A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS

Here it is, at long last! By popular vote, the Irish Jig scene wins with 9 votes to 4! If I'm honest, I was kinda hoping for this one. I'm a student of the violin myself (been learning for two months and already at Grade 1 level), so I was hoping to show off a bit of what I'd learnt. Of course, I should point out that there is no way Selphie could learn such a piece in a short amount of time. But that's a moot point!

So, without further delay, please enjoy the scene that won! Thanks to all who voted! Hope you got what you wanted!

Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]

Grace Barton

Chapter Twenty-One

I'll just have to do as I was told… Squall told himself. Command the Garden and kill the sorceress.

It was sometime later now, and Squall was at long last alone in his dorm room. On his way back to his dorm, people—SeeDs and students alike—had kept coming up to him, wanting to congratulate him on his new position and wish him luck in the battle against the sorceress. Squall had said nothing in response, but with each word of praise he felt the weight on his shoulders grow even heavier.

By the time he reached his dorm, Squall felt just about ready to collapse. He did not even remove his jacket or his sword, and just slumped onto his bed. No one, not even Rinoa, came to see him and for that he was thankful. He was not in any mood to see anyone. He just wanted to be alone, to think his way through this.

Squall stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, and then put his arm over his eyes. Despite how tired he felt, he could not get his aching body to relax. With a groan the swordsman sat up again and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He looked down at the floor, lost in his thoughts.

How does Headmaster Cid expect me to take care of everyone, he asked himself. Pushing himself to his feet, Squall unhooked his sword and gave it a quick wipe with a cloth before placing it back in its case. It'd be best to fight the sorceress soon, and end this nonsense. He locked the case. Then he turned away and started to remove his jacket. He was just slipping it off his shoulders when another thought occurred to him. …! But isn't she the headmaster's wife? What does it feel like to give an order like that?

The swordsman closed his eyes and tried to imagine it, but he just couldn't. He started to understand why it had taken Headmaster Cid so long to come to this decision. Sorceress Edea was his wife; someone he loved. To give the order to kill her was something that must be breaking his heart. But that did not excuse the fact that Cid was now placing this burden on Squall's shoulders.

Just thinking about it made Squall's head hurt, and he put his hand to his head. All these thoughts… He wished he could just stop thinking about it. Squall put his jacket on the gunblade case and then slumped back onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling and then let his eyes flutter shut, letting sleep finally take him.

Irvine was the last one to arrive at the meeting point outside of Mayor Dobe's house. He was late because he had been busy with the Fisherman's Horizon technicians, going over the final plans for the night's festivities.

Persuading the technicians had been easier than expected. The technicians were more than willing to aid Irvine and Selphie with their request, more so after Irvine smooth-talked them by saying the festival would also be held as an apology to the townspeople for the trouble they had caused. Mayor Dobe had proved reluctant but eventually agreed, and so Irvine had spent the next hour working with the technicians while Selphie ran on ahead to round up the people she would need to help her with her plans.

Everybody was waiting when he arrived. Selphie was there, along with Zell, Quistis and even Rinoa. Only Squall was missing. Irvine had checked in on him before making his way here. The swordsman was fast asleep in his room, which meant that they were free to plan ahead without him.

Irvine took his position next to Selphie. "Hey everyone," he said to the others, who were sitting on the floor in front of them. "Here's our producer, Selphie."

On cue, Selphie stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Ahem! We'll be holding the concert as planned," she reported. "The performance isn't just for us, though. It's also for Squall. Y'know, to congratulate him on his recent promotion."

Before her, the others nodded with approval. "Sounds fun," said Quistis.

"So, who's gonna perform?" Zell asked.

Irvine grinned. "We are," he replied.

Zell snorted. "Yeah right."

"You're kidding," said Quistis. She looked at Irvine and then at Selphie. Both of them looked serious—they were not kidding. Quistis paled. "Oh, no way," she said. "You can count me out. I have no musical aptitude."

"Oh really?" asked Rinoa with interest. "I gotta see this." She then grinned as Quistis turned to glare at her.

"Let's just give it a try," Selphie urged them. "We have everything ready and all we need is four people."

She looked around at them all, her face eager. Zell groaned, and Quistis put her head in her hands and shook it. Rinoa, on the other hand, looked just as eager and excited as Selphie was. "This is gonna be fun!" she commented.

