The Chamber of Dreams
After three hours of hard work, Squall and Rinoa had finally finished unpacking their things and rearranging the new suite in Esthar Garden's residential quarters. Upon entering the room, Squall noticed that it was patterned exactly after their apartment in Balamb, except that a whole gamut of things were missing. However, after they had moved around the furniture and attached all the appliances needed, both of them felt like neither one had left Balamb.
"Feels like home doesn't it?" Rinoa muttered as she dropped onto the sofa.
Squall sat next to her and put an arm around Rinoa's shoulders. "Looks just like the one in Balamb, except that we have a new plasma screen television and really cool furniture and appliances."
Rinoa looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Cool? I thought you never used the word cool Squall. It is so unlike you."
Squall moved closer to her and kissed her eyelids. "Guess I must have had a change of heart."
Rinoa snuggled up to him and said, "Change? I like it. Just don't let it get to your head. I wouldn't want you to start acting like Zell."
Squall laughed and kissed Rinoa's forehead. "Of course I won't. Hyne I'd kill myself first if I started fixing my hair like that."
Rinoa finally decided to lie down on the couch, her head resting on Squall's lap. From where she was lying down, she looked up at Squall and smiled. "I love it when you laugh Squall. It makes me feel I feel secure when I'm around you, but that laugh of yours reassures me that in the end, everything will be okay."
Squall began playing with her hair. "I hope so Rin. I really hope so. But I guess since we were able to save the world once, it's very possible that we can do it again don't you think?"
Rinoa nodded and replied, "I guess so. But I don't want to go out saving the world all the time for the rest of our life. I want to have a house of our own outside Garden, and maybe start a little business or even a singing career. I don't want to spend my life at thirty flinging projectiles at bite bugs and T-Rexaurs. I want to spend it with you Squall. I want a quiet little house by the sea, maybe one in Dollet or Balamb. I want to have children with you. I really do, and nothing would make me happier than to have you by my side every night, snuggling up my wonderful, loving husband who once saved the world and me." She brought her hand to Squall's cheek and caressed it softly.
Squall kissed her hand and asked, "Is that every girl's dream or only yours?"
Rinoa smiled and moved her head closer so that she was facing Squall's stomach. "It's every girl's dream to have a wonderful husband, a man who would love her, protect her, and make her happy. Some girls are lucky, while others aren't. Some people take ages to find love, but at least I found mine right here." She grabbed one of Squall's hands and put it over her heart.
Squall softly whispered, "Me too." Both of them stayed on the couch like that, Rinoa resting on Squall's lap while he caressed her hair, lulling the petite sorceress to sleep. When she was finally asleep, Squall rested the back of his neck against the sofa when he heard a soft knock on the door. Getting up gently and replacing his lap with a pillow, he walked over to the door and opened it.
"Ouragan...is it already training time?" he asked the commander.
Ouragan chuckled and said, "No, no. That was only a joke I played on you earlier so that you can get the interior designing job done faster. You may take the rest of the day off today, but we will have our orientation tomorrow morning. Don't forget to bring your weapons."
Squall nodded and replied, "Alright Ouragan, but do you know some place where we can eat tonight?"
"Well, you can either eat at the fine dining establishment here or you can take the little train to one of the many nice restaurants in Esthar. I'll give you a map later so that you can choose what you want. Now you go get some rest. We're going to have a really hectic schedule tomorrow and I don't want you getting sloppy and all," Ouragan answered.
"Thanks, and um, do you know where the nearest grocery store is?" Squall inquired of his friend.
"There is a grocery in Esthar mall, but I don't think that's the best one around. You will find a better one near the Presidential Palace. There are a lot more products to choose from and they carry high-end stuff so I guess you'd want to check it out as well," he replied to Squall's question.
"Okay, I'll check it out. And thanks by the way for telling me," Squall told him with a smile.
