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.o�o�ׇ~Final Fantasy VIII: Fatal Temptations~�ׇo�o.
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http://www.geocities.com/sania15uk/FFFT.txt
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.oO{Prologue}Oo.


The fleeting moments of our union had finally come to pass. My lungs felt heavy with the pain of our parting, and every breath I took threatened to choke me. With emotions welling up inside me like gusts of fiery pain, as I�ve never thought possible and even tears managed to visit my cold, icy blue eyes.

Your faint smile reflected mine, as if I were looking into a crystal clear, gleaming mirror, looking back at myself. I wished, just for this moment, I could hold you near me again; feel your loving warmth, which somehow threatened me at the same time.

You felt it too, but you didn�t expose your emotions to words.
Neither did I. Standing before you, much more powerful than you could ever be, I was the powerless. Your soft gaze was still locked with mine, and it was then, I wished I could freeze our glances, but I couldn�t.

I could sense your heat, even from the distance you were standing from me. The dangerously close moments we�ve shared, engulfed in warmth and comfort. It was a strange feeling for me, as if I would just melt in your strong arms.

Your hot breath had poured over my slender neck, burning me with your passionate kisses, as if it were going to dissolve my very skin into vapour. The feeling of your hot skin against mine made me shiver with fear and excitement, as if the angel of death had touched me with love.
My every inch ached to feel you near me again, but the differences between you and me ripped us apart; tearing the routes of own destinies away from another.

I sucked in my breath, noticing how your body language, the way you stood, scratching your head lightly, looking uncertain and sighing indicated that you were about to leave. Unshed tears burned down my cold cheeks as I shut them and wept. I reopened them and saw your face close to mine, my misery had attracted you nearer to me, the way it always did.

And once again I felt the urge to lose myself in your deep blue eyes; the deepness of which made my icy light blue eyes seem like glass. The kind of frail glass which could break at any second, shattering into a thousand pieces at the point of contact; just like my heart and soul had already been during our time together.

Your warm fingers had gingerly stroked over my cheek, sending shockwaves sprawling down my spine, and I felt myself lusting for the moment to last forever.

But shortly after, I sensed your lips lock against mine in a kiss that felt like it was ablaze with passion. The gentle strokes of your lips against mine sent tears riveting down my face, as I sobbed further in the heat of the moment; knowing this was our last kiss.

And as I saw you pull back from our symbolic, speechless farewell, I perceived the unshed tears in your eyes, the choking sting in your throat, and the way your heart hammed hard against your chest mimicking my own.

I raised my eyebrows in an expression of grief and sorrow, as I caught your last, faint smile, before you turned and ambled away from my life. A painful sigh escaped my lips, swaying upwards into the air in a icy white, whispery haze.

We were no more.

oh me oh my, i'm brokenhearted :(

oh me oh my, i'm brokenhearted :(

awww... thank you, I guess you have feelings for the characters, that's good. Here's some more, but less sad:

<hr>


.oO{Chapter 1}Oo.


Seifer gazed at the enemies before him as if they were living puppets appearing from beyond the horizon. They looked almost identical, like an approaching army of clones. Soldiers from Esthar swung their silvery guns and swords side to side as they ran hastily up towards the SeeDs.

The metallic crater that engulfed the Mayor�s house in Fisherman�s Horizon stood filled with Esthar soldiers running, climbing stairs, chasing nearby civilians and sliding down ropes from overhead aircrafts. Intense sounds of hovering helicopters roared above the Mayor�s house, while many soldiers dashed up the stairs with their rifles, guns and gunblades. Their metallic blue uniforms gleamed sharply in the midday sun, and they appeared to be an army of stars glittering and shining during the day from afar.

�Take your positions, Squad C!� Seifer yelled, gazing his enemies straight into the eyes as they finally reached the SeeDs atop the stairs. Obeying their leader, two black haired young men and a girl with long silver white hair took their positions ready for battle adjacent to Seifer.

The enemy�s faces were twisted with rage as they hastily closed in on the bunch of youngsters on their SeeD exam. Earlier, other squads had finished other tasks in hand such as escorting the Mayor to safety, whilst others fought off the soldiers that had been there previously. Now, the most important task, defending Fisherman�s Horizon and warding off the enemy further was the main priority.

A glimmer of triumph already flickered in the eyes of the squad leader as his lips curled in a malicious smirk. It was the last chance Seifer had to prove his worthiness to the Garden. He had been given his very last warning by Quistis, personally.

"Further disobedience will not be tolerated, Seifer. Now is the time to make or break the situation." she had told him sternly.

Cid had taken into account the unconsciousness of his actions during the Sorceress� terror a year ago; it had all been forced upon him, so he, as sly and malicious as he may have seemed, wasn�t at fault.

One gleaming blue soldier dashed forward, swinging his blade at Seifer - only to be blocked by his powerful gunblade. Their blades trembled against each other as they glared at another.

A gasp escaped the girl�s lips as she dodged an oncoming gunshot. Retaining her balance, she swiftly swung around to deliver a powerful blast of ice magic flaring into the Esthar solider. As it rendered him paralysed, she dashed into him, holding both hands in front, pushing him vehemently onto unsuspecting soldiers coming up the stairs.

Feeling a hand grasp her abruptly from behind, she was only able to glimpse as the soldier toppled down the stairs along with his comrades. She bent down swiftly and kicked backwards at her unknown attacker. Hearing an evident thud, she glanced around to realize it was another Esthar soldier.

Jumping into the air, Seifer slashed down a soldier�s shoulder, and smacked him to the ground with his blade. Screaming in agony he sprawled onto the floor, motionless.

Breathing in deeply, Seifer narrowed his eyes as he saw the white haired girl using ice magic on the oncoming soldiers. She stood a distance away, her SeeD uniform stained with splatters of blood as her hair swayed majestically behind her in the wind.

