Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: I didn't create any of these characters, though I wish I did create MOST of them!! (Screw you, General Caraway!)
Chapter 14
Squall stood at the front gate, staring blankly at the stretch of open road ahead. He felt lost now, shocked. 'How could this happen?' he thought weakly. He felt something on his face, but didn't know what it was. It seemed to confuse him.
" Squall!" a voice shouted. Selphie ran up to him, with Zell following behind. " What was all that yelling abo-Squall?" She paused, studying his face. " Why are you crying?" The concept of him crying scared her.
'So that's what I'm feeling...' he thought, reaching up, and brushing away a tear.
Zell caught up, and froze at the sight of his friend and Commander with tears in his eyes. He was speechless.
" Squall..." Selphie said, with a hint of dread in her voice, " Where is Rinoa?"
Squall couldn't pay attention to anything happening around him. Suddenly, Quistis was there, too, and she and Zell were talking, trying to figure out why he might be so emotionaly, while Selphie kept repeating slowly, her volume climbing, " Where is Rinoa?!"
" SQUALL!"
He jumped, and realized the yell came from Selphie.
" Squall, listen up!" she said, " You can't just stand here crying about something, and refusing to tell us, so tell us the truth, DAMN YOU!!"
Zell and Quistis stared at Selphie. " Wow, Selphie..." Zell quietly exclaimed.
" She's...gone..." he said quietly. " Her father pulled her out, and hired Seifer to bring her home..."
Selphie gasped, stepping back. " Oh...NoOoOoOoO..." she whimpered, and she gave way to tears. Zell quickly moved to her side, and Quistis sighed, upset.
" Oh, no." the woman said, immediately feeling sympathy for Squall and Rinoa. Squall, whom had been petrified to one spot for fifteen minutes, suddenly bolted.
" SQUALL!!!" Quistis shouted, " Come back!"
Squall ran as fast as he could. He needed to clear his mind. He hurried to the one place he could think straight-The Training Center. He went looking for fights, hoping to wear himself out. When he finally accomplished this, he collapsed to the floor, gasping. 'This is just a bad dream,' he thought, 'I'll wake up, and she'll be here, and we'll be together. This ISN'T real...' But he knew he was only lying to himself. Suddenly, he saw a pair of boots standing beside him. He looked up, and saw Irvine.
" I heard what happened..." he said sympathetically, " And now I realize that my problems are but a small thing compared to others."
" What the hell are you doing here?" Squall asked.
" Someone once told me that if you tell someone how you feel," Irvine replied, " It''l help get rid of some of the pain." He paused. " Besides, after I hear your story, there may be a way to help."
" Fuck you." Squall said.
" I know the feeling, partner." Irvine said, sitting down. " C'mon, Squall, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. What's it gonna be?"
Squall stood up, pulling his gunblade from it's sheath. " I don't need your sympathy." he growled.
" Think of her, Squall," Irvine said, " Rinoa wouldn't want you acting this way. She would want you to feel better. YOU OWE HER!!!"
" Shut up!" Squall shouted.
" Tell me the truth!" Irvine replied.
Squall paused, then put the gunblade away. " Just tell me how I can get her back." he said.
" I don't know yet." Irvine replied, " But, believe me, I will."
" What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
" Just be patient," the cowboy insisted, " You know she loves you, right?"
Squall grew silent, making Irvine grin. " Yeah, you know it. Anyway, if she loves you, you know she's not going anywhere. Just leave things to me."
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Rinoa felt like a bird in a cage. She sat in her room, silently, never moving an inch. It had only been two days, but it felt like forever. She stared at her computer screen. The words were from the song she had written for him; the song she was going to sing for him at the Garden Festival, the concert. 'The concert...' she thought, 'Wait a minute...!'
General Caraway walked in suddenly, and peered over her shoulder at the lyrics. " You have your mother's talent," he said. " What's this for?"
" It's a brand new song," she replied quietly, " For my concert at the Graden Festival at Balaamb."
" Concert at Balaamb?!" he repeated, shocked. " Who ever said you were performing there?"
" I promised my best friend, Selphie, that I would." she said simply.
" Guess again." he replied. " You are banned from Balaamb."
" Says who?!" she demanded, turning to face him.
" I say so." he replied.
