A/N: Hello again. So this is the first official chapter of this story and it starts a bit before the prologue as you might imagine. This story will largely be from Squall's point of view, I think, and whenever you see parenthetical italics (like this) that indicates his thoughts. Kinda like in the game but without the dialog box. I took a few liberties with some details left out of the game such as Xu's last name but I'm sure no one will mind. This chapter is a little long, but consider it a double-length pilot episode of a television show if that helps. A lot of exposition is needed to sort of recap some important events of the past year. I think that's about all I have to say at this point, now for your regularly scheduled disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, it's characters, or Square-Enix in any way shape or form outside of my mildest dreams (the wildest being the ones where I fly and shoot lasers out of my eyeballs). Don't sue me or I'll be sad.
'Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door
And the clouds came tumbling down
And it's bye-bye goodbye I tried
Dredging the sea of a trouble mind
Had to leave myself behind
Singin' bye-bye goodbye I tried
If you wrote me off
I'd understand it
'Cause I've been on
Some other planet
So come pick me up
I've landed...
-"Landed" by Ben Folds
Chapter 1: Turbulence
(Eight hours earlier:)
'Dear Squall,
Hello! How are you doing? We haven't talked in a while and I keep getting your voicemail whenever I call, but I guess you're a pretty busy guy. You really need to get some people like Kiros and Ward (they send their love, by the way) working for you, they handle all my official stuff. We really should sit down and have dinner sometime. Bring Rinoa too! I've love to see you all again and that's kind of why I'm writing this letter.
As I'm sure you know two weeks from today is the one year anniversary of you all defeating the evil Ultimecia! The world is forever in your debt, which I'm sure you've heard a thousand times before, but I came up with the idea of putting up a memorial of sorts to commemorate the event.
The ceremony will be at 19:00 on Saturday, June 9th right in the center of the city so you may want to get here a day or two early to get settled and whatnot. Oh! And make sure to tell Rinoa, Quistis, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, and anyone else you think to bring with you. Cid and Edea have already confirmed that they're going to be there so it would look bad if the commander of Balamb Garden decided not to show up. Ha! Just kidding! But seriously, it would be great to see you again. It's been too long. You'll find rooms reserved for you all in the presidential palace.
If you have any questions or anything PLEASE call me! See you soon!
Love,
Dad'
Squall neatly folded the presidential letterhead and tucked it safely into his left pants pocket. It was only a little over a year that he had discovered he had a father and he was not about to start calling Laguna 'Dad' anytime soon. Still, the man wouldn't relent. At times the eccentric president of Esthar's enthusiasm approached Selphie on a sugar high and given her mood swings lately Squall shuddered at the thought. He peeked through the opening in his office doors to see Xu at her desk busily typing something on her computer. If he was lucky he'd be able to slip by unnoticed, but he was never lucky. Not when it came to Xu.
"Leaving early, sir?" she asked, not looking up from the soft glow of her monitor.
Squall stopped mid-stride in front of his assistant's desk. 'Assistant Commander' she would often call herself though Squall was always quick to retort with an 'Assistant to the Commander'. In Xu's eyes the titles meant the same thing. Really, he was eternally grateful for her help. Xu Shin was hard-working, loyal, and very thorough. If anything could be said about her it was that she was too thorough and a stickler for protocol. She reminded him of a shorter, darker Quistis.
"Yes," Squall replied. "Laguna wants us to be there a few days early and Cid insisted on giving us the Ragnarok to fly over this afternoon. I would stay if I had a choice in the matter."
He inwardly braced himself for the slew of reports, instructions, reminders, or anything else Xu would think important enough to tell him before he left but to his delight and surprise she simply looked up, smiled, and said, "Have a pleasant trip, sir. Don't worry, I'll handle things while you're gone."