Leaping into the air, she held her crossed palms down, facing her enemies as she delivered an intense blast of pure ice magic. Overwhelmed by the frozen gust of ice shards which stung like chilled glass splinters, they toppled backwards onto the floor like a stack of cards.

Seifer blinked, frowning at the new girl in astonishment.

Where did she learn that spell? he thought, his face twisted in bewilderment and awe. It was the kind of awe which wasn�t common on Seifer�s countenance.

He glanced back at the two guys who fought side by side, seeming to have already bonded with another. One shot his gun continuously at the oncoming waves of soldiers while the other slashed across their throats with his powerful blade as they came.

Watching another set of soldiers magnetically rush towards the girl, Seifer didn�t take long to dash by her side. Her crystal blue eyes set on him as he arrived and she quickly glanced towards the enemies with a determined smile.

The girl swiftly unsheathed the unique sword she was carrying on her belt and gazed at the enemies with a threatening sparkle in her eyes. Swinging her sharp two-headed blade swiftly at them, she lunged forward, defeating the next row, and the next, faster and faster.

She glanced sideways as she caught an aircraft speed towards them, and felt the sharp edge of her enemy�s blade briefly against her cheek. Gasping, she felt her heart rush in her throat, threatening to burst with fear. Catching herself before she tumbled onto the floor from the sudden attack, she set her gaze on the soldier in fury. Wiping a thin trickle of blood from her cheek, she gripped her blade tightly, about to attack again.

She noticed Seifer lunge forward with his gunblade, trying to heroically defend her, but she leapt up, and pushed her leader aside vigorously as she went in on the last soldier.

Seifer�s sight instantly shot up to something in the sky as the unmistakable noise of a large hovering aircraft boomed overhead. He only caught a glimpse of it as it flew past speedily.

Closing her eyes, she seemed to be murmuring a spell, and shortly afterwards rows of large ice crystals ripped through the last remaining enemy. It sent him staggering backwards with a load of ice stinging his insides as he fell to his frozen death.

What the�did that just come�directly from her hands�? Seifer gaped at her in wonderment as he tried to recall the moment he saw her stretch her arms towards the enemy, and ice crystals materialize from her very palms.

Frowning, he walked up to the girl who stood wheezing heavily from the battle. Her SeeD uniform hugged her slender waist and hips smugly, and she brushed an exhausted hand through her strange silver white coloured hair.

�Selena-� He began with narrowed eyes at her, but was interjected by a yelling voice.

�Seifer!�

Glancing back, he noticed Xu running towards him alongside Quistis. The latter waved at him frantically, a smile of pride plastered over her face. Noticing the oncoming instructor the two guys ambled up to their leader, forming squad C again. Seifer turned his attention to Quistis, his face blank like always as she started to comment on their performance.

�This is absolutely thrilling. Squad C, you�ve outdone everyone else in battle.� Quistis smiled, two wisps of orange hair wavering at the sides of her face in the wind. She brushed them back and looked onto the inward dome within which the Mayor resided.

He had called the SeeD in, even though his views on violence were very different a year ago, now he had finally come to realize the world didn�t work in any other order.

A sudden and unexpected invasion of the Esthar army had taken place a while ago. There didn�t seem to be any other motive but to gain power and control over Fisherman�s Horizon. The Mayor had tried to negotiate, but there was conflict beyond reason involved.

He had taken refuge with his wife in Balamb Garden which had positioned itself into the harbour space of Fisherman�s Horizon only shortly after he had requested help.

�I�m excited to announce that our mission was successful, and that hereby you have all passed your SeeD exam.� Xu smiled wryly, before glancing back at Quistis.

�Yeah, yeah�� Seifer murmured, as he pretended to listen to the rest of the announcement that they had to make, while all the time he couldn�t shake the image of Selena�s strange ice spells. He breathed in deeply, trying to piece together the puzzle of her mysterious power, growing more and more bewildered as he reminisced the scene he had glimpsed, in his mind.

Seifer�s thoughts painted a tense and pensive expression on his face, and noticing this, Quistis questioned: �Seifer�?�

He shook his head, as if to shake the image and glanced at her slightly irritated for interjecting his flow of thought.

What�s wrong with him�I�ve never seen Seifer daydream like that before� Quistis raised an eyebrow, as he rolled his eyes and gave a quick gesture with his hand as if to dismiss her.

Selena watched Seifer curiously, as if his behaviour didn�t irritate or offend her in any way, as if she didn�t quite understand his behaviour at all. Blankness glistened in her crystal blue eyes as they flickered back towards Quistis who concluded her announcement with, �Let�s all head back upstairs. You�ll receive your in-depth exam results there.�

She watched how the group started to head towards the opposite end of the train tracks, towards the lift leading to Garden, but she lingered on behind, lost in thought.

All the same, Seifer trekked a little far from the rest, his grey mantel rippling behind him with the wind. Turning his head slightly he glanced back at Selena, a hint of suspicion gleaming in his eyes as he received her innocent gaze. She gazed back at him, her expression delved in puzzlement as to why he gave her that look. She gazed down at the floor, ambling on slowly and touched her lips to check if her lip gloss had smudged off. Looking back on her pale, slender fingers she noticed a lilac shine. She bit her slightly pale blue lip emerging from under her lilac gloss and sighed to herself.

This is weird�very weird. I wonder who she really is? he thought silently as he caught up with the rest, whilst leaving her to amble on alone.
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*�*�*�*
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Meanwhile�

Sparkling water sprung up in a million droplets as Rinoa splashed through the edge of the seashore. They plummeted back into the water, causing miniature ripples to spread into massive rings in the otherwise still water. The waves were unusually still, even with the strong gusts that frequented the area.

The heat of the sun drifted in the air and kissed against her face as the rivalling current of air caressed coolly through her long shiny black hair. A thin blue summer dress fluttered around her thighs in the wind as she ran along, whilst Squall sat a distance away on the sand.

