Okay, ladies and gents, I have come up with a decision but I need some input. I've had this idea for a while now, but I'm not quite sure if I should go through with it and since we are nearing the end, I figured I should ask you guys. Here it is: There is a lot that I want to put into this story but that would be very difficult on the readers. And the way that I have decided to end this story would leave a lot of people hanging. So this is what I want to do. I want to make Time Goes On part of a trilogy. Book one, of course, would be Time Goes On. Book two I'm thinking about titling The Timing Of the Doomed and the Damned. Book three hasn't been quite decided yet. I want this trilogy to be the Time Trilogy since there is the element of time in each story somewhere. I want you guys to tell me what you think. If you don't think I should, then I won't. I'm leaving this totally up to you guys. But I'll give you plenty of time to think on it. Well, let's get going!
Chapter Thirty-Seven
We Deal In Dreams
Once again, Squall sat staring out the window as another rain shower fell over Esthar. It was quite the rainy season, but that didn't matter at the moment. In actual reality, he wasn't even paying attention to the rain.
Rinoa watched him fight an inner battle with himself, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help him. They had walked back in silence, and she knew that he was still trying to distance himself. There were things that he swore he had to do for himself but didn't realize that there were people that could help.
Inside the palace, everyone was quiet as the rain stormed over the dry plains. Worried, scared, and confused thoughts crowded in the rooms occupied by the team members. No one was quite sure what to do.
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Laguna sat in his office wondering. How long would it be before Rianna showed herself to the world? Why was everything so quiet? What was Rianna planning? Did Seifer know something he wasn't telling?
So many questioned swirled through Laguna's brain, and most were questions he couldn't answer.
"How am I supposed to keep everyone safe without getting involved? How can I protect our son if he won't let me?" Laguna asked of his dead wife's picture, but Raine just smiled back to him. He sighed as he remembered what he told Squall. There's only so much you can do with a picture… It can't talk back to you. He'd truly give anything and everything he had to have her back with him. He knew that wasn't possible, and he could only hope that Squall never lost Rinoa like he lost Raine.
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"Squall?" Rinoa whispered his name to hopefully bring him back. He was there physically, but his mind was somewhere else, somewhere bad that she didn't want him to be. He snapped out of whatever it was and turned to look at her with saddened eyes. Worry, frustration, and a tense aggressiveness ran in his blood like electricity.
Her mind drew a blank as their eyes met. She then realized that his eyes were her one weakness. They were so beautiful, so revealing, yet they held a sense of mystery to them. She found comfort of the highest kind in his eyes and was glad that she was able to have that.
"What?" he questioned, pulling himself away from the window. His eyes never left hers as he walked to her. She sat in the corner of the room in a white armchair. Their room was about like that of a hotel room with a large, comfy bed, a small table, and an armchair with a matching footstool.
She shook her head. "Nothing. I just wanted to bring you back, that's all." She produced a small smile, but even that took a lot of effort. Smiling just wasn't the she wanted to do at the moment.
He sat on the footstool so that they were eyelevel and studied her for a moment or two, giving the impression that he thought something was wrong. "Are you all right?" He wanted to reach for her hand, but then again, he didn't want to do that. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do.
"I think so, but I'm not quite sure. I feel fine for one minute and then the next I'm scared out of my mind. It comes in waves, but I'm fine." She tried to sound as sincere as she could, somehow put off the air that she was fine and that he shouldn't worry. Unfortunately for her, he was able to see past her false sense of strength and right to her fear.
"Are you scared?" He, himself, knew the answer to that question, but did she? It can be so easy to pretend that you're not scared when you really are, and it can be even harder to admit to that fear. Fear can set apart the strong from the weak.
"Yes." Rinoa was going to be honest but not look directly in his eyes as she broke their connected gaze. There is only one thing needed to fear in this life, and that was fear itself. Nothing else could harm the way fear did.
"Why?" he questioned quietly of her. Rinoa didn't answer him. She knew she was weak. She was so scared. It was fear that kept her on this mission with them. Squall was the only one she felt safe with.
