A New Beginning - Part IV Intro Back again with the next chapter in the saga. Hope you have enjoyed it so far. The gang is back from Esthar now and taking some time off at Garden. Squall is busy meeting with Cid about Dr. Odine's mysterious disappearance, and Rinoa has decided to take a little break herself. Chapter 4 Rinoa stood impatiently in Garden's cafeteria line. A million thoughts raced through her head as she tapped her foot on the cold tile. The last few days had been extremely confusing, and she still didn't know what to make of it all. First the trip to Deling City, and then the fiasco in Esthar had only served to bring up more questions instead of helping her find a few answers. She sighed, brushing her hair back. She could only trust that things would work themselves out. 'You never know what the future holds, right?' she thought to herself. "Just one more!" a familiar voice rang out from the front of the line. Rinoa stood on her tiptoes to see what was going on. "Come on!" Zell cried as the cafeteria worker shook her head. "I'm going for the record!" he declared, bouncing on his heels. The worker glared at him. "If I give it to you, will you go away?" she asked. Zell nodded and gave her a wide smile. The lady rolled her eyes, throwing another hot dog down on his plate with a grunt. "Oh yeah!" Zell cried, throwing up his fist triumphantly. He ran over to a group of female cadets. "Get ready to see history in the making, ladies," he said as they giggled and made room for him to sit down. With a wink, Zell stuffed the first hot dog in his mouth. Rinoa turned back around, shaking her head. Zell was definitely one person she could count on to never change. She smiled. At least the line was moving faster now. She glanced back, hoping Squall would be coming to meet her, and was startled to see Seifer stroll into the cafeteria. He nodded at her with a tight grin. She gave him a slight smile back and quickly turned around as he moved behind her in line. They stood in line together silently for a few minutes, and Rinoa closed her eyes. It hurt her that she didn't know what to say to him. She had always prided herself in the fact that she could talk to anyone, and yet she had trouble even saying hello to Seifer. They had been through a lot together, both good and bad, and she wasn't even sure how she felt about him anymore. He had apologized though, and she somehow felt wrong just ignoring him. "Hi, Seifer," she said slowly, awkwardly turning to face him. "Rinoa," he said with a nod. She sighed at the sudden pause in their conversation. "How was your trip to Deling City?" Seifer looked down at his feet. "Fine." "Oh," she said softly. "Did you see my father?" Seifer grunted, a wry grin on his face as he looked away from her. "Yeah, I saw him." He paused. "I saw Doc Odine too..." Rinoa's face brightened. "You did? That's wonderful! Did you tell my father? I know he would help to free..." "I didn't tell him," Seifer said sternly, cutting her off. Rinoa absent-mindedly twirled her foot around as she glanced at the ground. "It's ok. I'll just send word to him that..." She gasped as Seifer suddenly put his hands on her shoulders roughly. The intensity in his eyes frightened her. "You don't ever go back there, do you hear me?" he said sharply. "I don't care what you do, just don't go back." Her eyes widened. "But...why?" she asked, her voice a little shaky. The way he stared at her... Seifer shook her hard, his fingers digging into her skin. "Just listen to me! You can't go back there!" Rinoa's eyes pleaded with him to explain, but he knew he couldn't. Without another word, Seifer released her abruptly and whirled around, hurrying from the room. Rinoa massaged her sore shoulder as she watched him leave. "Seifer...," she called, not really expecting him to return. "Hey, you want something to eat or not?" a stern voice called behind her and she whirled around sheepishly as she realized the rest of the line had moved through. The people behind her glared impatiently as she hurried to grab her tray. She smiled apologetically as she took her food and glanced around the cafeteria, realizing that the only person she knew was Zell, and he seemed rather occupied at the moment. With a sigh, she knew it was going to be another lonely meal as she took a seat by herself in the corner. Perhaps it was better that way; she needed time to think... "And you wouldn't believe what happened," a familiar voice said quietly from the table behind her. Rinoa turned around and noticed Aeryn and Lyanna, the two cadets that had traveled with them to Esthar, talking in a huddle with a group of friends. "I heard you all about got taken out," one of the boys said. "We did," Aeryn replied, "but Squall's little girlfriend showed up to save the day. Killed the monster with one blow." A few of the others sat back in disbelief. Aeryn continued on. "I looked up the spell she used. It's not natural. That sort of magic can only be used by...a sorceress," she finished with a whisper. A few of the girls gasped, and one of the boys shook his head. "But that would mean..." "Our glorious leader is messing around with a sorceress?" Lyanna asked, a smug grin on her face. "Basically." "I can't believe it!" a girl said, standing up. "I've got to tell Brennan about this one!" As the girl ran from the cafeteria, Rinoa's grip tightened on her glass until she was certain it would crumble in her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut as a tear tried to form in the corner of them. 