A Note from the Authoress
Happy New Yeah, everyone! These last couple of updates complete the second instalment of this Final Fantasy VIII novelisation. And, as a thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story, I would like to present you with this Bonus Chapter: Garden Festival ~ Eyes on Me.
As most of the readers will know already, earlier this year I held a poll to decide which scene would be written up for the Garden Festival scene, either the Irish Jig or Eyes On Me rendition. The Irish Jig won the poll, but I also wrote up the Eyes On Me version to include at the end, so no one has lost out on their favourite scene.
And also, time for a quick confession. I have actually had this instalment finished since the beginning of November. During the month's break I had before starting this story I was meant to be drafting up Crisis Core, but I found it was too difficult to draft without doing extensive research, which I was not prepared to do at that stage. So I switched back to Final Fantasy VIII and wrote up chapter after chapter, seeing how far I could get through before I started uploading. I managed to get ten chapters ahead, and I have worked to keep this distance so that, even if I writer's block strikes, I always have some uploads handy.
On that note, I should say that I am currently ten chapters in on the third and last instalment. I will also be having another month's 'break' before I commence uploading the third instalment. So expect to see the third instalment online at the beginning of February. I will also shortly be changing my pen name to 'Grace Barton', which is my official pen name for when I write.
I hope everyone has a good year ahead, and I hope you enjoy this bonus chapter!
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]
Grace Barton
Garden Festival ~ Eyes on Me
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 far left stand. She had an electric guitar in her hands, its strap resting over her shoulder. When she saw Squall she ran to the front of the stage and pointed down at him.
"Squall!" she shouted. "You big stud! This is all for you! Congratulations! Enjoy the show. 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 the others stood waiting, each with their own instruments. Zell was on the platform in front of her, holding a bass guitar in his hands. Quistis was on the platform behind, sitting in front of a piano. As for Irvine, he was on the far left platform. He had removed his coat and his hat, leaving them next to the stage. His instrument was a saxophone, which he held carefully in his hands. He placed his lips near the mouthpiece, waiting for his cue to play.
Selphie looked around her. Everything was ready. She turned back to the front. She adjusted the strap of her guitar. Inside her chest she could feel her heart begin to race, and the butterflies increased. She had never played the guitar before, but she had received enough tuition from the musicians of Fisherman's Horizon to feel she could at least play this, the chosen song. She moved her fingers over the strings, checking one last time that the guitar was in tune. She held the guitar pick in her right hand, ready.
Selphie raised her hand. A vast silence spread through the crowds around the sun dish. All eyes were upon them—upon her and her friends. Squall and Rinoa also waited. Selphie took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she raised her head and looked into the waiting crowds.
"Ready!" she cried. "A-one, two, three…"
They began to play. Selphie, Zell and Quistis all started together. The rhythms they played were very similar and they blended together, almost as one. Selphie and Zell, on their guitars, strummed their picks along the strings, their fingers moving along the fingerboards with care and precision. Quistis, at her piano, took just as much care as she played the higher chords indicated on the sheet music. The chord sequence was a simple one, and so she played more from memory than the sheet music, much to her own amazement.
The trio played together for the first couple of bars. Then, on cue, Irvine joined in. He blew on his sax, adding to the rhythm the main part of the melody. He played more naturally than the others, who were complete novices at their instruments. Irvine was not an expert on the sax, but he knew enough about music to play more efficiently, and with ease.
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 glowed with delight. Hours of practicing had left her hands sore and blistered, but she kept on playing with all the effort she could muster. This was her moment—the moment she had worked for ever since she transferred to Balamb Garden. As she became more confident she moved about the stage, and at a brief pause in the music she raised her hand and waved at the crowd, who cheered back at her. Her smile widened further, and she returned to playing the music with her friends.
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…
While Squall was thinking, Rinoa turned away and looked up at the stage. She tilted her head and closed her eyes, listening to the music. Her brow creased.
"I don't get it," she said suddenly. "What's going on?"
Squall, still wrapped in his thoughts, raised his head. Huh! What, he wondered. Then he realised. Oh me. He had done exactly as Rinoa had predicted without even realising it. He had become lost in his thoughts and to top it all, he had even done his habit of frowning and holding his head. Squall never realised just how often he did that. It must have seemed very rude for Rinoa, who was trying to speak with him about something she felt was so important.
"Sorry about that," he began, but he saw that Rinoa was no longer paying attention to him. She had turned away and was walking around the plate in a slow circle, her hands folded behind her back, her heels tapping against the floor. As she completed her circle and stopped, Squall said. "So… are we finished here?"
"What?" Rinoa asked. She ran over to him. "No, I didn't mean you. I was talking about the music. I love this piece but it's been terrible for the last few minutes." Putting her hands on her hips, she turned and glared up at the stage where the others were playing. "Geez, what's wrong with them?"
Squall listened. He had not noticed it at first but the music was beginning to sound very awful. The guitar pieces played by Selphie and Zell were now almost very noticeably out of time with Quistis and her piano. As for Quistis herself, she was starting to become agitated and making mistakes, playing the wrong chords. Only Irvine appeared to keep in time and in tune, although even his efforts failed when backed up by the others.
"Oh," was all Squall could say about it. "Well… I'll see you later, alright?"
"Wait!" said Rinoa, spinning back around. "You're not gettin' off that easy. You still owe me an answer."
Squall looked confused. Answer for what… he wondered. Oh… He gave a dismissive wave. "Fine. I'll ask for help when I really need it. I'll try to trust everybody more often. Ok?"
His lie was visible on his face, for Rinoa read through it easily. "What is your problem!" she demanded, shaking her head. "Why do you have to be like that!"
She looked up at him and her eyes were no longer smiling. There was a flash of anger in them, as she became irritated by Squall's apparent dismissal of what she had said.
"Are you mad or something?" she asked him. "Tell me you are, because this really can't be you!"
Squall paused, and then said: "I'm sorry."
"You're not sorry!" Rinoa snapped, finally losing patience. "You just wanna get the hell outta here, that's all! Geez!" she said, and her eyes started to fill. "Why does it have to be like this! Why!"
She stamped her foot, yelling in anger. Then she turned and ran off along the sun dish. She disappeared around the corner, leaving Squall alone.
Squall stared after her. Then he sighed and put his hand to his head. He felt bad for Rinoa, but what else could he say?
Oh well… he thought. This won't change anything… I think I was honest. I prefer to be alone, right? …Yeah…
Yet even as he thought about it, he felt a flicker of despair in his heart.
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 hurt face 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.