Sighing in boredom, he gazed out onto the tiny figure of Rinoa dashing around the seashore wildly; like a young excited child.

He tilted his head, his half open eyes fixed on her dancing form, as he sat with his knees bent loosely. He rested his arms freely around his legs and knitted his eyebrows in frustration as he noticed her waving at him, beckoning him to come over.

Sighing once again, he rolled his eyes, and felt the wind ruffle through his hair. Breathing out irritated further by the wind, he raked a hand through his hair to rearrange it and slowly rose to his feet.

Swinging his famous fur jacket loosely over his shoulder, he ambled over the sand, the gusts of wind seeping through his plain white shirt. Glancing straight ahead at the sparkling majestic sea ahead of him, he noticed Rinoa scuttling towards him.

She smiled contently, a hint of eagerness showing in her eyes as she stumbled slightly over the soft, slippery surface and carried on towards him.

Squall came to a standstill, and noticed her rushing figure finally arrive before him. Smiling faintly, he wondered to himself what it was that she wanted now.

Just then, a strong breeze howled against them and Squall glanced up towards the long stretch of seashore to his side and saw the gigantic Balamb Garden slowly creep over the shore. It hovered with its heavy weight over the land. Slowly gaining speed it headed towards its rightful place on the Balamb Isle, noises of its engine sounding in waves over the seashore.

�Come, let�s go swimming, it�s such a hot, hot day!� Rinoa breathed, bending down and holding her knees, exhausted from her long dash. Her red lips curled in a wide smile and her black eyes glimmered, full of sparkling life.

Raising herself from the bent position and facing towards the sky, she closed her eyes and felt all her senses tingling with activity. She could smell the fresh sea, the warmth of the sand beneath her bare feet, and the wonderfully uplifting wind rush around her.

Light giggles filled the air, and Squall noticed just how alive she felt at that moment, feeling the refreshing breeze tickling against her skin.

�Rinoa�� he began, uncertain how to phrase his refusal to the idea. She stood before him, her lips upturned in a smile, while she gazed up at him, a glint of passion in her eyes.

She stepped closer, tiptoeing slightly to reach his face with hers. Raising her hands to hold his face, she blinked as he grasped her wrist, interrupting her gesture mid-way.

A frown spread across her face as she gazed up at him in bewilderment. Glancing back down at her with an intense burning in his eyes, Squall closed them and shook his head silently.

Her frown intensified and she swallowed, feeling her own saliva burn down her throat.

�I�m really not in the mood for swimming, Rinoa� I just want to-�

�To go back to Garden and see if Seifer passed, right?�

His eyes widened in shock as she interposed abruptly.

Squall had been mentioning his curiosity over his former arch enemy, and how he would fare on his last chance as a SeeD to Rinoa, but he had decided she understood him.

But before he could explain anything further, she had already stormed off past him.

Turning, he saw her slender figure shrink in the distance of the sand as her arms were held tightly by her sides.

[i] Damn this heat�I just wanted to rest in my room� She�s been getting harder and harder to handle lately� Great. But�it is kind of true, I did want to find out what happened to Seifer too�[/]

And with that thought in mind, the SeeD slowly made his way towards the Garden that had just arrived and nestled itself onto the ground.

whatever happened next???

Why waste your time.

Why waste your time.

reading?

reading?


thank you

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.oO{Chapter 2}Oo.

The lights shone brilliantly overhead as usual, and once again the room was filled with serene silence which enabled Laguna to think clearly. Bowed slightly over the desk as he held a paper curiously up to his line of vision, and then examined another, he compared the writing.

It was yet another evening of silence and hard paperwork that the president of Esthar had to undergo to keep things under control in his vast and prosperous country. He had already established a vast amount of new facilities and buildings in and round Esthar.

One of his proud projects was Esthar Garden. Threats from sorceresses seemed to have been annulled by the miraculous events which took place a year ago.

Ultimecia had been defeated; one of the most powerful enemies in the world had been wiped from the face of existence. It was highly unlike for any other sorceresses to emerge so suddenly, and yet Laguna Loire decided to build another Garden.

Gardens were now considered elite mercenary forces that used their expertise and skills in battle to overcome conflicts within the world. Funded by people around the world, it sustained its pupils through those funds and gave shelter to many orphans and homeless teenager.

Laguna�s brows knitted in concentration as he slowly placed his pen against the document and began writing. Sighing, he held his head with the other hand and waited a moment as his eyes lingered over the words one last time, before he signed.

Raising the paper up again to inspect it, he placed it aside and sighed in relief. He glanced at his wrist watch and his eyes widened. His gaze fell onto the large steel double doors ahead of him, wondering where Dekkon, the vice president was.

That�s odd�he should have arrived an hour ago�Weird�heh, maybe he�s makin� out with his girlfriend again. Laguna shook his head silently, smirking as he opened a drawer on the desk and shoved the paperwork in.

He blinked as he saw it wrinkle at the edges, and blushed, closing the drawer and trying to ignore his usual clumsiness.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, relaxing, anticipating the arrival of his vice president. Laguna easily excused Dekkon, as he also had to manage part of Esthar Garden with its headmaster, making arrangements for SeeDs and so forth.

Laguna�s gaze shot at the doors as they swung open swiftly, and a tall man with tanned skin stalked in with a few guards at his side. His eyes contrasted against his slightly brown skin, as his sparkling green eyes bored menacingly into the unsuspecting president.

A malicious smirk curled his lips as he raked a hand through his short, spiked blond hair and gestured to the guards casually.

�Dekkon, what�s u-� Laguna gasped as a guard grasped him roughly by the arm. His eyes widened with his heart racing in his throat as he heard the words spill slowly from Dekkon�s mouth.

