Dedicated To You
Disclaimer: Ownership of the characters, locations, and other various things I cannot remember belong to the creators of Final Fantasy. I also don't own any of the rights to the song that inspired a lot of emotion in this chapter (see Author's Note)
Chapter 22
Rinoa opened her eyes. The sun had not yet risen, but she felt like she had slept in. She sat up, and looked at the clock. 'Quarter past five...' she thought, getting out of bed. She walked out of her Dorm, ignoring the fact that she was still in her nightgown, and walked to the Secret Area. As she walked, she noticed that no one else was up yet. 'Obviously,' she added thoughtfully. 'It's a little early in the morning for people to be walking through the Garden.' Her bare feet made the slightest noise as she walked, and she smiled as it played a soft beat. Yet, she still felt a little ridiculous, walking so early in her pajamas.
When at last she had arrived in the Secret Area, she leaned against the railing, and sighed. She looked across the horizon, waiting for the sun to appear, and greet the day.
' I shouldn't worry so much...' she thought, sighing again. 'When I worry, Squall gets this...look. I don't want him to be so sad...that's it. I've got to do something...I've got to-'
" Rin?" a voice quietly said behind her. She turned around slowly, and saw Selphie wrapped in her bed robe. They both giggled.
" Selphie, what are you doing up so early?" Rinoa asked softly as her friend slowly walked up to her side.
" I should be asking you the same question!" she replied, shaking a finger at her teasingly. Rinoa stretched out, holding onto the railing. " Couldn't sleep." she replied, " How about you?"
Selphie shook her head. " No way I was gonna stay asleep! Too much worrying, too much on my mind." She turned to give her friend a smile, but instead, she noticed her friend looking down at the ground. She seemed troubled. " Rinny?" she asked softly.
" What are you so worried about?" she asked, trying to avoid the question that was almost inevitable to avoid.
It worked. " I've been having...troubles lately." Selphie admitted, sighing. " Irvine...well...he's changed."
" How so?" Rinoa asked.
Selphie looked out towards the horizon. " Before this whole thing started with Zell, he could flirt with any girl, and I could be sitting in his lap. But, now..." she paused, shaking her head, " Now he's concerned about me. And he's thinking about me. And he...cares about me...and I had to tell him no."
" No to what, Selph?"
Selphie once again faced her friend. " If he had asked me just about a year ago, I would've said yes in a heartbeat. But, I said no. I love Zell, Rinny, not Irvine, but I feel...like I'm guilty of something. I feel...like maybe I'm not doing the right thing; maybe I'm supposed to care about Irvine. Maybe Zell...maybe I feel like I love him, but I'm not supposed to. Maybe I'm supposed to love Irvine, because in the end, no one else is willing to stay at his side. Maybe I'm not supposed to be just his friend." She sighed deeper this time, and Rinoa could tell she was coming closer and closer to tears with each sentence. " But, I don't want to be anything more than his friend. He'll always flirt with someone else; he'll always find some way not to touch me, or to be with me. He will always pretend not to want anything until he realizes he can't have it. I don't want to play that game, Rinoa. I don't want to let that happen. And I don't want to give up Zell."
Rinoa hugged her friend tightly. " You don't have to, Selphie." she replied. " You have a great thing with Zell. Don't give it up just because Irvine is playing games. Don't get me wrong, though, Irvine's my friend, too, and I'm still going to show sympathy because I care about him. But I am not going to let him make your decisions, or make you feel guilty. He isn't a bad guy, but he is a crybaby." She tried not to laugh at the last part, but Selphie did.
" Rinny, you are so right." she sighed, after a fit of laughter. " He IS a bit of a crybaby."
Rinoa laughed. " Well...only a little bit."
They both laughed a little more. They looked at the horizon, noticing that the sun was coming up. Both sighed. " You know what I wish?" Selphie asked. " What?" She grinned, tilting her head slightly, enjoying the growing sunlight. " I wish Zell was here..." she said, grinning.
" Say no more," he replied, suddenly appearing behind her. " I thought I might find you here." He wrapped his arms around her.
She giggled. " Hey!" she replied, turning around. She lightly tapped his nose with her finger. " Sleep well?"
