MISSING AND MOVING ON
By Wonga316
COPYRIGHT
Final Fantasy and its characters are property of Squaresoft etc, etc…
INTRODUCTION
This my first attempt at FF8 fan fic. It takes places directly after time compression with a twist that will rock the crew of FF8 to the core 'especially Rinoa'.
Excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes. I try my best to catch them all but occasional one does slip through. I'll also try to keep everyone IC and minimize OC.
"…" Indicates normal speech
'…' Indicates speakers thoughts
(…) Indicates any other communications e.g. – radio, television, telephone, speaker
CHAPTER 04
"…I'm leaving…" everyone was stunned by Squall's admission. Quistis was the first to speak up but only barely.
"…Wh… Why…"
"Would you believe me if I told you it was a long story?"
"Come on, Squall. Stop scaring everyone and tell them that you're joking." Laguna replied and half laughing. Squall gave the President a dark glance.
"I don't joke about these things." Squall said looking back out the window.
"Look Squall, I know all this attention must be a shock to the system but give it some time. Things will get back to normal." Laguna answered walking towards the young man.
"Normal? Can you tell me the last time my life was normal?"
"Laguna is right, man. Chill back for a bit. Things will return. Just the good old days" Zell supported Laguna.
"It's not that simple."
'Damn he can be stubborn… I might regret this but…' "So are you going to run away? Try and hide from all this." Laguna asked Squall.
That was the last straw that broke Squall. "Just like you ran away from Raine." Squall turned around and faced Laguna. "You have some gall to tell what to do after what you did to my mother!"
'HOW! HOW DID HE KNOW!' "Wh… What… How…"
Squall grabbed Laguna by his suit jacket and picked him up. "You abandoned us! Threw us away like we were the trash. Tell me why?"
"Squall… How… It's not…"
"Answer my fucking question!"
"Squall… Please calm down." Ellone pleaded. It seemed to work as Squall threw Laguna back onto his feet.
"Don't tell me to clam down." Squall seethed. "Why didn't tell me that Raine was my mother and this lying bastard is my father?"
Ellone couldn't say anything and instead looked away from Squall. "You're just as much responsible as he is. Damn it Ellone! We're family…" he released his hold and threw his father to the ground. "At least I thought we were…"
"Squall… I'm sure that Langua had his reasons for not telling you. If staying at the Palace is a problem you can come back to the Garden." Cid offered.
"I'm not coming back to the Garden."
"WHAT!" Everyone demanded. Rinoa who had been knelling next to Alex had walked up and grabbed Squall's hand
"…"
"I don't why Laguna did what he did or why Ellone didn't tell you but I'm sure that they had good reasons. You won't solve anything by leaving again. Stay and I'll help you figure out everything. I'll be with you Squall. Let me help you." Rinoa said refusing to let go of his hand.
"You can't help me with this. None of you can." Said Squall ripping his hand from Rinoa's grasp.
"NO!" Rinoa protested and went around to face him. "Do you know how hard it was to let you go once before? I'm never going to do that again."
"…"
"Say something!"
"…"
"I love you Squall… Please tell me…" Rinoa's admission forced Alex to look up from between his knees where he was nursing his bloody nose.
"… I don't love you…" Squall's reply shocked Rinoa to the core and fell to her knees.
"That's it!" Irvine yelled as he ran and grabbed Squall by that shoulders. "This has gone too far! Enough's enough!"
"Why are all of you so interested in my life. Aren't your lives enough? I just want to be alone." Squall said brushing aside Irvine as he made his way out of the dinning room. Rinoa could only watch helplessly as her knight walked out of her life for the second time. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Cid and Edea told Quistis and Selphie to stay with Rinoa while they followed Squall out of the room. Selphie and Quistis were trying to shake a response from the young women but it was to no avail.
"Does anyone know what the report says?" Zell asked aloud.
"I think I understand now…" Laguna said to himself after recovering from the initial shock of Squall questioning.
"What? What is it uncle?" Ellone asked.
"I have to check something with Odine. Make sure that Rinoa is alright and Squall doesn't do anything rash." Laguna said running out of the room.
PALACE HALLWAYS
"I can see that you are serious about leaving." Cid asked trying to catch up. Squall ignored the elder man and continued walking away. "Squall we didn't come here to try and stop you."
"Then why are you here?" Squall asked stopping in the middle of the hallway.
"We're worried about you. Just tell us and what wrong and we'll try to help." Edea said walking up to Squall.
"It's not your problem… I'm not a child anymore."