"Oh, sorry, Rinoa," Selphie said suddenly, turning to her, "but you're not gonna be a member."

Rinoa's face fell. "You're leaving me out?" she asked, sounding hurt.

"Uh-uh." Selphie shook her head. She then grinned. "We have something more important for you to do."

Rinoa frowned, thinking this over.

"So what are we gonna do?" Zell asked, cutting in. Everyone looked at him. The fighter stood and said: "I mean basically, we're all amateurs, right? Even if you hand us instruments, we won't be able to do anything." He looked at Selphie and Irvine, and beside him Quistis nodded her agreement.

Seeing their disheartened faces, Selphie decided to try a different tactic. "First I wanna ask you guys something," she said. "Ok, you know I took over this event after I transferred to Balamb, right? I have the composition that the last producer recommended to me, but everything got all messed up after the Garden started moving. There's only supposed to be four scores that go with the composition, but I got eight scores here."

She held up the eight scores in question. Zell looked at them, his face blank. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"It's pretty simple," said Irvine, speaking in a tone that made Zell's face turn red with embarrassment and fury. "Four other scores from a different composition got mixed up with the four scores that Selphie had. So we have to find the four original scores to perform the composition that Selphie has." He grinned. "Only way we're gonna find them is to play all eight scores and see."

"So," said Selphie, taking over again, "I want you guys to pick up an instrument, one person at a time, and play it. Irvine knows the composition, so he'll choose which four are the right ones."

The gunman tipped his hat, flashing them his charming smile. Quistis and Zell again shared unsure glances with one another, still not convinced that they would be able to pull this off. Yet when they looked into Selphie's face and saw the hope in her eyes, they could not say no. Together they both sighed, giving in.

Seeing that they had won, Irvine and Selphie high-fived each other. Selphie passed Irvine the eight scores, and he headed over to a large tarpaulin near the mayor's house, where a large stage was currently being built. He pulled it off to reveal a number of musical instruments piled up next to the house. There was a piano, a violin, a saxophone, a collection of different guitars, and even a flute. Quistis stared, for she had never seen so many instruments in one place, and wondered where they had managed to find them.

Irvine rummaged through the pile and then picked up one of the guitars. He tuned it and then played a little melody, much to Selphie's delight. The gunman finished off by rapidly strumming the strings, and when he was done he took off his hat and bowed. Selphie clapped, though Zell rolled his eyes.

Irvine lowered the guitar and returned to the group. "Let's get started," he said. He approached Zell and held out the instrument. "How about Zell?" he asked.

The fighter narrowed his eyes and then jumped to his feet. He snatched the instrument and held it as Irvine had done. He tried to play, but his fingers fumbled with the strings, and all he made was a series of haphazard notes. Irvine tried to help him and after a moment Zell relented, letting the gunman show him how it was done. It was a comical sight, and all three women watched and giggled behind their hands.

At long last Zell had it right, and he began to play. His face creased in confusion when Irvine tried to explain to him how to read the sheet music, identifying each string and the notes they played, and the chords and sounds he could make. All of this was lost on Zell, who was in no way musical minded. But after a while he started to get the hang of it, and Irvine could hear enough of the tune to identify that this was the score he was looking for.

Zell, amazed that he was playing the guitar, looked up at Irvine. "How's this?" he asked, his awe evident in his voice.

"Ok, sounds good," replied Irvine. Zell stopped playing and winced, rubbing his wrist. Playing the guitar was more strenuous than he had thought. As he put the instrument back in the pile, Irvine marked with a pencil the score he had chosen. He then turned back to the instruments and began to rummage again. "How about me?" he wondered.

While he was picking an instrument Selphie sat down next to Rinoa, who was still looking rather down. She patted Rinoa's shoulder and then whispered to her, relaying her plan. Rinoa listened and, after she heard it, she smiled and nodded.

Irvine picked an instrument and began to play. "How does this sound?" he asked.

The woman listened. She then nodded. "Ok, sounds good," she replied.

Irvine stopped playing and marked the score. "How about Selphie?" he asked.

Jumping to her feet, Selphie ran over to the instruments. With some guidance from Irvine she picked one and then began to play.

At once Selphie jumped to her feet and ran over to the instruments. She picked up one that she liked and then began to play. "Is this okay?" she asked him.