�Sorry, Laguna, I�ve found reports, video recordings and other evidence that you were a prisoner, a hostage, working for the Galbadian army once. This violates rule 56, verse 3. No traitors can claim presidency. I�m amazed no one cared to point this out earlier. I suppose you fooled the masses by your masterful managing skills and fake kindness, but rules are rules.�

His frown intensified, as if his own vice president was playing a really crude joke on him. Laguna had given him the title of vice president, and he in turn stabbed his back like a vicious scorpion.

Speechless and overwhelmed by the shock that surged through his body, he trembled slightly and sustained his gaze with Dekkon�s.

The tall tanned man smirked at him emotionlessly as he affixed a badge of presidency onto his white silk shirt which Lagune never bothered to wear due to his humbleness.

A golden badge shaped like an eagle glistened, bearing the logo depicted on the Esthar flag in the center. Laguna struggled in the arms of the two bulky guards, feeling himself weakened with every attempt as they clenched their hands harder onto his arm, dragging him forwards brusquely, as if he were a chicken they were about to pluck.

Jerking backwards and forwards, Laguna gazed back at Dekkon, who stood turned slightly looking onto the demise of the wonderful peaceful president that had once reigned, and was not going to reign any further.

Dekkon�s white satin cape fluttered slightly in the wind of the open window as he saw the president disappear with the guards. He gazed towards the desk, and a thrilling feeling overwhelmed him as he thought, �This is all mine�only mine.�


A deep scream echoed off the dull grey walls and ringed in his ears as he felt himself shriek awake from his dream. Panting, his eyes widened and he fingered his face which seemed to have numbed from the sleep.

He stroked over his cheek a few times, gulping air frantically, trying to overcome the dread that lay heavily in the pit of his stomach, bubbling and threatening to surge up.

He felt the sickening taste of the air and the familiar stench of urine drift in the air, making his drastic stomach pains intensify with nausea.

Continuing to gasp, his eyes finally focused on the small square grey cell he sat in. The bed he had underneath him was a mere plank of wood with a flat, limp pillow and a useless thin blanket of cotton.

Closing his eyes, he swallowed hard, feeling pains prickle down his throat as he did so, and sighed shortly afterwards. Leaning against the cold, bitter wall he raised his head to face the ceiling and gazed at the weak bulb that flickered, seeming amused at his misfortune.

Laguna reached across to a small side table which looked like it was about to fall apart if someone sat on it, and grasped the chilly tin glass and placed its rim against his lips.

Raising the glass enough to drink seemed to be an effort and he slowly lifted the bottom of it to pour what was left of the water into his mouth.

It surged down his throat, cool and refreshing like a blessing. Breathing in deeply, invigorated from the mere drink of water, he lied back down, and closed his eyes.

He didn�t want to see the rusty black bars of the cell on this day. He had avoided them many a day when his fate seemed too cruel to believe. Laguna often slept through his time, wondering when and how salvation would once again touch his battered soul.

Stepping down from presidency was one issue; being locked up in a cell for no apparent crime was most obviously to keep him quiet. The public would never know what really happened, and Laguna Loire wouldn�t be around to speak of the injustice brought upon him.

Oh Raine� I miss you so� He thought, his heart skipping a beat as he imagined her beautiful oval face radiating with happiness before his eyes. His eyes opened slowly, tears streaming down either side of his unshaven face.

He couldn�t remember how long it had been since he�d been locked up; his reoccurring dream of the whole incident made it appear as if it was only yesterday. He had lost track of everything, all semblances of time, day, night, month or even year had escaped the grasps of his consciousness.

He lied back down, closing his eyes, and reminiscing the special time he had shared with Raine, and how he longed to hold her in his arms again, if only she were alive.

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�*�*�
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Sighing with a heavy heart about having irritated Rinoa, Squall rushed through the main entrance of Balamb Garden and noticed a congregation of SeeD exam pupils around the Garden map panel. He remembered how he stood there, waiting to be called up by Cid to be given his exam results.

A faint smirk crossed Squall�s lips as he noticed Seifer, the way he had stood in their shared exam, standing in the same pose at the same place this year too.

Seifer appeared mildly preoccupied by a white haired girl who stood nearby, glancing straight at Squall. He frowned, slightly surprised by the appearance of the new white haired girl that stood watching him. Her crystal clear light blue eyes shone majestically in the light overhead and Squall felt himself blinking for a moment, his breath sucking in his throat at the strange sight, but wondrous sight.

The elite SeeD didn�t quite comprehend what was so interesting about the new recruit, but there was definitely something about her, a strange invisible aura around her which he sensed.

He glanced at Seifer, and noticed he had been observing her for a long time too. As their gazes locked, Seifer�s eyes glinted and he raised his eyebrows, denoting her strangeness to him.

Closing his eyes in agreement to Seifer, Squall turned towards the dorms as Quistis continued talking about the following events.

�And then you�re all going to change into your official SeeD uniforms and gather by the ball room until the graduation party commences. That�s all for now.� She concluded, a smile spreading her lips as she caught sight of Squall who ambled by.

Returning a very faint smile to Quistis, he continued on, feeling Seifer�s eyes on his back as he disappeared towards the dorms.

The former arch-enemy sighed, wondering where Squall was headed and returned his attention to the silent Selena who now gave her undivided attention to Quistis.

Kyle, the black haired young man in Seifer�s team, yawned lazily as he watched the other squad members converse with another. A few girls giggled, snatching glances at the beautiful Selena and whispering to another in a flurry of rumours.

The hall filled with chattering, laughing and the only ones remaining silent were Seifer and Selena. He strode up to her casually, and watched her in admiration for a few moments, noticing how she chose to ignore his presence.

�So�where you from?� Seifer questioned, his eyes lingering over her pale complexion as he finally received her attention. Turning her head, she made his eyes widen as he saw the peculiar icy glint in her crystal blue gaze.

