Final Fantasy 8: Shattered - Part 5
Music: Frou Frou - Shh
The Ragnarok was docked at the newly constructed docking port build above the training facility on the port side of the Garden. Several vents were blowing out exhaust as the radar sensors built in the eyes of the Dragon-head construction were glittering as if they had just been put online. Selphie had already overseen the loading of a week's worth of supplies and was talking to Headmaster Cid about any possible places that Squall might be hiding out. He gave her the usual suggestions. The old orphanage, Galbadia Garden, possibly Esther...each place would take them at least a couple hours just to reach. By the time they got there, he could have already left and they'd be playing catch-up the whole time. Add to that the fact that Squall didn't want to be found and wasn't dressed in the attire that had made him popular. He could blend into a crowd if he wanted to with the only thing giving him away the light scar that floated between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. Even that had healed so well that it was barely visible unless you were right in front of him. Selphie caught Zell out of the corner of her eye down on the pad of the launch bay practicing some martial arts moves. He wasn't as stiff in his movements as he used to be and he seemed so much more focused than he had been a year earlier. He had added a couple more branches to his facial tattoo to showcase the new fighting styles that he had learned. He was very committed to his job now and was one of the most trusted instructors in the whole Garden now. She turned her attention back to Cid who was running through the checklist of supplies and procedures for the trip.
Quistis walked into the Infirmiry with sunglasses on a slight green tint to her skin. She was wearing her full SeeD uniform again with her high boots and opaque stockings to hide as much skin as she could. She had even "borrowed" Squall's black gloves so her hands didn't give her away. The thing that scared her the most were her eyes. Since she had become violently ill the evening before, her eyes had shifted colors from their normal baby blue to a blood red. It wasn't immediate, but when she had woken up this morning, it was obvious. She looked for Dr. Kadowaki and couldn't find her anywhere in the rooms so she took that as her cue to head for the stash of eyewear supplies. She had checked her prescription before she made her way here and knew exactly what she was looking for but lucked out when the first small box she found were a pair of baby blue tinted contacts without a prescription. She pocketed them and headed out of the infirmary and back to her office around the corner.
She hated wearing glasses, and hated contacts even more and now she had to wear both just to hide the fact that anything was wrong. After a few minutes of flinching from the gross things touching her eyes, she got them in and smiled sheepishly as her eyes looked normal again. Her face still looked deathly pale which she touched up with a little makeup. Her eyes itched like crazy and she kept rubbing her eyes through her eyelids until she realized that it wasn't going to stop and she just had to endure it. She put her glasses on and headed for the launch bay.
Music: Nobuo Uematsu - Eyes on Me (Acoustic Guitar Version)
Rinoa looked on as Squall slept once again. She was achingly tired and wanted to just curl up next to him and fall asleep in his arms, but she wouldn't do it. She wasn't going to do that to him. She didn't know how he really felt about her anymore. He put up this defence of being so strong and would hide his true feelings...'or what if this really was his true feelings?' she thought to herself. Her eyes welled up but she blinked the tears away before they fell. He rustled slightly in her sleep and she perked up to see if he was waking up, but he didn't. Whatever he had been through, he was severely tired from it. She knew when she saw him that he looked as if he hasn't slept recently. His skin was pale, and he had dark rings under his eyes.
But, oh, how she had just missed being in the same room with him. It had been nearly a month...or just over a month... she hadn't really kept much track of the days, but it had been long enough. She didn't know if she'd see him again after she left Balamb that last time. They had just told the other their last goodbyes, and she had taken her things from the quarters they had set up for her. She never knew that Squall didn't tell who it was she kissed. Even then it was like he was protecting her. He was averting the outcome she had created for a less hostile one. She knew that she had wronged him even though she didn't mean to by any means. He had walked out of her life, supposedly for good. On some days she would be glad he was gone. She'd try to come up with reasons that it's good that things were over, but other days she would sit alone in her room and cry for hours on end because she hated herself so much. She had been a little spoiled, but she learned the meaning of love the hard way.
He turned over again and laid there for a moment on his left side looking off the edge of the bed. He looked a little more rested now. He didn't seem to have that pain on his brow at the moment and got up to leave when she saw him open his eyes. "Um..." he said, which caused her to instantly stop and turn around towards him. "Thank you."
She smiled at him even though he wasn't making eye contact with her and continued to the door. Now that he was awake, she was sure that he would want some privacy. Her heart dragged at the thought that it had come to this.
"You don't have to leave," he told her. There was a softness in his voice now that caused her knees to buckle slightly. She caught herself before she fell and looked at him in awe. "Unless you want to, I mean." She walked over slowly to the side of the bed and sat on the edge. He touched her arm gently and she slowly laid down next to him with her back against his chest. After pulling herself up close to him, he placed his right arm over her side and held her tight. Her heart was beating so hard and she didn't want him to know, but she didn't know how he wouldn't. His heart was still enough that she couldn't feel it and realized that he was asleep again. She laid there, awake, watching the wall, trying to smile, but crying gently to herself.