"No problem. See you around Squall." Ouragan closed the door and made a left turn toward the elevator down the hallway. Along the way, his arm got grazed on one of the hallway plants, wounding his bicep a bit. When he got to the elevator, he looked at his wound, his eyes turning snake yellow with slits in the middle, and the opening where the blood slowly trickled out repaired little by little until his epidermis had completely closed. He looked back to the elevator buttons and pressed B7 while inserting his key beside the floor indicator, meaning that the place was off-limits for non- staff members.
As the ornate double steel doors shut tight, his eyes turned back to their original color. He smiled contentedly as his pupils glowed an iridescent blue-green for a split second as the contraption descended to the bowels of the Garden.
------------------------
Squall went back to the couch and saw Rinoa sleeping soundly. Chuckling softly, he picked her up in his arms and brought her to their bedroom. Setting her gently on the bed, he covered her with a blanket and fluffed her pillow to give her a good afternoon's nap.
"Sleep well princess," he said as he moved closer to kiss the sleeping beauty in front of him. When his lips came in contact with her cheek, Squall noticed her lips curving slightly to form a faint smile.
"Squall...mmm...thank you..." she mumbled as she continued her seemingly undisturbed slumber.
Squall just stood there smiling. Never before had any person given him this much happiness and comfort. In the past, all he had to rely on was Ellone. After all, Raine had died and Laguna abandoned him when he was still a baby. Thanks to Ellone's kind, kind heart, he had found solace and happiness for a time, even if that little while was taken away from him by circumstance. Then, he met Rinoa—the girl who taught him how to live and enjoy the little things life has to offer. He had been grateful to her for showing him that, and then there was that other lesson that really devoted him to Rinoa—the lesson of love. In time, he had grown to love her, and now, he was planning to marry her. He had decided there and then that this woman was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with—even if it meant that he had to defy the world if her powers will somehow turn her. He sighed and watched her chest swell and release air as she soundly slept on their new bed. Squall removed his shirt and joined her on the soft mattress, snuggling to her and hugging her waist as he decided to get some sleep.
As Squall closed his eyes to get some rest, he felt a familiar tingling sensation shooting through his entire body. His legs felt numb as he saw himself moving through different dimensions of time and space, and then, he finally landed in the keep of a tall castle overlooking a vast, pristine lake.
"I told you I wouldn't bring you here every time you have sex," said a voice behind him.
Squall turned around and murmured, "Storm. What brings you here?"
Storm chuckled and replied, "I believe it is I who should be asking that question Squall. I brought you here to see a room in this castle which I believe you would find rather interesting. Now if you will just come and follow me..." The tall, still hooded man opened a door to a very narrow marble staircase that led to the castle grounds.
Squall didn't move. "Storm, before we go see whatever you are planning to show me, I want you to tell me if you had revealed yourself to Rinoa," he plainly stated.
Storm turned around to look at Squall through his hood and said, "Why no Squall, why do you ask?"
Squall approached the giant and stood firmly before him. "Because she told me that some hooded apparition gave some kind of obscure, mystical warning to her. And the only hooded figure I know who has the power to teleport around is you."
Storm sighed and said, "No Squall, I'm sorry. I would never reveal my own form to anyone in the real world. Even though I've shown myself to you, your apparition currently resides in my world of dreams."
"So you never teleported to Esthar during all this time?" he questioned the tall man.
"No, I never did. Squall, let me tell you something," he explained to the shorter man. "I am a man of mystery. I told you once through written prophecies I can never show my true self to the outside world, as I am afraid that my son, whoever he is, will be killed by Ultimecia's forces before his coming of age."
He was about so say something when Squall suddenly interrupted him. "Wait. So you mean the book given to me in the library was sent by you? I thought Ouragan borrowed that."
"Yes, that was sent by me, and someone did borrow it. But who is Ouragan?" he asked Squall.
"No one," Squall lied. "He's just a friend of mine at Garden. Now will you please continue where you left off."
Alright," complied Storm. "Now where was I? Oh, unless my son is ready to receive his powers, I am not allowed to come in contact with him in my flesh and blood form. The prophecies and flashbacks I've been revealing all this time to you can only be seen in your dreams Squall. No one else has ever had that opportunity before. These secrets in the dark can only be revealed to a guide whom I trust. Now, I've been watching you all these months Squall, ever since you defeated Ultimecia, and I know that I can trust you with something like this. Now, enough questions for the moment Squall. There is a chamber in this castle which I want to show you and I have to do so before you wake up on the other side." He opened the large, wooden door for Squall and led the shorter man down a series of staircases and halls that eventually led to the castle's front foyer.
