Ok, so, like, in this chaptyr you will see Squall and Rinoa get married. Even if you don't like the couple, it's worth reading; no squishy, mushy stuff. Enjoy!
I don't own these characters…
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The lion chased after its tail as Rinoa twirled the ring on her necklace. She sat on the edge of the bed with her chin in her chest contemplating about the use of Griever in that final battle. "(How did she get Griever…? Even know of the GF?)" She dropped the ring with a jangle. "(No one knows more about it than Squall, but if I asked him anything, he would just tell me not to worry about it.)" She fell back onto the bed.
A door clicked shut.
"You're late."
"I don't have to be on time;" Squall paused, "no contract, remember?" he smiled.
She sat up and looked at him. "Oh, no…" she played along, "I think I liked you better under a contract. Oh well, I'll just have to put a spell on you…" She waved her hands dramatically. "Come boy," she wiggled her little finger.
Squall pushed himself off of the door and stalked over to her.
"Jacket," she said and flung her arm.
Squall threw his jacket across the room and moved on top of her. The lovers kissed passionately until Squall pulled away.
"Hellooo… spell?"
Squall felt around in his pants pockets and Rinoa bent her head back in her impatience. Squall hopped over to his jacket and became still. He walked over to Rinoa and knelt before her. "Rinoa," he called. She brought her head back around and looked into Squall's eyes, bright and liquid. In his hands she discovered a dark, velvety box and she gasped.
Before he could open the box or even pop the question, she leaned in and grabbed Squall tightly. "Yes!" she cried.
Squall may have proposed that night, but his work crushed everything in his personal life. There were many things to be done now that the sorceresses had wreaked their havoc. The Garden was traveling northeast from Dollet. Squall took advantage of their being far away from anywhere (Rinoa would never wed in a Garden), and got a lot of work done.
He was able to sell many SeeDs to Esthar who were still overrun with monsters. In fact, Headmaster Squall was the only one who could transport SeeDs to Esthar (using the Ragnarok).
Rinoa pouted and asked why they couldn't use the Ragnarok to go to Winhill to get married, but Squall explained that Balamb Garden was dangerously undermanned and they were to pick up more SeeDs as they passed Trabia. This excuse worked well, but Rinoa could always find something to get into...
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Laguna had just gotten a break and fell into his cushy, leather chair. "Ahh..." he sighed as the chair molded to his body. Somehow he was reminded of the days when he slaved under Odine...
Just when he was reaching his two hands behind his head, his phone rang. He pressed the button unconsciously. "(Damn it! Why did I do that!)"
Secretary: "Sir, someone has stopped by that I think you would like to hear from."
He slumped forward and put his chin on the desk. "Mmn..." He really didn't want to talk, but, "...Who is it?" his head bobbed as he spoke.
Secretary: "It is a 'Rinoa.'"
"Oh," he sat up, "go ahead. Bring her in."
Secretary: "Yes, sir."
Laguna straightened out his desk as he pondered why she could have come. Soon enough the secretary walked in and introduced, "Sorceress Rinoa."
Rinoa started at the title.
Laguna stood. "There is no need for introductions... leave us," Laguna said angrily. The secretary left and the door clicked shut. He sat shaking his head. "Sorry about that..."
"Uh," Rinoa began walking towards Laguna, "it's ok, President Loire. I guess that is who I am now..."
"No need for formalities, Rinoa. I'm just Laguna," he smiled heartily.
"Ok," she smiled back.
"My, you've come a long way. Last I heard Balamb Garden was heading from Dollet on a course to Trabia."
"Well, when you ordered some SeeDs, I traveled with them on the Ragnarok."
"I ordered SeeDs?" he frowned. "Oh, yeah!" he laughed at himself. "Aw, man... I'm tellin' ya, this is some hard work. I hardly remember anything anymore. I guess that's how the time gets lost."
"I think Squall's become the same way..."
"Squall..." a pain resounded in his voice. "What's he up to?"
"Oh, all kinds of things. He's been trying hard to find some work for SeeD, but it's been really tough though, so now he's going to change the whole concept of SeeD." Rinoa sighed, "Soon enough I won't be seeing him at all... Talk about not seeing the bride before the wedding!" she joked.
"Wedding?"
"Oh, oh yeah... That's what I came to tell you. We're getting married soon."
Laguna pushed back into his chair. "(My boy...)"
"I wanted to invite you... I knew he wouldn't, but I didn't want you to miss out... or Squall."
"Of course I'll come," he said, adding firmly, "I'll be there whatever it takes." He looked down at his desk. "...Or maybe I shouldn't. We both know he wouldn't want me there..."
Rinoa leaned across the desk to draw his attention. "Of course he wants you there; he needs you."
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Squall struggled with his bow as a mixed array of feelings surfaced. "I don't need you," he said and turned away from his father.
Laguna was hurt. Irvine and Nida twinged in their discomfort as they listened to the two argue back and forth.
"I haven't had a father all my life, having one now wouldn't serve any purpose."
He continued to wrestle with his bow. Irvine got up and intervened before it became a death match. "Hold still," he asked calmly as he worked the bow.
Now that Squall was still, Laguna felt that he might be able to talk to him. "Squall, I know that... I haven't been much of a father to you..."
Squall scoffed.
"but... I'm here for you now."
"Yeah? For how long?"
"No one can predict the future..." he unleashed the secret words that Rinoa had given to him.
He cocked his head to the side and put a hand on his hip. "(I'm gonna kill Rinoa.)" But at the same time, he knew the wisdom in these words.
