Waltz of the Moon
Almost three weeks had passed since the overly sped up wedding had been set in motion. Luckily, since Esthar possessed nothing but the best technology in the world, the tasks for the wedding planners had been nothing but breezy. Esthar's most famous patisserie, La Tuille, had offered to create the most luscious white chocolate-pistachio wedding cake for their wedding. Kate's stationery shop had allowed the couple to make express invitations as well that had Esthar's latest RSVP technology imprinted in it, allowing Squall and Rinoa to determine who was and wasn't going. Edna had delivered their tuxes and dresses to Laguna's office, and Selphie had agreed to allow them to use her theme for the Garden Festival for that day, and Laguna's knack for generosity helped them avoid the escalating bills. By the second week, the guests had already replied, most of them agreeing to come to the matrimonial ceremony. The aging priest who had wed Laguna and Raine in Winhill during his thirties had consented to preside over the ceremonies. And Rinoa, being the innovative domestic goddess, had convinced the planner to allow her to train Angelo to be the ring bearer for this occasion. Luckily, Angelo was a fast learner, so that wasn't a problem.
During the third week, Squall was beginning to feel nervous. His excellent memorization skills weren't helping him in taking every detail of the "I do" script, and the presence of General Caraway and Laguna in the audience wasn't helping as well.
"I say young man, if you're going to get this wedding of the century right, then I urge you to snap on your senses and get that script going!" Rinoa's father barked humorously from the back of the aisles. Selphie had decorated the place and had brought in the benches for the wedding. On the night of the wedding, she would have to do a lightning-quick makeover to reassemble it like the ballroom for the reception.
Squall could feel everyone's eyes on his back and he began to walk up the aisle again. "Squall…not too stiff dear…" Edea told him kindly. "You shouldn't make your wedding look like death row. Walk more gracefully…"
'Gracefully? Sorry Matron, but graceful isn't in my body's vocabulary,' he mentally noted as he tried walking again. General Caraway shook his head and came up front. "Look Mr. Leonhart, I am extremely glad that Rinoa is marrying a decent man like you, and what's more…someone who saved her, but if you plan on ruining her wedding…I swear…I will…"
"Daddy…take it easy on Squall," Rinoa whispered from one of the seats. Squall looked at her before she gave him a wink. Squall returned it with a smile.
"Oh alright dear. Ahem." Being a seasoned general, he stood on attention and folded his hands behind his back. "As the future husband of my daughter, I expect only promptness, propriety, and prim posture from a man like you. From a commander of the world's greatest organization, I expect nothing less." Squall looked ashen-faced, and shot Irvine, Zell, and Seifer his death glares when he noticed them snickering at him.
"You have to look…less sloppy," the general struggled to say, trying hard not to comment on Squall's slouching. "In other words, no hunching your back. Strut your chest, but not too much. And walk like this." He marched up the aisle in a very dignified yet flowing manner, something which impressed everyone, including Rinoa.
"That was a good walk," Rinoa told her father with a smile. She looked at Squall and said, "Squall, I think you would look extremely handsome if you walked like that."
Squall rolled his eyes. 'Meaning…you want me to walk like that,' he mentally noted again. He imitated General Caraway's very grand, yet graceful walk, and when he reached the end of the chapel, Edea gave him a nod of approval. However, he saw Irvine and Zell turning as red as tomatoes, obviously from all the air they were trying to hold in to keep themselves from erupting into fits of laughter.
"OK! That was beautiful!" the wedding planner told him. "Mr. groom, everything is turning out alright, but let's skip the entrance and get to the script part. Come on now everyone! The wedding is in four days!"
Everyone fled to their positions and waited as the priest who had wed Squall's parents stood before them. He took a good look at Squall before saying, "Oh goodness boy, if I weren't old and graying and my eyesight weren't so blurred, I'd think that you were Raine's male twin." He smiled at Squall and looked at his script.
"Dearly beloved…" the priest began as the couple knelt on the podium.
While the priest was talking, thoughts were racing in Squall's head. 'Oh Hyne, I can't believe I'm actually going to marry Rinoa…' He looked at her and gazed at her creamy white skin, luscious pink lips, hazel eyes, and dark, flowing hair. She looked…perfect. He had always wanted this day to come, but never knew that it would be so soon.