Silence reigned her lips as her gaze flickered down at his shoes and slowly raised up, inspecting him, and an answer was finally heard, �Trabia.�

He was growing more and more intrigued by her as he heard her voice for the first time. It was a soft voice, subtle and faint like a whisper, but somehow firm and clear. It was the voice of sweet nothings, which lovers often yearned to hear from their beloved.

He merely wanted to put her under his scrutiny, and thoughts of romance never once crossed his mind. It was just something about her appearance, the fierce blue glint in her eyes that triggered his curiosity.

But before he could begin to question her any further, an announcement filled the air, shushing all the students to silence.

�This is headmaster Cid speaking. Well done all of you, please proceed upstairs to my office.� His gentle voice lingered in the air, as student gazed at another listening with smiling faces.

Seifer gazed around as Quistis placed a hand on his shoulder.

�Well done, you�ve finally made it.� She smiled benevolently.

�Heh, yeah� And you didn�t even wish me good luck this time.� He snorted with pride and turned his attention back to Selena, only to realize she had gone on with the others�

Why waste your time.

Funny, I thought the same thing.

Anyway, Spuall_Lover, if you were to use the abillity you have for something original, you could possibly do some good work. But Fan Fiction is NOT the way to go.

this is gud if u do have the ability which i think u might have but i think we would all like it if we made our own final fantasy which would be just like a book

Funny that you mentioned I should write originals, I do sometimes. I'm practicing my skills using fanfiction so I can someday write an original and maybe publish it.

Next chapter will take a while, as It's still in progress.

thanks for reading

Sorry for the wait, I was really working hard on this one... The plot thickens? You judge.
<hr>

.oO{Chapter 3}Oo.


A knock sounded on the door.

Rinoa slowly opened her eyes, as she lay flat on her dorm bed. She was greeted by the white ceiling above as she fully opened them. Sighing she shifted her bare feet over the edge of the bedside, and touched the ground. Standing tall, she gently stretched her arms up, feeling the refreshing breeze flow through her hair from the window behind.

Golden sunlight filtered in between the soft translucent curtains as they fluttered in the wind. Raking a hand through her thick shiny black hair, she ambled towards the door.

But before opening it, she stood close to the wooden surface and asked, �Who is it?�

She gazed silently at the photo of Squall she had pinned to the door before her as she waited for an answer. Rinoa�s heart fluttered within her ribcage as she gazed into the eyes of the silent, faintly smiling photo of her lover.

�It�s me�� A soft voice responded, a flicker of guilt emanating from the tone. Rinoa blinked at his photo and watched it solemnly for a moment. Closing her eyes, she sighed softly and didn�t answer. Gazing to the floor, Squall waited, his arms crossed over his chest.

�What do you want?� She demanded after a long silence. She gazed at Squall�s photo sternly, as if looking at him directly. Rinoa crossed her arms over her chest in anger and awaited his response.

�To talk�?� He finally uttered, listening to his voice echo down the empty corridor behind him. Squall watched the door silently, his eyes burning with determination. His clenched fist trembled slightly by his side as he noticed she was toying with him.

�I want to talk to you about something too.� Her voice sounded crystal clear as the door swung open, almost smacking Squall�s face if he had stood any closer.

She leaned out of the door slightly, gazing at him furiously. With his eyes widened at her sudden burst of anger, he blinked in puzzlement..

"Something wrong?" he frowned at her, as she threw darts at him with her eyes. Without another word touching the air, she swiftly grasped his wrist and pulled him into the room.

Rinoa slammed the door shut behind her and crossed her arms over her chest once again. Squall stood, scratching his head, never having seen her this angry with him before.

Rinoa sighed, feeling her emotions rush up within her, threatening to result in tears or a long, satisfying scream.

She gazed straight at him, as if inspecting him like an instructor, while he lowered his gaze from hers, as if he was hiding.

What�s wrong with her� What did I do? Squall wondered silently.

�Squall�� Rinoa sighed, her expression softening with sadness as she recalled something in her mind. Memories flooded her consciousness from the time they had fought against the sorceress together and how united she had felt with him.

It had felt like she breathed with his lungs, saw through his eyes, and felt the salty sweat on his lips as they fought side by side on that fateful day; with two bodies, but one feeling rushing through them.

Her eyebrows rose in a sad expression and he noticed a shiny gleam in her eyes as unshed tears sat on their edges.

�Squall�we�re not the same anymore�� She cried out, shutting her eyes and sensing her warm tears trickle down her cheeks. A rush of heat rose within her, and she felt herself succumbing to her tears.

Watching her trembling figure, Squall instantly took her into his arms. He held her head against his shoulder as she quivered between his arms helplessly.

Closing his eyes, he rested his chin on her head and ran a soft hand over her hair, soothing her with his gentle touch.

�We used to do everything together, Squall, we were always together, and we always agreed on everything and wanted all the same things in life�� Rinoa mumbled through her tears, her voice ridden with deep emotion, quivering at points as she spoke.

Rinoa felt his chest heave slightly against her ear as he breathed in. She felt the welcoming warmth of his arms, the reassuring comfort of his chest and shoulder; a beautiful feeling in which she thought she could die in his arms and not care.

Her thick black eyelashes fluttered back open and she raised her head to glance up at her lover while still pressed against his body. He had remained silent, and looked back down on her, his face filled with sympathy.

Rinoa watched him intently, her heart thudding against her chest violently as she anticipated an answer. Any answer. Yet he wouldn�t speak, he just gazed down at her with a faint smile. Yet the smile was not one of happiness or love, it was a pitiful smile, maybe even an understanding smile.

The silence blared in her ears, threatening to deaf her, and she breathed in deeply, trying to compose herself.

�Things�� he closed his eyes as he began, raising his eyebrows in distress, �Things change Rinoa.�

Rinoa�s stare fixed onto Squall�s face, and her face froze in an expression of utter aghast. Tears trembled, shining over her dark eyes as she continued watching him in disbelief.

So�things have changed�? Has Squall changed� Am I not the same to him, the way he is to me?