" A concert is a concert, FATHER." she said, " And, whether or not you like the location, I made a promise. I am NOT breaking my promise."
He stepped back a bid, surprised. " What?!" she asked angrily, waiting for him to begin yet another argument.
" You....haven't called me...father in so long...why?" he asked.
" You've never been a father to me," she replied. " You were always the General, and I had to follow every damn command you gave me, even if I didn't want to. A father shows love and compassion, you showed me leadership and boundaries. You never once showed me you loved me!"
He froze for a moment, and Rinoa was shocked to see a solitary tear slide down the man's cheek. " Is that REALLY what you think of me?" he asked weakly.
" Yes." she replied, " But it is your fault for that, not mine."
He paused thoughtfully. " You really want to do a concert?" he asked.
" Yes." she replied, exasperated, waiting for him to promise booking a concert hall instead.
He didn't. " Very well," he said, defeated, " You can do a concert at Balaamb. But," he added sternly, " You will be under a very watchful eye. I heard of Almasy's mistakes, and I'm hiring you a new undercover bodyguard. You'll be informed when I have found one. When is this promised concert?"
" In two days." she replied.
" Then I suggest you prepare a list." he said.
" I request my one phonecall." she demanded. " To Selphie."
" Why?" he asked.
" Because she has already set one up." she replied, " Plus, she's the one coordinating the festival."
The man paused. " Very well." he replied. " But if I catch you talking to that boy, you can forget your concert."
" THANK YOU!" she cried, almost hugging him, but deciding that she was still too mad at him to do that.
Quickly, she dialed Selphie's cell number.
" Hello?"
" Selphie?" she asked, " It's Rin. I still get to do the concert! But don't tell Squall."
" RINOA?!" she screamed into the phone. " What now?"
" No time to explain!" Rinoa replied, " Now, I need your playlist..."
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The next two days went by. Squall, clueless to the plans that night, was working on paperwork, when there was a knock on the door. " Come in." he said.
Headmaster Cid walked in, smiling. " Commander," he said, " As you know, tonight is the Garden Festival..."
" I'm not going." Squall said.
Cid paused. " I'm sorry about what I had said before, about you having to make a choice. If you don't want to, you don't have to-well..." He chose his words carefully. " I'm afraid that you are required to attend all primary functions in the Garden, and that includes the Garden Festival. Besides," he added cheerfully, " Your friend will be there!"
"...Whatever..." he replied. " I have a lot of work to do tonight."
" Which must wait." Cid said firmly. " Now, get changed into your SeeD uniform, and head down to Quad. You're already late."
After Cid left, squall slammed his fists on the desk. ' I'm not going,' he thought, 'I won't go...' Sighing, he stood up, and made his way to his quarters, where he showered and changed into his uniform. He slowly made his way to Quad.
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In the meantime, Rinoa had arrived at the Garden, where she met Irvine, her bodyguard.
" How ya doin', Princess?" he asked. " I'm your bodyguard!"
She laughed. " Wow, how lucky can I get?" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. He escorted her backstage, and showed her around.
" There's your dressing room..." he said. He paused. " Are you going to be okay?"
She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. " Will he be here?" she asked.
" The Headmaster is working on that," he replied, " But he swore not to tell him that you're here."
Rinoa let out a nervous sigh.
" Scared?" the cowboy asked, and she nodded.
" A bit," she replied, " I've performed for hundreds of people a few times before, but it's never been anything like this." She paused. " I hope he comes..." she added softly.
" Don't worry," he replied, " I promise he'll come."
An hour later, she was halfway through, and still no sign of Squall. " It's almost over..." she said, worried, " Where is he?" She was backstage, during her intermission, begging Irvine to find him.
" Cid said he's heading down here," he replied, " Don't worry."
But Rinoa couldn't help but worry. Her time was almost over. She needed to see him, to tell him...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Squall was walking down the first few steps to Quad. He could hear cheering, followed by light music. He continued, and could begin to hear an angelic voice speaking. It sounded strangely familiar. Then, it paused before singing. He ran down the rest of the steps, recognizing the voice. 'No way...' he thought. But, when he walked into quad, his eyes, mind and heart told him that it was a dream come true.
