Chapter 22 (Denoument)-This is it. The last and final chapter of Seperation.
(Squall's point of view)
"Alright..." Squall replied.
Laguna sighed.
"Do you really want to do this Squall? Is it really your only option?" Laguna asked him softly.
"Yes...it is. If I die, you can tell Rinoa. Then she won't have to think about me anymore, she'll
have a chance to be at peace. Have a chance to find someone else to be her protector, her
knight," Squall answered, "I believe its the only way..."
"I see...well, I have some things to tell you first...okay?" Laguna asked him with a weak smile.
Squall merely nodded.
"I know...that you must hate me. I know that I left you and took Ellone, and I know that I
really ruined your life. You were always alone...matron told me. I just want to apologize..."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I've just realized it. We were both just trying to do our
best, everyone in the world is...it's just fate. Fate just defeats you, puts you to submission. I
...know that you didn't mean to leave me, nor did you mean to take Sis away from me...so
you don't have to apologize, because I finally understand..."
"Thank you..." Laguna said as a tear slid down his cheek. "I'm glad to hear that...from you."
(Rinoa's point of view)
"We just reached Esthar, Rinoa!" Selphie called out to Rinoa.
"Alright," Rinoa replied.
Rinoa looked around Esthar, it was totally destroyed. She saw tents camped out of Esthar,
probably survivors. She couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew that Squall chose to destroy
Esthar because of her. To save her.
"Wow...it's all...wrecked up..." Zell said in shock.
"Squall did all this...didn't he...?" Irvine said also in shock.
Quistis merely nodded. Rinoa turned to Selphie.
"You see that lone building?" Rinoa told her, "that's were Squall is, I can feel it!Go to it!"
Selphie nodded in agreement and headed the Ragnarok over to the building.
(Squall's point of view)
"One more thing...Laguna," Squall whispered, "I have one last request to make."
"What is it?" Laguna replied.
"Tell Rinoa...that I love her...and I...I'm sorry," Squall said keeping a straight face.
Laguna nodded, "I'll make sure to tell her that."
Squall wanted to smile, but he knew he couldn't. He just looked at Laguna with contented eyes.
"Tha..."
Squall didn't get to finish his sentence, when both of them heard noises from the first floor of
Squall's chamber.
"What was that?" Laguna asked nervously.
Before any of them can say anything more, the door to Squall's chamber opened, and...
"SQUALL!" Rinoa yelled out.
They both looked around. Squall saw Rinoa, Irvine, Zell, Quistis, and Selphie. They were the
source of the noise, and they had found him, after 2 long years.
"NO! Stay away..." Squall warned them, "you musn't get any more near me...or you'll end up dead..."
(Rinoa's point of view)
"NO! Stay away..." Squall warned them, "you musn't get any more near me...or you'll end up dead..."
There he was. After so long...she finally found him. Squall was here...here. He was behind a cracked
glass wall, where Laguna stood outside of, and he was floating, his angelic wings stretched out and
covering him.
"Squall...I finally found you..." Rinoa said meekly, "...why? Why didn't you tell me why you couldn't
be with me...? Why did you have to do this for me?"
"Because...I love you, Rinoa..." Squall replied.
"I know you didn't mean that..." Rinoa whispered, "I know you can't feel anything, or you'll destroy the
world...I know those words are just hollow...with no love..."
Squall's wings stopped covering him, and he was shocked. She knew! He didn't realize it, but because
he was shocked, he let his power out, and it struck Rinoa so hard, that she hit the wall with powerful
force.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Rinoa screamed, as she hit the wall.
It hurt her so much, but she still opened her eyes. She couldn't pass out, she had to keep talking to Squall.
Everyone rushed over to Rinoa, to see if she was okay, but she told them to let go, and she got up.
"I'm sorry!" Squall asked as he looked at her horrified with what he had done.
But again, it was too late, Squall let another emotion out, and now an earthquake had started, and
everyone could feel the building shake and tremble. They heard lots of big crashes and thuds in the
building as the earthquake kept on going. Squall quickly calmed down, but it was too late.
"The building's going to collapse!" Laguna yelled out, "Everyone get out of here!"
The building then start to collapse, but everyone knew that they couldn't make it out. The stairs and
elevator that had been able to lead them down to the first floor was not wrecked. Without thinking,
Squall flew over to them, and teleported everyone out of the building. When everyone opened their
eyes, they saw that they were outside the building, and immediately, the building collapsed. Rinoa
saw Squall outside the building too, he had obviously taken them out to safety.
"Squall?" Rinoa asked as she saw him.