Lowering her head, she sighed, her complexion dimming with the shadow of his shoulder. Clenching her eyes shut, she felt the unshed tears finally slip their way down her cheeks.

�Rinoa�it�s been so long� I know we used to do so many things�together. But lately, I�ve been feeling very strange. I�ve been thinking a lot�You know how it is with me, I ponder�� He closed his eyes, holding her against him and tried to ignore the sniffing noises she made whilst crying.

�I think I need to�find myself again. I�ve always wanted to be on my own, always refused the help of others�and once you stepped into my life, it all changed, Rinoa.� He glanced down at her, a faint smile forming, as she gazed up at him.

�But�a few weeks ago�I�ve been getting�strange thoughts�like I used to, before I met you. I sit and wonder who my parents are, who I am, where I�m really from, and if any of my relatives are even alive��

Rinoa gazed up at him, listening with her undivided attention. Her expression tied between sympathy and misery, as she watched with sad eyes.

Squall�s eyes locked with hers, and he sighed for a moment.

�I need to slow down, Rinoa� You�re the reason I dared to reach out of my shell but�but I think it was too soon, Rinoa. I�m still confused about so many things, I�m still so angry about so many issues in my life� I don�t want to hurt you Rinoa�but I think�I��

A glint of despair twinkled in Rinoa�s wide eyes as she watched his lips.

�I need my space�� her eyes eased closed as the words hit home and she sighed patiently. It all seemed so wrong, why was he acting like this? Where was the enthusiasm she once sensed when he always turned up to rescue her? The twinkle in his eyes that she�d seen that night on the balcony had faded with the stars of dawn.

She bit her bottom lip nervously, glancing around the room, as if she�d never seen it before. The awkward silence lay heavy in the air, as he released her from his embrace and turned around with another word.

He glanced out of the window, looking onto the trees and students walking around outside. A pang of guilt wore down on his heart and he sighed, trying to lift it.

Tears swelled up in her eyes once again, twinkling in the light. Closing them, she released them and made her way out quietly.

<hr>

Halfway down the corridor, Rinoa sniffed noisily and thought to herself about what Squall had said. It was strange, as he never talked of parting or staying together, just that he wanted some space.

What does he mean by space? That I should leave him alone�?
She frowned slightly as the thought occurred to her. The black haired beauty stalked down the corridor swiftly and made her way out into the main hall. She sighed, gazing at the majestic fountain in front of her under which Squall and Rinoa used to meet sometimes.

A wry smile spread her lips as she remembered how they sat under the bench and ate their hotdogs, while Zell had looked on in despair.

But shortly afterwards, she sighed to herself and blinked at the sounds that came from the Ballroom.

Oh�it sounds like the SeeD graduation music� I danced with Squall to it.

Sighing deeply, she made her way across the meandering path and to the lift. It was already down, as if it was awaiting her arrival and she stepped in, looking onto the gleaming metal walls.

A soft humming noise emanated from the lift as it rose smoothly towards the second floor where the Ball room was situated.

Following the sound, Rinoa ambled down a hallway lined with big arches showing the Ball room and all its guests. Chandeliers twinkled brilliantly in radiating light whilst the evening sky dimmed beyond the glass roof.

Soft music played, yet it was loud enough to fill the room with its beautiful melody. SeeD graduates stood scrambled over the dance floor, quaffing fine wines and champagne whilst conversing between themselves. A few waitresses in black and white attire ambled back and forward gracefully, balancing trays of drinks on their outstretched hands.

Rinoa stood in the archway, watching the flow of activity entertain her troubled thoughts for a while.

She glanced over the students, young handsome men, flirting with beautiful girls of equal age, some preparing to dance, while others just had fun and shared jokes.

Rinoa sighed deeply, her eyes lingering over all the unfamiliar faces, until she spotted someone she recognized from behind.

Her eyes widened as she noticed a blonde haired man turn around in his SeeD uniform to catch her gaze.

Seifer.

He blinked, holding his gaze with hers steady as a soft, almost unseen smile spread over his face. It was not often Seifer smiled in such sincerity, and yet it seemed so natural to Rinoa to receive it.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she mimicked his smile, a melee of memories flooding back to her of that beautiful summer they had spent together as a couple.

The SeeD uniform fit Seifer smugly, and made his shoulders seem wider than usual, which lent him a very attractive masculine appearance.

Rinoa noticed this very thing as she let her gaze wonder over his decorated attire, and smiled at him proudly, just having realized he had passed his exam.

It was very strange that she hadn�t noticed it straight away, but the emotions and confusions that had whirled around inside her had made clear thinking simply impossible.

Her chain of thoughts was broken as a merrier tune filled the air, replacing the previous once. They glanced around themselves as couples slowly started to form and dance to the music.

Gazing back at Rinoa, Seifer smiled, outstretching a hand, offering her a dance. His smile ignited an overwhelming flood of warmth to invade Rinoa�s chest, the very twinkling in his eyes very welcoming.

With her mouth slightly open, she contemplated the idea, and after a few moments, she ambled right up to him to join him in a dance.

Seifer gazed down on Rinoa, his heart beating hard against his chest. She must have been the only woman who was able to evoke these feelings in him. The SeeD placed his hand around her waist gently whilst he held her hand in his other.

Rinoa� he thought to himself, mesmerized by the deep rush he felt inside, his eyes fixed on her beautiful oval face.

Rinoa glanced up into his blue eyes, the very eyes she used to daydream into when they sat together watching the sunset. She always used to watch the sun set in his eyes, and almost always missed the real thing. It was strange, because back then, he used to seem too shy to glance back at her, and so looked onto the sunset.

Seifer�you were always there� There for me, but I never gave you another chance� I was so wrong� the thought occurred to Rinoa as Seifer leaned her down whilst dancing.

