Chapter Five: Into the Darkness Again

It was an unusually sunny day in Timber and the area bustled with activity. As Timber had become somewhat of a tourist attraction, stalls were found on every corner the owners hollering out prices and previewing their wares and of course the tourists drinking it all in and wasting a good deal of their gill. The locals went about their normal, everyday business, occasionally stopping to complain to one another about how busy the roads had become and how much better Timber had been before the sudden rush of tourists. Children played on the roadside unperturbed by the masses of vehicles so close by. A dog ran around madly, barking at everything in sight.

All in all, this was a very normal day in Timber and as Squall Leonhart sat on the stations bench he couldn't help but be grateful for that. This was his first real day off in weeks and it'd been lovely just to spend it somewhere peaceful and normal. He hadn't wanted to visit some packed to the seams hectic theme park because that sort of chaos was what he had to endure every day back at Balamb! It was far nicer just to relax in a small café, go around the park and see a film with his girlfriend.

Rinoa nestled into his warm black jacket. "Happy birthday Squall," she murmured.

He held her close, enjoying the sweet scent of her perfume washing over him. He wished this moment would never end. "Come on," he said gently. "The train won't be here for another five minutes. Want to get an ice cream?"

She nodded and they rose, stretching from the long period they had been sitting down for, and Rinoa began to head towards the traffic lights nearby.

"Hold on, I just have to get my jacket," said Squall, bending down to pick it up.

Rinoa smiled. Still it shocked her how little it took to make Squall happy. She knew that if she'd organised some massive surprise party at the concert hall or wherever it would have been a mistake. Oh, he'd pretend to enjoy it and be polite to everyone but she knew that secretly he'd loathe the attention. So instead she'd brought him here and he really was delighted. In a way it wasn't a surprise – Squall had always shown a preference for tranquillity and calm.

As Rinoa waited, a little girl across the road caught her eye. The girl could have only been about seven, her red hair in little pig tails either side of her rosy pink face. This girl has her whole life ahead of her, she marvelled. The little girl was bouncing a red ball with a look of such furious concentration it made Rinoa almost want to laugh.

But as Rinoa watched, the little girl's hand slipped and the ball was send careering off into the road, the girl promptly heading straight after it.

Rinoa gasped as a four by four turned the corner, heading straight towards the child. Without a seconds thought, Rinoa ran straight into the road, a car swerving to miss her, and over to the little girl, pushing her forcefully out of the way of the oncoming vehicle.

Squall watched the rest as if it were in slow motion. The little girl fell backwards onto the pavement, gasping. Rinoa made to follow her but the car was too close.

A squeal of brakes. A scream.

"NO!" Squall ran to Rinoa's side, ignoring any risks of himself being injured.

She lay there like a broken doll, blood seeping onto the road, her eyes open and glazed. Squall grabbed her hand, his vision distorted by the tears in his eyes. "Rinoa…" he whispered.

Her eyes focused suddenly, looking in to his own. She smiled weakly. "Is the little girl okay?"

Squall nodded, words failing him. The tears were now rolling freely down his cheeks. He felt someone place an arm on his shoulder. "We've called an ambulance," they said in a hushed tone.

"Squall…" Rinoa's voice was barely audible and her eyes were becoming glassy once more. "Squall, if I die-"

"No! No, Rinoa, don't say that you're going to be fine! You're going to be fine."

"I want you to know, I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered, kissing the hand that he held. "I love you so, so much."

"And there's something else…" she murmured and Squall had to lean in to hear the last words she said to him. The last words she said to anyone.

A whisper of breath escaped Rinoa's lips, and she died.

The rest of that day were a blur to Squall even now. He remembered an ambulance and people trying to talk to him, to check him over, asking if he was alright. Most of all he remembered one of the ambulance men saying, "It's too late; she's gone."

She's gone.

Squall's knees buckled and he toppled forwards, surrendering to the blackness. Gone. When he woke up, nearly five hours later, it was in Balamb infirmary and he remembered weeping bitter tears before resolving to never weep again.

"But what did she say, Squall?" urged Irvine. "What did she say to you before she died?"

Squall shook his head sadly, voice breaking. "She said, 'Remember Squall that you're never alone.'" But she was wrong, he couldn't help but think. I am alone.

Gone.

Author's Note: Oh, the horror's of writers block.Hopefully I'll get over it soon - I really don't want to let this fanfic die. Until I do, all comments and critisicms are welcomed. Thanks.