Savior
By Leanne Ashley

Quick summary: (AU) SeeD battles Ultimecia & her followers. When a prophecy foretells the coming of a savior (Sorceress Rinoa) SeeD, led by Squall, is ordered to protect her from Galbadia's assassins as she journeys to defeat Ultimecia. Squall/Rinoa

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Chapter 22: If Only
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For a brief couple seconds, Squall feared the intense light had blinded him. It was sharp, scalding. The burning, brilliant light swallowed him whole as a sudden force pushed him backwards to the ground.

Prying his eyes open, he struggled to see through the opaque intensity. What the hell had just happened? The question presented clarity to his mind, inviting the numbing ring in his ears he hadn't realized was there.

Where was everyone?

What happened to Griever?

Squall grasped the sides of his head. The ringing was too loud.

What… happened…?

Getting up slowly to his feet, he reached out blindly infront of him. He could barely make out the darkened shades of his gloves—it was so bright. The ringing continued, but was soon replaced by a shrill maddening scream.

Was that Ultimecia?

The ground shuddered under his boots. He stumbled forward and regained his balance to the best of his ability (Somehow. It was rather difficult when he couldn't even see the ground he walked on) Hesitant footsteps were heard moving close much to his relief. Gesturing an arm forward to catch their attention, he struggled to see through the slowly dimming brightness.

"Hey!"

"Squall?"

It was Quistis.

"Quistis, what's happening?"

"I'm…not sure."

"Can you see Griever anywhere?"

"It's gone."

"What?"

The light continued to dim as he could now make out the faint blur of orange that was her outfit.

"Gone! I had my whip around its neck, and then this white light… It felt like Griever just turned to air!"

"There's nothing here," came Zell's voice from the mist. "But this place feels like it's gonna collapse!" The ground seemed to shift in response as they stumbled forward from the sudden imbalance.

"Whoa…!" Selphie exclaimed from behind them. "I had this gash on my leg… but it's gone!"

Straining his eyes, Squall could see both Selphie and Irvine approaching them slowly.

"This is holy magic!" announced Irvine. "The strongest kind too."

"Anyone see Rinoa?" Quistis asked.

Rinoa… You better be okay…Squall's heart began to race, enthralled under the clutch of panic. He had turned his attention away for two seconds… two goddamn seconds… and all hell broke loose. …Or something close to it anyway. It didn't matter to him now if Ultimecia had won or Rinoa had won; he just wanted to find her. Wherever she was he had to be there. He had to shield and protect her with his life. After all, such an act had been instinct since childhood and he would be damned to not find her now.

The ground shook heavily again. The highest pillars of the castle began to crumble, bringing down several of the higher rooms along with it.

This place is gonna go…

It was then that he spotted her. In the midst of scanning the burning white haze, he spotted the tattered remains of Rinoa's wings; an extension of her frail, unmoving form as she lay half curled up against her side. Blood caked her arms, her shoulders… Her face wasn't visible, as her black hair had matted against it.

Instinctively, he began making his way toward her when a large piece of debris mocked his lack of precaution by landing rudely at his feet. He fell back in surprise and glanced quickly around him once again. Ultimecia's castle had began disintegrating at a much faster rate just as the white light had started to thin. It was almost futile now. Rinoa lay on the other side of the room while he resided on the other. In between them, the rocks, bricks, and stones from the above collapsing towers showered the floor. Against those two particular walls, they were both pretty much safe from most of the falling wreckage… for now.

Squall turned his head to the others. "You guys get out! I'll get Rinoa and catch up!"

"But Squall—!" Zell protested.

"I said get out! This whole place is falling apart!"

"We'll…we'll wait for you outside, then!" Quistis yelled over the noise.

"No! Everything's going to hell and those Gates aren't open 24 hours a day. You guys go back… I have to—" He glanced back at Rinoa's motionless body. "—I have to save her."

"Squall…" Irvine said as he approached him quickly. "Ultimecia's been defeated. Rinoa saved all of us… Don't you realize what just happened?"

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It was the last time I saw Rinoa. I had only known her for a short amount of time but that girl had so much potential in her. I know, I know… What a repetitious thing for an instructor to say, correct? But she had it in her for…life. Real life. I prayed for the Seven Day Sacrifice… I wanted to take her on my student when all this was over…

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Squall glared darkly at the other boy and kept the fixation solid even as he avoided another falling piece of debris. "Quit dancing around it for me, Kinneas. I'm sick of it."