" Well, until you left I was!" he replied.
She rolled her eyes. " There is NO way you knew I left." she said.
" There is when I have an excellent sense of hearing." he replied teasingly. " Truth be told, maybe I set up a way of hearing your door open and close..."
" You bugged my room?!" she asked, now a little upset.
" No, no no!!" he replied, worried. " I was only kidding. I had a lousy night, and I could hear your door from down the hall. I admit it; but, please, don't start telling me how worried you are that I couldn't sleep last night."
Selphie sighed. " You creeped me for a moment there, Zell Dincht!" she said sternly, but she was grinning.
" That's why I couldn't sleep." he teased.
'So sweet...' Rinoa thought to herself, slowly making her exit. She made it to the exit quietly, taking one last glance at the beautiful sunrise. Grinning, she slipped out of the Secret Area unnoticed.
-
Squall turned over yet again. He had been tossing and turning all night; it was his dream that awoke him so early in the morning. He didn't like to think about it, but it bothered him, and it didn't want to let go. It infected his mind, and repeated itself.
Squall and Rinoa sat on the beach, staring at the night's sky. Suddenly, Rinoa sighed uneasily. Squall looked at her. " What's wrong?" he asked.
She turned to face him, sighing. " Squall..." she said quietly, with sad eyes. " Will you promise me something?"
" Yes?" he asked.
" Promise me..." she started. " If anything happens...if Ultemecia takes over me again...you won't hesitate to carry out any means of stopping her."
" What are you saying, Rinoa?" he asked softly.
" If she takes over me again, Squall, and I can't stop her," she replied, quiet yet firm, " You have to do WHATEVER it takes. Even if it means..."
" Rinoa, stop, please." he asked. " I would never-"
" You have to promise me." she interrupted. " I love you, Squall. Hyne, you're all I ever think about. But, if Ultemecia posseses me again, you have to stop her. If that means killing me, then you must do what you have to do. But, promise me that you will."
" Rinoa..." he said slowly, " I promised you that I would always protect you. How can I do that if I promise to kill you?"
" I know you think it's crazy, and I know you don't ever want to face that path," she said gently, brushing his cheek, " I don't want to meet that end, either. But, you promised to protect me, and if I'm possessed again, then I'm in danger. The only way to save me would be to kill me. Don't you see?"
" ..."
Rinoa brushed away the strand of hair that was in his eyes. " Squall?" she said softly.
" ...I promise." he replied. " But, always remember, I'll find another way before you meet your end."
" Squall," Rinoa said, trying to sound light-hearted, " You don't have to do that. Everything will be fine."
' I do have to promise...' he thought, ' If I don't, I'll be crushed when the time comes. If I don't promise, then I'll feel like death is the only option...' " ..."
Rinoa chuckled weakly. " Besides, for all we know, it'll be a long time, if ever, that we have to make that choice-" Suddenly, she froze.
" Rinoa?" Squall asked.
Rinoa stood up, and slowly walked across the beach. Suddenly, she started to hover above the sand.
" Rinoa!" he shouted, standing.
Rinoa slowly turned, and Squall's heart sank. Her eyes were glowing red.
" Now what?" she asked. " Are you going to kill me? Well, now, what did she say? Oh, I believe it was something like this: 'Squall's sword will pierce my heart...I guess it's okay if it's you, Squall. No body else.' " She laughed wickedly. " Yes, that was it. So, how about it? Pierce my heart-if you can."
Squall stood, frozen. He knew what he had promised to do, but his feet didn't obey his grudging command.
The woman laughed again, and flew across the beach rapidly. In the distance, screams from the innocent slowly rose in volume as she terrorized the town.
And yet, despite his promise, Squall stood on the beach.
Squall turned over yet again. He almost felt he was really there.
He somehow had made his way to the town, and was standing high up on a balcony, face to face with Rinoa. Her eyes continued to glow, and he had found no way to free her from the spell. He stood still, feeling helpless. 'I promised...' he thought, looking into the red, glowing eyes that cackled at him. He didn't even know what happened; he didn't even feel his gunblade thrust forward. He suddenly saw Rinoa collapse on the balcony, and felt the gunblade fall from his hands. He fell to his knees, realizing what he had done.
