Chapter 21 (Going after you...)
Rinoa was speechless. "Squall? My Squall, a sorcerer?" Rinoa burst into tears. "NO, it can't be! YOU
CAN'T JUST BE A SORCERER WHEN YOU WANT TO! HOW!" Rinoa asked Matron
frantically awaiting an answer.Matron looked down on the ground. "Rinoa dear...have you been
feeling weak lately?" Matron asked her softly. Memories flooded to Rinoa, she remembered feeling
weak, as if her powers where not there anymore. She didn't feel the need to hold them back for a very
longtime. "Yes, Matron, I have..." answered Rinoa not getting Matron's point. Matron sighed. "I see...
Well,there is only one way," said Matron with tears in her eyes, "Squall must have inherited your powers.
He must have...it's the only way. Squall must have a strong body to inherit your powers so he can become
a sorcerer." Everyone's eyes widened. "Can you do that Matron? Is it possible?" blurted out Selphie,
her eyes having the look of saying, "Please no...". Matron's eyes start to water, and she said, "Yes, it's
possible, if you have a strong enough body," Everyone's eyes widened. There was a silence filled with
disbelief and sorrow for the path that their comrade decided to follow. No one spoke, they were too
stunned to speak. Finally, Irvine broke the silence. "I know that he's a sorcerer, but why can't he live a
normal life? Rinoa was able to, she was able to hold back the powers, but why? Why did Squall have to
leave us!" asked Irvine agitated. Matron answered him softly. "Because my child...there are consequences
of being a sorceress and a sorcerer," said Matron taking a deep breath and trying to think of what to say next,
for her explanation will be long. "Rinoa...I know I've never told you this, but being a sorceress gives you
a limited life span. Eventually your powers will be too great, and you won't be able to hold them...you will...
you will...you will die." Rinoa's eyes widened and she gasped as Matron continued her explanation. "Sorcerers
are different. They are immortal, they cannot die,can't age.They can inherit sorceress' powers and live with
that power forever. But the power sorcerers carry increase every single day, and eventually it becomes to
strong to be able to control. If the sorcerer feels emotion, or does anything, just anything, his powers will start
destroying the world, for he cannot control them." Matron finished her explanation and tears leaked from her
eyes. "Squall must have known... known that you would eventually die. So he left and took your powers in
secret.That is why Squall left, I'm sure of it..." Matron coughed trying to hold back the tears as she continued,
"the only way he was probably able to protect the world and not destroy it is by staying in Esthar. Their
technology...So when you told me about all the chaos that happened when you were around him, it's because
he left Esthar. That's why..." Everyone was stunned. They were all crying now. For all these years, they've
( except Rinoa ) secretly hated Squall, for leaving Rinoa, for not leaving a reason, for abandoning garden.
They had thought he was running away from all his problems, from reality. But now they had learned his
terrible fate. He left to save Rinoa...to protect the world. They all felt very guilty.
Rinoa's POV
Memories flooded in Rinoa's mind. The time she was protected by the abadon, the time Squall had saved
her from Adel, the strong hands that had gripped hers when she wanted to kill herself. He had been there
all along, trying to help and endangering the world at the process. Rinoa talked inside her mind with her
thoughts, for her mouth would not move. She was to sad to speak. "Squall...you left, to save me...you knew
I was gonna die, and you didn't want me to..." Rinoa remembered the letter that Squall had left for her. That
sentence,for years, she had reread it over and over and over again, looking for hidden meanings, for the
reason. "One thing's for sure, this is all to make you happy," She was so sad to finally know Squall's fate,
but she was also happy at the same time. She wiped up her tears and put on a brave face. "Get the Ragnarok,
we're going to Esthar, we're going to go get Squall!"
Squall
"Thank you, Laguna," said Squall softly, "but, I don't plan to stay any longer." Laguna looked
shocked. "What are you planning to do Squall?" asked Laguna worried. Squall sighed and closed
his eyes, then he revealed his gleaming white wings. "I've done enough damage to this world and its
people Laguna," Squall paused then continued, "I'm generating power, so I can sleep, sleep forever,
so I won't hurt the world any longer." Laguna's face turned pale. "NO Squall! Don't! Don't sleep!"
yelled Laguna, "How about Rinoa? Your friends? GARDEN!You know when sorcerers sleep, they
will never be able to wake up!" Laguna's response saddened Squall, for it was true, he did not want to
sleep forever, true he did not want to forget all his memories, and true he did not want to leave his
friends, but he decided it was for the best. "Laguna...It's for the best. I'll never hurt Rinoa again, I'll
never hurt Esthar or the world again," responded Squall quietly. Laguna was ready to burst. "Stop
talking like that Squall! YOU are NOT going to sleep! YOU know YOU don't want to! And I told
you to forget about what you did to Esthar, you know we can start over!" yelled Laguna agitated. Now
it was Squall's turn to get mad. "Can't you see by sleeping my suffering will be over! Can't you see
that? Damn you Laguna, don't you know how painful it is to know that all that I love is standing here
on earth, so close, but I'll never be able to get close to them? To talk to them? Do you know how hard
it is to know that Rinoa will be here, but to show her that I love her, we have to be seperated!" yelled
Squall out madly. But since Squall showed the emotion of angryness, his powers released and attacked
Laguna. Laguna was suddenly hit by a very powerful force flinging him to the wall. Seeing what happened,
Squall quickly calmed down. Laguna was hurt very badly but he was still alive. Squall wanted to cry, to
badly cry, to feel sorry for what he did to his father, but he knew he couldn't. He could only say he was
sorry, but he could never really feel sorry for his powers would release again, and for sure it would kill
Laguna. Squall closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said to Laguna, "are you okay?" Laguna opened his
eyes and shook his head. "I'm alright," Laguna answered. He started to cry. "Alright, if you want to
sleep Squall, if it would put you out of your misery, you can," Laguna paused and continued. "But grant
me one last wish," said Laguna as tears streamed down his cheek, "Let me have a talk with you one
last time..."