"I'm only trying to—" Irvine glanced pleadingly at the others for support but they were all slightly in a state of shock from what they witnessed across the room.

He shook his head in defeat. "Alright, fine. Squall, if you run across there, it's suicide. The Seven Day Sacrifice was a chance, not a promise!"

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I could hear 'em fighting with each other, but man was I not getting involved. All I could see was Rinoa… and all I could think about was how that one time she bet I couldn't eat ten hot dogs in a row. In the end I could only eat nine because… she ate the tenth. It was an honor being one of her bodyguards, but seeing her there…I can't even describe it. I can't describe anything I saw that day.

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"Fuck off…" Squall muttered as he tried to move past him. The others, who had found temporary shelter under a half-fallen pillar, could only watch in silence.

"Use your goddamn eyes!" Irvine glanced over at Rinoa and shook his head back quickly, blinking away the guilty tears that seared from having to be the one speaking so ill of her to the man that loved her most.

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I couldn't say it. For the life of me I didn't know why I always had to be the one telling Squall the bad news. Maybe it was because I was the outsider of the group, I don't know. But one look at that poor girl across the room and I lost hope… I never had much in the first place, but now I knew it was gone.

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"She's dead, Squall…"

He pushed past him and prepared to run to her.

"SHE'S DEAD!"

The word struck him like a jagged spear of ice as his body tensed. His muscles, prepared to pound Irvine hard in the face, suddenly relaxed as he looked up at him and quickly diverted his eyes. "…I have to know for sure."

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I felt sick. I wanted Rinoa to be okay. She was always so sweet to me… One time she even offered to help me with the Garden Festival! Didn't even have to ask! That's how sweet she was… But all that blood… I couldn't even look at her. I knew Irvine was probably right but I just couldn't face it.

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They remained silent as a ballet of chaos scattered violently around them. Even though she was no where to be found, Ultimecia was dead. Her very soul was crumbling along with the walls of her fortress.

"Lead the others back through the Gates of Time and wait in the Ragnarok where it's safe." Squall continued.

Irvine swallowed hard. "And you?"

"I'll follow."

"How do we get back, Squall…?" Selphie asked timidly.

"Just remember all that stuff Rinoa told us. Know where you want to go and you'll find it." He nodded at Irvine. "Got it?"

The other boy nodded back and gestured at the others to leave quickly. "Just take care of yourself." As he began exiting the main doors, he stopped hesitantly and turned back. "Hey! Squall, Ultimecia's dead… It's…it's over."

Letting the realization sink in, the Commander let a faint, but sad smile creep to his lips.

"Yeah… I know."

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She's gone. Get over it.

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Bracing himself, Squall looked up for any 'path' between the falling debris. There didn't seem to be any, but he was losing patience rather than hope. He was not going to let anything stop him from reaching her. If there were even a fraction of a chance that Rinoa was alive, he'd take it. He would probably die trying, but he'd take it. She wasn't a hassle, a mission, a baby-sitting job, a sorceress, a savior, or …whatever. She was just Rinoa to him now. A girl in his life. She was all he knew and all he cared about in that very moment as he ran across Ultimecia's shattering floor, dodging death to the best of his trained ability.

A jagged piece of stone fell painfully against his shoulder, ripping his jacket as well as the skin beneath. He gritted his teeth and clutched at the wound, his glove feeling slippery against the blood that poured from it. The injury had made him stop. Choosing to ignore the pain, Squall jumped over another fallen pillar and continued to move. He couldn't afford to stop running.

Just as he was approaching Rinoa, he looked up to see another pillar falling directly infront of him. Narrowing his eyes in anticipation, he leaped forward just before the pillar crashed to the floor. Squall hit the ground hard, but rolled to a rather convenient stop just alongside Rinoa's lifeless body.

Groaning from the onslaught of fallen debris, the crash to the floor, and the gnawing against his shoulder, he struggled to sit up. Rinoa was in arm's reach as he held his breath to push the hair from her face. Blood from her other wounds had splattered lightly across her cheeks, but beneath the tainting scarlet, her features were calm and porcelain; the illusion of a weary angel's peaceful slumber. Trying his best to keep a steady hand, Squall touched her shoulder and shook it gently.

"Rinoa…"

There was no answer. He shook her again, harder this time.

"Rinoa…!"

No reaction.