"Squall… You don't have to do this all on your own. There's no shame in asking for help."
"…"
"Please Squall… talk to us…"
"… I'm sorry… I can't… and can you tell the others that I'm sorry as well."
ODINE'S OFFICE
"Doc Are you in here?" Laguna asked bursting into the office.
"Have you ever heard of knocking, Mr President?" Odine asked annoyed at the man's rude behaviour.
"Oh… Sorry. Listen, I have a question about the report on Squall."
"I'm quite busy at the moment. Can it wait?"
"Damn it! I'm the President! I'm the man that give you the funding to run this joint." Laguna said thumping Odine's desk.
"Very well… What do you want to know?"
Langua took one of the visitor chairs before proceeding. "Tell what exactly happens during the time compression leap?"
"Basically, a time compression gate allows an individual to travel…" Odine said organising his desk items after Laguna's palm impacted.
"I know that… I want to know what actually happens when they are in the gate."
"I can't exactly say with certainly but from the other individuals in the Seed team that travel to defeat Utlimerica. Time, space and reality are all disrupted."
"What do you mean by disrupted?"
"How can I explain this… Ok… Imagine time compression is a movie. You have a beginning, opening credits, the story, ending and closing credits."
"Yeah but how goes a movie relate to a compression gate."
"Imagine watching the movie with all the segments mixed around. Some are played backwards, some in fast-forward. Upside down and back to front."
"The movie wouldn't make sense."
"Correct. This is only a theory but when Squall was trapped he witness everyone and everything from life to death, birth to rebirth and everything in between."
"Hyne, Is that dangerous? Should he be seeing someone about what happen."
"It's only a theory, plus I can't force a him to do anything he doesn't want."
"I see… Hey doc, do you think that it's possible…"
"Ahem… Excuse sir. I have carbon dating results as you requested." Piet announced as he entered the doctor's office and handled him a manila folder. Odine open the folder and proceeded to read the findings.
"Hmmm… Interesting just as I thought…"
"What? What does it say?" Laguna questioned.
"I had a theory regarding time compression and effects it had on the human body. Especially aging." Odine closed the folder and placed it on his desk. "It appears that Squall has aged differently as a result from the time compression.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE – OUTSIDE SQUALL'S GUEST ROOM
"Squall… Open the door. We can talk about this." Edea said from the outside of his door 'He's acting like a five year old…'
"Let him be love…" Cid said placing a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder. "You know how Squall is. He'll come to us when he's ready."
"How can you be so calm about this? Squall would rather battle a T Rexsaur then have a conversation with any of us." She replied rather angrily. "I'm sorry… I'm just worry about my Squall…"
"It's alright. Edea, you have to remember Squall not ours any more. He's his own person now. We have to respect want he wants, even if it's not what we want."
Edea sighed deeply, for she knew Cid was correct in what he was saying. "Squall… I just want to say that we're here if you ever want to talk… Please don't forget us." Edea shouted through the door one last time before leaving the hallway and returning to the conference room with Cid.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - SQUALL'S GUEST ROOM
"…Forget… Don't forget… I wish I could… Forget…" Squall whispered to himself as he sat on the edge of his bed with his elbows on his knees
'Why did I even come back to my room? It's not as if I have anything…' Squall flopped back onto the bed. He stared up at the ceiling and thought some more 'The only I have left thing I have left is my gun blade…' Squall looked over to his right to see his gun blade sitting in a replacement hard case. I was placed on the dresser with the case open. He got up off the bed and walked towards it. As he picked it up, the light that filtered through the curtains caught it's gleam and Squall looked at the hazy reflection of his eyes.
'Why does this stuff always happen to me? I never asked for any of it…'
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE – CONFERENCE ROOM
Rinoa hadn't stopped crying since Squall left the conference room. She sat at conference table and buried her head in her arms. Alex and Selphie sat by her side. Selphie had one arm around her and was trying her best to help her friend.
"Shhh… Come on, Rin… Squall doesn't mean it. He's just confused." Rinoa only sobbed more.
"Selphie is right… He's been through a lot…" Alex added 'What am I doing? Do I want the bastard to take Rinoa away? I should be happy that he's leaving'
The other members of the orphanage and Ellone were gathered in the corner, discussing what to do about the situation.
"This just so typical Squall…" Zell complained as he scratched his head
"I'm not so much worried about Squall than Rinoa." Quistis added. Her comment earn some 'please explain' looks for the others. "Squall is more than capable to look after himself. He's a survivor. Rinoa, on the other hand… You all remember the first six months after Ultimerica."