'It can't be happening this way!' she thought wildly. 'Not now!' Her stomach turned flips and the room started to spin. She had to find Squall... As she stood, Lyanna's eyes widened in recognition. "Rinoa...," she said quietly, but she was ignored as the girl ran past her and out of the cafeteria. Lyanna turned back to her friends and shrugged, a smirk on her face. "Oops." Rinoa stumbled down the hallway, completely oblivious to the people that surrounded her. She pushed through them, desperately trying to reach the men's dormitories. She didn't know why Squall would be there, but logic had left her and she knew she had to try. Quistis' voice suddenly sailed through the blur. "Rinoa, are you all right?" she called, but the girl passed her by without so much as a glance. Rinoa barely realized her friend had spoken as she ran down the hall. The men's dorms suddenly came into view and she speeded through the doors, looking for Squall's. His was at the end of the hallway, and she fell against it as she reached it, banging furiously. "Squall?" she called. "It's me, please open up... Please..." Rinoa sobbed quietly as the door remained closed and the room silent. Leaning her head against the door, she slammed her fist against the frame a final time before sinking to the floor. She drew up her knees, laying her head in her arms as the tears slowly made their way down her cheeks. 'Why does it have to be this way?' her mind cried. "Rinoa?" a voice called down the hallway, full of concern, and she glanced up to see Squall. He spotted her and ran down the hall, kneeling as he wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Quistis told me you came running this way." "They know, Squall," she cried, sobbing into his chest. "They KNOW!" He stroked her head with one hand while he tried to pull the keys from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he looked carefully around to make sure no one was watching. Squall gently pulled Rinoa up from the ground and led her into his room. "Come on in," he said quietly. Squall moved over to the bed and sat down, easing the distraught Rinoa down beside him. She curled up on the bed on her side, her head on his lap as he softly brushed the hair back from her face. He couldn't help but smile a little as he realized how beautiful she was. "It's over," she whispered, staring away from him at the far wall. "Nothing's over," he assured her. "I'll take care of it. Everything will work out." She rolled over and looked up at him. "But you..." "...will be fine," he finished for her. "I don't care what they think. I...I love you..." Squall realized he had never told anyone that in his entire life. But it didn't matter. He meant it. Rinoa teared up again as she reached a hand up to softly stroke his cheek. "But they won't let me stay in Garden anymore. I'll have to leave you, and I don't know if i can stand that." Squall took her hand and gently kissed her fingers. "If they make you go then I'm coming too. I can't live without you anymore, Rinoa." She smiled at him and sat up, giving him a hug. "I love you, Squall," she whispered into his chest. Softly, he pulled her away from him and looked into her eyes, brushing a single tear from her cheek. With a slight smile, he leaned in to kiss her and she accepted it eagerly, gently pulling him down on the bed with her. He kissed her again, harder, and Rinoa realized she never wanted him to stop... "Room check!" a voice called with a knock on the door. Squall growled softly as he gave Rinoa a final, quick kiss and stood up. "Stay here," he told her as he went to see who it was. He had a feeling he already knew... Sure enough, Zell stood bouncing in the doorway. "Hey, hey, hey," he said excitedly, raising his hands in victory. "Guess who is the new hot dog champion of Balamb Garden?" "That's wonderful, Zell," Squall said impatiently, trying to ease the door shut. Zell stuck his foot in the way. "Not so fast! You're not kicking me out yet, are you? I haven't finished telling you about my new victory yet!" He winked at Squall as he pushed his way on in the room. "Besides, I thought I'd better check to see if you were smuggling in any girls after visiting hours..." He froze as he saw Rinoa on the bed and whirled around sheepishly. "Ok, I guess if you save the world you can break a few rules. I'll just be leaving now." "It's ok, Zell," Rinoa said quietly, standing up and walking towards them. "I need to be leaving anyway..." "If you're sure," Zell began, turning back around to face her. He suddenly noticed her red, puffy eyes. "What's the matter?" he asked, whirling to face Squall. "You better not have hurt her, man..." "I'm fine," Rinoa assured him, surprising them all by suddenly giving Zell a big hug. "Thanks for everything," she told with a sad smile. She looked up at Squall. Whispering, "I love you," she hurried from the room. Squall looked down at the ground as Zell did a little dance. "Hey, what was that all about?" he asked, giving Squall a playful punch on the