His breathing grew rapid as he continued to shake her shoulder in desperation. "Hey…! Rinoa… Rinoa, come on… Come on! Don't do this to me now!" Her body jerked from the forceful efforts and he quickly caught a faint glimpse of silver sliding across her neck. Her necklace had fallen out from the inside of her shirt.

Squall sat back; defeated. Destroyed. The sound of collapsing stone grew distorted as his senses failed to identify anything else around. Ultimecia, the prophecy, the blood… blood, so much blood… Balamb, Galbadia, SeeD… what was all that again? Why was everything the way it was now? …Blood. Blood again. Blood had painted his path, but then… there was—her again. The Seven Days had failed… this, the way it was now, this was all wrong. This wasn't what they meant.

Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard and let the pace of his heartbeat slow.

"…Let's go, Rinoa. It's not safe here."


"...Somebody once told me that if you mention bad things, they'll come true. I know it's a silly superstition, but right now I want to believe it. So let's not talk about anything. That's… what you're doing, right…?"

He knew there'd be no answer. Sighing, Squall continued down the pathway with Rinoa on his back, her torn, dirt-scuffed wings practically dragging on the floor behind them. They had just left Ultimecia's nearly dilapidated castle and were reaching the bottom of the large suspending chain that linked the castle to the earth. He didn't know why he was bringing Rinoa with him. Maybe he didn't want her to be alone… maybe HE didn't want to be alone… and maybe… maybe he had just gone mad. Shaking her did nothing. Shouting at her did nothing. Deep down perhaps he felt talking could somehow…

Miracles were such stupid things.

"You asked me about my parents once. I was telling the truth when I said I didn't know what happened to them. But as far as remembering goes… my mother had long hair and she wore the color yellow a lot. My father… he had the most annoying laugh. I didn't like him all that much. Guess that's just as well since it was him who dropped me at the orphanage." He paused to frown thoughtfully. "I never asked you if you remembered your own parents… I'm pretty selfish sometimes, aren't I?"

His boots came to a rest in the cold, gray sand. Before him, a small manifestation of white light swirled soundlessly in midair.

"Looks like the Gates have been waiting… I guess that's how it works. All of us being here caused an imbalance. It wants us out."

The others, just as instructed, had already left and were hopefully back in their own time.

Squall closed his eyes in malignant frustration. Only living matter can enter the Gates…Kneeling down slowly, he released Rinoa and lay her down gently on the sand. After removing several strands of hair from her face, he sat down beside her body and stared emotionlessly at the swirling light infront of him.

"You knew all along this was going to happen, didn't you?" He laughed bitterly at his own ignorance. "Why else would you bother telling us that only living things could enter the Gates…" Bringing his knees to his chest, he rested his arms tiredly upon them and breathed heavily. "But if you knew the Seven Day Sacrifice would fail, why were you so hopeful of it in the very beginning?"

He brushed a gloved hand over his face to muffle a much-detested 'sniff' from his nose. Even then, his refusal to show true emotion would not submerge.

"This wasn't suppose to happen, Rinoa. I had hoped… for the first time in a long time I had actually hoped for something. I didn't even hope I'd become a SeeD, I just expected it, so… I guess I thought I'd been given some sort of credibility because I really did think that everything was going to be okay…"

Squall grimaced as he felt his eyes growing hot. "Goddamnit!" He could feel the sting of his own tears; the foreign liquid felt acidic against his face. "You said I'd find you when it was all over so where the hell are you!?"

There was no answer.

Rinoa's necklace sparkled under the moonlight and the orange glow emitting from the castle. A fire had been provoked somewhere within the collapsing fortress and was spreading steadily; helping to vanquish what was left of Ultimecia's terror.

Squall leaned over stiffly and touched the delicate chain around Rinoa's neck. She probably wouldn't have it now if not for him. That necklace was what linked her to his past. He hadn't said a word, of course. There was no way Rinoa would have remembered that somewhere in her 'childhood' she had lost it… and he had given it back to her. It was best not to bring it up… after all; it was 'Rin' who had lost it. Rinoa couldn't possess such memories.

Just then, a soft 'clang' was heard after he had moved the necklace slightly against Rinoa's skin. Startled and confused, Squall pulled gently on the chain once more and the sound was heard again. It was the sound of a metal, or possibly silver, object coming into contact with the chain itself. With the utmost care, he gently pushed Rinoa's hair back to divert the shadow being cast around her neck. Sure enough, he instantly recognized the small object that had been strung on her necklace.

