Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Propsal ❯ The Propsal 9 ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Nine

I

Three SeeDs, one man, the man with the machine gun. To save one
friend. One loved one. One son. All together they will go, heading out
into the unknown areas, where the enemy, the Galbadians lie waiting
like cats. Four wolves will enter tonight, three SeeDs and one man,
all so special yet all so ordinary. The sky's cloudy and a storm can
be smelt. The scent of this storm comes to them strong. Thunder will
sound their arrival, lightning will sound their exit.

Laguna loaded himself up with as much ammunition as he could carry; he
hugged his gun to his chest. This'll be the last time I will need to
use this. The last, my fighting days were over. Now, this will be my
final battle! The last one, no more after this. I promise you this
Raine The father of Squall closed his eyes and all those images of
Raine came flooding back. Love and despair, all those wonderful happy
moments turned into loss. He didn't regret any of it though. he would
rather or had a single second with Raine as his wife, then a life time
without. "I'll do this for you Raine, not just for myself, Rinoa and
all Squalls friends. I'll do this for you, for our son! I'm here now,
I'm there for him. You don't have to worry about him anymore for he
will come back alive. I'll see to that. Thank you Raine, for guiding
our son to me, for I would never of been able to of found him myself,"
Laguna said out aloud and tucked his gun under his jacket.

"Laguna," came Quistis's un-mistakable voice. Laguna turned and smiled
shyly at her, awaiting what she had to say. "Squall needs us now," she
said, "we leave in two hours time," she said, her hand fluttered up to
her throat nervously, her sharp voice had turned into one of fear.

Laguna suddenly felt the impulsive urge to go up and hug the young
beautiful woman, but he resisted this urge. What he felt was so strong
though, it was as if he had to do it. Quistis stared at him for a
while, she held onto a table for support for she felt so weak all of a
sudden, as if she could faint. Laguna seemed to hold her though; deep
within his gaze he was holding her firmly in his arms and supporting
her. If only he really was Quistis thought silently to herself. Get a
hold of yourself Quistis, he's your closest friends father!

"Right, two hours. it seems like years, Quistis," Laguna finally said,
breaking the thickening silence. "I better go and see Kiros and Ward,
I suppose, they're worried about me," he said and gave out a slight
laugh, "sometimes I could mistake them as my mother and father," he
smiled at Quistis who returned a small smile. Laguna went past her,
his arm brushing past hers, the touch might have only been a few
seconds, but the sensation seemed to last for hours.

Irvine sat down upon his bed. Two hours. Two hours and we'll be out
there, finding Squall and saving him. Selphie, be strong for me. Out
of all the girls I've seen and talked to, you've always been the one
for me. The young man sighed quietly and went to look at himself in
his mirror. Taking of his hat he stared at himself. Long brown hair..a
handsome face??? Irvine let his hair down, so it flowed around his
shoulders. I wonder if some see me as a girl? I look totally weird
with my hair like this. I don't know. I do look pretty masculine.
Irvine smiled to himself slyly and tied his hair back behind his head.
I wonder if I could grow a beard..

Vanity, something Irvine had never cherished, but something he had
always retained along with all of his self-confidence. Rinoa had
almost ruined that part of him when she had scratched his eyes out and
booted him back into the car and down a staircase back when he had
taken her from the prison a couple of years ago. She was one woman he
had decided not to mess with. Then again, she was a daughter of a
general. Irvine grinned, he would never forget that moment.

"Hey, Irvine, you almost ready?" came Zell's voice. Irvine looked up
to see the over-energetic young blonde man standing in the door,
biting his finger nails, a habit which irritated Irvine.

"Zell, we have two hours to go, before we bust in and rescue Squall! I
am ready, I've been ready for days," Irvine replied. Zell shrugged and
invited himself into Irvine's room.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just bored," Zell moaned. "Squall did a lot for me
you know," he said sounding nostalgic.

"He put up with a lot from you too, we all did," Irvine said, sounding
even more irritated.

"Yeah...!!" Zell frowned, people still always looked down upon him,
even Irvine. They were quite good friends now though. "What do you
think Siefer's doin'?" he asked.

"Who knows. I hope Squalls strong enough to fight Seifer, for I
suppose that's what Seifer wants.. a final battle, to end this war
between them, the two rivals," Irvine said quietly. Should they let
Squall fight Seifer? Should they interfere, what? Maybe a fight was
what Seifer wanted, maybe that would end this stupid war.

"Squall'll win!" he said, sounding confident.

"How do you...!" Irvine caught himself and went quiet. There was no
point in arguing. You better be able to fight Seifer Squall, I hope
the hell that you're up for it. "I hope he does, Irvine said finally
after a few minutes of pausing. "I hope he does."