Everyone nodded, knowing what Quistis was talking about.
"How do you think Cid and Marton are doing?" Ellone asked.
"Let just hope they can get through to him." Irvine replied.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE – SQUALL'S GUEST ROOM
'The longer that I'm around the harder it's going to get and the more danger everyone will be in' Squall picked the phone and hit the reception key.
(Reception) A young female voice answered.
"It's Squall Leonhart from room…"
(Ah… Mr Leonhart, what can I do for you?) The girl interrupted.
"I'll like to arrange a car to meet me around the side entrance in ten minutes."
(Of course. Will you be taking anyone with you?)
"… No …"
(And can I have your destination?)
"Esther train station."
(We have the Presidential train carriage available. Would you like me to arrange…)
"No. I'll travel normally like a civilian. Can you get me a one way ticket to Timber?" Squall interrupted.
(Very well. The limousine…)
"Can I have a standard car instead?"
(Hmmm. That shouldn't be a problem but it's not very clean.)
"That's fine as long as it goes and doesn't draw much attention."
(No problems. The car will be there shortly.) Squall hung up the phone and sighed 'Time to finish what started five years ago'
ODINE'S OFFICE
"What do you mean 'aged' differently?" Laguna enquired quickly as he was starting to get annoyed by the doctor's lack of emotion towards his son.
"When you compare the blood test from Squall's Seed data file and his results taken yesterday. They indicate that he's only aged five months, at the most six." Odine replied.
"That's impossible…" Laguna gasped. "Your equipment must be wrong."
"Piet has double checked the results and run the test twice at my request. There is nothing wrong with my equipment." Odine took offence to Laguna's accusation.
"What… what does that mean…"
"Well, apart from the age factor, Squall is in perfect health. He was a little dehydrated but that's normal. He's free to do what ever he likes. I see no physical ill effects for Squall."
"But what about the trauma from the time compression? Shouldn't he see someone about that, like a shrink or something?"
"I'm only a scientist and therefore can't give a proper analysis to what state of mind Squall is in."
"Fine…" Laguna stood up and yanked the doctor from his chair. "You're coming with me to see Squall."
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE - SIDE ENTRACE
Squall handed his weapon case to the driver, who promptly stored it in the boot of the car. As per his requests the driver had arrived with a standard car without presidential markings. Squall stepped into the back seat and noticed a white envelope. He opened it to reveal train single tickets to Fisherman's Horizon.
"Is everything as you requested?" The driver asked as he climbed into the driver seat.
"Yes. We can leave now." Squall placed the ticket in his jacket pocket as the driver started the engine. As the car pulled away from the palace Squall refused to look back, knowing it would only make his task harder.
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE – CONFERENCE ROOM
Rinoa was still sobbing uncontrollably as Cid and Matron re entered the room. Quistis quickly approached them.
"How did it go?" Matron's gloomy appearance answered her question. Cid thought he had to say something.
"He locked himself in his room. Some time by himself might do some good. Where is the president?"
"He mention something about seeing the doc and then bolted out of the room." Zell answer. "Do you think leaving him on his own is the right thing to do? May be the time thingy messed up his head or something." His question earned him a gentle elbow to the ribs from Quistis. "What was that for!" he demanded.
"Think about what you say aloud. We don't want to upset Riona any more than she is." She whispered.
"Where is he!" Laguna yelled rushing into the room dragging the doctor along by the sleeve of his coat. "Where's Squall?"
"He went to his room." Answered Cid. "Is there something wrong?" The urgency of Laguna and the presence of Odine made the older man nervous. Then with one hand still firmly attached to Odine, he reach into his pocket with the other and pulled out his cell phone.
"Kiros, I want you to arrange a small security detail to meet me in the hallway where Squall is staying." He spoke into the phone.
(Security detail? What ever for?) the former army buddy asked.
"Just do it and tell them to not make their presence known." Langua went to hang up when he remembered something. "This is Squall we are talking about so you better double the security."
"What is the meaning of this! You have no right to haul me around the Palace like I'm some sort of dog!" The doctor was obliviously upset with the way he was being treated.
"Look here you little freak!" Laguna yelled at the Odine. "If it wasn't for me then your arse would be rotting away in some prison cell. I'm also the one that approvals your budget for quarter. So don't piss me off! I want you drop everything you're working on and get a interview room ready." By this time everyone including Rinoa had focused on the President his actions making him the centre of attention.