His ring.

Squall had completely forgotten that he had given it to Rinoa just before the final battle. With the knowledge that the ring was a number of sizes too big for her, he had simply assumed she would have placed it in her pocket. But on her necklace… That silver chain was proof of their past and a symbol of remembrance… and she had it with her, claiming sentimental attachment without ever really knowing why. The necklace… his ring… The pain in his chest was unbearable.

Rinoa was meant for him.

He reached down and clutched her body against his own. He had no choice but to let the burning tears fall as he cradled her in his arms. Rinoa was limp… cold… she could offer no comfort to sooth his agony as he wept uncontrollably against her cheek.

As he held her, tiny sparkles of light blue, almost a mimic of fireflies, began floating from Rinoa's body and into the air. Squall looked up startled and watched the tiny orbs leave; mystified by their playful dance into the night. As the sparkles left, her body grew colder in his arms.

"I was… Sorceress Rinoa first. That's it. I was created, remember? Big ball of floating, formless energy…"

So that was it then. The energy was returning to its rightful owners: the Gods, Guardian forces, and spirits of the earth. The energy, Sorceress Rinoa, had fulfilled its duty in saving the world from Ultimecia.

As he watched the brilliant blue lights ascend into the sky, he knew the bitter truth once and for all: Rinoa was gone.

She wasn't coming back.

He knew it all too well as he eventually reentered time compression, leaving Rinoa's body to lay peacefully on the shoreline.


...I'm not alone.

I'll be all right, but…

Where is everyone?

Rinoa…I just don't care anymore.

Which way do I go? I can't make it back... I can't think of where…or when…

I can't do anything…

The sky was so morbidly gray with a mist that would not cease to thicken. He could feel the coldness of the gravel through his boots as he took a single step forward.

There was a whole lot of …nothing.

A seemingly endless backdrop of cold, desolate, desert stone and he was stuck in the center. Squall gazed out into the void and looked around tiredly. There was no where to go but… anywhere. He had gotten lost in time. And why not? Was there really somewhere he needed to be?

Without giving it much consideration, he began to walk. The air felt heavy in his lungs as the atmosphere reflected that of running under water.

He would walk for what seemed like forever before the strangest feeling took over his head…


"You're the prettiest Chocobo I've ever seen,"

Squall's head jerked up. His vision, not yet adjusting to the onslaught of foreign light, could only make out blotchy spots of green and purple. But that voice…

"Well, you're the only Chocobo I've ever seen… but I'm sure you're the prettiest."

He blinked rapidly and stumbled forward. He had no idea where he was or where he had come from, but he was drawn to that voice… so sweet, so sincere… so familiar.

Rinoa…?

Staggering forward, he stepped clumsily over a fallen branch in his path. I'm in the woods? He couldn't stop rubbing his forehead. This headache… I'm so thirsty… His senses were groggy and slow to react, but he forced himself to keep moving. That voice… it was Rinoa's. It HAD to be. Is this where he was suppose to find her? Great… My head is completely fucked.

He reached a clearing and stopped instantly.

Rinoa stood several feet away; petting a large, yellow chocobo as it nuzzled its head against hers. She giggled from its playful display of affection and continued to stroke its soft yellow feathers.

Rinoa… Squall could only stare in shock. There she was. Alive.

The chocobo, sensing Squall's presence, jerked its head up quickly and took off in the opposite direction. Not sure as to why the chocobo had left, Rinoa simply stared off after it with a slight look of disappointment.

Squall, finally summoning the strength and courage to speak, practically choked out her name. "Rinoa!"

She turned in surprise, definitely not expecting him to come approaching her from behind.

Even though he was exhausted, confused, and slightly disoriented, his focus had finally come together long enough for him to examine if she was really there.

Rinoa gave him an odd half-smile and looked away in an almost sheepish manner. "Squall, listen—" She turned back to him but stopped when she finally noticed his distraught features.

"Squall? Is everything alright?"

Before he could open his mouth to speak, his eyes darted quickly into the woods behind her where a bright light seemed to manifest itself out of nowhere.

The light churned with smoke as a transparent figure lurched forward from it. The figure appeared weak and desperate as it clawed its hands into the earth.

Squall's sapphire eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Ultimecia!? …You're alive!?"

Rinoa stared down at the beaten-up sorceress questionably. "…The sorceress?"