Kiros greeted Laguna who walked into their private room. "Good day my
friend, you look ill," he said. Ward showed a look of deep worry.
Laguna smiled.

"Nervous. I have to save my son. What if I can't, what if we're too
late?" Laguna said, expressing some of his fears. "I would of failed
Raine," he whispered quietly. Raine, if Squall dies because I couldn't
get to him in time, will you forgive me? Could you?

"Laguna wake up, stop thinking like this. Squall isn't dead, not yet,
we would of known about it by now if he was. Stop worrying about it.
Raine won't hate you, she'll never hate you, she will understand. You
put too much worry upon yourself," Kiros said, putting a hand on his
friends shoulder.
"Thanks," he smiled, "thanks a lot guys. Your the best friends a guy
could have," Laguna felt stupid, why all this sudden nostalgia? Kiros
patted him heftily on his back and Ward broke into a huge smile,
showing all what he felt in one expression.

"Laguna, one more hour," Kiros reminded him, "we'll be here, looking
after everybody else if the Galbadians attack us, which I hope they
don't," Kiros said, his face a look of seriousness.

"I appreciate this Kiros, I hope this will be the last time you have
to do this, the last time I have to fight, I gave all that up ages
ago, for Raine, looks like.." Laguna was about to say that he had
failed her/

"Laguna, shut up, go down there were you're needed," Kiros said. Ward
gave Laguna a friendly, warm and reassuring smile of complete faith.
The ex-Galbadian soldier and father of Squall left the room feeling a
lot more confident. Squall, we will save you!

Quistis went to the young blonde Mischa and sat down by his side.
"Mischa, Reene and Javri will be safe, we'll get them back for you.
Don't you worry about that," she said. Mischa lifted his sad face from
the palms of his hands. His cheeks were red and tear stained, his eyes
were also bright red and puff, the poor man must of being crying for
most of the time. Quistis found herself impulsively lay her hand
softly on his shoulder.
"Why can't I come, Quistis? Why? I have to save Reene myself...please,
let me come, please?" Mischa begged. Quistis felt her face fall and
her heart sink deeper into her chest with sympathy for this young man
of seventeen.

"It's too dangerous Mischa," she said, trying her best to explain. "We
have to save Squall, Mischa and Reene, we've been in this job a lot
longer Mischa and we've been through so many things. It would be
un-ethical if we let you come, you are too young...too inexperienced,"
Quistis said, knowing she had just stuck her foot deep into her mouth.

"And?!? Most of you all were seventeen when you went to fight against
the evil Sorceress Ultimecia! Were you too young then? You were all
strong enough!" Mischa felt his emotions explode like gunpowder within
him. Quistis maintained her posture and calm expression, though her
thoughts were racing.

" I had been a SeeD since I was fifteen, but even then I can't really
say I was ready for it. None of us were. Zell, Selphie, Irvine Rinoa
and definitely not Squall. No way was he ready for it. We all had all
the knowledge for it, yes. We knew what to do, how to act, but what
happened, we weren't really ready for, but we accepted it because we
had to do it. Mischa, you might think you are ready for this but you
are not. You don't have to do this and truthfully, your going to be
jumping straight into a huge battle, one that you are not prepared fr.
By the time we had come to now what we had to do, what our lives
actually meant in this, we had learned a lot and experienced many
things. You Mischa, compared to what we have experienced, have seen
nothing," Quistis told him firmly and seriously.

Mischa stayed silent, he respected Quistis for this, he respected all
of the six hero's and heroines who had saved the world from a terror
beyond words. he would not give them the disrespect he would of if he
went to save his Reene. "Very well Quistis, just promise me one thing,
if you find Reene dead, place this ring upon her finger and if you
find her and she is alive, give her the ring and tell her it's from
me, yeah? Please Quistis. I know she doesn't know about the way I feel
about her, but, do it anyway, please?" he said, his big blue eyes
pleading.

"If it is what you want, then I will, Mischa. Reene is a lucky young
woman to have a man such as you to love her," Quistis said, feeling on
the verge of tears for the young man. Mischa handed her a little box
that contained the platinum ring with a single little sapphire
embedded in the centre. Quistis stared at it with long eyes. Will a
man ever want to do this for me? Will a man ever want to love me? Who
though? Who would love me, nobody.

"Thank you Quistis, this means a lot. It's time for you all to go now
you know. Good luck, I don't think I need to say anything else,"
Mischa sniffed. Quistis squeezed his shoulder and turned to see that
the others were waiting for her outside in the hall.

Irvine greeted Quistis with a touch to his hat. Quistis smiled and
shoved the ring box into her pocket. "Guys, it's time we leave to save
Squall," she said, amazed that her voice was once again strong and
confident. She checked her whip was comftable in place, clipped to her
waist, in a position easy to pull out in an instance if attacked by
surprise. I'm ready. Yes, I am read you Galbadians! I am ready Seifer!
We are coming. Your worst nightmare is about to come!

