Chapter 3

Squall blinked, wondering why everything was so dark. He stood in the middle of a world of black, with nothing around him. A sense of loneliness filled him. He spun around, looking for someone, anyone. "Rinoa?' he called, looking desperately for her. "Zell? Irvine? Quistis? Selphie? Anyone?" Every time he called a name, he found no one.

Squall felt like shouting in frustration at the loneliness building within him. He didn't want to be alone in this blackness. He felt like he could want anyone in his company. Squall turned around again-except him.

The cloaked figure stood in front of him, looking at him. Squall swore that if there weren't a hood shielding the person's face, they would be smirking. Anger suddenly built within him, "What do you want?" he snapped.

He heard the figure chuckle, "I thought that was obvious, Squall Leonhart. I didn't think you'd want to be alone in the Dark Void,"

Squall's eyes flashed and his weary body tensed, "I'd rather be anywhere than here with you!" he spat menacingly.

"Oh would you?" the hooded figure's voice was cold and suddenly threatening. "I'd watch what you say, it might get you into trouble, Leon."

Squall clenched his fists in rage, wondering why the hooded figure had just called him 'Leon', but his dismissed it. "Where am I and why are you really here?" he growled, his anger showing in his dangerous tone of voice. But before Squall could ever get an answer, his eyes opened and he found himself laying in the hotel bed.

Irvine was already awake and eating what appeared to be a muffin. Zell, however, was still rolled over a sleep. Squall sat up, his joints stiff and aching. Irvine took one glance at him and swallowed before saying, "You alright Squall?"

Squall blinked, feeling a little shaky. He nodded slowly, not standing up. He stared down at the white bedspread on the bed for a moment, thinking back on the dream he had been having. Was that hooded figure going to haunt him everywhere he went? Shaking his head, Squall looked up and glanced around the room. He hadn't looked around last night, but now he saw that it contained three beds, just as Rinoa had requested, a TV, and an air conditioner. Nothing special.

After a few more moments of examining the dim room, Squall stood up and headed towards the door. Irvine gave him a questioning look and Squall quickly explained, "I'm going to get something to eat,"

Irvine nodded, swallowing what bit of muffin he had in his mouth and spoke, "Oh and Rinoa came in earlier while you were still asleep. She told met to tell you to go see her when you wake up,"

Squall nodded slowly, mentally groaning. Rinoa would start questioning him about why they had left; he knew it! He walked out the door, closing it behind him rather loudly. He winced, remembering that Zell was still asleep. He heard a loud, "Huh? Who fired the cannon?"

Squall rolled his eyes and walked down the hallway. As he headed towards the front lobby, he noticed how empty the inn seemed. Just as Squall wondered if everyone was asleep, he entered the lobby and came-face-to-face with a silver-hair woman. She wore a black cloak and had on black gloves. Her eyes had an odd silver and blue mixed sheen to them. Her skin was pale and her long silver hair spilled behind her back, down to her shoulder blades. She was about an inch shorter than Squall. Her eyes flashed at the sight of him, "Watch out, Leon,"

Just as Squall stepped around her, he froze at the name. He turned around to stare at the woman. Her voice had been dangerous and cold and sent shivers of caution and fear through Squall. "What did you just call me?" Squall demanded, forcing himself to step toward her.

The woman spun around gracefully. When she spoke, her voice was lighter, but it held the coolness of it still, "I called you who you are, Leon," When Squall narrowed her eyes at her, she stepped forward. Suddenly Squall became conscious of how close she was to him. Her face was just inches away from his face. Her silver-blue eyes bored into his gray-blue ones. "You are called Leon, by us, Squall Leonhart. Do not question by what I address you or anyone else. And I advise you not to become cross with our leader like you did last time." Squall was now very aware of what she was doing. The young, beautiful woman had placed one of her hands on his chest, and the other around his waist. Squall wanted to jerk away from her, but it was like he was in a trance. "I know he did a hurting on you with a simple Fire spell, did he not?"

Squall swallowed, his muscles twitching. His whole body screamed to be free of the woman's touch, but his mind was numb. As the woman spoke with her quiet voice, he became aware of the stinging pain flooding over his body. The sleep had not cured the Fire spell's wounds.

"That's what I thought. Do not expect the rest of us to show you mercy like that again," she breathed. Squall's eyes widened in horror as the young woman brushed her lips against his a swift kiss. And then she drew away from him, waving, "I am the one they call Lerane,"

Squall seemed frozen for a few moments. And then his mind seemed to be thrown into a frenzy. Squall jerked to life and was about to follow the woman to demand why she had done that when suddenly someone jerked him backwards. Squall saw a flash of blue and realized Rinoa had him by the jacket. His mind seemed to panic. Had Rinoa seen that? Squall tried to say something to her, but his eyes remained locked on Lerane. "How many of you are there?" he called, his voice sounding confused and stunned.

"Shut up, Squall, we need to talk," Rinoa growled, her voice sounding rather weak as if she were about to cry. Squall turned his head to look at her, trying to get out of her grip. As he struggled, her grip became tighter as she dragged him down the hallway.

