Will Write for Gil

Chapter Four: End = Beginning = End = ?

By PasifikStar

* All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.

He knew she was there; there was nowhere else for her to go. She had been run out of his kingdom, called unfit to be the bride of the prince, and forced back to her family's dilapidated castle; an old remnant of their once former strength.

"My lady!" he called into the halls as he stopped at the top of the stairs. He scowled. She didn't answer.

"Your highness!" a trembling servant called from the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. "The villagers are on your heels! What should we do?"

Responsibility for their lives had now fallen on his shoulders now that her father, the last male member of her family, had died.

His blue eyes crinkled up. The small handful of loyal servants left at his betrothed's former home would be no match to the swarm of angry, hateful villagers storming the surrounding walls, armed with weapons in search for the once-loved noble woman. The servants would be slaughtered standing in their way.

"Leave," he told them in a low voice. "Take what you can and leave immediately! Go through the side entrances and flee this place at once! Take pains not to be caught by the mob!"

The few who remained stood at the foot of the stairs, unmoving as they looked up at the prince. The smallest of them, a servant girl who had been with the noblewoman since they were children, spoke up.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, your highness," she smiled sadly. "We will not abandon our lady."

The royal frowned. "Then what will you do?" he asked. "You are but a handful of men and women. The villagers will turn on you if you insist on protecting her – a sorceress."

"You underestimate us, good prince," a haughty blond man smirked. "Sorceress or not, she is now the only member of this house – a house have sworn to serve and protect with our lives."

"And serve and protect we shall," a tall blonde woman added solemnly. "To our last breaths." She cocked her head to the side and gave him a questioning look. "Besides, good prince," she told him. "Are you not doing the same?"

His hands clenched at his sides. She was a nameless woman to a dying noble family in a neighboring kingdom. Using all the connections he had, her father arranged a marriage for her with the crown prince. As soon as the arrangements had been made, he had died; leaving everything to his only daughter.

She had come to live with the prince and his family. She was nearly penniless, the only member of her family, but her kind, generous disposition won a seemingly heartless prince over. Their love, he came to realize, was mutual.

However, before they could be wed, an assassination attempt on his life triggered a latent power in her, knocking the assassins unconscious, but revealing it in a public place. What should have been a heroic occasion turned dark as the kingdom that had once been ravaged by a power hungry sorceress branded her very existence a crime.

She fled his home kingdom, even after he had tried to quell the rumors about her. His people had grown to hate her so easily and, from the sight of the mob that had gathered as he raced past to the old castle, so did her own.

As he stood at the top of the stairs, searching for her, he realized that they were completely cornered.

The servants continued to look at him curiously and he nodded. "I swore an oath to be by her side," he told them. "Even if the world turned against her…and I will keep my word." Even in such a situation, the remaining servants smiled.

"Then we will hold them off as long as we can," another man assured him. He looked at the two other men they were with. "Barricade the doors and put down the gates!" The three of them scattered, leaving only the two women.

"Your highness," the blonde woman said as she bowed. "Thank you."

"We will do our best for you and our lady," the brunette added.

His gut wrenched. They would not see finish the sunrise and it angered him just a bit. His betrothed would not want them to throw their lives away, yet he admired their devotion and still loved her.

"Do what you want," he spat out as he turned to the right and stalked down the hall. He paused before he disappeared completely and whispered under his breath. "And thank you."

Yelling could be heard outside and the two women whirled around. "Help me bring down the barricade!" the blonde shouted. The brunette nodded and rushed forward. Just as they managed to release the heavy wooden bar across the main doors a crash came from one of the other rooms.

The two turned their attention to the ballroom to their right. Large stones were breaking the windows. Glass shattered, vases fell, and voices of angry villagers penetrated the once quiet castle.

The small brunette grabbed on to the taller blonde. "This is it, isn't it?"

A loud yell of a dying man could be heard outside and the blonde woman's eyes rimmed to tears. Pain ripped through her being. That was her husband's voice.

"Yes," she whispered breathily. "I'm afraid that it is."

Bodies poured through the broken windows. People were yelling. Torches were carried. Somewhere, curtains were being set alight. They fought, trying to keep the angry mob from going up the stairs, but it was no use. The brunette fell from the stairs and did not get up. The blonde was lost beneath a stampede.

The mob rushed up the stairs. Orders were given to sweep the entire castle in search for the dangerous sorceress. Someone yelled to have the surrounding forest checked. As they reached the hall, the entire castle began to shake.

The mob came to a halt as they tried to steady themselves. Bodies were thrown against a wall and bouncing against each other as portraits, mirrors, and tapestries fell from the walls. A loud rumble was heard, silencing the crowd as the castle buckled once more.

They braced themselves for the building to cave into itself, but it never came. The villagers exchanged looks.

"The sorceress!" someone accused. A rousing yell filled the corridor and they stormed forward. They reached the end of the hall, pushing the door open and stopping at the threshold.

An entire side of the tower was gone; sunken into the ravine behind the castle.

"What happ-"

"The prince!" someone shouted. Several eyes turned and looked at the very edge of the floor, watching helplessly as the prince's body slid off of the edge and into the abyss.

"It's haunted," Zell stated as he looked up at the massive stone structure before them. He held his arms up over his head in a futile attempt to keep the rain off.

