The Orphan

By Kate Lorraine

Chapter 27. Face of Heaven

And when he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine,

That all the world will be in love with night,

And pay no worship to the garish sun.

-Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)

Laguna stood there near the door trying to think of what he would say to her. Rinoa Heartilly, the girl his son had died for. He was never good with such things, such darkness. That sight of her on top of Squall, covered with blood still haunted him. What state she was in now he could hardly imagine. But he needed to talk to her. She was perhaps, the only living person who could bring him relief from his guilt.

Laguna walked over to the entrance to the balcony where she had gone, as a student told him, to watch the stars. He saw the most particular sight then. She had turned her left as though she saw someone there beside her. A thin smile curled on her face as she raised her index finger to the mysterious visitor. Laguna stood there with his mouth half open.

He coughed loudly to alert her to his presence. She jumped at the sight of him and turned around to greet him. Laguna stepped out onto the balcony.

"Hello Rinoa." He said as his eyes wandered over the edge of the stone rail. From here he could see the meadows behind Edea's Orphanage. The flowers were in bloom this time of year. The pink flowers were absolutely gorgeous during the day and as he understood, Squall grew up here. Garden was here to pick up Cid today. The old headmaster had recovered from his illness, as Laguna heard.

"Hello Laguna," Rinoa said as she turned her face upward toward the sky. Laguna watched her. It was strange she almost looked happy then as her eyes followed the path of a shooting star across the sky.

"I wanted to talk to you about Squall, Rinoa." Laguna said. "If it's not too painful for you.." he said, trailing off awkwardly.

"No," she said as she turned her large dark eyes over to him. "Yes?"

"I want you to know that I'll always be here for you, if you need someone to talk to. Do you have anywhere to stay? If you need anything at all, I'll be honored to . . you know." he said.

She paused and tossed some of her hair over her shoulder. "I'm going to stay with my father for a bit. I can't stay here anymore. I'm not too popular at Garden now." Rinoa chuckled sarcastically but immediately found her gravity again. "You have a question for me, Laguna."

Laguna cleared his throat. "What happened, Rinoa, between you and Squall when the two of you disappeared?"

Rinoa was silent for a moment as she pondered the question. "Laguna, Squall made a discovery. He realized that he loved me but in the end, by choosing to be with me he also choose death and therefore to be forever apart from me. That's the tragic irony of it. What happened in the few days in which we disappeared is of no consequence. It was just a lot of insanity which, perhaps would better be forgotten."

"I'm sorry Rinoa," Laguna said. "The witch Alexandra was truly evil. I just wish I didn't have to leave the two of you to deal with her."

Rinoa shrugged. She had a distant look in her eyes as though she was far away .

"Laguna, I don't know what you have heard in Garden or on television, I . . .I don't believe that Alexandra was evil. She said to me once that hate was love which was returned and I'm beginning to understand what she meant by that. In the end, I guess we will never know, if Squall and I tricked her and used Maniac Athena on her, or if she willingly allowed me to use the crystal on myself."

"Why?" Laguna asked perplexed.

"Love, Laguna. To bring back the dead one must have their love, so that they'll wait for you. Alexandra didn't have his love, he would never have come for her. Perhaps, in the end she wanted what was best for him instead of for herself, and so gave up her powers so that he might have another chance at life."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Rinoa." Laguna said, throughly confused.

"Are you feeling okay?" Laguna asked.

Rinoa shrugged. She looked over at Laguna sadly, with sympathy in her eyes. "Don't be too hard on yourself Laguna. One day perhaps you and Quistis will understand what really happened on that night of passage. As for now, don't mourn too much for Squall's passing. He wouldn't want you to."

Laguna frowned. He bid her farewell and stepped out of balcony. Yet as he stood at the door he hesitated. For a moment he looked back. He could not believe what he saw. She was embracing something, embracing thin air.

What did the evil sorceress's power do to her? He wondered in amazement.

* *

As Rinoa heard Laguna's footsteps fade away she turned her eyes back to the meadow. She placed her elbows on the stone ledge and felt the nighttime breeze stroke her face. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew a mass of petals and feathers into her face. Rinoa smiled as she reached out and caught a one of them.