Irvine closed his eyes and listened. The tempo was different and the rhythm did not match. No, this was not one of the scores they needed. "Try something else," he advised. Selphie picked another instrument and, after listening to her for a moment, Irvine gave her the thumbs up. "Ok, sounds good." He marked the score and then turned to the last person. "Next. How about Quistis?"

Reluctantly, Quistis stood up. She shuffled over to Irvine, looking pale and dispirited. Irvine picked out the instrument he wanted her to try. Quistis gave him one last hopeful look (hope that she would be excused at the last moment), but Irvine just smiled and pointed to the instrument. Knowing she had no other choice but to comply, Quistis went to it and began to play.

Irvine listened as she played. Despite her hesitance and reluctance, Quistis was not as bad as she thought she was. With a little time and some practice, she could probably pull it off.

"Is this all right?" asked Quistis, her voice trembling.

Irvine held up the four scores, trying to imagine how they would sound together. He was sure he'd picked the right four. It was hard to know without hearing them all together, more so since no one was properly trained to play them. However if they practiced hard, without rest, they should be all right.

"Ok, sounds good," he said.

Quistis stopped playing and thankfully returned to her seat next to Zell. Everyone then waited as Irvine finished marking the last score, then folded up the others and shoved them into his back pocket. The remaining four scores, the ones they were to play, he kept in his hand. He turned to the group and held the scores up.

"Ok," he told them, "we have until tonight to practice for the performance."

Everyone nodded. Selphie then got to her feet and looked over at Rinoa. "Rinoa, that's when you're up," she said with a wink.

Rinoa winked back and patted her chest. "You can count on me!" she said.

Selphie looked around. Everything was in place. The stage was being built, the music had been selected, and the performers were all ready. Well, almost. Her excitement grew, and she could feel butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach. It was an exhilarating feeling, and she could barely contain her excitement.

"It's gonna be a blast!" she exclaimed.

Squall opened his eyes. He yawned and rolled onto his back. What time was it? Almost 8:30pm, according to the bedside clock. Was it really that late already? He had missed the evening meal, but he did not feel particularly hungry anyway. He just felt… tired.

He had managed to get some sleep, which had helped to calm down his thoughts. He was still not happy with the way the headmaster had thrust this situation on him, but he was feeling a little calmer about it and had come to a decision. He would do as he was asked and lead the Garden in the fight against the sorceress. Not that he had a choice in the matter. It had already been decided. All Squall could do was comply and the sooner they faced Sorceress Edea, the sooner everything would return to normal.

The swordsman turned his head away from the clock and looked up at the ceiling. …I'm so bored… he thought, and then sat up.

He looked over at the door, which remained closed. Nobody, not even Rinoa, had come to check on him, or if they had he had been asleep. Still, it was odd that no one had thought to wake him up. Squall watched the door for a moment then looked down at the floor, frowning in thought.

What's everybody doing, he wondered, before he got up and walked out.

The dormitory corridor was quiet. A little too quiet, Squall thought. It was getting late but there should still be students wandering around. The swordsman looked up and down the corridor. He listened. No, he could not hear anything from any of the rooms. That was odd.

Squall walked down the silent corridor and out of the dorms, where at long last he spotted someone. At the end of the corridor he saw Quistis, Zell and Rinoa. He noticed that Rinoa had changed clothes and was wearing a white dress, she same white dress she had worn… now, when was it? Squall shook his head. It probably didn't matter. Pushing that thought aside, he headed towards them.

Quistis turned and spotted Squall approaching. Dropping her voice, she hushed a warning to Zell and Rinoa. "Shhh, here he comes," she whispered.

"Okay, he's all yours," said Zell to Rinoa.

Rinoa nodded, and Quistis and Zell ran out of the dormitory corridor. Rinoa then turned and waited for Squall to walk up. When he reached her, she stood in front of him and thrust out her hand, standing right his path.

"You're not going anywhere," she told him sternly. Then she lowered her hand and smiled. "So what's up?"

Tired, Squall thought.

Leaning over, Rinoa peered up into his face. "You look so down?" she said.

Squall, in response, just closes his eyes and turned his head away. Rinoa's gaze softened. Squall looked tired and troubled. She could not blame him, with everything that had happened. Headmaster Cid placing him in charge of the Garden was probably the last straw, and he looked resigned to his fate. Rinoa sympathised, but she was not about to let him sit around and mope all evening.

