Into The Horizon

-One week later-

Squall? Are you all right? Quistis asked gently in a motherly tone. She was almost afraid to ask him, almost afraid to say anything to him but out of concern, she had no choice no matter what wrath she might face from him.

The SeeD said nothing. He couldn't even think straight. The events from the past few days were unbearable but he didn't think it could get any worst but it did. He brought himself to read the piece of paper in his hand again for the hundredth time. It was all there to prove to him the reality of things despite the fact he wanted to face it. The paper shook within one of his hands as the other curled into a tight fist. Each word he read was like a knife cutting through his heart. It hurt him more than any wounds he recieved in battles. Hyne, he just wanted to cry but his eyes stubbornly refused to let the tears free.

Quistis knew that the piece of paper he was holding was playing a major part in his agony but she just didn't know WHAT it was. She frowned as her eyes trailed towards his hand. She wondered what was so important anyway. Sighing, she stood up from the edge of his bed. She wanted to check on him, make sure that he was all right when she found him perplexed beyond words over something she had not a single clue about. She had failed to help him. I'll just go...and get Rinoa. I think you might find it easier to talk to her.

As she was about to leave, Squall's hands reached out and grabbed on to her wrist like a child begging her parents not to leave.

You can't get Rinoa.

Quistis frowned. Why not?

Because she is no longer here.

The instructor backed away from the door and stared at him strangely. Her frown deepened, her eyes searching his for an answer. What are you talking about?

With a sigh, he handed her the piece of paper. She slowly accepted it and sat back down at her previous spot on the edge of the bed and unfolded the creased line.

Squall,

I know this is very selfish of me and by the time you're reading this, I'm already

gone so you can't even get all your questions out to me. That's all right. I know what

will you will be feeling anyway. Betrayed? Angered? Wasted? Fooled? Probably all

that and then some but I just want to let you know, I didn't leave because of you. I left

because I can't handle what has happened. I'm so afraid that if I stayed here, you will

all suffer the same fate as Seifer. Please, don't try to find me either because I don't

want to be found. Squall, I'm sorry for all I have done to you and all the pain you had to

endure because of me. The truth is, I don't know where Seifer stands in my life but

honestly, I feel that he still lives on in my heart......even now. With all that has

happened, I'm going to search for a new path and you should too. Please tell the

others that I love them with all my heart and it is because of their sacrifices and

strength that I am here right now. Once again, I am so sorry that it has to come to this

but it is what I want.

Love always, Rinoa

The instructor whispered after she finished the letter. Why on earth would Rinoa do something like this? Why would she leave? She was sure Squall had tons more questions than her and it was inevitable that he would have to live with them for Rinoa made it clear that she did not want to be found.

I found it in her dorm this morning...along with this. Unclasping his gloved hand, he revealed his traditional silver Griever ring against the black leather. He laughed; it was a bitter one, meddled with sorrow and a hint of fear. I can't compete with the dead Quistis...

The female SeeD didn't know what to say. She was shocked beyond words. The recent events had struck them all but had hit Rinoa the hardest but she was so sure that with everyone so close together, they were going to pull through. Did Rinoa feel that her friends weren't enough or did she feel the entire situation was her fault? Re-reading the letter, she could only assume it was the latter.

I'm so sorry Squall... Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, offering an embrace in which he collapsed into. Her sisterly instincts took over as she gently strokes his back in an effort to calm him. I guess...I just want to let you know that we are all here for you. Me, Selphie, Irvine, Zell...and I know Rinoa too even though she isn't here physically.

Thank you...





Are you...going to go searching for her?

Sighing, he departed from the hug and ran a hand through his messy locks of hair, pushing back some of the bangs. Tossing himself onto the bed, he just stared at the ceiling as if it could provide him with some answers. What was he going to do? Let her go? She said she didn't want to be found.

Maybe I'll just leave her alone for now...so she can have time to find whatever she is looking for. Besides...like she said, Seifer still lives on in her...

No. I'm not going to go look for her. I have a feeling that she would be better off by herself for now so she can have some peace.

