Chapter Text
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Chapter 1: From Within The Darkest Hour
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The only sounds that penetrated the filthy streets of Trabia's abandoned warehouse district came from her boots as they crushed the freshly fallen snow. The dilapidated structures she passed served as reminders to keep the fear she was feeling unreadable in her features. While the streetlamps provided a weak light for her to follow, they did little to penetrate the darkness that could be found on these streets.
Only the most deprived souls made their way here; The kind of people who had fought to gain everything their heart's desire only to have it snatched from them. Bitterness and a desire for revenge brought out interesting bedfellows, making this a strategic place for surveillance.
A smart girl wouldn't walk these parts of the streets alone and unarmed like she was, but there was no other choice. Carrying a weapon- especially hers- would alert those who were out searching for her. It was for survival that she learned how to navigate these streets alone.
For now, though, Rinoa focused on getting to her destination, which laid straight ahead. The establishment's weathered black doors were an eyesore— even for these parts, but choices for employment were far and few between.
Laying her hand flat on the withered door, Rinoa closed her eyes for a moment to acknowledge the muffled music suppressed behind them. She didn't need a watch to know how late she was and what kind of problems that could create for her later on. Those concerns weren't significant right now as she had to keep it together and focus on her objectives. Far too many people were relying on her for her to crack now.
With that secured thought, Rinoa pushed the door amassed with scars open to be greeted swiftly by a wall of cigarette smoke and catcalls.
Since starting this gig two months ago, she did her best to develop a thicker skin— the crude commentary and unwanted touches were an unspoken part of her job description. Still, the facade she created to cope was starting to crumble, and she didn't know how much longer she could do this.
To calm herself, she preached to herself that this was just another night amid others, and she would be okay. Yet deep down, intuitively, she knew something had changed. The air around her seemed different. But there wasn't time to consider how, as she pushed her way to the back of the bar.
Jack did not look up to acknowledge her presence, but his tone indicated what kind of night she was in for. "I see your worthless ass decided to finally show up."
Middle-aged and poorly groomed, her boss was a retired Galbadian soldier who had lost an eye in the last sorceress war. Unlike most soldiers, he refused to cover the scar tissue that had blinded him. That might have been the first thing people noticed about him, but the second was the hostility radiated from him. No doubt that had been the primary reason why this business venture had been failing before her arrival.
Rinoa said nothing, not wanting to provoke him further. She quickly squeezed past men to get behind the bar. She worked fast to unzip her black powdered-puff jacket before securing her scarlet hair into a ponytail.
The men behind her were leering impatiently as she clocked in for her shift. Her plunging red silk top and painted-on leather pants gave them plenty of visual stimulation. It made her uncomfortable, but this job was the only job willing to allow outsiders in, all while allowing her to keep her clothes on.
Rinoa nearly jumped out of her skin as fingers grasped her shoulder before digging themselves into her flesh.
"I told you the last time what would happen if you were late." A squeeze further into her skin indicated Jack was unwilling to let this subject slide.
She felt a twinge of panic but laughed reflexively before falling into the character she had created for her time here. It was the exact opposite of who she was right now.
"This worthless ass brings in your customers, Jack." Her push back was true. The owner had seen his books go into the black for the first time after her arrival. His success was driven by Rinoa's ability to navigate uncomfortable situations with less than sociable people.
Still, Rinoa wasn't going to push this issue. While her boss's treatment bordered on worrisome, this job offered her security in this location she couldn't do without. If she wanted to remain here, she had to play by his rules and hoped to Hyne his foul mood would pass.
"Let's talk after this shift, okay?" She hoped with time, and a cash register filled with gil might render that conversation unnecessary.
It took a second longer than she would have liked, but the grip on her slowly released. With an internal sigh of relief, Rinoa pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind as she quickly set out to set up her station.
"What will it be?" She asked no one in particular.
"Your best whiskey on the rocks." came from the closest man who scored a spot in her section.
Predictable.
"Got it," she said quickly, turning around to go under the bar. The sorceress took her sweet time to find the right label allowing their eyes to trace the Balamb Lion tattoo that richly adorned her lower back.
Before this, everyone ordered the cheapest beers and liquors because of their placement. It didn't take a genius to figure out why they kept ordering them. Once Rinoa had switched the placements around, the orders for the most expensive bottles went through the roof, and in turn, cushioned her boss's bottom line. That saved her “worthless ass” so many times; Hyne only knew she was a klutz who couldn't remember what liqueurs went into Galbadian martini.