"Come on, Squall," she said, standing straight again. "How old are you? You're still a teenager. Why don't you act like one for a change?"

…Just tired, Squall thought, without looking at her.

"Ok, come on. Let's go to the concert."

…What? Squall frowned and opened his eyes. The 'concert'? The Garden Festival concert? He thought that was cancelled, what with the stage being destroyed. "Sorry," he replied, raising his head. "I'm not in the mood."

"How come?" asked Rinoa.

Once again Squall averted his eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it."

There was a moment's silence, and then Rinoa began to laugh. Squall stared at her. Rinoa's cheeks flushed as she held her sides, overcome with laughter.

"…Quistis was right on…" Rinoa said between giggles. "Oh, you're so predictable." She laughed a few seconds more. Then, becoming aware that Squall was glaring at her, she took a breath and calmed herself down. "…Ok, I'm sorry. I can understand why you wouldn't be in the mood. You're probably still thinking about what the headmaster said today. He put a lot on your shoulders. It all happened so fast." She walked around him as she talked and then stopped in front of him. "So we thought it'd be good for you to come and unwind a little. Plus I have something important that I want to talk to you about."

Squall started to nod, but then he frowned. "Who's we?" he asked her.

"Who else? Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, and, of course, me. Come on…" Rinoa took his hand and held it in hers. "Please, for me? There's no point if you don't show up." She gave him her most charming smile.

Squall looked into her eager, hopeful face. I don't know… he thought. "…Sorry," he said out loud, and he pulled his hand away. "I just don't feel like it.

Rinoa's face fell. "Fine…" she said. She turned her back on Squall and stamped her heel on the floor. "I guess I'll just have to bug you for the rest of the night. And I'm gonna keep chanting 'concert, concert, concert' and drive you nuts." She looked back at him, an evil smile on her face. "Is that what you want?"

On seeing that smile Squall knew that she was being serious. He could see it all too well: Rinoa standing at his side for the whole night, chanting the word 'concert' over and over. Just thinking about the prospect made him twitch. The swordsman groaned and held his head. He knew he was beaten.

"…Oh man…" he moaned.

Seeing that she had won, Rinoa's evil smile turned to one of delight. "I'm getting to you already, huh?" she asked. "Looks like you have no choice!"

She took his hand again and pulled him forward. Squall could only look on helplessly as she led him out of the corridor. He looked at the back of her head as she walked, her dark hair swishing over her shoulders, and he could not help feeling that, some time ago, he had done all this before.

It was almost nine o' clock when Squall and Rinoa finally arrived at the street overlooking Mayor Dobe's house. Squall was surprise to see that a large number of students had gathered here, along with many of the citizens of Fisherman's Horizon. So this was where everyone had gotten to, Squall realised.

He looked up and down the street. A number of SeeDs had attended the festival and were working as attendants, dressed in their full military dress and carrying trays of drinks and foods and offering them to the people as they passed by. There was a good atmosphere in the air and even those citizens who had first frowned upon the Garden and its SeeDs could not help but smile and laugh in the light-hearted ambience that the Garden Festival provided.

Further down the street Squall spotted the mayor and his wife. Mayor Dobe still looked sullen from the day's events, but he managed a polite smile and a few words when one of the female SeeDs approached him and offered him a glass. As he took the glass he caught Squall's gaze. He held it for a moment and then looked away. Some things would take longer to change, Squall thought.

Rinoa turned and took his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. She pulled him along to the top of the stairs where Selphie and Irvine were waiting for them. Selphie smiled and she waved at Rinoa, who waved back. Irvine gave Selphie a wink and then left her, heading over to Squall.

"So she convinced you, eh?" he said. Squall did not answer, but one look into the swordsman's face told him this was the case. Irvine nodded his head, and the two men walked aside. "Looking good together," Irvine whispered with a glance back at Rinoa, who was now talking with Selphie. Squall did not follow his gaze. "So like…" Irvine said, turning back. "I found this place. It's perfect for you guys."

Squall had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Give me a break… he thought.

"It's by the stage," Irvine carried on. "You can't miss it. I left an old magazine there. You can thank me later. Have fun. Just let it all out tonight."

Oh man, Squall thought. This guy is sick. He turned to Irvine, frowning. "Are you done?" he asked.