She… doesn't know? "Yes… you had defeated her."

He quickly took out his gunblade and approached Ultimecia cautiously. "Rinoa, stand back."

Rinoa shook her head quickly. "It's okay. There's no need to fight. That sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her power on to. In order to die in peace, a sorceress must be free of all her powers."

Ultimecia glared up at her angrily. "I… can't… disappear yet."

Kneeling into the grass, Rinoa sat by Ultimecia's side and took her hand. "I'll take over her powers… I'd hate for any of you to carry the burden of a sorceress."

As the black energy surged into Rinoa's body, Squall could only watch in amazement. I must be—I'm in the past…

Ultimecia's form began to dissipate.

So… this is how… Rinoa had Ultimecia's power the whole time… that's why she was stronger… that's how she won…

After the energy had passed, Rinoa fell forward and Ultimecia finally disappeared, her body vanishing into misty sparks of purple and white.

Squall ran to Rinoa's side quickly and held her up to lean against him.

"Is this… the end?" she asked weakly.

He frowned grimly. "…Most likely."

She stared up at him knowingly, her brown eyes flashed questionably into his. "You said I had defeated her… Who are you?"

He hesitated. "I'm still Squall. Just not the one that belongs here."

She smiled softly. "You're… Squall from the future?"

"Yeah, I think so…"

Setting her mouth in a firm line, she took in a deep breath and looked up at him with a fierce intensity burning in her eyes. "So what happened?"

"…I don't… know if I should—"

"Just tell me, Squall. It's okay."

He cleared his throat and continued with some reluctance. "You won."

A look of hope flushed her face. "Really?"

"Yeah… You saved the world."

"I'm so glad…" she sighed. "So… the Seven Day Sacrifice…?"

Squall looked away then. His eyes began to burn quickly with the reminder of that horrible realization. For the life of him he couldn't say it. But he didn't have to utter a single word… Rinoa could already tell by his face.

"It didn't work, did it?"

"…No… It failed."

She nodded in complete acceptance. "It's alright… I guess it's better I know now instead of getting my hopes up."

"That's why you acted so differently…" Squall muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

He shook his head. "Nothing…"

She giggled. "Same old Squall…even the future version." Her features turned serious as she attempted to stand but failed. Weak from Ultimecia's magic, she let herself rest in Squall's arms. "But now that I know I won I can't give up… I have Ultimecia's power along with my own, so I mustn't fail… That is my motivation."

She nodded in a reassurance of herself before turning to face him. "You have to return. You don't belong here. The only Squall permitted here is the one—" she smiled sadly. "—who doesn't love me apparently."

So THIS is where I am…just yesterday. That means she'll be passing out soon… and we all thought it was a Blue Orb that did it…

"I didn't mean that. But I'll tell you that myself soon enough."

She smirked. "Looking forward to it. Do you know how to get back? If you're here then that means you got lost in time compression."

"I'll be fine… Rinoa."

Squall glanced behind him. Surely enough, the swirling light was waiting patiently for his reentry. He gently lay Rinoa amongst the soft grass and got up to leave. Just as the light began to engulf him, he paused.

"Rinoa…?"

She was barely awake as she tilted her head tiredly to look at him. "Hmm?"

"I love you. I'm sorry I never told you earlier."

And he was gone. Shortly after, Rinoa lost consciousness.


Authors note: No way, this story ain't over YET. There's still more stuff to be revealed. Anyway I understand that this chapter took me months to get up but I'm a full-time college student who works in a bubbletea house on the side. The only chance I had to even touch this story was during my winter vacation… so ta da! As you can see, this chapter is LONG and there are about two more to go… actually I was going to merge those all together in this one for one SUPER-LONG chapter but I felt it wouldn't 'flow' right. Confused by the ending of this chapter? I don't blame you. I haven't updated for so long you probably forgot what this story was about. Refer back to Chapters 17 and 18 and pay close attention to Rinoa's behavior. You'll see how this all fits together. Go back to Chapter 16 if you're a little confused on the difference between 'Rin' and Rinoa. You may have also noticed that I added chapter titles to my story (requested by lady-rinoa) and a lot them were statements derived from the actual chapter or a song lyric that reflected it. Anyway, this story is not finished (far from it maybe… it all depends if I decide to throw a sequel to it) and hopefully I can have the concluding chapters up soon (err... hopefully) If there are any questions please feel free to email me.