Part 17:
Squall and Rinoa parted from that kiss, sadly of course taking the first few steps into the old forest…
They walked and walked for what seemed like hours as finally the weather started to warm up a bit, which favoured them, but meant encounters with several creatures…
They had killed about the tenth creature, when suddenly a voice sounded in Rinoa's ear, making her stop abruptly…
'Ahem…Squall? Rinoa? Can any of you hear me?...Please if you can say something…we're worried sick about you…please…Do you need help…are you lost? Say something…please…answer…Squall …please if you can hear me, just tell me you're ok, please…that's all I ask you…W-we don't have to talk about it. Just come back, please. I didn't want things to go this way. Please understand…don't hate me…please.' Laguna's voice sounded from the little communicator in her ear, but before Laguna could go on; Squall had ripped the thing out of his ear and thrown it on the ground furiously.
'Squall!' she ran after him as he strode into the nearest bushes furiously.
'Squall!' she grabbed him by his waist gently, making him stop…
'I can't believe this…what's wrong with him…? I wish he would just leave me alone…!' Squall groaned furiously…
'Squall I think it's best that I tell him we're ok…I don't think it's right to ignore him…give me a second, ok?…' Rinoa embraced him from the back, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly as she spoke softly…
'…' Squall remained silent, staring blankly with a huge frown…
Rinoa took a few steps away, touched the communicator and finally spoke…
'Laguna? Do you read?...' she called.
'…Oh sweetie, is that you?' Laguna cheered on the other side.
'…yes, it's me, Rinoa…look it's just to tell you everything's fine, I'm with Squall and he's ok…so don't worry about us, ok?' she spoke a little bit softly, due to the sadness in her voice.
'…I'm so glad you're ok!...a-are you lost?...do you need help?...where are you, do you know?…we'll come right away, no matter how far you are, we'll come…we can spot you from the mic if you touch the little green button right…' Laguna spoke cheerfully with hint of nervousness in his voice.
'It's ok, we're fine…we've decided to just go on straight to Ganahir, now that we're here…s-so there's no need to worry, we'll make it, ok?…' she answered.
'Rinoa that's too far! You'll never make it…tell us where you are. We'll get you.
really Laguna its fine…we're ok…we'll call you if we need help I promise, ok? Now don't worry about us…'
'Ok, you win. Tell me something, is Squall err.. is he ok? Can I speak to him?'
'Oh, yes he's just fine…but he can't really speak right now, he's a bit busy…he's umm…finding breakfast!...yeah…and he's going to take some time to come back, so I'll tell him when he comes back, is that ok?'
'Oh…ok…I guess we should go now. Have a safe journey, then. And please if you don't mind, tell Squall I'm sorry, ok? I think he knows what I mean. Goodbye.' Laguna answered back in a sad tone of voice.
'Sure. Have a nice journey yourself as well. Send my love to the others…bye.'
Rinoa turned the little communicator off and stared at the ground for a moment thoughtfully, then made her way back next to Squall who now was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree and eating some black berries from a bush as he stared at void.
'Hmph…I didn't lie after all…' she smiled as she caught sight of him.
'…huh?' Squall looked at her with his purple mouth hanging slightly open.
'Nothing…Everything is fine. They're not worried anymore, but Laguna…he's a little down in the dumps…he is quite worried about you and he asked me to tell you he is very sorry…' Rinoa sat down next to him and slid her arm through his one and leaned her head on his shoulder.
'…Humph!...' Squall offered Rinoa a wild delicious-looking berry.
Rinoa just hung her mouth open and took a bite.
'Hmmm…nice…' she smiled now that she also had a purple stained mouth.
Squall snorted and started giggling…
'Huh?...What's so funny?' she asked a bit puzzled, still chewing on some berries.
Squall just smiled at her adorably and kissed her unexpectedly, making her jerk with surprise as she held his face with both hands and enjoyed that moment…
'…' Squall went silent when they parted, which was kind of odd. You could tell he was thinking of something painful.
'…Squall, I don't want to be a pain, but…don't you think you ought to talk to Laguna…I mean after all he does care about you…you just should have heard his voice, poor thing, he sounded so heart broken…why don't you just talk to him…try and sort things out, huh?' Rinoa laid her head in Squall's lap as she watched him guzzle the berries nervously…
'Squa--hmm…'Rinoa tried to catch his attention, but Squall had playfully dropped a berry in her mouth as she opened her mouth to start talking…This made her giggle…
Squall smiled lovingly at her and kissed her lips smudged with berry juice, silencing her completely with his wonderful kiss…
'But…' she tried to go on as they parted, but…
'Shhh…eat… we won't have much time to stop on this journey…' he murmured, caressing her face as he spoke, smiling with a weird expression on his face. It was a sad, yet a loving smile. She could notice that he was really down, but tried to cover it up by distracting himself from those thoughts and rather playing and smiling at her.