The eyes that looked up at him were no longer red. Instead, they were soft brown, and they almost seemed to be smiling at him. " Squall..." Rinoa said quietly, and she managed to smile. " Thank you...I'm free now..."
" Rinoa, please, I-" he stammered.
" No, don't." she said, trying to reach for his hand. She couldn't move her arm; she strained to reach him.
He noticed, and took her hand. " Rinoa," he started again, " I never got to ask you..."
" Shh...." she interrupted. " You don't have to ask me...anything. Just tell me one more thing..."
" What?" he asked softly.
" I want to hear you say you love me...just one more time...that's all I really want."
Squall paused slightly. He didn't want to sound sad when he said it. " I love you, Rinoa..." he said.
She smiled again. " And I love you..." she replied. " Never forget...but, don't wait for me. That's all I have to say." Suddenly, her smile faded, and Squall felt her hold on his hand loosening. " Rinoa, please-" he started, but it was too late.
Squall sat straight up, almost gasping for air. He glanced at the clock again; this time it was around six A.M. He sighed, and got out of bed. He needed to clear his mind.
-
Rinoa made her way slowly to her room. Closing the door, she sighed. 'Maybe I should go see Squall...' she thought. 'Make sure he's okay.' She quickly got dressed. As she slipped out the door, though, she had a slight feeling that he wasn't in his room.
She ran down the halls. She didn't know why she did, but she ran. She hadn't bothered to look at what she had grabbed out of the closet, but it felt like her favorite dress, the one she wore to the beach the night before. She felt the light material flying ahead of her steps, and she still was barefoot. The floor felt cool underneath her feet, but she only felt it during the split second her feet actually touched the ground. She was running quite fast; in fact, she had almost missed his door. She stopped quickly, and almost knocked on the door. 'He may be asleep...' she thought. 'Or he may not be there at all.' Upon further reflection, she slowly opened the door. Looking inside, she saw a very quiet and very empty room. 'No Squall...' she thought, sighing. She quietly shut the door, and walked down the hall, trying to think of a place where Squall might have gone to. Her mind wandered to Squall's dream. She had seen it; that was the reason she was trying to find him. Suddenly, an idea came to her. " The beach!" she softly gasped. She turned around, and ran to the exit.
Squall was standing on the beach, watching the waves crashing on the sand. The ocean was slightly churning; the waves were unusual for the area. The wind blew as well, and he couldn't help but wonder if a storm was drawing near. The wind blew through his hair, and he closed his eyes. He was tryinig to clear his mind, but it wasn't working all that well. He thought of Rinoa; her warmth, her smile. He could feel her warmth now; her fingers running through his hair. 'My imagination is running wild.' he thought, almost scoffing, when, suddenly, he felt her lips press against his. He opened his eyes to see her slowly pulling away. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, and he couldn't help but grin because of it. " Hello." he said.
Rinoa softly chuckled. " Hi." she replied, grinning at him. " I was looking for you."
" Really?" he asked.
" Yeah..." she sighed, looking deeply into his blue eyes. " I went into your room-" she started, then stopped herself. " Uh, that's not what I meant..."
Squall chuckled. " Were you planning on waking me up?" he asked teasingly.
" Well..." she stammered, suddenly thinking of a better answer. " I was planning on helping you go back to sleep."
Squall kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She kissed him back eagerly. When they pulled away, she laughed. Squall panicked for a moment; the laugh reminding him of his dream. He looked into the maiden's eyes, which were a warm brown.
" Sweetheart, I'd almost say you miss me!" she teased.
Squall remembered her in his dream, dying before his very eyes. " say that." he replied, far off.
Rinoa felt that sorry state of worry and pain. " Squall..." she said quietly, not able to finish the sentence. Instead, she held him tightly, feeling afraid for him. She thought again of his dream; it scared her, too. A promise like that was a serious commitment, not to mention what she was praying for. " Squall...I know what you dreamt of last night." she said quietly. " I know it scared you. It scared me, too. But, it's okay. Do you know why I said only you could pierce my heart?" She paused. " Because you're the only person I will ever die for. I don't want anyone else to bring my demise, Squall, because you, and you alone, are the one I want to die for. I don't care about anyone else."