shoulder. "Never so much as a handshake from anyone and suddenly your girl's giving me hugs! Better watch out, the Zell-man is back in business!" Squall rolled his eyes. "Get out!" he said in exasperation, pushing Zell from the room and shutting the door. Zell sniffed as he heard the door lock behind him. Smoothing out his shirt, he strutted down the hallway. "I know, I know," he said, half to himself. "Sometimes I get jealous of me, too." At the corner of the Quad, Seifer stood alone, gazing down at the fields below him as the wind blew through his golden hair. The sun was slowly setting, casting brilliant colors across the sky. He was oblivious to it all. As much as he tried to forget it, the trip to Deling City kept flashing through his mind... The celebration had been formal and boring - just as he had expected. He had spent most of the night by himself in the corner, gazing at the rest of the partygoers as he sipped his drink. Nobody paid much attention to him, except for the glares from the few that recognized him. The delegation from Galbadia Garden had almost tried to jump him, but he sent one of them flying with a swift kick and the others backed off. He didn't have time for their childish games. Why the President had wanted to see him remained a mystery. He had thought at first it had to do with Rinoa, but he didn't know how her father would know they'd ever been anything other than enemies... "Seifer Almasy?" a man's voice had called behind him. He turned around to see a man in official uniform. Seifer didn't recognize him, but he nodded in reply. "Follow me," the man continued. "The President will see you now." Seifer followed the man silently through the intricate corridors of the Presidential Residence, gazing at the expensive paintings and decorations that lined the hallway. He had been through these passages before, but that was another time, another life. As they reached the President's office, the uniformed man pushed open the door and motioned Seifer on through. He entered, noticing how different it now looked. Edea's dark, bare decorations had been completely removed, and the room held an official, polished look. A large desk sat in the middle, surrounded by huge oak bookcases and pictures of the great battles of Galbadia. In the far corner by the fireplace, Seifer was startled to see two men arguing in hushed tones, oblivious to his entrance. "I'm telling you, eet might not vurk!" a funny little man told General Caraway. His short dark hair was tied back on the top of his head and a large red and white collar ringed his neck. Seifer narrowed his eyes as he recognized Dr. Odine, wondering why he was here with the President. Caraway turned to face the fire. "It HAS to work," he whispered. Odine grunted, folding his arms. "You're crazy for vanting to try eet in ze first place. You're going to get us all killed!" "It's the only way to help my daughter!" Caraway exploded, whirling around angrily. He suddenly noticed the other figure in the room. "Seifer Almasy!" he exclaimed, his face suddenly beaming smiles as he hurried forward to shake the boy's hand. "So good of you to join me." Seifer shook his hand uncertainly, suspiciously glancing over at Odine. "Did you know they're looking for the Doctor?" Caraway sighed heavily. "No sense beating around the bush then... I'll get straight to the point. I brought you here, Seifer, because you were in league with Sorceress Ultimecia, correct?" Seifer looked away. "I was. But that job didn't work out too well." He met Caraway's eyes. "Why?" Dr. Odine laughed in the corner. "Because he vants to bring her back!" "What?" Seifer asked, suspiciously. "She's dead." "In the future," Caraway said. "Though technically she can't be dead yet since she's not been born." Seifer narrowed his eyes, unsure of where the conversation was going. "But that's not the point. I was told that sorceresses pass on their powers when they died," the President continued. "Is that the only way?" Seifer shook his head with a wry grin. "Couldn't tell you. I've never been one." Caraway sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You are not making this easy on me. I'll put it this way, can one sorceress take another's powers?" "I guess if they were strong enough," Seifer answered with a shrug. "Adel was using Rinoa's powers for a while. But the only sorceress left now is Rinoa. I don't see..." "The time compression device," Caraway whispered, a strange light in his eyes. Seifer slammed his foot on the ground, pointing an angry finger at Odine. "You didn't destroy that thing?!?" Odine folded his arms in a huff. "I didn't zee any reazon vhy I should. If zey were destined to defeat Ultimecia anyway, why should I ruin my chance at eternal fame and glory?" Seifer sighed and shook his head. "Besides, I've even managed to make a few improvements. After zeeing how the others made zemselves exist in ze future, I believe I could actually bring someone back in ze past, body and all." "Great," Seifer said, turning his back to them and putting a hand on his hip. "That's the last thing we need. Heck, let's just turn the world over to Ultimecia right now." He sighed, shaking his head as he met Caraway's eyes. "You're crazy." "It won't be for long," Caraway replied. "The machine