The Second War
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII does not belong to me. Thank you.
Chapter 8: In Which She Must Fly Well
> > >
Rinoa sat on a dais in her receiving chamber, waiting for news of the battle. She had dressed herself in white robes to set off her dark eyes. Her hair had been combed out over her shoulders to flow down her back, and a thin silver circlet with wings rested on her forehead. She understood the importance of appearing as a sorceress. If she didn't dress the part, she would appear as vulnerable as any other woman. Seifer and Irvine stood on either side of her, Irvine somewhat stonily, but she chalked it up to the bad weather.
Soon, Raijin entered the chamber and made a small bow. He was wrapped in bandages, and limped slightly as he moved forwards. The absence of Fujin was extremely conspicuous, and she glanced sideways at Seifer, who looked just as nonplussed.
"Raijin, please tell me what has occurred at my father's house." Rinoa said, fighting to remain calm. Where was Fujin? Fujin was always a constant presence nowadays, just like the rest of them, and she couldn't lose a single supporter.
"Well, Fujin and I were waiting with Caraway on the second floor study for the attack. We spotted the Ragnarok approaching, so Caraway told his men to get ready. The next the we know, the Ragnarok fires a bomb or something at us, and the house collapses, ya know?" Raijin paused here, wincing. "I lost Fujin in the fall, but I heard her tell me to take Caraway to safety. I knew she was going to fight, ya know? That's Fujin, and I know Fujin can take care of herself. So I took Caraway to the guards you sent. By this time, everyone was already fighting, but because of our extra troops, Ellone's forces had to withdraw. They were pretty confused, ya know? But once they left, I went searching for Fujin, and I couldn't find her anywhere."
Seifer swallowed hard. "Do you think she was taken?"
"Must have been, I didn't…I didn't find her body, ya know, so she must have been." Raijin said. "But I took these two kiddies, so we can negotiate an exchange."
Rinoa leaned forward. "We'll get Fujin back. But let me see the two you captured, they might have something interesting to tell me."
Raijin nodded to the two guards at the door, who briefly disappeared through them and returned with a boy and a girl, both around sixteen, who were bound at the wrists. They were roughly pushed forward until they were level with Raijin.
The girl with black hair was shaking, her eyes wide with panic. The boy was definitely calmer, and surveyed Rinoa with interest.
"You're not as bad as I thought you'd look." The boy announced to the surprise of everyone.
Rinoa laughed. "Ellone tells everyone I'm a twisted old hag, doesn't she?"
The girl nodded. Rinoa instantly warmed to her, because she was reminded of herself. "What are your names?"
"I'm Gale, this is Seaton." Gale said.
"And you're training to be SeeDs?" Rinoa asked, studying both of them. Perhaps she could win them over, they were impressionable enough, and their loyalty to Ellone seemed questionable.
"Yes." Seaton replied.
Irvine shifted next to Rinoa, an uncharacteristic grimace on his face. "As it stands, both of you are my prisoners. Whatever you hear from Ellone, I don't mistreat soldiers captured in battle unless it's warranted. One of my own people were taken today, and I'd like to negotiate an exchange of prisoners. You'll stay here for the time being under guard. I'll send someone to speak to you soon."
They both looked taken aback by the leniency Rinoa had shown as the two guards led them out. "Seifer, could you set Zone and Watts on them? Those two will bring their guards down, and it's most likely that they'll give information that way."
"Of course," Seifer said, briefly pressing his lips to her hand before leaving. She could hear Irvine grinding his teeth to her left.
Wearily, Rinoa dismissed the rest of her guards with a wave of her hand, until the room was just left with herself and Irvine. She rose from her chair and stood in front of him. "What's bothering you?" she asked, reaching out to touch his arm.
Irvine jerked away. "Is it true, then?"
She took a step back, battling her guilt. She knew what he meant, it was obvious to everyone now that she had chosen Seifer to be her knight. But in the process, she had totally forgotten about Irvine's feelings, and she knew that he harbored some for her. "Irvine, please…" she said quietly, looking past him. "I had to choose someone sooner or later."
