Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: Rinoa Heartilly...isn't real...TT Well, true, but I didn't bring her or anyone else in this story to life, either! Read on!
Chapter 17 Favorite Number
Squall sat down in his chair, pondering Cid's last words as he had left the room:
" The General is VERY angry."
'Now what can I do?' he thought. 'Rinoa goes missing, and I can't go find her, even if I knew where to look!' He leaned back a bit, sighing. 'Besides,' he added thoughtfully, ' I DON'T know where she could be.' He tried to sit up, and get back to work, but it was no use. He couldn't concentrate. Something was on his mind, and he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.
He stared at the clock. It had been several hours since the phone call, and it was late. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought, 'She's fine. Right?' He closed his eyes for a moment, pondering.
Suddenly, he saw himself flying down the road, almost as if he was on his motorcycle, alongside the ocean. 'Where am I...going?' he thought, confused, 'How did I get here?' As he sped down the road, he noticed a lighthouse. Strangely, he had no control over where he was going, and headed to the lighthouse. By the lighthouse was a field. THE field. And Rinoa stood there, waiting for him. She turned, facing him, and smiled.
" I'll be waiting..." she said softly.
-----
Squall woke up with a start. He had fallen asleep in his chair. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. 'It couldn't be...' he thought for a moment. Then, grabbing his jacket, he headed to the parking lot.
This time, he was speeding down the road on his motorcycle for real, but he was controlling it, and he was deciding where to go. He drove on and on, and the sun started to peek out from the horizon. He continued driving, until he saw the lighthouse. Turning, he sped down the dirt road for almost a mile, the stopped. There was a gate, but he knew that it lead to the field in his dream. 'It has to mean something...' he thought, 'But, how?' He shut off the engine, and got off. Slowly making his way to the gate, he felt nervous when he touched the latch. It opened, slowly at first, then swung open the rest of the way quickly. What he saw practically jumpstarted his heart. A field covered in wildflowers; identical to the one in his dream, was before his amazed blue eyes, perfectly identical, down to the last flower petal. This was where he had dreamt of meeting her. And sure enough, she was standing in the middle of the field, waiting. 'Rinoa...' he thought.
Almost as if on cue, she turned around, and, even from a distance, their eyes met. He walked to her, dazed, and at the same time, overflowing with joy. When they met, they looked into each others eyes for a moment, almost frozen. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him, laughing.
" I knew you would come," she replied quietly, " After seeing my message, I knew you would come."
" What?" he asked softly, a bit confused. His arms were around her waist, and he had his eyes closed; happy that they were together again.
" Didn't you have a dream about this place?" she asked, a bit curious as to why he had to ask.
" Yes." he mumbled, now burying his face in her hair.
She grinned slightly. " I made you dream about this place." she replied, adding, " Hey, that's actually making me ticklish!"
" What are you talking about?" he asked, " How can you make someone dream about something?"
" You once told me that you loved me, no matter what," she said, suddenly very serious. " Do you still?"
He pulled away. " Yes, I swore it." he replied, nervous. " What's wrong, Rinoa?"
Rinoa sighed, pausing slightly. 'I knew this day would come.' she thought, almost regretting it. " Squall," she said, looking up at him again, her eyes almost pleeing for what possibly might have been forgiveness, " I'm a sorceress."
Squall's reaction was almost blank. " I don't understand..." he said quietly, confused.
" Squall," she started again, " When Edea was released, her powers pretty much evaporated, right?"
" Yes," he replied, " But what are you talking about, you're a-"
" Her power didn't disappear," she finished, " They moved on to another. Me." She studied him for a moment, then smiled weakly. " You know this doesn't change how I feel about you." she said, praying that he hadn't changed.
Squall was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he put his arms around her again, burying his face in her neck. " You know nothing can keep me from you." he replied, his voice a bit muffled.
She laughed, teary-eyed, and voice cracked. They stood out in that field for a while, just holding each other, almost as if time would never end.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
About an hour later, they were sitting in the tall grass and flowers, talking. They were both silent for a moment. Suddenly, Rinoa sighed.
" What is it?" Squall asked.
"What'll become of me?" Rinoa asked, looking up at a puffy white cloud. The breeze played with her hair for a moment, then passed on.
"Don't worry about it." he replied, looking at her, almost sympathetically. She chuckled bitterly. " Seriously," he insisted, " There've been many good sorceresses. Edea was one." He paused pensively for a moment. "You can be like her."