Irvine didn't think he was getting the message and put in his two cents, "Squall, your dad is here, so, like, just be happy that you have a dad at all." Irvine completed the tie.
Squall took a deep breath in and let out, "If you guys would..." He gestured to the door. Nida happily hopped up and was out the door. Irvine lagged behind, but Squall's gentle nod sent him on his way. "You are my father. There's no denying that..." he turned to face Laguna. "but up until this point, I haven't had a dad and I don't know what to do with one. I'm all grown up, Laguna. You've shown up just in time for my wedding-- what do you want from me?"
Laguna simply replied, "I just want to be included in your life."
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"Why did you let that man in here!" Rinoa asked watching the 'stranger' behind her through the mirror. Quistis and Selphie looked up from their work on the great white dress.
"He said he was your father." Arari, Selphie's best friend, replied looking over the older uniformed gentleman.
"Ohhh, no!" Selphie shook her arms down to the side. She sensed trouble brewing.
"What?" asked Arari.
Quistis answered, "It certainly is Rinoa's father, but-- "
"Who invited you?" Rinoa snapped.
"Squall."
Rinoa cocked her head to the side and put both wrists on her hips. "(I'm gonna kill him.)"
"Time to go," Quistis whispered among the bride's mates. "We'll leave you two to talk," she said just before she clicked the door shut.
"No, wait!" Rinoa called after her. She moved towards the door forgetting that she was on a stool. She stumbled off the stool, stepped on the front of her dress, and the next thing she knew she was falling. Caraway dove and caught her just in time. "Thank you," was her immediate, humbled response. "Oh, no...!" she complained. The dress had torn at the waistline and was ripped and tattered at the bottom.
Caraway made an attempt to be sensitive. He knelt down and played with the material, replying. "Oh, it's not that bad, Noa. I'm sure the girls will have that fixed up in no time."
She was surprised that he was being so nice, or at least trying, but this only awakened her defensive side. "What do you care?"
Caraway rose to his feet. "I do care."
"Hmph." Rinoa trudged over to a chair and plopped down with a poof. She squished the air out of her dress.
Her father walked over to her. "Do you know that you are my favorite daughter?" he smiled. "I've loved you since the day you were born, and everyday after that." He attempted to brush back her hair, but she pulled away. "Why do we always have to fight?"
"Why!" she turned with a scowl, and if looks could kill... "You are so overbearing! Everything in my life has to have your stamp of approval to be valid! Nothing's good enough for you. You probably came just to tell me that Squall's not a good choice."
"Well, I do wonder..." Caraway sauntered around. "If you remember, this is the one that drug you through more danger than any SeeD would endure... Let's review." He began to pace and calmly count off the events on his fingers, "You nearly got eaten by Iguanons, you were jailed in the D-District, he took you to a Garden that was targeted by missiles"
"Squall was always by my side!" Rinoa interrupted, holding her head as if to keep her image of Squall intact.
"he's responsible for your becoming a sorceress, and, finally, he had you pitted in the center of that 'Compression Plan.'" He paused taking a look at his daughter. "Good choice? He's worse than your hooligan friends."
"Those are my friends, not yours, thank God, and I don't need your approval to keep them or to marry Squall." She turned and looked her father straight in the eye. "And since all you are is a giant 'disapproval' stamp, you can just leave," she said forcefully.
Usually Rinoa would be one to succumb easily to Caraway's authority. It seemed now that she had found a new vigor. "What has gotten into you...?" he whispered to himself.
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"Ohhh, I wish I had known that before," Arari said as she touched her nose thoughtfully to her knees.
Quistis kept her gaze on the double doors in which the discord was taking place. Quistis looked down at the 2 sitting on the floor, both with their knees clasped. "Strange thing is Squall invited him..."
Just then Caraway emerged out of one of the doors. Facing the inside he was whispering, "I just want to make sure that my only daughter is okay." The door clicked shut without another word. The unhappy father touched the door gently and his gaze dropped to the floor. Selphie and Arari pushed themselves up the wall. The general looked down the long, barren hallway and replied to the bride's maids, "Her dress is torn... she'll be needing some help." As soon as he turned around the corner, the maids skipped to the attention of the bride.
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Laguna adjusted the flower in Squall's blazer as the ceremony was about to begin. This was a big event for a place like Winhill, and so the whole town was invited to the great mansion, still, the wedding was intimate.
From the outside, Irvine heard the orchestra begin to play. He then scooped up Selphie and escorted her inside. Irvine seemed off his cool and rather skittish as he made his way with Selphie down the aisle. Selphie had been asking him questions about their own wedding... Upon reaching the priest they separated, Irvy standing next to Squall and Selphie next to where Rinoa would be. Irvine wiped the sweat of his brow.
Then came Quistis arm in arm with Nida. When they reached their places, all eyes looked to the double doors above the staircase. Out emerged Rinoa. Down the stairs she went with her long tail dribbling behind. She grabbed her dress as her long legs reached for the next step and gave it a little swirl. She and Squall smiled broadly at each other. The whole front of her dress was gone, revealing her starkly contrasting, black shorts and her bare legs. It was much like a wedding version of the dress she always wore.
Soon enough the married couple were riding a chocobo across town to the local hotel.
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OK, well there you have it. I hope that all of you who are not reviewing are enjoying this. Well, if you've read this far... Hey, I still like to get reviews! Happy reading to you all.
The next chaptyr will likely be more on track and return to the RinoaUltimecia theory, but if it doesn't, oh well; Altered Soul is also a continuation of the Final Fantasy VIII story.