I'm shocked Squall...I thought that you loved her enough to go after her.

No, it's because I love her that I'm letting her make her choice. Letting her make her choice of staying or leaving and...being with me or Seifer. I...I think I would have done the same thing she did.

What do you mean?

Like...if I have lost someone I loved dearly, I think I would run away too...just to pull myself together and clear my mind. I would want to be left alone and I'm sure this is what Rinoa wants.

The instructor nodded as her crimson lips curved into a smile. Her student has really matured over the years but she didn't want to think of him as her student. Sure she was his instructor but the only things she had ever taught him were the required academics of Garden. The larger lessons in life like love, friendship, and hope; he had learned from Rinoa. For years, she have tried to get him to open up to her but in the end, it was Rinoa who had succeeded when she failed and that is why she could never replace the Sorceress in his heart. She will always be there in his heart because she was a major part of the new Squall, the real Squall and she would always just be that sister that he had lost since childhood, nothing more.

She had to finish what Rinoa has started and in times of a crisis, she wanted him to confide in her and to be able to trust her just like he has trusted the Sorceress. Hyne...how she wanted that more than anything.

As if reading her mind, Squall pushed himself off the bed, his face now only inches away from the instructor's. This was probably the first time he was ever this close to her and he couldn't help but notice the concealed beauty of her face that has never been revealed to him before only because he kept pushing everyone, including her away from his tormented soul. Thank you for everything you have done for me......Quisty.



Tall grasses and fresh roses bellowed slightly under the black boots of a woman as she treaded across the endless fields of luscious vibrant flowers. The sun peeked out from the horizon, allowing golden rays to splash across the land, creating an intense halo of light around the fields. The fresh crisp scent of the morning dew teased her nostrils and the gentle beams of the sun embraced her cold skin, leaching her chills but she wasn't shivering because of the cool temperature.

How long have I been walking?

Time seemed irrelevant.

Her blank thoughts strayed back to that horrific day that she still wanted to believe it was a nightmare. She closed her eyes, suppressing the reality. Yes, it was a cruel nightmare that was meant to torture her for the rest of life. Sucking in a deep breath, she knew what she was about to see would only reveal to her the truth. She didn't want to believe it, she didn't want to see it but the truth was tantalizing her to the point when her eyes snapped open and her knees gave in. Collapsing to the soft ground, she let the tears roam free as her finger brushed across the obsidian surface of a tombstone with the name Seifer Almasy' etched gracefully.

It had been a week since that day when the world faced yet another turning point. The sight of the Ragnarok combusting into flames had never stopped haunting her. There was so much smoke. It choked her as she advanced with each step towards the drowning airship. Not even the ocean could smother the fire as it slowly but surely consumed the Ragnarok, eating away the metal and pouring itself into the engines, destroying every function of the ship.

And then...it just sank.

Radars from Esthar had indeed confirmed it was General Caraway who had set the explosive in the airship, knowing that Seifer was going to give chase after him. The emergency rescue team had set out immediately as well as the final reinforcements. Caraway's plane was immediately shot down and with the way the cruel fate works, he had actually survived. It happened so fast as if her body was possessed once again by a Sorceress. Losing whatever sanity and coherence, she lunged at her father and knocked him to the ground. Her hands clasped tightly around his soaking wet neck as her nails penetrated his flesh. Tears, blood, and water merged together, tainting the earth only to be washed away by the small waves on the shore.

Why did this man deserve to live when Seifer had to die? It wasn't fair. A blue aura gently emitted from her hands. Not knowing what her Sorceress powers were capable of doing, it took all her friends to pry her off the miserable existance and that coward crawled away just in time as long cold shards of ice were blasted into the earth that had previously sported Caraway's head. The icicles exploded, much like her bleeding heart. Moments later, Estharian soldiers arrived at the scene, and without wasting a single second, arrested the General.

Not a single word was exchanged between father and daughter as he was being hauled away. What was there to say anyway?