ESTHAR TRAIN STATION
The driver had dropped Squall off right in front of the train station. It was mid morning and rush was just about over. Only a few businessmen and school children running late were milling around. With his gun blade concealed in it's case, Squall casually made his way to the depart board. As he walked he couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching him. Years of SEED and mercenary training had taught him to always be on alert. He stopped, looked over his shoulder and his surroundings.
'Nothing unusual… But something doesn't seem right…'
Squall then realised that this was the first time he had been to Esthar station and didn't know where he was going. He rushed over to the nearest ticket booth to ask for directions.
"Excuse me, which platform for the Timber train?" Squall asked the station staff. His hat had slumped over his eyes and Squall thought he was asleep. "Hey are you awake?" He gentle knocked on the glass. The man fell forward so his head hit the glass. His hat dropped off his head to reveal a neat bullet wound to the temple. The next thing Squall saw a fully cloaked individually rise from behind the dead man and point a pistol at him.
BANG.
The shot echoed through the station. A reflex action saw Squall swing his gun blade case up as a shield but luckily for him the glass was bullet proof. The assassin quickly noticed his mistake and fired again at the weaken glass. Squall saw this as an opportunity and run for cover. He bolted through the station when shattering glass from above stopped him. Two more robed assailant roped down with precision and efficiency. Realising his only chance was to stand and fight, Squall kicked open the case and pulled out his gun blade.
'It starts again…'
PRESIDENT PALACE – SQUALL'S GUEST ROOM
"Where the hell is he?" Laguna kicked over the waste bin in the room. "This is just like him!"
"Uncle you should calm down. Destroying the room isn't going to help us find Squall." Ellone tried to reason with him 'He's just like Squall… Quick to react…' Her attempt seemed to cool the man down a bit.
"You're right. Sorry Ellone."
"He couldn't have gotten far. He has no car, no money and it's only been fifteen minutes since we last saw him." Quistis gave her analysis of the situation.
"Quisy is right. I'm going to out to look for him!" Selphie squeaked.
"Alright, I want you and your men to find him. When you find him contact me immediately. Don't approach him. I don't want to scare him off." Laguna ordered the leader of the security detail. He saluted and quickly left the room to complete his order.
"Wait!" Rinoa yelled out before falling onto one knee. Everyone rushed to help her. "I can feel him… He's in danger. We have to help him!" She struggled to say.
"What's wrong with her?" Alex asked full of concern.
"It's her powers. I suspect that Squall return has done this. A bond between a knight and her sorceress is stronger than any human emotion or desire. Her body hasn't experience this since Squall went missing. It must be a shock to her system." Edea explained. "Don't crowd her. Give her some air." Matron brushed the concern people away and went to her side.
"Squall… Help him…" Rinoa continued.
"Take it easy Rin… Just relax…" Edea placed a hand on her forehead. It glowed and Rinoa began to relax.
"He's at the station. We have to hurry." She replied more normally and then tired to move but quickly need Edea's support.
"The others will help him. Your body need to adjust to the change. You haven't experience this in sometime." She motion with her head to the others to go and they did. Only Cid and Alex remain in the room. "Alex help me get her on the bed." He complied and assisted.
"Is they anything that I can do? Should we call Odine" Cid asked feeling useless.
"No. There is nothing physically or mentally wrong. She just need a little time to adjust. But a glass of water would be handy." The older nodded and went to retrieve a glass.
'Damn you Squall! It's your fault that she's like this. She's sick and you don't give a damn about her. You selfish bastard!' Alex's mind continued to ramble on berating Squall.
"Your negative thoughts aren't helping. I know it must be a difficult situation for you when Squall returned but if you really love Rinoa then you will help the others find Squall." Edea said sternly to Selphie cousin. She didn't have to try very hard to read his thoughts.
"Fine but are you sure that Rin will ok?" he asked before leaving. Marton just nodded and Alex left.
"Don't worry child. They bring him back."
"Marton, I have to go."
"You have to rest…" She couldn't finish before Rinoa cut her off.
"A bond between a knight and her sorceress is stronger than any human emotion or desire. And he's my knight. I'm not going to loose my knight again." She repeated Edea's own words. The older woman looked down and saw the determination and pain in her eyes. Then with a simple nod and smile, Edea helped Rinoa up.
END OF CHAPTER
AUTHOR'S NOTES
One massive apologies to the delay in update 'please forgive…' I've been busy working on other fics but I have forgotten about this one. Plus it took me a while to get back into the FF8 swing of things.
Once again please forgive any glaring spelling for grammar mistakes.
Wonga316