Standing upright, she began to pour the drink.
"Twenty Gil," she demanded, knowing she was unlikely to see any of that money at the end of the night.
"Twenty what? You're kidding, right? That's a total rip-off!" the man had the indignation to shout at her.
As the warm brown fluid washed over the ice, Rinoa looked to the next patron in line. He was a younger man, with no purpose being in such a place if it hadn't been for the local talent serving him a healthy dosage of cleavage.
"Twenty gil," she offered the drink she was making to him instead, garnering a surprised look from the original patron.
Too afraid to refuse her, the younger man slowly went for his pocketbook to find the bills that would cover it. Rinoa smirked and snatched it from his fingers and made a big show of tucking it into her leather waistband. The men's eyes followed the money's path. It was a sad truth known to all; sex sells, and the possibility of sex- even if an illusion- increased her tips and loosened lips.
Turning back to the previous patron, she issued a clear warning for all to hear. "If you want what I'm serving, you pay my price. Get your cheap ass out of here before I call for security."
With that warning in effect, Rinoa called out for the next order and continued to do what she did every night since she got there. She poured shots and took them when offered. The numbing effects from the alcohol allowed relief on bad nights like this. There was no point in denying how fractured her spirit had become, as she glanced around looking for familiar eyes that haunted her dreams.
She was hunting the ghosts of her past, and while her breath hitched every time she saw a slender brunette enter the bar, she had to quietly stop her thoughts from spiraling. She chided herself for losing focus. The eyes she was searching for were green, not blue.
That was a lie, though. But hell, everything she knew now was a lie. Why not tell herself one more?
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The proof that this night was indeed different from others came dressed in a long black trench coat. It's not that his presence was unusual. Actually, it was quite punctual. It didn't matter how busy her night was; no one would sit at the last stool in her section. This silent rule was observed by all, yet no one dared speak about it. Even her boss, Jack, turned away his remaining good eye from it.
Rinoa smiled upon his arrival and skipped the theatrics to pour him a drink from his private whiskey stash. It didn't matter how Rinoa treated him. His words were few, but his tips always remained generous. With skin nearly as white as the buzzed crop hair he sported, a weary frown seemed to be permanently fixed on his face.
"Hey, Love."
Those were the only words she had planned on speaking to the target tonight. She had only intended to observe him as he traced initials carved into the bar.
For a while, she had wondered if those initials meant something to him, but after a little research, she found those initials were that of the local drunk who died a year ago. This drunk had no family and indeed no friends. This made it likely that the man's motions were out of routine rather than sentimental. Weeks have gone by and he was still an absolute mystery to her.
Tonight seemed different right off the bat, though. Rinoa could tell he was processing her every move, and that made her anxious. That's why her heart nearly leaped out of her chest when his hand grabbed hers as she set his glass down.
"I'm leaving town tomorrow," he said, merely waiting for some response from her in return.
Rinoa wasn't sure how to respond to that unexpected revelation. She slumped over the bar a bit while propping her head with one hand, ignoring her boss's warning about her poorly timed break.
"Really? I'm missing your pocketbook already," She sighed, wondering if this is where it would end—another dead end for them.
A smile pulled at the corner of his lips, but he refused to give in to the simple emotion.
"Pour yourself a glass," he ordered, pointing towards his bottle.
That gave her reason to pause, and he noticed. She needed to respond and quickly.
"I'm more of a cheap bourbon kind of girl. No sense of messing with my tastes if you're not going to be around tomorrow," she chided. Still, in reality, she always picked the cheaper booze, knowing her even cheaper boss watered it down. Her tolerance had grown while working here, but her liver wouldn't thank her if she started in on that kind of drinking.
"A glass." This time he ordered more firmly in a tone that told her to comply with the simple request.
Giving him a once-over, Rinoa nodded and grabbed another glass from the back of the bar. But when she reached for the bottle to pour, his hands beat her to the bottle. Rinoa winced as she watched him pour more into her glass than she would have liked.
Picking up the glass with hesitation, she shrugged at the interesting turn of events knowing there was no point in resisting now. Silently, she raised her drink while he returned her gesture. She knocked it back and braced for the fire. After a second, she coughed but added a nod in appreciation.
"That's some good stuff."