"Totally haunted," Selphie agreed beside him as she stared wide-eyed at the old Galbadian castle. Part of it seemed to have been taken back by the surrounding cliffside's plants, but the massive stone structure still stood forebodingly.

"It doesn't matter!" Squall shouted from behind them. Irvine brought down the hood of the transport vehicle that had suddenly died on them just as they reached the old building. "We just need a place to stay the night!"

Zell wrinkled his nose. They had been returning to Deling City from the border region of Galbadia aiding some Galbadia Garden SeeDs, when the storm they had been warned about came rushing in. A flash flood was reported through the radios and when they got to one of the bridges, they discovered it had been completely washed out.

With nowhere else to go but back, the foursome backtracked. Irvine had directed them to an old castle on the border, near some Galbadia Garden training grounds. It had been left for time and nature to reclaim, so he figured it would be all right for them to take shelter in it for the night.

"Zell! Help Irvine with the rations," Squall ordered. "Selphie, prepare to scout the place!"

"Will do, Commander!" Selphie gave him a quick salute before bounding up the overgrown stone steps. Squall dug out a mobile radio device from the back of the vehicle and followed after her. As he entered, he could hear Selphie calling out to see if there was anyone else in there .

Zell and Irvine wandered through after him, each holding the handles of a large metal crate carrying some basic overnight supplies for the four of them.

"Where do you want it, Squall?" Irvine asked he glanced around. Beside him, Zell's eyes took in the high, vaulted ceiling above them. Scorch marks lined some of the walls and there was a lack of furnishings, but it was obvious the abandoned old building was once the home of a wealthy family.

Their team leader looked around the foyer and narrowed his eyes as he turned to the left and entered the nearest room. Through an arched doorway that was now missing the said door, he found a spacious room lined with old wooden shelves. Almost all of the shelves had rotted and fallen into themselves. There was some old furniture pushed to a corner, but even they were just remnants of a bygone world.

However the room did seem to have a fireplace they could use. And it was close to the entrance. The windows were small, so not much rain or would penetrate the dank room.

"In here," Squall said as he lifted a hand and waved them in. "Get some of the fire pellets and see if you can get a fire going in the hearth. It's getting dark so we don't have much time and I want to conserve our flashlight batteries."

"Sounds like a plan," Irvine said. "What about you?"

They trudged past him as Squall knelt down on the floor and turned on the mobile radio device. "I'm going to see if I can get a signal and let Galbadia Garden know where we are," he told them as he lifted the strap of the machine over his shoulder and rose to his feet. He held the antennae out and checked a small screen, keeping his eye on it as he wandered back out.

Suddenly, a scream cut through the castle. Squall's head shot up as he tore down the hall.

"That was Selphie!" Zell yelled behind him.

"Obviously! You know anyone else here who would scream like that!?" Irvine yelled back as he ran after Squall.

The blue-eyed brunette skidded around the corner. "Selphie!" he shouted. "Report!"

They didn't get an answer as they rushed into a room and came to a halt. Selphie was standing on the edge of a floor that had given way to the ravine just behind the castle. Wide, green eyes were looking down, past the entire wall that had long ago tumbled away, into a dark gorge.

"Darlin', you okay!?" Irvine asked as he carefully approached.

Selphie nodded. She turned around and let out a heavy breath. "The…some of the floor," she said, vaguely waving to the ground in front of her. They heard a crack and looked at the ground a few paces from her. She took a slow step back, then another, just as a large piece of stone that made up the floor broke off and fell.

Zell swallowed nervously. "I'm starting to think coming here was a bad idea."

Squall rolled his eyes. "Selphie, are you alright?"

"Yeah," the petite brunette nodded. She offered him a bright smile. "I was just caught by surprise, that's all."

"Alright," Squall said. "Everyone, get back to the old library where we put the supplies. We'll need to make a point to avoid this part of the castle. Selphie, did you go anywhere else?"

"I checked the western side," she said as Irvine ushered her out of the old room. "No one's been here for years, it looks like. It looks like the eastern side is hardly livable since part of it is missing."

"Still, the place is old and falling apart," Squall frowned. "If you leave, make sure someone knows where you're going in case something happens and we need to search for you."

"Yeah," Irvine nodded. He furrowed his brows. "Come to think of it, this place is pretty old. It's been here as long as anyone I've talked to can remember."

The group headed back down the hall. "There are burn marks on the walls, but it looks like its contents have been cleaned out."

"Probably a raid," Squall mumbled as he glanced back over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. They hadn't notice that the old castle was situated on a cliff.

"I wonder who it used to belong to," Zell said as they walked into the library. He began to head back to the supply chest and lifted the latches to unlock it.

"Some old noble family," Irvine said. He brushed his gloved hand over an old wooden settee frame before carefully taking a seat. It creaked, but didn't fall apart. He nodded to himself and leaned back against it. "It was before Galbadia was united and was a bunch of little patches of fiefdoms or something." He furrowed his brow. "Come to think of it, there is an old story about the place."

"What is it?" Selphie asked curiously as she knelt in front of the supply chest and began to rummage through the supplies. She pulled out some flashlights as Zell tried to get a fire going.

Irvine inhaled and the released a heavy breath as he wracked his brain for the story. "Let's see…they say that a daughter of the family that owned the place died here, or more specifically, committed suicide here."

"What?" Selphie frowned. "Why?"

