Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]

Grace Barton

Chapter Thirty-One

After leaving the bridge, Squall jumped back into the lift and pushed the 1F button. As the doors closed and the lift started to descend Squall leaned back against the wall with his arms folded, thinking about Rinoa.

Irvine's words played in the back of his mind. "You… go help Rinoa. It may be too late, but don't give up until you are CERTAIN that there's nothing you can do!"

Irvine had been right when he said Squall had given up on Rinoa. If even Zell could not find a way to save her, then what chance did he stand? What did they expect him to be able to do? The others were acting very strange around him and Rinoa lately, and Squall had a feeling he knew why.

Shaking his head, Squall tried to focus his thoughts on the matter at hand: saving Rinoa. Zell had said that the enemy had taken the quad and had barricaded it, making getting into the quad impossible. The only way to get to her, he had said, was to go by air or over the roof. Balamb Garden had no aerial vehicles like Galbadia Garden. That left the roof. The only way to access the roof was via the 2F deck. Squall frowned and then punched the button for the 2F. The lift slowed to a stop and then headed back up again.

The lift gave a ping as it stopped, and Squall stepped out onto the second floor. The doors had no sooner closed when a female student came running up to him, her eyes wild and in a panic.

"Please help me!" she cried. "Mark is gone! Please help me find him!"

Mark, if Squall recalled correctly, was one of the junior classmen. …Dammit, the swordsman thought. This was all he needed. He nodded at the student.

They both ran back down the corridor to the junction. They looked down the left and right corridors, but there was no one in sight. Squall instructed the student to stay where she was while he headed down the west-side corridor.

The first few classrooms Squall checked were empty, except for the bodies of a few Galbadian soldiers. As Squall headed to the last classroom he caught sight of a young boy wearing a SeeD student uniform running in the direction of the 2F deck. Squall's eyes narrowed: there was a Galbadian soldier chasing after him. Drawing his sword, he chased after them.

He caught up to the pair just as they reached the exit door. The boy had tripped and fallen, while the Galbadian stood over him with his sword raised high, ready to cut him down. Squall gave a yell to capture his attention before skidding in front, blocking the blow with his gunblade. The Galbadian jumped back, startled, and Squall used that moment to strike. His blade sank into the soldier's gut, and when Squall removed it the soldier fell to the floor.

Sheathing his sword, Squall turned to the boy. "Hey kid, you all right?" he asked.

The boy, Mark, raised his trembling head. "…Yeah," he replied in a shaky voice. He gave Squall a fearful look."

"There's a person waiting for you down the hall," Squall told him, kneeling down in front of him. "I want you to go over to her, ok?"

"…Yeah," Mark said again, too scared to say anything else. He refused the hand Squall offered him and got onto his feet. He ran down the corridor.

Squall was just about to go with him and make sure he got to the student safely when he heard a loud bang behind him. There was a rush of cold air but before Squall could turn to see what it was, something large and heavy crashed into him from behind and knocked him onto the floor.

The swordsman groaned and raised his head. In front of him he saw a Galbadian soldier, suited up in one of those armoured chairs they had used to infiltrate the classrooms. Squall still felt the breeze on his back, which came from the open door leading to the 2F deck.

Squall started to stand. He had not even gotten to his feet when the Galbadian swerved around and struck him from the side, shoving him up against the wall. Squall gave another groan as the air was forced out of his lungs from the impact. The soldier then pulled away from him, hovering nearby.

With a cough, Squall forced himself to stand. His chest ached, and when he took a deep breath a sharp pain shot through his side, but he dared not heal it yet. The soldier was still in front of him, watching his every move. Squall glowered at the soldier, but he could not see the enemy's face through his visor.

What should I do, he wondered.

It looked hopeless. There was nowhere for him to run. If he so much as tried to make a run for it, the soldier would run him down. The armoured chair the soldier was in had no weapons that Squall could see, but that did not matter. The suit itself could be used as a weapon, as Squall's body could attest.

In front of him, the soldier was still waiting for him to make a move. Squall tried not to move his head as he let his eyes glance around him, taking in his situation. The exit door was out of reach, and the soldier would strike the moment he made a move. Squall looked to his right and spotted a button marked 'emergency exit'. Squall started to frown, but then he realised where he was. Aside from the exit leading to the 2F deck, there was also an emergency exit that led out over the Garden's rear courtyards. Squall was pressed right up against the exit door. If h could just pressed the button…

Squall's hand inched towards the button. The soldier saw the movement and punched his controls. The suit whirred and darted forward. He crashed into Squall just as his hand pressed onto the button. The emergency door flung open, and both Squall and the soldier went flying out of the Garden.

A ramp unfolded as the door opened. Squall and the soldier crashed onto it and began to roll. A strong wind blew past Squall's face, drowning out all other sounds. In the suit he saw the soldier. He could see through the visor now, and the soldier looked lost and in a panic as he fumbled with the suit's controls, trying to bring the suit back under control.