'Yeah…' Rinoa gave up, smiling at him in amusement. He definitely never wanted to talk about it. She let it pass this time, but as soon as she had a chance, she was going to have a serious talk with him, she thought to herself. But she didn't blame him; he wasn't exactly in the best phase of his life. He was going through a tough time and she couldn't help noticing the bleakness and sadness in his eyes.
'…Squall?...' Rinoa murmured softly as she watched his eyes stare into hers as he held her in his lap.
'…Yeah?...' he continued gazing at her.
'…can we talk?' she asked politely touching his face.
'…' Squall frowned, pulled his head backwards and looked up at the sky. He knew what she wanted to talk about, but he didn't want to, it was too painful.
'Rin, I don't want to talk to him…' he sighed tiredly.
'Can you explain why?'
'Yeah I can…he starts appearing in my dreams and makes me go through his stupid life, then he hires me to kill the save the world and comes up with the story that his my father…I mean, he can't just abandon me and seventeen years later come back as my father! …I'm nobody's son, I have no father, no mother and no brothers or sisters…I have no family…!...I'm an orphan since I can remember, the only family I had where at the orphanage…Matron and Sis…I don't want any of that to change…it's who I am…'
'But what if he really is your father?...Do you believe he is?'
'…Rin, I don't know what to think or to believe anymore…I don't understand…It's just that so many weird things happened so far…first stupid dream…' he sighed.
'…and now he appears and tries to approach me and tell that whole load of bull…I can't take it…he can't be my father…'
'…what dream?'
'…that night in Dollet, after being injured, I dreamt I was falling off a cliff…then I heard this woman's voice in my head…telling me that she didn't want to leave me so soon, that she couldn't hold on any longer because she was weak…she lost her grip on life. She told me to hold on, to not let my life slip away from me and to live for the ones I love because there was so much I had to know…. She was always telling me I'd make it, I'd survive…somehow her voice was very familiar to me…which made me think that maybe this woman I heard could have been…'
'your mother…' Rinoa gave him a trusting look.
Squall looked down back at her with a worried frown on his face…
'What happened next, Squall?'
'…I felt strange afterwards…after her voice was gone…I felt…stronger…so I made it up the cliff…but then Laguna showed up…'
'What did he say!' Rinoa was paying lots of attention…
'…"I wasn't there before, but I'm here now…" that's what he said…then he told me I had mother's eyes…'
'Oh…so it's true…' Rinoa's mouth dropped slightly open…
'…then he said …there was so much he had to tell me…and then he was gone' Squall put his hand on his face, feeling very stressed out…
'…Squall, I had no idea you had had that weird dream, it must have been so real…!' Rinoa put her hands around his face…
'…Now everything makes sense Squall, Laguna's your father and your mother… was Raine…it makes perfect sense now…' Rinoa smiled comfortingly at him, removing his hand from his face as she spoke.
'But it can't be, Rin…it can't be this way…'
'It can't?...but why?' Rinoa's smile faded…
'…Rin, I can't accept it…I don't know how to explain this to you, but it's something that has to do with who I am…and I can't change that…Laguna can't expect me to just forget my past…I just hate him for all this...he can't be my father…'
'…but Squall, no one said you have to forget your past to be his son, he's already part of your life, whether you like it or not…Squall, he's your father…now you can spare all this pain if you just make things simple…'
'Simple?...How?' Squall looked at her anxiously.
'…the only thing you have to do, Squall is hear him out…as he told you before, there is so much you have to know…so listen to him, stop hating him, forgive him and accept him as your father…You've been alone all your life, but you aren't anymore. You are Laguna's son…and I can tell that he loves you very much…'
'I don't know…if he loved me…he wouldn't have left me in the first place…' Squall mumbled.
'…Surely he has his reasons…Laguna's a good man, he has a good heart from what I know…Why do you think my mother fell in love with him?' Rinoa smiled reassuringly.
'Yeah… a good silly man that is…' Squall chuckled slightly.
'Don't be harsh on him…' Rinoa giggled.
