Redemption Chapter 5
By Katie Herdman
“Night Rinoa,” Squall said. He was tired after last night, as he hadn’t slept well. Awful memories plagued him mind and someone there, someone he knew well.
“Night Squall,” Rinoa said back. They then kissed, not a passionate kiss. Just goodnight.
Squall waited for Rinoa to enter her dormitory before he started walking to his.
“Squall,” said Irvine from behind him. Squall turned round.
“What,” he said tiredness showing in his eyes.
“Something strange has happened, you’ve gotta come see.”
Squall sighed, his SeeD work never ended. Squall followed Irvine to the Canteen. The place was deserted now. Irvine held back a little so Squall went first inside.
“What were you gonna show me…” Squall noticed that they weren’t alone. Someone was sitting on the counter.
“Who are you,” he asked.
“So demanding,” said the stranger, “this is the famous Squall Leonhart, yet you are only a boy, still naïve. How have you done so much?”
The woman was playing games with him.
“What do you want,” he said.
“I want only to show you. I know where your missing friend Quistis is. I can take you to her.”
Squall stepped closer to her, “Why should I trust you?”
She got off the counter and walked to him. In the glow of the faint light, Squall saw her hand move.
Before he could pull out his gunblade, she sent him into a trance. Squall couldn’t move, his limbs wouldn’t respond to him.
Her hand moved again in front of her. She slowly opened it and a blue light erupted from it. Squall’s hand clasped it, moving on it’s own, like his mind was separated from his body.
Irvine watched them leave; just disappear, then he could move.
**********
“Seifer he’s in there,” Andria said, pointing down a hallway to a room at the end.
“How do you know,” Seifer asked.
“Come on,” she yelled, ignoring his question.
Seifer ran after her, but Sia on his back was a dead weight.
“Andria wait,” he called out, but she had already entered the room.
Inside Andria saw Jake lying on the table in the middle of the room. The room looked deserted, but Andria sensed the monsters hiding in the shadows. She heard Seifer right outside the door.
Then six monsters attacked her while she stood there. She was out numbered with no weapon apart from her fists, and her magic.
Out stretching her hands, Andria concentrated. They suddenly stopped advancing and stood there. Clenching her fists, Andria then opened them out again. They then vanished.
Andria grabbed Jake and ran. Seifer stood, mouth wide open, he never knew she could do that.
**********
Now standing in Laguna’s office they talked about the attack. Andria had Jake with her; he wasn’t leaving her side. She had said to Sia that she didn’t blame her for what happened, that it was an accident.
“I don’t understand what they were,” Raijin said.
“Mutated, deformed monsters. Come from Centra,” Odine said, it had been his experiment that had caused the monsters.
“It still doesn’t explain why they attacked us. Or how they got there,” Kiros said. It was puzzling.
“Can we finish this meeting,” asked Andria.
“I’m tired,” she explained, “and all we’re doing now is asking questions, we’re not answering any, so can we finish and Odine can do some research.”
“I don’t fell comfortable having Odine research more, look what happened,” Quistis said.
“Fine, you can do it or watch him, or find someone else.”
Andria then left. Something was wrong with Squall, she could feel it, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
Andria decided to walk round Esthar, it might help her think more clearly. She stopped to look at the view of the rising sun; it was always beautiful at Esthar.
“It is wonderful isn’t it,” a voice said. Andria recognised it straight away, only one person had that voice.
“Squall, my god,” she cried. He stood there real as her memory of him was, he hadn’t changed at all in a year. But he had, Andria realised what it was.
She backed away from him slowly, “Who did this.”
“Don’t be upset, this body was wasted on him. I can do wonderful things with it.”
“You’re not Squall though,” she cried.
“Yes and he can’t be brought back, but you know that from when I possessed your brother. He was an interesting one to possess, but this one has powers that you never told him about. Seems you kept many secrets, why even his son. Shame he’ll not get to see him.”
Andria sobbed; bitter tears ran down her cheeks. This was too cruel, Laguna was right, she should have told Squall everything, now was too late.
“Be glad, you couldn’t have him, now not even Rinoa can.”
Squall stepped back, “Gotta go, there’s a young woman I have to pay a visit to.”
**********
Laguna,” Andria said, rushing into his office, “I need a transport ship and I need everyone on it.”
“Why,” he asked.
“Just do it,” she replied ferociously.
“But there’s only Quistis and Raijin free to go,” Laguna said protesting.
“I don’t care, get them on a ship.”
**********
“This is great,” said Selphie, “first Quisty, and now Sqaull, maybe that’s what happened to Quisty, she disappeared like Squall.”