"Her father put her in an arranged marriage. He sent her off to marry a prince – a pretty good deal if you ask me, but the noblewoman ran away. She returned here after some trouble with her betrothed's kingdom and he came after her. Supposedly, he chased her all the way to the eastern tower," Irvine said, turning his head in the direct where they had come from. "They got into an argument and then, suddenly, the tower fell apart. The foundation beneath it crumbled and set over half the tower, including the entire roof, into ravine. By the time the townsfolk got there, all they saw was her dragging the prince to his death."

Zell and Selphie were staring at Irvine with wide-eyes and dropped jaws. Their white knuckled hands were gripping a can of beans and a lighter respectively.

Squall rolled his eyes and frowned. Perfect. That was exactly what easily frightened Zell and Selphie needed to hear. "I'm going to keep looking for a signal," he said as he turned around and began to head back into the hall. "Irvine, they're your responsibility now."

"No!" Selphie cried up as she jumped to her feet. "Don't go alone, Squall! This place is definitely haunted!"

"It's not haunted," Squall frowned. "It's just a story, Selphie."

"Yeah, Selphie!" Zell added as his eyes darted from side to side warily. "Just a story!"

Irvine grinned. He leaned forward and took his hat off his head. "They say that she was also mad at the townsfolk for forcing her to get married. Anyone caught trespassing here will be dragged off the cliff by the ghost of the noblewoman. That's why the village that used to surround the castle no longer exists. People fled after so many deaths."

"Irvine…," Squall warned.

The sharpshooter chuckled and leaned back. "I'm just kidding, guys. There ain't no such thing as an angry ghost woman here."

"What about the story?" Selphie frowned.

"There was a noblewoman who was supposed to marry a prince that lived here and stuff, but I'm sure the story is greatly exaggerated," Irvine assured her. He gave her a teasing wink. "No worries, darlin'. If something comes after you, I'll blast 'em."

Squall rolled his eyes once more. "I'll be back in a bit."

He headed out the door before Selphie could stop him again and lifted the radio antennae. He began fiddling with the knobs on the old mobile radio, silently wishing they had invested more money into updated equipment. That would be the first thing he would put in a proposal for when they returned, he asserted.

He kept his eyes on the reader's signal bar, moving towards wherever the signal flickered another bar stronger. However, as soon s he turned and made a few steps, the bar would disappear once more. It was growing a bit frustrating. He rounded a corner and the signal bar blinked. One bar…two bars!

His eyes widened hopefully. He moved forward – the two bars were strong; no longer flickering. He entered a room as a third bar flickered. Then….

Nothing.

Squall's lips drew into a tight line as he shook the signal reader. There were just two bars and a third was coming – now it was like the machine died. He turned around, hoping to find the sweet spot behind him, but couldn't bring up the bars again.

"What…," he mumbled to himself. He lifted his head and froze.

He hadn't felt the chill air. He hadn't even felt the rain whipping against him as the wind tossed it through the air. Squall stepped back, his eyes fixed on the darkened space just a few places away. Past the last few pieces of stone flooring, there was nothing but a drop.

He quickly stepped back, keeping himself close to the wall as he looked around the remains of the room. Was he above the eastern side of the castle? His eyes crinkled up. He was higher; had he walked up stairs? Frowning, he looked down at the signal reader and mentally chastised himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. What a terrible SeeD he was.

As he carefully headed to the door, he caught an old tapestry still hanging from the wall. It was sun damaged, but the fact that was still there after all those years, in comparison to the rest of the castle, was somewhat impressive.

He squinted. Faded and half unraveled, he could still make out the shape of a woman, seated in front of a landscape. It was only from her chest up and her hair had been pulled back and covered, probably due to the style at the time, but her eyes were familiar. Her eyes…her nose…. Squall frowned. Her lips.

"Rinoa…?"

"Squall!" a voice shouted from the hall. "Squall, are you up here!?"

"Yeah!" the commander shouted back, answering Irvine. He took a step away from the tapestry. The woman looked much like Rinoa, only Rinoa was almost always smiling or making some cutesy face that he admitted really did think was cute. The woman in the tapestry looked sad.

"Squall!?" Irvine called again, closer this time. "It's getting dark! And the food's ready!"

The blue-eyed brunette looked surprised. Had he been gone that long? He tore himself away from the tapestry and hooked the signal reader back on to the machine slung around him. He walked out the door as he saw Irvine's flashlight's beam cast against the wall. As he rounded the corner, he found the cowboy hat-wearing gunslinger waiting for him.

"No luck," Squall reported. "Is there usually reception here?"

"Yeah," Irvine nodded as they began to walk towards the stairs. "It's not the greatest and kind of dodgy, but there's a chance the weather caused something to go down."

That must've been it.

"Great," Squall frowned. "We'll have to try again tomorrow. If not, Galbadia Garden will know we didn't return for the night and will send out a search party."

"Better late than never," Irvine agreed. "Looks like tonight, this will be home sweet home."

He wasn't sure what exactly woke him up. He doubted it was where here was sleeping, as experience had long since taught him that when one was exhausted, they could sleep almost anywhere. Yet, Squall shuddered. It had grown colder in the night. He shifted in his sleep, rolling over on his side as he lay on the hard stone floor a few paces away from where Irvine was sleeping.

Selphie had taken a worn old settee and Irvine had given up his jacket to cover her, since all she was wearing was a short, yellow dress. Zell was against the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest as he hunched forward, sleeping soundly as the rain continued to pour outside their shelter.

