Chapter One

Squall glanced around him, making sure no one was about. Then he turned around on the cruise ship that he and all his friends had gotten on to take a vacation, and looked out over the ocean. "Tiamat," he called softly, "come here,"

Tiamat had been a GF, or Guardian Force, that had once been turned into a monster by Ultimecia, an evil sorceress that Squall, with the help of friends, had killed. Tiamat was a dragon-like creature with black-blue scales that were lined with a golden yellow. At the moment, Tiamat was under the ocean, swimming along with the boat, eating fish and what-not.

Squall watched as the water quaked, ripples spreading through it. He could see the dark shape of the giant dragon underneath the ocean's surface. It's yellow eyes gazed at him for a moment and then they vanished. Squall wondered if Tiamat liked the ocean, he had put the creature in there after all of its suffering. He had defeated Tiamat and had thought he had killed the beast, but no, it was still living, but not evil. After a few long seconds, Tiamat surfaced. Water dripped like a waterfall off of his snout. His black scales shone brilliantly in the full shine of the moonlight.

Tiamat looked at Squall expectantly. Squall looked back and then said to the black dragon, "Do you like the ocean?" As if in response to Squall's question Tiamat swung his head upwards and gazed at the stars for a split of second. And then he was gone, swallowed by the ocean.

Squall turned away from the place where Tiamat had surfaced and walked back over to where everyone was down below. He place a gloved hand on the cold surface of the metal and wretched the door open. It wasn't easy to open that door when it had rusted, but Squall did it. He could hear the music playing downstairs as he made his way to the lower level.

A dance was going on at the moment, and Squall, being one not to dance, had not stayed. He had no idea where Rinoa, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, or Quistis had run off to. They were probably still downstairs having a good time. He figured Rinoa would be looking for him, seeing as she always liked him being by her side.

Squall entered the dance room and saw the hundreds of people on it, dancing, chatting, and drinking the punch. He scanned the room for his friends, but it was pointless to even try to look for them in such a large crowd. Squall reluctantly stepped onto the dance floor and made his way through the people, looking for his friends. Time had changed him from being the loner he usually was. He never really liked to speak with anyone, nor did he show any emotion, but time and his friends had changed that. Mostly Rinoa seeing as he had fallen in love with her when he had first met her. It wasn't really love at first sight. He had had no feelings for her then, really, but time had changed that too.

Squall knew he had to stand out in this crowd of people who were all dressed up. He wore his usual white shirt, and black leather jacket and leather pants. He still had the chain around his neck and wore black boots. He was the same old Squall, sort of…Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine had all dressed up and they had tried to get him too, but he pointedly refused it.

"Squall!" a loud voice suddenly shouted from behind him. Squall spun around to see Rinoa, Quistis, and Selphie running towards him. They all had smiles on their faces and looked rather happy. When the three girls reached him, Rinoa approached him, wearing a fake angry look, "Where have you been Squall Leonhart? I've been looking everywhere for you!" she snapped, and then laughed quietly.

Squall looked at Rinoa and replied, "Up above, I don't like dances," he replied bluntly. Rinoa gave him another look and then pushed him lightly, laughing.

"Lighten up Squall and have fun! I know you don't like dances-you told me that the first time we met!" Rinoa laughed again and then grabbed him by the arm. "But that doesn't mean you can't have fun!"

Squall stared at her as she tried to drag him along with Quistis and Selphie. He tried his best to remain put, but Rinoa was stronger than she looked. She began to drag him through the crowd, not speaking until they had gotten out of the massive crowd of people. That was when Squall realized Zell and Irvine weren't there. "Where are Zell and Irvine?" he asked Rinoa, Quistis, and Selphie.

They all looked at him and exploded in a round of laughter. Squall looked at them confused. Rinoa pointed over to a nearby table. Squall groaned at the sight that he met. Zell and Irvine were hunkered over the table, both having glasses of some alcoholic beverage laid out beside them. He also noticed they had cards in their hands and were chatting with other people. Squall eyed the gill sitting in the middle of the table. "They're gambling with our money," he said bluntly.

Rinoa stopped laughing and nodded, "Yeah, but you should listen to what they're babbling on about over there! They don't know half of the things that they're saying! Just a few seconds ago before we found you, Zell said that he liked to play ring-around-the-rosie with his little brother."