Small returned with a weak smile and a nod and walked towards the elevator. Fortunately it was already on the third floor and he wouldn't have to stand there awkwardly. Squall Leonhart had changed quite a bit in the past year but he still wasn't the best conversationalist in the world. Opening up for him was a slow and oftentimes painful process but at least he was trying. Sometimes. The soft ding of the elevator sounded as it reached the first floor. Squall walked quickly and with quiet purpose towards the dormitory wing, his eyes on the ground as if following the colored guiding paint. Passing students and SeeDs alike would nod or salute in passing out of respect but they knew better than to expect a response. It would take much more than a year to turn a lone wolf into the family dog. When he walked down the hall that led to his newly-apportioned "Commander's Suite" (which he was very against receiving calling it things like "unnecessary" and "extravagant") he was surprised to find the door cracked open. Caution and suspicion immediately took over as he slowly pushed the door. It swung noiselessly on its hinges and Squall stepped inside with slow, controlled steps. He deftly palmed a letter opener that sat on an end table beside his black leather couch in the living area and held it pointed end forward as he followed a feint sound coming from his bedroom. As he neared his open door he carefully peeked around the frame to see the backside of Rinoa bent over a suitcase on his king-size bed.
Her midnight hair cascaded down the back of her favorite blue duster and just barely covered the angel wing design on its back. Her hair was longer than it was during the second Sorceress Wars and it secretly drove him crazy (in a good way). A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his shoulders eased and the sound caused the young sorceress to turn around smiling. How he missed that smile. He hadn't seen her in two days, though not of his own doing. Quite the contrary. It just seemed that the at times overwhelming responsibilities associated with being the garden's ambiguously-titled commander coupled with their miniature vacation in Esthar had given him enough paperwork to pave every street in every town worldwide with stacks of memos and various and sundry forms an inch thick. Even with Xu's diligence he always seemed to find himself swamped. It was the part of the job he hated, a part that was slowly but surely threatening to become the whole of the job. Too many long nights in the office made him irritable and reclusive which was a huge step backwards towards the old Squall and away from Rinoa's Squall. It was often the subject of many heated arguments that left him distant and withdrawn and left Rinoa in tears. He hated making her cry and hated what this job was doing to him. He longed for nothing more than to be sent out on missions with Lionheart in hand where the only thing he had to worry about was following the objectives and getting his team out alive. He hadn't been on a mission in months and even then he had no reprieve from his administrative duties. But they were just that: duty, and Squall was a slave to duty. He was a slave because he was afraid to quit just as he was afraid to commit which is why his carefully-worded resignation letter rested in the inside pocket of his leather jacket right next to a small black box holding a diamond ring he had bought two months ago.
"What's with the letter opener?" she asked with a mock-innocent grin.
Squall shifted his weight from his left to his right foot and scratched the back of his head as he often did. "I… um… needed to open a letter… in my bedroom?" Squall offered sheepishly with an awkward smile. He casually tossed the object to a corner where it landed with a soft thud.
"Is that so?" she asked, her tone taking a turn for the seductive. She approached him slowly, swaying her hips intentionally as she did. She brought her body as close to his as she could without touching and stared up at him with her big brown eyes. Squall's body instinctively stiffened and then relaxed as she placed a slender hand behind his neck. With a husky voice she half-whispered, "I can't find any letters, but I have something else you can… open."
Squall closed his eyes as he inhaled her scent: a light airy smell that took him back to their private field of flowers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and felt his already tight pants get a bit tighter. She was getting better at this, but Squall wasn't one to go back on his word. Being the staunch moral conservative that he was, Squall had insisted that they wait until they were wed before giving themselves to each other sexually. Rinoa respected his wishes but they left her feeling a bit… frustrated at times. Plus it was really fun to tease Squall. She was no tramp, though, as she had never known a man in the poetic sense but Selphie wouldn't shut up about it and it piqued her curiosity as well as her teenage hormones. Squall, on the other hand, had a lot of practice shutting himself off from people so he responded by smiling and kissing her on the forehead before changing the subject as quickly as humanly possible.
"So what're you doing with my suitcase? And how did you even get in here?" Squall said laughing a little, which is not something he would have ever done a year ago.
"It was unlocked so I let myself in," Rinoa mused with a broad smile, turning back to the suitcase.