"Rinoa! Let go! It isn't what you think!" Squall said, his voice sounding helpless as he winced from the leather digging into his upper arms from where Rinoa was dragging him. She didn't say anything until she reached Room #27. Rinoa opened the door and released Squall. Then she set her eyes on Selphie and Quistis, they looked over at the two expectantly.

"Get out," Rinoa growled, "Squall and I have to talk,"

Both girls gave each other questioning glances, but they said nothing. They nodded and stood up and walked out of the room. When the down shut, only then did Rinoa turn round to face Squall. "What do you mean it isn't what it looks like? I know what I saw Squall!"

Squall blinked, staring at Rinoa. 'I'm officially cursed,' he thought dully. Then his outer voice said, "What I mean, is that I don't even know that girl."

"Then how come she kissed you?" Rinoa demanded fiercely.

Squall bit his lip. There was only one way out of this, and that was to tell Rinoa everything. He couldn't do that, he just couldn't! But then…what about their relationship? Maybe he could…shorten it some and leave out a few details…that might work. Taking a deep breath, Squall responded, his voice calm, "That's just it, Rinoa. She kissed me. For one, why would I kiss someone I don't even know, and number two, why would I kiss someone who wants to kill me?" There, he had said it, but he had not told Rinoa that it was both of them the group of people were after.

"Kill you?" Rinoa gaped at him. She hadn't expected that, "Squall what are you talking about?" she asked, her voice suddenly becoming rather weak.

Squall sighed, reluctantly explaining, "That night, at the dance, I saw someone. Someone who looked very suspicious of something-not only that, I sensed evil around him. That's why I left, I didn't want to stay around him. When I was calling Tiamat up while you guys were still down below, he must have followed me up because the next thing I knew, he was standing it front of me. And what's more, he was wearing a cloak just like that woman."

"Did he have a weapon or something? Did he hurt you?" Rinoa asked, looking at Squall closely, fear flashing in her eyes.

Squall shook his head, "He didn't have a weapon or anything. Well, while I was waiting for you and Tiamat, he told me…something," Squall empathized the word 'something', showing Rinoa that he wasn't going to tell her what the cloaked man had said.

"What? What did he tell you?" Rinoa stared at Squall with wide eyes. When Squall didn't respond and only look at his feet, she stepped up to him. Everything that had just happened a few minutes ago was whipped from Rinoa' mind as she placed her hands on Squall's shoulders and looked him in the eyes, "What did he say?"

Squall looked away, "I-I can't, Rinoa. I can't tell you," he admitted softly.

Rinoa looked worried and her brown eyes wee pleading, "Why can't you?"

Squall shifted in his position, "It would worry you and everyone else. No…I won't tell you, not yet."

Squall started to go towards the door, wanting to end the conversation between him and Rinoa, but Rinoa stepped hurriedly in front of the door, blocking his exit. He stared at her with expressionless eyes. "Squall, why can't you tell me now? I won't let you leave until you do! You're keeping things from us that could endanger us or yourself and you know it!" Rinoa snapped suddenly, anger flaring within her eyes.

"You don't think I don't know that, Rinoa?" Squall growled, his voice harsh and rather loud. "I mean, I know that there is danger in both ways when you look at it, but I don't want to cause problems!"

Rinoa glared back at him, "Well you already are by just not telling me! Besides, you promised to tell me later, and you're not one to break your word-or so I thought you weren't!"

Squall flinched not from pain, but from wounded pride. That remark stung, he looked back at Rinoa. He seemed to relax, his hard eyes softening, "Fine…" he finally gave in. Squall still wouldn't tell her everything, only a few words, nothing about her, no he could not tell her that. "He told me…that I should be careful because he knew that I was a rather tough opponent. He told me, however, that he was much more powerful than me and that he wished to kill me,"

Rinoa's eyes widened in horror, "Why?" she gasped out.

Squall shrugged. He didn't know that himself. He didn't see why anyone would want to hurt him or Rinoa-or any of his friends. Squall sighed, looking down at his feet. His mind reflected back to Lerane. She and the man had both called him 'Leon', the abbreviation of his last name 'Leonhart', why? And they both wore black cloaks and it appeared that they used magic. Something told Squall that a simple Shell spell would not reduce the damage done to him in a battle. Squall was snapped out of his thoughts when Rinoa came up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She gave him a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "I forgive you, Squall," and then drew back. Squall blinked, staring into Rinoa's eyes for a moment, and then he blinked and nodded. Squall headed for the door and opened it. Without a word, he left, heading back down to his room. They were going to leave soon.

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R&R please! it makes me write/type faster! It's true! I stop writing many of my fan fics cause I think people don't like them! Ask Nightfire45-Dawnfire45! I like writing this one, but it, like many others, will get dull from people not Reviewing! PLEASE REVIEW!

P.S.: I can't beat the last form of Ultimecia, got any tips? Or anyone know how i can get the magazaine thing for the Lionheart? In the Time Compression? Or a cheat maybe?