"This is what you're planning to show me?" Squall asked as he looked around the room's lavish decorations.
"Patience Squall. This room isn't even half of what I have in mind. Now if you only would wait just a bit longer..." Storm said as he grabbed a torch near another large, oak door in the room. After lighting the device with a flick of his finger, he opened the door to another staircase which seemed to lead down to the basement of the large castle. After ten minutes of walking, they finally arrived at a small corridor with paintings all over it. At the end of the empty hallway was the statue of a lion lying on the floor with a golden basin on its paws. In front of it was a plaque with the following words:
"Guizza al pari di fiamma, e non è fiamma.
È talvolta delirio.
È febbre d'impeto e ardore!
L'inerzia lo tramuta in un languore.
Se ti perdi o trapassi, si rafredda.
Se sogni la conquista, avvampa, avvampa!
Ha una voce che trepido tu ascolti,
e del tramonto il vivido baglior!"
"What in Hyne's name is this?!?" exclaimed Squall as he read the plaque. "How am I supposed to solve this if I don't understand it?"
Storm shook his head in amusement and said, "Squall, you do realize that you are presently in a world which ignores the laws of physics. Why don't you try conjuring up something that would translate these words into English? After all, this plain is a place where all magic exists. Why don't you give it a try?"
Squall looked puzzled at the riddle and decided to give something a try. He placed his hands over the plaque, waved them, and questioningly said, "Uh, Translate?"
"Yeah right, and I'm a magician. It's not even working Storm. Why don't you do it since you are the magic expert here," he sarcastically told the hooded man.
"Oh, but you are a magician. At least in this world you are. Look," Storm pointed to the plaque.
What Squall saw next astonished him immensely. The letters engraved into the plaque began swimming around the stone as if it were made of water, and they soon unscrambled and reshaped to finally form a riddle written in plain as day English.
"A force which kindles like a flame, yet is not a flame.
At times is a frenzy,
It is a fever, force, passion!
Your apathy makes it wilt,
Hope lost or death freezes it,
But your dreams set it afire,
Its voice you heed in fear,
It's radiance glowing like the setting sun!"
Squall paused to read the entire riddle before turning to Storm. "I've read it, but I simply don't understand it. The words are simply to obscure. You've been here before, why don't you open it?"
"Because I am not the one seeking for answers Squall. You called me unconsciously in your dreams to answer the many questions tickling you at the moment, and I have come to help you. You must solve this one, but I shall be there to help you."
Squall looked at the statue of the lion and saw the golden basin it was holding in its hands. He looked back at the riddle and then asked Storm, "Why is there a basin here?"
Storm replied, "The basin is the collector of answers to those who seek the chamber of dreams. That is all I will tell you about the statue Squall. You are an intelligent man. Figure out the clues for yourself." He crossed his arms and patiently waited for Squall to finish solving the riddle.
After scanning the text several times, Squall finally thought of an answer. "Is it love?"
Storm chuckled and said, "Love...unfortunately love isn't something that the lion collects as one of the entrance tokens. Guess again Squall."
Squall read it over and over again until he finally said, "Hope? It must be hope."
"Hope indeed," mocked Storm. "Hope sets your dreams afire, yes. But hope lost freezes hope? Squall, please do try again."
Squall grunted in annoyance and decided to take some time to guess the riddle. After looking at the riddle several times, he finally though of his final, intelligently guessed answer. "I hope I'm right but...is it blood?"
Storm clapped his hands in appreciation and said, "You really are a smart one Squall. However, for you to pass this door, you must say the words of the original tongue to the lion statue. The password is, 'Il Sangue'."
Squall nodded and loudly said the words to the statue. The mouth of the stone lion then opened and water gushed out of its mouth, filling the basin with water. After the basin was half full, a knife slid out of the tongue.