(Unlocked? Since when did I ever leave my door unlocked? I'm losing my mind.)
"Aaaaand," Rinoa continued, turning back around to face him and catch his gaze, "I'm helping you pack. We're supposed to leave in an hour, you know." She spun daintily back around and placed the last article of clothing (that looked a bit too colorful to be his) she had laid out on the bed snugly into the suitcase and quickly zipped it up. Squall walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands above her navel. "I've missed you," she whispered.
"I've missed you too," he said softly as he brushed her long hair away with his face and gave her a light kiss on the right side of her neck. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, but with the Trabia Garden reconstruction project and everything else I've just been so…"
"Busy?" Rinoa finished, her tone dropping. "You know there is a way we could see more of each other."
"Rinoa, you know how I feel about that."
Squall could feel Rinoa's skin prickle and backed up a step, releasing her from his grip and immediately regretting opening his mouth. She slowly turned around and with a mixture of hurt and aggravation in her voice asked, "Why do you automatically assume I'm pushing you to invite me to live with you? I'm not Irvine; my mind has more than one track. Lunch, Squall. I was going to suggest we meet for lunch every day. You know, like we used to? It would be nice if you could fit that into your busy schedule."
She brushed past him in a hurry, her brow furrowed in anger, and stormed towards Squall's bedroom door. Before she could enter the living room he grabbed her wrist and said, "Rinoa, I love you."
Rinoa looked back at him blankly, squared her shoulders, and said, "Then act like it."
The makeshift hangar was busy with activity as the large dragonship Ragnarok was being prepped for takeoff. The gear-heads at Fisherman's Horizon were kind enough to install something of a landing pad area jutting off from Garden's garage complex. Brown metallic support beams attached to the underside of the floating fortress and attached themselves to a small platform that attached to the outer door of the leftmost part of the garage which was converted into a docking bay for the craft. Most of the vehicles that once resided there were damaged by the attacks from Galbadia Garden in the war anyway. Esthar never did bother to reclaim the ship after the six heroes had "borrowed" it during the chaos and wrote it off as a goodwill offering for saving everyone's collective asses. Truthfully, it had come in handy more than a few times since then though Squall was never for using it for personal reasons. Cid assured him that this was a diplomatic mission of sorts and that the use of a "swift military vessel" was completely within reason. The old man always did have a way with words.
The chime of the PA system echoed off the metal walls of the garage and Squall checked his watch.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. The Ragnarok will be departing for Esthar shortly at which time we will follow suit and depart from Centra arriving on Estharian shores in approximately 36 hours time. Maintenance team B please report to basement level 1. Have a pleasant rest of the day!
Nida had certainly found his niche within Balamb Garden. He'd come a long way from the distinctly forgettable face in Squall's graduating class after becoming the pilot (or 'captain', as he called it) of the Garden since the last Sorceress Wars. That along with his rumored relationship with the authoritative Xu did much to bolster his confidence as well as popularity.
Squall leaned against a wall in the noisy garage as he watched maintenance workers shuffle about noisily. He was early as usual and waited patiently for the others to arrive quietly sipping a cup of coffee. Irvine was the first to walk through the doors, sauntering his way over to Squall with a tip of his trademark cowboy hat. Like Squall, Irvine always wore his jacket no matter the weather and it flowed behind him like a strange tan cape. His boots made a very unique metallic sound as they each made contact with the garage floor until he came to a halt before the young commander.
"Mornin', Squall," he greeted. "You haven't seen Selphie, have you? She said she was going to get some breakfast but I couldn't find…"
"BOOYAKA!"
A blur of green and blue rushed towards the two men and nearly bowled Irvine over. He stumbled back as an energetic Selphie collided with him.
"Ohmyhyne I'm soooo excited! I haven't flown in FOREVER!!!" she said, her face lit up like the sun. No… brighter than the sun.