Meanwhile, Rinoa was having her own little monologue. 'I'm really marrying Squall! Ah! I think I'm going to fall over on my heels! Oh gosh, he looks so cute!' Stealing a glance at her husband-to-be, she noticed that he too, was staring at her. The couple blushed and immediately looked forward when they caught themselves doing the staring game.
When it came to the part where they would have to exchange words with the priest and each other, Squall began his speech. "Rinoa…," he said almost too tenderly for Rinoa to keep her knees from jiggling. "All my life, I've been searching for a special person whom I would forever hold dear in my heart. I was alone…almost devoid of compassion, and I thought I would never need someone until…I met you Rinoa." Rinoa felt her ribcage straining to contain her heart. "Ever since I met you, I learned how wonderful it is to be alive day by day. And more than anything else, I learned that I had grown to love someone…and that special person is you. I love you Rinoa."
They both turned to the audience when Selphie suddenly screamed, squealed, and fainted in Irvine's arms, saying, "Oh gods! How I want my Irvy to say that to me when I get married! Ahhh!" Quistis, Zell, Cid, and Edea all rushed to help Selphie while Laguna and Caraway urged their children to continue.
Squall blushed deeply when he saw Rinoa looking at him lovingly. "Did you really mean that Squall?" she asked him softly with a smile. A loud gulp and a shy nod was all she needed for an answer. Their faces flushed again when they heard Selphie moaning, "Rinoa's one lucky woman…she's got a sweet fiancée, and to add to that one who can perform well in bed too…" She passed out again. The audience looked at both of them, bewildered by what Selphie said, and they both received glares from their fathers.
"Well this is rather awkward," the priest chuckled. "Alright, let us continue. I wouldn't want to stop in the middle of the rehearsals you know. Now, Miss Heartilly, will you recite your lines please?"
"Squall, from that evening when we waltzed under the moon, to the struggles we had together, and to those fateful days when I inherited my powers, I knew that I had something special with you. Even when I never thought I would end up falling in love with the man who was assigned to protect me in the beginning, you were always there to pick me up when I fell. And when I realized that more than anyone else, you were there for me, I fell in love with you. The day you became my knight was one of the happiest days of my life, and nothing would make me happier now than to be wed to you," she told him, almost as if she were making up the words in her head.
When she had finished, they both smiled at each other, realizing that they were indeed being joined in marriage in a few days' time. The rehearsals continued rather smoothly, and Selpie regained her consciousness after everything was over.
The perky little brunette massaged her forehead while sitting in a section of the pews. She then saw Rinoa taking the seat next to her. "Hey Selphie, thanks for everything."
Selphie tilted her head to the left. "You're welcome Rinny but what are you thanking me for?"
Rinoa looked down at her shoes and answered, "You know…for helping out with the wedding."
"Oh…no problem! I've always wanted you and Squall to have such a beautiful wedding anyways. I mean…I'm sure you had something in mind, but I've always wanted to give you guys the best. Trust me…you're a match made in Heaven," she told her with a grin plastered on her face.
"Aw…thanks Selph. So…when we get married…you're going next ok?" Rinoa suggested.
Selphie's eyes grew as large as plates. "Really? Gosh, I never thought about that. I want to but…I don't know if Irvine wants to get married. He hasn't even popped the question yet."
Rinoa held Selphie's hands like a fellow girlfriend and said, "Oh, I'm sure he will. He's Galbadian anyways, so decisions like this take time. Only my hubby would come up with a plan that requires pronto wedding in three weeks time."
"Oh…don't say that Rinoa. I know him well enough to know that he isn't the marrying type."
"So who isn't the marrying type?" a voice suddenly asked the girls. They both jumped when they saw Irvine coming back from where the other guys were.
"Uh…um…Ouragan!" Rinoa lied.
"Ouragan? Hey…don't tell me that Selphie's crushing on Ouragan!" he mischievously asked them, fully aware that they were talking about him.
"Well he's hot!" Selphie told her boyfriend in an attempt to get the green-eyed monster to bite him. "And he's quite accomplished too!"
"Ok…well there are other fish in the ocean so…have it your way," he said in a playful sing-song manner. With that, he casually walked away from them back to the men's group.
Selphie's knuckles grew white. "I swear Rinoa…if only I didn't love him he'd be a heap of goo right now."
Rinoa laughed and patted her friend's shoulder. "Don't take him too seriously Selphie. I'm sure he was joking. I could see the gleam in his eyes."
