's in the past."
"That's right. What's important is right now. I finally realized that."
"I have to help Rinoa now. That's the only thing I can do, right?"
"Yes. Talk to her, Squall. Your voice may not reach her, but your heart will." Ellone held her hands out faced down towards the floor as a sincere look crossed her helpless-looking features. She stared at Squall, as serious as could be, and gave a nod. "Are you ready? I'm taking you to the nearest past… to the closest present to the future…"
Squall stared right back at his Sis, an understanding frown forming in his eyes and eyebrows. He watched as she closed her eyes and raised her head slightly, and slowly, he allowed the work of Ellone to take effect once again. But instead of seeing white again, it was black.
~~~~~~~
The scene slowly opened up in his mind, showing the greatness and vastness of space with millions of stars scattered. It was unbelievably quiet. It scared him. He could only imagine how Rinoa felt being alone out there all by herself—
She came into view at a slow pace within the space suit. It was so painful to just sit and watch this happen for him. He wanted to just grab her and pull her to him and then everything would be ok. But obviously, that was impossible… or was it?
[Remaining Life Support System 15 seconds]
"(Am I… gonna make it…?)"
"(How?)"
"(I can't do anything…)"
"(Drifting…endlessly.)"
"(I'm helpless…)"
[Remaining Life Support 0]
"(No…)"
"(I'm…)"
"(That's it.)"
"(I'm gonna…)"
"(I'm gonna… die.)"
[Life Support Has Terminated]
"(Good bye…)"
"(Squall…)"
(Rinoa!!! No!!!)
(Don't give up!!!)
"(…….?)"
(Can you hear me?! It's Squall… Rinoa!!!)
(Rinoa!!!)
Feeling as though her air is getting shorter, the helpless girl breathes heavier; trying to use up any air she can to hang on. As she was trying to do this, her eyelids rebelled against staying open, and continuously tried to stay closed. She blinked softly, with a look of hopelessness on her features, as if there was none for her. She could've sworn she heard something… but it was probably her mind playing cruel tricks on her.
(Rinoa, come on! Try to remember!)
With shallower breaths from her lips, Rinoa's eyelids won their battle, remaining closed and refusing to open again.
(Rinoa, I'm right here with you! Listen to me!)
As if all the life was drained from her body, she stopped moving all together. Squall watched in agony, not knowing what to say anymore. He stared at the peaceful and content look upon her features, not knowing what to do. Was this really happening? Was she really going to die? He couldn't take watching her like this any longer. He just woke up out of a coma, now he has to watch her die? Just then, images of her flashed through his mind.
(First time we met was the day I became a SeeD. We met again… in Timber…)
(We had a lot of arguments at first. But in time, things began to change.)
(You were looking at me… you smiled when our eyes met.)
(It made me feel calm, tranquil.)
(Rinoa… you have to hold onto hope. That's what you always did. You can't give up now…)
(I……. need you.)
There was a slight rattling noise filling her ears, which very slowly, made her amazingly open her brown eyes. There was a shadow of something hovering over her eyes, which made her squint slightly to try to see it better.
It was the shadow of Squall's infamous Griever ring along with hers. And as if things couldn't get strange enough, he was facing her, looking into her eyes as if saying, "you better not give up".
Rinoa, through feeling sorrow, managed to smile as tears slowly formed in her eyes. She was beginning to hope once again. Reaching her hands up to her helmet, she wished she could feel Squall's steel ring at her fingertips once again as she closed her eyes; those hopeful tears escaping from her eyes and floating in zero gravity.
"(I'm… still…)"
"(………alive?)"
"(Squall…?)"
As if someone directed her hand where to go, she reached down in front of her space suit and applied pressure to a button that seemed to be there, just incase something like this were to happen. From this, air begins to fill her helmet once again as she breathed out softly, a hopeful smile forming on her lips as her bangs moved to the air.
~~~~~~~
Those grayish-blue eyes shot open once again, seeing the ceiling of the escape pod as he lay upon the floor. Ellone was at his side, but seeing that he woke up made her sit back as she watched him get up.
"I'm gonna go find Rinoa."
"You didn't need my help at all."
"Thanks, Sis."
With that, Squall turned around and reached for a lever that seemed to lead up and out of the escape pod. He took hold, pressing a button on the side that began to take him up. Quistis, who remained silent the whole time, decided it was time to object to this. She released the hold of the holding unit upon her and stepped forward quickly, looking up after Squall. "Wait! Come back!"
Piet, remaining in his holding unit, looked up after Squall with Quistis, screaming at him. "Idiot! There's no way he can get back! He's insane! He's gonna run out of life support and fuel in no time. They're both going to die."
Hearing this, Squall didn't care. He spent his whole life in solitude and finally a beautiful woman comes into it and turns his life upside down. He wasn't going to lose another person… not like this. He'd rather die with her than without her. Upon reaching the top of the tunnel, Squall looked to a panel and opened the door to the outer space to get Rinoa.
He looked around a bit, but soon the lightness of her space suit caught his eye.