"A rare bottle from Esthar," he noted, already making this the most extended conversation they have ever had. His hand went to pour her another glass.
"Watch it, buddy. I want to be able to count my gil at the end of the night," she joked but was unwilling to walk away from him despite the growing ire from her boss.
"I've been watching you here for a while," he stated as if that wasn't unusual in and of itself.
"Like what you see?" She leaned back, allowing his eyes a full view of her, and for once, he actually took the time to let himself enjoy the view.
"I do," he acknowledged. "And there is no doubt in my mind that you're the kind of girl who knows exactly how much gil you have on you at all times. You work hard."
Rinoa felt the heat of his eyes go to her midriff, visible thanks to the low riding pants she wore, and suddenly she felt naked and exposed. She wanted to exit this conversation. Now.
His head tilted to the side as lust filled him. "What won't you do for a few gil?"
Her jaw tightened. "Just about anything, but what you probably want."
He studied her in amusement, and slowly, a smile formed. He took the bottle and poured her another drink.
"Really? Sure no amount can persuade you? I'm a wealthy man."
"Don't take it to heart. No man's gil can." She stood her ground firmly, hoping that would be enough to end the awkward conversation.
"Well, what about taking a look at a picture then?" he requested, accepting his rejection. "See, I'm looking for someone."
"You're kidding?" she outwardly scoffed at the turn of events, but secretly hope erupted. "I'm not a snitch. That kind of bull would hurt my tips in the long run."
"Good thing there is nothing to snitch about." He put his hands together, sizing her up. "He's a missing person case I'm working on. He's no criminal. He's just... lost."
This is what she had been waiting for, but she didn't want to seem too eager. This man might be independent or could be working with SeeD. She still wasn't clear on his affiliation.
"Yeah, sure." She leaned back from the bar, taking her freshly poured drink in hand. "That's what all the bounty hunters say, but it's never the truth."
"Seems like an easy three hundred gil for you then," he baited her by sliding out a roll of paper gil. The man was serious, and there was not enough strength to hide the surprised look that came across her face. "If you haven't seen him before, what can I do?"
"You know most people would just lie to you for that kind of money," she warned.
It was true. When most bounty hunters were willing to slide her a few gil for some information, it was her practice to take the money and make up an elaborate story. She was practically doing him a favor by being so blunt.
"If you do, so be it." He shrugged and passed the time by staring at her chest.
Why was he so desperate for her to just look at a single picture? To offer so much gil with no guarantee of information sounded off warning bells. Did he know who she was? If he did, wouldn't he have apprehended her by now?
Rinoa glanced at her boss who's back was turned to her at the moment. While a part of her was worried about its risks, she had to follow this lead.
"Quick," she nodded in agreement as the man quickly hunted for the picture in his jacket.
When the black and white surveillance photo slipped onto the bar, she hardly batted an eye at the man pictured looking over his shoulder. Most of it was blurry and grainy, likely from it being enlarged.
Still, it was good enough that someone could make a positive ID.
Rinoa tilted her head to the side and let out a long sigh. Her fingers traced the handsome man's firm jawline. His icy eyes and stone-cold expression could instantly freeze a woman like her in place. His brown hair was ruggedly unkempt and cut into crass layers that obscured his eyes.
"Damn, nothing that fine has ever been around here," she said, smiling at the picture of the man caught on film unexpectedly. "Hey, when you find this guy would you mind giving him my number?"
With that, she dismissively slammed her fist on the picture before flattening it out for its reward. The man watched her with more intrigue now.
"Never seen him, huh?" he asked once.
"I said no," she warned him more sternly. "For what it's worth, I'm telling the truth for once. Oh, and I totally meant it when I said he should give me a call."
The man looked down at her hand once more before letting out an exasperated sigh. He simply threw the entire wad of bills onto the bar without even counting it.
"Have a good life!" Rin shouted with a mockery of a salute as the man abandoned his seat for the door.
"You think we can get some service here, sugar?" a bearded dock worker shouted, causing her to scowl.
"I'll get to you sooner or later," she barked back as she carefully turned her back to hide the wad of gil in her leather boot. Only then did she notice her hands were trembling to the point of being useless.
"Just breathe," she whispered as she steeled herself against the flood of emotions that wanted to spring forth. She was prepared for all outcomes except for this one. Her mind was reeling into different directions, but this wasn't the time to falter— especially when others may be watching.