"Please don't tell me that I'm supposed to slash myself or something," Squall told Storm.
Storm just nodded and Squall sighed. Taking the sharp, ancient looking jewel crusted blade in his hands, he poked the tip of his finger. He squinted, of course, and squeezed his finger to let some blood drip from the tips to the water. When the blood had mixed with the water and tinted it a light pink, the lion statue revolved ninety degrees to form an opening to a circular room with more statues in it.
"Is this the chamber you're talking about" Squall asked Storm as he looked around the room. Most of the marble statues in it were of angel form, and each one had a golden goblet held up to the sky in its perfectly sculpted hands. The room was covered in beautiful marble as well, with ornate markings of gold and silver on the walls.
"Yes it is Squall. Amazing don't you think?" Storm suggested as they approached the center of the large circle.
"Yeah..." Squall mumbled as he looked at the domed ceiling. It was beautiful, with gorgeous fingers painted all over it. "So what am I supposed to do here?"
Storm led Squall to the largest angel in the room and snapped his fingers. Immediately, another plaque appeared in front of it, this time the words in English.
"Don't tell me I'm here to solve another riddle," Squall irritably said as he saw the plaque rising.
"No Squall. This is a prophecy of the things to come. I want you to read it carefully and keep in mind the things written on it," Storm said as the plaque finally revealed its words of wisdom to them both.
"And the rise of the third succession shall be eminent through the land of mystery. In the vantage point where the rivers of sadness shall swell, the triad of successions shall awaken to bring the worlds of all presents in one, the compression of the titan Chronos. The fabrics of the great titan shall open, but yet there is still hope, for the keystone and the scimitar moon shall unite to stand against the end of all ends," read Squall aloud.
"So Squall, do you understand any of it?" Storm asked him. "Not many get to understand this riddle the first time around and I would be amazed if you did."
Squall shook his head. "I don't. How do you expect me to understand this? The language is even more vague than the riddle I solved a while ago."
"Don't worry, you shall eventually understand," Storm reassured him. "In time, all answers shall be revealed."
Squall paused for a moment to chew in those words on the marble plaque. "So I'm guessing this is the part where I go back to the real world," Squall sarcastically said.
Storm might have smiled under his hood, but Squall detected the hint of amusement in his voice. "Why, you're right Squall. It is." He snapped his fingers and a few wisps of white appeared around Squall's feet. "Bye Squall."
A puff of smoke appeared where Squall used to stand, and then, Squall was back in his apartment, still holding Rinoa tight. He noticed that it had only been half an hour since he had his dream with Storm.
'Keystone? Scimitar moon? I don't understand any of this. Maybe I'd better get some rest. But I think it has something to do with time compression. Well, I'm tired so...I'll get some rest,' thought Squall as he moved his nose to Rinoa's fragrant hair, smelling the scents of lavender and vanilla as he slowly drifted off to the world of an uninterrupted slumber.
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Sorry I took longer than usual to update. I hope you like this chapter, so read and review please if you get the chance to do so. I'll take some time off here to advertise two really wonderful FF8 stories by DBZ Fanfiction Queen: The Past is Back and I Don't Know. Those are really good stories with a lot of twisted plots so you'd better check them out after reading this. I Don't Know is a really good AU Squinoa, and I do recommend it to most of the pairing's fans. The Past is Back is totally different. It is a wonderfully intriguing story which focuses on a new evil that disturbs the peace of the gang after the Ultimecia incident. Read them both and I can guarantee you that you'll be hanging off the edge of your seat (and probably falling off it after you read the cliffie at the end of Chapter 25 of The Past is Back). Another really wonderful story is Time Apart by Karaoke Risa. It hasn't been updated since June but I hope Risa updates soon. I love the twist she adds to her story, plus the way she crosses over the characters from different Squaresoft games is just a joy for fans of the Square series. And, if you have the chance to do so, please visit my other fanfic—The Curse of the Stradivarius. I don't know if you will like it but it takes place mostly in Italy. Anyhow, to my next chapter! Chapter 29: Orientation Day and then Some
After three hours of hard work, Squall and Rinoa had finally finished unpacking their things and rearranging the new suite in Esthar Garden's residential quarters. Upon entering the room, Squall noticed that it was patterned exactly after their apartment in Balamb, except that a whole gamut of things were missing. However, after they had moved around the furniture and attached all the appliances needed, both of them felt like neither one had left Balamb.