Irvine's lips turned up into a mischievous smile, and there was a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I might be there later with a special someone, too," he said.

He looked back at Selphie. The girl was unaware of Irvine's appreciative gaze and was giggling as Rinoa regaled her with the story of how she had 'persuaded' Squall to come to the concert. Irvine patted Squall on the shoulder and then left him to rejoin the women. The three talked for a moment and then Irvine and Selphie walked off together, looking down into the sun dish.

Seeing them together, Squall had to feel sorry for Selphie. She was the unwitting suspect of Irvine's affections, and Irvine seemed more than convinced that he would be able to win her over. He had no idea how Selphie felt about Irvine, but whatever the answer, it would be Selphie who was in control.

He recalled what Irvine had said about him and Rinoa 'looking good together'. What was that all about? This wasn't a date. What did it matter how they looked together? As for that talk about a 'place' that was 'perfect' for him and Rinoa… surely Irvine was just trying to mess with his head.

He walked over to Rinoa. Rinoa informed him that the concert stage was right outside of Mayor Dobe's house, and this was where they needed to go. Squall nodded and they headed to the stairs.

Selphie and Irvine were still there. Selphie was peering down the stairs, trying to see if everything was ready. Irvine, standing behind her, was just clearing his throat when Squall reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. The gunman jumped and turned around, and he looked irritated.

"Come on, man," he whispered. "I'm just about to make my move."

Hearing him, Selphie turned. "What's up?" she asked. Irvine said nothing, and so Selphie turned and ran down the stairs towards the stage. Irvine's mouth fell open, and he watched her run off. He turned and stared at Squall in dismay.

"Oh well…" said Squall, shrugging. Rinoa put her hand over her mouth, giggling.

Irvine closed his mouth. "Geez…" he complained. "Thanks a lot!" He turned and ran down the steps. Rinoa giggled harder, holding her sides.

Watching him go, Squall felt just a little bit cruel. At least he had managed to get Selphie out of an awkward situation, even if she did not know it herself. He wondered if she even knew about Irvine's feelings for her. …Probably not.

Once Rinoa was finished giggling, she took hold of Squall's hand again and led him down the steps to the mayor's house. She led him to the bottom, where a large stage had been constructed by the Fisherman's Horizon technicians. Squall stopped and stared up at it, and he could not help but feel awestruck.

It was an impressive stage—impressive because it was built in so short a time. There were four main tiers, each with glowing lights underneath the glass floors to give the impression that they were glowing. Laser lights shone up from the platforms, casting thin beams of colour into the sky.

On each of the four tiers were his friends. Selphie stood on the foremost stand. She had 'borrowed' Irvine's hat and was wearing it on her head, tipped back so that the brim rested on the turned-out curls of her hair. Tucked underneath her left arm was a violin. When Selphie saw Squall she ran up to the edge of the stage and pointed the bow at him.

"Squall!" she shouted. "You big stud! This is all for you! Congratulations! Rinoa, don't let him get away!"

Behind Squall, Rinoa nodded and then grasped Squall's sleeve. The swordsman said nothing and just looked up at the stage.

Whatever… he thought.

Selphie turned and walked to the centre of the platform. Around her stood the others, each with their own instruments. Quistis was on the platform beside her, holding a flute to her lips. Zell was on another, holding a classic guitar. Lastly there was Irvine, holding no instrument but wearing special clips on the heel of his boots to mimic the sound of tap music.

Selphie looked around her. Everything was ready. She turned back to the front. She raised her violin and placed her chin upon the rest. Inside her chest she could feel her heart begin to race. Though she was a novice to the violin, she felt she had learnt enough from the musicians of Fisherman's Horizon to pull at least this one piece off. She held the violin up, her fingers hovering over the strings. She raised the bow, and a vast silence spread through the crowds gathered all around the sun dish. All eyes were upon her and her friends.

"Ready!" she cried. "A-one, two, three…"

They began to play. Irvine started off first, performing a series of rhythmic taps. The sound was amplified by speakers built into the stage, carrying the sound up to the top of the sun dish.

Next Zell began to play, strumming the guitar with his fingers. Though at first his movements were clumsy he settled quickly, replaying the notes that were drilled into him. Soon he also settled into a rhythm, matching Irvine's taps.