“How are we gonna look for him, we don’t know where to start,” Xu said.
Rinoa sat down by Cid’s desk, her voice quivered as she spoke, “What if he doesn’t come back.”
“Why would you think I wouldn’t come back?”
Squall stood there in front of the doors, they closed shut behind him.
“Squall,” cried Rinoa and promptly ran towards him.
“Hey,” he said gently. Rinoa tried to speak, but he shushed her and kissed her deeply.
“What was that for,” she asked when he finished.
“Rinoa, get away from him,” the voice from behind Squall demanded. Andria stood there, crossbow aimed at Squall. Rinoa stared shocked at her.
“Rinoa,” Andria said again, “move away from him, he isn’t Squall.”
“You’re dead,” was all Rinoa could say; she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
Squall pushed Rinoa away. “Andria, Andria,” he said, walking towards her.
Quistis and Raijin held up their weapons behind Andria, ready for him to try anything.
“You won’t fire that at me, you can’t. Your love for him won’t let you.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Andria replied, “it would be better to kill Squall.”
He laughed coldly, “Now rather than later. Like I said, you won’t fire it.”
Andria tried to look determined, but she knew her eyes told all, she couldn’t do it.
“Be seeing you then.” Squall then knocked the crossbow out of Andria’s hands and knocked her into Quistis. Both women fell down.
Raijin stood ready, his staff spinning above him.
Squall tried to knock it out of Raijin’s hands, but Raijin was too quick for him. He hit him hard in the side, but that didn’t stop Squall from attacking again.
When Raijin attacked again, Squall grabbed the staff and wrenched it from his grasp. He threw it back into his stomach and ran.
“What the hell is going on,” shouted Rinoa.
“Quistis,” shrieked Selphie and ran to her old friend. Irvine, Zell and Xu looked expectantly at Andria. Rinoa walked towards her.
“Rinoa,” Andria began. Without warning Rinoa hit Andria on her jaw.
“Bitch,” she cried. Andria just looked down; she deserved to get hit after last year.
“You knew she was alive Quistis,” accused Zell.
“No, I…”
“Quistis didn’t know until Seifer and Fujin captured her,” defended Raijin.
“What exactly has been going on,” asked Irvine, he was even more confused now.
“Andria,” said Raijin, “maybe you should explain, ya know. You know more.”
“I can’t guarantee we’ll listen,” said Rinoa, “since she’s lied for how long? A year almost.”
“Rinoa please,” begged Andria, “Squall’s in mortal danger, and I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
Rinoa looked hard at Andria.
“He’s in no more danger than he was with you. But,” she said the next part very carefully, “you’re responsible for all this. If he gets hurt, I’ll kill you, if everything’s all right, then you’d better watch out anyway. You destroyed me, and I’m not gonna let it lie.”
“Rinoa… I.” Andria couldn’t finish, the words stuck in her throat. How do you say, “I’m sorry,” especially when you’re not sorry.
“Maybe we should tell what’s happening, ya know.” Raijin nodded at her. Andria didn’t know what to do; she didn’t want to tell Rinoa the truth about Squall.
“Rinoa,” she said, “I won’t lie to you, this is real bad. Squall… he’s been possessed by the demon that possessed Leraikhe.”
Andria stumbled over the next words. “The… the only way a person can be separated…” Andria hesitated as Rinoa moved closer to her. She decided to be honest; Rinoa had a right to know.
“He’ll die Rinoa, I can’t save him.”
“You lying bitch.” Rinoa went to strike Andria once more, but Irvine stepped in the way.
“Rinoa,” he said trying to calm her down, “like it or not, we need her, she know what’s going on. That wasn’t Squall before.”
Rinoa stared hard at Irvine, she wanted to kill Andria for hurting her and he was standing in the way.
Andria turned and fled from the room. Quistis and Raijin stared dumbly after her.
“Maybe you should go after her Quistis, ya know,” said Raijin. Quistis nodded and left.
**********
Quistis found Andria sitting in the Quad, watching the children play in the sunshine, the salty breeze swept their ball around.
“When do we change,” Andria asked as Quistis sat down next to her.
“What do you mean,” asked Quistis, Andria was being very confusing.
“From children, when do we grow up, or do we not really change at all.”
Quistis though about it, Andria was right in a way, when were people responsible or old enough to understand things. Some people never did.
“I miss him,” Andria said finally, “and I feel like my chance to be with him has gone, I’ve missed it.”
Author’s Note
I decided to keep Squall’s name. He has now been possessed, but he’ll still be called Squall. I didn’t want to keep calling him Babalel instead.