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Author's Note: No, we aren't ending the story...yet. But, it is getting close! Keep r&ring, lyl!!! Trinity
Disclaimer: I didn't create any of these characters, though I wish I did create MOST of them!! (Screw you, General Caraway!)
Chapter 14
Squall stood at the front gate, staring blankly at the stretch of open road ahead. He felt lost now, shocked. 'How could this happen?' he thought weakly. He felt something on his face, but didn't know what it was. It seemed to confuse him.
" Squall!" a voice shouted. Selphie ran up to him, with Zell following behind. " What was all that yelling abo-Squall?" She paused, studying his face. " Why are you crying?" The concept of him crying scared her.
'So that's what I'm feeling...' he thought, reaching up, and brushing away a tear.
Zell caught up, and froze at the sight of his friend and Commander with tears in his eyes. He was speechless.
" Squall..." Selphie said, with a hint of dread in her voice, " Where is Rinoa?"
Squall couldn't pay attention to anything happening around him. Suddenly, Quistis was there, too, and she and Zell were talking, trying to figure out why he might be so emotionaly, while Selphie kept repeating slowly, her volume climbing, " Where is Rinoa?!"
" SQUALL!"
He jumped, and realized the yell came from Selphie.
" Squall, listen up!" she said, " You can't just stand here crying about something, and refusing to tell us, so tell us the truth, DAMN YOU!!"
Zell and Quistis stared at Selphie. " Wow, Selphie..." Zell quietly exclaimed.
" She's...gone..." he said quietly. " Her father pulled her out, and hired Seifer to bring her home..."
Selphie gasped, stepping back. " Oh...NoOoOoOoO..." she whimpered, and she gave way to tears. Zell quickly moved to her side, and Quistis sighed, upset.
" Oh, no." the woman said, immediately feeling sympathy for Squall and Rinoa. Squall, whom had been petrified to one spot for fifteen minutes, suddenly bolted.
" SQUALL!!!" Quistis shouted, " Come back!"
Squall ran as fast as he could. He needed to clear his mind. He hurried to the one place he could think straight-The Training Center. He went looking for fights, hoping to wear himself out. When he finally accomplished this, he collapsed to the floor, gasping. 'This is just a bad dream,' he thought, 'I'll wake up, and she'll be here, and we'll be together. This ISN'T real...' But he knew he was only lying to himself. Suddenly, he saw a pair of boots standing beside him. He looked up, and saw Irvine.
" I heard what happened..." he said sympathetically, " And now I realize that my problems are but a small thing compared to others."
" What the hell are you doing here?" Squall asked.
" Someone once told me that if you tell someone how you feel," Irvine replied, " It''l help get rid of some of the pain." He paused. " Besides, after I hear your story, there may be a way to help."
" Fuck you." Squall said.
" I know the feeling, partner." Irvine said, sitting down. " C'mon, Squall, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. What's it gonna be?"
Squall stood up, pulling his gunblade from it's sheath. " I don't need your sympathy." he growled.
" Think of her, Squall," Irvine said, " Rinoa wouldn't want you acting this way. She would want you to feel better. YOU OWE HER!!!"
" Shut up!" Squall shouted.
" Tell me the truth!" Irvine replied.
Squall paused, then put the gunblade away. " Just tell me how I can get her back." he said.
" I don't know yet." Irvine replied, " But, believe me, I will."
" What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
" Just be patient," the cowboy insisted, " You know she loves you, right?"
Squall grew silent, making Irvine grin. " Yeah, you know it. Anyway, if she loves you, you know she's not going anywhere. Just leave things to me."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rinoa felt like a bird in a cage. She sat in her room, silently, never moving an inch. It had only been two days, but it felt like forever. She stared at her computer screen. The words were from the song she had written for him; the song she was going to sing for him at the Garden Festival, the concert. 'The concert...' she thought, 'Wait a minute...!'
General Caraway walked in suddenly, and peered over her shoulder at the lyrics. " You have your mother's talent," he said. " What's this for?"
" It's a brand new song," she replied quietly, " For my concert at the Graden Festival at Balaamb."
" Concert at Balaamb?!" he repeated, shocked. " Who ever said you were performing there?"
" I promised my best friend, Selphie, that I would." she said simply.
" Guess again." he replied. " You are banned from Balaamb."
" Says who?!" she demanded, turning to face him.
" I say so." he replied.
