MC Long Dark 01

The Long Dark

Standard Disclaimer: Final Fantasy characters and settings belong to Squaresoft. 'Edge of Thorns' lyrics belong to Savatage. (Everything else is mine, nyah.)

Author's Words: Hey hey. I was going to write about Quistis, but I had this oddball idea, and decided to stop being mean to all you Rinoa and Squall fans. Hence, this little story. I'll also be combining chapters a bit from now on, so after the Prologue, I may take a few days to get another segment up. Patience is a virtue. (Though I've never been very virtuous myself.) Thanks again to Diablos and Selphie for listening to me babble about this. You guys rock. :)

Prologue: Edge of Thorns

Studies made from winter

Of summers long ago

And dreams that used to glitter

Safely now hidden under snow

And so we end the chapter

And let the stagelights fade...

Nighttime in Balamb. Somewhere nigh to ten o'clock. Squall Leonhart found himself at a perch all too familiar since the end of the Second Sorceress War. The deck outside Garden, where the night air wound through his tousled hair and the sleepy countryside surrounding the complex offered some semblance of peace to a troubled mind. Today especially he needed the respite. One year ago Rinoa had walked out of his life permanently. The rebellion in Galbadia, and after that the trouble with Irvine followed by his and Selphie's rather unexpected wedding had distracted him from lamenting her loss. After that, he stumbled through his days, performing his duties with a cold detachment.

All the heroes of the Second Sorceress War scattering to the four winds didn't help either. Selphie and Irvine left for Trabia, assuming their own duties as Head Mistress and Commander. Occasionally he at least heard from Irvine, but communication between them was few and far between. Squall tried keeping it strictly business also, even if the cowboy attempted personal contacts on occasion. Quistis disappeared for Galbadia Garden, aiding Seifer in the rebuilding efforts underway. He heard from her less than he did Irvine. Zell was the only one left at Balamb now besides Squall, though the commander wasn't sure how much longer that would last. The martial artist recently got engaged to that dark haired library girl he'd been dating. The second of their little circle to take that road. Third... if you counted Irvine and Selphie separately, and Squall did not, not anymore.

We're all growing up. We were kids when we fought Ultimecia, kids who had to become adults before our time. Now we really are adults. What's happened to us? We're all scattered across the globe. Where's Rinoa now? Is she happy? Does she think of me?

Footfalls against the tiles of the deck distracted him from his brooding and he turned, expecting to see Zell. No one else bothered him here any more. To his surprise, Irvine Kinneas stood in the entryway, smiling at his fellow Commander with all that irritating smugness Squall first hated about him. They merely looked at one another for a long moment, no words being exchanged. Squall tried to remember if he'd known about this ahead of time. So much paperwork crossing his desk, communiqués to be answered, meetings and... he often got bogged down, forgetting little things unless reminded.

"No, Squall, I didn't send word of my arrival ahead of time, quit worrying," Irvine said, that smile never fading from his lips. He hadn't changed much, other than appear a year or two older. Marriage aged him, he claimed jokingly, though certainly not in Selphie's presence. From all reports Squall had gotten out of Trabia, he and Selphie excelled in their positions, making Trabia fully able to support training SeeDs again. He had suggested allowing them to test as well, thereby making Trabia more autonomous and less of a satellite Garden, but Irvine refused, deferring still to Squall. He wanted to keep the Gardens all connected, and making all candidates transfer to Balamb for final exams did just that, in his opinion. Apparently his only failing had to do with his wardrobe, he forsook his Commander's uniform for all but special events, refusing to be anything like the straight laced Martine, former Headmaster of Galbadia Garden. Though Squall usually prefered protocol, he actually understood the cowboy on that point. He still hadn't abandoned his leather outfit, either.

Squall scowled at him then, looking away briefly. He knew he was predictable, the cowboy didn't need to rub it in, "What about--"

"Selphie's not here either, she's still recovering."

