Squall, alone again, is walking through a tight corridor, slowly moving ahead. The corridor is vibrating slightly, as if the entire place is moving. He just heard from a few guys that he had to meet some... princess. Squall, with his head filled with thoughts, continued walking through that corridor until he reach a door. He opened it and then he saw...
All he saw was a luxurious room nicely decorated, like a girl's room. In the middle of the room lies a bed, and on it lies a girl, sleeping soundly. Squall walked closer, trying to catch a glimsp of that girl's face... slowly... slowly...
The girl suddenly move and Squall got a shock. Squall forced himself to remain still but then he saw the girl now getting up, and saw him. Without even the time to know what was happening, the girl pushed herself up from her bed and rushed towards Squall, hugged him and spun him around with her legs dangling in the air. Squall, shocked, put the girl down and had a closer look at her. Wow... her smile... he can never pull his eyes off her...
“CUT! That's enough for today. Good job everyone!”
Reeves, again shouted through his megaphone and the entire atmosphere transformed after the lightings had been changed. The crew were seen packing things up, the NPCs going for their break, just like another end of the day.
“You... can let go now...”
Squall heard the voice and he then woke up from his dream. He saw himself still holding Rinoa and he retracted immediately, and scratched his head. Rinoa just giggled. She seems so... so nice... so...
“I...” Squall wanted to say something but was interrupt by a voice.
“Here is your script for tomorrow, it's quite long. Make sure you don't screw up.”
Rinoa turned towards the voice and made an annoyed face. Cloud handed her a script and Rinoa just took it rudely.
“Since when did I screw up?” Rinoa protested but Cloud just remained casual.
“Remembered last week...”
The two started arguing with each other and Squall took off leaving the two without a word. He was trying to ask her for a drink afterwards, but in came Cloud and ruined everything. Cloud... he seemed to always argue with Rinoa but the two seemed very close together this way. The only thing Squall looked Cloud as is a competitor for Rinoa, and Cloud seemed to had the upper hand. Squall wished that he is in Cloud's shoes but he know he couldn't. He isn't the combative type, most of the time he just nodded in reply, it seemed to be... a habit already...
“Squall, Cloud and Rinoa...”
A murmur was heard from above, but it was so soft and no one noticed. All this time, there was a figure sitting on the beam, observing whatever that was going on. Him... who can it be...
It was already late at night at Square Studios. With all the lights out, the studios are so dark that nothing could be seen. It was quiet... so peaceful...
It was at this time a metallic noise was heard and a beam of light shone in. The entrance slowly opened, and then all the lights in the studio turned on. A security guard and a girl was seen entering the studio.
“Here you go. Good luck.” The security guard said and took his leave.
“Thank you very much.” The girl replied and the started looking on the floor around her, as if she were finding for something.
A few minutes had gone by. The girl looked around some more and anxiousness started to take over her. It seems that something very important was missing. She scratched her head and tried to backtrack her steps, but couldn't find what she want. Little did she noticed that she was observed from above...
“Are you looking for this...?”
The girl got a shock hearing someone speaking to her and looked above. Before she realized anything, she saw a figure, gliding down smoothly and skillfully, and landed right in front of her. The figure let out his hand and there it is... a bunch of keys in his hand...
“Yours?”
The girl's heart leaped with joy the moment she saw those keys. She quickly took it from the figure's hand and then thanked him. Before this she didn't catch a glimpse of his face. The girl, now relieved, lifted her head and saw...
“You...”
The figure used his hand to comb back his long silky hair and reveal a perfect male model-like face. His smile is charming, so breathtaking...
“Laguna...?”
The girl said as if she was in awe of this man. His charming looks, his breathtaking entrance...
“You should be more careful with your belongings, Rinoa.” Laguna replied and gave a more serious look. Rinoa just smiled back and felt a little embarrassed for losing her keys. She then thanked him again and again.
“Thank you very much! How can I repay you?”
“Well, a date is fine.” Laguna answered with a smile and Rinoa suddenly became quiet.
“Just kidding! But a midnight snack would be fine.” Laguna said and signalled towards the direction of the cafeteria. Rinoa smiled again and the two walked out, going for a twilight stroll.
“This...”
Rinoa was seen sitting side by side with Laguna with their back against the corridor's wall, sitting on the floor, with a vending machine next to her. Laguna slowly sipped on the cup of tea he purchased from the vending machine, while Rinoa just sat there, waiting...
“You don't expect the cafeteria to be opened at this hour right?” Laguna said casually and Rinoa just replied with a forceful laugh. There was a moment of silence for a while.
“I am wondering... what are you doing in that studio at that time?” Rinoa asked out of nowhere, and Laguna seemed to see that coming.
“Have you ever felt peace... the ultimate peace in your heart?” Laguna started. Rinoa just listened attentively.
“I get that feeling whenever I am in the dark, all alone from others, high above... it's a very hard to describe feeling... people always associate darkness with sadness, evil, gloom... but darkness... to me it is...” Laguna said and then reached out his hand to Rinoa, Rinoa was at first shocked but didn't resist. Laguna closed Rinoa's eyes and then waited for a while, and then asked her.
“What did you see?”
Rinoa remained silent for a moment, wondering what's the catch with it. What does he want her to see, what?
“I... honestly... see nothing...”
“Yes. Nothing. The feeling of nothingness...” Laguna answered and the removed his hand off Rinoa's eyes. Rinoa looked at Laguna in awe. Now what she see in him is a philosopher. Though she couldn't fully comprehend what he meant... A mysterious aura was being emitted by him...
“Don't worry too much about it. It's not easy to feel it or comprehend it. Just think it as a form of meditation, or soul searching...” Laguna ended it with a pause and looked ahead of him. Rinoa somehow couldn't take her mind off him.