"…Leave this place," he heard a soft voice whispered somewhere past his consciousness. "…do not return…."

Blue eyes slowly blinked open. The darkness of the old library signaled that the sun had yet to rise. He glanced over at the fireplace. As expected, the fire had died sometime in the night. Narrowing his eyes, he rolled into a sitting position and looked around the room. Their weapons were still where they had left them. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, though he could've sworn he heard someone speaking.

Squall looked back at his companions. All three were breathing evenly, signaling a restful sleep. The commander shook his head and began to lay back down.

He saw something move from the corner of his eye. Immediately, his hand came down on the handle of his gunblade that had been laying beside him. Gloved hands wrapped around it as his eyes narrowed and focused on to the dark hallway beyond the library's entrance. He saw something blue; a light pale shade seemingly darting past the entrance, he was sure.

Most others would've ignored the sighting; blaming it on a trick of the tired mind, but he was a SeeD. If his gut told him he saw something, he most certainly did. Squall rose to his feet and distractedly wiped his hands against his pants as he crept towards the entryway. His eyes squinted. He could hardly see any anything.

He walked back into the library and grabbed one of the flashlights that they had brought in with them. Without looking back at the sleeping group, Squall proceeded out into the hall and turned on the flashlight. He moved it in front of him and narrowed his eyes. He could make out the stairs he had walked up earlier that day and the numerous halls that went around it.

He shone the light over the entry hall, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. The piles of dilapidated furniture were where he had last seen them. Remnants of tapestries still hung in place. He narrowed his eyes and stepped out into the hall. He moved the light up a wall, settling on one of the old, worn tapestries that had been falling apart.

Dulled threads still managed to depict the castle in its heyday, but even dulled, the tapestry didn't carry the same shade of blue he was sure he saw.

He heard a scattering of light footsteps behind him and he instantly whirled around. The flashlight moved through the darkness, but there was nothing there. Squall's lips tightened. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Was that Selphie? She had the lightest footsteps of the group.

He marched back to the library and peered inside. Laying across the tattered remains of the settee, Selphie was still curled in the fetal position, wrapped snuggly in Irvine's coat. He frowned. She couldn't have been able to rush back so quickly without him hearing her running across the library.

His skin began to rise up as he turned around, shining the light ahead of him once more. There was someone else in the castle.

He took a step forward and heard the steps once more, this time, they were coming from the top of the stone stairs. Squall's flashlight flew to the top of the stair well.

Nothing.

He was getting tired of the games. Squall marched up the stairs, ready to comb the halls until he found the trespasser. As he reached the top of the stairs, he prepared to turn left, into the western hall, when an airy voice came from the right.

"Leave this place…."

He turned around and illuminated the hall with the flashlight. Once more, there was no one. Frowning, he looked back down at the stairs, as if expecting someone to be standing there, throwing their voice to irritate him. No such luck.

He continued down the hall. There had to be someone else in the castle and it wasn't all that farfetched. It was them who had taken shelter during the storm and for all they knew, there were some people who had taken over the castle as a makeshift permanent shelter. The SeeDs could've been the trespassers.

Still, Selphie and Zell had pretty much combed the entire castle and found no one. They hadn't even found any traces of occupation aside from the old, ruined furniture that had a heavy layer of dirt coating them. Had others come in afterwards, also seeking shelter from the storm?

"We're not here to hurt you," Squall called out into the hall. "We're just letting the storm pass and don't mean any harm," he stated as calmly as he could. There was no answer.

He continued to walk forward, listening to his footsteps thud dully against the old stone floor. Thud…thud…a rug. His brows furrowed. He looked down at his booted feet and frowned more so. He had been in this wing earlier; there hadn't been a navy colored carpet on the ground then. He turned around, following the material under his feet with his flashlight.

It extended past him, back towards the stairs and into the opposite hall. His face filled with confusion.

This is weird.

He turned back around and jerked his head back. The bare stone walls he had passed through just hours earlier were anything but. Fine, brightly colored tapestries hung on the walls, paintings hung in dark wood frames lined the aisle and every now and then a small table was pushed against the wall holding some sculpture.

Briefly, the military troop leader considered going back down the stairs and waking one of the others. He'd insist on them coming upstairs to check the hall, but what if they returned and the hall was back to how it was before? They'd say he was dreaming.

He paused. That was it, he decided. He was dreaming.

It wouldn't be the first time a dream was that lifelike. Sometimes, he'd really miss Rinoa and he'd dream…he shook his head quickly. Now was not the time.

He let out a heavy breath and conceded to the situation. He lowered his flashlight and continued to walk forward, disregarding the absurdity of the suddenly well decorated hall and the candles that were illuminating it. He furrowed his brows again and looked at his flashlight. The bulb was dim. When had he turned it off?

Squall continued down the hall, passing a portrait of a man and a woman walking beside him. He froze in midstep. He snapped his head to the left as he stepped back. His eyes crinkled as his own reflection stared back at him. He raised his eyes and took notice of the large mirror mounted on the wall.

What was going on in head? Were the two people he and Rinoa? That would make sense. It had been a week since he last saw her and he hadn't been able to contact her that night as he usually did. He found himself smiling slightly. One night without hearing her voice and he already missed her greatly.

"I want you to leave this place…."

Squall blinked. Now he was actually hearing Rinoa.