"Feels like home doesn't it?" Rinoa muttered as she dropped onto the sofa.
Squall sat next to her and put an arm around Rinoa's shoulders. "Looks just like the one in Balamb, except that we have a new plasma screen television and really cool furniture and appliances."
Rinoa looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Cool? I thought you never used the word cool Squall. It is so unlike you."
Squall moved closer to her and kissed her eyelids. "Guess I must have had a change of heart."
Rinoa snuggled up to him and said, "Change? I like it. Just don't let it get to your head. I wouldn't want you to start acting like Zell."
Squall laughed and kissed Rinoa's forehead. "Of course I won't. Hyne I'd kill myself first if I started fixing my hair like that."
Rinoa finally decided to lie down on the couch, her head resting on Squall's lap. From where she was lying down, she looked up at Squall and smiled. "I love it when you laugh Squall. It makes me feel I feel secure when I'm around you, but that laugh of yours reassures me that in the end, everything will be okay."
Squall began playing with her hair. "I hope so Rin. I really hope so. But I guess since we were able to save the world once, it's very possible that we can do it again don't you think?"
Rinoa nodded and replied, "I guess so. But I don't want to go out saving the world all the time for the rest of our life. I want to have a house of our own outside Garden, and maybe start a little business or even a singing career. I don't want to spend my life at thirty flinging projectiles at bite bugs and T-Rexaurs. I want to spend it with you Squall. I want a quiet little house by the sea, maybe one in Dollet or Balamb. I want to have children with you. I really do, and nothing would make me happier than to have you by my side every night, snuggling up my wonderful, loving husband who once saved the world and me." She brought her hand to Squall's cheek and caressed it softly.
Squall kissed her hand and asked, "Is that every girl's dream or only yours?"
Rinoa smiled and moved her head closer so that she was facing Squall's stomach. "It's every girl's dream to have a wonderful husband, a man who would love her, protect her, and make her happy. Some girls are lucky, while others aren't. Some people take ages to find love, but at least I found mine right here." She grabbed one of Squall's hands and put it over her heart.
Squall softly whispered, "Me too." Both of them stayed on the couch like that, Rinoa resting on Squall's lap while he caressed her hair, lulling the petite sorceress to sleep. When she was finally asleep, Squall rested the back of his neck against the sofa when he heard a soft knock on the door. Getting up gently and replacing his lap with a pillow, he walked over to the door and opened it.
"Ouragan...is it already training time?" he asked the commander.
Ouragan chuckled and said, "No, no. That was only a joke I played on you earlier so that you can get the interior designing job done faster. You may take the rest of the day off today, but we will have our orientation tomorrow morning. Don't forget to bring your weapons."
Squall nodded and replied, "Alright Ouragan, but do you know some place where we can eat tonight?"
"Well, you can either eat at the fine dining establishment here or you can take the little train to one of the many nice restaurants in Esthar. I'll give you a map later so that you can choose what you want. Now you go get some rest. We're going to have a really hectic schedule tomorrow and I don't want you getting sloppy and all," Ouragan answered.
"Thanks, and um, do you know where the nearest grocery store is?" Squall inquired of his friend.
"There is a grocery in Esthar mall, but I don't think that's the best one around. You will find a better one near the Presidential Palace. There are a lot more products to choose from and they carry high-end stuff so I guess you'd want to check it out as well," he replied to Squall's question.
"Okay, I'll check it out. And thanks by the way for telling me," Squall told him with a smile.
"No problem. See you around Squall." Ouragan closed the door and made a left turn toward the elevator down the hallway. Along the way, his arm got grazed on one of the hallway plants, wounding his bicep a bit. When he got to the elevator, he looked at his wound, his eyes turning snake yellow with slits in the middle, and the opening where the blood slowly trickled out repaired little by little until his epidermis had completely closed. He looked back to the elevator buttons and pressed B7 while inserting his key beside the floor indicator, meaning that the place was off-limits for non- staff members.