That got a grin out of Squall, but nothing else. Instead he turned to Quistis and Selphie, would have controlled their laughter. He blinked, staring at them for a few seconds and then turned back to Rinoa. "I'm going back upstairs," he told them and hurried towards the door. He heard Rinoa sigh and rush after him.

"Squall! Come on, have fun down here!" she begged, catching up to him. Squall didn't respond and he rushed up the stairs. He merely shook his head and opened the door. Rinoa didn't give up though. As she followed him out the door. "Squall! Please come down and have some fun? This is the first really fun thing we've done ever since we defeat Ultimecia unless you count that other party, but even then you didn't stay in there forever!"

Squall turned to glance at her, but he did not stop walking until he came to the end of the boat. Then he leaned over the side of the boat, staring into the ocean waves. "Are you even listening to me?" Rinoa demanded.

Squall glanced at her and then nodded, "Yeah,"

Rinoa seemed to calm down for a moment. Then she leaned against the rail, looking at him in the eyes, "Then why won't you come down and have fun with us?" she asked him, her voice sounding very confused.

"Only because I don't want to," Squall responded, "I don't like dances,"

Rinoa seemed to become a little frustrated, but then she brightened, "Fine, then think of it as a party!"

Squall rolled his eyes, "Can't I just stay out here?"

"No, now let's go!" Rinoa said, tugging at Squall's jacket sleeve. Finally Squall gave in and allowed Rinoa to drag him back downstairs. He was not going to like this…

When Rinoa had successfully drug him all the way down the stairs and into the dance. She did not let go of him. Instead, she dragged him over to Zell and Irvine. "Okay guys, you've had enough to drink-and quit gambling with our gil!" Rinoa snapped, grabbing the bag full of gil in Zell's hand. That was when she released Squall. Squall didn't move and watched in amusement as Rinoa scolded both of the guys for using their money.

Zell's response was, "Hello, Fuujin," Rinoa didn't take too kindly to that and smacked him for it. Irvine wasn't as drunk as Zell and had remained quiet for the better. Since Rinoa had taken they're gil away, Zell and Irvine could no longer gamble and were forced to leave the game.

Then Rinoa turned back to Squall, "Okay, that's taken care of. Now we can go have some fun!" Squall blinked, staring at her for a few seconds. And then before he knew it, Rinoa was dragging him out on the dance floor.

"H-Hey!" Squall grunted, trying to pull away as she dragged him through all the people.

"Oh just one dance, please Squall?" Rinoa asked, turned to look at him. Squall almost said 'no', but when he looked into her pleading eyes, he couldn't help but say "Yes," He mentally smacked himself when he said it.

Rinoa grinned and took him to a spot that wasn't so crowded. Squall groaned. He hated dancing! Oh well…he'd live this one-maybe. Rinoa grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers into his leather gloved ones. Then she put a hand around his waist. Squall copied her and followed her, side stepping and dancing. The annoyance showed in his features, but he did not speak. However, Rinoa did, "See? This isn't so bad, is it?" she teased, smiling at him.

Squall still remained silent. He was looking over her shoulder.

Black showed on the white painted metal. Glowing yellow eyes flashed. A cloak hung over a tall figure.

Gray-blue eyes widened, fear pouring from his body.

The cloaked figure grinned underneath the cloak. Gloved fingers lifted and waved slightly. Then the figure melted away into the steel.

Squall blinked as the cloaked figure that he had glimpsed leaning against the wall melted away. He felt his blood run cold. Something about that figure made him uneasy, very uneasy. He suddenly stopped dancing, pulling away from Rinoa. She stared at him questioningly as Squall's eyes flashed. Fear welled up within the pit of his stomach, but he did not show it. "Squall?" Rinoa asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

At first Squall was silent, and then he spun around to face her. Rinoa was surprised at the fear shining in Squall's blue-gray eyes. He grabbed her by the upper arm roughly and yanked her the opposite direction that he had been looking. "Squall!" Rinoa nearly yelled, "Let go!"

If Squall heard her, he made no response. She could only give in as he dragged her off the dance floor and near the table where Irvine and Zell had been only a few minutes ago. Only then did Squall release her. Rinoa glared at him, rubbing the spot where he had been holding her. "Why did you do that?" she demanded.

Squall didn't respond for a moment. And then he turned to face her. His face was expressionless as ever again. "I'm sorry," he told her, "but could you find the others and meet me up on the front deck?"

Rinoa nodded, about to object, but before she could, Squall turned and ran off up the starrs.