"Yeah…and he'll be sorry for doing that too." Selphie's flips perked up even more…meaning that her Festival-oriented mind was up to something.
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Squall put on his usual white tee-shirt and black pants after a well-deserved shower. Ruffling his wet hair with the towel, he made an attempt at combing it back. Contented that it was finally slicked back, he frowned suddenly when his locks stubbornly bounced back to its standard Squall form.
"Dang…no matter what I do…it always stays like this…" he seethed at the mirror. "…whatever…"
As he exited the bathroom, a fragrant mist wafted through his entire apartment. Heading towards his spacious kitchen, he found a dinner for two prepared at the table. The chef however, was missing in action.
Squall found a note on the table, right beside the roast chicken. It said, "To the greatest husband-to-be. I love you." His lips drew into a smile as he took his seat, waiting for her to join him.
Without warning, soft music started playing through the speakers situated all over the house. Turning to see if Rinoa was fiddling with the CD player, he felt disappointed when no one was present.
"Telekinesis."
Squall whirled around and came face to face with the woman on the other side of the table. "Rinoa! How did you get there?"
"I'm a sorceress…we have powers," she plainly stated, walking over to give Squall a kiss. Tugging on his shirt, she whispered, "A little bit overdressed…aren't we?" There was a sultry look in her eyes that drove Squall wild. He felt his member begin to strain against his pants.
It was then that Squall noticed that she was wearing only a blue silk robe and what looked like nothing else between the fabric. "Rinoa…"
She silenced him with another kiss and played with his wet hair. "You know…I really like it when your hair is wet…makes you even sexier…" Squall moaned when she kissed the pale skin of his neck.
"Squall…I want you…" she purred softly.
Squall began to remove his pants when he heard a camera's shutter clicking in the background. Whirling around, he saw Rinoa giggling with a digicam in one hand and a grin on her face.
"I didn't know you could be so horny Squall. I never thought I'd see it from the third-person," she giggled as she quickly hid the camera from Squall's view.
Squall shook his head as he straightened his ruffled shirt and buttoned his pants. "You could have done it yourself."
Rinoa tried playing innocent while placing a finger on her lips, eyes raised as if she were thinking. "Hmmm…I'd like that but I'd rather save it for the wedding."
Squall chuckled and walked towards her, hugging her slim form in his arms. "You are such a brat sometimes…but I like it."
She stuck her tongue out at him and tried to wriggle out of his embrace. "Come on, let's eat before the food gets cold." Pulling him to the table like she did when they first met in the SeeD dance, they shared a kiss and began savoring Rinoa's gourmet meal.
"Now this stuff is worth marrying you for!" he joked as he swallowed the mustard-herbed poultry.
Rinoa gave him a face and placed her hands on her hips. "So you're marrying me for my food and not who I am Mr. Leonhart? Why…if that the reason I have this ring," she said while lifting her left hand up to her face. "Then I don't want to get married anymore." Rinoa removed the jewelry from her hand and placed it in front of her. She crossed her arms and looked away from him.
Squall's jaw dropped when he saw a ring on the table. Going around the kitchen, he attempted to face Rinoa while she just ignored him. "Rinoa…please…I was just joking."
When Rinoa didn't answer, he continued shaking her like a little child would an older sister. "Please…I didn't mean to say that. Of course I love you and I am marrying you because you're the most wonderful woman in the planet."
Squall looked like he was on the verge of crying. "Please…talk to me?"
Rinoa was shaking, and Squall was unsure of what to do. When he turned the chair around, he was surprised to find her laughing.
"Haha! Gotcha again!" she grinned at him. She showed Squall the back of her hand with the ring he offered her during their engagement. "You're so cute when you're begging Squall. So much like Angelo when he was still a wittle itty bitty puppy!"
Squall rolled his eyes and gave her a smirk. "What is it with you and teasing me today? I just hope you didn't bug your food or I look into the mirror and see a beer belly where my six-pack used to be." He suddenly frowned when Rinoa had a particular gleam in her eyes. "Oh no…"
"Oh Squall…come on now…do you really think of me that way?" she asked him with a wink.
"Well…"
"Aha! So you do!" she said, pointing directly at his nose. "You, Squall Leonhart, knight of I, the great sorceress Heartilly, have committed the crime of mistrusting the grand mistress of magic. And therefore, I sentence you…"
She turned around and grabbed something from a drawer in the kitchen. "To get me these…" She handed him a small, ruffled sheet of paper.