will be set so that I can return her any time I want. We'll program the device so that when Ultimecia gets her hands on it - before she's killed - she'll receive my message that I'm willing to offer her my daughter's powers." Seifer snorted. "And you think she's going to come running back for a little more power when she's already has more than enough to take over the world in her time?" Caraway sighed and strolled over to the fireplace. "You're probably right. Which is why I had decided to offer her something else..." "What else can you possibly give her?" Seifer asked, narrowing his eyes. He had a bad feeling he knew what was coming... "The one who will kill her," Caraway said quietly. "Squall?" Seifer exploded. He still didn't like the guy, and his and Rinoa's little relationship was downright nauseating at times, but still... "You think Rinoa is going to be thrilled she's not a sorceress when you just sacrificed her boyfriend?" "Rinoa doesn't know what's good for her," Caraway replied angrily. "I'll do whatever it takes to save my little girl. You were with her once. Wouldn't you have wanted to save her?" Seifer shook his head and sighed. Would he have? He had never really loved Rinoa, not the way Squall did. She had just been another girl passing through in his life. He had to admit her and Squall's relationship really DID sicken him sometimes, but perhaps that was because the smallest part of him actually envied them. He had had more girls than Squall would ever dream of, but love had never really come into play, from his side at least. Back at Garden,Seifer's mind wandered back to the present, and he flicked a pebble over the railing, watching as it bounced down the side of the huge buliding and disappeared from sight. He leaned back, holding on to the rail. He wasn't sure why he had warned Rinoa in the cafeteria. He hadn't been planning on it, but it had just come spilling out. To be honest, he didn't know what to do with any of them anymore. He had done a pretty good job of messing up their lives earlier, and while he didn't particularly feel like he owed them anything, perhaps it was time for the bitterness to end... With a sigh, Seifer noticed the sun had nearly disappeared on the horizon. 'Getting late,' he thought, starting back to the dorms, his head down in thought. A flash of pink appeared before him, and he barely looked up in time to avoid running into Quistis. She glanced up at him, startled. "Sorry," she stammered quickly. "I wasn't paying attention." Seifer grinned wryly. "I wasn't either." Another awkward pause ensued, and he sighed. He was getting tired of no one wanting to talk to him. 'Perhaps now would be a good time to start changing things,' he thought, glancing up at Quistis. "Would you...like to take a walk or something?" he asked. Quistis blinked, clearly surprised. "I...I...," she stuttered, trying to think up an excuse. She noticed the sad look in his eyes, though, and smiled at him, nodding. "I...would like that." Seifer laughed as she shyly took his arm and they strolled out of the Quad together. Rinoa brushed away a tear as it tried to sneak its way down her cheek. She had to be strong now; it was the only way. Angelo lay his head on her arm as she knelt and placed the last of her supplies in a bag. Patting his head, she smiled at him. "Are you ready? Only one more thing...," she said with a sigh. Sitting down at her desk, she picked up a pen with shaking fingers and set it down on the blank sheet of paper before her. She knew things had to be this way, and yet that fact did not make her decision any easier. Squall's place was at Garden, and hers could never be there with him. There would be others for Squall, ones that would be better for him than she ever could. Though Rinoa knew there would never be another for her. She loved him so much that just thinking of leaving made her heart burst in agony, but there was no other way to protect him. She finished the letter, telling him that she would always love him and hoped he would not hate her. She supposed that he would, but she could take that if he were only safe. A tear slipped down her face as she sealed the envelope, staining its corner. It was time... In front of Squall's door, she closed her eyes tightly, bringing the envelope up to her lips. However hard this was, she knew she was doing the right thing. Quickly shoving the letter undeneath his door before she could change her mind, she reached over and patted Angelo on the head. He whimpered softly. "Come on boy," she called gently. "It's time to go." Her dog strolled on ahead as she glanced back to Squall's door one final time. "Goodbye, Squall," she whispered, running after Angelo into the night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- And that's the end of Part IV. So this one was kind of sad. Now that Rinoa's gone, poor Squall finds himself feeling alone and betrayed yet again. But there isn't much time to think about it because General Caraway's plan is about to be put into action! As usual, let me know what you think! squalls_angel@lycos.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- And this is still my story, so no copying, distributing, or making excessive amounts of money off my story without permission, ok? Great.