Might sound a bit lame, but please, just give it a read through and maybe it'll change your mind. There will be a lot of twists as the story progresses, so please check back soon to find out more!

Chapter One- Past Tense.

Wrapping her arms around her knees, she tilted her head back and sighed. So many things had fallen these past few months. Her friends had deserted her – all but a few. The girl outstretched her arm to seize the latest copy of The Timber Maniacs, which her father had left her the previous night before. He knew she missed Zone and Watts, but Rinoa had no clue of their whereabouts. She had repeatedly asked her dad to help to trace them after the Galbadian soldiers had been sent to keep an eye on Timber, but he had never looked into it.

Her father. General Caraway. There was a lot of things she had only just discovered about her dad. She had never known her mother, and the only memory she had of her was in the form of a ring. She kept this safely on a chain around her neck – along with the other ring given by her former lover. Caraway insisted that she removed Griever and gave it back to Squall, but Rinoa simply shook her head defiantly. Even if they had been split for nearly three months, he still held that huge part of her heart which was now empty without him.

At night, Rinoa would lie looking up at the ceiling to count the luminous stars which had been placed there when she was a small girl. When she had returned her bedroom was exactly as it was when she had walked out at fourteen, the reason being to join the Forest Owls.

Another sigh escaped her lungs and she flicked her eyes over the front page of the magazine. Another Sorceress Let Loose! the headline read. Let loose? How could she be let loose? They didn't even know who the damn sorceress was! And how could she be when her knight had deserted her? Who would she now count on when she needed support when things got hard?

"Rinoa." A male voice called through the door. She jumped to her feet swiftly and climbed upon her chair, pretending to read the magazine. The door opened slowly and her father stepped inside. She couldn't help but question his appearance; his uniform was dirty, covered in ink and mud. He held a thick aroma of whisky about him.

"It doesn't matter." He shrugged carelessly. "You've been called to Timber. The Forest Owls has been reformed, but your friends aren't there this time around. I think they hold some news for you."

Great. More bad news. To add to her long line of bad news. Her year so far was just bouncing with goodness. She threw the magazine down on the floor and pulled herself to her feet. "I'll take a few trains. I suppose I'll be in Timber by tomorrow morning." Caraway nodded, then stepped aside as she left her bedroom.

"No, Quistis!" He let out a childish giggle, then pulled the white coat from off her back. "Oh Hyne! You've got your mushy lip stuff all over it! You are so paying for dry cleaning."

Quistis grinned and suppressed a laugh. "Oh, you're such a baby!"

"When you've finished…" Squall muttered, staring coldly at Seifer who was licking his finger to attempt to remove Quistis' lipgloss from his was-perfect white coat.

"Sorry." Quistis blushed deeply and used her hand to push a lock of blonde hair from her face. "Listen, Squall. Why don't you go to the mansion and see Rinoa?"

"No, Quisty. I've not got a problem with her. She's just being stubborn. She has a problem with me. We've been involved, they've been involved." Her nodded in the direction of Seifer. "I can't be bothered with her crap anymore, to be honest."

Quistis tilted her head to the side sympathetically. "I know. I don't see why she should be so upset, I don't mind that you love her, so why does she-"

"Ahem." The blonde male cleared his throat, wanting attention. "When you've finished." He threw back at Squall sarcastically. "I am here."

It was Squall's turn to apologize now. He stood up, nodded at the two and then muttered. "Anyway. I'm kinda tired, so I'm going." The two lovers both said their goodbyes, and Squall headed out the cafeteria.

The corridors were mostly empty, except for a few students talking or playing cards. He missed seeing Rinoa. She was all he thought about. Hyne, even his dreams were haunted by her face. Did she think of him, too? Or did she have somebody else by now? These questions were always in his mind, too. She was a beautiful girl, maybe she didn't realise it, but he knew that other men would find her attractive. Maybe she had found someone better than him. Someone who could actually socialise with other people without the word 'whatever' slipping out every few sentences he attempted to construct.

Squall unlocked the door and stepped into his dormitory, slamming the door behind him and collapsed on his bed without undressing. He had become so tired. He lacked sleep due to the regular dreams he encountered.

She was always there. Holding his hands, kissing his lips softly. The soft breeze seemed so real, her voice lingered in the air long after the words had escaped her mouth. White feathers floated around them, a smile always stayed on her sweet lips. "You came" she'd whisper, her words meant for his ears only. "I knew you would." He would take her in his arms, kiss her forehead gently. But whenever she muttered "I love you" he'd awake, cold and shivering. Was this because she had lied; she didn't love him? He loved her, he knew that for sure. He had thought she knew that too, but yet she left. Why had she left? She told him, but was that really a relevant reason?

Alright, this is my first fanfic, so please bear with me. I'd love it if you RRed. Everything comments means alot to me, even the negative ones, so I know where to improve. Thank you for reading.

Jes.