It�s been a long time�since I�ve felt like this� I wonder what�s with her and Squall�the way I know her, she wouldn�t dance with me if everything was alright� He pondered, as he drew her close again, noticing how she rested her head against his shoulder.

All this time, they hadn�t spoken one word to another, yet their eyes conversed between themselves. The faint crinkling at the corners of her eyes as Rinoa smiled gave away hints of her joy at seeing him again, whilst the intense gaze Seifer looked at her with revealed his interest.

She sighed silently as his fingers kept tapering over her body as they danced; twirling her by the hand, holding her close to his chest, and feeling over her fingers with his fingertips.

They danced to the music; their feet tapping the floor in unison and to the flow of the melody. The tune was so familiar, as if time had been compressed once again and the music to which Rinoa had forced Squall to dance had mysteriously been sucked into the present time.

Just then, a thought hit Rinoa, and she halted. Seifer almost stumbled, coming to a standstill as well. He gazed at her with a slightly bewildered glance, his hands still interlocked with hers in midair, as she glanced towards one of the archways.

�What�s wrong?� his voice sounded muffled by the loud music, and she continued to look onto one of the arches as if entranced. She returned her gaze to his, her eyes wide and frightened.

�Squall.� Is all she could say.

Frowning, he followed where she had been staring, and could not see anyone there. The row of arches stood empty and barren, looking onto the white hallway that led towards the lift.

Glancing at her again in confusion he uttered, �I can�t see him,� through the blaring music.

Swallowing hard, she glanced up at him in guilt and asked, �What if he sees me here with you?�

Seifer held Rinoa by the sides gently, his frown intensifying as his eyes pierced into hers.

�So what, Rinoa�You�re mine, aren�t you?� he asked carefully.

There it is again�his possessive attitude! How I fled from that two years ago! But�

She glanced up at him with a smile, holding onto a thought, at least he wants me as his own�

Seifer instinctively pulled her close again as her silence confirmed his suspicion and she glanced up at him, noticing how his eyes burned with desire. She frowned slightly, her heart fluttering at the puissant want she glimpsed in his countenance every time their eyes met.

Without another word, he led her on the dance floor again, dancing gracefully amongst other couples.

<hr>

Meanwhile�

This silence�It�s too much to bear�I need to hear her voice again�have I lost her? What did I even say�? Squall�s thought jumbled around in his head as he rushed down the corridor of the dorms, trying to find Rinoa.

It had been an hour, and the constant pondering he had been able to do in his lonely room had done him no good. Instead of making things clear, he felt more and more confused. He glanced around himself as he rached the main hall, and frowned as he could hear a familiar sound.

SeeD Graduation Music!

Frowning, Squall considered the idea that Rinoa must have, if he knew her well, gone to watch to take her mind off everything that had happened shortly before.

Without another option in mind, he quickly dashed towards the lift to join the congregation of newly graduated SeeDs.

He didn�t yet know, what sight was to await him there�
<hr>

The sky overhead had darkened into a deep black, with the faint glimmer of stars sending halos of white light around themselves.

Female graduates danced gracefully with their respective partners in beautiful ball gowns, some short, some long, and in varying colours of gold, blue, red, black, white, green, violet and baby pink. The colours swirled around on the dance floor like a scrambled rainbow display.

Rinoa blushed as she caught sight of the other girls, how picturesque their dresses looked on them, while she danced in her usual attire. Noticing the small rush of crimson invade her cheeks, Seifer leaned down and tasted her lips in a short sweet kiss.

Rinoa closed her eyes as he leaned in and sucked in her breath as she felt the lips she hadn�t felt for such a long time on hers once again.

As she reopened them, she stood facing the arches, and gasped as she caught sight of Squall.

He stood, wide eyed, and panting from the long dash as he had witnessed their little kiss. The world spun furiously around his head as he noticed flashes of colour dance about him. His exhausted lungs heaved with pain, and he breathed in deeply, trying to regain his composure. Heat rushed through his veins, burning the sides of his head with pulsing shocks. He believed his eyes to be lying as the image of Seifer leaning his face close to Rinoa�s flickered before his eyes again and again.

what�s going on�? his head screamed questions at him he couldn�t answer, a sense of betrayal gripping his heart, and the thought that this may have been going on behind his back for a long time occurred to him.

Sighing deeply, Squall eased his eyes shut and let the thoughts escape his mind. If he let the notions ride over his consciousness any longer he would flip.

Rinoa stood still in her tracks, watching Squall open mouthed. She swallowed, wondering what would happen. Noticing Squall�s presence, a rush of rage surged through Seifer�s blood and he swiftly turned her face back to his.

�Ignore him.� He muttered firmly, through gritted teeth as he tried to keep his cool. She turned to him reluctantly and glanced back at Squall occasionally with worried eyes, as he stuck his hands in his pockets and pretended to scrutinize the floor.

Guilt wore down on Rinoa�s features as she continued to dance close to Seifer. His intense eyes gazed down at her sternly, watching her every move as if he were monitoring her. These were a few of the things Rinoa had gotten tired of during their relationship. She felt like a bird whose wings had been bandages so she would never catch flight; a pearl forever trapped inside its own clam; the helpless leaves that always follow the touch of the gusts.

With a deep sigh of relief, Rinoa slowed her dancing pace alongside Seifer as the music gradually faded. She stood still, engulfed by his muscular arms as he held her in an embrace. Her head rested against his broad shoulder and she glanced up at the starry night sky.

Glancing down at her, he raised her chin gingerly with his index finger and thumb. His warm and unusually pleasant smile radiated down at her.

�Hey�I�m sorry�I didn�t mean to-� he blinked as she interjected with, �It�s alright�it�s going to take a while for you to change��

The apologetic expression faded from his face as he began to smile, thinking they sounded like an old married couple. With the same thought matching in her mind, she also flashed a light hearted smile and tip toed to plant a kiss on his lips.