As the ornate double steel doors shut tight, his eyes turned back to their original color. He smiled contentedly as his pupils glowed an iridescent blue-green for a split second as the contraption descended to the bowels of the Garden.
------------------------
Squall went back to the couch and saw Rinoa sleeping soundly. Chuckling softly, he picked her up in his arms and brought her to their bedroom. Setting her gently on the bed, he covered her with a blanket and fluffed her pillow to give her a good afternoon's nap.
"Sleep well princess," he said as he moved closer to kiss the sleeping beauty in front of him. When his lips came in contact with her cheek, Squall noticed her lips curving slightly to form a faint smile.
"Squall...mmm...thank you..." she mumbled as she continued her seemingly undisturbed slumber.
Squall just stood there smiling. Never before had any person given him this much happiness and comfort. In the past, all he had to rely on was Ellone. After all, Raine had died and Laguna abandoned him when he was still a baby. Thanks to Ellone's kind, kind heart, he had found solace and happiness for a time, even if that little while was taken away from him by circumstance. Then, he met Rinoa—the girl who taught him how to live and enjoy the little things life has to offer. He had been grateful to her for showing him that, and then there was that other lesson that really devoted him to Rinoa—the lesson of love. In time, he had grown to love her, and now, he was planning to marry her. He had decided there and then that this woman was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with—even if it meant that he had to defy the world if her powers will somehow turn her. He sighed and watched her chest swell and release air as she soundly slept on their new bed. Squall removed his shirt and joined her on the soft mattress, snuggling to her and hugging her waist as he decided to get some sleep.
As Squall closed his eyes to get some rest, he felt a familiar tingling sensation shooting through his entire body. His legs felt numb as he saw himself moving through different dimensions of time and space, and then, he finally landed in the keep of a tall castle overlooking a vast, pristine lake.
"I told you I wouldn't bring you here every time you have sex," said a voice behind him.
Squall turned around and murmured, "Storm. What brings you here?"
Storm chuckled and replied, "I believe it is I who should be asking that question Squall. I brought you here to see a room in this castle which I believe you would find rather interesting. Now if you will just come and follow me..." The tall, still hooded man opened a door to a very narrow marble staircase that led to the castle grounds.
Squall didn't move. "Storm, before we go see whatever you are planning to show me, I want you to tell me if you had revealed yourself to Rinoa," he plainly stated.
Storm turned around to look at Squall through his hood and said, "Why no Squall, why do you ask?"
Squall approached the giant and stood firmly before him. "Because she told me that some hooded apparition gave some kind of obscure, mystical warning to her. And the only hooded figure I know who has the power to teleport around is you."
Storm sighed and said, "No Squall, I'm sorry. I would never reveal my own form to anyone in the real world. Even though I've shown myself to you, your apparition currently resides in my world of dreams."
"So you never teleported to Esthar during all this time?" he questioned the tall man.
"No, I never did. Squall, let me tell you something," he explained to the shorter man. "I am a man of mystery. I told you once through written prophecies I can never show my true self to the outside world, as I am afraid that my son, whoever he is, will be killed by Ultimecia's forces before his coming of age."
He was about so say something when Squall suddenly interrupted him. "Wait. So you mean the book given to me in the library was sent by you? I thought Ouragan borrowed that."
"Yes, that was sent by me, and someone did borrow it. But who is Ouragan?" he asked Squall.
"No one," Squall lied. "He's just a friend of mine at Garden. Now will you please continue where you left off."
Alright," complied Storm. "Now where was I? Oh, unless my son is ready to receive his powers, I am not allowed to come in contact with him in my flesh and blood form. The prophecies and flashbacks I've been revealing all this time to you can only be seen in your dreams Squall. No one else has ever had that opportunity before. These secrets in the dark can only be revealed to a guide whom I trust. Now, I've been watching you all these months Squall, ever since you defeated Ultimecia, and I know that I can trust you with something like this. Now, enough questions for the moment Squall. There is a chamber in this castle which I want to show you and I have to do so before you wake up on the other side." He opened the large, wooden door for Squall and led the shorter man down a series of staircases and halls that eventually led to the castle's front foyer.