"Dammit, get your worthless ass back to work. I'm not paying you to count the tiles!"
That was the reminder she needed to pull herself together. The real world wasn't going to stop for her, so as if nothing had happened at all, she forced herself to get back up.
"Ok, fellas, who's next?" she asked, turning around with a devilish smirk.
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The rest of the night, she continued to drown herself in her work. The last two hours of her shift were painfully slow despite the high demand for spirits. But as their large bouncer, Toni, kicked out the last few drunks, Rinoa wasted no time in grabbing her jacket, hoping to get out of sight quickly.
"You're not skipping out so easily, Rin." Her boss's voice cornered her as she stood up with her jacket in hand.
"Get away from me, Jack," she warned without a second glance, which apparently was another mistake of hers in a night full of them.
"After you just ran my best customer away tonight? I don't think so."
That's when Rinoa turned around to see him. The proximity made the sleeping forces in her body ignite, but it was too late as his hands were already on her pushing her back towards the bar.
"What did you say to him, Rin?" Jack demanded. The look in his eyes told Rinoa she needed to deescalate things quickly.
"Nothing," She responded truthfully. "He said it was his last night in town. What would you have me do, Jack? Chain him to the bar?"
Undeterred, he sneered at her. "I saw him proposition you."
This was becoming ridiculous. "Oh, come on Jack, I'm a bartender, not a prostitute."
Apparently, that was the wrong answer as he pushed her again into the bar with more force.
"What makes you think you're worth more than a few gil?" He asked, jostling her again, but this time, she knocked a few glasses over. "Maybe had you taken his offer, he would've found a reason to stay."
Rinoa clenched her jaw. The situation needed to diffuse before either one of them lost their temper completely.
"Trust me, that wasn't what he was after anyways. He would've been out of here had I spent the night with him or not." She tried to assure him.
That made her boss's eyes narrow. "Really, and what makes you so sure of that?"
When she saw the ex-soldier eyes darkened, her throat went dry as she struggled to voice an answer that would suit him.
"Listen, Jack," She started. "He just wanted me to look at a picture-"
"Oh, so now you're a snitch!" He exploded, pinning her to the back of the bar but this time sending a few liquors to meet their end. "Do you know what kills bars? People like you who snitch and run off customers. Is that what I get for taking you in?"
Dizzy, Rinoa shook her head with dismay. "You're kidding me, right? No one came here before me. Jack, the guy is a missing person case, and I've never seen him before."
"Oh… And he paid you all that gil stuffed in your boot for that?" His hand shoved her even harder, making more bottles come toppling down. Feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder, Rinoa had enough and was nearly ready to lose her own temper.
But before Rinoa could react, his entire body slammed against her, and fingers went around her throat. Her eyes widened in shock, and he breathed into her face.
"You're nothing special, girl. Just another whore I found on the street."
Rinoa saw his fist ball up and rise just as the sound of a cocking shotgun could be heard from a corner of the dark bar.
A disembodied voice entered into their disagreement, "Let's let the pretty lady go, partner."
She recognized that voice despite being unable to see him in the storage room. Hyne, she was so grateful for his timing.
Wide-eyed, Jack's fist slowly lowered. "Who's there? Where's Toni!"
"Toni's busy in the back, and who I am ain't important right now. Are you going to let go of my friend now?" The voice asked with patience waning.
Jack took a step back in defeat, allowing for Rinoa to dart around the bar and out towards safety.
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As she retreated into the snowy streets of Trabia, Rinoa quickly shrugged into her jacket when she felt something in her pocket— something that hadn't been there before. Plunging into the pocket, she retrieved a small metal object wrapped in cords causing her to look up to the stars with gratitude.
Popping the earbuds into her ears, she fiddled with it until it started to play music. A small smile erupted at the very cheesy melody that celebrated everyone using martial arts. The first time she heard it, it was being hummed by an energetic soul. Apparently, the song was made popular in a movie he watched to death as a kid.
Her time to reminisce about the past was short-lived. A series of beeps interrupted the music as it opened a secure channel. The familiar voice she had been thinking about rang clear through the earbuds.
"Hey, Rinoa? Can you hear me out there?"
She smiled. It had been a long time since she had last seen him, but if he wasn't willing to meet her in person, that likely meant something was up.
"I've got a microphone sewn into your jacket. First off, cough if you're O.K ."