They were halfway down the ramp when the jets fired up, and the armoured chair swung back into the upright position. It moved away from the ramp and soared into the air.

In the confusion, the soldier slapped his hand on the Cable Release button. The straps holding him into the chair unclipped and he slid out, dropping through the bottom. He grabbed hold of Squall's ankle, dragging him down as well.

The cable slid out until it reached its full length. Both men grabbed hold of it, feeling the heat in their hands as they slid down to the bottom. There was a hook at the bottom and their feet caught onto it, bringing them to a stop.

Squall's head was reeling, and his eyes were watering in the blowing wind. He looked around him to take in his surroundings, before his eyes went downwards. Right below them was the Garden's power ring. It was spinning at a steady pace, with sparks still showering where it scraped against the enemy's power ring. The armoured suit, unable to bear the weight of both men, started to float down, towards the rings.

Squall turned back to the soldier, who was giving him a malicious smile. "Die, SeeD!" he shouted, and he punched Squall in the jaw.

The swordsman's hand slipped on the cable. Though dazed from the punch, Squall tightened his grip and pulled himself back up. The soldier was smirking in satisfaction. Squall scowled and then retaliated, striking him a similar blow across his helmet. His punch echoed inside the helmet, causing the soldier to loosen his grip on the cable. His feet began to slip off the hook, but he repositioned himself.

What began then was a fierce battle of dominance, as both men fought to remain on the armoured suit. They landed blow after blow, each trying to knock the other off the cable. The Galbadian soldier was stronger but hampered by his armour, while Squall, free of restriction, was able to land more blows to his head.

Drawing back his fist, the soldier landed another punch to Squall's jaw. Squall's hand slipped and he slid down a couple of inches. Seizing his chance, the soldier grabbed Squall's hand and began to pry his fingers away from the cable. Squall held on as tight as he could, and when he failed to push the soldier's hand away, he punched the soldier once more time in his unguarded face.

The visor shattered. The soldier cried out and instinctively reached for his face, and in doing so he let go of the cable. Too late he realised his mistake. The soldier fell away from the suit, falling towards the power ring spinning below.

Squall watched the soldier as he fell. When the soldier hit the power ring, Squall quickly turned his eyes away.

Yet it was too early for Squall to relax. The armoured suit was still descending towards the power ring. Squall tugged on the cable, trying to shake the suit back into life, but it kept on descending. Squall cursed and started to shimmy his way up the cable to reach the controls.

The roar coming from the wheel grew louder. Squall could feel the air rushing past him and he climbed faster. Just as he was about to give up hope, the suit rumbled and the jets gave a whoosh. The suit soared upwards at speed, carrying Squall with it.

Squall kept on climbing until he reached the suit. He grasped onto the arm and let out a sigh. Whether it was destiny or just sheer dumb luck, Squall now had a means of traversing the rooftops of Balamb Garden and rescue Rinoa. The swordsman reached over the arm and grabbed hold of the control stick. He jerked it towards him and the chair swerved to the right.

Squall navigated the chair across the rooftops and towards the quad. When he saw the damage left by the collision with Galbadia Garden, his heart dropped through his chest. A great chunk of the wall was broken away and, as Zell had said, the quad was swarming with Galbadian soldiers. There was no sign of Rinoa.

Squall scanned the area around the quad. He caught a glimpse of blue part way down the wall and at once he dived down towards it. It was Rinoa. The young woman was clinging to the rocks, her feet scrabbling on the wall. Squall pushed the control stick and the chair swerved towards the quad.

"Rinoa!" he called out.

Hearing his voice, Rinoa raised her head. Her face flooded with relief when she saw Squall coming towards her. Squall noted that her fingers were close to the end of the rock she was clutching, and she would lose her grip at any moment.

Squall moved the suit as close to the wall as it would go. He spared a quick glance at the soldiers in the quad, but their backs were turned to him. He turned his attention back to Rinoa and guided the suit downwards. The cable, still hanging loose beneath him, swung in Rinoa's direction. Rinoa reached out and grabbed it. She then let go of the wall and swung away.

Once he was sure that she was safe, Squall manoeuvred the chair away from the quad. Rinoa, her feet positioned on the hook at the end of the cable, looked up at him with a grateful smile.

Balamb Garden was still locked with the enemy's base. The two Gardens heaved and pushed against one another, and it looked like Galbadia Garden was winning. Squall had given Nida orders to retreat once he and Rinoa had boarded the enemy Garden and go to a place of safety. He and the others, he had said, would finish off the sorceress.

The front gate swung into view as Squall led the chair onward. Beyond the front gate he and Rinoa both saw the courtyard, and saw that in it a furious battle was raging between SeeD and the Galbadian army. Squall's eyes scanned the battlefield for signs of Irvine and the others, but he could not see them. Maybe they are already inside, Squall hoped.