"Rinoa?" He tentatively touched her shoulder, and when he felt her relax, he pressed his hand down more firmly. She had been looking, or rather staring, at the floor. Tears were starting to run down her cheeks. He felt her fear coursing through her small body, terrorizing her.
"What?" She looked at him, still not realizing her tears that fell like rain from a cloud that couldn't hold its burden any longer.
"Can I ask a question?" He stood and extended a hand to her, which she took gratefully, allowing him to lead her in the direction of the bed in the corner. She sat down on the bed, letting it show how tired she was.
"What?" Her eyes questioned him peacefully. He knelt down next to the bed, a little afraid to sit next to her still, let alone sleep beside her. The thought was comforting but he wasn't quite ready for that yet. It was still a foreign feeling.
"What would you say if I said that I would prefer if you stayed here?" He spoke quietly, and she had to strain to actually hear him.
For once, Rinoa didn't ask why. She knew that he just wanted to keep her safe, and that proved even more how much he loved. But she also knew that there was nothing in this world that could keep her from fighting this battle with him.
"I don't know." That was a lie, though. She did know what she would say, but she wasn't going to voice that. She wanted to hear his reasoning first.
"It won't be for long. Laguna and I have an idea of what Rianna might do, and Zell, Irvine, and I might go search a specific area. We already agreed that we don't want Selphie, Quistis, and you coming with us. We thought it would be safer." He now sat with his back against the bedside and facing her.
"You mean, you thought you thought it might be safer if I didn't come." Rinoa rolled her eyes because she knew that was the real reason, but she no longer really cared. She didn't really have to listen to him. She was a big girl.
"Now, I didn't say that," he whispered, shaking his head defensively but not very convincing.
"Maybe, but that's what you meant." Rinoa crossed her arms over her chest thinking that maybe this was childish.
Squall said nothing to that. He couldn't say anything, really. She read him perfectly. That's exactly why he had proposed the idea to leave the girls in Esthar when they left. But he couldn't help it. He didn't want to lose her to anything. It would break him into too many pieces.
Rinoa slipped off the bed, joining him on the floor. He stared forward, almost acting like he was scared to look at her, maybe thinking that she was mad. Without hesitating, she gently traced a finger on the back on his neck and down slightly to his shirt line, feeling every muscle tense and then relaxing to her touch. He was becoming almost comfortable with her being so close to him. True, there was still a lot that he had to get used to, but they had time. Rianna wasn't going to live much longer. They were sure of it. She was messing with the wrong group of people and when they got a hold on her, they weren't letting go. She was as good as dead once they trapped her.
"Am I right?" Rinoa slid her finger to his shoulder and tapped him lightly to bring him to look at her. A small, smug smile turned up on her face. She was still waiting for him to say something.
But he remained silent. Yes, she was right, but he didn't feel like saying anything. Rinoa had to smile warmly as she watched him struggle for an answer. She was right. He just didn't want to admit it. Men are like that, aren't they? But she wasn't going to brag about it. She wanted to let it go. Yes, she would comply with his request, for now. It wasn't going to be long that she was stepping back, and she was going to be with Selphie and Quistis so it wouldn't be that bad.
She was still very tired, which was puzzling. Everyday that passed now, she could feel her strength get lower and lower. She didn't want to think this way but something was weakening her, affecting her in a very negative way. Could it possibly be Rianna? Was this Natural- born sorceress able to tap into her without her knowing?
He was able to feel that she wasn't doing so well and reached for her hand, gripping it to let her know that she wasn't here alone. He was here and would be here all night with her. She was safe while he was here. Nobody would be stupid enough to try to hurt her if he was within a hundred feet of her. But did that mean that someone would target her if he left her here? No, of course not! She was well protected here in Esthar. They all were. Nothing bad could happen. At least, he hoped so.
"You know, you are right," he admitted, pushing aside those bad thoughts that could wreck havoc to his brain. "But maybe I'm just being over-protective of you. I can't help it. I- I'm not used to this."