Squall looked down at the sand beneath their feet. They were both silent, until Rinoa saw a single tear slide off Squall's cheek, and fall to the sand. She gasped slightly, and lifted his chin. His eyes were sad, and she knew he didn't want her to see him crying, but she wanted him to see her crying. Soft tears slid down her cheeks as well, and she tenderly wiped his away. They both stood in silence, and could only wonder what was to become of them.
-
Ever since Rinoa had come into his life, he had felt real emotion. It was as if something had awakened in him, a new force. He didn't feel the same, and there were things he had shut out that he had to deal with. 'Would I change any of it?' he asked himself silently, as he lay in bed that night. 'Would I give everything up, just to forget? Would I forget Rinoa, so then things wouldn't be this way?' He paused for a moment, almost as if he needed to think about an answer. 'Never.' he answered to himself, in silence. 'I wouldn't change anything'
-
Author's Note: Okay, total sappiness has been served! But, hey, that's the way I am! Anyway, the song that gave me the emotions to work with this chapter is off of the Spiderman 2 soundtrack (shock!), which I just got today. The song is called, "Someone To Die For", and I strongly suggest putting that song on repeat while reading this chapter (if you have the song, that is!) Ah, time again to thank my faithful R&Ring fans! Breath of Fire: I know, the last chapter was kinda short -.-;; I'm really working on it. BTW, you did guess last time, and you'll have to wait and see. PrettyLikeDrugs: LoL! I'm sure everyone has an idea of what Squall's trying to do! LoL that's the sad thing about my writing; it can be pretty predictable. chibi-san: LoL everyone will see soom enough, when the time is right, what Squall's going to do. I promise I'll try and update fast enough to where you won't have to wait much longer. Hang in there! Rinoa Leonheartilly: LoL thank God I updated so early! Sweet, that's the kewlest repremand I've gotten yet! I love it! Keep on reading, okay? :P twincool: LoL Cheesy CAN be nice, you're right! Also right about Squall (actually, a special someone I know has a slight resemblance to him wink Or at least that's my opinion) LYL all! Trin
Disclaimer: Ownership of the characters, locations, and other various things I cannot remember belong to the creators of Final Fantasy. I also don't own any of the rights to the song that inspired a lot of emotion in this chapter (see Author's Note)
Chapter 22
Rinoa opened her eyes. The sun had not yet risen, but she felt like she had slept in. She sat up, and looked at the clock. 'Quarter past five...' she thought, getting out of bed. She walked out of her Dorm, ignoring the fact that she was still in her nightgown, and walked to the Secret Area. As she walked, she noticed that no one else was up yet. 'Obviously,' she added thoughtfully. 'It's a little early in the morning for people to be walking through the Garden.' Her bare feet made the slightest noise as she walked, and she smiled as it played a soft beat. Yet, she still felt a little ridiculous, walking so early in her pajamas.
When at last she had arrived in the Secret Area, she leaned against the railing, and sighed. She looked across the horizon, waiting for the sun to appear, and greet the day.
' I shouldn't worry so much...' she thought, sighing again. 'When I worry, Squall gets this...look. I don't want him to be so sad...that's it. I've got to do something...I've got to-'
" Rin?" a voice quietly said behind her. She turned around slowly, and saw Selphie wrapped in her bed robe. They both giggled.
" Selphie, what are you doing up so early?" Rinoa asked softly as her friend slowly walked up to her side.
" I should be asking you the same question!" she replied, shaking a finger at her teasingly. Rinoa stretched out, holding onto the railing. " Couldn't sleep." she replied, " How about you?"
Selphie shook her head. " No way I was gonna stay asleep! Too much worrying, too much on my mind." She turned to give her friend a smile, but instead, she noticed her friend looking down at the ground. She seemed troubled. " Rinny?" she asked softly.
" What are you so worried about?" she asked, trying to avoid the question that was almost inevitable to avoid.
It worked. " I've been having...troubles lately." Selphie admitted, sighing. " Irvine...well...he's changed."
" How so?" Rinoa asked.