She thought about it for a moment, almost agreeing, then frowned. Looking ahead, she replied, "But Edea's still..." her voice trailed off. She thought again. "I can't guarantee anything, either, if Ultimecia possesses me again..." She sighed. " She already has once before, and I don't think I can..." she trailed off again. "What might happen next time?"
" Next time?" he asked.
Rinoa looked at her lap. " I did some things that would be extremely dangerous toward others, if I was taken long enough. If that happened again...if she began controlling me....what will I end up doing?" She looked at Squall, almost as if she was asking him. "Will I end up fighting everyone?...Scary thought, isn't it?"
Squall looked deep into her eyes, almost sadly. 'Rinoa......Even if you end up as the world's enemy,I'll...' he stopped himself for a moment, almost finishing the sentence aloud. 'I'll be your knight.'
"If I fall under Ultimecia's control again..." she continued, slowly and thoughtfully, looking ahead once again, "SeeD will come kill me, right?" She stopped for a moment, her eyes flickered with the sudden realization of something else, "And the leader of SeeD is you, Squall..." She said, looking at him suddenly. She looked afraid for a moment, then far off. "Squall's sword will pierce my heart......" she said distantly, pausing for a moment after the words were spoken. Then, she smiled at him weakly. "I guess it's ok if it's you, Squall. Nobody else." She reached out, and touched his hand lightly. "Squall, if that ever happens..." she started.
Squall interrupted her, squeezing her hand. "That's enough!" he insisted. She froze. "I'll never do anything like that. The sorceress I'm after is not you, Rinoa." His grip eased slightly, and his expression softened.
Rinoa sighed, looking off into the distance once again, far off. "Ultimecia lives in the future and possesses me." she replied, sadly. "She uses my body as her extension into this world." She looked at him yet again, shaking her head slightly. "How? How will you save me?"
Squall reached for her other hand. "I'll come up with something...There's gotta be a way." he pleaded with her. But, the look on Rinoa's face told him that she wasn't so sure. "Don't worry. Trust me." he insisted tenderly.
"...I trust you." she replied softly. She thought seriously for a moment. "Well, until you find a way, maybe..."
" What?" he asked.
Looking down, she replied, "Maybe I should stay in Esthar, at the memorial? Wouldn't that be better?"
Squall shook his head. "No...That'd be pointless." he said quietly. "I'll just end up going after you again." Rinoa smiled softly. He smiled back, and said, "Rinoa...Just stay close to me."
Rinoa straightened up, gasping. "Oh...those words!"
A bit puzzled, Squall asked, " What?"
"That's what started everything." she replied.
Now Squall straightened up. " What are you talking about?"
Rinoa looked confused. "You don't remember?" she asked slowly.
Squall shrugged. " Something I said?" he asked weakly.
She sighed. "Oh, just forget it!" She looked out at the field, stretching forever on.
Squall shook his head. He wanted to know. "No, it's because of the GF. That's why I forgot."
Now Rinoa shook her head. "That's just an excuse."
They were both silent for a moment. Squall wanted to let her calm down a little. "Feeling better?" he asked hopefully.
"Yeah." she replied. After another moment, she asked, "Can I tell you a story?" When he nodded, she began.
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Author's Note: Woohoo! Look at this chapter! I want to thank all of my fans, but first and foremost to Gracie! Thank you SO MUCh for finding the quote's from the promise scene in FF8!!! It looks so awesome in here! You rock! Also, to my other R&R fans: ElvenHorse; I can't believe that this fic has really moved someone as much as it has you! I hope your future is looking brighter, and good luck! I think you two deserve each other ;) Scott-land; Hope it wasn't too long a wait! How are you enjoying things so far? Is this chapter a nice follow up? Thanks again! lady-rinoa; Thanks to you, you have really proved that R&R doesn't mean write something truly awesome about how good the writer is- it's also about what he/she needs to improve on! Afraid to say that the story itself is taking me in this direction, and I don't want to go against a good feeling, but, I WILL keep you advice in mind next time I think of FanFiccing FF8! Thanks for reading! Pretty Like Drugs; I love seeing your reviews! You really seem to like the story! LoL hope the drama gets better for you! Stay tuned, okay? Breath of Fire; Hopefully you have gotten my e-mail that the fic has been updated, and you're reading this very soon! Nice to have a fan, really! And an observant one at that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and those still to come!