(I have to get in front of her…. And catch her…)
Using the fuel in his space suit, Squall activated the boosters and drifted towards Rinoa, getting closer and closer by the second. Finally, he had the chance to actually do so.
As he was five feet from her, her back was facing him. Noticing this, he opened his arms out to her and caught her as she sank into him. As she did so, Squall couldn't help but close his eyes and adore having her this close to him, and held onto her closely and tightly as to never let go.
So surprised and happy, Rinoa closed her eyes as well, a relieved smile coming over her face as she breathed out.
"Squall… you're.. awake."
"Yeah……"
"Squall…… thank you. I heard your voice."
"… I can't believe it."
"Are we gonna make it?"
"Don't worry."
Squall managed to release his tight hold upon her to turn her around so they could hold hands. Rinoa looked through their helmets at his face, loving to see his eyes open once again. He had a peaceful look in his big grayish blue eyes, but his mind was in a dilemma.
(Out of fuel… low on oxygen…)
(What now? Die in space? I'm so helpless…)
(I can't even save Rinoa? Come on, think!)
They both looked around helplessly from left to right, until something red appears in the corners of their eyes besides the Lunar Cry. A large red, dragon-looking spaceship floats near the moon's surface. That would definitely help.
"Rinoa, hold on..."
Using the last of the fuel in his boosters, Squall carried himself and Rinoa towards the dragon-looking ship, grabbing hold of the side as it almost passes by. With luck, the side he grabbed onto had a door a foot away from them, and opened, as they got closer. Holding onto Rinoa, he helped her inside the strange ship, sinking to the floor as they entered. The door above them closed and Squall took a look around at the panel that was close by. A button flashed, alarming that there was air still useful in the ship. Without hesitation, Squall pushed the button, feeling gravity sink down upon him as he watched it happen to Rinoa as well. They were saved.
Squall reached up and disconnected the locks on his helmet, taking it off from his head as the air in the ship pushed his light brown hair about his face. He kept his eyes on Rinoa and she did the same with him. As they removed the space suits from their bodies, their eyes were met with sincere looks upon their features. Words were quiet between the two.
Squall stepped out of the small room into the hallway that seemed to be next door and Rinoa followed. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked around. Rinoa walked a little further into the hallway and turned around to look at him. Noticing she was watching him, he looked up and at her eyes. She smiled wholeheartedly and he almost melted to the floor. He felt his cheeks heat up.
(Wh…what?)
"I'm so glad to see you awake. You probably just woke up, and you came out here to save me?"
"………" He opened his mouth slightly to say something, but he didn't know what. His bottom lip almost quivered as his eyes stared at hers.
"Thank you, Squall… you rescued me again. I can't thank you enough."
"… Don't worry about it. I just did what I wanted to do."
Rinoa looked down at herself, adjusted her light blue duster, fixed the sleeves upon her arms, pushed her dark hair behind her shoulders and pushed the bangs from her eyes. Squall stood there and frowned in wonder as she finally opened her arms out to him, a playful smile upon her dark pink lips. Squall put his left gloved hand upon his hip and stared at her with a tilted head. She spoke out softly. "The space suit was in our way before."
(Huh?)
She pushed herself upon her tippy-toes a couple of times and tilted her head to the side as she kept her eyes on him. "Give me a hug." Once again, his cheeks heated.
(…?)
Rinoa bent in, wrapping her arms around herself and hugging tightly to show some sort of cute example. "A real tight one!" She once again opened up so her arms were out to him. "I need to know that I'm alive!"
(…Alive?)
(We still have to get back.)
"We may be alive right now… but look at our situat—" Before he knew it, she was hugging him with her arms wrapped around his torso and her head to his chest. She smiled contently and peacefully closed her eyes, enjoying the moment before it would be ruined. Her face was almost lost within his feathery jacket.
Squall stood there in shock as his eyes widened at her sudden action, looking down at the floor and seeing her head at the corner of his eye. His heart raced, and she heard it through his chest. If a solid could become a liquid in a matter of seconds, it would be Squall melting over this feeling. He couldn't move at all.
After a moment, Rinoa slowly let go and took a step back to look up at him, speaking out the one word he couldn't finish for him. "Situation." She smiled brightly as she saw the surprised look on his face and let out her enchanting laughter, causing him to close his eyes and continue speaking as if she weren't laughing at all. He raised his right hand and rubbed his temples lightly as he closed his eyes. "You want to live, right? You want to go back and see everyone, right?"
"And not become other people's memories?"
"That's right."
Rinoa gave a nod and kept her eyes on him. After a moment, she spun around and walked towards the door that was behind her. "Let's go, Squall."
With that, he followed her into the next hallway. Hopefully, there would be a way to get home.
_______
I won't give up on you guys. I'm thinking about whether I should make the monsters be in the ship or not. I didn't really plan to have them fight in this story. I know it's following the game almost exactly, but in the next chapter it will be different. There's still a lot that I want to explain about this story, and a lot of things I did with Rinoa that she couldn't do when she was in a coma during the game.
Thank you reviewers for your kind words. I really take your words into consideration and have the power to continue through them. Any review is appreciated.