Selphie looked out towards the horizon. " Before this whole thing started with Zell, he could flirt with any girl, and I could be sitting in his lap. But, now..." she paused, shaking her head, " Now he's concerned about me. And he's thinking about me. And he...cares about me...and I had to tell him no."
" No to what, Selph?"
Selphie once again faced her friend. " If he had asked me just about a year ago, I would've said yes in a heartbeat. But, I said no. I love Zell, Rinny, not Irvine, but I feel...like I'm guilty of something. I feel...like maybe I'm not doing the right thing; maybe I'm supposed to care about Irvine. Maybe Zell...maybe I feel like I love him, but I'm not supposed to. Maybe I'm supposed to love Irvine, because in the end, no one else is willing to stay at his side. Maybe I'm not supposed to be just his friend." She sighed deeper this time, and Rinoa could tell she was coming closer and closer to tears with each sentence. " But, I don't want to be anything more than his friend. He'll always flirt with someone else; he'll always find some way not to touch me, or to be with me. He will always pretend not to want anything until he realizes he can't have it. I don't want to play that game, Rinoa. I don't want to let that happen. And I don't want to give up Zell."
Rinoa hugged her friend tightly. " You don't have to, Selphie." she replied. " You have a great thing with Zell. Don't give it up just because Irvine is playing games. Don't get me wrong, though, Irvine's my friend, too, and I'm still going to show sympathy because I care about him. But I am not going to let him make your decisions, or make you feel guilty. He isn't a bad guy, but he is a crybaby." She tried not to laugh at the last part, but Selphie did.
" Rinny, you are so right." she sighed, after a fit of laughter. " He IS a bit of a crybaby."
Rinoa laughed. " Well...only a little bit."
They both laughed a little more. They looked at the horizon, noticing that the sun was coming up. Both sighed. " You know what I wish?" Selphie asked. " What?" She grinned, tilting her head slightly, enjoying the growing sunlight. " I wish Zell was here..." she said, grinning.
" Say no more," he replied, suddenly appearing behind her. " I thought I might find you here." He wrapped his arms around her.
She giggled. " Hey!" she replied, turning around. She lightly tapped his nose with her finger. " Sleep well?"
" Well, until you left I was!" he replied.
She rolled her eyes. " There is NO way you knew I left." she said.
" There is when I have an excellent sense of hearing." he replied teasingly. " Truth be told, maybe I set up a way of hearing your door open and close..."
" You bugged my room?!" she asked, now a little upset.
" No, no no!!" he replied, worried. " I was only kidding. I had a lousy night, and I could hear your door from down the hall. I admit it; but, please, don't start telling me how worried you are that I couldn't sleep last night."
Selphie sighed. " You creeped me for a moment there, Zell Dincht!" she said sternly, but she was grinning.
" That's why I couldn't sleep." he teased.
'So sweet...' Rinoa thought to herself, slowly making her exit. She made it to the exit quietly, taking one last glance at the beautiful sunrise. Grinning, she slipped out of the Secret Area unnoticed.
-
Squall turned over yet again. He had been tossing and turning all night; it was his dream that awoke him so early in the morning. He didn't like to think about it, but it bothered him, and it didn't want to let go. It infected his mind, and repeated itself.
Squall and Rinoa sat on the beach, staring at the night's sky. Suddenly, Rinoa sighed uneasily. Squall looked at her. " What's wrong?" he asked.
She turned to face him, sighing. " Squall..." she said quietly, with sad eyes. " Will you promise me something?"
" Yes?" he asked.
" Promise me..." she started. " If anything happens...if Ultemecia takes over me again...you won't hesitate to carry out any means of stopping her."
" What are you saying, Rinoa?" he asked softly.
" If she takes over me again, Squall, and I can't stop her," she replied, quiet yet firm, " You have to do WHATEVER it takes. Even if it means..."
" Rinoa, stop, please." he asked. " I would never-"
" You have to promise me." she interrupted. " I love you, Squall. Hyne, you're all I ever think about. But, if Ultemecia posseses me again, you have to stop her. If that means killing me, then you must do what you have to do. But, promise me that you will."
" Rinoa..." he said slowly, " I promised you that I would always protect you. How can I do that if I promise to kill you?"