She knew what the ok stood in place for, and that was sober. She failed to cough, which led to an exasperated sigh from her normally enthusiastic male counterpart.
"Damn, ok, we got trouble, princess," Rinoa frowned at his choice of name for her. Only two other people called her that, and she wished it would stay that way. "Three men are ransacking your apartment right now. No idea what they are looking for, but your cover is blown. So I think it's best if you start walking towards the train station."
The news was deeply unsettling. Rinoa could just imagine the men tearing her room apart right now, and it was enough to make her blood boil.
As if reading her mind, the soft voice called her back, "Rin now's not the time. We need to move."
Of course, he was right, so she forced herself to stumble in the opposite direction of her apartment, cursing the fact that she was about to leave nearly everything she had behind.
"Eyes are in the sky," the voice spoke through the earbuds once more. Rinoa refused to look up, but she knew she was being watched over. That should be comforting, but again, that could only mean one thing.
"You've got two behind you, and from what I can see, there is one waiting up ahead. Did something happen at work today? Hum, the song I downloaded if yes… "
Now the martial artist was just messing with her, and in her current state, it wasn't appreciated. Slowly she started to mimic the music- as best as she could remember it.
"That was seriously awful, Rinoa, " he laughed at her misery. "Heads up! The two following you split from each other and are going around to the next alley. We aren't the only ones in communications. What happened at the bar? Touch your hair if it was something to do with our mission…"
She quickly brushed back the few flyaway strands of her scarlet hair.
"Sniffle if it has anything to do with him."
The fact she didn't sniffle seemed to confuse the other person on the secret connection. Being followed was unnerving and knowing someone was waiting for her up ahead was downright frightening. She almost wished she hadn't known in the first place.
"You're about to cross an alley. He's waiting for you there— ceasing communications. We're watching Rin— " Suddenly, the music started to play again. Still, Rinoa's annoyance was fleeting as someone ripped the buds out of her ears and pulled her into the alley.
"Hey-!" She screamed, but any further attempts to call out were dashed when thick leather gloves covered her mouth.
"We meet again," spoke the familiar voice.
Rinoa looked to see her mysterious patron. She allowed her face to display her genuine confusion.
"I thought maybe a more civilized conversation out of the view of your boss might yield better results." His hand dropped from her lips.
Doing her best to stay calm, Rinoa kept up the charade, "I told you I don't know who he is. I was serious when I told you that-"
"Is that why you are walking to the train station with none of your things?"
Her eyes widened. So he was behind the looting of her apartment? Now more than ever was she uncertain of whom he worked for. She needed to answer him and had to take a calculated guess that he wasn't SeeD.
"Are you for real?" she asked, hoping to Hyne that he would buy into genuine surprise. "Listen, I'm behind on my rent, and my boss fired me. If I don't skip out, I'll be in real trouble."
He studied her face trying to detect any hint of betrayal in her words, but he would find none because, for the most part, she was telling the truth. She needed to sell this.
"I was serious back there when I said I didn't recognize the man in the picture, but both you and I know this isn't some missing person's case. Who is he? Maybe I've heard of him?"
The man in black studied her a bit longer until a vibration came from his wrist. Rinoa couldn't see what he was looking at but whatever it was alerted him to something that made him nervous.
"Looks like I need to go," he stated hastily.
"Who's the guy?" she asked again with more urgency, wanting him to say his name out loud- just once- for her sanity's sake.
"Until we meet again, Sorceress Heartilly," he smiled all knowingly.
Once more, a shock wave rippled through her. The man's weight dropped off her suddenly, allowing her legs to give out and drop along the wall.
The figure walked away, and for a few minutes, she was left there alone in the snow, with her heart trying to escape from her chest. Moments later, she heard a voice call out her name.
Relief washed over her when she saw Zell running towards her from the end of the alley.
Diving into the snow next to her, Zell grabbed her arms and searched for any injuries. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"Zell…" Rinoa started but stopped short.
"Who the hell was that guy? Was he SeeD? How did they track us down?" He fired off a million that Rinoa couldn't answer.
"Zell-" Rinoa spoke more urgently now while looking up into his eyes, completely lost.
"Holy, shit Rinoa. You're far from ok." Zell recoiled a bit from her breath.
"He had a picture of him , Zell," Rinoa finally communicated.
She waited for a reaction, but the martial artist did nothing but look blankly back at her.
" Him? Like Him-him?"