"I will not allow you to suffer…." He frowned. That sounded as if it were coming from the room at the end of the hall. Just as he turned his head, he felt a cool breeze sweep past him, or rather, almost through him.

He froze. Someone was walking in front of him…and walking quickly, as if they were in a rush.

"Hey!" Squall frowned as he walked after him. "Excuse me! Sir!" The man kept walking, ignoring all of Squall's calls. Growing irritated, Squall quickened his speed and tried to cut off the man. He darted in front of him and felt his heart leap to his chest.

It was him. Squall shook his head. At least, it looked like him. His clothes were different; a fine tunic, a belt, and some pants and boots that were far different from his. Yet, Squall knew his own face when he saw it.

"My lady!" he called once more as he walked through Squall again. The SeeD commander could feel goose bumps rise on his skin as a shiver swept through him. That was his voice, as well.

He let out a shaken breath. What kind of a dream was this? He turned his head to the side, following his doppelganger with his eyes.

"Beloved," the man's voice was softer as he neared the end of the hall. "Please, answer!"

Squall watched as he rushed down the hall – to the eastern tower. It was her room and he had no doubt it was where she was. The man reached the stone arched doorway and shoved the wooden barrier open.

Suddenly, Squall could see her clearly. She stood on the sill of a narrow window across from the door. The rays of the early morning sun were starting to peek from the horizon and fell upon her body as she looked down the window. Her soft, wispy blue dress fit her slim body flatteringly, but something was wrong. The dress was drab in color, it had stains. Her hair, once in a neat bun, was now out of place.

The woman leaned forward, almost out the window.

"My lady!" Squall's double cried out as he jumped over the bed in the middle of the room and extended his arms to grab her. They wrapped around her waist tightly before he pulled back, tearing her from her spot. "What are you doing!?" he gasped as he stumbled back, refusing to release her.

She remained still in his arms. "Listening to them come," she said quietly as her head remained lowered. "Their voices echo even through the ravine below," she said quietly. She closed her brown eyes and tried to hold back her tears. "They are coming to kill me."

Squall couldn't move from the spot by the door. She looked so much like Rinoa, every fiber of his being urged him to go to her, but he couldn't. He remained helplessly still.

"They cannot kill you if you are not here," the man said behind gritted teeth. He released her body, but grabbed her hand. "Come! We can still flee!"

He made it one step, but she did not follow. The prince turned around and looked at her beseechingly. Sad brown eyes carried a look of loneliness as she shook her head softly and pulled her hand from his.

"I want you to leave this place," she instructed him. "And do not return."

His eyes narrowed. "No," he answered firmly as he stood his ground. "I will not leave without you."

"I need to remain here," she asserted. "If I go with you, they will only continue to hunt me. Past sorceresses have hurt these people so terribly that any they find who pose such a threat will be hunted into the ground to assure such a thing does not repeat itself."

"I am not leaving you here," he repeated insistently as he grit his teeth.

"You must."

"And what?" he choked out as he shook his head. His eyes began to sting as he looked at her, hurt. Had she know idea as to how much he cared for her? His heart ached. "How am I supposed to live my life without you?"

"You have lived it before, without me at your side," she reminded him softly.

"It was not worth living until you arrived," he told her strongly. He stepped forward, grabbing her hand once more. "I am begging you! Come with me! Leave this place! We will go somewhere safe!"

Tears slid down her eyes as she shook her head. "Anywhere you go with me will not be safe," she whispered as she lifted a hand and cupped his face. She met his clear blue eyes with desperate ones as her soft fingers caressed his face. "I do not wish to do that to the one I love. I will not allow you to suffer…," she choked out. "Not even for an instance."

He leaned his head forward and pressed it against hers. He could hear yelling beyond the door; the mob had breeched the castle.

"Even a single moment without you is one where I will suffer," he rasped. She closed her eyes tightly, her lips tightening into a line as hot tears streaked down her face. He could feel his own trailing against his cheek as the angry voices grew closer.

"I love you," she cried, painfully. "That is why, I am sorry."

Her skin grew warm. It continued to heat up and he opened his eyes. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he looked into white, glowing eyes where her beautiful brown ones used to be. As soon as he gasped, she stepped away from him, walking further and further away until she stood in front of the window.

"Don't," he said as he furrowed his brows and moved towards her slowly, extending his hands and hoping she didn't jump. "Please, I am begging you, my love. Do not leave me!"

"Find the sorceress!" someone raged beyond the stone corridor outside.

"Kill her upon sight! Quickly!" another ordered as heavy footsteps quickly approached.

He looked over his shoulder, a pained expression on his face as he drew his sword. "Do not dare jump! I will defend you with my life sooner than witness you fall!" he yelled.

Her heart was aching. She had her hesitations just weeks earlier. She had been afraid to leave her childhood home, not knowing whom her father had promised her to.

Then she had met him. She had met him and he was perfect. They said he was cold, aloof, and cared not for anyone, but they were wrong. He was warm. He was warm and loving and in their far too a short time together, she felt more love than she had in her entire life.

If he was willing to sacrifice his life for her, than surely he understood why she was willing to do the same.

She watched as he stood by the door, ready to defend her with every drop of blood in his veins. She smiled as tears continued to pour down her face. To be loved so much that one would die for her…she was lucky.