" I know you think it's crazy, and I know you don't ever want to face that path," she said gently, brushing his cheek, " I don't want to meet that end, either. But, you promised to protect me, and if I'm possessed again, then I'm in danger. The only way to save me would be to kill me. Don't you see?"
" ..."
Rinoa brushed away the strand of hair that was in his eyes. " Squall?" she said softly.
" ...I promise." he replied. " But, always remember, I'll find another way before you meet your end."
" Squall," Rinoa said, trying to sound light-hearted, " You don't have to do that. Everything will be fine."
' I do have to promise...' he thought, ' If I don't, I'll be crushed when the time comes. If I don't promise, then I'll feel like death is the only option...' " ..."
Rinoa chuckled weakly. " Besides, for all we know, it'll be a long time, if ever, that we have to make that choice-" Suddenly, she froze.
" Rinoa?" Squall asked.
Rinoa stood up, and slowly walked across the beach. Suddenly, she started to hover above the sand.
" Rinoa!" he shouted, standing.
Rinoa slowly turned, and Squall's heart sank. Her eyes were glowing red.
" Now what?" she asked. " Are you going to kill me? Well, now, what did she say? Oh, I believe it was something like this: 'Squall's sword will pierce my heart...I guess it's okay if it's you, Squall. No body else.' " She laughed wickedly. " Yes, that was it. So, how about it? Pierce my heart-if you can."
Squall stood, frozen. He knew what he had promised to do, but his feet didn't obey his grudging command.
The woman laughed again, and flew across the beach rapidly. In the distance, screams from the innocent slowly rose in volume as she terrorized the town.
And yet, despite his promise, Squall stood on the beach.
Squall turned over yet again. He almost felt he was really there.
He somehow had made his way to the town, and was standing high up on a balcony, face to face with Rinoa. Her eyes continued to glow, and he had found no way to free her from the spell. He stood still, feeling helpless. 'I promised...' he thought, looking into the red, glowing eyes that cackled at him. He didn't even know what happened; he didn't even feel his gunblade thrust forward. He suddenly saw Rinoa collapse on the balcony, and felt the gunblade fall from his hands. He fell to his knees, realizing what he had done.
The eyes that looked up at him were no longer red. Instead, they were soft brown, and they almost seemed to be smiling at him. " Squall..." Rinoa said quietly, and she managed to smile. " Thank you...I'm free now..."
" Rinoa, please, I-" he stammered.
" No, don't." she said, trying to reach for his hand. She couldn't move her arm; she strained to reach him.
He noticed, and took her hand. " Rinoa," he started again, " I never got to ask you..."
" Shh...." she interrupted. " You don't have to ask me...anything. Just tell me one more thing..."
" What?" he asked softly.
" I want to hear you say you love me...just one more time...that's all I really want."
Squall paused slightly. He didn't want to sound sad when he said it. " I love you, Rinoa..." he said.
She smiled again. " And I love you..." she replied. " Never forget...but, don't wait for me. That's all I have to say." Suddenly, her smile faded, and Squall felt her hold on his hand loosening. " Rinoa, please-" he started, but it was too late.
Squall sat straight up, almost gasping for air. He glanced at the clock again; this time it was around six A.M. He sighed, and got out of bed. He needed to clear his mind.
-
Rinoa made her way slowly to her room. Closing the door, she sighed. 'Maybe I should go see Squall...' she thought. 'Make sure he's okay.' She quickly got dressed. As she slipped out the door, though, she had a slight feeling that he wasn't in his room.
She ran down the halls. She didn't know why she did, but she ran. She hadn't bothered to look at what she had grabbed out of the closet, but it felt like her favorite dress, the one she wore to the beach the night before. She felt the light material flying ahead of her steps, and she still was barefoot. The floor felt cool underneath her feet, but she only felt it during the split second her feet actually touched the ground. She was running quite fast; in fact, she had almost missed his door. She stopped quickly, and almost knocked on the door. 'He may be asleep...' she thought. 'Or he may not be there at all.' Upon further reflection, she slowly opened the door. Looking inside, she saw a very quiet and very empty room. 'No Squall...' she thought, sighing. She quietly shut the door, and walked down the hall, trying to think of a place where Squall might have gone to. Her mind wandered to Squall's dream. She had seen it; that was the reason she was trying to find him. Suddenly, an idea came to her. " The beach!" she softly gasped. She turned around, and ran to the exit.