The two men played together for a few bars. Selphie and Quistis shared a glance and then, at the same moment, they also began to play.

There was a moment's silence from the crowd. Then, as one, everyone erupted into cheer. SeeDs, students, and citizens alike stopped what they were doing and watched in wide-eyed fascination. Even Mayor Dobe looked amazed, impressed that these 'warmongering' SeeD had talents other than fighting. Of course, he did not know that they were all novices, but he could not deny being impressed.

On the stage, Selphie's face was almost glowing with delight. Her fingers seemed to dance up and down the strings, playing each note with careful precision. As she became more confident in what she played she began to walk around the platform, her eyes on the crowd. The others, also, were becoming more confident. Quistis licked her lips and blew into the flute, moving her fingers in time with the music that Selphie played. The two instruments blended as one, backed up by the music that Zell and Irvine played.

Rinoa, watching below, clasped her hands together and smiled. She had seen all the hard work and effort these four had put into learning this piece, and it was exhilarating to see that effort pay off. But she had her own job to do. She tugged at Squall's arm to catch his attention and nodded her head to the side. She then walked ahead and Squall followed her, leaving their friends to their music.

They walked around the stage to the side of the mayor's house. Remembering what Irvine had told him, Squall kept his eyes on the ground. He soon found what he was looking for—a magazine at the edge of the platform. Squall stopped and looked down at it.

This looks like the place he was talking about, he thought.

Rinoa walked up next to him and looked down at the magazine, which lay open on a rather revealing page. "Ohh, a naughty magazine," she said, with a wink at Squall.

Seeing the picture, Squall held his head and groaned. I thought he was kidding, he thought. Trying to block the image from his mind, he changed the subject. "You wanted to talk about something, right?" he asked her.

He sat down next to the magazine. He closed the book but the cover was no better, and so he tried to ignore it. Rinoa giggled and then knelt down on the other side of the magazine. The two sat in silence, looking out at the sun dish. Though there was no sunlight on the dish now, the plates still held some of the warmth it had gathered during the day. It radiated through the area, staving off the evening's chill.

After almost a minute passed, Squall broke the silence. "What is it?" he asked.

Rinoa hesitated. She looked down at the sun dish, where her reflection looked back up at her. "Umm… well, it's about your promotion," she began. "Things are gonna get real tough for you, huh?" She looked at him.

Squall tore his gaze away from her. He also looked down at the sun dish. The heat rising from the panels caused his reflection to waver, like water. He could also see Rinoa's rippling reflection, her head turned to him, waiting for an answer.

I don't want to think about it, he confessed.

"Squall," Rinoa said, "I'm sure there'll be a lot of difficult things that you'll have to deal with from now on. We were talking about that, and saying how you'll probably try to handle everything on your own."

Squall looked up from the dish. I probably will, he agreed.

Rinoa swung her legs over the side of the walkway, letting him dangle. "They know you too well," she said. "I do, too, although I haven't been around you that long." She sighed. "Y'know, when you start thinking, you tend to frown like this."

She frowned and put her hand to her forehead. At that very same moment Squall, who was becoming lost in thought, did the same. The two paused, and then looked at each other. Squall suddenly raised his hand and Rinoa rolled back, jumping to her feet. The swordsman glared, his cheeks flushed. Rinoa just smiled and then started to laugh, holding her sides.

"I'm out of here," Squall said, turning away. But he did not get up.

Rinoa was still laughing. "Oh come on!" she chuckled. "I'm sorry."

She forced her laughter to stop. Then she went over to Squall and knelt down behind him. "But really," she carried on, "we were saying that… well… You can't handle everything on your own."

She pushed Squall in the middle of his back. The swordsman, caught unawares, slipped off the platform's edge.

He landed on the sun dish. The plates were so smooth that he skidded, almost falling flat on his face.

He heard a click behind him. When he turned he saw that Rinoa had jumped down after him. Her heels skidded on the plate, and she had to spread her arms to keep her from losing her balance. Squall glared at her and gave an angry yell, swinging his fist. What was she playing at, pushing him like that!

Hearing his yell, Rinoa smiled and nodded. "That's it!" she said. "Just let out anything!" She took a step towards him and placed her hand on her chest, her eyes full of feeling. "Anything… We want you to talk to us a little more. That's all. Y'know, if there's anything you want to tell us or anything we can do, don't hesitate to let us know. I know it's not easy but I wish you would trust us and rely on us a little more."

