Disclaimer: I don't own any char. of FFVIII, and this goes for every other chapter in the story... Please read, review and enjoy!

Shadow of the Sun

Ch. 1: Three Years...

A breathtaking soft pale sphere hangs so high up in the heavens overlooking the land so far below. In the shadow of the night, two figures take refuge behind a large boulder bullets blazing past them.

"This is it, all we need to do is break past this barricade and then we are home free. Are you ready?" A low toned male voice yells over the intense gunfire.

A smile creeps over a young woman's features as she gazes wistfully into beautiful azure eyes. "With you by my side, I'm ready for anything." Came the response of a delicate female voice.

"I love you…" Both spoke in unison, echoing what their hearts are screaming, before leaning in for a deep passionate kiss.

They couldn't tell if their hearts were racing from the kiss, or the series of events taking place. Only seconds after they parted, each flew out behind their cover and rushed the onslaught of bullets.

"AAAAHHHHH" A heart stopping scream rips throughout the noise of gunfire. A single shot pierces the young male's chest, tearing through muscle, bone, and tendons, going straight through. Blood begins to spill out profusely, as the bullet exits the wound. His legs give out under the horrific pain, and his eyes burst wide open. The breath has been savagely stolen from his lungs as he falls to the ground, unable to move, paralyzed by the pain. He reaches up for his chest to put pressure on the wound, but it wasn't nearly enough, the blood gushes through his fingers, spilling onto his hand.

Upon hearing the ear piercing scream his female teammate stops amidst all the gunfire. The bullets blazing past seem to be devoid of all sound, the only thing she can hear is her beloved crying out in pain. She starts to make her way back to his location.

"What in Hyne are you doing! GOOOO!" The injured man barely yelled, furious that his partner would even think of turning around when she has already gotten so far, behind enemy lines.

Suddenly she stops, and for just a second time itself seemed to stand still. She worriedly looked to her love for advice, debating on whether she should truly leave him be and hope he is alright, or if she should try and help, though she knew she would only make the situation much worse.

A warm smile cracks the young man's chapped lips as he stares at his beloved so far away. With a nod he told her what she needed to know.

"I'll come back for you, I swear, I will come back for you!" The female screamed in her mind.

With that final action, time sped up, and she was once again placed in the line of fire. Moments passed and she was out of sight, just another shadow in the darkness. She made it out of enemy territory, to forever wonder what will become of her teammate she…left behind.

From severe loss of blood the young man's vision becomes blurred, and his once blazing blue eyes became dull and glazed over. He is unsure if he is just blacking out, but he could swear he heard the sound of the gunfire cease.

His breathing became short and raspy, as he felt any icy chill blanket his exhausted body. He can feel his life force sluggishly pump out of his wound, onto the cold hard ground. He feels a sudden jerk and is pulled up to his feet, immediately his body slumps over, unable to stand or even move.

A rough grasp encompasses his wrists and he senses he is being dragged somewhere. His glassy eyes crack open and everything seems to be spinning around him.

Voices, he hears voices, but to him they seem muffled and unintelligible. Finally he opens his eyes once more and he is staring into a black military facemask. A question is posed, but a high pitched ringing blocks the sound from the half-dead man's ears.

Then a vision of the military official raising a black object, no doubt his gun, and slamming it down hard. Blackness, the young male is staring into a void of nothingness, forever lost, slipped into a pool darkness.

Groggy, bloodshot eyes slowly open to see a strange room, almost a lab room of some sort. The man tries to move but his motions are canceled by metal shackles maniacally ripping into the delicate skin that sheaths his wrists.

A sudden burst of pain, torturous pain rips through his body; it is as though his blood is on fire. The pain surges through his being, it feels worse than Quezacotl's Thunder Storm attack.

"AAAAHHHH" he couldn't tell if he screamed aloud, or if it was just the mind numbing pain causing him to hear things.

"So my dear boy, you are still alive? Zat is quite a wound you've sustained zere, I figure you would have been dead by now." A small creepy looking man hobbles out from the shadows, with a wide smirk on his face.

"Now tell me boy, what do you know?" The scientist hissed, at the half conscious man before him.

"What?" Was all he could say as he was barely able to comprehend any vocabulary.

"Tsk, tsk tsk…" With a flick of his hand, another devastating blast of electricity surged through the young man's body, causing mind numbing pain. He let's out a horrible scream, one that could tear through the deeps of anyone's soul. Once again his world slowly faded to black, as he fell into a void of nothingness.

"NNNNOOOOOO………!" A small blonde burst up from her slumber, as sweat streams down her delicate features, panting heavily. Her entire body was shaking, as she sobbed into her small hands.

Her roommate, a small brunette jumps out of her bed, frantically asking what's wrong.

"Quistis, what is it, what? Are we under attack?" The petit girl asks in a complete panic, searching the room for any intruders.

After scouring the premises she realizes there is no one in the room, she glances to her left and sees long silky honey colored hair draped over her friends face, to conceal her tears.

Slowly she walks over and places a comforting hand on her friends shoulder.

"You ok Quisty?" The younger female questioned concernedly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Sel, but I just had a bad dream…" Quistis spoke softly and dejectedly, as her gaze was fixated on the blankets in front of her, not wanting to look her friend in the eye, trying to somewhat conceal her tear stricken face.

"The….same one?" Selphie hesitantly asked.

Quistis brought her knees to her chest and hugged them desperately. She dipped her face down and nodded slightly, as she began rocking back and forth, trying to comfort herself.

"Oh I'm so sorry…" Selphie said sympathetically. "How long has it been…three years…are you sure he's…" Selphie halted there as the words stuck in her throat, she knew that it probably wasn't the right time to say that, but it has been a really long time, and to be shot through the chest, it would be a miracle just to survive.

"How could you say that? Of…of course he's alive…" Came the muffled response from Quistis who's face was still buried in the comfort of her knees.

"Sorry, of course he is…Don't worry Quisty, knowing him, he is probably on his way back right now!" Selphie exclaimed and through her fist in the air for excitement.

Quistis didn't respond, she was lost in her thoughts, wondering if she did the right thing, wondering if there was something, anything else she could have done differently.

'Zell…where are you…what are they doing to you…Zell…' Her mind cried out for the one she loved, longing to be back into his warm embrace….

A/N: I know I'm already in the middle of another story, but this one couldn't wait, it is one that I've wanted to do for a long time. I owe it to SLVK, i feel that he didn't get enough recognition and I do this for him. This should be a somewhat long and engagin story, I really hope there are people out there who read this and review. Well thanks a lot, I will try to work on this one and my previous one, but this is going to take top priority, but no worries! Well Please enjoy and REVIEW if you get the chance! later...