He cut the power to the jets and the suit began to float down towards the courtyard. When she was close enough, Rinoa let go of the cable and dropped into the courtyard. Her leg twisted and she started to fall but Squall, who landed just a second behind her, grabbed hold of her and pulled her onto her feet.

All around them the battle was raging. Flames shot across the battlefield and made the air hot, and the ground was soaked with water and melting ice. The melted water turned the ground into mud, which splashed and squelched as the battle continued. Broken weapons from both sides were scattered across the ground and were sinking into the mud. Each side was giving their all into the battle, unwilling to give in.

Rinoa looked around the battlefield until she spotted an open door at the far end of the courtyard.

"Over there!" she cried, tugging Squall's sleeve and pointing. "The entrance is there!"

They made a dash across the courtyard. The battle provided them with ample cover, for everyone was so busy fighting each other they had no time to pay attention to them.

A nearby soldier was thrown from his bike after a well-aimed shot from one of the Garden's gunmen struck him in the chest. His bike went on without him, until at last it tilted and swerved, out of control, and crashed into a tree.

Fireballs descended from the sky and struck the ground. The dry grass ignited at once, sending flames sweeping across the courtyard. The sky flashed white as Thundara magic was cast. Several bolts hit the round in quick succession, sending those in the immediate vicinity flying in all directions.

Debris from an exploding bike flew towards them. Squall and Rinoa ducked as the debris flew over them. They kept on running. Rinoa then skidded to a stop as a soldier crashed down in front of her, his armour crackling with electricity.

Eventually the fighting thinned out and they reached the entrance. Safe for the moment, Squall and Rinoa stopped outside the doors to catch their breath. Once her lungs stopped burning, Rinoa turned to Squall and gave him a smile.

"Squall!" she said, her eyes glistening. "Thank you."

For the first time, Squall did not know what to say. "It was, an…" He paused and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It was my job. We're still under contract. And it was everybody else's idea, too. And I just happened to find you. So like I said, don't worry about it."

It was a feeble lie, and Rinoa's giggles proved that she saw right through it. The swordsman scratched his head, silent.

Rinoa took a breath and wiped a tear from her eye. "You know something," she said. "I couldn't afford to fall off that cliff and die. I have something very important that belongs to you. I can't die until I give it back to you, right?"

Squall looked confused. Rinoa grinned and help up her necklace, on which hung the two rings: hers and Squall's.

"Zell gave it to me, see?" she said. "I've been holding onto it."

Squall stared at the two rings. So this was what Zell meant. I'm gonna kill him… he vowed. "That's my favourite ring. You'd better give it back."

"I'm sure it is," Rinoa replied with a nod, though she made no move to take off the ring. "It's a cool-looking ring." She turned the item over in her hands, running her fingers over the lion-carving again. "What's this monster on it, anyway?"

"It's not a monster," Squall corrected. "It's a lion. Lions are known for their great strength and pride."

Rinoa finished tracing the carving and let the ring fall back onto her chest. It clinked against her ring. Folding her hands behind her, Rinoa began to walk in a slow circle, her face crunched up in thought.

"Hmm…" she muttered. "Great strength… Pride… …Kinda like you, Squall."

The swordsman snorted and put his hand on his hip. "I wish…" he said.

Rinoa disagreed. Squall was very much like the lion he described, even if he could not see it in himself. "Hmm… So this LION of yours. Does it have a name?"

"Of course. Griever."

Rinoa stopped pacing and unfolded her hands. "So that's what you call it. You know, Zell said he'd make me one exactly like it. Who knows, maybe I can become like a lion, too." She grinned at Squall. "That'd be crazy, huh! I mean, everyone might, y'know, get the wrong idea about us." And she giggled.

Squall folded his arms and stared at her. If it's so crazy, he thought, why do you sound so delighted?

He closed his eyes for a moment. He thought of the Garden Festival. That night had seemed like a deliberate ploy to get him and Rinoa alone together, under the pretext of encouraging him to 'open up' to them. Then there was this business with Rinoa being in danger, and everyone saying that only he could rescue her.

Everyone is trying to get us together, Squall realised, opening his eyes. It's so obvious even I can tell. "You sound like you want everyone to get the wrong idea," he said to Rinoa.

Rinoa stopped giggling and shook her head. "No-no-no-no-no!" she said quickly.

Squall was not convinced, but this was no time to press the issue. "Well… everyone's waiting," he said. "Rinoa, let's go."

"Ok!" said Rinoa. She ran over to the doorway. She turned back to Squall and then did the SeeD salute. "Squall, let's go!" she said, and then ran through the door.

Squall watched her as she ran into the Garden. He had come very close to losing Rinoa back there. He had not realised it yet, but the thought of losing her was beginning to scare him. He had managed to save her this time, but how many times would he be lucky like that? How many steps must she take before she, like Ellone, disappeared from his life?

He looked at Rinoa's back, her dark hair swishing over the white wings emblazoned on the back of her duster. Squall placed his hand on his chest. His heart was racing.

He… did not want anything to happen to Rinoa.