Squall wassitting down on the ground, holding his head, and he looked like he was in deep thought.
Rinoa started to walk toward him, but as soon as she took a step, she felt great power, and she was
flung away from him.
"No...stay away from me..." Squall told her.
"Squall...no...we have to stay together...I love you..." Rinoa answered, as her friends helped her get
up from the ground.
"There's no other way...I lost my chamber...I'm killing the planet as we speak...we can't be together..."
"No! There's got to be a way!" Quistis yelled out. "It can't end like this Squall!"
"Yeah! There has to be a way that you can come back to normal! Tell me there is!" Zell added.
"We can't all die...right? Right Squall?" Selphie asked stuttering, "there's got to be a way to save the
planet so we can all live, right?"
Squall sighed.
"There is...one way...one way to save the planet," Squall answered, "only one. The only way to save
the planet is to eliminate the sorcerer destroying it...but you can't kill me...I'm too strong now...so I'll
have to kill myself...for the sake of this planet...for all your sakes...especially you Rinoa..."
Rinoa was horrified. No...there must be another way.
"NO! There must be another way Squall! I can't let you die! I won't let you leave my life again!" Rinoa
said aggravated as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry..." Squall said as they all started to feel the whole ground tremble, "see the whole world is
shaking...it's being destroyed. I'm the only one who can destroy it, and I'm the only one who can save it..."
"No..." Rinoa whispered, "No! Why Squall,why does it have to be this way...?"
"It's fate...Rinoa...it's just the way things turned out to be...it's all for your happiness...please understand,"
Squall said sadly, "you're strong Rinoa, so please...just forget about me..."
"How can I possibly forget?" Rinoa asked, "You can't forget love Squall..."
"I have to kill myself now, before I annihilate the world completely Rinoa...can't you hear it? Can't you hear,
the cry of the planet? The planet doesn't deserve to die, so I'll have happiness...so you'll have happiness..."
"But you don't deserve to die Squall! You never did. You never deserved to be a sorcerer, and I never
deserved what your doing for me...I'm such a horrible person...all I was thinking was me...me..me! Why
you left me, why you would do it! I never thought about you...never thought about how you would have
felt leaving me like this...leaving me so I could be happy. If anyone deserves to die Squall, it's me!" Rinoa
yelled out, as more tears coursed down her cheeks.
"Be strong Rinoa...I know you'll find another special someone...but no matter how many more special
someones you find, I will still love you...with all my heart...so...be strong...and goodbye...Rinoa..."
Squall stretched out his wings and floated. He then started to concentrate his power, to swallow him
and kill him. He could hear it...Rinoa's voice...but he simply kept on concentrating...for her sake.
Rinoa couldn't bear it. She called out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her voice. Rinoa then made up
her mind. With the very little amount of sorceress power she still had, she concentrated to fly, and she
did.
"If he must die..then I'll die with him..." Rinoa said in her thoughts as she flew up higher and higher over
to where Squall was.
She could hear all her friends voices, telling her to come back, but she didn't. She simply looked down
and smiled at them, contentedly. She kept descending, it was a very hard task, but her will was strong,
and she mangaged to make it. She then leaned on him and muttered a few words.
"Squall...I love you...so we'll die together...okay?"
Squall suddenly opened his eyes and saw that Rinoa was up with him. It was too late now, he had
concentrated all his power and there was no way to get Rinoa to safety.
"Rinoa, NOOOOOOO!"
There was an explosion of white light, then nothing...but silence...
Rinoa opened her eyes. She sat up, and looked around. She was in the flower field...where she and Squall
had made their promise.
"Squall!" Rinoa yelled out, "Where are you?"
"You didn't die, did you?"
She ran around, looking for him. She ran like the wind, searching for him. After some time, she broke down
and sobbed.
"No! He died! He must've! To save the planet!" Rinoa said in her thoughts, "but why? WHY?"
She sobbed harder...her heart ached. She couldn't bear it. She was so lonely. She had lost him again...and
once again, he was gone...but this time forever...and it was all for her.
"Squall, where are you?" Rinoa cried out.
"I'm here..."
Rinoa looked up.She heard him...she heard his voice. She looked around, and saw him. He was standing by
her, and he was holding out his hand to her. He was smiling at her...his eyes truly happy...with no hint of any
sadness or loneliness in them.
"Squall!" Rinoa cried out, as she jumped into his open arms, "how?"
"I don't know...it was a miracle I guess...or maybe it was just that we were destined to be together...not apart..."
"Yes...I think that's it..." Rinoa said smiling, "I love you ,Squall, this time, please don't ever leave my side again..."
The end