She couldn't recall what happened after that. Most likely, she collapsed from exhaustion and anger, awakening about a day or two later to find that Garden has arranged a formal funeral in honor of Seifer. Since no body was ever found, they filled his coffin with very few of his precious items from his dorm. His ring of course was kept for herself. The entire Balamb Garden was present, all lined neatly across the flower fields, how bowed in lament. Cid made a few small speeches as some of the SeeDs spoke about their formal ally. When it was her turn, she just coldly declined.

Again, what was there to say?

Three days later, Timber was officially liberated. Crowds swarmed the streets, parading and cheering, publicaly announcing their victory but not without a pause to thank the one man who had given that to them. A monument was built at the Town Square to remember him. He really did keep his promise but was it worth dying for?

No.

Around a year ago when she had found out that Seifer was executed for raiding in on the President at Timber, Quistis commented on how that should have been expected. So was this supposed to be expected? Should she have expected Seifer to die? No, she couldn't think like this. Seifer hated it when people pitied him. If he died, he wanted to make his dead elaborate and noble, not some sacrifice'.

The last time she stopped at the monument was after she had slipped the dreadful letter underneath the cracks of Squall's dormitory. It hurt her so much to do it but she owed it to him, Seifer, and herself to be honest. Garden had already been pulled into the crisis because of her with and no there was no doubt that meant young SeeDs have either died or have been severely injured. Perhaps Sorceresses were really meant to live alone but in all fairytales, those who do end up in solitude eventually go insane with their powers because their Knight wasn't with her. Squall was her Knight but she couldn't drag him deeper into her maelstrom suffering anymore. He didn't deserve it.

And this is where I am now...having no where to go, no plans, no focus, no goal, nothing...

Wiping away the last bit of tears from her eyes and from the cold tombstone, she backed away from it and sat on her heels. I have nothing...maybe I should just end my miserable life... she whispered harshly to herself. After all, what was she good at anyway? The only did she was good at was taking lives.

Don't even think about that... A familiar voice reprimanded gently.

Her eyes widened. There was no one else in the field with her was there? And that voice...it was so familiar. The voice of a man she could never forget but was it possible? She had to be hallucinating. There was no way it could be true. Her thundering heart pounded against her chest and the pulsing adrenaline fueled her intense curiosity. Inhaling a deep breath, she whipped her head around.

Speechless, Rinoa stood up from her kneeling position. Chocolate orbs rested upon a pair of emerald ones. Despite his tattered appearance, his eyes never ceased to sparkle a hint of mischievousness. His face was pale, further embellishing the stains and dirt smudged across his cheeks and forehead. His blonde hair was a total mess with bits of dried crusty blood tainting the edges of his front locks. The trademark gray trench coat was torn, lacerated into something that she could barely recogonize. Small cuts and black bruises littered his arms and hands in which he was trying very hard to conceal behind what remained of his sleeves. His ragged pants were ripped in a similar fashion and through the holes, Rinoa could make out small wounds and blood as well.

He looked like someone who has just been to hell and back.



How could this be real? There was a funeral for him. She was standing right next to his grave for Hyne's sake. Maybe it was just her imagination. Her eyes hardened, trying hard to blink away the apparition of the dead man but he remained fix in front of her. Could it really be him? Seifer was dead...wasn't he? His coffin was-

Empty.

It was empty. There was never a body found.

Seifer chuckled lightly. I told you I would never break a promise...

The End

Author's Notes: Well that was it, Seifer's alternate ending. For the Seifer/Rinoa fans, I thank you so much for sticking with him. It has been two years since I have started this fic and you have no idea how relieved I am to finally start wrapping this up so I can move on to some other stories now. I have enjoyed writing this fic immensely and I hope you have enjoyed the chapters. If not, then I thank you for sticking with my anyway. I was originally going to write a bit more for the ending but I decided to leave it as that so you all can use your wonderful imagine to interpret what happens next in anyway you want. Well...I guess that's it. Those of you who are interested in Squall's ending, it's going to be up soon and then this story will officially be completed. I want to thank all of you once again who have spent your time reading this fic and giving me supportive and informative reviews. I love you all!