Keep on R&Ring you all! O. Trinity
Disclaimer: Rinoa Heartilly...isn't real...TT Well, true, but I didn't bring her or anyone else in this story to life, either! Read on!
Chapter 17 Favorite Number
Squall sat down in his chair, pondering Cid's last words as he had left the room:
" The General is VERY angry."
'Now what can I do?' he thought. 'Rinoa goes missing, and I can't go find her, even if I knew where to look!' He leaned back a bit, sighing. 'Besides,' he added thoughtfully, ' I DON'T know where she could be.' He tried to sit up, and get back to work, but it was no use. He couldn't concentrate. Something was on his mind, and he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.
He stared at the clock. It had been several hours since the phone call, and it was late. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought, 'She's fine. Right?' He closed his eyes for a moment, pondering.
Suddenly, he saw himself flying down the road, almost as if he was on his motorcycle, alongside the ocean. 'Where am I...going?' he thought, confused, 'How did I get here?' As he sped down the road, he noticed a lighthouse. Strangely, he had no control over where he was going, and headed to the lighthouse. By the lighthouse was a field. THE field. And Rinoa stood there, waiting for him. She turned, facing him, and smiled.
" I'll be waiting..." she said softly.
-----
Squall woke up with a start. He had fallen asleep in his chair. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. 'It couldn't be...' he thought for a moment. Then, grabbing his jacket, he headed to the parking lot.
This time, he was speeding down the road on his motorcycle for real, but he was controlling it, and he was deciding where to go. He drove on and on, and the sun started to peek out from the horizon. He continued driving, until he saw the lighthouse. Turning, he sped down the dirt road for almost a mile, the stopped. There was a gate, but he knew that it lead to the field in his dream. 'It has to mean something...' he thought, 'But, how?' He shut off the engine, and got off. Slowly making his way to the gate, he felt nervous when he touched the latch. It opened, slowly at first, then swung open the rest of the way quickly. What he saw practically jumpstarted his heart. A field covered in wildflowers; identical to the one in his dream, was before his amazed blue eyes, perfectly identical, down to the last flower petal. This was where he had dreamt of meeting her. And sure enough, she was standing in the middle of the field, waiting. 'Rinoa...' he thought.
Almost as if on cue, she turned around, and, even from a distance, their eyes met. He walked to her, dazed, and at the same time, overflowing with joy. When they met, they looked into each others eyes for a moment, almost frozen. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him, laughing.
" I knew you would come," she replied quietly, " After seeing my message, I knew you would come."
" What?" he asked softly, a bit confused. His arms were around her waist, and he had his eyes closed; happy that they were together again.
" Didn't you have a dream about this place?" she asked, a bit curious as to why he had to ask.
" Yes." he mumbled, now burying his face in her hair.
She grinned slightly. " I made you dream about this place." she replied, adding, " Hey, that's actually making me ticklish!"
" What are you talking about?" he asked, " How can you make someone dream about something?"
" You once told me that you loved me, no matter what," she said, suddenly very serious. " Do you still?"
He pulled away. " Yes, I swore it." he replied, nervous. " What's wrong, Rinoa?"
Rinoa sighed, pausing slightly. 'I knew this day would come.' she thought, almost regretting it. " Squall," she said, looking up at him again, her eyes almost pleeing for what possibly might have been forgiveness, " I'm a sorceress."
Squall's reaction was almost blank. " I don't understand..." he said quietly, confused.
" Squall," she started again, " When Edea was released, her powers pretty much evaporated, right?"
" Yes," he replied, " But what are you talking about, you're a-"
" Her power didn't disappear," she finished, " They moved on to another. Me." She studied him for a moment, then smiled weakly. " You know this doesn't change how I feel about you." she said, praying that he hadn't changed.
Squall was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he put his arms around her again, burying his face in her neck. " You know nothing can keep me from you." he replied, his voice a bit muffled.
She laughed, teary-eyed, and voice cracked. They stood out in that field for a while, just holding each other, almost as if time would never end.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
About an hour later, they were sitting in the tall grass and flowers, talking. They were both silent for a moment. Suddenly, Rinoa sighed.
" What is it?" Squall asked.
"What'll become of me?" Rinoa asked, looking up at a puffy white cloud. The breeze played with her hair for a moment, then passed on.
"Don't worry about it." he replied, looking at her, almost sympathetically. She chuckled bitterly. " Seriously," he insisted, " There've been many good sorceresses. Edea was one." He paused pensively for a moment. "You can be like her."