Just watching Selphie made Squall tired. He didn't envy Irvine in the least and wondered on a daily basis how he managed to keep up with her. Still he seemed to love every bit of her enthusiasm. It made her unpredictable and spontaneous and that was exactly what the notorious skirt-chaser needed. Even so the commander wondered exactly how someone seven months pregnant could move that fast. Yes, Selphie Kinneas was carrying a little cowboy (or cowgirl) which served as the best evidence that the couple didn't share Squall's inhibitions regarding premarital sex. The news came as a shock to their little group of friends but to everyone's, including Selphie's, surprise Irvine was delighted. She was scared out of her mind that he would freak out and bail out, so to speak, but when the cowboy heard he was to be the father of Selphie's child he dropped to one knee and proposed to her on the spot using his hoop earring from the top of his left ear as a temporary engagement ring. Naturally she thought he was the sweetest thing in the universe and agreed with an "OF COURSE I WILL!" that could probably be heard throughout the entire Garden. After a passionate bout of engagement sex, Selphie immediately went to work on planning her own wedding. Who else would do it? After all, planning events was her gift. To this day no one is quite sure how she pulled it off but in three months time Selphie, who was already beginning to show, and Irvine were wed in Balamb town in one of the most extravagant weddings, not to mention receptions, anyone had ever seen. People were still talking about it four months later as everyone expected Squall and Rinoa to be the first of the six heroes to tie the knot… including Rinoa.
Selphie stood there hanging on her husband's arm wearing a faded pair of jeans and a lime-green tee that showed off a bit of skin from her bulging midsection and read "Save a Chocobo, Ride a Cowboy" with the outline of the iconic bird behind the white lettering. The shirt had to be Irvine's. The sound of the door sliding open could be heard and with it the soft footsteps of one Miss Rinoa Heartilly. She gave Irvine and Selphie a wave and Squall a glare before entering the cargo bay of the Ragnarok to deposit her belongings.
Irvine whistled and with a pat on Squall's back said, "Good luck with that, brother." Squall could've sworn the couple was skipping just to spite him as they entered the craft. It was going to be a long flight.
Quistis was the next to arrive with her things packed neatly into one medium-sized suitcase, efficient as ever and always in her peach battle suit that looked fashionable enough to wear as pretty much anything. She gave Squall a smile as she passed and entered the ship. That left Zell and his girlfriend from the library, the one with the pigtails. Squall checked his watch impatiently. The martial artist was late as usual. As if on cue Zell came bursting through the doors to the center of Garden complete in his skater garb and carrying too much luggage for any one person.
"Yo Squall! Sorry I'm late, you wouldn't believe how many people don't watch where they're going," Zell shouted as he jogged past.
"He insisted," said the girl behind him who was blushing furiously and who Squall remembered as Amelia, or Amy as she liked to be called. They'd be introduced a few times since Zell had the courage to finally ask her out at the wedding of the century. The two raced past and entered the ship. Finishing his coffee, Squall slowly followed in behind them and signaled the mechanics that they were ready for takeoff.
Selphie sat snugly in the cockpit with the seat pushed back a few inches to accommodate her new girth and was busy flipping various switches and turning dials. Doctor Kadowaki was not at all happy about a young lady in her third trimester flying, much less piloting, in something like the Ragnarok but Selphie was the only person who remotely knew what she was doing in the seat of the bizarre ship. Irvine, of course, rode shotgun in the co-pilot's seat. He didn't have the slightest idea what he was doing but Selphie had slowly been trying to teach him. Quistis and Rinoa were busy chatting in the two seats behind them. Across the aisle Zell was busy stuffing his face with a hotdog he had wrapped and pulled out of one of the deep pockets in his denim shorts while Amy rolled her eyes and giggled softly. Their relationship always puzzled Squall as he didn't think Zell knew what a book was. Opposites attract, so they say, and whatever they had seemed to work. That left the commander to the seats in the back by himself and that was just as well. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone anyway. Within moments the hum of the engines grew progressively louder and the ship rolled forwards to the outdoor platform. Selphie had perfected the craft's unique vertical takeoff and soon they were airborne.