"This is what you're planning to show me?" Squall asked as he looked around the room's lavish decorations.
"Patience Squall. This room isn't even half of what I have in mind. Now if you only would wait just a bit longer..." Storm said as he grabbed a torch near another large, oak door in the room. After lighting the device with a flick of his finger, he opened the door to another staircase which seemed to lead down to the basement of the large castle. After ten minutes of walking, they finally arrived at a small corridor with paintings all over it. At the end of the empty hallway was the statue of a lion lying on the floor with a golden basin on its paws. In front of it was a plaque with the following words:
"Guizza al pari di fiamma, e non è fiamma.
È talvolta delirio.
È febbre d'impeto e ardore!
L'inerzia lo tramuta in un languore.
Se ti perdi o trapassi, si rafredda.
Se sogni la conquista, avvampa, avvampa!
Ha una voce che trepido tu ascolti,
e del tramonto il vivido baglior!"
"What in Hyne's name is this?!?" exclaimed Squall as he read the plaque. "How am I supposed to solve this if I don't understand it?"
Storm shook his head in amusement and said, "Squall, you do realize that you are presently in a world which ignores the laws of physics. Why don't you try conjuring up something that would translate these words into English? After all, this plain is a place where all magic exists. Why don't you give it a try?"
Squall looked puzzled at the riddle and decided to give something a try. He placed his hands over the plaque, waved them, and questioningly said, "Uh, Translate?"
"Yeah right, and I'm a magician. It's not even working Storm. Why don't you do it since you are the magic expert here," he sarcastically told the hooded man.
"Oh, but you are a magician. At least in this world you are. Look," Storm pointed to the plaque.
What Squall saw next astonished him immensely. The letters engraved into the plaque began swimming around the stone as if it were made of water, and they soon unscrambled and reshaped to finally form a riddle written in plain as day English.
"A force which kindles like a flame, yet is not a flame.
At times is a frenzy,
It is a fever, force, passion!
Your apathy makes it wilt,
Hope lost or death freezes it,
But your dreams set it afire,
Its voice you heed in fear,
It's radiance glowing like the setting sun!"
Squall paused to read the entire riddle before turning to Storm. "I've read it, but I simply don't understand it. The words are simply to obscure. You've been here before, why don't you open it?"
"Because I am not the one seeking for answers Squall. You called me unconsciously in your dreams to answer the many questions tickling you at the moment, and I have come to help you. You must solve this one, but I shall be there to help you."
Squall looked at the statue of the lion and saw the golden basin it was holding in its hands. He looked back at the riddle and then asked Storm, "Why is there a basin here?"
Storm replied, "The basin is the collector of answers to those who seek the chamber of dreams. That is all I will tell you about the statue Squall. You are an intelligent man. Figure out the clues for yourself." He crossed his arms and patiently waited for Squall to finish solving the riddle.
After scanning the text several times, Squall finally thought of an answer. "Is it love?"
Storm chuckled and said, "Love...unfortunately love isn't something that the lion collects as one of the entrance tokens. Guess again Squall."
Squall read it over and over again until he finally said, "Hope? It must be hope."
"Hope indeed," mocked Storm. "Hope sets your dreams afire, yes. But hope lost freezes hope? Squall, please do try again."
Squall grunted in annoyance and decided to take some time to guess the riddle. After looking at the riddle several times, he finally though of his final, intelligently guessed answer. "I hope I'm right but...is it blood?"
Storm clapped his hands in appreciation and said, "You really are a smart one Squall. However, for you to pass this door, you must say the words of the original tongue to the lion statue. The password is, 'Il Sangue'."
Squall nodded and loudly said the words to the statue. The mouth of the stone lion then opened and water gushed out of its mouth, filling the basin with water. After the basin was half full, a knife slid out of the tongue.