Squall openly glared at Irvine's interruption. It was tempting to snap at him, but he held his ire in check. Spending his days dealing with people on a constant basis, he slowly grew accustomed to biting his tongue. Silence stretched out, and the commander waited for Irvine to say something else, but he didn't, walking out to lean against the railing of the deck, flicking the wedding band on his left hand around and around on his finger. It gave Squall a moment to regain his composure. At least the cowboy was learning when to shut up at times.

"I heard the news. Congratulations," he said quietly. Last Squall heard, Selphie had given birth to a son. Irvine shrugged, suddenly a little embarrassed. He reached up and swiped at his bangs from beneath the rim of his hat.

"Yeah... Vaniel's changed everything," he admitted looking down at the wedding band again in muted fascination, "Almost lost Selphie, I was worried about that... she's so small. It's why she couldn't come with me, took a lot out of her."

Squall glanced at Irvine from the corner of his vision. No one ever told him that much, only that she had some complications. "I'm glad she's all right," he offered uncertainly. Even though Irvine was a friend, one of the orphanage kids, there would always be a degree of separation for Squall. Not just from the cowboy, from all of them. He noticed it more and more as everyone parted ways and continued with their lives while he felt stuck in a never ending loop at Balamb. I deal with so many people every day. I touch their lives, give them direction, and yet she's the only one who could touch mine. Rinoa... why did I let you go?

Squall realized he was thinking again, and Irvine hadn't interrupted him. The cowboy was staring at him, though, solicitousness in his eyes. Suddenly it dawned on Balamb's Commander that he hadn't the slightest idea why Trabia's Commander paid him this unexpected visit.

"Quisty contacted me. She's worried about you," Irvine explained right then, as if he'd read Squall's thoughts, "So I came back to talk to you, about Rinoa."

Suddenly it all made sense. Everyone left him alone in regards to Rinoa's departure. Everyone except Quistis. They argued after she'd returned from the Galbadia mission. She called him a pitiful fool and insisted he go to Timber to get Rinoa back, even if he had to beg her on his hands and knees. Out of sheer stubbornness, he refused. The two didn't speak to one another for a month after that, not till he sent her off with Zell and Irvine on that disaster mission to Valsaar. Even after that, she attempted occasionally to inquire about Rinoa. She tried locating the Sorceress for Selphie and Irvine's wedding, finding that she wasn't in Timber any longer, and General Caraway had not heard from her in months. Gone. She had simply vanished.

She's a Sorceress though. It's been a year. How much of her has changed? Does she even want me back in her life? Quistis, you just don't give up, do you. Sending Irvine in where you knew you'd be rejected. I don't want to talk about this.

"Stop thinking, start talking, Squally," Irvine insisted, his tone turning stern. The cowboy understood Squall, to a degree, having taken the loner stance for a long time before Selphie came along. Squall folded his arms over his chest, refusing to look at Irvine. A petulant frown crossed his features stubbornly as he turned away. This is no more your business than it is Quistis', Irvine. I'm sure you mean well, but that doesn't change anything. Rinoa's gone, she left, and it was her choice. Who am I to question that?

"Dammit, Squall. I saw you crying when you were four and you fell on the stairs at the orphanage and skinned both your knees. Don't tell me you can't open up to me now," Irvine snapped. Someone needed to slap Balamb's Commander for his stubborn refusals, and Irvine Kinneas intended to do just that. Quistis might attempt to empathize with Squall, read into his emotions, sort them out and coax him, but the cowboy felt that sometimes a little bit of straightforward blunt trauma was the only thing that'd get through his thick skull.

Angrily, Squall turned his stormy gaze back toward the gunman. Cornflower blue and azure-gray met and a staring contest began. It ended with Irvine the winner. "What do you want to know about Rinoa, Irvine. She's been gone a year. No one knows where she is," Squall asked, conceding to his defeat. To his chagrin, the cowboy suddenly grinned, reaching up to adjust his hat idly.