"I've been waiting for this a long time. Let's not disappoint anyone.
Come on!" Laguna said, a mad grin flew across his face. His last
battle was going to be a good one!

The four brave people marched out into the cool outside, the smell of
the storm was strong. They were all ready for this, all of them,
nothing, not even death would deter them. Squall was coming back with
hem, Squall, Javri and Reene. Dead or alive. Preferably alive. Let the
night come alive, let the battle go ahead...

II

Am I going to die? What will happen to me, or will it be just another
chapter of my life. I can only hope I can turn the next page..

Squall had been waiting in vain, Seifer had not returned as he had
been hoping. The SeeD let his eyes droop until they closed. The air of
the room was even staler then it had been before, a damp staleness and
Squall was sick of it. He was sick of being tied up in this room, he
was tired of everything. Seifer, I know what you want. Let's fight,
let's fight now, while I'm stronger. Are you such a coward that you
will fight a weak person, who is starving.? Squall hadn't eaten since
yesterdays morning, it was late at night now.

Squall forced his eyes open, it was not the time to sleep now! I have
been here since hell knows. Rinoa I can't die yet, not until I know
that Rinoa truly loves me I need to know. Rinoa, why didn't you say
that you'd marry me? I want to be your husband, isn't it enough that I
had asked you? I'm prepared for marriage, to settle down maybe. I know
your a sorceress, that doesn't bother me, I'm kinda proud that I'm
your knight. Can't your knight marry you, Rinoa..? I wish I could say
all this to you.

Squall rested his chin upon his chest and thought about all the times
he had spent with Rinoa, the ones which had meant something. When he
had carried her on his back...he had loved that closeness. He had
managed to admit that Rinoa meant more to him then anything else had
ever done in his life. She meant more then actually being a SeeD. he
had even told her his secret, something he had never managed to tell
anybody before. That he was scared of what people actually thought of
him. If people perceived him out to be a cold, unfriendly kind of guy,
nobody would want to bother him. He was so insecure of himself, he had
lacked all the self-confidence he had always actually wanted. So
afraid of losing people he became close to and now it was going to
happen again. he would lose every single one of his friends, his
girlfriend, his father even Laguna he would miss, he would lose his
life he would die!

"And I'll miss you the most Rinoa forever," he whispered aloud.

"Oh, how sweet, he'll miss his little girlfriend," came a taunting
voice. Squall shot his head up, locking his eyes on the speaker.
Seifer.

"Seifer..!! What do you want?" Squall hissed.

"Nothing, just came to see how my old friend was," he smiled, though
his smile was more of a sneer. "You know Squall, me and you, we're
very much the same. Both have scars, we're both strong soldiers well,
I'm the strongest but hey. We can't win them all, can we Squall? We
were ven brought up in the same orphanage as each other, weren't we?
What I find so strange thought, Squall, is that we both have the same
taste in women. Rinoa. I went out with her you know, first. Well,
until you came along," Seifer said, his voice edged with a strange
coldness.

"Wrong Seifer. It was until you became what you are now, an even more
pig headed idiot then you were before," Squall spat back. Seifer put
on a fake look of hurt.

"Awww Squall, and I thought we were friends! How can you say such
hateful things," Seifer said and laughed, "oh well Squall, it looks
like its gonna have to be you and I again. What do you say huh? A
death match. If I die, you go free and the Galbadians will leave
Dollet alone. If I kill you however, well, let's say, Rinoa will be
warming a spot in my bed," Seifer grinned evilly.

"You bastard! You'll never get at her, my friends won't let you!"
Squall yelled, struggerling against the wiry binds that bound his
wrists.

"I won't have to go to her Squall, she'll be over here before your
pathetic little friends take you back to your miserable old Garden in
your black coffin. Don't you forget Squall, Rinoa's a sorceress, she
won't need a car to get over here. I'll have her and I'll be her
knight. Squall, you see, I don't like people taking my women from me
and that's exactly what you did," Seifer laughed.

"I'll kill you, you bastard! You son of a bitch! I never took her!
Your pride will be the death of you Seifer," Squall shouted, never had
his vocal cords been used to such an extent.

"Tut tut Squall. Such bad language, quite good for you, for a little
kid who killed his mother. Yeah Squall, I know about your father and
your mother. You killed her by living. You..." Seifer spat before
Squall shot his leg up into Seifers groin. "You mother fu..."

Squall breathed hard. I will kill you Seifer!! I will kill you! You
will die! I'll plunge my blade into that black heart of yellow blood
before I let you touch a hair on my Rinoa's head!