The tower began to tremble. Sounds of rumbling came from the stones all around them and the prince looked up. His eyes followed cracks in the wall as they began to snap and enlarge. The few tapestries that hung in her room were shaking and the bed in the center was bouncing ever so slightly closer to the window.

He whirled around and his eyes widened. Her arms were raised and her head was facing the heavens. The trembling was her doing.

"Stop!" he shouted.

"Good-bye," her lips mouthed as a large boom resonated through the tower. The floor cracked in half and the side she was on began to break off from the rest of the castle. The back wall fell first, bringing with it the roof. The rest of the floor began to slant down, sending stone brick after brick into the ravine below. Her bed tumbled into the chasm and all he could do was watch as she stood at the very edge, her arms still raised, waiting for her turn to fall.

The stone floor beneath her cracked.

"No!" he cried out. He flung his sword to the side, sending it sliding over the edge of the room before jumping forward and sliding across the remaining floor. His hands reached out and he grasped one of hers. The weight of her body pulled him forward and he barley managed to stop himself from sliding into the cliff below. "Do not let go!"

She blinked and looked up. Disbelieving brown eyes looked at him. "What are you doing!?" she choked out. "Let go!" she twisted her body in an effort to loosen her hand from his, but his grip was firm.

"Never!"

"Release me!" she pleaded. "You're too close too the edge! You cannot pull us both up! You'll die!" Her face was twisted in pain as she exclaimed that.

He almost laughed. Did she still not understand? What was life without her? Intent blue eyes held hers. "I know."

Her face softened as brown hair, dislodged from her bun, flew around her face. The sun rose behind her, illuminating the soft features he had grown to love. He felt her hand tighten around his.

"You are a foolish, foolish man!" she sobbed as she strained to grab his other extended arm with her own. As their hands clasped, he pulled her up. She craned her neck upwards. They both heard the cracking nose. They could feel the stone giving under their weight. "But I love you."

He smiled softly. "And I," he whispered as he lowered his head. His lips brushed over hers. "Love you, R-"

The floor gave way.

"No!" Squall's eyes widened. His heart, that had felt as if it were being torn to pieces, leapt to his throat. With strength he didn't know he had, he forced his body to move. He rushed forward, ignoring the villagers who had stopped at the door way, just as they watched the prince's body slide into the abyss below.

The SeeD jumped, raising his arms to try to grab hold of an arm, a leg, even, before the couple plummeted to their deaths.

Something held him back. He felt his arms being held from behind and as something wrapped around his waist and pulled him backwards. A rush of cold air slammed into his face, forcing him back further.

"Do not jump…!" a woman's voice pleaded in his ear. "I do not want to lose you…."

Squall stumbled back, suddenly disoriented. His head spun as he turned around, trying to find the source of the voice. His eyes were wide as his feet tripped over each other. He fell backwards.

Someone caught him. Familiar arms scooped beneath his as he fell against a soft body. His head began to ache. He knew that body, but what was she doing there? His entire body grew heavy. He tried to turn his head, but was able to.

"Rin…?" he whispered. His eyes began to close. "Is that…?"

"Shhh…," a voice whispered. The last thing he heard as he was leaned gently against a wall was her warm, loving voice once more. "Go to sleep," she comforted. "My good prince."

"Squall!" He was hearing her voice again.

"He's not down here!"

"Then he's probably up here!" Was she looking for him?

"I'll check the this side, you check that side."

"Okay," she replied. "Call me if you find him!"

Squall's eyes were heavy. He strained as he tried to open them. As they did, he winced. Since when did it get so bright? Was it morning? He blinked and focused. The rain had stopped and directly in front of him, the sun was rising.

His eyes flew open as he let out a sharp breath and kicked his legs forward, pushing himself back against a stone wall. Nothing was blocking the sunlight from him because there was no wall. His heart slammed against his chest as he looked past his feet and down at the gaping hole less than a foot away. Past the last few pieces of stone already showing signs of falling, all he could see was the dark ravine below.

Squall swallowed a lump in his throat and looked around the tower room. The canopy bed was gone, so was all the other pieces of furniture. The tapestries on the wall had been torn down. He froze as bumps on his skin rose.

He lifted his head up and look towards the tapestry he had first seen the afternoon before.

It hung in place; the faint image of a woman remained, but there was someone behind her. A man was standing beside her, with his hand on her shoulder. He hadn't been there yesterday. And had she been smiling?

"Squall!?" Rinoa's voice breeched the room once more and Squall jumped in his place. He looked towards the doorway. It was just stone arch way now. The door had long since rotted away. He heard footsteps echoing in the hall. "Honey, where are you?"

He was on his feet as he saw her enter the hall through the door. "Rinoa!"

She turned her head towards him and a relieved look filled her face. "I found him!" she shouted over her shoulder, without taking her eyes off of him. She smiled as she rushed forward.

Before she could tell him she missed him, Rinoa found herself engulfed in Squall's arms. His head buried against hers as he seemed to inhale the air around her deeply as she crushed her against him.

"You're okay…," he whispered, almost breathlessly. "Thank, Hyne…." I almost lost you.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked, confused. "Are you alright?"

He held her for a moment longer before slowly loosening his hold and pulling away. "I'm fine," he told her. A small smile reached lips. "I just…." He didn't know how to explain it.