"You never said a word to me, nothing! Why couldn't I have found out from you? The soldiers are snickering at me behind my back!" Irvine shouted. "And fucking Seifer is walking around like he owns the place now, and still not a word to me! Why didn't you at least tell me?"
"I didn't want you to react like this…I know that you…I know you…" For the first time in her life, Rinoa was afraid of Irvine. She had never seen him so worked up before, and she couldn't risk him leaving. She fought to quell a rising sob at the thought.
"That I what? That maybe, just maybe I'm in love with you? That maybe I wanted to be your knight?" Irvine grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly. "I frankly don't give half a fuck that you choose Seifer over me, I just wanted you to tell me!"
Rinoa whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. "Irvine, I didn't know, and I was afraid, because I can't lose you. I need you." When she opened her eyes, she found Irvine's face inches from her own. She could feel his hot breath against her face, and she couldn't turn away from him gaze. Her breath quickened.
"All this time, I stood by your side. I fought for you, I won for you, Hyne knows I would have died for you." He whispered hoarsely, his arms still gripping her shoulders tightly. Irvine gave her another shake, which caused the circlet to slide off her head. It landed on the floor with a clear ring.
"I know," she breathed, wishing she didn't have to make the choice. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled her closer. "I never wanted to hurt you." They were so close, her lips brushed his as she said this.
"Rinoa." His face became awash with confusion, as if he didn't know what he was feeling, but his eyes were dark with passion. He kissed her suddenly, pushing her up against the wall behind the dais, weaving his fingers through her dark hair.
Then all the tension he was feeling was released as she let out a small sigh, tentatively bringing her arms up to his back. Irvine couldn't stop. He wanted her, needed her, wanted to drink in her spirit and not let her go. His lips moved to the side of her neck, sending Rinoa shivering, and he slowly began to pull up the hem of her dress.
Rinoa grabbed that hand and held it in her own. "You have to stop there," she said, her face and neck flushed pink.
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. "I'll do anything you ask of me."
She looked at him with an intense gaze. "Swear to be my knight."
Irvine trembled with desire at the thought. "But Seifer already has."
"He's sworn, but we haven't bound ourselves to each other." Rinoa reached up and held either side of Irvine's face in her hands, her eyes burning. "You wanted it, and have been just as loyal and good to me as Seifer has. Swear it."
"You can't have two knights."
"No, I can't."
"You would replace Seifer with me?"
"If you wanted it."
> > >
Selphie slammed her fist into the dashboard of the Ragnarok. Swearing to herself, she made sure it was on auto-pilot before storming straight into Laguna.
"Calm down, won't you?" Laguna said, squeezing water out of his hair with a towel.
"Ellone is going to hack me into bits for this!" Selphie shrieked.
"It's not our fault the guards didn't change when they were supposed to and there were reinforcements ready. There was probably a rat somewhere." Laguna replied reasonably. "Besides, Ellone won't hack you to bits for retreating when it was something we obviously couldn't win."
"She will when I shove her stupid plans up her ass." Selphie muttered darkly. "The Ragnarok, I tell you. No wonder they had reinforcements ready."
"Firing the bomb was pretty smart of you, I'd say." Laguna said, throwing the towel aside and gathering his damp hair into a low ponytail.
"It was an accident."
Laguna dropped the hair he had gathered in his hands in amusement. "What?"
Despite herself, Selphie felt a smile tug at her face. "I haven't flown in so long I forgot where the wipers were. I fired it by mistake."
He began to roar with laughter. "That is something we won't tell her."
Unexpectedly, the Ragnarok began to shudder and the lights flickered. Selphie immediately was back at the control panels, checking the screens.
"What is it?" Laguna asked, by her side in an instant.
"It's not mechanical," she replied, taking the system off autopilot and sliding into the captain's seat. Her eyes were glued to the map on the glowing screen. "I'm not sure."
The sudden change in Laguna's voice startled her. He was no longer lighthearted, and his voice was full of foreboding. "I think I do. Look outside."
Words eluded her for a moment. She blinked rapidly. "Fuck!" She couldn't not believe what she was seeing. There were at least a hundred Thrustaevises had swarmed around the ship and were trying to attack it. Sooner or later, they were going to do a mass Aero attack and knock the ship out of the air.