"That's why we're going to go find her."

NExT...


	The Long Dark Standard Disclaimer: Final Fantasy characters and settings belong to Squaresoft. 'Edge of Thorns' lyrics belong to Savatage. (Everything else is mine, nyah.) Author's Words: Hey hey. I was going to write about Quistis, but I had this oddball idea, and decided to stop being mean to all you Rinoa and Squall fans. Hence, this little story. I'll also be combining chapters a bit from now on, so after the Prologue, I may take a few days to get another segment up. Patience is a virtue. (Though I've never been very virtuous myself.) Thanks again to Diablos and Selphie for listening to me babble about this. You guys rock. :) Prologue: Edge of Thorns Studies made from winter Of summers long ago And dreams that used to glitter Safely now hidden under snow And so we end the chapter And let the stagelights fade... Nighttime in Balamb. Somewhere nigh to ten o'clock. Squall Leonhart found himself at a perch all too familiar since the end of the Second Sorceress War. The deck outside Garden, where the night air wound through his tousled hair and the sleepy countryside surrounding the complex offered some semblance of peace to a troubled mind. Today especially he needed the respite. One year ago Rinoa had walked out of his life permanently. The rebellion in Galbadia, and after that the trouble with Irvine followed by his and Selphie's rather unexpected wedding had distracted him from lamenting her loss. After that, he stumbled through his days, performing his duties with a cold detachment. All the heroes of the Second Sorceress War scattering to the four winds didn't help either. Selphie and Irvine left for Trabia, assuming their own duties as Head Mistress and Commander. Occasionally he at least heard from Irvine, but communication between them was few and far between. Squall tried keeping it strictly business also, even if the cowboy attempted personal contacts on occasion. Quistis disappeared for Galbadia Garden, aiding Seifer in the rebuilding efforts underway. He heard from her less than he did Irvine. Zell was the only one left at Balamb now besides Squall, though the commander wasn't sure how much longer that would last. The martial artist recently got engaged to that dark haired library girl he'd been dating. The second of their little circle to take that road. Third... if you counted Irvine and Selphie separately, and Squall did not, not anymore. We're all growing up. We were kids when we fought Ultimecia, kids who had to become adults before our time. Now we really are adults. What's happened to us? We're all scattered across the globe. Where's Rinoa now? Is she happy? Does she think of me? Footfalls against the tiles of the deck distracted him from his brooding and he turned, expecting to see Zell. No one else bothered him here any more. To his surprise, Irvine Kinneas stood in the entryway, smiling at his fellow Commander with all that irritating smugness Squall first hated about him. They merely looked at one another for a long moment, no words being exchanged. Squall tried to remember if he'd known about this ahead of time. So much paperwork crossing his desk, communiqués to be answered, meetings and... he often got bogged down, forgetting little things unless reminded. "No, Squall, I didn't send word of my arrival ahead of time, quit worrying," Irvine said, that smile never fading from his lips. He hadn't changed much, other than appear a year or two older. Marriage aged him, he claimed jokingly, though certainly not in Selphie's presence. From all reports Squall had gotten out of Trabia, he and Selphie excelled in their positions, making Trabia fully able to support training SeeDs again. He had suggested allowing them to test as well, thereby making Trabia more autonomous and less of a satellite Garden, but Irvine refused, deferring still to Squall. He wanted to keep the Gardens all connected, and making all candidates transfer to Balamb for final exams did just that, in his opinion. Apparently his only failing had to do with his wardrobe, he forsook his Commander's uniform for all but special events, refusing to be anything like the straight laced Martine, former Headmaster of Galbadia Garden. Though Squall usually prefered protocol, he actually understood the cowboy on that point. He still hadn't abandoned his leather outfit, either. Squall scowled at him then, looking away briefly. He knew he was predictable, the cowboy didn't need to rub it in, "What about--" "Selphie's not here either, she's still