'…hearing his thoughts make me sick…I can hardly see myself in him…he is so…'
'Ok , ok Squall…that's enough…he's your father, a little respect for him, won't harm anyone…be nice…besides those thoughts you heard were when he was young…remember? He was just a love fool then…'
Squall smiled naughtily at her…
'Yeah, I guess he's changed…' Squall looked down shyly.
'So, you're giving him a chance?' Rinoa smiled putting her arms around his neck…
'I suppose' he sighed giving her a shy corner smile.
In response to that irresistible smile, Rinoa kissed him on his cheek.
'Your mouth is dirty…' she whispered in his ear.
Squall snorted, stretched his neck and…
'So is yours…' he whispered in her ear too.
'How dare you!' Rinoa wiped her mouth quickly. This made Squall laugh his lungs out…
'Stop it…!' she whined as Squall tried to clean her face, still giggling.
'I'm just trying to help here!...' he raised his hands, giving her a mocking look.
'Oh yeah?' she looked suspiciously at him.
Squall nodded with a naughty smile.
Rinoa went on trying to clean her face, licking her lips and sucking her fingers in the process, which made Squall giggle even more…
Rinoa looked at him with a cross look on her face and stopped for a moment.
'Oh, now that you at it: here too, and here…' Squall pointed at his mouth and his fingers…
'Ha ha ha…so very funny…but ok…if you insist…' Rinoa threw herself at his neck, stuck her tong out and threatened to lick his face, Squall holding her by her arms, trying to swerve from her tongue.
'Gotcha!' she licked his cheek.
'Come here!' Squall groaned, grabbing her by her arms and forcing her on his lap, held her face, looked at her and smiled…
'Kiss me…' he smiled from the corner of his mouth.
'Are you sure? Because I don't want to dirty your clean face…' she said ironically.
Squall pulled her closer to himself and silenced her with a loving kiss as she in the beginning struggled to loosen herself from his grip, but ended up giving in slowly to the softness of his lips.
'So, when are actually going to Ganahir!' Selphie started to loose her patience…
'Calm down, Seffie…Laguna is the boss here not me…' Irvine cuddled next to her on the porch…
'I'm tired of waiting and waiting…by now that Sarakman's got the whole world in his hands and we're here…waiting…!' Selphie freaked out.
'I wouldn't say that Seffie, as long as they don't find the Tear Blossom or Rinoa, the world is safe…' Irvine embraced her lovingly.
'I just hope Rinoa and Squall are alright…' she sighed.
'I' sure they're fine…actually they must be on some kind of honeymoon...he he…lucky ones aren't they…?...Squall must be having the time of his life…little squirt!' Irvine chuckled.
'SMACK! Irvine! I'm worried sick about them and you're just having naughty thoughts all the time! What kind of dedicated friend are you?' Selphie whined after giving him a smack on is cheek.
'Chill! I was just joking around!...Ouch…you have hard hands, you know?' Irvine complained.
'Oh…Irvy…I'm sorry, I'm just kind of worried…that's all…Sorry…' she gave him a sweet peck on the cheek.
'I know…as a matter of fact, I'm kind of tired myself…all this waiting is driving me mad…but the best thing to do is chill, ya know?...just chill…everything will be fine…'Irvine smiled and put his arm around her again.
'I think Laguna's trying to contact Squall on his IC before we go…that's if Squall or Rinoa can hear him…I don't think--' Quistis said as she leaned against the poll and crossed her arms impatiently, but before she could finish…
'…Ok, guys lets move on…we're crossing the lake and taking the Ragnarok all the way to Ganahir' Laguna burst out the door and made his way quickly off the platform as he spoke without looking at them. But a few moments later stopped abruptly and turned around slowly in wonder…
Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, Zell and Seifer watched him silently.
'Laguna?' Quistis made a quick run towards him.
'Yes, darling?' Laguna scratched around in his pockets quickly, looking for something desperately.
'…so?' Quistis whispered as her eyes widened as I she was about to say something…
'Hold on…hold on…' Laguna was trying to reach for and object in his inside pocket in his waistcoat…
'Gotcha!' Laguna smiled as he pulled out the bean shaped communicator and stuffed it in his ear joyfully, hoping Squall would eventually contact him.
'Laguna, what's happening?...to Ragnarok? What do you mean?...aren't we going to find them?'
'They're fine…I've spoke to Rinoa and…they're fine…they're heading to Ganahir alone and…we shall meet there…' Laguna faked a smile…
'…wha?...h-how?...they can't…it's too far for goodness sake!...they'll never make it!' Quistis said disapprovingly.