She thought about it for a moment, almost agreeing, then frowned. Looking ahead, she replied, "But Edea's still..." her voice trailed off. She thought again. "I can't guarantee anything, either, if Ultimecia possesses me again..." She sighed. " She already has once before, and I don't think I can..." she trailed off again. "What might happen next time?"
" Next time?" he asked.
Rinoa looked at her lap. " I did some things that would be extremely dangerous toward others, if I was taken long enough. If that happened again...if she began controlling me....what will I end up doing?" She looked at Squall, almost as if she was asking him. "Will I end up fighting everyone?...Scary thought, isn't it?"
Squall looked deep into her eyes, almost sadly. 'Rinoa......Even if you end up as the world's enemy,I'll...' he stopped himself for a moment, almost finishing the sentence aloud. 'I'll be your knight.'
"If I fall under Ultimecia's control again..." she continued, slowly and thoughtfully, looking ahead once again, "SeeD will come kill me, right?" She stopped for a moment, her eyes flickered with the sudden realization of something else, "And the leader of SeeD is you, Squall..." She said, looking at him suddenly. She looked afraid for a moment, then far off. "Squall's sword will pierce my heart......" she said distantly, pausing for a moment after the words were spoken. Then, she smiled at him weakly. "I guess it's ok if it's you, Squall. Nobody else." She reached out, and touched his hand lightly. "Squall, if that ever happens..." she started.
Squall interrupted her, squeezing her hand. "That's enough!" he insisted. She froze. "I'll never do anything like that. The sorceress I'm after is not you, Rinoa." His grip eased slightly, and his expression softened.
Rinoa sighed, looking off into the distance once again, far off. "Ultimecia lives in the future and possesses me." she replied, sadly. "She uses my body as her extension into this world." She looked at him yet again, shaking her head slightly. "How? How will you save me?"
Squall reached for her other hand. "I'll come up with something...There's gotta be a way." he pleaded with her. But, the look on Rinoa's face told him that she wasn't so sure. "Don't worry. Trust me." he insisted tenderly.
"...I trust you." she replied softly. She thought seriously for a moment. "Well, until you find a way, maybe..."
" What?" he asked.
Looking down, she replied, "Maybe I should stay in Esthar, at the memorial? Wouldn't that be better?"
Squall shook his head. "No...That'd be pointless." he said quietly. "I'll just end up going after you again." Rinoa smiled softly. He smiled back, and said, "Rinoa...Just stay close to me."
Rinoa straightened up, gasping. "Oh...those words!"
A bit puzzled, Squall asked, " What?"
"That's what started everything." she replied.
Now Squall straightened up. " What are you talking about?"
Rinoa looked confused. "You don't remember?" she asked slowly.
Squall shrugged. " Something I said?" he asked weakly.
She sighed. "Oh, just forget it!" She looked out at the field, stretching forever on.
Squall shook his head. He wanted to know. "No, it's because of the GF. That's why I forgot."
Now Rinoa shook her head. "That's just an excuse."
They were both silent for a moment. Squall wanted to let her calm down a little. "Feeling better?" he asked hopefully.
"Yeah." she replied. After another moment, she asked, "Can I tell you a story?" When he nodded, she began.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: Woohoo! Look at this chapter! I want to thank all of my fans, but first and foremost to Gracie! Thank you SO MUCh for finding the quote's from the promise scene in FF8!!! It looks so awesome in here! You rock! Also, to my other R&R fans: ElvenHorse; I can't believe that this fic has really moved someone as much as it has you! I hope your future is looking brighter, and good luck! I think you two deserve each other ;) Scott-land; Hope it wasn't too long a wait! How are you enjoying things so far? Is this chapter a nice follow up? Thanks again! lady-rinoa; Thanks to you, you have really proved that R&R doesn't mean write something truly awesome about how good the writer is- it's also about what he/she needs to improve on! Afraid to say that the story itself is taking me in this direction, and I don't want to go against a good feeling, but, I WILL keep you advice in mind next time I think of FanFiccing FF8! Thanks for reading! Pretty Like Drugs; I love seeing your reviews! You really seem to like the story! LoL hope the drama gets better for you! Stay tuned, okay? Breath of Fire; Hopefully you have gotten my e-mail that the fic has been updated, and you're reading this very soon! Nice to have a fan, really! And an observant one at that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and those still to come!
Keep on R&Ring you all! O. Trinity