“Enough about me. There's something I am wondering about you. How does a girl like you enter FF8? You don't seemed like the person who want fame.” Laguna started asking about Rinoa. Rinoa gathered her thoughts, and then answered.
“I was actually here to get a job as a marketing assistant. I have a diploma in that field. But somehow I met Reeves, and he tricked me into this...”
“Ah... Reeves picked you! Now I understand.” Laguna said while laughing to himself.
“I don't know... I felt so stupid being tricked like that. Just like that...” Rinoa started complain about herself.
“Did Reeves ever signed a contract or any sort of document with you?” Laguna suddenly spoke. Rinoa just looked at him and shook her head.
“You know... you are free to leave at anytime. Without legal document, you are basically not employed.” Laguna continued. Rinoa remained silent, not knowing about those issues.
“Reeves will still pay you, don't worry about that. He is actually going against the system doing that. He is giving freedom for you to leave at anytime, no strings attached. But...”
Laguna paused. Rinoa waited for him to continue.
“He know you won't... right?”
Laguna looked at her and smiled. Rinoa suddenly felt the bottom of her heart speaking. She won't leave. She don't know why, but she just will not leave...
“Reeves' actions are quite controversial, you know. But that's probably his source of creativity. The element of surprise, the twist, the unexpected...”
The two then slowly became more and more quiet and Rinoa then slowly fell asleep and leaned against the vending machine. Laguna took off his jacket and put it on Rinoa, and sat next to her, leaning against the wall, like a guardian...
The completion of FF8 shootings never seemed to end. Again, another scene just completed and NPCs and crew go on with their daily routine. Squall, like any other break time, spend it alone, reading the script and preparing himself for the next scene. To the others, he is just a no fun, no fuss type of person. No a very sociable one. Somehow, he rather keep himself off from the others...
With the script of the next scene in his hand, Squall acted as if he was deeply concentrating on it, but actually his mind was flying elsewhere. Somehow this prevent other people from approaching him, which is what he wanted. But once in a while he would wonder, whether is this the right thing to do. Almost instantly he cleared his thoughts. Concentrate... concentrate...
“Squall, there's someone looking for you.” A member of the crew told Squall and pointed to the entrance. Squall nodded and put down his script and walked towards there. From far he couldn't see clearly, but that person... no... it can't be...
The person waved out to Squall and Squall's face started to blush. He didn't expect to see her here. Not ever since...
Squall quickly walked towards the person, hoping that no one will see him. When he was just in front of the person, he spoked out in an annoyed but soft manner.
“Ma, why are you here?! I am working!”
Raine just looked back at Squall and smiled. She then held up a basket with boxed lunch in it.
“It's been a while since I prepared boxed lunch for you.”
Squall's face blushed even more, and he felt even more like a small, spoilt kid that needs his mother to bring him lunch. He didn't know what to do, but just to look at her and waited for her to leave.
“Oh, hey! Raine!”
The voice caught Raine attention and Squall turned around. He saw Zell walking towards them with a happy smile. Apparently this guy is just happy to see her. Squall couldn't help wondering...
“Wow! Boxed lunch!” Zell cried out the moment he saw the basket. Raine just smiled at Zell and then passed him a container.
“Here. This is yours.”
“I had one too? Oh, I just felt so lucky!”
Zell said as if he was going to burst out in joy. It is at this moment, the crew and NPCs around them started pay attention to the three at the entrance. Many thought ran through their mind but never did they ever imagined...
“What do you mean she's not available?! She promised to play the part of Squall mother's!” Reeves shouted out to one of his member of the crew.
“But that's what her manager told me. They had a better offer and they took it. We have to find someone else!”
The crew member tried to calm Reeves down and Reeves just apologized to that crew and signalled him to leave him alone. The scene is about to begin in just an hour, where can he find someone to play that part?
“Woman in her late twenties... Brown hair, fair skin like Squall's...”
Reeves said while rubbing his forehead thinking.
“Where can she be... where can she be...”
Reeves said and looked around. Hoping, but not expecting to actually find someone...???!!!
“Hey...” Reeves said and reached out for one of his crew member. That crew member obediently came to him to attend his call.
“Who is that girl?” Reeves said while pointing at Raine that was still with Zell and Squall.
“I don't know, never seen her. Think she's Squall's girlfriend.” The crew member said and waited.
“Woman in her late twenties... Brown hair, fair skin like Squall's...!!!”
“That's it!”
Reeves jumped out of him seat and ran towards Raine. Raine, seeing a man speeding towards her got a shock and stepped back a few steps.
“You... you...”
Raine got more and more nervous. Everyone in the studio is now staring at her. Her uneasiness in overwhelming...
“Are you interested in acting?” Reeves suddenly blurted out. Raine still had no idea what is going on.
“I've got a part for you. 15,000 gil a month.”
Raine kept quiet. She's still processing whatever that was going on now.
“25,000 gil.”
“......”
“28,000 gil!”
“Okay!” Raine replied suddenly. There seemed to be a sparkle in Reeves' eyes. He finally found the perfect person for the part. She even better that the previous one...
“All right! You are now play the part as Squall's mother!” Reeves announced to his crew member.
“But...”
Reeves trembled the moment he heard those words. But?
“But... I am Squall's mother!”
Raine said and smiled, at the same time rubbing Squall's hair.
“Ma!”
The entire studio went quiet. Everyone was stunned. This girl... woman... is Squall's... mother?
(This... it can't be...)
(No way! I hadn't got married and she looked younger than me!)
(What kind of beauty product she used?!)
(My god... she is...)
Wild things ran through each of the head among the members of the crew. Well, well. Weird things do happen, don't they?
The author speaks...
(Just a passing chapter that explains more on this fic. I actually kinda like this chapter. Enjoy the other chapters. It just gets better.)