Now she just couldn't help but chuckle. It would take him a long time to be used to this entire thing. It was such a drastic change for him, considering a few years ago he was the "Loner" and one could barely get two words out of his mouth. "It's okay. It feels good to know that someone cares. Sometimes, I feel so, well, alone, but to know that you're here makes everything so much better. Thank you." Rinoa shuddered, then realized that he was staring at her with confused eyes. He had no idea that she felt alone. She was the type of person who just never frowned. Well, okay, she did frown, but her personality was very positive and re-assuring. Only one person was known to man to have the personality that never frowned, and that was Selphie Tilmitt.
"What's wrong?" Rinoa wondered to his reaction and the fact that he didn't say anything. She figured that he would have said something.
"Nothing. I was just kind of thinking." He shook his head and went back to staring forward.
"About what, if I may ask?" she questioned, teasingly.
"Same thing as always," he muttered, almost smiling, but he caught himself from doing so.
Rinoa titled her head in an amused curiosity.
"And what would that be?" She found this quite amusing.
This time, he smiled. It was a real smile. One that sank deep and added a certain warmth to the heart. "You. Like I said, it's the same thing as always."
Rinoa laughed. "Well, I feel better!"
"That's nice," he mumbled, closing his eyes as he still held Rinoa's hand in his tightly. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling comfortable and safe. It was a good feeling to be able to have that from him. They both knew separately that it was possible to find an everlasting love so young, and nothing could change this for the world.
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"Hey, Quisty?" Ellone lightly rapped on Quistis' door.
It took a few long minutes for the sleepy Instructor to come to the realization that someone was knocking on her door and calling her name. She didn't even want to see the time.
"Oh, come in," she called lazily.
Ellone walked in, looking quite disturbed.
"What's wrong, Elle?" Quistis had just turned on the light and had to cup her hands over her eyes. This was the part she hated the most about waking up.
"Quisty, this may sound childish, but I just had an awful dream!" The young brunette sat on the bed beside Quistis.
"Are you all right? Would you like to talk about it? I'm sure that would help." Quistis gently hugged the quite scared girl. Ellone nodded, thankful that she had someone to talk to about this. Quistis was a great friend and like a sister.
"I had an awful dream that Rianna was planning an awful scheme. I dreamt that she was going to pull someone's strings, so to speak. In the dream, I felt like I was witnessing a conversation Rianna was having with someone else. Just as Rianna said what she was going to do, I woke up. What do you think it meant?" Ellone shivered. Everything was still vivid in her mind.
"Ellone, do you think you could have possibly sent your consciousness into the past again?" Quistis tried to get her brain working again.
But Elle shook her head. "No, everything was all distorted. Plus, Rianna was half human, half beast. It was definitely a dream, but I'm positive that it means something. I just don't know what."
"Well, now that doesn't make much sense. Why would she be half human, half beast?" Quistis was puzzled now.
"I don't know. Do you think that maybe I'm just paranoid? This isn't the first time something like this has happened," the girl sighed.
"True, but how many times were you right?" Quistis asked logically.
"Well, only a couple times." Ellone bit her tongue.
"Okay, maybe this does mean something. Who do you think would pose the biggest threat to Rianna?" Quistis asked.
Ellone's eyes brightened up. They were getting somewhere.
"Rinoa!" She exclaimed.
"Exactly. Which means, she might target Squall. We'll just have to get the guys to keep a watchful eye on Squall when they leave and we'll watch Rinoa here." Quistis yawned. "And that may be all we can do for now. I have this feeling that Rinoa and Squall are a big part of this."
"Thanks, Quisty. I feel a lot better now!" Ellone jumped off the bed.
"I'm glad I could help. Now, get back to bed. Maybe a good night's sleep will calm your nerves, okay?" Quistis showed the relieved girl out.
"Thanks! I really owe you one!" Elle hugged her and headed back to her room.
A/N: Oh wow! I think I may have taken too much time on this one. I'm trying not to take much time, but I couldn't get anywhere near my laptop last week 'cause I was at Band Camp. Any cheesy remarks are not welcome. I've pretty much heard them all. I'm gonna get more work done so I'll be back later! Later Days peeps and thanks so much for sticking up with me and reviewing to tell me how much I suck! I love you guys!
E/N: And one time, at band camp... Okay. Shutting up now:x