'…Quistis, I tried to tell them but, they have decided to go alone…I can't do anything against that…do not worry, I've told them…if they have any trouble to call us and we'll come, so…I suppose there's nothing to worry about…' Laguna smiled worriedly.
'…' Quistis remained silent in shock…
'Shall we?' Laguna smiled awkwardly and waved towards the river…
'Awe…Laguna!' Selphie moaned…
'C'mon…no whining…we do what we got to do…' Laguna dived into the river splashing everyone wet.
Once the whole gang was in the river, they swam towards the other side…
'The forest gets less dense towards south east, Rin…I think we getting closer to the river…' Squall looked around as he and Rinoa made their way through the forest quickly…
'That's good, right?' Rinoa gasped as she thumped her feet on the ground.
'I can't really tell…I'll tell you when we get there…' Squall smiled tiredly.
'C'mon!...yes or no?...you making me worry here…' Rinoa whined as she grabbed his hand…
'Ah….Just don't think about it…worry when we get there…' Squall pulled her as he hurried up and walked faster through the bushes, desperate to see what awaited them on the other side…
'Ok…' Rinoa started to run as Squall sped up…
This quick run seemed endless, but Squall knew the end of the forest was very near.
'Squall there's light!...' Rinoa yelled as all they could hear was the twigs scrapping by and the thumping of their feet on the dusty ground…
Squall started slowing down…
'It's here…' he murmured now holding tightly to her hand and slowly towards the light that shinned between the branches he walked. And when finally he had cut the last big branch out of the way…
Rinoa's face went pale…
'It's a cliff…' she murmured as she stared at the sea way below as eagles flew around the rocks below, where right on the opposite side of the sea, stood another cliff .
'No…' he mumbled.
'Huh?..."no" what?' she looked at him with awkwardly.
'No, this isn't good…you can worry now…' he murmured.
'…oh, thanks for warning…Squall, are we stuck?' she held on to his arm tightly.
'…' Squall turned around and approached a very wide, old oak tree, with its roots overflowing the surface. Squall stood still as he stared at it…
'What?...' she approached Squall and touched his arm caringly as she stared at him worriedly.
Squall started touching the tree all over as if he looked for something. Finally his hands reached a whole within the old tree as placed his hand inside slowly and met up with a sort of wheel the size of the palm of his hand. He stood there for a second or two, took a deep breath and turned the wheel…
A weird deafening tubular sound sounded from the whole in the tree as Squall removed his hand quickly because of the gush of air that blew from out of it.
The gush of air was so strong, Squall had thrown himself to the other side and grabbed onto Rinoa, afraid that she would fall off the cliff, waiting for it to stop as the tornado like gush of air shot very powerfully to the other side of the sea, reaching the opposite cliff…
'WHAT I S IT!' Rinoa asked Squall barely hearing her own voice, as she sat against the tree with Squall, who held her tightly in his arms.
'YOU'LL SEE!' Squall smiled at her confidently.
Rinoa just gazed at him amazed as he turned his neck and watched the gush of air weaken…
The gush of air started to weaken slowly but surely. When finally it had stopped, Squall had turned his neck back to Rinoa with a loving look in his eyes and with his hand he turned her face gently to look at what seemed a wooden bridge that made its way across the sea and reached the other end on the opposite cliff…
'Squall…! I-It's a bridge! We're not stuck!...but how?' Rinoa's mouth dropped open.
Squall got up and stood in front of the bridge as Rinoa got up quickly and followed him…
'…"and the ancient oak tree shall guide the way over the sea"…'he murmured as he gazed at the beautiful sight.
'…' Rinoa stared at him…
'… Matron used to tell us stories when we were kids…they always ended in some kind of prophecy…never knew the meaning of them until now…' Squall chuckled slightly as he gave her a sweet smile and held her hand comfortingly and stared over the cliff…
Squall looked back at her, gave her a trusting look and took the first step over the bridge…
To be continued…
That was part 17, I really hope you liked it…
If you have any suggestions, please feel free to make them. Oh, and of course…if you don't mind, please review, because as I said, it means a great deal to me. Well then thanks for reading, thank you so much…
Sorry if take long to update, you see, I don't have Internet at home anymore and the only chance I have of updating is when I go out (which is rare) and find a Cyber-Café or use the computers at school which are constantly occupied by little annoying liars that claim priority by saying they have papers to hand in! (IT makes me MAD!)
Sorry if you see the story taking too long to end, I'm also kind of concerned about that, but I can't just end it anyhow!
Thanks for reading!