He came then, like a mist of perfume. Slowly and quietly he came up from behind her.

"What did he want?" the shade asked her. Rinoa turned her face around to her right. There he was, standing, her black angel. He looked so real then that she could almost see the moonlight reflecting off the leather of his jacket. It was hard to believe that she was looking at a shade. It seemed as though he had woken up from that coffin and had sneaked up here to find her.

"Nothing, Squall. He just wanted to ask about you, about what happened between us and Alexandra."

He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't tell them anything, Rinoa. Not about your powers nor about me."

She watched him fondly and smiled. "So you haven't changed. You will always be cold introverted loner Squall."

He smiled at her and reached over with one hand.

I don't care what they think, his eyes whispered as he took her into his arms. She watched him with surprise as he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips up against his. He felt so real it was impossible to pretend that he wasn't

He drew back then, keeping his lips an inch from hers.

"Squall," she whispered. "You shouldn't have shown up so suddenly at your funeral. What would they think should they see me watching you?"

She could feel his warm breath against her skin.

"Hush," he whispered. "Nothing anyone thinks is of any consequence to me anymore. As long as I am with they can see me in whatever light they wish."

He raised his right hand and cupped her cheek in his palm. She felt him gently stroking her with his thumb, tenderly pulling strands of hair away from her face. His eyes were black in the shadows and his face unreadable in the darkness. She just felt the delicate touch of his lips as he kissed her lightly and slowly.

"Do you think, Squall," she asked. "That one day we may be together in life, once more?"

He sighed. He kissed her once more, his lips lingering on hers for a second longer as though he couldn't bear to leave her.

"Whatever you choose, Rinoa, it does not matter. Whether it be in life or in death, I will never leave you again."

She smiled through her tears of joy as she leaned over and hugged him fiercely.

And for you, Squall, I will cross the stars.

The End

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Author's note: Note how Rinoa is looking at both the night time sky and the meadow at once. This is ironic because in FF8 Squall promised to wait for her at the meadow, in this story he will be waiting for her from the stars. It's funny that she is watching both at the same time as he comes to her.

Author's Notes :Dueling for a Haunted Lady is actually the chapter in the Iliad where Paris and Helen's husband duel for her.

Author's notes: Notice that the only two people to fall in fighting Alexandra is Squall and Seifer. In a way, Seifer's defeat foreshadows Squall's. Seifer and Squall are like mirrors of each other. Should one thing happen to Seifer, the opposite usually happens to Squall.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank first and foremost my editor Christina. Thank you for encouraging me week after week to write. Without you this fanfic would never have gotten past chapter 3. It was primarily for you that I wrote this story. Thank you for your friendship and patience with everything especially my Laguna rantings. You are truly the one most responsible for the completion of this fanfic. This story is dedicated to you. Thank you, I truly mean this, thank you Christina. I haven't met too many stars that shine as brightly in the sky as you do.

Secondly I would like to thank Fifi. You always told me what was good in my stories and pointed out what needed to have more work. I awaited eagerly, perhaps more often than I should, on the Internet for your enthusiastic letters. While Christina was the one I discussed the outcome of my stories with, you were always the one who I tried to surprise with each twist of the plot. Thank you Fifi, I am truly blessed to have two such wonderful friends.

Thirdly I would like to thank Sarah, or better know as the author of the miraculous Forgotten Destinies to which my fanfic can't compare. It was you that told me that late night in November that I should start a fanfic. Had you not been there The Orphan would have never come into being. Thank you Sarah.

Finally I would like to thank all those who took the time to read this story. I know it was long and at many times boring. I tried my best to make it as true to game as I could. I hope at some point you recaptured the same pleasure you experienced playing FF8. So for now goodbye. No matter if you read the next installment or not or even if I choose to write one, you have really made my day for staying with me to the very end of this story. I know that wherever I am right now, I would feel a little less lonely, thanks to your good graces. So until next time, adieu.

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