"Please don't tell me that I'm supposed to slash myself or something," Squall told Storm.
Storm just nodded and Squall sighed. Taking the sharp, ancient looking jewel crusted blade in his hands, he poked the tip of his finger. He squinted, of course, and squeezed his finger to let some blood drip from the tips to the water. When the blood had mixed with the water and tinted it a light pink, the lion statue revolved ninety degrees to form an opening to a circular room with more statues in it.
"Is this the chamber you're talking about" Squall asked Storm as he looked around the room. Most of the marble statues in it were of angel form, and each one had a golden goblet held up to the sky in its perfectly sculpted hands. The room was covered in beautiful marble as well, with ornate markings of gold and silver on the walls.
"Yes it is Squall. Amazing don't you think?" Storm suggested as they approached the center of the large circle.
"Yeah..." Squall mumbled as he looked at the domed ceiling. It was beautiful, with gorgeous fingers painted all over it. "So what am I supposed to do here?"
Storm led Squall to the largest angel in the room and snapped his fingers. Immediately, another plaque appeared in front of it, this time the words in English.
"Don't tell me I'm here to solve another riddle," Squall irritably said as he saw the plaque rising.
"No Squall. This is a prophecy of the things to come. I want you to read it carefully and keep in mind the things written on it," Storm said as the plaque finally revealed its words of wisdom to them both.
"And the rise of the third succession shall be eminent through the land of mystery. In the vantage point where the rivers of sadness shall swell, the triad of successions shall awaken to bring the worlds of all presents in one, the compression of the titan Chronos. The fabrics of the great titan shall open, but yet there is still hope, for the keystone and the scimitar moon shall unite to stand against the end of all ends," read Squall aloud.
"So Squall, do you understand any of it?" Storm asked him. "Not many get to understand this riddle the first time around and I would be amazed if you did."
Squall shook his head. "I don't. How do you expect me to understand this? The language is even more vague than the riddle I solved a while ago."
"Don't worry, you shall eventually understand," Storm reassured him. "In time, all answers shall be revealed."
Squall paused for a moment to chew in those words on the marble plaque. "So I'm guessing this is the part where I go back to the real world," Squall sarcastically said.
Storm might have smiled under his hood, but Squall detected the hint of amusement in his voice. "Why, you're right Squall. It is." He snapped his fingers and a few wisps of white appeared around Squall's feet. "Bye Squall."
A puff of smoke appeared where Squall used to stand, and then, Squall was back in his apartment, still holding Rinoa tight. He noticed that it had only been half an hour since he had his dream with Storm.
'Keystone? Scimitar moon? I don't understand any of this. Maybe I'd better get some rest. But I think it has something to do with time compression. Well, I'm tired so...I'll get some rest,' thought Squall as he moved his nose to Rinoa's fragrant hair, smelling the scents of lavender and vanilla as he slowly drifted off to the world of an uninterrupted slumber.
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Sorry I took longer than usual to update. I hope you like this chapter, so read and review please if you get the chance to do so. I'll take some time off here to advertise two really wonderful FF8 stories by DBZ Fanfiction Queen: The Past is Back and I Don't Know. Those are really good stories with a lot of twisted plots so you'd better check them out after reading this. I Don't Know is a really good AU Squinoa, and I do recommend it to most of the pairing's fans. The Past is Back is totally different. It is a wonderfully intriguing story which focuses on a new evil that disturbs the peace of the gang after the Ultimecia incident. Read them both and I can guarantee you that you'll be hanging off the edge of your seat (and probably falling off it after you read the cliffie at the end of Chapter 25 of The Past is Back). Another really wonderful story is Time Apart by Karaoke Risa. It hasn't been updated since June but I hope Risa updates soon. I love the twist she adds to her story, plus the way she crosses over the characters from different Squaresoft games is just a joy for fans of the Square series. And, if you have the chance to do so, please visit my other fanfic—The Curse of the Stradivarius. I don't know if you will like it but it takes place mostly in Italy. Anyhow, to my next chapter! Chapter 29: Orientation Day and then Some