recovering." Squall openly glared at Irvine's interruption. It was tempting to snap at him, but he held his ire in check. Spending his days dealing with people on a constant basis, he slowly grew accustomed to biting his tongue. Silence stretched out, and the commander waited for Irvine to say something else, but he didn't, walking out to lean against the railing of the deck, flicking the wedding band on his left hand around and around on his finger. It gave Squall a moment to regain his composure. At least the cowboy was learning when to shut up at times. "I heard the news. Congratulations," he said quietly. Last Squall heard, Selphie had given birth to a son. Irvine shrugged, suddenly a little embarrassed. He reached up and swiped at his bangs from beneath the rim of his hat. "Yeah... Vaniel's changed everything," he admitted looking down at the wedding band again in muted fascination, "Almost lost Selphie, I was worried about that... she's so small. It's why she couldn't come with me, took a lot out of her." Squall glanced at Irvine from the corner of his vision. No one ever told him that much, only that she had some complications. "I'm glad she's all right," he offered uncertainly. Even though Irvine was a friend, one of the orphanage kids, there would always be a degree of separation for Squall. Not just from the cowboy, from all of them. He noticed it more and more as everyone parted ways and continued with their lives while he felt stuck in a never ending loop at Balamb. I deal with so many people every day. I touch their lives, give them direction, and yet she's the only one who could touch mine. Rinoa... why did I let you go? Squall realized he was thinking again, and Irvine hadn't interrupted him. The cowboy was staring at him, though, solicitousness in his eyes. Suddenly it dawned on Balamb's Commander that he hadn't the slightest idea why Trabia's Commander paid him this unexpected visit. "Quisty contacted me. She's worried about you," Irvine explained right then, as if he'd read Squall's thoughts, "So I came back to talk to you, about Rinoa." Suddenly it all made sense. Everyone left him alone in regards to Rinoa's departure. Everyone except Quistis. They argued after she'd returned from the Galbadia mission. She called him a pitiful fool and insisted he go to Timber to get Rinoa back, even if he had to beg her on his hands and knees. Out of sheer stubbornness, he refused. The two didn't speak to one another for a month after that, not till he sent her off with Zell and Irvine on that disaster mission to Valsaar. Even after that, she attempted occasionally to inquire about Rinoa. She tried locating the Sorceress for Selphie and Irvine's wedding, finding that she wasn't in Timber any longer, and General Caraway had not heard from her in months. Gone. She had simply vanished. She's a Sorceress though. It's been a year. How much of her has changed? Does she even want me back in her life? Quistis, you just don't give up, do you. Sending Irvine in where you knew you'd be rejected. I don't want to talk about this. "Stop thinking, start talking, Squally," Irvine insisted, his tone turning stern. The cowboy understood Squall, to a degree, having taken the loner stance for a long time before Selphie came along. Squall folded his arms over his chest, refusing to look at Irvine. A petulant frown crossed his features stubbornly as he turned away. This is no more your business than it is Quistis', Irvine. I'm sure you mean well, but that doesn't change anything. Rinoa's gone, she left, and it was her choice. Who am I to question that? "Dammit, Squall. I saw you crying when you were four and you fell on the stairs at the orphanage and skinned both your knees. Don't tell me you can't open up to me now," Irvine snapped. Someone needed to slap Balamb's Commander for his stubborn refusals, and Irvine Kinneas intended to do just that. Quistis might attempt to empathize with Squall, read into his emotions, sort them out and coax him, but the cowboy felt that sometimes a little bit of straightforward blunt trauma was the only thing that'd get through his thick skull. Angrily, Squall turned his stormy gaze back toward the gunman. Cornflower blue and azure-gray met and a staring contest began. It ended with Irvine the winner. "What do you want to know about Rinoa, Irvine. She's been gone a year. No one knows where she is," Squall asked, conceding to his defeat. To his chagrin, the cowboy suddenly grinned, reaching up to adjust his hat idly. "That's why we're going to go find her." NExT...