Squall was standing on the beach, watching the waves crashing on the sand. The ocean was slightly churning; the waves were unusual for the area. The wind blew as well, and he couldn't help but wonder if a storm was drawing near. The wind blew through his hair, and he closed his eyes. He was tryinig to clear his mind, but it wasn't working all that well. He thought of Rinoa; her warmth, her smile. He could feel her warmth now; her fingers running through his hair. 'My imagination is running wild.' he thought, almost scoffing, when, suddenly, he felt her lips press against his. He opened his eyes to see her slowly pulling away. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, and he couldn't help but grin because of it. " Hello." he said.
Rinoa softly chuckled. " Hi." she replied, grinning at him. " I was looking for you."
" Really?" he asked.
" Yeah..." she sighed, looking deeply into his blue eyes. " I went into your room-" she started, then stopped herself. " Uh, that's not what I meant..."
Squall chuckled. " Were you planning on waking me up?" he asked teasingly.
" Well..." she stammered, suddenly thinking of a better answer. " I was planning on helping you go back to sleep."
Squall kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She kissed him back eagerly. When they pulled away, she laughed. Squall panicked for a moment; the laugh reminding him of his dream. He looked into the maiden's eyes, which were a warm brown.
" Sweetheart, I'd almost say you miss me!" she teased.
Squall remembered her in his dream, dying before his very eyes. " say that." he replied, far off.
Rinoa felt that sorry state of worry and pain. " Squall..." she said quietly, not able to finish the sentence. Instead, she held him tightly, feeling afraid for him. She thought again of his dream; it scared her, too. A promise like that was a serious commitment, not to mention what she was praying for. " Squall...I know what you dreamt of last night." she said quietly. " I know it scared you. It scared me, too. But, it's okay. Do you know why I said only you could pierce my heart?" She paused. " Because you're the only person I will ever die for. I don't want anyone else to bring my demise, Squall, because you, and you alone, are the one I want to die for. I don't care about anyone else."
Squall looked down at the sand beneath their feet. They were both silent, until Rinoa saw a single tear slide off Squall's cheek, and fall to the sand. She gasped slightly, and lifted his chin. His eyes were sad, and she knew he didn't want her to see him crying, but she wanted him to see her crying. Soft tears slid down her cheeks as well, and she tenderly wiped his away. They both stood in silence, and could only wonder what was to become of them.
-
Ever since Rinoa had come into his life, he had felt real emotion. It was as if something had awakened in him, a new force. He didn't feel the same, and there were things he had shut out that he had to deal with. 'Would I change any of it?' he asked himself silently, as he lay in bed that night. 'Would I give everything up, just to forget? Would I forget Rinoa, so then things wouldn't be this way?' He paused for a moment, almost as if he needed to think about an answer. 'Never.' he answered to himself, in silence. 'I wouldn't change anything'
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Author's Note: Okay, total sappiness has been served! But, hey, that's the way I am! Anyway, the song that gave me the emotions to work with this chapter is off of the Spiderman 2 soundtrack (shock!), which I just got today. The song is called, "Someone To Die For", and I strongly suggest putting that song on repeat while reading this chapter (if you have the song, that is!) Ah, time again to thank my faithful R&Ring fans! Breath of Fire: I know, the last chapter was kinda short -.-;; I'm really working on it. BTW, you did guess last time, and you'll have to wait and see. PrettyLikeDrugs: LoL! I'm sure everyone has an idea of what Squall's trying to do! LoL that's the sad thing about my writing; it can be pretty predictable. chibi-san: LoL everyone will see soom enough, when the time is right, what Squall's going to do. I promise I'll try and update fast enough to where you won't have to wait much longer. Hang in there! Rinoa Leonheartilly: LoL thank God I updated so early! Sweet, that's the kewlest repremand I've gotten yet! I love it! Keep on reading, okay? :P twincool: LoL Cheesy CAN be nice, you're right! Also right about Squall (actually, a special someone I know has a slight resemblance to him wink Or at least that's my opinion) LYL all! Trin