Squall raised an eyebrow when he saw a grocery list. He read the fine-print of goods. "Milk…mesclun greens…tomatoes…yah…shiitake mushrooms…grapes…melons…canned peaches…sure…cream…pasta…prosciutto ham…okay…a C-CUP BRA AND A PANTYHOSE?"
"Yup."
"I AM NOT GOING TO BUY A BRA AND PANTY HOSE FROM THE GROCERY STORE! WHAT WILL THE PEOPLE THINK OF ONE OF THE GARDEN'S GREATEST WARRIORS WALKING AROUND WITH A BAG OF FEMALE UNDERWEAR?" he shouted out aloud.
Rinoa gave him a cross look and started tapping her right foot on the floor. "They'll think he's such a sweetheart to be doing this for me or they might get some nice yaoi thoughts with a hot guy like you in their heads and please don't shout at me Squall…it's not nice and I might consider that beer belly."
Squall wanted to say something but sighed in defeat. "Rinoa…" 'Can't argue with a woman…especially one with a lot of magic.' "Fine." He put the list into his pocket and walked towards the door with his head slightly hung. Just as he was about to open the door, he felt Rinoa hug him from behind.
"I love you."
He turned around and kissed her softly. "I love you too."
Rinoa held on to him even tighter and whispered. "You don't have to get the lingerie either. I was just…fooling around with you."
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Squall pressed the elevator button, enjoying the calming ping of the Estharian-manufactured lift as he entered it. Pressing the ground floor button, he was suddenly amused by what happened earlier. Come to think of it, since Rinoa had been coming up with a few plans of his own, he should be coming up with his.
The elevator stopped three floors down. Squall was looking at the floor and didn't look at the man who entered. When the doors shut, the lift continued towards the ground floor.
"Why hello Squall…lost in your thoughts?"
"Yah…Hyne!" Squall jumped and came face to face with a man…the man who lurked in his dreams. "Storm! It's you! In person! In flesh! Am I in a dream?"
"No."
"What are you doing here?"
"Why Squall, I'm glad you're actually talking to me. Months ago, I would never have gotten a single word out of your mouth. Now, words are flowing superfluously like water. I'm impressed."
"What are you doing here?" the shorter warrior inquired again, trying to search for Storm's face in the elevator's dim lighting.
"To inform you."
"Of what?"
"Many things Squall. Please don't rush me. I will tell you everything but you must be patient. I can only exist outside the realm of your slumber for only so long, and I need to recollect my thought somewhere where no one can spy on us…especially not in a lift like this," Storm answered through his great black robe.
"Won't they see you with me?" Squall asked him.
"My powers allow me to cloak myself from the searching eyes of Esthar's meticulous technology. You however…cannot be cloaked by my magic. In other words, the people monitoring these videos will wonder why you are talking to a wall."
"Whatever…"
"So you are going out to shop eh?" Storm asked him.
"…How did you know?" Squall asked him, leaning against the wall.
"The piece of paper sticking out of your pocket says 'Grocery List' in a woman's handwriting."
Squall snorted out and whispered through the corner of his mouth. "If you want to talk, let's get out of the Garden first and then you can tell me what's going on."
"I agree with you on that Squall, but let me say that my time is running out."
"How much time do you have left?" Squall asked him when the elevator doors opened to the lobby.
"An hour."
"An hour is a lot of time. You can tell me everything on the way." Thankfully, the lobby was empty, save for a few Garden personnel walking by, so no one would have the nerve to throw him a stare for talking to some "imaginary friend".
Descending to the spacious parking lot, the two snaked their way around the area to Squall's car. "I'm tall Squall. I wouldn't know how I could fit in that," Storm said worriedly while looking at the diminutive size of the vehicle.
"That…" Squall said while extending the passenger side's leg area with a press of a button, "…is no problem."
They both got in and once the car was out of a building, Squall began to find his way around Esthar's complex street passageways with a GPS device that came with the vehicle.
"You had something to say," Squall said without keeping his eyes off the road.
"Have you found him yet Squall?" the man inquired him.
"…I have a hunch…but no."
"Our time is running out Squall. I don't know when or how immediate Ultimecia's resurrection is but…we must act quickly so that we can be prepared."