End Chapter 5.
Music: Frou Frou - Shh
The Ragnarok was docked at the newly constructed docking port build above the training facility on the port side of the Garden. Several vents were blowing out exhaust as the radar sensors built in the eyes of the Dragon-head construction were glittering as if they had just been put online. Selphie had already overseen the loading of a week's worth of supplies and was talking to Headmaster Cid about any possible places that Squall might be hiding out. He gave her the usual suggestions. The old orphanage, Galbadia Garden, possibly Esther...each place would take them at least a couple hours just to reach. By the time they got there, he could have already left and they'd be playing catch-up the whole time. Add to that the fact that Squall didn't want to be found and wasn't dressed in the attire that had made him popular. He could blend into a crowd if he wanted to with the only thing giving him away the light scar that floated between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. Even that had healed so well that it was barely visible unless you were right in front of him. Selphie caught Zell out of the corner of her eye down on the pad of the launch bay practicing some martial arts moves. He wasn't as stiff in his movements as he used to be and he seemed so much more focused than he had been a year earlier. He had added a couple more branches to his facial tattoo to showcase the new fighting styles that he had learned. He was very committed to his job now and was one of the most trusted instructors in the whole Garden now. She turned her attention back to Cid who was running through the checklist of supplies and procedures for the trip.
Quistis walked into the Infirmiry with sunglasses on a slight green tint to her skin. She was wearing her full SeeD uniform again with her high boots and opaque stockings to hide as much skin as she could. She had even "borrowed" Squall's black gloves so her hands didn't give her away. The thing that scared her the most were her eyes. Since she had become violently ill the evening before, her eyes had shifted colors from their normal baby blue to a blood red. It wasn't immediate, but when she had woken up this morning, it was obvious. She looked for Dr. Kadowaki and couldn't find her anywhere in the rooms so she took that as her cue to head for the stash of eyewear supplies. She had checked her prescription before she made her way here and knew exactly what she was looking for but lucked out when the first small box she found were a pair of baby blue tinted contacts without a prescription. She pocketed them and headed out of the infirmary and back to her office around the corner.
She hated wearing glasses, and hated contacts even more and now she had to wear both just to hide the fact that anything was wrong. After a few minutes of flinching from the gross things touching her eyes, she got them in and smiled sheepishly as her eyes looked normal again. Her face still looked deathly pale which she touched up with a little makeup. Her eyes itched like crazy and she kept rubbing her eyes through her eyelids until she realized that it wasn't going to stop and she just had to endure it. She put her glasses on and headed for the launch bay.
Music: Nobuo Uematsu - Eyes on Me (Acoustic Guitar Version)
Rinoa looked on as Squall slept once again. She was achingly tired and wanted to just curl up next to him and fall asleep in his arms, but she wouldn't do it. She wasn't going to do that to him. She didn't know how he really felt about her anymore. He put up this defence of being so strong and would hide his true feelings...'or what if this really was his true feelings?' she thought to herself. Her eyes welled up but she blinked the tears away before they fell. He rustled slightly in her sleep and she perked up to see if he was waking up, but he didn't. Whatever he had been through, he was severely tired from it. She knew when she saw him that he looked as if he hasn't slept recently. His skin was pale, and he had dark rings under his eyes.
But, oh, how she had just missed being in the same room with him. It had been nearly a month...or just over a month... she hadn't really kept much track of the days, but it had been long enough. She didn't know if she'd see him again after she left Balamb that last time. They had just told the other their last goodbyes, and she had taken her things from the quarters they had set up for her. She never knew that Squall didn't tell who it was she kissed. Even then it was like he was protecting her. He was averting the outcome she had created for a less hostile one. She knew that she had wronged him even though she didn't mean to by any means. He had walked out of her life, supposedly for good. On some days she would be glad he was gone. She'd try to come up with reasons that it's good that things were over, but other days she would sit alone in her room and cry for hours on end because she hated herself so much. She had been a little spoiled, but she learned the meaning of love the hard way.
He turned over again and laid there for a moment on his left side looking off the edge of the bed. He looked a little more rested now. He didn't seem to have that pain on his brow at the moment and got up to leave when she saw him open his eyes. "Um..." he said, which caused her to instantly stop and turn around towards him. "Thank you."
She smiled at him even though he wasn't making eye contact with her and continued to the door. Now that he was awake, she was sure that he would want some privacy. Her heart dragged at the thought that it had come to this.
"You don't have to leave," he told her. There was a softness in his voice now that caused her knees to buckle slightly. She caught herself before she fell and looked at him in awe. "Unless you want to, I mean." She walked over slowly to the side of the bed and sat on the edge. He touched her arm gently and she slowly laid down next to him with her back against his chest. After pulling herself up close to him, he placed his right arm over her side and held her tight. Her heart was beating so hard and she didn't want him to know, but she didn't know how he wouldn't. His heart was still enough that she couldn't feel it and realized that he was asleep again. She laid there, awake, watching the wall, trying to smile, but crying gently to herself.
End Chapter 5.