Squall groaned, and he held his head again. Am I that untrusting… he wondered. Maybe I'm this way because I'm scared. Nothing lasts in this world.

He lowered his hand and looked over at Rinoa. She gazed back at him, her eyes wide and innocent.

It feels great to have friends who believe in you, and adults you can rely on, he thought, gazing into those eyes. That's why it's so dangerous, especially if you become used to it.

He turned away from Rinoa then, looking out at the sun dish as it curved up and away from him to the streets where the people of Fisherman's Horizon all stood, cheering at the concert.

Someday you're bound to lose everything. Everybody around you will be gone. Then what are you left with? Nothing. Nobody… It's so miserable. And it's inevitable. It's so hard to recover from something like that. I never ever want to deal with that again. I can't. Even if it means being alone… …for the rest of my life.

He looked back at Rinoa. She was still gazing at him, and he could see that she was wondering what he was thinking about. After a moment she broke eye contact with him and began to walk around in a slow circle, her hands folded behind her, her heels tapping against the floor.

"What a night…" she said, loudly so Squall could hear her. "Great music… Good-looking guy… Not only is he good-looking," she added with a smile. "He's the sweetest guy… a great listening. Right now, he's seriously thinking about what I said. He's shy and doesn't say anything, but I know." She completed her circle and looked over at Squall again. "So, what do you think?" she asked. "None of our business?"

Squall shook his head. "I appreciate your concern," he began. "But…"

Before he could finish his sentence Rinoa ran to him and thrust her hand in front of his face. "No 'buts'!" she said sternly. "Just think about this. This might be the only time we'll all be together. So, as long as we're together, we might as well enjoy each other's company and… just talk, right?"

"…Just for now, huh?" Squall asked. Rinoa nodded. The swordsman folded his arms and turned his head away. "Forget it," he answered. "I don't want friends who won't be around tomorrow."

Rinoa just laughed. "Gosh, you're such a pessimist," she chuckled. "There are no guarantees in the future. That's why TODAY, the time we have now, is important. Squall, we wanna help you, as much as we can, for as long as we can." She reached out and placed her fingertips on his chest. "We all love you," she told him. "There, I said it. Please don't freak out. We just wanna live, y'know, live through this time with you, together."

Squall stared at her. "…Together…?" he repeated.

She nodded and tapped her head. "Keep it in the back of your mind," she told him. "Call on us whenever you need to. We'll be waiting." She then laughed, breaking the sobriety. "Like I said, who knows what's gonna happen in the future… but I have a feeling we'll be together for a while."

She held his gaze, still smiling. Squall said nothing but she could see that her words had had some effect, for his face frowned in thought. Rinoa folded her hands behind her. As long as Squall at least thought about it, then she was happy. Squall knew that his friends—herself included—would be waiting for him when he needed them.

She began to walk around in a circle again. "So, what's on your mind?" she asked, changing the subject. "Do you have any dreams, Squall? Anything you want to do with your life?"

The question took Squall by surprise. …I've never thought about it, he thought. "That's something I'd rather not talk about," he answered aloud. He paused and then asked: "What about you?"

"…I don't know…" Rinoa admitted. "I guess I'd rather not talk about the future, either." She stopped. "But right now…" She raised her eyes and met Squall's gaze, looking at him warmly. "…I wanna stay right here… like this."

When the concert was over, Squall returned at long last to his dorm. He fell almost at once into a restless sleep. Rinoa's words still echoed in his mind, and he could not get the sight of her warm smile out of his head.

It was only when he went further into sleep that her face and her words finally faded. They were replaced by the sound of gentle rainfall, which grew louder as he sank further and further into the dream.

Once again he saw the small boy, the one with the unruly brown hair and bright blue eyes, taking shelter from the rain beneath a roof. The boy watched the rain as it fell into the water-logged garden. He followed its flow towards the gate, which remained closed, as it always did. The boy's eyes began to fill and he looked up at the rain clouds hanging low overhead.

"…Sis…" said the young Squall. "I'm… all alone. But I'm doing my best…" He wiped his eyes and then nodded. "I'll be okay without you, sis. I'll be able to take care of myself."

And Squall, lying in his bed, rolled over, murmuring those same words once more.