A car pulled into the alley as neither one spoke further. Selphie opened the driver's door and stepped out. "Quistis is waiting at the station. We better roll out fast if we want to make it."
"Whoever they are, they aren't planning to stick around long anyway," a voice called out from the rooftop.
Irvine scaled down a fire escape with a shotgun secured to his back. "We don't know who those guys were, but it sounds like they're coming back for her."
Zell never broke eye contact with her as he considered all their options.
"They're right. We need to go to the train station."
Rinoa blinked a few times in horror. Did he not hear what she said?
"Rin?" Zell questioned, seeing her head starting to shake.
"No," She rebuffed him. "No! We can't leave yet... He knows something. He has the answers we are looking for!"
Irvine landed with a thud on his feet next to her, making her jump. She was too on edge, and she couldn't even pretend to have a strong façade anymore.
"Staying would be suicidal," Irvine spoke up as he looked down at her. "We don't have eyes on the apartment anymore. Hyne knows if they bugged it or have people waiting. We meet up with Quistis…. That was the plan if our cover gets blown. You know that..."
"There is a picture of him !" She snapped again, wondering why no one else seemed to understand what this meant.
No one said anything as she shivered relentlessly on the ground.
"Zell, he had a picture," Rinoa repeated breathlessly, still amazed by it herself.
Zell's eyes went from Rinoa to Irvine. Selphie looked on with uncertainty.
"That man showed me a picture of Squall. Don't you know what that means?" Tears started to chap Rinoa's cheeks.
The group fell silent in disbelief, but Rinoa wouldn't stop pleading with the tattooed blonde who held eerily still. Slowly the fighter allowed a single breath to escape from him as he scratched his head in amazement.
"It means he still exists somewhere. He was real," Zell answered.
"No, he IS real," Rinoa corrected defiantly.
She watched as the truth of the statement washed over the struggling fighter. Zell's tightened jaw relaxed slightly in submission as he looked over to Irvine. Irvine let out a long sigh, knowing that this night would change everything.
"Hey, I believe you ok?" Zell whispered while looking back towards her.
Irvine agreed quietly, "This isn't over yet. We just have to come up with a new plan."
"Get in, everyone," Selphie called out from the car. Rinoa looked up to the petite brunette who gave her a smile that was meant to encourage her.
Zell helped Rinoa to her feet. She wished she had better control of her shaking legs or that it could chalk it up to the cold weather and scandalous attire she wore. The concerned look on Zell's face told her he knew otherwise.
It was almost a year to the day from when they awoke from a deep sleep after the garden celebration party...
A year to the day since they found out— that to the rest of the world— Commander Squall Leonhart never existed...
A year since their love had vanished entirely as if it had never happened at all...
Squall Leonhart had simply fallen out of history altogether.
"Hey, I think you should take a picture of yourself for Squall, Rin," Irvine quipped on the way to the car to lighten the mood.
Rinoa said nothing as she watched the cowboy slowed his gait to the car. He turned and looked over his shoulder.
"That man always had a thing for leather. Bet you that fake tramp stamp would send him right over the edge."
"Irvy… Ew." Selphie complained from the driver's seat.
Rinoa smirked a bit, wondering what their former commander would think of her recent role. The last two months had been hell, but now knowing they weren't crazy had made it all worth it. She had seen that there was undeniable proof of his existence out there. It wasn't much, but it was something to go off of.
"Are you sure you want to dye your hair back? It's kind of grown on me." Selphie perked up at an idea. "Maybe he'll like it?"
Rinoa shook her head at the idea.
"The faux lion tattoo will take a few more weeks to wear off. Let's find him so Squall can see it for himself." Rinoa made an effort to smile at her friends. "But the red hair is retiring without photos."
Rinoa could see Selphie frown in disappointment.
"That took Quistis and I a whole week to get right. I can't believe you're going to throw out all our hard work."
Zell helped Rinoa into the warm car before sliding in himself. "We only got twenty minutes till the train leaves. We gotta make up time."
Rinoa dipped her head in agreement and felt the car shift into gear. Zell placed his arm around her shoulder, giving her a warm squeeze, and there she settled for the rest of the car ride, lost in thought.
She tried to pull up the grainy picture from memory, wondering why it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember him.
The whole world may have forgotten who Squall Leonhart was. But his friends still remembered, and they would not give up on finding answers.
After all, no one disappears into thin air.
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