He could still see her face below his, filled with sadness and regret as she held on his arms, telling him to let go and save himself. He wouldn't let go. Even as they fell and time stopped…he never let go.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked, concerned as she ran her hand through his bangs and stroked them back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded once more. "Just a bad dream," he offered weakly. She nodded and smiled slightly.

"Well, it's over now and you're awake," she smiled. She wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned as she tilted her head up. "And safe in my arms."

He lowered his lips to kiss her when an exasperated voice cut through the hall. "Aww…come on!" Zell cried out. "Can you save the making out for later? Geez, you've only been separated one week!"

Rinoa rolled her eyes as Squall barely held in a chuckle. "Fine, fine," she conceded. She looked back at Squall and quickly gave him a sneak kiss on the cheek. "Come on. We got another vehicle to tow yours back."

"Thanks," Squall said. He looked over at Zell as they followed him out of the hall and to the stairs. "Are you three alright?"

"Of course," Zell said, looking at him curiously. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"We were worried about you," Irvine said from where he was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Selphie woke up and couldn't find you. We thought you went to, you know…use the 'toilet', but you didn't come back. We were just about to search when Rinoa arrived with some SeeDs from Galbadia Garden."

"Being the fiancée of a SeeD Commander who saved the world has its perks!" Rinoa beamed shamelessly as she grinned and walked out the door.

"Okay! Everything is all packed! I get shotgun!" Selphie piped. She raced around the first of three vehicles. Rinoa sighed. Squall grinned inwardly. She was starting to pick up some of his habits.

Zell and Irvine climbed in after Selphie in the first transport vehicle. He and Rinoa got into the back seat of another armored vehicle.

"Commander Leonhart," one of the SeeDs in the front seat greeted. The other man nodded.

Squall settled himself inside as they began to move. "By the way," Squall said as he looked out the window, at the abandoned castle once more. "How did you know we were here?" he asked, looking over at Rinoa.

"You sent that radio signal," she pointed out. "We got something late last night…early this morning, I guess is more like it."

Squall narrowed his eyes. He had left the machine in the library. "Are you sure I sent it?"

"Yeah," Rinoa said as she snuggled against him. "Selphie said you had spent most of yesterday looking for a signal, so it might've gotten delayed if you managed to get one out." It hadn't been any of the other three.

Squall remained quiet. He began to put his arm around Rinoa's shoulders when a rumbling was heard behind them. The young woman beside him shot up and looked over her shoulder. "What was that!?"

From the side view mirror, Squall could see the castle shaking behind them. From the eastern side, walls began to tumble down.

"Thank Hyne everyone was out of there in time," one of the SeeDs said as they watched the castle fall. "A few moments later and we could've lost you all to the ravine!"

Squall looked out the window as the vehicles turned on to the dirt path leading to one of the main roads. The castle crumbled backwards, sinking before descending completely into the chasm far below it.

Rinoa's hand tightened on his shirt. "Thank Hyne we got to you in time," she whispered as she seemed to move closer to him. She seemed breathless, as if realizing how close she was to losing him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Strangely, he doubted the castle would've fallen with him still in it. He wrapped one arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I have it worse, Rin," he told her softly as feelings from what he saw the night before flashed through him. His hold around her tightened. "How am I supposed to live my life without you?"

She smiled softly and looked up at him. "You have lived it before without me at your side," she reminded him softly.

"Yeah," he smiled back intently. "But it wasn't worth living until you arrived."

Squall's Office, A Little Past Noon

The familiar sound of clicking coming from a keyboard was coming from his office. Squall narrowed his eyes as he looked at the small gap between his door and the doorframe. He never left his door open, even when he was inside. He stood just outside the door, trying to narrow down the suspects that had the guts to actually go into his office when he wasn't there.

And there was only one person who came to mind. He pushed open the door and found her seated on his leather seat, her eyes focused on the monitor screen as her brows furrowed with concentration she was not famous for. One hand lingered over the keyboard, while the other moved around his mouse before returning to the keyboard and pressing the backspace key.

"Rinoa," he frowned as stopped halfway to his desk. "What are you doing here?" He knew for a fact that her laptop was working fine; she had been playing some online MMORPG the night before and yelling into her headset for Irvine to stop flirting with an NPC and focus on their quest. Therefore, he saw no reason why she was using his work computer.

"Doing some editing," Rinoa replied distractedly as she scrolled down and continued to make some fixes. "Your flow is kind of off and I think you should put in some more descriptions in some parts. Supernatural, ghost-y stories with haunted locations require a build up for atmosphere if you want a good affect."

His eyes went wide and the files he held in his arms nearly fell to the ground. "What are you looking at!?" He slammed the files on his desk and quickly rounded it. He stood behind Rinoa and felt his face heat up with humiliation as he saw his latest article on the screen, littered with red comments, notes, and deletion and change notifications.

"It's a cute story; I'm always a sucker for those kind of ghost stories," Rinoa told him with a proud smile. "Especially when they tie in to the main characters. It's like teaching the reader that it's never too late for love, you know."

His head hung down beside her, mortified that she had read his story. Deep down, he knew he had never been able to hide things from Rinoa. Part of her always suspected things. She was good at 'investigating' – though he called it snooping. Her network of information at the Garden itself was extensive, but he had taken all the precautions he could.

Seifer was the only other person at the Garden who knew and he wrote out his stories by hand and then shredded the remains to keep the secret after it was published. Squall had taken great pains to keep his work just as hidden, but Rinoa had found it…as always.

