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The Longest Road.


"I'll see you again.... Where the sky meets heaven and I cross the borders to meet you. At the edge of infinity I'll be with you for eternity."
Line from a short story. N J. Wilcox

Chapter ten; Reuniting.




Squall could barely keep his eyes open. Exhaustion taunted him like an all-too brief lover's kiss and when he reached his quarters once again, he stifled a yawn. As he entered Quistis smiled and walked out.

As the door closed with a sigh, he lay down on the bunk, careful to avoid the child. "Maybe I could just close my eyes for five minutes." Yawning again, he curled around Ayden, feeling the soft brush of his down soft hair against his cheek, he drifted off to sleep again.



He began to dream.

A raven haired girl running across a field of flowers. Blood blossoming from a bullet wound in her chest like the poppies she crushed below her feet with each step. Fear etched on her face.

She disappeared into a whirlwind of flowers, their singular petals like raindrops in a violent storm of pinks, purples reds and yellows. As she was engulfed another appeared.

A blonde martial artist, his face smeared in blood with dove white tracks of his tears showing through the crimson liquid. Squall locked eyes with him.

As he gazed into his crystal clear sea blue eyes, he felt a strange weakness come over him. Zell tried to call something to him... He could see his lips moving and the anguish in his eyes but he could not hear a sound.

With a sudden pain that filled his whole being, he began to fall backwards. A terrible darkness came over his vision, the whole world turning black on a moments notice. In the distance, a silver object appeared and began to move closer. It moved slowly at first, then gained more and more speed until it danced just in front of his eyes.

It was a tombstone.

"Squall L. Leonhart. Hero, lover, father, friend. Brave until the very end." Were the words written on it.

He couldn't even scream.



His eyes opened slowly and he sighed loudly. The baby barely stirred. He looked over at the bunk opposite and saw Zell watching him.

"Our ETA is seven minutes sir." He flashed Squall a sly fox grin. "And by the way," he stood and stepped over to give him a quick but gentle pinch on the cheek; "you look so cute!"

He sat up and caught the front of Zell's shirt in his fist, pulling him forward so that their noses were barely a hair's breadth apart. "Tell anyone you said that and I'd have to kill you." He growled jokingly and then caught Zell in a fierce kiss.

He saluted when he was released. "Yes sir...." He winked. "But I believe that some bribery may be involved.

"I believe that can be arranged later." He yawned again. Something was strangely wrong, he just couldn't wake up properly. Tiredness lay in his limbs like lead and his eyelids weighed a ton. He felt a finger tip drawn in a curving line from his forehead to chin.

"Come on sweet prince. Get up and get ready, you've got an angel to speak to." This time he obeyed, finding his feet and straightening his outfit. He pushed first a hand then a nearby comb through his hair to straighten it to that 'I-look-as-though-I-just-got-out-of-bed-but-but-it-took-me-ages-to-get-it-like-this' look that he was famed throughout the Garden for.

"Okay?"

"Perfect. As per usual." Zell nodded. "You never settle for anything less."

"I know. It's why I've got you."

As Selphie gave the three minute to landing warning they made their way up to the bridge.




The Ragnarok touched down silently with Selphie at the helm. Apparently she had gotten over her fainting fit and was well enough to accompany Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Squall and Ayden down the ramp to meet Rinoa.

The sorceress's feet barely touched the ground as she ran towards them. She stopped just short of Squall, unsure of what to do....

He smiled and stepped forward to cover that insignificant distance that may as well have been a million miles for all it meant to them. He placed Ayden in her arms and stepped back, feeling his heart break just a little.

"Thank you Squall." She whispered. "Thank you all of you."

"You're welcome Rinoa." Quistis nodded.

Rinoa looked at each one of these people she had once thought of as her best friends and remembered each and every battle that they had fought together, each and every blow taken or struck. Each spell cast and guardian force summoned. She missed those innocent days that seemed a lifetime ago but were in fact only a year past. "Would you join us?" She asked. "We will celebrate you returning Ayden to us tonight and having you and the other SeeDs there would be a great morale booster."

"Sure." Irvine nodded.

"I don't see why not." Quistis shrugged.

"Let's do it!" Selphie exclaimed.

"Alright!" Grinned Zell.

"That would be wonderful." Squall confirmed. "We'll be with you as soon as the other SeeDs are ready."



The drinking went on late into the night. By the time Rinoa had found a quiet moment to talk with Squall, it was almost three a.m.

"Thank you Squall."

"You already said that Rinoa."

She waved a hand in dismissal. "I know, I know. But I didn't get a chance to say everything I wanted to before." She sighed. "I'm really sorry about not telling you about Ayden. I was totally wrong."

"That's behind us now."

"I look at the way you are with him and I realise that I should have told you long ago. You've missed out on the first two months." She looked at the floor. "You could have helped me with all those midnight changes." She joked.

"Gladly." He smiled honestly.

She looked at the floor and poked at an invisible piece of debris with her toe. "I miss you a lot sometimes Squall."

"I miss you too at times Rinn. I've been so busy with my SeeDs and students that I barely have time for myself anymore." He drew his gunblade only to re-sheathe it. "It seems strange sometimes, even now, when you aren't there when I turn around."

"Really?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure. You were one of us."

She made to move towards him but a messenger ran towards them. "Mistress!" She gasped. "News from the radar tower. The government forces move against us. tonight!!!"

"What?" Rinoa cried. "We aren't ready!"

"They're on their way."

Squall watched with a bemused expression as Rinoa paced back and forth. "What can I do?" She repeated over and over.

"How many fighters have you got in this camp?"

"What? Erm... About two-fifty to three hundred. Many of them are in experienced though."

He nodded. "Add fifteen highly trained professional SeeDs to that number." She looked at him in shock. "If you allow us to help you, we can win this together."

"...........You'd do that for us?"

"Anytime."

"Thank you again Squall. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I do. That's why I'm doing it. For you and Ayden. Now, the first thing to do is get everyone out here preferably sober."

"Let's do it."





Authors notes.

Next; the final battle between Rinoa and the government. The battle for power. It'll be up in two or three days. Cya!!!!!!!


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