Squall couldn�t avoid but to witness the prolonged kiss, as he felt his heart crumble in the flames of betrayal. He stood a distance away, faded from their view as they concentrated on each other, long forgotten memories awakening after a long careless slumber.

Just about to turn, Squall blinked as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Glancing back at the owner, he gazed into the most clear blue eyes he had ever seen.

He blinked, mesmerized by their beauty, and turned fully to glance down at the young girl who watched him silently. The stranger�s eyes gazed deeply into his, talking directly to him with their seductive glance. She titled her head slightly, flickering her thick long black lashes a little as she continued to study his face in fascination. Strands of thick, shiny silver-white hair fell in loose waves down the sides of her face, while the rest was plaited and curled into a bun at the back of her head.

She blinked slowly, her red glossy lipstick shining glamorously over her luscious lips as she smiled. Swallowing hard, Squall didn�t know what do say, and just gaped down at her enchanting beauty. It was a beauty far more picturesque than Rinoa�s even.

He dared to let his gaze linger over her soft, smooth bare shoulders to notice a light blue ball gown flow down majestically to her feet from her rounded breasts.

Her waist was so slender; he thought it would break if he touched it. Her very eyes seemed like they had been embedded with ice crystals.

Squall glanced up suddenly as he heard the soft music die down and the same dance tune cast over the silence once again. The merry tune filled the hall and all those who arrived later began dancing.

�Care to dance?� She voiced in a soft, almost seductive tone as she continued to lock eyes with him, not glancing away for even a moment. She gazed into his eyes, as if entranced by the innocent and frightened look at the time. But she was mesmerized by him, as a whole.

Squall glanced towards Rinoa uncertainly who toasted a glass of wine against Seifer�s and sighed, nodding to the mysterious girl.

He aligned himself with her and carefully placed a hand over her slender waist, gingerly pressing his fingers down, feeling her soft, sensual skin under the thin dress.

Her long fingernails looked very feminine as she interlocked her slim fingers through Squall�s and began to dance with him.

He moved his feet slowly, reluctantly at first, and then continued with full enthusiasm as she titled her head and smiled at him reassuringly.

�Who are you?� Squall asked with a puzzled glint in his eyes as he managed to utter the words through the music.

�Selena�I just passed the SeeD exam today.� She replied casually, staring into his eyes as if she was drawing tranquillity from them, as if it soothed her to gaze at them, like it soothed people to watch the sunset.

He noticed the yearning in her eyes, a glimmer of joy as if she had finally been fulfilled. She looked at him as if she had been waiting for years for this moment, for this chance.
She breathed easily, as if breathing had been hard without him by her side. Squall watched her, a slightly mesmerized expression masking his usual faint smile, as he tried to decode her mystical presence.

�Where you from?� he asked, as he twirled her by the hand in a short circle to the music.

�Trabia,� she replied, closing in on him again in an embrace.

Squall took a step back and held her normally as he danced, only to find her stepping closer again. He frowned slightly, wondering how pushy she was, just like Rinoa.

As the thought hit him, he glanced back and noticed Seifer leaning her down as they danced too. Rinoa�s eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of Squall with Selena.

But as she danced with Seifer, constantly glancing back at the couple, Seifer gingerly turned her head back to him with his fingers, and flashed her a fake smile.

Squall stopped, and Selena almost bumped into him as he did. Frowning she glanced up at him, and he felt himself almost gasp at how gorgeous she looked when she was confused. Sighing, he ushered his feelings aside and said, �Let�s head out of here�I�ve had enough.�

Catching a glimpse of Rinoa, Selena understood and nodded without another word.

But as Squall headed towards the hallway, Selena swiftly caught hold of his hand and halted him.

�Wait�let�s head out to the balcony. I want to see the view.� She smiled, her soft tone soothing his ears. He noticed how remarkably sensual her husky voice was, almost as if she was an enchantress.

So they walked across the Ball room floor and towards the small balcony. Thousands of gleaming waves twinkled in the powerful moonlight, as they lashed against the shore in the distance. The faint music of the Ball room was heard alongside the soft howling of the passing wind.

Selena�s dress wavered airily around her feet where she wore a set of high heeled glass shoes. Her soft slender feet showed from within the thick glass shoes and clacked loudly as she walked onto the balcony along with Squall.

He narrowed his eyes as the wind blew, ruffling through his white furry jacket. The strands of Selena�s hair succumbed to the touch of the gusts and she rearranged them behind her hair.

Leaning against the side of the balcony, she glanced at him standing before her.

�Well�maybe you know a lot about me already�but I�m Squall Leonhart�and that�s all I know myself for now�� he sighed flashing her a weak smile.

�Who wouldn�t know about the legendary Squall Leonhart?� she challenged, gazing at him seductively with half closed eyes.

He tilted his head, smiling at her, letting the compliment hit home. He sighed shortly after, gazing out onto the sea that grew more and more restless by the minute, just like Squall had over the past years over his personal dilemma.

heh�here I introduce myself to a new person and I don�t know who I really am myself� the bitter thought occurred to him as he daydreamed into the sea, holding the edge of the balcony with his hands.

�What�s wrong�what are you thinking?� she stepped close to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder anxiously.

�Nothing�anyway, how was the exam? I never caught who we were fighting.� Squall shook his thoughts and flashing her a weak smile.

�Well, it was an invasion of Esthar who planned to take over FH for some reason.� Selena responded, also gazing out onto the sea as he did.

What�? But Laguna rules Esthar, how can that possibly be? Has he lost his mind?

�But how�I thought Laguna was the president. He�s not the type to start invading other countries.� He frowned at her.

Sighing she shrugged, �I�m not sure what�s going on, but it was definitely Esthar soldiers that were attacking FH.�

�That�s strange� I might need to take another look at the situation. I�ll see you later�� Squall announced and stalked into the Ball room and out onto the corridor, while Selena stood, watching his figure disappear.

A soft smile spread across her lips as she thought something to herself