The first few hours of the flight proved uneventful. Selphie and Irvine were happily discussing baby things, Amy was napping on Zell's strategically placed arm while the combat king bobbed his head to the music on his mp3 player. Quistis resigned herself to a book to no one's surprise and Rinoa simply stared out the window next to her. She still hadn't spoken a word to Squall since that morning in his apartment and he couldn't help but be a bit worried. Their arguments were becoming more frequent and lasting longer than their little tiffs in the past. To make things worse both parties were quite stubborn but this time Squall knew he messed up. Still she needed time to cool off before he would talk to her about it.
Suddenly all the lights in the cabin went out. Squall straightened his posture and looked about frantically as a collective gasp sounded throughout the seven passengers. After a few seconds the lights came back on much to everyone's relief.
"Sorry!" a slightly shaken-up Selphie called from the front of the vessel. "I'm not sure what happened there, there seems to be some kind of disturbance. Hold on and buckle up, kay?"
Squall reached for his seatbelt and fastened it with a reassuring click that joined the chorus of similar clicks from the others. The Ragnarok began to steadily shake and Squall gripped the armrest tightly. Rinoa looked back at him and made eye contact for the first time since the garage. To their relief the shaking slowly dissipated and the ship leveled off.
"Shit!" came another female shout from the cockpit followed by a thud of a fist pounding metal. "The instruments are going haywire," Selphie said, her tone turning deathly serious. "I don't know what's going on but I'm gonna put 'er down somewhere so I can figure it out. Sit tight and don't get…"
Darkness. The lights went out a second time and they could hear the roar of the engines slow to a soft purr and then stop. A moment of weightlessness occurred before the Ragnarok began to rapidly fall. Everyone shouted or screamed in surprise. Selphie was fumbling with controls at the front of the ship and Squall reached his hand over the seat and entwined his fingers in Rinoa's.
"I'll be alright," he whispered over and over and though he didn't see them he could feel the tears running down her face.
"The backup generator should kick in any moment!" a panicked Selphie shouted from the darkness of the cockpit. As if on cue a dim light shone throughout the cabin and some of the lights on the instrument panel flickered to life, the craft still falling fast.
"Baby, the thrusters are gone! You're gonna have to glide us down!" Irvine shouted, feeling heavy against the restraints of his safety belts.
Zell was busy securing Amy who had since passed out and Quistis sat up rigidly straight with her arm rests in a death grip. All Rinoa and Squall could do was look into each other's eyes. There were a multitude of things they wanted to say to each other but neither could find the words. They just stared.
Selphie grunted as she pulled up hard on the controls of the craft looking desperately for a place to land, an island, anything. All that could be seen in the noonday sun was water. They were falling fast and the North-East islands that dotted the Centra continent were too far spread out. At this rate they were going to crash into the ocean and there was nothing they could do about it. They grew nearer and nearer, their screams and cries growing louder and louder. Blood rushed to Squall's head and began to feel very woosy when the ship lurched backwards a bit as if it passed through something.
"What the fuck?" Irvine shouted out of despairation.
"An island! There's an island there!" Selphie screamed, a tiny bit of hope in her voice. "I'm going to land there! Hold onto something, this is going to be rough!"
Selphie pulled up on the throttle, desperately trying to level the speeding Ragnarok from its collision course with this island that seemed to pop up out of nowhere. It wasn't on any of the instrument maps or geographic sensors but at this point no one cared. At that moment it was their only chance at survival.
Faster and faster the ship fell as Selphie slowly began to level it.
"SQUALL!!!" was the last thing anyone heard before the deafening impact of high speed metal on sand. The Ragnarok bounced once off the beach of the island and threw everyone back in their seats, slamming their heads against walls and anything else in the vicinity. As it landed a second time a louder ripping sound reverberated throughout the ship as the back half dislodged itself from the front raining metal shrapnel down and flinging the back two passenger benches into the air. The hull of the ship creaked and began to crunch down upon itself as the bow slid on the white sand before it digging a deep trench as it went.
Wind bit Squall's face as his seat was thrown from the craft and he struggled with his safety harness. The next thing he knew was darkness.