"Laguna, I need you to take control of the ship's guns while I fly." Selphie said, frantically trying to stamp down on her panic. "Just….shoot them if they get too close or something."
His face was faintly green. "Whatever you say," he said, dropping himself into the seat next to her and strapping himself in.
She began to increase speed, occasionally weaving in and out of the monster birds, while Laguna was wildly shooting them as fast as he could, regardless of their distance from the Ragnarok. Selphie began to feel a profound fear for the kids riding downstairs, and the weight of her responsibility to them suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. Biting her lip, she checked their location.
They were already heading slightly off course. They were supposed to fly directly over Obel Lake and straight on to Balamb, but somehow, they had veered south and was about to pass over Timber. She was going to announce this to Laguna when she heard a conspicuous absence of gunfire.
"Selphie," Laguna said unsteadily, his eyes fixated on a giant shadow outside. "I think this might be the end."
> > >
Squall was restlessly stalking around the central hallway of Garden. Hours ago, Selphie had sent word that the battle was lost and that the order to retreat had been called. He was reverently grateful that the radio transmission got through, as most of the HD cables were destroyed.
He was just passing the library when Kiros fell into step with him. "Not worried about Laguna, are you? I heard the storm was pretty bad."
Squall shot him a withering look. "Whatever," he muttered. "I just want the students back. I don't want to be responsible if they die."
"Maybe you shouldn't have let Ellone send them out in the first place," Kiros suggested gently.
"I'll take responsibility over her bitching any day." Squall stated.
A ghost of a smile passed Kiros' lips. "She's just trying to stand up for what she believes in."
"Do you think she's right?" Squall asked, half amused, half annoyed.
"I'm with Laguna on this one." Kiros said carefully, raising an eyebrow. "He feels like he owes it to her, and I'm behind Laguna all the way. Same with Ward."
"But do you think she's right?" He demanded.
Kiros neatly dodged the question again. "She's doing it for you, you know."
Squall was taken aback, but shook his head in silent disbelief.
"She feels the same way Laguna does. I think she's guilty that she had to leave you alone in the orphanage all those years ago, and she's trying to do something for you now."
"I didn't ask for any of this." Squall spat. "If she left us alone when Zell died, then this fucking war wouldn't have happened, the world wouldn't have been torn apart, and I might have been fucking married to Rinoa right now. Well, thanks a goddamn lot, Sis."
Students in the hall stopped dead and stared at them as Squall made that pronouncement. He glared at them. "Back to class," he snapped furiously.
Kiros shook his head. "All I'm saying is that she thinks she's doing what's best for you. Give her some credit."
"No," Squall said abruptly. "She's not the same Ellone as before. She changed, Kiros, long before Zell died."
"You don't think Zell was killed by Rinoa? You keep saying he died." Kiros asked thoughtfully.
"I don't know." Squall said, and he felt the mixture of guilt and anger that normally rose when this subject was brought up. "Rinoa delivered the killing blow, that's undeniable, isn't it? Selphie witnessed it, and then Rinoa ran off before explaining anything. That seems pretty damn guilty to me. And later, not even a message to me, nothing. Irvine got a message, so did Seifer, but why not me? You'd think of all people, she'd come to me for help. Hyne knows I would have been there in a second." He laughed bitterly. "And then Ellone somehow convinced me to work against her. She said that Rinoa had developed some ambitions as a Sorceress to take over the world, just like Ultimecia, and bewitched Seifer and Irvine. She said she tried to win over Zell, but when he wouldn't join her, she killed him. And…" Squall swallowed hard, not quite knowing why he was telling everything to Kiros. "And she said to me that Rinoa had to betray me, because I was her knight, and she once said I could kill her."
"And you believe Ellone." It was not a statement or a question, but rather a mix of both.
"She's never lied to me before."
> > >
To be continued….
A/N: Well, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and as always, the next one should be out within a week. Thanks for reading, and thanks to all those who have reviewed, it made me so very, very happy to see that people like it.