" A concert is a concert, FATHER." she said, " And, whether or not you like the location, I made a promise. I am NOT breaking my promise."
He stepped back a bid, surprised. " What?!" she asked angrily, waiting for him to begin yet another argument.
" You....haven't called me...father in so long...why?" he asked.
" You've never been a father to me," she replied. " You were always the General, and I had to follow every damn command you gave me, even if I didn't want to. A father shows love and compassion, you showed me leadership and boundaries. You never once showed me you loved me!"
He froze for a moment, and Rinoa was shocked to see a solitary tear slide down the man's cheek. " Is that REALLY what you think of me?" he asked weakly.
" Yes." she replied, " But it is your fault for that, not mine."
He paused thoughtfully. " You really want to do a concert?" he asked.
" Yes." she replied, exasperated, waiting for him to promise booking a concert hall instead.
He didn't. " Very well," he said, defeated, " You can do a concert at Balaamb. But," he added sternly, " You will be under a very watchful eye. I heard of Almasy's mistakes, and I'm hiring you a new undercover bodyguard. You'll be informed when I have found one. When is this promised concert?"
" In two days." she replied.
" Then I suggest you prepare a list." he said.
" I request my one phonecall." she demanded. " To Selphie."
" Why?" he asked.
" Because she has already set one up." she replied, " Plus, she's the one coordinating the festival."
The man paused. " Very well." he replied. " But if I catch you talking to that boy, you can forget your concert."
" THANK YOU!" she cried, almost hugging him, but deciding that she was still too mad at him to do that.
Quickly, she dialed Selphie's cell number.
" Hello?"
" Selphie?" she asked, " It's Rin. I still get to do the concert! But don't tell Squall."
" RINOA?!" she screamed into the phone. " What now?"
" No time to explain!" Rinoa replied, " Now, I need your playlist..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next two days went by. Squall, clueless to the plans that night, was working on paperwork, when there was a knock on the door. " Come in." he said.
Headmaster Cid walked in, smiling. " Commander," he said, " As you know, tonight is the Garden Festival..."
" I'm not going." Squall said.
Cid paused. " I'm sorry about what I had said before, about you having to make a choice. If you don't want to, you don't have to-well..." He chose his words carefully. " I'm afraid that you are required to attend all primary functions in the Garden, and that includes the Garden Festival. Besides," he added cheerfully, " Your friend will be there!"
"...Whatever..." he replied. " I have a lot of work to do tonight."
" Which must wait." Cid said firmly. " Now, get changed into your SeeD uniform, and head down to Quad. You're already late."
After Cid left, squall slammed his fists on the desk. ' I'm not going,' he thought, 'I won't go...' Sighing, he stood up, and made his way to his quarters, where he showered and changed into his uniform. He slowly made his way to Quad.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the meantime, Rinoa had arrived at the Garden, where she met Irvine, her bodyguard.
" How ya doin', Princess?" he asked. " I'm your bodyguard!"
She laughed. " Wow, how lucky can I get?" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. He escorted her backstage, and showed her around.
" There's your dressing room..." he said. He paused. " Are you going to be okay?"
She nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. " Will he be here?" she asked.
" The Headmaster is working on that," he replied, " But he swore not to tell him that you're here."
Rinoa let out a nervous sigh.
" Scared?" the cowboy asked, and she nodded.
" A bit," she replied, " I've performed for hundreds of people a few times before, but it's never been anything like this." She paused. " I hope he comes..." she added softly.
" Don't worry," he replied, " I promise he'll come."
An hour later, she was halfway through, and still no sign of Squall. " It's almost over..." she said, worried, " Where is he?" She was backstage, during her intermission, begging Irvine to find him.
" Cid said he's heading down here," he replied, " Don't worry."
But Rinoa couldn't help but worry. Her time was almost over. She needed to see him, to tell him...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Squall was walking down the first few steps to Quad. He could hear cheering, followed by light music. He continued, and could begin to hear an angelic voice speaking. It sounded strangely familiar. Then, it paused before singing. He ran down the rest of the steps, recognizing the voice. 'No way...' he thought. But, when he walked into quad, his eyes, mind and heart told him that it was a dream come true.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: No, we aren't ending the story...yet. But, it is getting close! Keep r&ring, lyl!!! Trinity