"…"
"I understand that on top of this secret "mission" I have assigned to you, you have several priorities you must attend to. To protect your loved ones…your friends however, you must help me unfold the prophecy of the Double Moon. Rinoa…she is going to play a great role in the downfall of Ultimecia."
Squall raised an eyebrow while coursing through downtown Esthar. "Why? Because she is…"
"A sorceress," Storm completed for him. "The greatest and purest magic you can ever imagine. You must understand that even though Ultimecia absorbed the powers of all the sorceresses of the ages and times, she never had a chance when it came to Rinoa's power. Also another reason why she was defeated in time compression when you and your friends battled against her. Rinoa's magic was the opposite of Ultimecia's dark magic."
"So Rinoa is the only one who can defeat Ultimecia?"
"Somehow, she will be our greatest contender against the evil one. Ultimecia wants to acquire her powers badly, and she thought she could acquire them through time compression. Her plan obviously failed, as you can tell, and now she attempts to gather Rinoa's powers through another means. Only the child of the Double Moon can defeat Ultimecia, along with the help of Rinoa's pure angel magic."
"So Rinoa and Oura…the child can help us defeat Ultimecia for good?"
"Yes."
"But why would Ultimecia want Rinoa's magic? Isn't she powerful enough?"
"Because Squall…Rinoa's magic is the only thing that can cancel all her powers. With Rinoa's magic, she can be invincible. The vengeance of Imogene runs in her veins young one. She has sworn to slay the righteous. And…my bloodline is mixed with that of Gualtiero's…so she also has something against my family."
"Storm…" Squall said as he thought of the woman who attacked him and Ouragan in his apartment a while back. "I think Imogene or Ultimecia or whomever might have attacked me once."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And the other day, I saw a black cloud in the Presidential Palace reminiscent of the black cloud in Ultimecia's castle."
"Ah…"
"Do you know something about that Storm?"
Storm chuckled momentarily. "That was me."
The car's tires screeched on the road when Squall brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop. "WHAT in HYNE'S name? You were also Omega WEAPON?"
"Squall, Omega Weapon is not one of Ultimecia's guardians. It was only a test to see if you were ready to face a foe greater than she who summoned you to her realm. Yes, I was Omega Weapon, but I only fought you because I wanted to see if you were capable of helping me."
Squall buried his hands in his hair. "You frickin' shot your stupid Light pillar and that stupid Megiddo flame and that terra break at us!"
"And you defeated me? And you are alive. And I would have revived you. Still mad?" he told Squall calmly.
"How can I trust you now!" Squall shouted at him, the anger obvious in his voice.
"I'm nice to you aren't I?" When Squall didn't answer him, he said, "Alright, I'll do anything for you…"
"Show me your face."
"Anything other than that."
"Fine."
"This is a deal then?"
"Yeah."
Squall parked his car in front of a 24-hour convenience store. "Come on, let's go out and get some stuff for Rinoa. And I hope you can change your form into something else more…suitable. I wouldn't want to be thought of as some lunatic talking to myself. Hyne, I think I'm already insane to begin with."
Storm snapped his fingers and said, "Alright…if you say so…" Slowly his tall, dark-hooded frame began shrinking. He was now only about half a foot taller than Squall. His clothes changed color from black to grey as a familiar pattern appeared on the fabric. Squall, however, was surprised when he saw Storm's hidden face cropped with short, golden hair spiked up…a stray lock sticking out on a friend's familiar face.
"Oh Hyne…of all the people…" Squall moaned.
"What? You said you needed familiar company and I chose to use the form of your friend, Seifer," Storm told him, his voice creepily similar to that of Seifer's.
"…Whatever." They both entered the convenience store and Squall began picking out Rinoa's groceries. They suddenly passed the lingerie section, and Squall had an idea in mind.
"Storm…"
"Yes Squall?"
"Didn't you say you can shapeshift to anyone you want to be?"
"Yes."
"And didn't we make a deal?" Squall said while looking at some black panties and a bra.
"Yes…" Storm said, feeling slightly uneasy. "What is on your mind Squall?"
Squall grinned evilly at the underwear in front of him and looked back at Storm. "You'll do anything except show your face right?"
Storm paused, now beginning to understand the situation Squall put him in. "…Squall…oh no…"
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UPDATE! I hope you like this chapter. I'll have the next one come up soon. It will be a great one, I promise. But please…read and review. I need your thoughts on how to make this story better. Please?
The next chapter..."Last Night Single and I Do"