He took a deep breath and tried to put things into perspective. "What are you even doing in my office?" he asked, in a low voice.

"I told you, I'm editing your article to Ellone's magazine."

His face paled as he snapped it up and looked at her with a horrified expression. "That was classified information!"

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Whatever…," she waved her hand dismissingly. "Classified-smashified. I knew you were writing for her magazine."

"How?" he demanded.

She turned in his chair and crossed her legs as she placed her hands on her knees and looked at him critically. "Who do you think edits some of the articles? Laguna? Ward? Kiros doesn't have the time, you know," she pointed out. Squall stared at her, dumbfounded. "And don't think that I couldn't figure out you wrote the story with your sad excuse for a penname, Miss Tempest Loire."

Squall narrowed his eyes. "I didn't pick that name; Sis said Laguna did." He knew he should've forced his sister to change it the first time.

Rinoa smirked. "I bet if you were a girl, he would've named you that. It's cute." Beside her, Squall ran a hand down his face.

"That doesn't mean you can just come in here and change my story."

"I didn't change it!" Rinoa told him, affronted. "I made it better! Besides, I would've ended up editing it, anyway."

Squall frowned. "How did you even know about her magazine?"

"It was my idea," Rinoa beamed once more. "Besides, I was happy to help. Ellone is my sister-in-law and I thought it would help if an established author, like myself, were to write some articles. Didn't you see?" She turned and shuffled through the papers on his desk before weeding out an older copy of Ellone's magazine and flipping through the pages. She held up a page and Squall squinted.

"You write an article on relationship advice?" Why did that knowledge embarrass him? Rinoa nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Relationships and Romance by Julia Loire. Ellone said that after my first article, the subscription rates tripled!" She put down the magazine. "Now, because I love you, I'm working my magic on your story. You will find," she said as she saved the document . "That is has vastly improved now that I'm done with it." She grinned back at him. "By the way, mind if I write a fanfic about it?"

He crinkled his eyes. "A fan…what?"

"Hey, Captain," a male voice said as the door swung open. "I've been thinking about what you said about stopping writing and…." Seifer's voice died down as he saw the dark-haired woman seated in his commanding officer's seat. He narrowed his eyes as they flickered from Squall to Rinoa. "What is she doing here?"

"I hope you're having a good day, too, Seifer," Rinoa snorted.

"Yeah, well…can you leave? I need to talk to him," the blond told her. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself up.

"Fine…I'll leave you two to your guy talk," she rolled her eyes and turned to Squall, giving him a light kiss on the cheek before heading to the door.

"Thanks," Seifer mumbled. The door closed behind her and he turned back to Squall. "I've decided to keep writing. I sent an email to Ellone, telling her I'd still like to continue, even if I'm not being paid…much."

Squall raised an eyebrow. "And why exactly would you do that?"

"Because I can't stand to leave my fans with nothing good to read in that magazine," Seifer announced proudly. Squall fell back in his seat and rolled his eyes.

"What about your duties to the Garden?"

"Oh, I've decided not give myself deadlines and just write when I can and then submit it," Seifer explained, having thought out his idea. "I'm still a fulltime mercenary and soon-to-be father. It's just that I think writing may be my true calling."

Squall just stared at him. "So…what? You plan to write a book? Become a series novelist like Rinoa?" He silently prayed not.

Seifer's eyes narrowed. "That's not a bad idea…," he mumbled. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes…that's perfect."

"I withdraw what I said."

"Too late!" Seifer said. He gave Squall a nod. "I'm suddenly inspired!"

"You still have reports to do," the brunette reminded him.

"Those are easy! I'll have them on your desk tomorrow morning, but writing is different," Seifer said. He paused. "By the way, did you submit your new story yet?":

"Almost," Squall looked over at his computer. "The…edits were just completed."

"What's it about this time?" Seifer snorted. "Forbidden love? Historical? A slice of life piece about love and sexuality in adulthood? Oh…maybe vampires!" He sneered. "You look the type to write about vampires."

Squall stared at him, deadpan. "If you want to read it, you can do so in the next magazine."

Seifer huffed and turned around. "At least it's the last piece from you I'll have to read. Anyway, I just wanted to inform you!" The door slammed closed and Squall shook his head.

He opened up a new document with one hand as he picked up the phone with the other. He quickly dialed a familiar number and waited.

"Hello?" a woman's voice answered. He wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Sis," Squall said as he moved his hands over the keyboard. "About the offer to continue to write," he began as he typed. "I'd like to do so."

A.N. – Thank you for reading! First off, thank you very much to everyone involved, especially on the organizational end, of the Where I Belong challenge. It has been a pretty awesome month with some good quality Squinoa to read and look at. I hope in another few years, we can do this again!

Second, I hope you all enjoyed the crack fics! I know some of them were rushed and some of them didn't make sense, but I kind of wanted to explore some story ideas. Going with the ending, the 'actual story' takes place post "My Knight" and "My Son's Wedding", the post-game fics where Rinoa is a novelist.

Third, I know there was probably some doubts about my finishing this crack monstrosity, but I had just finished a 7-day writing thing with about 50K words last month; I was definitely going to finish this. And I did...it makes no sense, but it's done and it as fun to do. :3 I regret nothing! Whoo!

Thank you guys once more for lending me your time and giving these pieces of crack a chance. Much love to you all! Whoo! DONE!